Jerritt Clark/WireImageMeek Mill's request to have a judge who he believes is prejudiced removed from his case has been denied.

Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Leon Tucker rejected Meek's lawyers petition to replace Judge Genece E. Brinkley, who is overseeing his criminal case, Philly.com reports.

Brinkley sentenced the All Eyes On Me rapper to prison and denied him an opportunity to be released on bail. Mill was eventually granted bail in April.

Mills legal team claims that Brinkley has treated him unfairly by refusing to grant him a new trial despite support from the District Attorneys Office and Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf. Mill believes he was framed by former Philadelphia Police Officer Reginald Graham, who arrested him.

But Judge Tucker claims he doesn't have the power to dismiss Brinkley from the case, saying that only the Pennsylvania Supreme Court can remove her.

We have a judge that wears the same robe that I wear, that has not recused herself and has not disqualified herself, Tucker said. I dont have the jurisdiction to do that. Its as simple as that.

Mill was initially convicted in 2008 on drug and gun charges, serving an eight-month sentence, followed by probation. In November 2017, Brinkley sentenced the rapper to to two to four years in prison for parole violations. In April of this year, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court finally granted Mills release.

Mill's co-counsel, Joe Tacopina, said he will fight the courts decision. A hearing is scheduled June 18, but Mills attorneys are hoping the Supreme Court will remove Brinkley from the case before then.

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Guwahati : The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) had seized two AK-47 rifles and arrested a person in Mizoram, officials said.





Acting on a specific information about smuggling of AK-47 rifles from Myanmar through Mizoram border into India for further delivery to some insurgent groups in Bangladesh, the officers of DRI, searched a residential premises at Chawnpui in Aizwal and recovered a loaded sack which was about to be transported by the occupants of the said premises.





On examination, the sack was found to contain Ginger.





Further examination of the said ginger sack resulted in recovery of a packet wrapped with old and used news paper.





On opening the said packet, two AK-47 rifles totally valued at Rs 20 lakhs were recovered and seized under Customs Act.





Import of any article or commodity that is in violation of any Act for the time being in force automatically becomes a violation under Customs Act by virtue of Section 111(d) of the Customs Act. In this case, the arms have been smuggled into India from an unauthorized route across the Indo-Myanmar border besides being prohibited from being imported in this manner. As such, this has resulted in violation of Sections 10 and 11 of the Arms Act which require a proper license for import and export of firearms and which prohibit the import and export unless certain conditions are fulfilled. Violation of these provisions of Arms Act automatically result in a violation of the Customs Act too, which is punishable under Section 135 of the Customs Act apart from being punishable under the requisite provisions of Arms Act too, a top DRI official said.





The Mizoram resident from whose possession recovery of two AK-47 rifles was made, has been arrested under Section 104 of the Customs Act and has been since produced before the Court, wherein the Magistrate was pleased to send him to Judicial custody.





In a swift joint operation launched by the DRI and Assam Rifles thereafter to identify and locate other members of the syndicate involved in this offense, another person who was acting as conduit between the arrested person (from whose possession two AK-47 rifles were recovered and seized) was identified and considering his involvement, he has also been arrested.





He also been remanded to judicial custody for a period of fourteen days.





Further, three more persons, who are understood to be the intended buyers of the weapons have been identified, again with the active assistance of Assam Rifles.





They have also been placed under Arrest under the provisions of the Customs Act read with Arms Act.





Further investigation is under progress in this case.



Guwahati : Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday had visited the Indo-Myanmar border.





Nirmala Sitharaman, who arrived at Dimapur in Nagaland on May 29, continued her visit to Spear Corps Zone on Wednesday.





Departing Dimapur in the morning, the Defence Minister undertook visit of forward posts of the Assam Rifles along the Indo-Myanmar border.





For this visit, Nirmala Sitharaman was accompanied by Lieutenant General Gopal R, AVSM, SM, General Officer Commanding Spear Corps.





At the forward posts, the Defence Minister witnessed first hand the prevalent conditions and ongoing operations of units deployed for border guarding operations in the area.





She was briefed by commanders operating on the ground.





Having made a comprehensive assessment of the situation, over a cup of tea with the troops, Nirmala Sitharaman expressed immense satisfaction on the high standards of professionalism and dedication displayed by units and

formations of Spear Corps responsible for operations along the Indo-Myanmar border.





During the visit to forward areas, the Defence Minister also interacted with local State government functionaries and representatives of other security agencies.





She also met with local community leaders of the area and appreciated their cooperation in maintaining security in the area.





Notwithstanding weather disruptions, the Defence Minister, having accomplished objectives of the visit, departed for Delhi later on in the day.







MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang on Thursday, the Russian foreign ministry said, and invited him to visit Russia.





Lavrov visited the secretive state ahead of a possible landmark summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader in June.

Russia has appeared to be on the fringes of a flurry of international diplomacy as North Korea and the United States have taken steps to set up talks aimed at ending years of tension over Pyongyangs nuclear programme.





Lavrov on Thursday passed on good wishes to Kim from Russian President Vladimir Putin and invited him to visit Moscow, TV footage showed.





Come to Russia. We would be very happy to see you, Lavrov, seated across a table from Kim, said. He expressed Moscows support for the declaration between North and South Korea last month in which they agreed to work for the denuclearisation of the peninsula.





Lavrov also held talks with his North Korean counterpart, Ri Yong Ho, in what was his first trip to North Korea since 2009, Russian news agencies said.





Lavrov said Moscow hoped all sides would take a delicate approach to possible forthcoming talks on a nuclear settlement on the peninsula and not try to rush the process.



Biratnagar, Nepal: Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shyam Khatri, who is one of the prime suspects in the 33.5 kg gold scam, has surrendered before the Morang district court on Thursday.





He had had been absconding since his involvement on the scam was revealed from other arrested persons over the scam. The district court Morang has begun the record of his statement.





With the present of SSP Khatris statement is currently being recorded at the district court, informed Superintendent of Morang District Police, Arun Kumar BC.



Report: Army, committees attack Saudi army, its mercenaries over 24 hours [31/May/2018] br>SANAA, May 31 (Saba) - The rocket and artillery forces of the Yemen army and popular committees have targeted sites and gatherings of the Saudi army and its mercenaries, killing dozens of them during the past 24 hours, according to military reports combined by Saba News Agency on Thursday.



In Asir border province, a coalitions spying drone was shot down in front of Alab border crossing, while a Saudi-backed mercenaries advance was repelled in front of Alab.



In Saudi border province of Jizan, the army and committees foiled an infiltration of mercenaries in front of Dukhan mount, killing and wounding dozens.

Also in Jizan, gatherings of Saudi soldiers were targeted by artillery shells in Shaikh hill, Dud mount and Amod site.



In Najran Saudi border province, artillery shelling targeted mercenaries gatherings in Ramlia hill, Aleeb mounts and Boqea desert, as well as Saudi soldiers and their mercenaries gatherings were shelled by missiles in Hammad fort and Selh center.



Also in Najran, two of the mercenaries were sniped in the west of Sudais site.



In Taiz province, numbers of the mercenaries were killed and wounded when the army destroyed their two military vehicles by explosive devices in West coast front, while a mercenaries military armored was destroyed by a guided missile in West coast front.



In Jawf province, a ballistic missile, Qaher 2M, was fired toward Labanat mercenaries camp.



Writing by Sameera Hassn





Saba Prez Trump meets with Kim Kardashian to discuss clemency ... and then tweets that he "Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh DSouza" | Main | Prez Trump suggests to reporters there will be more episodes of "Celebrity Clemency" 

May 31, 2018

Fuzzy math and fuzzy logic in criticisms of federal FIRST STEP Act based in state recidivism data

Over at PoweLine, Paul Mirengoff has this extended post trying to make a case against the FIRST STEP Act under the headline "Cold Facts On Recidivism Undermine Case For Leniency Legislation." I find some of Mr. Mirengoff's posts to be astute even though he relies often on "tough-and-tougher" rhetoric to oppose any possible form of sentencing reform. But this latest effort is full of especially fuzzy work. Let me explain with some quotes (indented and italicized) followed by my commentary.

Last week, the Department of Justice released an updated study from the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) showing that 83 percent of prisoners released by states are re-arrested within nine years of their release. 44 percent of released state prisoners were arrested during the first year after release, 68 percent were arrested within three years, and 79 percent within six years.... The results of the study should deter the Senate from embracing the FIRST STEP legislation passed by the House just before the BJS figures were published. Indeed, the BJS numbers undermine FIRST STEP in multiple ways. First, it is estimated that FIRST STEP would mandate the immediate release of at least 4,000 federal felons before they serve their full sentence. Given the recidivism numbers from the BJS study, we know that a high percentage of the 4,000 will commit crimes during the period during which, absent FIRST STEP, they would be behind bars.

Mr. Mirengoff accurately reports that the BJS study (which I noted in this prior post) concerns state prisoners, though he fails to note these are folks who were released from state prisons in 2005. From the very outset it is very faulty to assert that recidivism data on state prisoners released in 2005 readily enables us to "know" what federal prisoners released in 2018 will do.

The US Sentencing Commission's most recent report on federal prisoner recidivism, notably, shows a much lower (though still significant) rearrest rate than state prisoners. Here is how the USSC explains how distinct the federal population is from the state population when running prisoner recidivism numbers: "Compared to a cohort of state prisoners released into the community in 2005 and tracked by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, federal offenders had a lower recidivism rate. BJS found that 76.6 percent of offenders released from state prison were rearrested within five years. The Commission, using a comparable five year follow-up period and including only federal offenders released from prison ... found the recidivism rate for these federal offenders was 44.9 percent."

Moreover, the estimated 4000 prisoners to be getting earlier release thanks the FIRST STEP Act will be getting out mostly a few weeks or a few months earlier because of getting a little extra credit for good behavior in prison. The proper statistics suggest, based on the nature of federal prisoners and how limited the FIRST STEP Act really is, that only a quite low percentage "of the 4,000 will commit crimes during the period during which, absent FIRST STEP, they would be behind bars."

Mr. Mirengoff goes on:

Second, the BJS study tells us that the crimes that federal drug felons will commit arent confined to drug crimes. According to the study, more than three-quarters (77 percent) of released drug offenders were arrested for a non-drug crime within nine years, and more than a third (34 percent) were arrested for a violent crime. So much for the argument we hear over and over again from Team Leniency that those incarcerated for drug crimes are non-violent offenders....

Again we have the problem of conflating data on state prisoners with federal prisoners. But here we have an even bigger logical flaw because the BJS recidivism data does not show that persons who committed state drug crimes really were violent offenders before they went to state prison, rather it shows that they became violent offenders (or, more accurately, were arrested for a violent offense like assault) after spending time in prison. This actually goes to the heart of the argument for any form of (state or federal) prison reform: we need to do a better job of making prison a place where people become better people not worse criminals.

Mr. Mirengoff continues:

Third, the numbers undermine the rational for FIRST STEP used by certain conservative Senators such as John Cornyn. They argue that some states have made great strides when it comes to rehabilitating prisoners. Thus, the argument goes, statistics about recidivism rates among federal prisoners do not provide a sound basis for opposing sentencing reform, provided the reform also includes corrections reform. The idea is to bring model state prisoner rehabilitation programs into the federal system. This, it is said, will cause recidivism rates to plummet, making America safe for the early release of federal drug felons and for a reduction of mandatory minimums. The BJS numbers tell us that the states, collectively, are doing no better than the feds when it comes to rehabilitating prisoners. But what about model states like John Cornyns home state of Texas, so often touted by sentencing and corrections reform advocates? It turns out that Texas isnt doing any better than the feds either. The numbers that reform advocates use to calculate recidivism in Texas count only re-incarcerations, not re-arrests. By contrast, the federal system measures recidivism by re-arrests (to be sure not everyone arrested has committed a crime but then, not everyone who has committed a crime is arrested). If one compares apples to apples  federal re-arrests to Texas re-arrests  the recidivism rate in Texas is actually higher than the federal rate, according to the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys. FIRST STEP is thus founded on a fiction  the view that enlightened states have discovered the key to the age-old problem of how to rehabilitate criminals.

Again, a lack of context concerning time and place and prisoners makes this reasoning faulty. The BJS data reveal that Texas and other states did a lousy job rehabilitating those prisoners who were released back in 2005 before the modern wave of reforms in Texas or anywhere else. This Right on Crime posting highlights the reform put in place in Texas starting in 2007, and Texas was really the first state to get started on these types of "modern" reforms. Data on state prisoners released in 2005 will never prove that state reforms started in 2007 are ineffectual.

Now that all said, neither Texas nor any other jurisdiction has all of a sudden "discovered the key to the age-old problem of how to rehabilitate criminals." This is an age-old problem because it never has had and never will have an easy or obvious solution. People and crime are way too complicated for magic bullet solutions. But what Texas and other states have done, and what the FIRST STEP Act aspires to do, is move forward with reforms that have provide to help at least a little bit with the the age-old problem of how to rehabilitate criminals. No programming ever can or ever will miraculously drop recidivism rates to near zero, but Mr. Mirengoff wants that to be the prerequisite to any reforms:

Lets see recidivism rates plummet on a sustained basis, using apples to apples comparisons, before the first federal prisoner is released early and the first mandatory minimum is reduced.

It would be more direct and more honest if Mr. Mirengoff simply said "Lets never allow a federal prisoner to be released early or any mandatory minimum to be reduced."

May 31, 2018 at 11:52 AM | Permalink

Comments

I submit that you are too mild in your criticism. That is a wildly misleading article.

Posted by: Fat Bastard | May 31, 2018 6:59:35 PM

Recidivism to arrest and to conviction is not a valid outcome measure. Only 10% of serious crimes result in prosecution.

If one counts the massive criminality on the internet, the rate of prosecution may be 1 in a million. You may be more likely to be struck by lightning or swept away by a tornado than to be prosecuted for an internet crime.

Posted by: David Behar | May 31, 2018 11:31:48 PM

Post a comment "Retributivist Theories' Conjoined Twins Problems" | Main | Fuzzy math and fuzzy logic in criticisms of federal FIRST STEP Act based in state recidivism data 

May 31, 2018

Prez Trump meets with Kim Kardashian to discuss clemency ... and then tweets that he "Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh DSouza"

I have an inkling that years from now lots of academics may be able to get PhDs based on a robust analysis of President Trump's tweeting. And the last 24 hours would make for an especially interesting account of Prez Trump's various perspectives on criminal justice matters. Here are just a few Trumpian tweet highlights:

This CNBC article provides some context for this latest (political) act of Presidential clemency in the last of these linked tweets:

President Donald Trump said Thursday he plans to issue a pardon to Dinesh D'Souza, a prominent conservative commentator and filmmaker who was convicted of making an illegal campaign contribution.... D'Souza pleaded guilty in 2014 to reimbursing two of his associates after directing them to contribute $10,000 each to the 2012 Senate campaign of Wendy Long. He also admitted that he knew what he was doing violated the law. Then-U.S. attorney Preet Bharara announced D'Souza's conviction at the time. "Dinesh D'Souza attempted to illegally contribute over $10,000 to a Senate campaign, wilfully undermining the integrity of the campaign finance process," Bharara said. "Like many others before him, of all political stripes, he has had to answer for this crime -- here with a felony conviction."... D'Souza was sentenced to spend an eight-hour day each week in community service as part of a five-year probationary term, according to the Southern District of New York. He also has to attend weekly counseling sessions and pay a $30,000 fine. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, an ally of both Trump and D'Souza, applauded Trump's decision in a tweet of his own.... The president has used his pardon power five other times since taking office, including the controversial pardoning of former Sheriff Joseph Arpaio in August 2017.

Though I am always pleased to see any president make robust use of his clemency powers, I find disconcerting the obvious affinity Prez Trump has for using this power for the benefit of prominent political allies. I am surely naive to hope that Kim Kardashian could have explained to Prez Trump how it could be politically valuable for him to start granting clemency to a bunch of just "regular people" that he claims to care about so much. As I see it, there are lots of federal felons other than Dinesh D'Souza who have been "treated very unfairly by our government!" Perhaps Prez Trump will see and act on that reality eventually.

May 31, 2018 at 10:14 AM | Permalink

Comments

I'm not enough of a historian to know how often the pardon power has been use in a partisan way, of not a corrupt way. I do know that Clinton's pardon of Marc Rich was outrageous and may have begun the modern corruption of the pardon power. In light of Clinton's action, we can hardly complain about Trump's pardons. The only remedy for the abuse of the pardon power is impeachment, conviction, and removal from office. I don't expect that anytime soon.



Posted by: Michael R. Levine | May 31, 2018 10:35:26 AM

"In light of Clinton's action, we can hardly complain about Trump's pardons."

Twenty years your friend did something wrong. How can you complain that I did?

Moving past the asinine ... well ... " I am always pleased to see any president make robust use of his clemency power"

His actions are degrading it and even you toss in "disconcerting."

We can't look at this sort of thing in a vacuum. It is especially the case when there is already a trend (though someone here might want even more examples) that send a horrible message, including to certain people about them likely being safe if they play ball with Trump. Overall, this degrades the clemency power, as do special interest pardons like the Rich one, and in the long run will make it harder for it to apply to promote justice and pragmatic benefits (such as cooling down situations like Washington's pardons after the Whiskey Rebellion or Carter after Vietnam) in the way it is there to do.

Posted by: Joe | May 31, 2018 11:21:44 AM

Anything Trump does is suspect. Just found out that his name derives from the French "tromper," which means to deceive, to lie, to dissemble. Why am I not surpised?

Posted by: Pete from Astoria | May 31, 2018 11:23:06 AM

In response to Levine's comment, Joe writes, "Twenty years your friend did something wrong. How can you complain that I did?" Joe misses Levine's large point: the pardon process has been corrupted. It has the stench of the sewer now. I just dont' think it used to be that way.

Posted by: Peter from Vermont | May 31, 2018 11:51:18 AM

There have always been some abuse in "lame duck" pardons -- the gifts given out by a president to friends and allies just before leaving office. What is disconcerting is that, sixteen months in, all of the pardons have been outside of the normal process and they have all been to political people.

If there is not one average person spending time in federal prison who is worthy of a commutation, why is everybody spending so much time considering federal sentencing reform?

Posted by: tmm | May 31, 2018 1:03:00 PM

The optimistic spin. These political pardons are the padding on the boxing glove. Trump plans on doing some big time pardoning later that will make liberals happy and by doing this first he will not leave Republicans any room to complain without sounding chintzy.

In other words, lets not write a narrative before the narrative is over.



Posted by: Daniel | May 31, 2018 4:42:05 PM

I will pass on assuming some "wider point." I just go by what is said. "In light of Clinton's action." As tmm notes, Clinton's pardon isn't even of the same sort. Or, even somehow the start of some "cesspool." We could complain even so.

Why we are supposed to be optimistic about Trump is unclear. Maybe all the other things he has been doing is also some sort of prelude. It's 18 or so months in. In fact, it's decades in, since Trump has been acting in a certain way for a long time.

"Narrative." No. Statement of what is happening.

Posted by: Joe | May 31, 2018 5:48:40 PM

@tmm, you nailed it.

If there is not one average person spending time in federal prison who is worthy of a commutation, why is everybody spending so much time considering federal sentencing reform?

I love it when a couple of sentences sums it up nice and tidy, good job.

Posted by: MidWestGuy | May 31, 2018 8:50:33 PM

@joe

I am optimistic about Trump for the same reason I believe all children are innocent, a strange dog will never bite, and "I will love you forever" really means forever. And that reason is either (a) because it keeps hope alive in dismal times or (b) because I am a damn fool. Take your pick.

Posted by: Daniel | May 31, 2018 9:29:37 PM

Daniel. Trump had the factually best first year of any President in history. His second year will be better. Check the value of your assets. You did very well from the Trump Effect.

Posted by: David Behar | Jun 2, 2018 9:33:31 AM

Post a commentThe recognition was announced during the 2018 General Meeting of the committee at Gwangju, South Korea.

The document, containing historical maps dating back to the 18th century that charted a Vietnamese envoys journey to China.

The document belonged to the Nguyen Huy family in the central province of Ha Tinh.

With writings, drawings and maps, the book recorded the diplomatic relationship between Vietnam and China in the 18th century through journeys of Vietnamese envoys.

Specifically, the document described the mission of the Vietnam envoys to China, which represents the exchanges between countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The book with the main part is a photo-taking record with many pictures, rich and rare information.

The book was compiled and edited by Nguyen Huy Oanh (1713-1789) who collected all documents of previous envoys and historical records as well as notes from his own journey in 1766-1767, during which he worked as the main envoy of the Vietnamese delegation.

At the 7th meeting, the document was highly appreciated by many countries as a rare and precious record of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and China since the feudal era of the 18th century. Furthermore, it was contributed to the maintenance of peace among the peoples in the region and the world.

The dossier of the book received 17 votes from 17 members of the panel.

The panel considered 12 dossiers from eight countries including Tuvalu, Myanmar, China, the Philippines, South Korea, Australia, the Solomon Islands and Vietnam.



The eighth meeting of MOWCAP took place on May 29-31 in Gwangju, South Korea attracting 125 representatives from 28 countries.

The Memory of the World Program is an international program aimed at safeguarding, preserving and facilitating access to and the use of documentary heritage. UNESCO launched the program in 1992. It includes the inscription of significant documentary heritage on national, regional and international registers.

MOWCAP was set up in 1998 and is the regional forum for UNESCOs global Memory of the World (MOW) Program. MOWCAP aims to assist with the preservation of and universal access to documentary heritage of the Asia Pacific region, and also to increase awareness of the existence and significance of the heritage.









By Mai An - translated by Tri Dan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.With the approach of the Pulse shootings second anniversary, activists are planning a die-in.

The National Die-In will take place at the National Mall in Washington D.C. on June 12, according to PinkNews. The event will be organized in conjunction with Parkland survivors, with the goal of drawing 100,000 participants.

Amanda Fugleberg, who is helping organize the event, told the Advocate how she was affected by the event that happened 15 minutes away from her.

It was the first news I saw when I woke up that day and I remember the death toll just rising, she said. It brought me to tears to know something like that happened so close.

The event itself will last 12 minutes, with each of the 720 seconds representing someone who has died in a mass shooting since the Pulse shooting. The event has over 1,200 Twitter followers so far.

Organizers reached out to Pulse survivor Brandon Wolf, who is preparing a protest on June 11, according to the Advocate. He said there is potential to link the events.

The protests will not be the first die-in that was organized because of a Florida mass shooting. Parkland survivor David Hogg organized a protest at a Parkland Publix to stop them from donating to pro-gun gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam, according to the Sun Sentinel.Oh Mary, dont ask. Someone has complained that the Wilton Manors Business Association Directory is too gay.

Thats right, at the last City Commission meeting, a resident expressed strong disappointment with the radical revision done to the latest edition of the Wilton Manors Business Association Directory.

Sorry to disappoint, but the splash of color on the front cover is about as radical as it gets. The resident went on to point out that the inappropriate photo of men dancing inside a nightclub makes the directory seem more like a gay guide to our city. I guess some would like us back in the closet, out of sight, out of mind.

Ironically at the same city commission meeting, Hunters Nightclub was honored as the recipient of the Community Spirit Award, along with resident Jon OConnor.

Each year the citys Community Affairs Advisory Board recognizes one local business and one resident for outstanding community involvement and volunteerism here in our Island City. Hunters Nightclub has been a major sponsor of many city events, is always ready to step up when needed, and is a major asset to our business community, serving as a great example of how local businesses can improve and serve the community in which they do business. The photograph pointed out by that local resident as being too inappropriate for the Business Directory happens to have been taken at one of Hunters Sunday Tea Dances.

Seems a bit contradictory to honor a business for all they do to improve life here in our community then condemn as inappropriate a picture of residents having a good time at that establishment.

Prior to the City Commission meeting, I thought that the business association had done a wonderful job with the new directory. The front cover was colorful, with pictures depicting life and activities in our Island City. Inside is a wealth of information, from a brief history of our city, things to do around town, restaurants on and off The Drive, a wonderful summary of our city government, and a listing of local businesses throughout our Island City and the surrounding area. A job well done!

Unfortunately, the comment of being too gay is not limited to just this one incident. At a recent Island City Art Advisory Committee meeting, a local artist was abruptly interrupted by a committee member who complained that painting a crosswalk on Wilton Drive in the rainbow colors was too gay.

The slight undercurrent of bigotry flowing beneath the surface here in our wonderful Island City rears its ugly head every now and then. A quote from Dorothy Day sums it up: The legal battle against segregation is won, but the community battle goes on. The LGBT community has come a long way in gaining legal protections and rights in our society, but we still must continue to educate right here in our local communities, to root out discrimination and bigotry embedded down deep within.

The Wilton Manors Business Association has come a long way in the last seven years after hitting rock bottom back in 2011. That is when the association leadership thought it a good idea to invite Allen West, Congressman and conservative firebrand, to come to Wilton Manors.

Community leaders and many WMBA members were in an uproar. Calls for a boycott of local businesses were thankfully called off by cooler heads, and the odious Congressman West road show was cancelled. Unbeknownst to residents who stood together back then, that firebrand style was just the warm-up show for things to come. Now the headliner across the nation is the Trump Reality Show. I can almost understand those who harken back to times gone by.

However, looking back is not an option. Looking forward is the solution. Our business community, led by WMBA President Tim Moffett, is looking forward to a bright future with their bold new business directory and active membership. Our city leadership, led by City Manager Leigh Ann Henderson, is also actively looking forward with sound financial budgeting and planning for future needs. Our community neighborhood associations are looking forward, working with city staff to bring about needed changes along Andrews Avenue, possibly unifying our city zip codes, and advocating on behalf of many other projects throughout the city. Residents should be looking forward to our upcoming city elections in November. Elections offer residents a say in the future by electing a Mayor and City Commissioners who will best serve our Island City.

In closing, I quote from Tim Moffitts Welcome Statement in the vibrantly revised Wilton Manors Business Directory. Small businesses are the bedrock of every community. WMBAs main goal currently is to form enduring alliances between city government, civic organizations, and business. In doing so, we believe we can help to build a stronger community and make whats already a great city even better.

Shop locally, support the Island City business community, embrace the future, leave bigotry in the past, and let us move forward together, and in doing so we will continue to make life just better here.

The Wilton Manors Gazette has now launched a Facebook page to keep residents informed with all things Wilton Manors. Click here to join.The planned Walmart in Oakland Park has been approved by Broward County and Oakland Park. Now, all thats left is a review of the plans.

Steven Wherry, the Fort Lauderdale attorney representing Walmart, said Walmarts property plat was recently approved by Broward County officials. The new Walmart will be where the former Kmart was located, 670 E Oakland Park Blvd.

According to the Broward County website, Under Florida law, platting is simply the subdivision of property as recorded in the official records. In Broward County, platting is also used to evaluate the impacts of a proposed development on regional facilities and services.

Now, all thats left is to work with county staff to make sure the plat paperwork is created properly. After that, he said Walmart will begin applying for permits to demolish the old Kmart building and to build the new structure.

Wherry said that process could be done in about a month, but hes not sure of an exact date yet. He also doesnt know yet when demolition or construction will begin.

The proposed 121,345 square foot store, which is 4,000 square feet bigger than the former Kmart building, was approved by Oakland Park commissioners at the end of 2016 and will employ an estimated 300 to 350 people. The site will have 510 parking spaces and solar panels will be installed to provide some of the buildings energy needs. Walmart will also hire an off-duty BSO deputy to provide extra security.

Store hours will be from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily and it will only be open 24 hours during three days chosen by Walmart. Per an agreement with Oakland Park, the only way the store can be open 24 hours on more than those three days is if the city allows one of Walmarts competitors to open 24 hours. Wherry said the days chosen by Walmart will most likely revolve around high-traffic shopping days, such as Black Friday.

The Wilton Manors Gazette has now launched a Facebook page to keep residents informed with all things Wilton Manors. Click here to join.This week, we continue the descent into Geekery that marked my last two columns. We looked at recent sales and pricing results for the three WilMa neighborhoods, as well as for nine select neighborhoods of interest nearby.

I want to change the gears a bit next.

When you are a new Realtor (or even not-so-new), there is one thing you will hear constantly from the typical managing broker, from successful Realtors, and from every real estate trainer out there:

Get the listing! Get the listing! The listing is everything! You can only make money in real estate as a listing agent! Do whatever you have to do to get the listing! Dont come back to the office without a listing!

That said, you would probably think there were some super-dominant listing agents out there in some neighborhoods. People with laser-like focus and tremendous reputation who own certain areas, who are perhaps considered the preferred Realtor of the neighborhood.

So lets look at the numbers.

I looked at all the single family home listings in the Multiple Listing Service data for the last two years, in those same 12 neighborhoods weve considered over the past two columns. The attached table shows the results. (I included listings that are currently active as well as those that expired over the last two years, whether through sale or for some other reason.)

Let me make some observations.

First, if you consider the aggregate share of listings, none of the neighborhoods has a particularly dominant Realtor. Further, none of the neighborhoods have a cluster of five top Realtors with aggregate market share of over 40 percent. In other words, the market for single family home listings in all these neighborhoods is essentially totally fragmented.

Finally, look at that last column. In every neighborhood, there were well over 100 Realtors who in the study period had at least one listing in the neighborhood in question. (Typically, it was exactly one listing.)

So how do Realtors make money? Well, many do take listings for condos too, and in more than one neighborhood. (Now, how much specific market knowledge some have about multiple neighborhoods and property types is another matter.) Also, being a listing agent affords you an opportunity to get both sides of the transaction (to be the buyers Realtor also and thus earn all the transaction commission). And having your sign around is great personal marketing; you then get calls from potential buyers to whom you can sell other properties.

Bear in mind, though, that only about 50 percent of listings actually sell during the contract period. Perhaps that should be a topic for a future column!

James Oaksun, Florida's Real Estate Geek(SM), is Broker-Owner of New Realty Concepts in Oakland Park. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI).

The Wilton Manors Gazette has now launched a Facebook page to keep residents informed with all things Wilton Manors. Click here to join.Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.



To study the most extreme objects in the Universe, astronomers sometimes have to go to some extreme places themselves.

Over the past several months, a team of scientists has braved frigid temperatures to set up and observe with a new radio telescope in Greenland.

Taking advantage of excellent atmospheric conditions, the Greenland Telescope is designed to detect radio waves from stars, star-forming regions, galaxies and the vicinity of black holes. One of its primary goals is to take the first image of a supermassive black hole by joining the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT), a global array of radio dishes that are linked together.

The Greenland Telescope has recently achieved three important milestones, beginning with "first light" last December. Following this, the telescope was successfully synchronized with data from another radio telescope, and was then used in an observing run of the EHT in April 2018. With these achievements, scientists from the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy & Astrophysics (ASIAA) of Taiwan and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) in Cambridge, Mass., have shown that the Greenland Telescope is able to explore some of the Universe's deepest mysteries.

"We can officially announce that we are open for business to explore the cosmos from Greenland," said Timothy Norton of the CfA and senior project manager for the telescope. "It's an exciting day for everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen."

The Greenland Telescope is a 12-meter radio antenna that was originally built as a prototype for the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) North America. Once ALMA was operational in Chile, the telescope was repurposed to Greenland to take advantage of the near-ideal conditions of the Arctic to study the Universe at specific radio frequencies, collaborating with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) and MIT Haystack Observatory.

ASIAA led the effort to refurbish and rebuild the antenna to prepare it for the cold climate of Greenland's ice sheet. In 2016, the telescope was shipped to the Thule Air Base in Greenland, 1,200 km inside the Arctic Circle, where it was reassembled at this coastal site. ASIAA also built receivers for the antenna.

"It is extremely challenging to quickly and successfully set up a new telescope in such a cold environment, where temperatures fall below -30 degrees Celsius," said Ming-Tang Chen from ASIAA and the Greenland Telescope project manager. "This is now one of the closest radio telescopes to the North Pole."

After ASIAA scientists began commissioning the telescope on December 1, 2017, they were able to detect radio emission from the Moon on December 25, an event astronomers refer to as "first light." Then in early 2018, the team combined data from the Greenland Telescope's observations of a quasar with data from ALMA. The data from the Greenland Telescope and ALMA were synchronized so that they acted like two points on a radio dish equal in size to the separation of the two observing sites, an achievement that is called "finding fringes."

"This represents a major step in integrating the telescope into a larger, global network of radio telescopes," said Nimesh Patel from CfA and the lead scientist for the Greenland Telescope. "Finding fringes tells us that the Greenland Telescope is working as we hoped and planned."

The Greenland location also allows interferometry with the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) and ASIAA's Submillimeter Array and the East Asian Observatory's (EAO) James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT) in Hawaii, ALMA and other radio dishes, to become the northernmost component of the EHT. This extends the baseline of this array in the north-south direction to about 12,000 km.

"The Greenland Telescope is a crucial addition to the EHT, allowing for an even greater separation between the radio dishes in the array and hence better resolution," said Keiichi Asada from ASIAA and the Greenland Telescope project scientist. "We are very excited that the Greenland Telescope is part of this historic project."

The Greenland Telescope joined the EHT observing campaign in the middle of April 2018 to observe the supermassive black hole at the center of the giant elliptical galaxy M87. This supermassive black hole and the one in our galaxy are the two primary targets for the EHT, because the apparent sizes of their event horizons are larger than for any other black hole. Nevertheless, exquisite telescope resolution is required, equivalent to reading the titles of a newspaper on the Moon viewed from the Earth. This capability is about a thousand times better than what the best optical telescopes in the world can achieve.

Scientists plan to use these observations to help test Einstein's theory of General Relativity in environments where extreme gravity exists, and probe the physics around black holes with unprecedented detail.

In 2011, NSF, the Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI)/NRAO awarded the antenna to the SAO, representing the ASIAA/SAO team, for relocation to Greenland. A future site is under consideration at the summit of the Greenland ice sheet where scientists will be able to take advantage of lower water vapor in the atmosphere overhead to achieve even better resolution.

The scientists and engineers involved in the first light commissioning of the Greenland Telescope (GLT) were Satoki Matsushita (ASIAA GLT co-PI), Chih-Wei Locutus Huang (ASIAA GLT support scientist), Jun-Yi Kevin Koay (ASIAA Postdoctoral Fellow), Nimesh Patel (CfA GLT lead scientist) and Tim Norton (CfA GLT senior project manager). The scientists and engineers involved in the commissioning to detect fringes were Ming-Tang Chen (ASIAA GLT co-PI, Project Manager), Keiichi Asada (ASIAA GLT Project Scientist), Hiroaki Nishioka (ASIAA GLT Support Scientist), Kuan-Yu Liu (EAO JCMT Technician), Chen-Yu Yu (ASIAA GLT Technician), Shoko Koyama (ASIAA Postdoctoral Fellow), Nimesh Patel and Tim Norton.

More information on the Greenland Telescope can be found at

http://vlbi.asiaa.sinica.edu.tw/

https://www.cfa.harvard.edu/greenland12m/

More information about the EHT can be found at

https://eventhorizontelescope.org

Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) is one of the 31 institutes and centers in Academia Sinica. ASIAA is located in the Astronomy-Mathematics Building on the campus of National Taiwan University, with a field office operating in Hawaii. Research topics carried out at ASIAA range from solar system, star formation, to extra-galactic science and cosmology.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) is a collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory. CfA scientists, organized into six research divisions, study the origin, evolution and ultimate fate of the universe.

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.Off the coast of Hawaii's Big Island and more than 3,000 feet beneath the ocean surface lie the warm, bubbling springs of a volcano -- a deep-sea location that may hold lessons for the search for extraterrestrial life.

Here, NASA and its partners are blending ocean and space exploration, with a project called SUBSEA, short for Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog. Lessons learned in both fields will be mutually beneficial and could help design future science-focused missions across the solar system.

Saturn's moon Enceladus and Jupiter's moon Europa are thought to have liquid oceans and hydrothermal activity under icy crusts. Locations on Earth with key similarities to future deep-space destinations are called analog environments. SUBSEA's target, the springs emerging from a volcano forming the next Hawaiian island, called the Lo`ihi seamount, is an analog for these ocean worlds.

When NASA's Cassini mission to Saturn discovered a plume of water erupting from beneath the icy surface of Enceladus, the characteristics of the plume told scientists what conditions might be like on the sea floor. This included the temperature, pressure and composition, and suggested the presence of hydrothermal activity. Scientists think these moons are good places to look for potential life, because water interacting with rock on their sea floors could yield chemical reactions that would make microbial metabolism possible.

Artist rendering showing an interior cross-section of the crust of Enceladus, which shows how hydrothermal activity may be causing the plumes of water at the moon's surface. Credits: NASA-GSFC/SVS, NASA/JPL-Caltech/Southwest Research Institute.

Lo`ihi is an especially good place to test predictions about seafloor hydrothermal systems and their ability to support life. Previous research focused more on locations where tectonic plates come together, but the Lo`ihi seamount involves molten magma erupting from the middle of one of these plates. This is the type of volcanic activity scientists think could be similar to seafloor volcanoes that may exist on Europa and Enceladus. The zones where plates meet may actually be too hot to provide a realistic representation of hydrothermal activity on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn.

Throughout the 2018 SUBSEA expedition aboard the vessel Nautilus, the team's scientists from NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and various academic institutions will study the conditions around Lo`ihi's seafloor springs across a range of pressures and temperatures. What they learn here will increase our understanding of the potential for conditions that could support life forms on other ocean worlds.

Learn more:

Systematic Underwater Biogeochemical Science and Exploration Analog (SUBSEA)

Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook.We can't seem to find the page you are looking for.

You may have typed the address incorrectly or you may have used an outdated link.Lazarus, who is considered by many to be the best Down Under horse since the immortal Cardigan Bay, has arrived at the Jimmy Takter stable in East, Windsor, New Jersey.

Lazarus will soon begin preparations for a North American campaign that may include an assault on the 1:46 all-time world record for one mile set by Always B Miki in 2016 (Takter was the trainer for Always B Miki during his record season). Lazarus will also be syndicated for stallion duty in North America.

Mark Purdon, who was Lazarus trainer/driver Down Under, has been cited as saying that he believes Lazarus will be up to that task when it comes to taking down the 1:46 standard.

Lazarus won 35 out of his 45 starts in Australia and New Zealand, and many of his victories came over half-mile tracks at assorted distances against bulky fields. He won six of his eight starts at age two, and set a hemisphere record of 1:52.9, which also saw Lazarus pace his final quarter in :25.2. Lazarus was undefeated during his three-year-old campaign in which he won all eight of his starts.

Lazarus annexed just about every Group 1 Australasian classic at one time or another, including two New Zealand Cups, The Inter Dominion, The Hunter and Victoria Cups. Lazarus is the richest Down Under-bred Standardbred of all time, with earnings of $3,821,006. Lazarus, who is the richest son of the dual-hemisphere stallion Bettors Delight, was acclaimed pacer of the year at ages three, four and five and also horse of the year at age five. He holds seven individual track records at multiple distances.

After having been reported earlier, Taylor Made Sales and Stallions of Nicholasville, Kentucky announced in May that Lazarus would be coming to North America later in the month.



Lazarus pictured with Ernie Martinez and Jimmy Takter at his farm in New Jersey (Photo courtesy Vicki Wright)

(With files from Bob Marks and Taylor Made Sales and Stallions)Eric Dickson hoped for the past several years to attend the U.S. Trotting Association Driving School, but it never fit the emergency department physicians schedule until now.

This is a little bit of a dream come true, said Dickson, who got started in harness racing less than five years ago and now owns seven horses, including a yearling he foaled at his Massachusetts farm. To be able to get three days of concentrated experience and the lectures, that you really cant get otherwise, is a great opportunity. Ive been trying to get this on my schedule for three years and finally got it done.

Dickson is among 20 participants in the 19th annual U.S. Trotting Association Driving School, which is being held in upstate New York this year. The school runs through Saturday and offers a mix of hands-on learning at the Mark Ford Training Center and classroom sessions at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. At the completion of the program, participants can take the USTAs driver and/or trainer exam.

Participants came from 10 different states, led by Ohio with five and New York with four. The school opened Wednesday with a welcome reception and dinner at the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame.

Mark Loewe, who among his responsibilities for Penn National Gaming Inc. is the vice president of racing operations at Hollywood Gaming at Dayton Raceway, was the keynote speaker following dinner. Loewe grew up in New York City and was introduced to harness racing at Roosevelt and Yonkers raceways. After graduating from college, Loewe worked for trainers Bill Popfinger and Jerry Silverman before running his own stable for a decade.

Dickson is among a number of Driving School participants hoping to get training and driving licenses.

Ive always wanted to do the amateur races or some qualifying races, Dickson said. I always loved being around horses. I just found that Standardbreds are probably the nicest horse out there. Ive really enjoyed it. Im an emergency physician and kind of need that release that gets me thinking of something other than work. This is an absolutely great release. There is nothing like sitting behind and jogging a horse. Its very, very relaxing.

Dickson got started with Thoroughbreds about 20 years ago, but didnt feel like I could get involved enough. After focusing on his medical career, he decided several years ago he wanted to get involved with horses again. He brought home a retired pacer, which his daughter rode and Dickson began jogging on a small track at his farm. He got his first racehorses in 2014 and races at Plainridge with trainer Todd ODea.

I really got into it, Dickson said. Its been absolutely wonderful.

In late 2016, Dickson bought a mare named Yankee Nola in foal to Deweycheatumnhowe. In March 2017, she gave birth to a colt that was named Dewey Dog.

By my nature I just love to learn, Dickson said. I learned everything I could about deliveries. Ive delivered a lot of human babies, but Ive never delivered a 60-pound baby before. That was a lot of fun.

Ive been working with him from the first hour he was born until now as a yearling. At the end of this year, well start to put him into some real training. Im looking forward to that. Whether he makes it or not, I still love him and Ive loved the experience.

In addition to his racehorses and broodmare, Dickson has two retired Standardbreds. He jogs them on his farm track and enjoys bringing newcomers with him in a double-seated cart.

There is nothing more fun than taking someone out in the double and letting them hold the reins for the first time, Dickson said. They get as addicted to it as I am.

(USTA)Conservative Alternative to Facebook

Contact: Steven Andrew, USA.Life , 877-585-7729SAN JOSE, Calif., May 31, 2018 / Standard Newswire / -- Many people are looking for a conservative alternative to Facebook, because of Facebook censoring conservatives. Others have privacy concerns with Facebook and want a new solution to protect their personal data. There is a conservative social network, USA.Life , "people are switching to," so "they are not censored for sharing life, liberty and happiness," said Steven Andrew, the founder.USA.Life is "the answer to Facebook censoring conservatives, Christians and liberty," said Andrew. He saw how much the "massive censorship being done" affected people. As a result, he took the initiative to start the conservative alternative to Facebook and "save the USA."He said, "People are signing up by the droves" to get their free accounts at www.USA.Life "The conservative social network members are filled with great enthusiasm," said Andrew."We began in 2017 and want to launch during the summer of 2018," he said. Although to make this goal, "we are looking for people who want to be part of this historic project and contribute $10 or more." Those who give $1,000 or more to save the Internet will get their name, business or loved one's name on the Founders Wall.Andrew set up a crowdfunding page with the details.USA.Life is working to be "the number one social network" and boldly plans to "replace Facebook and Twitter," he said.Andrew is uniquely qualified to lead this new conservative social network, since he is a respected Christian and technology leader. He has run complex Internet initiatives before. In Silicon Valley, Andrew stands out since he believes like the founding fathers, compared to the "liberal anti-American leaders" at Facebook and Twitter."Conservatives feel hope when they hear of the conservative Facebook replacement, knowing they can share photos, news, messages and videos without Facebook," Andrew said. People anywhere can get accounts.USA.Life "unites the nation" by using "a Pro-America Algorithm (TM) that anyone who wants God-given rights values," Andrew said. In contrast, Facebook has a "globalist algorithm," which is why Facebook "blocks conservatives that believe like the founders." A video, summary and FAQ show those who want to learn more the details about USA.Life, the "conservative alternative to Facebook."Andrew invites everyone who wants to be a part of the freedom provided with USA.Life to give, because "this is a great cause." As a thank you, those who join the crowdfunding get a special reward.This Page

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Redirection provided by Blogger to WordPress Migration ServiceArchiprix Bangladesh Exhibition 2018

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :

Archiprix Bangladesh Exhibition 2018 is a showcase of a selection of 15 projects submitted by the Bangladeshi students for Archiprix International from 2000 to 2017, along with the 23 best entries from all over the world for the 2017 edition.

It is being showcased for the first time in Dhaka, giving students of architecture schools, faculty members, practising architects, entrepreneurs and local communities the opportunity to discover a broader insight of international architectural projects and to learn about the platform Archiprix International extends.

Archiprix International is a biennial competition with each edition presenting a new generation of nonpareil architects, urban designers and landscape architects alongside their graduation projects to form an expanding international platform for training colleges and newly graduated talented designers.

The platform opens opportunities to get insights in current global design thinking in architecture, urban design and landscape architecture.

The architectural exhibition titled Archiprix Bangladesh Exhibition 2018 by Department of Architecture, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Archiprix International was held at La Galerie, Alliance Francaise de Dhaka in the capitals Dhanmondi area from May 25 to June 1.

Eminent architect Prof Shamsul Wares inaugurated the exhibition as the chief guest while Prof Dr Khandaker Shabbir Ahmed, Head of the Department of Architecture, BUET and Asif Bhuiyan, Marketing and Commercial Transformation Director, LafarfeHolcim Bangladesh Ltd also attended the opening ceremony. nThe United Front

Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia :

However, on the eve of the elections, the United Front was formed under the leadership of Haque-Bhashani-Suhrawardy on the basis of 21-point programme. Muslim League rulers too appeared in the election field with their full strength.

Big capitalists of East and West Pakistan financed the ruling party openly. Ispahani was the treasurer of the League and basically with his influence Miss Jinnah was brought to East Pakistan for election propaganda.

She used to stay at the house of Mr. Ispahani in East Pakistan. Huge amount of money was collected for the League election fund from the industrialists with the help and co-operation of Mr. Golam Farukh, the then Chairman of Pakistan Industrial Development Corporation. Prime Minister Mohammed Ali of Bogra started election campaign by special train and chartered steamer along with the eminent leaders of Pakistan. Newspapers also started to support Muslim League exclusively.

Then the age of daily 'Ittefaq' was merely one month. Daily Millat, a small newspaper of four pages was supporter of Muslim League before the election. But this paper started to support United Front after Mohan Mia was expelled from Muslim League for joining the United Front. After creation of the United Front huge enthusiasm and solid unity was seen among the people of East Pakistan in favour of it; Muslim League could do nothing any where to counter these. As a result, the fall of Muslim League became inevitable. Understanding the adverse situation Prime Minister Mohammad Ali of Bogra tried secretly to make a secret deal with Sher-e-Bangla. His proposal was, election would be postponed for one year, Sher-e-Bangla would be the Chief Minister of East Pakistan and 50% of the Cabinet Members would be from the party of Mr Haque. But this conspiracy failed for two reasons. First, Chief Minister Mr Nurul Amin opposed their proposal. His logic was, he became unpopular in this province because he tried to implement the orders and directions of the Central Ruling Circle, not because of his personal fault. So why would he be removed from the post of Chief Minister in such a humiliating way? Secondly, this conspiracy was exposed in the United Front circle. My friend Mr Jahur Hossain Chowdhury, the editor of Daily Sangbad one night disclosed to me about this secret conversation over telephone. At that time Daily Sangbad was the newspaper of Muslim League.

Any way, this conspiracy was nipped in the bud.

Realizing the gravity of the situation, a high level meeting was held with the Prime Minister in the chair at the Governor House in the name of reviewing law and order situation. GOC, IG of Police and many more high officials of the government were present in the meeting. The meeting decided to postpone the date of voting by around three weeks; indiscriminate arrests started throughout the province under the pretext of law and order situation. Thus around seven to eight hundred workers of opposition parties were arrested on the eve of the election.

In the context of these mass-arrests Mr Shaheed Suhrawardy called upon the youths to come forward and in place of vacuum created by one arrest by the government offer ten instead. He also said that answer to this provocation of the government should be given by ballot, not by bullet; violence should not be met by violence. Students and youths of the province responded with great alacrity to this appeal and they started election propaganda whole-heartedly. In the election United Front created a new record in the sub-continental electoral race by winning 97% seats. This election took place in the month of March 1954.

Any one could understand that the victory of the United Front was inevitable in this election, if the pre-election difference between Muslim League and United Front was considered. First: In comparison of leadership of the parties it would be found that the United Front was led by Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Haque, Mr Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy and Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani; on the other hand leadership of Muslim league was provided by Mr Nurul Amin and his followers. It is to be mentioned that Mr. Nurul Amin had already got bad reputation in the country on the issue of State Language. Second: the United Front presented a distinct election manifesto to the public consisting 21 points. Among these points there were clear promises about release of political prisoners, to make an end of indiscriminate arrests and to make Bangla language as one of the State Languages. On the other hand Muslim League had no programme except the fake slogans of Islam was in danger and Pakistan was in danger. Third: Muslim League had to face the disgrace for their seven years' misrule and arrest of hundreds of opposition political workers. Apart from this there were no complaint against the United Front for failure or oppression; rather leaders and workers of the associated parties of the United Front had to suffer during League regime.

During election campaign ruling Muslim League started malicious propaganda against the United Front. Even such propaganda was spread that the United Front received huge amount of money from India for election-expenditure; but it did not affect the results of the election.

Having deployed all their strength the miserable defeat that the Muslim League suffered should have served as a lesson for the central leaders. In fact, Mr Nurul Amin and other league leaders accepted this in good grace and considered it as a well-thought-out verdict of the people. But the vested interest of the central coterie had firmly established their grip on the administrative and power structure of the country.

They started propaganda in West Pakistan that the United Front won the election by creating hatred and malice towards West Pakistan. To cover up the disgrace of defeat they started to publicise false and made-up stories which spread hatred and malice in West Pakistan against East Pakistanis. This is the way of the vested interest everywhere. Any attack on their vested interest makes them stark mad. Whether that goes against national interest and solidarity is not deemed any of their concerns. To them the only meaning of national interest, solidarity and stability is their own interest and stability.

As a result of this motivated propaganda misunderstanding and dissention were created throughout Pakistan. Many of my West Pakistani friends still feel that in the election of 1954 provincialism was the key factor and main campaign of the United Front was propaganda against West Pakistan. Mr ZA Sulery was one of those friends. I told these friends firmly that there was nothing against West Pakistan in 21 point programme of the United Front. Even there was no mention of the two words, 'West Pakistan' in that manifesto. I asked them whether they went through the 21 point programme; their answer was in the negative.

Their answer and mentality have both surprised and saddened me. Using this ignorance as capital one section of politicians and journalists in West Pakistan succeeded to make the West Pakistanis hostile to the East Pakistanis by spraying poisonous propaganda. I do not know whether they did this despicable thing out of ignorance or intentional malignity; but there is no doubt the poisonous effect of their propaganda was not limited only within the politicians, rather it spread far and wide in other fields too.

In his book My Chief Brig. Mahmud Ahmed focused on the thinking of the then commander-in-chief of Pakistan General Muhammed Ayub Khan who while staying in Dorchester Hotel in London drew up a plan for the future politics of this country. Along with this the research he did on the past and present politics of Muslims of Bengal is, I believe, the result of this false propaganda.

Rise of evil force in the politics of Pakistan could never have happened if they had the real and correct picture in front of them about the role of Bengali Muslims in Pakistan movement, resistance organised by Bengalees against British rule and above all the situation of East Pakistan at election-time.

Bengali Muslims were never coward and timid. They never gladly welcomed the alien conquerors. They never surrendered to tyranny, rather they created resistance vehemently against the victors. Indigo uprising, revolt of Titumeer, Faraezi uprising, Wahabi movement etc are the testimony of Bengali ethos. It is true that in the British period Bengali Muslims were compelled to take shelter in rural areas leaving their urban habitat and became a community of 'hewers of wood and drawers of water'.

This misery of the Muslims is proof enough that they did not surrender to foreign rulers. But gradually Bengali Muslims gained strength and established their own rights and supremacy. At this time those who united the Bengali Muslims and created confidence and consciousness in them were leaders like Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Haque, Sir Abdur Rahim, who were wise, bold and Muslim-loving intellectuals. Khawaja Nazimuddin had great contribution in the awakening of the Muslims in his own way though he could not claim to be a mass leader. Today those who are trying to erase the names of these personalities of everlasting fame and claiming that Sir Salimullah was the only leader of Muslim Bengal, they are distorting history. Muslim league created by Sir Salimullah was the Muslim League of Nawabs and Kinghts. That was a cohort of the Congress-British. At the time of division of Bengal British power used this Muslim league for their own interest. But Muslim League of Sir Salimullah fell silent when division of Bengal (1904) was annulled (1911) due to opposition of the Hindus. Before annulment of division of Bengal British Government honoured him with a K-C-S-I (Knight Commander of the Order of the Star of India) and he gladly accepted it.

As a result of ceaseless struggle of Muslim Bengal, League coalition ministry was formed in Bengal under the leadership of Sher-e-Bangla A K Fazlul Haque in the year 1937. Once upon a time the Hindu community of Bengal was enjoying prominence in wealth and honour in trade and commerce, in employment, in education all over Bangladesh by the grace of British. As a result of Muslim awakening and establishment of Muslim-prominence, prominent leaders of that Hindu community felt proud being included in Haque ministry. Sir Bijoy Prasad Singha Roy, Mr Nalini Ranjan Sarkar, Moharaja of Kashim Bazar Mr. Srish Chandra Nondi etc, joined in the cabinet of Mr Haque. In the tenure of this cabinet oppression of land lords and exploitation of money lenders on tenants of Bengal were stopped by amending tenant ownership law and money lending law and tenants' right on their land was established. Debt-arbitration law was passed in Governor's Executive Council in the year 1935 by the insistence of Sir Nazimuddin when he was a Member of that council. That law became effective in the era of Haque cabinet. Thus indebted rural people of Bengal were liberated from the burden of debt. In government employment fifty-fifty quota was fixed for Hindus and Muslims though the Muslims were much behind the Hindus in education at that time also.

Later prominent Hindu leaders felt obliged after getting ministry in Khawaja Nazimuddin and Shaheed Suhrawardy's cabinet.

In sum, Bengali Muslims of Bengal captured important positions in administration, employment and other fields before the creation of Pakistan. Only those who kept no information about the struggle and advancement achieved by the struggle of Bengali Muslims, can say that Bengalees are backward, so they need a hand to be uplifted. Today I am sure that this misconception about Bengali Muslims helped to create regional hatred and political turmoil in Pakistan. This is the most dangerous ill-effect of the false propaganda of the vested interest circle. God forbid, but Pakistan may have to pay for this some time in the future.

(The article has been taken from the book titled 'Two decades of Pakistan' by eminent journalist Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia, where the readers will find brief analysis of his contemporary Pakistani politics from 50 to 60)

Translated by Sanjeeb ChowdhuryManik Mia : A legend stalwart of democracy

(From left to right ) Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia, Ataur Rahman Khan, Sher-e-Bangla AK Fazlul Huq and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at Damdam Airport from Karachi on 30th May 1954 just after the United Front Ministry was dissolved by the central govern

Sanaullah Noori :

I can hear him till now. He was speaking by the side room. The room was crowded. The talk might be centered on any problem of the country. Or there might be some critical arbitrations or problems to be solved and settled down. The arbitrators and the people in the audience came from different strata in the society. Some of them were famous politicians, law practitioners and pressmen. Some professors, young political leaders and activists were attending the meeting. Beside that some other people of different opinions were present. All came to a man, as if all roads lead to Rome. Almost everyone came to him. Why? Is he an authority of the higher echelon? Did some expect donation or gift from him that they crowded around him? Only answer to these questions is no. He was one of the commoners. He was of us a journalist and an Editor of a newspaper. He had no power to distribute gifts or gains. He had no state power overhead. He had a pen only in his hand. Is the pen powerful than the state power ? We don't know. But we are convinced first that his daring writing had extraordinary attraction. That magnetised the people to come to him. They came to him to get rid of the crisis they faced. They came to be inspired by him. They had faith in him that they would be given the right direction in their hours of crisis.

He had no less conviction and faith in himself. He believed in the invincible power of Democracy. This belief is as much as the light of a lamp, the flame of which remains steady even at the violent storm. He knew that democracy is that sovereign power the source of which remains at the wakeful heart and soul of the people. As one cannot uproot the people in all, likewise the power of democracy cannot be uprooted. It can be kept unworkable due to absolute power of an arrogant despot for the time being. But when time passes, the situation is exploded by the agitated masses and the arrogant despot is smashed asunder. The pride of power of those obdurate elements burn into ashes in that conflagration. Democracy is lighted by its own magnanimity. The unity of the people comes out victorious. This is the law of history, this is its dictum.

I am talking of Tofazzal Hossain Manik Mia. He was confident of this law. He had that firm confidence for which he could stand keeping his head erect and could move against the current. Through his pen he could spread fire. This fire is not his alone. This is the fire of the agitated people of the entire country. This is of the crores of the agitated, bereaved and uprooted people. He was one of them. So he set fire on their behalf. Sometimes he threw gushing hatred and vehement irony over the face of those enemies of democracy as well as of those sycophants of the despotic regime. He found their hoods up and he was bled as they stuck him by their poisonous fangs. Yet he was never cowed down to them. Because he knew it well that their blows would never undo his firm conviction. He knew their unjust poisonous teeth of pride of fascism will be defeated by the invincible power of the people.

In spite of such formidable time he could speak against them firmly. He could speak with self-confidence. His indomitable personality and power of influence drew the people near at him. He never disappointed them. Also he never disappointed the readers of his 'Rajnoitic Moncho' (Political Platform). And herein lies the mystery of his outstanding popularity of the said column. Such popularity is seldom found among the most eminent politicians. It appears to be a matter of envy to many. He narrated the sorry state of the common people in a very simple language. So he got love from the simple common people, this love was great power to him and it was most dependable for his edited paper.

I am speaking about all these from my own experience. It's all for my close contact with him and experience, I express them all in fact. When I look at the dilapidated Ittefaq building, I find my Manik Bhai there till now. He is talking with someone. I hear the sound of his feet outside the room. His profound voice is felt in the air. Looking forward he is walking onward wearing white shirt and pant. He looks pale. But it's clear that his profound self-confidence lighted. His face looks to be a mirror.

That mirror reflects the face of the politics of the country. As if the countenance of the entire country is reflected there. The gloomy shades on his face identifies how clouds overwhelmed the nation's fate!

Because he had relation with the nation's destiny. He became restless having seen the ominous fate of the nation. But he won't fear. Everything came clear on his face. Sometimes his hands trembled (in deep sympathy with the suffering of the people) in anger (against the dictators and despots). Those scenes are still reflecting over my eyes.

It was October 1958. We faced a strange experience. A black hairy face drew our attention on our tele-printer at 11.59 hours. with a message inside. Earlier we had no knowledge of Martial Law or military rule. Only we heard of it by name. Now we find the entire subject of military rules on the tele-printer. Meanwhile we heard the sounds of heavy military boots in front of the gate of our office. The military rule takes away human sleep. We are in fear. There's shadow of terror at the wall. Fear overwhelmed everything. Martial law declaration was hooked on the bayonet. Rest of the night we could not sleep. We understood that Martial Law takes away peaceful sleep also. The body shivers with fear. The wall reflects the shade of panic. It's hard to walk away the road. It is understood that panic of military rule thrashed human freedom to speak, to write, and to walk abreast the wall. We closed all the windows of the room, so that sound could not pass through them. The sound of military boots was heard on the floor of the press on the following morning. The declaration of Martial Law censorship was hung on the bayonet head by the ugly-looking large mouthed apparitions.

The sword of do's and don'ts were hung over the shoulder. No news will be printed in the newspaper without the permission of the military authorities. Nothing sorts of editorial, news, essays, comments, news scripts, even the news of natural calamity and accidents could be printed without permission. Even the words of politics, democracy, peoples' wants and allegations were prohibited completely. Even articulating or signaling of any sort of news were restricted. Any violation of it would tantamount to long term jail or huge amount of monetary fines. Even the printing press along with the entire property could be confiscated. The agents of the censorship were engaged in the newspaper offices.

Instead of the pen they have their blunt swords. They occupy the seat of the Editor forcibly. They go through editorials, literary essays, poetry, stories, everything as they like and censor many a write-ups. Sometimes the entire editorials are cut by their blunt swords. Their words are law. They reject the write-up if there's any smell of politics or any word contrary to their law. They are the authorities of the newspaper. So helpless are the professional Editors of the newspapers.

No newspaper was allowed to be circulated without their red seal of censorship. There was no way out.

On the other side people were being arrested on any plea of Martial Law violation all over the country. The prison was filled in. Most of the dedicated political leaders were in jail. Many others went underground for they had been sought to arrest warrants. Some of the journalists were thrown in jail. Some were fugitives. Those who were out, kept their mouths shut. But even then Manik Bhai spoke highly. He looked seethe with anger. He told the people of the censorship that one day the Martial Law authorities will have to pay in all respect for destroying the freedom of the Press. He said, the write-ups on the walls would burst upon their heads as the cruel derision of it.

It comes to an event at that time. The Martial Law Administrator General Omrao Khan convened a meeting of the newspaper Editors. The office of the Martial Law Administrator in the Secretariat was a heavily guarded and well protected area. There the meeting was to be held. Military personnel were guarding strictly outside the gate. Many a star marked military officers crowded therein. All Editors of the newspapers took their front seats. In their midst Manik Bhai took his seat.

He was the focal point as the Chief of all. Being the representative of the Editor of another paper I went there. Omrao Khan talked about the Martial Law censorship. Gravely he dictated how to run the newspapers under the military rule. All Editors heard him silently. None spoke then. One or two of them looked at the face of Manik Bhai. Afterwards we heard his stern voice. Omrao Khan looked on his face. High ranking military officers looked stiff at him. Unequivocally said Manik Bhai, "If the people of censorship take over the responsibility of the newspaper, the newspaper cannot run. They have censored an innocent news by their blunt pen. The journalists are responsible people. They know what to write and how much to write. If someone takes over it all the time, there's no effective and meaningful result of newspaper publication."

We all were wondered. In such grave environment within the military circumvent how could he dare to say so firmly ? Omrao Khan also became no less stunt. His associates also became no less wondered. So silently General Omrao Khan heard the Editor of the Ittefaq. Afterwards he said, "I shall see into the matter."

After a few days he was bound to lessen the restriction of censorship to some extent. On that day I found on the face of Manik Bhai a brilliant gleam. He had that brilliant face I found in him till the end of his life.



Translated by M. Mizanur RahmanNews In Brief

Modi meets Malaysian PM

PTI, New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his newly-elected Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad and the two leaders had a productive exchange of views on strengthening the strategic partnership.

PM Modi, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur today on the second leg of his three-nation tour, met Prime Minister Mahathir in his office at Perdana Putra Complex, Putrajaya.



Fighting escalates in Libya's Derna: UN

Reuters, Geneva

Fighting has escalated in the Libyan city of Derna, with air raids, shelling of residential areas and heavy ground clashes, the United Nations humanitarian office said on Thursday. There were severe water, food and medicine shortages, and electricity and water were completely cut off for the city's 125,000 residents, it said in a report that described the violence as "unprecedented" there.



Mexico front-runner's lead widens

Reuters, Mexico City

Mexican presidential front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has extended his lead well beyond his nearest rivals with just a month to go before the July 1 election, an opinion poll showed on Thursday. The survey by polling firm Parametria showed support for the leftist former mayor of Mexico City at 45 percent, an increase of six percentage points from a prior April poll.



Putin to meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince

Reuters, Moscow

President Vladimir Putin will meet Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates on June 1, the Kremlin said in a statement on Thursday.



New child adoption scandal engulfs Ireland

AFP, Dublin

The birth certificates of 126 children adopted in Ireland between 1946 and 1969 were doctored to show their new families as their biological parents, the government admitted on Wednesday. The births were illegally registered after the children were placed with new families by adoption agency St Patrick's Guild, according to Tusla, the country's child and family agency.Netanyahu planned Iran strike in 2011: Ex-Israeli spy chief

The then director of Israel\'s Mossad spy agency Tamir Pardo, arrives to attend the weekly cabinet meeting, in Jerusalem.

AP, Jerusalem :

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the order in 2011 for the military to prepare to attack Iran within 15 days, a former Mossad chief said in remarks released on Thursday.

Tamir Pardo, who served as head of the Israeli intelligence agency from 2011 to 2016, told Israeli Keshet TV's investigative show Uvda that the order was not given "for the sake of a drill," according to excerpts of the interview released ahead of the broadcast on Thursday evening.

"When he tells you to start the countdown process, you know that he isn't playing games with you," Pardo is quoted as saying. "These things have enormous significance."

There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu's office on Pardo's claim.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel "will not allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons. We will continue to act against its intentions to establish itself militarily in Syria besides us, not just opposite the Golan Heights, but any place in Syria."

Pardo's claim comes as archenemies Israel and Iran are fighting a shadow war in Syria, which briefly threatened to burst into full-blown conflagration this month after Israel bombed Iranian positions in Syria, killing Iranian fighters after an alleged Iranian rocket barrage toward the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights.

In February, Israel shot down what it said was an armed Iranian drone that entered Israeli airspace. Israel responded by attacking anti-aircraft positions in Syria, and an Israeli warplane was shot down during the battle.

Israel has increasingly warned that it sees Iranian influence in Syria as a threat, pointing to Iran's military presence inside the country as well as that of Iranian-backed militiamen.

Netanyahu has long been a strident critic of Iran and has accused Tehran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons and long range ballistic missiles. Ex-prime minister Ehud Barak, who served as Netanyahu's defense minister in 2011, has previously claimed Netanyahu sought to bomb Iran in 2010 and 2011, but was opposed by senior Israeli officials.

Pardo said that upon receiving the command, he sought "clarifications about everything I could, I checked with legal advisers, I consulted with everyone I could to understand who is authorized to give the order concerning launching a war."

According to the excerpts, Pardo said he wanted "to be certain that if, heaven forbid, something incorrect happened, even if the mission failed, that there won't be a situation where I carried out an illegal operation."

It wasn't clear from the preview what happened after Netanyahu's purported order but Israel never carried out a strike on Iran in 2011.

Netanyahu has recently intensified his criticism of the nuclear agreement reached between world powers and Iran in 2015. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from that deal earlier this month.

There is also a concerted effort by Netanyahu's administration to convince Russia to pressure Iran to withdraw its forces from war-torn Syria.



Patenga Container Terminal works progressing fast

BSS , Chattogram :

The container handling in Chattogram Port alarmingly increasing day by day . In last year, 26 lakh 67 thousand and 202 TEUs containers were handled in the port in last fiscal and the target estimated at about 30 lakh TEUs in current fiscal. In last 11 years, no yard or jetty was constructed under CP and Patenga Terminal is the only hope of handling the increasing demand o container handling.

With the target of completing the works of the new Patenga Container terminal by December next year, the actual construction works of the PCT launched from Febrauary last though the earth filing works begins in September last year. Engineering core of Bangladesh Army implementing the project at an estimated cost of Tk1800 crores.

The PCT is situated in between Chattogram Dry Dock and Boat Club on river bank of Karnaphuli. Omera Oil company and Red Crescent base depot are situated beside the proposed PCT.

A reliable sources said Omera oil depot / Red crescent base office .Marcemtile Fisheries Directorate office and Customs House office are supposed to be shifted from the present location to the adjacent areas of Laldiarchar container terminal . Executive Engineer of Chattogram Port Authority Mizanur Rahman told that Engineeringcore of army establishe works camp in the proposed area in January last . He further said the rehabilitation works of the existing installations in the proposed area is yet to be started . These installations supposed to be rehabilitated behind the Laldiarchar container yard.

After completion of r e habilitation works, the construction works will go in full-swing. Chairman of the CPA at a view exchange meeting of Port Day recently said there is no alterntive of PCT to mitigate the container congestions and increasing trend cargo handling and the port users will get results of the PCT next year, he hoped. Port chairman further disclosed that after completion of PCT, the works of multipurpose Bay Terminal will be launched .

Engineering Department of the port sources said this PCT project is being implemented at a cost of Tk.1800 crores. The terminal will have four berths. Out of four , three berth will have 200 meters long for container vessels and remaining one is Dolphin oil jetty of 220 meters long.

The total areas of the PCT is about 26 acres o f land. Engineering d eptt sources said there will be a railway track for carrying containers, locomotive sheds and the depth of the berths approximately 9.5 meters.

Sources said beside the PCT, the proposed projects viz. Bay Terminal, Laldia Multipurpose Terminal and Karnaphuli Container Terminal.

HJKP demands one hajj flight daily from Chattogram

Chattogram Bureau :

Hajj Jatri Kalyan Parishad demands atleast one Hajj flights from Chattogram International airport in the current hajj season.

In this connection, a memorandum addressed to Managing Director , Bangladesh Biman handed over to Biman'sDistrict Manager at latters office on Tuesday The memorandum was told that out of the total hajj pilgrims across the country, the hajj aspirants from this Chattogram division are about 25percent . The justifications of the hajj flights from Chattogram explained in the memo that there is a permanent hajj camp in the port city

from pre-independence period which is still existing with additional two more buildings and Chattogram have international airport .

The pilgrims from this division had to face severe miseries to reach Dhaka by road or train lack of easily available train tickets and miserable traffic congestions on Dhaka-Chattogram Highway .District Manager Babu Sajal Kumar Nath told the HJKP leaders that the travelling agencies of the port city did not place ticket requirements earlier to Biman and if they place their ticket demands we can arrange accordingly.

He also assures the parishad leaders to extent all possible helps for Hajis of this division subject to cooperations of the travel and hajj agencies in beforehand. HJKP also demanded flight from Chattogram to Madina like previous year.

The leaders urged the District Manager to provide a lunch or dinner packet to each pilgrim soon after arrival at departure lounge at respective airports.

During handing over the memorandum, President of HJKP Ahmadul Islam Chowdhury, Vice President Prof. Kazi Shahdat Hossain, Secretary General Principal Dr.Abdul Karim, ffinance secretary Abu Mohammad Nurul Islam, Office Secretary Saleh Ahmed Suleman were present .43-member BD delegation joins ILO conference

BSS, Dhaka :

A 43-member delegation of Bangladesh has joined the 107th session of International Labour Organization's (ILO) Annual Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The International Labour Conference is being held in Geneva during May 28 to June 8, 2018.

This year's session brings together over 4,000 delegates from around the globe to discuss the world's most pressing labour issues.

On behalf of Bangladesh government, a 16-member team comprising Law Minister Anisul Huq, State Minister for Labour and Employment Mujibul Haque Chunnu and Labour and Employment Secretary Afroza Khan will present the country's labour situation at the conference.Jungle Book

Wildlife biologist and photographer Latika Nath on her first photo book

Surbhi Gupta :

At the peak of winter in 2016, wildlife biologist and photographer Latika Nath decided that she wanted to meet the snow leopards in Leh and Ladakh. Soon, she found herself 16,000 ft above sea level, where the wind was bitter, air was thin and she had to catch her breath after every few steps. One day, she looked up at the skyline and spotted the majestic cat on top of a mountain. We watched it for three hours and 45 minutes, to be exact. She saw us, climbed down to stand 50 ft away and was talking to us all the way, says Latika, who met four more snow leopards in the next few days. The photographs are part of her new coffee-table, Hidden India, which was launched at The Safari Bar in Delhis The Lodhi.

Latika is one of the first wildlife biologists in India to work in the field of tiger conservation. Apart from academic research, she has photographed tigers, lions, cheetahs, jaguars, snow leopards and clouded leopards. Only the puma is left. While Latika has shared her images of the Indian landscape and wildlife, writer-journalist Shloka Nath has written autobiographical essays, where she examines her relationship with nature. Apart from the snow leopards, there are breath-taking photographs of tigers in the dense jungles of Madhya Pradesh, great Indian one-horn rhino of Kaziranga, marine life from the depths of the Andaman waters and centuries-old bridges grown from tangled roots in Cherrapunji, among others. The proceeds from the sale of the book will support the elephant conservation project of Wildlife SOS.

Latika remembers being with the wild ever since she was a child. My parents tell me that my first fishing trip was when I was a three-week old baby. I've had every pet possible, from elephants to horses, hedgehogs, eagles and langurs, she says. Her father, Prof Diwan Lalit Mohan Nath, was the director of AIIMS and a member of the Indian Board for Wildlife and, once Latika returned from school to find a sick baby orangutan resting in her bed. Zoo authorities had sent it to their home for treatment.

Photographing the wild, according to her, is meditative, when everything stops - thinking, thirst, hunger, and chatter in the mind. She relates to animals, and their expressions, moods and conversations. You live in that moment and observe the pupils of the animal dilate, feel its breath and watch the twitch in its ear when a sibling comes near. The subject is so perfect that every shot becomes a perfect shot, she says. She returns with over 30,000 photographs from every trip.

She has faced down stereotypes, when people have expected a male scientist on the field. They did not believe that I'm the person theyve come to meet. I was the girl in chiffon sarees, she says with a laugh.

On tiger conservation, she says India still needs more political will. It doesnt have to be development versus environment, us and them, environmental ethics needs to be part of development, says Latika, who has worked for more than 25 years in the field of tiger conservation.

Her next book is titled Ethiopia: Wildlife and Tribes of the Omo Valley, a photo book on one of the world's oldest tribe.

Top terror freed secretly getting President's clemency: A shameful precedent

Tofayel Ahmed Joseph, one of the top terrors in the police list of the 1990s, has been "secretly" freed from jail after a Presidential clemency that cut short his life sentence for murder, as per a local daily report.

A Dhaka court on April 25, 2004, sentenced Joseph to death for killing Freedom Party leader Mostafizur Rahman Mostafa in 1996. Joseph's elder brothers Haris Ahmed and Anis Ahmed were also given life sentence for the murder. Haris and Anis remain absconding. The verdict was upheld by the High Court. On December 9, 2015, the Supreme Court commuted the death sentence of Joseph to life sentence. Joseph was accused in 10 other cases of extortion, and possession of illegal firearms.

The process of Presidential clemency for Joseph started on June 7, 2016 when his mother Renuja Begum applied to the Home Ministry for commuting Joseph's sentence. Sources said Joseph, a Chhatra League leader of Mohammadpur, had stayed comfortably at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) hospital for "back pain". It was reported in newspapers that he spent his hospital days gossiping with friends.

Joseph had joined the infamous Subrata Bain's gang known as Seven Star. He became one of the top criminals of the country. Soon after the general elections in 2001, the BNP-led government announced a list of 23 most wanted criminals and a reward ranging between Tk 50,000 - 100,000 for each of their arrest.

It is one thing to extend clemency to a prisoner who is ill, and another matter entirely if the prisoner has been let free on political grounds. If Joseph was indeed freed because he had served 21 years of his reduced sentence and was a model prisoner who was ill then it's a good thing and we can hope that more such prisoners who were top terrors would be set free--but if was released entirely on political grounds as he was at one time a member of the ruling party then it is a different matter.

It is a shameful precedent for the President of the country. If he was not free to exercise his power of pardon, it is done at the advice through the Law Ministry. It was a political consideration for helping a party follower.SC extends stay on Khaleda's bail in 2 Cumilla cases

Staff Reporter :

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Thursday extended the stay on the High Court order that granted bail to BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in two criminal cases filed in Cumilla.

It also asked the government to file two separate leave to appeal petitions with this court against the High Court order by June 24.

After hearing two separate petitions moved by the government, a three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain fixed June 24 for

hearing the leave to appeal petitions.

One of the cases in which Khaleda secured bail by the HC on Monday was filed in connection with vandalising vehicles in Cumilla's Chouddagram on January 25, 2015. The other was filed over killing eight people and injuring 25-26 others by setting fire to a bus in Chouddagram on February 2, 2015.

On last Monday, the High Court bench of Justice A K M Asaduzzaman and Justice J B M Hassan granted bail to BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia for six months in two criminal cases filed in Cumilla. But without wasting time, the state counsels moved petitions against her bails and managed to secure the Chamber Judge's stay order on the bails on Tuesday.

Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Siddique sent the petitions to the full bench of the Appellate Division for further hearing. After hearing the petitions, the full bench of the Appellate Division extended the stay order.

Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Advocate A J Mohammad Ali, Advocate Zainul Abedin and Barrister A M Mahbub Uddin Khokan appeared took part in the hearing on behalf of BNP Chairperson while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the State.

On May 20, Khaleda's lawyer M Masud Rana filed the petitions with the consent of the BNP chief.

Earlier, on May 16, the SC upheld a HC order that granted bail to Khaleda for four months in Zia Orphanage Trust case in which she was sentenced to five years imprisonment.

But she is still in the jail as she has been shown arrested in seven other cases.

According to media reports, the BNP chairperson is now facing a total of 36 cases.

Meanwhile, the High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim refused to grant bail to Khaleda Zia in two other cases filed on charge of observing "fake" birthday and "demeaning" the national flag.

The HC, however, ordered the Metropolitan Magistrate Court concerned in Dhaka to dispose of the bail petitions filed by Khaleda in the cases as early as possible.

Khaleda filed the petition with the HC on May 22 seeking bail in the two cases lodged in Dhaka in 2016.

One of the cases was filed by journalist Kazi Zahirul Islam on August 30, 2016, accusing Khaleda of observing birthday on August 15 on 'false date'.

The other, a defamation suit, was filed by A B Siddique, President of Bangladesh Jananetri Parishad, on November 3, 2016, for allowing a Jamaat Minister to use the national flag on their vehicle after BNP came to power in 2001.

RAB and Coast Guard members raided some shops at Terry Bazar in Chattogram for importing clothes reportedly by evading taxes on Thursday. At one stage, the traders blocked the roads, closing their shops.MP Bodi leaving for Umrah!

Staff Reporter :

The controversial ruling Awami League's lawmaker from Cox's Bazar-4 constituency Abdur Rahman Bodi and his family members will leave for Makkah on Monday to perform Umrah.

Sources said MP Bodi is now in Dhaka and preparing to leave the country amid the government's ongoing anti-drug crackdown that claimed lives of over 120 suspected drug dealers across the country so far.

Security agencies also detained over 10,000 suspected drug peddlers during the countrywide raids since May 12.

Sources said Bodi is leaving the country sensing trouble as his name has popped up many times for his connection with the drug syndicates. The lawmaker has been accused of being a 'god father' of drug traffickers, but has not faced any action so far.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal recently said the government is looking into the allegations against MP Bodi. "There are allegations against Bodi, but there is no evidence."

A government investigation earlier revealed that the ruling party MP is controlling the principal drug entry points though Teknaf from Myanmar.

A list, prepared by the Department of Narcotics Control (DNC), earlier said MP Bodi controls the route, and many others work under him in the illegal drug trade, specially yaba.



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Today

Scattered thunderstorms during the morning becoming more widespread this afternoon. Potential for heavy rainfall. High 81F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Thunderstorms early, overcast overnight with occasional rain. Potential for flooding rains. Low 67F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 90%.With available space at a premium, Bahrain is one of the Middle Eastern countries leading the temporary building infrastructure trend - a more sustainable and flexible solution  with the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities (Baca) recently erecting a new temporary exhibition hall built by leading Dutch-German company Losberger De Boer Middle East at Arad Fort in Manama for a full season of world-class events.



For Baca, the deployment of a leading European-quality temporary venue at the internationally acclaimed Arad Fort Unesco heritage site was a sustainable, flexible option, which could then be dismantled at the end of the year, and reassembled in a new location in Bahrain to host next years exhibition and event calendar, said a statement from the leading temporary building supplier.



Covering a 8,000-sq-m area, the temporary exhibition hall chosen by Baca was the Jumbo hall product designed and built by Losberger De Boer Middle East.



Sustainability is a key feature of temporary building solutions, as they can be dismantled and reused in a new location as and when business conditions change, said the company in a statement.



Given most models are already factory-manufactured, a temporary structure's use is a zero carbon choice, compared to the construction of a new building, it added.



The largest event held in the new temporary exhibition hall was the 18th Bahrain International Book Fair, which took place in March. This biennial event showcased over 400 local and international publishers and booksellers in all subject areas under one roof, drawing more than 30,000 visitors from around the world.



The 44th Bahrain Annual Fine Arts Exhibition was also held in the venue, celebrating the creativity and ingenuity of the artists in the Kingdom of Bahrain, this alongside a full calendar of other events.



Edward Gallagher, the managing director of leading temporary building supplier Losberger De Boer Middle East, said: "Baca, along with designers and architects Studio Anne Holtrop, have created and recreated for each major event, a fantastic, flexible space in a wonderful, historic location."



"Having chosen to work with Losberger De Boer, they were able to rely on our expertise to handle the many challenges of the site, including protection of UNESCO heritage assets whilst maximising space on a very tight site, plus a substantially undulating ground surface beneath the whole venue. Our turnkey project solution enabled the event organiser to focus on programming and delivering these hugely successful events," stated Gallagher.



Following this event season, the venue will be quickly dismantled and, using the same approach in the coming years, the venue can be delivered elsewhere, showcasing another location in Bahrain whilst also continuing to cost-effectively promote and facilitate Bahraini economic growth, he added.



With over 400,000 sq m of temporary structure stock materials across 70 systemised building products, Losberger De Boer delivers a range of temporary building solutions to clients across all GCC countries, with build times ranging from only 5 days to four weeks on most projects.-TradeArabia News ServiceReign Holdings, a UAE-based group with business interests in real estate, interior design and facilities management, said its chairman, Samir Salya, has been ranked one of Indias top businessmen - in a major international poll.



The 43-year-old has been named in the Top 100 Indian leaders in The Arab World list in Forbes Middle Easts annual round-up.



Salya, who created the multi-billion-pound construction and real estate company fund, Reign Holdings, is making it to the Forbes Arab list for the second time.



Judges ranked candidates across several key business categories; collecting information from questionnaires, annual company reports and government and industry body statistics.



They considered in detail the financial impact of Salyas Reign Holdings - analysing revenues as well as the age of the business and number of employees, said the statement from Reign Holdings, also a fund manager for regulated funds in Asia and the Middle East.



The award, which is in its sixth year, recognises the huge contribution being made in the Middle Eastern region by Indian-controlled companies, it added.



On the awards, a Forbes spokesman said: "The Indian community is the most populous expat community in the Gulf, and probably the most successful too. Indians today play a significant role in the GCC as they helm businesses that form a backbone of the regional economies."



"Billionaires of Indian origin, based in the Gulf, have a collective net worth of $26.4 billion. Having made their fortunes, these top businessmen are now investing heavily, both in the region as well as in India," he added.



Salya received his award at a glittering ceremony held at Five Palm Jumeirah, Dubai, UAE earlier this month.



Addressing the gathering at the award ceremony, he said: "I am delighted to be in such esteemed company. Its a real honour to have made the final 100 - and recognition of the great work my teams continue to do in the region and beyond."



Reign Holdings, which began its journey from the UK and set up base in the UAE in 1995, now delivers projects all around the world, and has invested heavily in the Dubai tourism market.-TradeArabia News ServiceDubai had an unemployment rate of 0.5 per cent in the last year, a figure that is significantly lower than the global average, according to a labour force report released by Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC).



Dubai had an unemployment rate of 0.5 per cent in the last year, a figure that is significantly lower than the global average, according to a labour force report released by Dubai Statistics Centre (DSC), a media report said.



"The results of the Labour Force Survey 2017 reflect the flexibility and strength of Dubais economy, which has a high employment rate in various sectors, Arif Al Muhairi, executive director of Dubai Statistics Centre was quoted as saying by Emirates news agency Wam.



Total employment in Dubai reached 2,778,000 in 2017, out of which emirates resident workforce numbered 2,077,603 while its non-resident workforce (workforce residing outside Dubai) totalled over 700,000. Over the last three years, Dubais labour market has added an average of 110,000 people annually to its resident workforce."



The 2017 Survey results show that the overall economic participation rate (percentage of employed people in the total working-age population) increased in 2017 by nearly one percentage point to reach 83.1 per cent from 82.2 per cent in 2016. Female workers accounted for the largest share of the increase in the economic participation rate, rising 4.3 per cent to reach 53.6 per cent in 2017, compared to 49.3 per cent in 2016, he added.



The economic participation rate of Emiratis increased by 3 percentage points to reach 51.1 per cent. Emirati men had an economic participation rate of 65.4 per cent while the corresponding figure for Emirati women was 37.4 per cent. These high rates reflect the positive impact of government policies designed to promote gender balance and greater economic participation among Emirati men and women.



Revealing details of the unemployment rate of Emiratis residing in Dubai, Al Muhairi said, "The rate increased by half a percentage point, from 2.9 per cent in 2016 to 3.4 per cent in 2017. The unemployment rate of Emirati men increased by 0.6 per cent, from 2 per cent in 2016 to 2.6 per cent in 2017 while that of Emirati women increased by half a percentage point from 4.4 per cent in 2016 to 4.9 per cent in 2017, bringing the total number of unemployed Emiratis residing in Dubai to 2,851."



The Survey results reveal that the composition of the Emirati workforce is markedly different from that of non- Emiratis. A quarter of employed Emiratis work as technicians and associate professionals (25.7 per cent), while about a quarter of employed non- Emiratis are craftsmen (24.1 per cent). More than a third of Emirati women work in specialised occupations that require high education, skill and competency while 28.7 per cent of Emirati men work as technicians and associate professionals.



Legislators, senior officials and managers among Emiratis make up 14.3 per cent of the total Emirati workforce. The category of leaders accounts for 15.2 per cent of the Emirati male workforce and 12.9 per cent of the Emirati female workforce. It was also found that 9.3 per cent of the total workforce belong to the categories of legislators, senior officials and managers; 14.3 per cent of employed Emiratis and 9 per cent of employed non-Emiratis belong to these categories.



Employees in the category of specialists accounted for 13.3 per cent of the total workforce; specialists account for 23 per cent of the Emirati workforce and 12.9 per cent of the non-Emirati workforce. Technicians and associate professionals make up 11.3 per cent of the total workforce; this category accounts for 25.7 per cent of the Emirati workforce and 10.7 per cent of the non-Emirati workforce.



The survey also broke down the total workforce in Dubai by economic activity, Results showed that 27.6 per cent of the labour force work in the construction sector, 17.9 per cent in the wholesale and retail trade sector and 8 per cent in manufacturing. As much as 54.7 per cent Emirati employees work in public administration, defence and compulsory social security, while 28.7 per cent of non- Emiratis work in construction.



Al Muhairi highlighted the fact that the participation of men and women show variation across different economic activities: "About 61.5 per cent of the Emirati male workforce have jobs in public administration and defence compared to 42.6 per cent of females. About 9 per cent of Emiratis work in transportation and storage activities and 8.2 per cent work in wholesale and retail activities. Women working in finance and insurance activities represent 13.8 per cent of the total Emirati female workforce while those working in education account for 7.9 per cent."



The Survey results also show that 63.3 per cent of the total workforce hold a secondary education certificate or higher qualification while 34.1per cent hold a bachelors degree or higher qualification. The majority of employed Emiratis have educational qualifications; 42.2 per cent hold a bachelors degree or higher qualification; 52.8 per cent of employed Emirati women and 35.8 per cent of employed Emirati men have a bachelor's degree or higher qualification.



The term unemployed refers to an individual who is not working while he or she is capable of doing so and is actively looking for a job. The vast majority of unemployed people in Dubai  98.8per cent  are in the age group of 20 to 39 years. Youth in the age group of 18-24 years represent 39 per cent of the total number of unemployed people in the emirate, Al Muhairi explained.



Emiratis in the 18-24 age group account for 48 per cent of a total of 2,851 unemployed Emiratis while non-Emirati youth in the same age group make up 35.6 per cent of a total of 7,196 unemployed non-Emiratis.



The majority of unemployed people residing in Dubai hold a secondary certificate or higher qualification. Out of a total of 10,047 unemployed people, 76.5 per cent hold a bachelors degree or higher qualification.



Unemployed female Emiratis holding a bachelors degree or higher qualification make up 90.1 per cent of total unemployed female Emiratis. In contrast, 22.3 per cent (more than one fifth) of unemployed male Emiratis hold a bachelor's degree or higher qualification.



People with preparatory education account for 6 per cent of unemployed people. Emiratis with preparatory education represent 4.4 per cent of the total number of unemployed Emiratis while the corresponding figure for non-Emiratis is 6.7 per cent About 10 per cent of unemployed people hold a high school certificate; 33.2 per cent of unemployed Emiratis and 0.9 per cent of unemployed non-Emiratis have a high school certificate.



Among the unemployed, 7.5 per cent hold pre-university diplomas; 4.1 per cent of unemployed Emiratis and 8.8 per cent of unemployed non- Emiratis hold a pre-university diploma. Holders of a Bachelors degree or higher qualification make up 76.5per cent of unemployed people; 58.3per cent of unemployed Emiratis and 83.6per cent of unemployed non- Emiratis hold a Bachelors degree, Al Muhairi concluded.Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation (MC) has been awarded a contract by the Iraqi government to build a port in the southern region of Basra at an investment of $110 million.



Mitsubishi said the project is being implemeted in partnership with multiple international contractors, including Turkey-based energy infrastructure provider Calik Enerji (CE), in which MC holds shares, and construction firm Gap Insaat, also Turkey-based.



Both part of the Calik Holding group, the two sister companies will play a major role in the construction work while Mitsubishi will be responsible for overall project coordination and also serve as the prime contractor, facilitating the import of steel structures and other necessary supplies from Japan.



The project is being funded through ODA loans provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.



The objective is to modernise existing industrial port facilities around Basra by expanding the oil products berth at Khor Al Zubair Port, and also building a new service berth for working ships and service boats at Umm Qasr Port, it added.



The rehabilitation of ports throughout Iraq is essential to meeting increasing demands for port infrastructure, which is growing rapidly as the volumes of trade flowing in and out of the country grows.



Rehabilitating this critical infrastructure will also contribute to further stabilizing the countrys economy as post-war reconstruction advances. This project is particularly noteworthy given that Khor Al Zubair and Umm Qasr are the only ports currently in operation in the Basra region, where a system of ports located in the 48 km wide tip of the country wedged in between Iran and Kuwait along the Arabian Gulf gives Iraq its only outlet to the sea.



In addition to this project, Mitsubishi intends to continue leveraging provisions under the Japanese Government policy framework for promoting export of high-quality infrastructure to identify opportunities that support Iraqs efforts towards reconstruction, economic development, and increased quality of life.



The partnership between Calik Holding and Mitsubishi dates back to the 1990s when the two companies started collaborating on a number of plant construction projects in Central Asia, said the statement.



In 2015, the Japanese group entered into a strategic alliance with CH and CE that included the acquisition of shares in CE and the exchange of personnel, it added.-TradeArabia News ServiceDanfoss, a global leader in engineering solutions, said it has won top recognition for its intellectual property and innovative projects from Abu Dhabi and Dubai Customs Authority.



The awards were given in recognition of Danfoss' best practices on intellectual property at the World Intellectual Property held recently.



Through its effective major crack down on the sale of counterfeit goods and products across the UAE and the wider region, Abu Dhabi Customs Authority identified Danfoss as the best company that shows solid effort in providing support and raising awareness about intellectual property.



The Dubai Customs Authority has also identified Danfoss initiative in supporting innovative projects in schools in the UAE, said the statement.



Danfoss Foundation for Education was awarded last month with its ongoing commitment to support students from different local universities in terms of technical knowledge and equipment, it added.



A major player in the region, Danfoss' products and services were used in areas such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, motor control and mobile machinery.



It is also active in the field of renewable energy as well as district heating infrastructure for cities and urban communities.-TradeArabia News ServiceThe number of Russian nationals flying abroad grew by 34 per cent during 2017, deputy head of the FSBs Border Service was quoted as saying in a media report.



"Last year, the volume of passenger traffic at airport border checkpoints grew by almost 34 per cent," Colonel General Igor Shmotkin was quoted in a Tass report.



Taking into account border checkpoints for cars, trains and ships, the number of foreign trips by Russian nationals grew 14 per cent last year, he said.



Last year, the number of Russians crossing the border in or out of the country was almost 20 million more than that of foreign nationals making in-and outbound trips. They crossed the border 64.8 million times last year, while Russian nationals travelled in and of the country 84.3 million times, added the Tass report.Dubai Municipality is collaborating with the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing and the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority to establish the largest cultural project in the heart of the historical Shindagha region, said a report.



The project will include the largest open museum with various exhibitions on the history and heritage of Dubai, said a report in WAM.



The Architectural Heritage Department of Dubai Municipality held a workshop for students from various universities in the country on the theoretical aspects of museums and the various stages of establishing a national museum.



The workshop was organised as part of Dubai Municipalitys participation in the International Museum Day, sponsored by the UAE chapter of International Council of Museums. The presentations in the workshop included a virtual project to create a museum for Sheikh Zayed in celebration of the centennial of Zayed this year, the report said.



Ahmed Mahmoud, director of Architectural Heritage Department, said that the workshop coincided with the strategic plan of Dubai 2021 aimed at creating a cultural environment and establishing cultural and tourist projects in Dubai for residents and visitors. He added that the workshop was held with a future outlook to prepare a generation qualified to implement and manage the planned museums.



"It was held in coordination with the UAE University, Zayed University, Sharjah University, American University in Dubai and American University of Sharjah to introduce the basics of museum construction and discuss all avenues of participation and cooperation in the future," Mahmoud added.Movenpick Hotels & Resorts is set to cement its stronghold in Tunisia with the take over of a contemporary hotel in the coastal city of Sfax.



The Swiss hospitality firm has signed an agreement with Societe Touristique du Sud to manage the Plaza Sfax & Spa Hotel, an upscale property in a prime city centre location on Rue Khalid Ibn Walid, close to the historic Medina, a short walk from the largest convention centre, Sfax International Fair, and just 10km from Sfax-Thyna Airport.



When the hotel launches as Movenpick Hotel Sfax later this year, it will mark the Swiss hospitality firms fourth property in Tunisia.

This upcoming addition to our Tunisia portfolio will expand our regional footprint, stamping out our presence in a new destination with high growth potential, explained Andrew Langdon, chief development officer, Movenpick Hotels & Resorts.



Sfax is not only a historic city with Mediterranean charm, but an up-and-coming business and trading centre where upscale hotel supply is relatively limited and corporate demand is strong. Operating a property in a central location and with a raft of high-quality facilities will enable us to capitalise on these favourable market conditions.



The 89-key hotel, which spans nine floors, is characterised by contemporary architecture and a modern interior design concept inspired by nature, with open spaces and neutral harmonious colours creating a relaxing ambience.



Facility highlights will include an expansive spa centre, swimming pool and gym, as well as a ballroom and six meeting rooms, while three upmarket dining options will span an all-day dining venue, a specialty rooftop restaurant with panoramic city and coastal views and a lobby lounge.



This attractive property occupies a prime area of real estate in the heart of Sfax and presents a unique opportunity for a hospitality specialist with regional and international expertise to create a business and leisure destination with a difference, said Mourad Jallali, President & CEO, Societe Touristique du Sud.



With its strong track record managing a portfolio of properties in North Africa region, we are confident Movenpick Hotels & Resorts will make a huge success of this landmark project.



Movenpick also operates the Movenpick Hotel du Lac Tunis, which opened earlier this year, as well as Movenpick Resort & Marine Spa Sousse and Movenpick Hotel Gammarth Tunis. - TradeArabia News ServiceThe Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has revealed plans to revamp its Hall 4, one of the spaces being offered for conferences and similar events.



The move is aimed at addressing the growing demand for its award-winning venue, the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, as a host for regional and global conferences and corporate events. The planned development will ensure a better experience for existing and potential conferences and meetings clients as well as the attending delegates.



Hall 4, which is strategically located adjacent to the multi-purpose Atrium, will be divided into three fully equipped event spaces, each capable of hosting 1,000 delegates. Work on the project is expected to be completed this year, in time for 2019, when the centre will host strategic, global congresses that will boost Abu Dhabis position on the global map as a hub for regional and international conferences and events.



Khalifa Al Qubaisi, acting chief commercial officer of ADNEC, said: The newly developed meeting rooms, with their strategic locations will enable our conference clients to configure all aspects of their events in a logical and convenient manner. The new rooms are also adjacent to Adnecs existing conference suites, the Innovation Lab and the recently refurbished 76 Restaurant, making it apt for expansion and customisation. This new development is in direct response to increasing feedback from clients who are now recognising the strategic importance of Abu Dhabi as a destination of choice in the Middle East. ADNEC has always strived to exceed customer expectations, and this new offering is a testament to what the company stands for.



Adnec is at the forefront of hosting events that help boost the image of Abu Dhabi as a world-class destination for events and conferences, while ensuring a smooth and seamless experience for clients and visitors. It is fully equipped with the latest technology and the professional know-how to conduct events of any size and capacity and is set to host some of the regions most high profile and much-awaited events the coming year, he added.



The year 2019 will witness a series of high-profile congresses at the venue, including; the World Energy Congress, the World Road Congress, the World Congress of Endourology, The FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences; the eighth Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption and the Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology Asia.



Adnec has been the recipient of prestigious awards and recognitions, including a four-star rating from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) and became TUV Innovation Management certified, among others. Its Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre has hosted strategic conferences and events over the las year, and recently hosted the Joint International Conference on Medical Education 2018 and the Ottawa Conference 2018; the Gulf Obesity Summit and Regional Congress 2018 and the International Council of Nurses ICN Regional Congress and is all set to host the Congress of the International Society for Hemodialysis 2018. - TradeArabia News Service

By Dr Syed Zafar Mahmood for TwoCircles.net

The Haryana State Waqf Board has submitted to the district administration a list of 19 Waqf properties in Gurgaon where Namaz is not offered for the reason that either the local residents object to offering Namaz there or they have even illegally encroached the Waqf property. Conversely, a couple of weeks ago the members of Sangh Parivar protested against offering Friday Namaz on unused roadsides in Gurgaon; where after the State Waqf Board has come forward with this plea.

Need to promote equality and fraternity

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The Haryana Chief Minister has said that if some peopled have an objection to offering prayer on roadsides, then this matter must be given a serious consideration. That is fully understandable, but the Waqf properties solely belong to Muslims. They may offer their prayers there and if someone creates trouble against offering Namaz at these properties, then the Chief Minister must simultaneously take action against those who create such disturbance. The Waqf Board has also said that if for facilitating Namaz, it is needed to carry out construction on these properties then the Board is ready even for that.

On the other hand, the Haryana Government has acquired two acres of land of Waqf Board in Chauma Village of Palam Vihar. The High Court has ordered the State Government to provide alternate land to the Waqf Board; thats yet to be done. Also, Namaz is not offered in the mosques of Vazirabad, Daulatpur, Nasirabad, Dhankot, Meoka and Garhi Harsawar as the local safronites have objection thereto. Additionally, such elements have been creating hindrance in the construction of mosques on the Waqf Board land in Jharsa, Fazilpur, Naurangpur and Meoka.

Remove encroachments from Waqf properties

The Justice Sachar Committee Report has listed those Wakf properties which are the mosques and tombs but are in the control of the Archaeological Survey of India that does not allow Namaz there whereas such a ban is against the law. The purpose of giving a heritage property in the custody of ASI is that it protects and preserves the property, but the level of the ASIs characteristic neglect is to be seen to be believed. Such Wakf properties under ASIs control are widely encroached upon and these mosques and tombs are atrociously desecrated.

Periodical joint meetings of ASI and CWC

As per the Justice Sachar Report, the implementation of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958 has often been at cross purposes with the Waqf Act. There are innumerable cases where a Waqf property, despite being a place of worship or otherwise deserving religious reverence, cannot be touched by the Waqf Board because it is declared as a protected monument. Given the pathetic state of a large number of such Waqf properties under the control of the ASI, it would only be proper if their lists are annually reviewed and their condition is assessed in a joint meeting of senior officers of the ASI with the representatives of the Central Wakf Council. The minutes should be signed by both the parties, copies should be preserved by both of them as well as the ministries concerned.

The purpose of this Sachar recommendation was that those Waqf properties which the ASI cannot handle well should be given back under the control of the Waqf Board concerned. After the submission of the Sachar Report, two or three such did occur during 2007-08 but no substantial discussion is reflected from the minutes and thereafter the meetings were discontinued.

Raise the CWC Secretarys rank to Joint Secretary to Govt of India

In this regard, it is important to note that due to the non-implementation of another vital recommendation of Sachar Committee the Waqf management has been suffering adversity. Para-4.1 on page-29 of the Report reads: The Secretary of the Central Wakf Council should be an officer of the rank of at least Joint Secretary to Government of India so that meaningful and effective communication and interaction with government authorities is facilitated. In order to be effective, this officer must have a good knowledge of Wakf matters, Muslim scriptures and proficiency in Urdu.

Here it is imperative to understand that there is a chain of Civil Services in the country and at every level, more than 90% of the countrys governance is handled by these high-ranking officers. If one Muslim officer of this bureaucracy is appointed as the Secretary of Wakf Council then the Central and State governments, as well as district collectors, will naturally hold him in high esteem, preempting inequity and dissipating impediments. Otherwise, the CWC Secretary (currently with no defined status in the Government hierarchy) does not command a level playing field vis a vis either the central and provincial ministries/departments/agencies or the district administration.

On the other hand, according to the UP provincial law, four Principal Secretaries, Director of Cultural Affairs, Divisional Commissioner of Varanasi and District Magistrate jointly manage the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. If any of them is not Hindu s/he would be replaced by the next in command. For the Hindu religious institutions of Karnataka, all the responsibility rests with a specially appointed Commissioner who, under section 3 & 7 of the provincial statute, must be an IAS officer professing Hindu faith.

Under sections 3 & 4 of the related law of Andhra Pradesh, only that person can be the Commissioner who has served as a District Collector and is Hindu. Under Section 9 & 10 of the Tamil Nadu statute, the officer concerned must have served as a member of the higher judiciary and should be Hindu. Under section 8(c) of the law in Kerala only that Hindu can be the Commissioner of Malabar Devaswam Board whose rank is not less than a Joint Secretary in the State Government.

Similarly, if the rank of the Secretary of the Central Waqf Council would have been raised to be at least Joint Secretary to the Government of India, then the impugned meetings with the Archeological Survey of India would not have been discontinued and at each meeting the CWC would have had the upper hand, the minutes of those meetings would have been written at higher governmental level of the Council and the latter would have made it sure that the decisions are taken and implemented in letter and spirit. On the same pattern, the remaining Waqf work in the whole country would also be better monitored. The Minister for Minority Affairs would do well to give his kind attention in this regard.

Appoint Working Chairman of CWC  Give him MoS rank

Besides, the Chairman of the Central Wakf Council is, ex officio, the minister himself and obviously, he does not have eight hours daily to look after the CWC work. Therefore, if he appoints one senior member of the Council (as per the Sachar Committee a former high court judge is preferable) as the full-time Working President of CWC and he is given MoS rank, then the Waqf management in India would get streamlined.

The role of the community

Simultaneously, the community would have to be proactive; it should persevere to restore the control to the Waqf Board in respect of those Waqf properties (a) whose upkeep is neglected by the ASI and (b) other umpteen properties under different kinds of encroachment. In Karnataka, a selfless civil contractor has got freed dozens of hitherto encroached Waqf properties and Namaz has been re-started there.

Central Government should vacate Delhi Waqf land

In Delhi, on 25 February 2017, the Land & Development Officer of the Union Ministry of Urban Development has allotted 2.33 acres (two plots) of Waqf land adjacent to the CGO complex to the Home Ministry for an amount of Rs 49,06,000 and handed over possession on 22 March 2017 for the construction of the offices, barracks, canteen and parking for the Central Reserve Police Force. The allotment order envisages that the CRPF will fight the ongoing civil case no. 397 of 2011  Sri Habibur Rahman versus Union of India regarding the mosque and graves originally embedded in that plot. The allotment order also stipulates that another piece of adjoining land can be allotted to CRPF for which it will have to submit a separate application.

Thereafter, on 29 July 2017 the Delhi Waqf Board submitted a complaint to the SHO, Nizamuddin Police Station informing that the above-mentioned plots of land are notified in the Delhi Government Gazette dated 31 December 1970 as Graveyard and Lal Masjid under Khasra No. 360 and 361. It also complained that some government officers are trying to trespass the impugned Waqf property and they should be stopped. Copy of this complaint was endorsed to the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Defence Colony, Purani Gargi College Building, Lajpat Nagar IV and to the Deputy Police Commissioner, Sarita Vihar. The people of Delhi must get this land freed from illegal encroachment by the Government.

The author is President, Zakat Foundation of IndiaBy Daisy Katta, TwoCircles.net

Mumbra, a largely Muslim settlement on the outskirts of Mumbai, has a peculiar history; it largely came up after the 1992 riots in Mumbai when a large number of Muslim families fled the main city of Mumbai and had to settle at the outskirts of mainland Mumbai. It has a history of being a refuge for threatened communities, especially Muslims.

The present Mumbra-Kausa region experienced a three-phase migration: first after Bhiwandi riots of 1984, the second after Mumbai riots of 1992-93 and the third phase during the twenty-first century especially after the year 2004-05, after governmental policies increasingly favouring vertical development under the world-class city rhetoric, pushing out marginalised communities to the fringes of the city. And given the nature of its establishment and expansion, it is easy to see why despite being in close proximity to Indias financial capital, the region suffers from serious neglect on the part of the government.

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A senior resident of Mumbra Nuruddin Naik recalls, There was only one rickshaw and one public school when we shifted here in the 80s. Born and brought up in the South of Mumbai, Naik witnessed years of governmental neglect towards essential facilities, especially education. Naik witnessed a large number of dropouts in the community, mainly because of lack of money to continue education. He says that for the 9 lakh or so population in Mumbra, there is no government higher educational institution in the vicinity. As late as 2010, there was just one Municipal school in the area.

Very few of the students who can afford higher education go to community colleges in far-flung areas and the ones who cannot afford are left to fend for themselves with petty jobs and no guarantee of a sustainable income.

With an increasing rhetoric of Skilling India, one needs to understand the nature of skilled workforce that is been promoted in the name of employment and if such an approach is beneficial to a large number of young population in the country. The efforts from disprivileged communities in response to high dropouts include creating institutions for vocational training to bring employment opportunities to unemployed youth in service sectors like electric/mechanical repair, communication and networking, fashion and apparel industry etc. And as Nasir said, since Mumbra also sends many of its youth to the Middle East, these skill give them a more skilled employment.

A more critical reading is to understand the programmes like Skilling India in the context of decreasing budgetary provisions to secondary education and the pushing of children from economically and socially disprivileged backgrounds to the informal sector away from formal education.

The situation of secondary and higher education in Mumbra is precarious with high dropout after 10th and 12th. A status report commissioned Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, Government of Maharashtra in 2014 on Muslims in Mumbra found that a staggering 84 % of the population did not opt for higher education, helped in no way by the severe lack of higher educational facilities in the region.

But before taking a critical look at such look at such policies, we tried to understand how communities are responding to it. To understand this scenario we meet with Nuruddin Naik, founder of SEWA in Mumbra.

Naik said that Islam as a religion encourages its followers to learn and education is a core part of the religion and even Mosques should be centre of learning. But due to governmental apathy and communitys own lack of prioritisation, education among the community has suffered. Many of the madrasas are in a dismal condition due to lack of fund from the government. Many of them have not been able to adopt the modern education system.

Naik also expressed that the state of Urdu education is declining due to large number of students and no proper support from the government. Also, the increase in the number of unaided private schools, which cannot be afforded by a large section of the community, leads to an increase in dropouts after tenth standard.

This motivated Naik to start SEWA, an organisation which offers free educational courses that focuses on vocational training. The only condition to enroll is that that you need to be a dropout. SEWA which is funded by Anjuman-I-Islam trust caters to dropouts from the community who are currently enrolled in skill development ITI courses and the end of which they are provided with Ministry of Human Resource & Development, Government of India (MHRD)-approved certificates. Contrary to what is assumed, Muslim youth, including the girls, are taking to education in a big way, says Naik.

These courses are run free of cost and have boosted livelihood opportunities, especially for women of the community. The first year of enrollment saw almost 700 youngsters, most of them women who are now enrolled in various courses. This year, more than 500 such students are set to graduate.

Although Naik believes that formal education is the need of the hour, he added, We cant always depend on the government to take measures, sometimes we need to act as a community and solve our own problems.

We also spoke to one of the trainees who passed out and is now teaching at SEWA. Kainat Saboo is 18 years of age and has just completed her beautician and fashion-designing course. Kainat tells us how many girls like her have few opportunities for higher education in Mumbra, she says,  The parents believe that the mohal (atmosphere) of Mumbra is not very good for girls her age. She adds that many other families, like her family, have financial problems due to which they are not able to continue education.

Kainat was able to study till 10th grade and then joined SEWA after she heard about the courses. She says she will appear for her 12th std exam as a private candidate and does not plan to continue her education. Kainat is currently employed with SEWA and trains 48 girls in beautician courses. Most of the women and girls she teaches are dropouts. But she is hopeful,  The girls usually start working once they pass outat least it gives us financial independence, that is a good thing, she adds.The only way to prevent a Daesh resurgence in Iraq is to integrate the poorest and most marginalised Iraqis into the economic and political structures of the country, TRT World writes in an article "The military defeat of Daesh in Iraq has to be backed by political reforms".

Iraqs intelligence worked with US-led coalition forces, and announced the captures of four Iraqis, and a Syrian fighter, who were rounded up at the Syrian border, near Deir Ezzor on May 9, but the announcement was overshadowed by Iraqs elections a few days later. One of them was Saddam al Jamal  considered one of the top commanders in Daesh, and one of its most dangerous. Iraqi local media said intelligence services lured the Daesh fighters to the border before arresting them. But details have been scarce. There are reports of explosions at the border and the Iraqi air force carrying out air strikes inside the Syrian border targeting suspected Daesh outposts. Jamal later said that there is dissent among the fighters, Theres a lot of division, splits and conflict among Daesh members, he said, most of the fighters lost their will to fight.

Iraqs government still has a long way to go to gain the trust of its people  even on the streets of Mosul, many feel if the Iraqi government isnt able to meet their needs or dispel sectarian divisions, another group will come in and fill the vacuum. There were many Sunnis in Mosul who sympathised when Daesh took over simply because they felt the majority Shia-led government had ostracised them from the political process and allowed security forces to target them without cause.

Moreover, in Iraq, Prime Minister Haider al Abadi has integrated the Popular Mobilization Units, an Iranian back-armed group, made up of mostly Shia fighters  as part of the security forces. Many of the PMUs overseas neighborhoods across the country and are participating in Syrian border operations. But he did mention there might be groups  who are not receiving direct funding from Iraq  that are participating and coordinating across Iraqi-Syria lines.

Iraqis, and especially Sunnis, are concerned the presence of the paramilitary force creates greater sectarian tension. Its created a wider debate in the country about foreign influence like that of the US and Iran  whose support of Shia-led politicians has stirred sectarian division. Its created a wider debate in the country about foreign influence like that of the US and Iran  whose support of Shia-led politicians has stirred sectarian division.

Economic analyst Mazin Shaiker, believes, however the problem isnt factions of Islam that are pulling people apart, but rather, their primary needs, The big division in the Middle East isnt Arab or Iranian, its secular versus Islamic, he told me, Iraq is a weak country because it doesnt have control over its own destiny, we nee an independent economic government. And the more people that are without jobs, food, education and other practical services, the more, Shaiker believes, they are susceptible to tribal groups, politicians or fighters who make promises to fulfill those needs.

Daesh may no longer have the military power it once did, but its tribal tactics do. And any militia group looking to target footsoldiers among the most vulnerable will find some success.

Right now, Iraq still has over three million displaced according to the United Nations. Many IDPs have been in camps for years with no resources to return home and for many, theyre homes are still buried under rubble in places like Anbar and Mosul. Theyre angry, they want to go home, they want to live their life and theyre disgruntled that government entities have ignored their requests.

Whats worse is parliamentary officials have decided that because of voting fraud accusations many of the ballots from the IDP camps may not be counted. The people wont see this as a step forward. Rebuilding wont be easy and it will take unity in the government and fair treatment of the poorest Iraqis to avoid what has become a quagmire of a civil conflict in Syria.Russia continues to look for ways to prevent national-religious extremism in the face of new challenges and threats. Data of the latest sociological surveys shows normalization of interethnic relations and decrease of xenophobic sentiments in Russian society over the past four years.

Alexander Brod, Member of Russia's Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights, listed several risks that may cause interethnic tensions: "Legal nihilism and corruption of certain authorities, lack of educational and cultural measures to form Russian civil identity, insufficient level of interdepartmental and intercultural coordination in implementation of state national program, insufficient regulation of migration processes and work in the field of migrants' adaptation."

At the same time, Alexander Brod noted that he recently participated in meeting on interethnic relations in the Southern Federal District, and it turned out that none of the subjects have centers for adaptation and integration of migrants.

Speaking about external factors potentially contributing to interethnic tensions, he mentioned growth of international terrorism, religious extremism and international organized crime: "Neo-Nazi, right-wing and radical sentiments flourish in the world. Supportets of these views become government officials more and more often. Anti-Russian sentiments, discrimination, persecution of journalists, diplomats and human rights activists who support Russia are actively growing. This affects minds of people, young people, and these ideas have many supporters."

At the same time, Brod highlighted decrease in cases of aggressive xenophobia and radical nationalism: "Between January and May of this year, we recorded 9 cases of aggressive xenophobia in Moscow, St. Petersburg, as well as in the Republic of Dagestan. At least 6 were killed and 10 got injured. During similar periods of past years, over the past 4 years there have been much more cases... I also would like to talk about developments in Chechnya and Dagestan. We regularly hear that activity of radical extremist groups has been prevented. Radicals are returning to Russian regions from Syria, continue to recruit people, so there are still some risks."

Meanwhile, according the deputy chairman of the Coordination Council on Counter-Terrorism, deputy chairman of the Public Chamber Commission on Harmonization of Interethnic and Interreligious Relations, Albir Krganov, there are almost no cases of murder of religious figures in Russia in recent years, while nearly 200 religious figures were killed over the past 20 years by extremists and terrorists.

Speaking about strengthening of interethnic peace, Krganov said: "Together with our Patriarch, we traveled to Kemerovo for 40 days, where a terrible tragedy occurred in one of the malls. We supported our citizens. They told us that administrator of the shoe store, a Tajik, Farzan Salimov, saved almost 40 people. But no one talks about him!... We need social advertising about friendship between peoples. We're multinational country, and it's never too late to remind people about this. The entire world does it. We're a great country, we can do everything, but somehow we haven't made this decision yet."A year ago the embassy of the Republic of Peru headed by Charge d'Affaires Luis Chang Boldrini has started its work in Azerbaijan. This week, the Peruvian ambassador Maria Milagros Castanon Seoane arrived in Baku. She will be able to take up her duties once her credentials are accepted by the president, and Luis Chang Boldrini leaves Azerbaijan in early June. Before leaving, he shared his visionof the Azerbaijani-Peruvian relations with Vestnik Kavkaza.



- What were your successes in Azerbaijan in a year?



- My first assignment was to open the embassy, make it work. Now we are ready to offer new initiatives, new ideas and try to implement them. We're just at the beginning of this process, but we have experienced some success in the sphere of culture. Now we want to achieve success by developing ties with Azerbaijan in other spheres. While we sow, and then we will reap it. We have a long way to go ahead of us before results could be reached.



- Do you keep in touch with the Azerbaijani Diplomatic Academy?



- Yes, we have signed an agreement with the Diplomatic Academy, ADA University. I would like we in Peru have such a wonderful organization as ADA. Now we are working on the implementation of the agreement. Perhaps next year we will start holding seminars, student and personnel exchanges. Thanks to modern technology, we do not even need to go anywhere. I think that it will be useful for our students, their rapprochement. We need to show young professionals in both countries what opportunities exist for sharing knowledge.



-What are the most promising areas in terms of cooperation with Azerbaijan?



- I think that the investment aspect can be realized in the coming years. Despite the distance separating us, Azerbaijani businessmen show interest in mining operations and services. Many companies view Peru as an investment area for doing business in our country. We have large gold reserves. Peru is the fifth-largest gold producer. Therefore, companies want to expand their activities there, and Peru provides them such an opportunity. Now only 2% of potential production is realized in our country. Azerbaijani businessmen look across the ocean and consider Peru's opportunities interesting.



There are also Azerbaijani companies that can compete with foreign companies developing Peru's telecommunications sector.



- You said that progress has already been made in the sphere of culture. Is it possible to draw a parallel between Peruvian music and traditional Azerbaijani mugham?



- There was a concert where the charango player from Peru performed together with mugham. I really liked it, it was interesting to know how you can combine two different instruments from two different parts of the world. Musicians managed to open their hearts to these new opportunities, share their passion, love for music and mix two different styles. It was incredible. That was the first time I ever saw mugham and was very excited.



- What did you remember the most in Azerbaijan?



- Everything here was extraordinary for me. I'm very sorry to leave, but I have to. Azerbaijan will stay in my heart forever. I have already promised my friends that I will come here to get married. My visit will depend on this.Former Russian Economy Minister Aleksey Ulyukayev, jailed for 8 years after extorting a $2 million bribe, has begun his sentence at a penal colony, RT reported citing TASS news agency.

Russian Justice Ministrys Federal Service for Execution of Punishment, that manages the countrys prison system confirmed the reports but did not disclose the location of his detention.

Ulyukayev was detained in November 2016 on charges of receiving a $2 million bribe from the Igor Sechin, the head of Russian state oil firm Rosneft. Investigators found the minister demanded the payment for his support of a positive assessment that would allow Rosneft to complete a deal to purchase the government's stake in another Russian oil company, Bashneft.

The charges were based on Sechins testimony as well as on the evidence of a sting operation, in which Sechin personally handed a bag containing $2 million in cash to Ulyukayev, the then-economy minister.Chief Prosecutor Irakli Shotadze has resigned, InterPressNews reported.

Irakli Shotadze was elected on the post of Chief Prosecutor on November 27 of 2015.

Shotadze resigned amid protest caused by the caused by the verdict announced by the Tbilisi City Court on Khorava street murder case. One of the defendants, who was charged for premeditated murder of two teenagers, was found guilty in premeditated murder of Levan Dadunashvili and announced not guilty in premeditated murder of Davit Saralidze. As for another defendant, he was found guilty of attempted murder of Davit Saralidze.

The verdict of the judge was followed by the noise outside the City Court building. The 4-month Court trial hearing on the murder of teenagers on Khorava Street ended on May 30. Since juveniles are involved in the case, the court sittings were closed according to the Juvenile Justice Code. Two 16 year-old pupils - Davit Saralidze and Levan Dadunashvili were killed on Khorava Street in Tbilisi on December 1 of 2017. Police have detained two murder suspects and indicted five more on charges of covering up the crime.Iranian Oil Minister Bijan Zanganeh has asked OPEC president, United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail al-Mazrouei to support it against new U.S. sanctions.

I would like to seek OPECs support in accordance with Article 2 of the OPEC Statute, which emphasises safeguarding the interests of member countries individually and collectively, Zanganeh said in a letter.

Zanganeh also suggested in the letter that Iran was not in agreement with some OPEC ministers recent comments on the oil market. He said some OPEC ministers have implicitly or unwittingly spoken for the organization, expressing views that might be perceived as the official position of the OPEC, Reuters reported.

Zanganeh also said that if the latest U.S. sanctions threat was resolved Iran reserves the right to return to its oil market share in the shortest possible time and resumes its normal production-level and will not accept any limitations in this regard.

Zanganeh asked Mazrouei to include a separate agenda item for the June OPEC meeting entitled OPEC Ministerial Conference support to the Member Countries that are under illegal, unilateral and extraterritorial sanctions.The Kremlin says President Vladimir Putin has had a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the situation in Syria, ABC News reported.

The Kremlin said the conversation focused on "some aspects of the Syrian settlement," which it didn't specify, following up on the two leaders' talks in Moscow earlier this month.The European Union would give a smart, determined and jointly agreed response if the United States decides to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a news conference in Lisbon.

We dont know the decision yet but if tariffs were to be imposed, then we have a clear stance within the European Union, Reuters cited Merkel as saying.

We are convinced that these tariffs are not in line with WTO rules, she said, pointing to a joint decision by European Union leaders to demand a permanent exemption from the U.S. tariffs and offer broader trade talks on a certain basis.

In late March, the United States imposed 25% and 10% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, respectively. But later Trump has postponed the imposition of steel and aluminium tariffs on Canada, the European Union and Mexico until June 1, and has reached agreements for permanent exemptions for Argentina, Australia and Brazil.German Chancellor Angela Merkel reportedly told former US President Barack Obama after the 2016 presidential election that she felt obligated to run for a fourth term in office to counter then-President-elect Donald Trump.

That interaction between Obama and Merkel is recounted in a forthcoming book  "The World as It Is"  by former deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes. The New York Times reported on excerpts from the book.

Merkel had a single tear in her eye as she bid farewell to Obama for the final time, Rhodes recounted.

In the book, Rhodes also describes Obama's interactions with other world leaders after Trump's 2016 presidential victory. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe apologized for meeting with Trump after the election, and Obama implored Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to be a vocal defender of liberal values, the book says, according to the Times.The NATO-Russia Council (NRC) convened today in Brussels. The meeting will discuss the situation in eastern Ukraine.

It is the first time the council has met since NATO and many of its members expelled Russian diplomats following a nerve-agent attack on former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal in Britain, which the West has blamed on Russia.

The meeting may also cover the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter in southern England in March, an attack several Western countries claim was carried out using a nerve agent whose likely source was Russia, Deutsche Welle reported.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told Spiegel on Saturday that the meeting could help decrease tensions between the military alliance and Russia and decrease the risk of accidental military encounters.

Today's meeting is the seventh in the past two years, with the previous one taking place in October.The Senate of Kazakhstan supported the bill making incumbent President Nursultan Nazarbayev lifelong chairman of the Security Council.

The Security Council considers main areas of state policy in national security, defense capability, coordinates actions of government agencies in these areas.

Chairman and members of the Security Council supervise activities of the Security Council, convene its meetings, perform other duties.

Adoption of the bill will allow to precisely degine the place and role of the Security Council as a national security and defense coordinating agency, Justice Minister Marat Beketaev said.

The members of the Security Council include: President, Chairman of Senate, Chairman of Mazhilis, Prime Minister, State Secretary, Chief of Presidents Administration, Secretary, General Prosecutor, National Security Committee Chairman, Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, Interior Minister.

The bill was forwarded to the President for signing, AKIpress reported.More than 320 Syrians have returned to their homes in the past 24 hours, the chief of the Russian center for reconciliation of conflicting sides in Syria, Major General Yuri Yevtushenko said.

Ho noted that 201 people have come back to their homes in the Homs province and 121 more in Eastern Ghouta.

The reconciliation center said that illegal armed groups were reported to have violated the ceasefire in the provinces of Aleppo, Latakia and Daraa in the past day.

Russian field engineers searched three buildings in al-Nasriya and destroyed four shells and one improvised explosive device.

"Repair works on international highway M5 are in full swing. Road safety barriers are being installed along the road connecting Ar-Rastan and Tell Bisa, lamp posts are being assembled and demolition waste is being taken away," TASS cited Yevtushenko as saying.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke by phone yesterday, according to the U.S. State Department website.

The two discussed issues and concerns related to the bilateral relationship, Ukraine, and Syria.

"Pompeo reiterated that though Washington seeks an improved relationship with Moscow, achieving that will require Russia to demonstrate that it is prepared to take concrete actions to address our concerns, including interfering in U.S. domestic matters," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

It was their first conversation since the Secretarys swearing in and the Foreign Ministers reappointment.Russia and Bulgaria show interest in the development of the Turkish Stream pipeline project in the direction of Bulgaria, but no concrete agreements have been reached during the talks between President Vladimir Putin and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"They did not agree yet. There was no task to agree, and there was no opportunity to negotiate between the president and the prime minister about this. Bulgaria shows interest," Peskov said.

According to the Kremlin spokesman, the feasibility of this interest in practice is limited due to a number of reasons. "It is impossible for Bulgaria to implement it without certain guarantees from the European Commission, given the previous experience," TASS cited Peskov as saying.

But considering that both sides are interested anyway, Sofia and Moscow will continue working on this issue, the spokesman added.

Peskov noted that the Bulgarian side voiced the idea of creating a hub.

He also drew attention to the fact that in the past the unfinished South Stream pipeline was heading towards Bulgaria, and now when the Turkish Stream has almost been implemented it's more difficult to make any new tie-in.Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin criticized the US for violating the principles of the WTO, comparing Washingtons approach to "shooting itself in the foot," TASS reports.

Speaking at an informal meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Paris the Russian official said: "We are watching the US shooting itself in the foot, damaging at the same time the whole world economy. The history shows, unfortunately, that all the positive moments in the regulation of international trade occur only after something really bad happens to the world economy."

According to the Russian minister, the participants in world trade "are already sitting on the train, heading to the next stop called "Global Crisis."

He compared the situation to the period of the Great Depression, when all countries sought to protect their domestic market, which only made the situation worse. Oreshkin said that such a policy will eventually lead to a slowdown in the global economy and called on the global players to abandon it.Alexander Lavrentiev, Russian President Vladimir Putins special envoy for Syria, met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 31, in the second visit of the special envoy to Turkey within one week, Hurriyet Daily News reported.

Lavrentiev met with Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kaln in Ankara last week after paying a visit to Syria.

The meetings come on the eve of the second gathering of the Russia-initiated Sochi Congress. A Syrian National Dialogue Congress was held in the Russian city of Sochi on Jan. 30 and participants made the call for the establishment of the constitutional committee and the selection of a pool of 150 candidates for this committee, which has not been realized yet due to Syrian regimes reluctance.

Russia also stepped up a political process to end the Syrian crisis and Putin held a rare meeting with Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad on May 17 and said the military success in Syria allowed for a large-scale political process leading to the withdrawal of foreign forces and the reconstruction of the country. After the success of the Syrian government army in the fight against the terrorists the conditions are in place for the start of a political process on a major scale, Putin said in a statement released by the Kremlin following the meeting.

With the start of the political process in its most active phase, foreign armed forces will withdraw from Syrian territory, Putin said, without specifying which foreign forces.U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday that North Korean delegates want to deliver to him a letter from Kim Jong Un, the latest sign that a summit between the two leaders may indeed happen after all, CNBC reported.

The president, speaking to reporters before he departed to attend fundraisers in Texas, said he believes the delegates will be coming to Washington on Friday. He also expressed hope that the meeting would still take place as planned. "We'll see what happens," he said.

Minutes later, Trump tweeted that meetings with North Korea had been "very good."US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian by phone yesterday, according to the U.S. State Department website.

The sides discussed next steps in countering the Iranian regimes destabilizing activities in the region. They also discussed how the international community can best work together to support stability in Libya.

On May 8, US President Donald Trump announced that his country would exit the 2015 JCPOA, which provided for the gradual lifting of the anti-Iranian sanctions in exchange for Tehran's maintaining the peaceful nature of its nuclear program. Besides, Trump decided to reinstate the previously lifted sanctions on Iran.ISIS and Al-Qaeda terrorist groups can unite, director of the Executive Committee of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure, Yevgeny Sysoyev, warned during the anti-terrorist forum in Krasnoyarsk.

"Among the predicted threats we do not exclude the possibility of unification of ISIS and Al-Qaeda groupes in a single network capable of covering many countries of the world with its dormant and active cells," RIA Novosti cited him as saying.

Sysoev clarified that there are a lot of militants in Afghanistan who formerly fought in the Middle East, and now they are trying to continue their activities. According to him, ISIS is preparing and transfering groups to Europe, Central and South-East Asia, as well as Russia. These groups, Sysoev explained, often use the tactics of random selection of targets in large megacities, they use any improvised means. In addition, online training is widespread among the supporters of terrorists.

The deputy head of the Council of the Russian Diplomats Association, Andrey Baklanov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza, explained that we should not attach much importance to the statements of leaders of terrorist associations, because they do not reflect what is really happening. "These are completely closed organizations, and statements made for the media have a definite purpose," the expert noted.

According to him, it is obvious that international terrorism is not going to calm down, will only change its forms and methods. "Initially, there was a contradiction between those who advocated the creation of an open state association in the form of ISIS, and those who opposed it, because it will expose terrorist associations to the blows of army formations. In 2011, the first faction won the dispute and formed ISIS, and now it seems that their opponents are taking revenge. It is clear now that they will change the way of action. But they are not going to abandon the terrorist struggle and extremist convictions," the deputy head of the Council of the Russian Diplomats Association said.

"The danger is that now the line of those who are set up to conduct a covert struggle against the far-reaching goals of the international community is winning, so it will be more difficult to struggle with them. And we need to be adjusted to the fact that the struggle does not stop, it changes forms and becomes much more complex. Therefore, a large number of additional specialists are required, including people who are very good in appropriate languages," Andrey Baklanov concluded.

A military observer of the TASS news agency, retired Colonel Viktor Litovkin, drew attention to the issue of a possible sponsor of Al-Qaeda. "Any terrorist movement is meaningless without sponsors. We know that ISIS in Syria was fueled by the US, the Persian Gulf states, even by Turkey at one time. Whether they will find new sponsors? I tink so, because terrorism is in fashion today," he said.

According to the expert, the restoration of Al-Qaeda carries a serious threat to Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, as well as Central Asian countries and even certain regions of China.

Viktor Litovkin doubted the significant influence of the new factor on the balance of power in the world, since, according to him, the balance of forces between NATO and Russia, the US and Russia, the US and China will not be affected. However, the expert noted, the tension will certainly grow, first of all, for the Russian side. "I think that Europe should think about its role in this fight against international terrorism," he concluded.by Ngoc Diep

MEKONG DELTA  Clam farmers in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province of Tien Giang are finding innovative solutions to produce sustainable value chains in an aim to meet international standards.

In recent years, declining fishery stocks, disease, and environmental impacts have affected both quantity and quality of clams (meretrix lyrate) in the province.

To improve value and enhance the competitiveness of local clam farming, a new project has begun since 2013, according to Nguyen Tien Diet, head of Fisheries Division under the provinces Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD).

Under the project, Tan Thanh Commune authorities in Go Cong ong District and local clam farmers are working together to achieve the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification, which is the worlds most credible and recognised standard for environmentally sustainable wild-caught seafood.

Nguyen Quoc Minh, vice chairman of the Tan Thanh Commues Peoples Committee, said six community-based groups of clam farmers have been established in the locality, including 150 households that are breeding clams on 1,600ha.

Each group has a leader and a management board who work as volunteers without a salary.

Tran Van Chi, 65, a local clam breeder, said the current price of fresh clams is around VN20,000 (US$0.88) per kilo.

Clam farmers can earn a profit of VN50 million ($2,190) per hectare each year, making up about 40 per cent of local farmers incomes, he said.

To achieve those results, the communes clam farming sector has worked for over four years to achieve the MSC standards, but funds are still needed to see the completion of the certificate issuance from MSC.

Meanwhile, earlier in 2009 Ben Tre Province s small-scale, community-based clam fishery sector became the first one in Southeast Asia that met MSC standards and was granted the certification.

Ben Tres MSC certification process was co-sponsored by the provinces DARD and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

Local co-operatives in the province have closely managed and carefully surveyed the brood stock and harvestable clams within their area.

Tran Thu Nga, director of the Centre for Transfer of Technology  Services and Community Development for Vietnamese Agriculture  Fisheries under the Viet Nam Fisheries Society, said the seafood sector faces challenges in finding markets as well as environmental concerns.

The MSC Fisheries Standard helps cope with the global trend of over-fishing and the degradation of the marine environment.

The MSC certification will help local clam breeders reach out to consumers worldwide, Nga said.

Raising local residentsawareness of sustainable development plays an important role in building a sustainable production model in Ben Tre Province, Nga added.

Benefits increase

Clams are one of five key fishery products in the province besides tra fish,tiger prawns, blue-legged prawns and white-legged shrimp, Nguyen Van Buoi, deputy director of Ben Tre Provinces Department of Agriculture, said.

Over the past 10 years, local clam farming has increased significantly in productivity, especially of clam seeds, he added.

Covering 65km of coastal areas, the province is home to over 4,000 hectares of clam farming, mostly in Ba Tri, Binh ai and Thanh Phu districts.

Working with their farmers, the cooperatives can produce about 4,500-5,000 tonnes of fresh clams per year, Buoi said.

MSC certification has helped increase the local clam price by VN5,000-10,000 ($0.22-0.44) per kilo compared to the clam rates harvested by other localities in the country.

The co-operativesaverage annual revenue in recent years has risen to VN75 billion ($3.3 million) and even jumped to VN110 billion ($4.8 million), greatly improving their membersincomes.

Of the figure, 80 per cent is divided equally among all members who are required to have only two children. The remaining 20 per cent will be used to set up a fund for running the their operations.

Besides an average annual benefit of VN5-6 million ($219-263) per person, the co-operativesmembers also have an other steady income from collecting clams in the harvesting season.

Each person can earn VN200,000-300,000 ($9-13) from this job for one to two hours.

Processing clams for export at Hung Truong Phat Aquamarine Product JSC in Ben Tre Provinces Binh ai District.  VNA/VNS Photo Thong Hai

Clam value chain

The provincial Peoples Committee and Department of Agriculture and Rural Development have provided support and advice to the co-operatives, Buoi said.

Many research projects have helped clam farmers improve their technology and effectively limit impacts possibly caused by disease and climate change on clam breeding processes.

Most co-operatives have strictly obeyed regulations on exploiting clams to make sure they are old enough for harvesting.

To protect clam seeds, exploiting clam seeds from 5,000 to under 100,000 must be approved by DARD. Anything over 100,000 has to be approved by the provinces Peoples Committee.

Vo Thanh Hiep, general director of Hung Truong Phat Aquamarine Product JSC, one of leading clam exporters in Ben Tre Provinces Binh ai District, said his companys clam products are mostly exported to EU, US, Japan, Australia and Asia markets.

The company has a large variety of exports such as frozen cooked whole clam in vacuum bag, half-shell clam, clam meat and value-added products (clams with sweet chili source or with garlic and butter sauce).

Hiep said: Currently, global clam demand is high but the local supply of raw materials is not enough to meet this demand.

The company exports about 4,000 tonnes of clam products per year. However, only half of them are from Ben Tres clam fishery.

Consequently, the clam processing factories have to buy raw materials from traders instead of directly purchasing them from co-operatives.

The factories cannot compete with prices offered by traders in the local market, which makes it hard to buy enough raw materials to meet demand, Hiep explained.

In addition, some foreign markets are strictly controlling productssource of origin and possible pest infestation.

Hiep said the demand of clam products with MSC certification in foreign markets has significantly increased in recent years.

About 25 per cent of the companys customers have asked for clam products with MSC certification, most of them from US, Germany, France and UK.

They require Vietnamese farmers and producers to strictly comply with standards like MSC.

Therefore, Ben Tre plans to establish closed clam production chains that include clam farming and processing to control product quality and enhance value of clams in its localities.

In this years second quarter, it has piloted the first closed clam production chain at the ong Tam Clam Co-operative in Binh ai District and the Hung Truong Phat Aquamarine Product JSC.

EU-funded project

A workshop takes place today in Ben Tre Province to launch the project Inclusive and sustainable clam and bamboo value chains development in Viet Nam.

The 4.3 million euro (US$5 million) project will be funded by the European Union (EU), Oxfam and its partners.

Under this project, in the period of 2018- 2022, it will help small producers build clam value chains in Ben Tre, Tra Vinh and Tien Giang provinces, and bamboo value chains in the central provinces of Thanh Hoa and Nghe An.  VNSPrices of vegetables have fallen in a Lat, itself a vegetable growing hub, due to imports from China, traders said. Photo nld.vn

HCM CITY  Prices of vegetables have fallen in a Lat, itself a vegetable growing hub, due to imports from China, traders said.

Nguoi Lao ong (The Labourer) newspaper reported that many traders in the districts of Lac Duong, on Duong and uc Trong recently imported large volumes of cheap Chinese vegetables.

As a result, prices of local produce have plummeted, and farmers and traders have been unable to sell their stocks despite cutting prices, it said.

The prices of some vegetables have fallen by 50 per cent.

Potato costs only VN7,000 per kilogramme, half the price a year ago, onion costs around VN3,000 and carrot, VN2,000-3,000. Last year all of them were selling at above VN10,000.

Tran Thanh Nha, a farmer in on Duong District, has planted vegetables on 1.5ha.

In previous years two traders would regularly come to his farm to buy his vegetables, but this year they deposited VN50 million (US$2,100) and had not returned, he said.

He called them many times but they did not reply, he said.

Nguyen Thi Phuong Binh of a Lat has grown onions but cannot sell them now.

Traders bargain for under VN5,000 per kilogramme. At this price, I lose since the wages for harvesting is around VN250,000 per day, she told the newspaper.

Nguyen The Hien of the a Lat market management board said not only farmers but also traders at the market face difficulties due to the low prices.

Many traders who have been doing business at the market for a long time have closed their shops since they are unable to sell a Lat vegetables, something he had never seen happen before, he said.

Not only individuals but also large companies have been hit.

Nguyen Thi Anh Tuyet, deputy director of Anh ao Agriculture Service Co-operative, said while her co-operative has not been affected by the competition from Chinese products, it has been hit by the low prices.

Local farmers blame the situation on the cheap imports from China, admitting that vegetables and fruits from China look good and are cheap. Even local specialities like cherries are unable to compete with the Chinese products, they lamented.

Many people have been warning for a long time about the threat from Chinese vegetable imports but little has been done to local production.

Le Thi Huong of on Duong District said some companies imported vegetables from China and then attached a Lat labels.

Tran Thanh Vu, head of Tan Duong Districts economic and infrastructure department, said a large quantity Chinese imports is not sold locally meaning authorities are unable to prevent fake labelling and other dubious activities.

There is no prohibition against import of Chinese products, he said.

Nguyen Van Son, director of the Lam ong Province Department of Agriculture, told The Labourer that the province has adopted many methods to ensure the quality and origin of products.

Farmers and traders do co-operate with each other to protect the a Lat trademark, but it would take more time to achieve critical mass, he said.  VNSHA NOI  Transport and Industry Development Investment Joint Stock Company (Tracodi) has targeted a revenue of VN1.15 trillion (US$50.44 million) and an after-tax profit of VN77.1 billion in 2018.

The year-on-year increase would be five per cent and three per cent, respectively, revealed the companys report preparing for the upcoming annual shareholders meeting on June 15, 2018.

In the revenue structure of 2018, the commercial segment is expected to account for the largest share, contributing some VN450 billion, followed by infrastructure and real estate projects with VN390 billion. The stone exploitation project with the joint venture Antraco is expected to contribute VN300 billion, the remaining will come from the labour export and training projects.

This year, Tracodi plans to invest in a high-rise apartment complex at No.89 Cach Mang Thang Tam, District 1, HCM City, which is also the headquarters of the company. The project has an area of 1,048sq.m with total investment capital of VN850 billion. Currently, Tracodi is carrying out procedures for investment approval.

The companys board of directors also plans to pay dividends in 2017 at the rate of 10 per cent in shares, through the issuance of 3.4 million shares.

Tracodi has 28 years of operating history in many fields such as infrastructure construction, taxi transportation, quarrying and labor export.

In May 2017, the company listed 32.48 million shares on the HCM Stock Exchange at a reference price of VN16,000 a share.

Bamboo Capital is currently the parent company owning Tracodis 50.61 per cent stake.  VNSThe Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB) may earn between VN1.3 trillion (US$57.8 million) and VN1.5 trillion from selling treasury shares, according to HCM City Securities Corp (HSC). Photo ndh.vn

HA NOI  The Asia Commercial Joint Stock Bank (ACB) may earn between VN1.3 trillion (US$57.8 million) and VN1.5 trillion from selling treasury shares, according to HCM City Securities Corp (HSC).

ACB is holding more than 41.4 million treasury shares out of its 1.12 billion listed on the Ha Noi Stock Exchange, equal to 4.03 per cent of the total shares.

The bank bought those treasury shares back from investors in January 2015, May 2014 and July 2013 for an average price level of VN16,080 (71.5 US cents) per share.

HSC said in a recent report there has been no news about of the bank selling its treasury, however, it could be a good way to increase its charter capital.

If ACB decides to sell at the current market price, it could generate VN1.3 trillion to VN1.5 trillion in profit that could be added into the banks share premium.

ACB shares closed Wednesday at VN38,400 per share, nearly 2.4 times the average price the bank paid.

ACB has some VN3 trillion worth of guarantees related to various loans, including stocks and some real estate projects. The bank is forecast to sell entire or a part of those assets in the next few years, HSC said.

HSC also forecast that ACB would record VN6 trillion in pre-tax profit, a yearly increase of 127 per cent.

Total lending and raised deposit would rise 18 per cent each to VN234 trillion and VN284 trillion at the end of the year, HSC said, adding that the banks net interest margin (NIM) rate would increase to 3.55 per cent from 3.48 per cent in 2017.

ACB would be able to reduce its provision set aside to pay for anticipated future losses by 81 per cent as it would clear entire VAMC bonds and loans to eight companies involved in the prosecution of the banks former chairman Nguyen uc Kien, HSC said. The banks non-performing ratio is also estimated at 0.8 per cent this year.  VNSTOKYO  Viet Nams new-age carrier Vietjet will launch a direct flight connecting Ha Noi with Osaka in Japan on November 8.

The move is expected to further boost tourism and trade integration between the two countries and across the region.

A ceremony announcing the new route was held on Thursday in the presence of Vietnamese President Tran ai Quang, representatives of the Japanese government and officials from both the countries.

The Ha Noi-Osaka route will be the first service for Vietjets expansion into Japan, the Land of the Rising Sun, Vietjets vice president Nguyen Thi Thuy Binh said.

Vietjet will continue to open new routes connecting Viet Nam and Japans economic and tourism hubs to diversify destination choices for its consumers and to better meet the growing demand for air travel between the two countries and beyond as well as to better connect with the rest of the world, Binh said.

Previously, Vietjet has collaborated with Japanese travel agencies to operate many direct chartered flights from Viet Nam to Osaka as well as to Narita, Sendai, Nagoya, Ibaraki and Fukushima in Japan.

Using Vietjets new and modern A320 aircraft, the Ha Noi-Osaka direct flight will operate daily with a flight time of more than four hours one way.

The flight will depart from Ha Noi every day at 1.45am and arrive in Osaka at around 7.50am (local time), while the return flight will take off from Osaka at 9.20am (local time) and land in Ha Noi at around 1.10pm.

Vietjets new service to Osaka will take the airlines total number of international routes to 45, in addition to the 38 domestic routes, Vietjet said in a statement.

Tickets for the new flight is expected to be available from June 8 on www.vietjetair.com.

At the ceremony, Vietjet, SBI Leasing Services, Natixis and some of the Japanese equity arrangers also signed a Memorandum of Understanding worth nearly US$600 million to facilitate aircraft financing.  VNSTHUA THIEN- HUE  As many as 2,000 giant tiger prawns have been released into waters off central Thua Thien-Hue Province in an attempt to help marine resources recover from overexploitation.

The provinces Department of Fishery on Wednesday released the prawns into the sea near the localitys Thuan An beach.

The prawns released were mature and had the ability to breed in a natural environment. The department expects the population of prawns in local seas to increase after a long period of overexploitation by the fishing sector in the recent years.

The department said the release was also aimed at educating local fishermen on sustainable fishing.

Earlier this week, the department collaborated with authorities in the Phu a commune, located on the local coast, to release 2,000 crabs for the same purpose.

The department said this weeks releases were part of celebrations for World Oceans Day, which happens on June 8.

Recent reports by the department show a drastic drop in fish populations in local seas due to overexploitation and changes in the natural habitat.

In April 2016, Taiwanese steel plant Formosa, located in central Ha Tinh Province, released toxic chemicals into the sea, killing large numbers of fish in four neighboring provinces, including Thua Thien-Hue.

Recent government reports said fish from the area are now safe for consumption. However, the government has cautioned against mass fishing, especially with regard to species that live near the ocean floor.  VNby Vuong Bach Lien

Viet Nam News

While pushing his caddie around the streets of Viet Nam for three months, Nicolas Queune took the time to observe its landscapes and its people.

Queune stands out in the crowd because he always wears a red T-shirt and a straw hat like his favourite comic character named Luffy, from the Japanese popular manga comic, One Piece. He started his journey on foot around the world in 2013.

An avid reader of the popular Japanese manga, which tells about the adventures of the aspiring king of the pirates Luffy, Nicolas decided to reproduce the journey of his hero to give meaning to his life.

Although the manga takes place in an imaginary world, the author is inspired by real places.

He started his trip five years ago in Asia. He first flew from France to Japan, and from there he walked around New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos.

His adventures will then take him from South East Asia to Europe, then probably to Central America.

He arrived in Viet Nam in March and has been travelling around the country on foot until now. He is currently in the centre of the country.

Falling in love with Viet Nam

Upon arriving in Viet Nam, he began waking from ien Bien Phu to Lao Cai, from Ha Noi to Quang Ninh to see Ha Long Bay, and hes now in Nha Trang.

In Viet Nam, life is not expensive. I can sleep in a guest house for just a few euros, he says.

In some other countries where life is more expensive, I mostly sleep in a tent, behind a tree, in abandoned houses, or at train stations.

I am very happy to be in Viet Nam because Vietnamese people are among the most welcoming people that Ive met until now, he says.

He hasnt run into any danger on his journey so far, and he hopes this will continue to be the case.

Here, it is very easy to meet people, they are curious; they invite me to drink tea with them on the sidewalk. I spend lot of evenings with local people. Some invite me to have dinner with them at home.

Vietnamese cuisine is very tasty. I love it, he says.

The language barrier has proven a challenge; most people try to speak to him in English, or use gestures. He has a smart phone where he can find translation of words and show them to local people.

His walking speed depends on the kinds of roads and on the climate.

In cities like Ha Noi, he says that he can walk 40 kilometres par day, starting at 8am and finishing at 10pm.

Manga manga: Nicolas Queune has travelled around many regions of Vietnam, pushing his caddie, and wears a red T-shirt and a straw hat like his favourite comic character, called Luffy, from the Japanese manga, One Piece. VNS Photo Vuong Bach Lien

Meaning

Many of my friends thought I was joking when I told them about this idea. They didnt believe that I could do it, says Queune. But the 37-year-old French man is determined to make his dream come true.

I lived a boring life in France, I hope to do something meaningful with my life, he says.

Before starting this journey, Nicolas Queune, living on the outskirts of Paris, kept working morose short-term contracts in IT, and went through life without a goal or project.

I spent my days in front of the computer. I spent my spare time playing games. Ive never had a girlfriend, he says.

One day he found the website www.toutenmarchant.com which tells the story of two French men making a tour around the world by foot. He told himself that he may also do it.

And then, after ten days of preparation, he quit his job, took his savings, and started his trip.

He weighted 123 kilos at that time. After five years walking, he lost 50 kilos.

Nicolas has already travelled more than 8,000km on foot.

He tells about his trip in French on a Facebook page (Expedition One Piece Francais) and updates it regularly. He has an increasing number of fans.

Recently, his mother, 60, flew from France to join the walking tour with him in Thailand to fulfill her childhood dream.

The trip has changed my life. I met so many interesting people, she says.

And by making this trip, I understand that everyone can do it! I opened to the world, me who spent all my time in front of my computer.

He also wants to show that a major adventure like a world tour is not only for seasoned travellers or the elite: I was obese; I had never hiked or even travelled alone. However, I did it and others can do it too.  VNSHA NOI  Traditional Vietnamese handicraft products will be displayed at an exhibition at the Belarus National History Museum in Minsk from June 11-18 as part of Vietnamese Culture Days.

Belarusians will have the chance to see handmade Vietnamese products such as silk, brocade and fine art handicraft and lacquer paintings.

Lacquer painting is a unique form of art, made in a few countries such as Viet Nam, Japan, South Korean, Myanmar and China, said artist Pham Hong Phuong. Artists use resin from a kind of tree to lacquer many layers on a plywood board and then polish it.

Lacquer paintings by Phuong and artist Pham Kim Ma will be displayed at the exhibition.

Lacquerware by Ha Thai Bamboo Lacquer Company in Thuong Tin, Ha Noi, including vases, jewellery boxes, trays, photo frames and planters, will also be showcased.

Rattan-made products by Phu Vinh Rattan and Bamboo Village.  Photo Biareview.com

Ha Thai is one of the 12 villages in Viet Nam known as Chu au and Bat Trang pottery villages in the north, Phuoc Tich pottery village in central Hue province and Bau Truc pottery village in the southern province of Ninh Thuan.

Products from Bat Trang village will also be displayed at the exhibition. These include some 20 traditional exhibits with designs of dragon, phoenix and nature as well as daily utilities such as ceramic vases, bowls, cups and dishes made by artisans Le Van Thu and Nguyen Van Loi in a modern style.

Also on display will be some 50 rattan-made products by artisans from Phu Vinh Rattan and Bamboo Village. The village in the southwest of Ha Noi is one of the famous traditional handicraft villages in the country. It was officially recognised as the traditional village of rattan and bamboo in 2002, although the village has been known for its handicraft for some 400 years.

The exhibition is aimed at boosting cultural exchange and cooperation between Viet Nam and Belarus and is expected to help Belarusians better understand popular Vietnamese culture.  VNSHA NOI  A Government-led inspection working group found ministries have made poor progress in cutting red tape, despite being pressed by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

[We found that] the Ministry of Information and Communications have axed some 11 business requirements in this decree, but created another 115 in a different decree, Chairman of Government Office Mai Tien Dung, head of the inspection group, said yesterday during a meeting with representatives from 17 ministries and State agencies on administrative reform.

According to Dung, in recent times, several ministries claimed publicly they had removed several business requirements, but in reality, only the finance ministry has made good on their word by slashing as many as 675 business requirements.

Other ministries and sectors are actually still reviewing what could be removed, and have not implemented the reforms yet. And these claims do not reflect reality, and this tardiness goes against the orientation of a facilitating Government and is contrary to the Prime Ministers order, Dung said.

If this situation continues, suspicion will take roots, and businesses, the public, even other ministries, could be led to thinking that any proclaimed achievements in administrative reforms might not be true, he said.

Those ministries that have talked of plans to cut red tape, it must be clear when they will implement the changes. We cannot continue to lie to each other, he said.

The information ministry was also asked to quickly turn in a report on planned measures to cut red tape, as it remains the only ministry that has not conducted an internal review and submitted reform proposals to the Government.

Only nine ministries have achieved a red tape cut rate above 50 per cent (commerce, transport, education, labour, finance, justice, culture and tourism, construction and health).

The State Bank, despite scoring less than 50 per cent, was excused as the business lines under the management of the State Bank are special, and administrative streamlining efforts must go in tandem with State management.

The deadline for all ministries to submit their decrees on adjusting their business requirements is October 31 this year. However, aside from the commerce ministry, only the construction ministry has arrived at the stage of collecting feedback from Government members on their draft decree, while most others are still studying.

As removing red tape would create room for growth and development, all ministries should have a serious commitment to administrative reforms and refrain from erecting `barriers against businesses, Chairman Dung said.

Reduce specialised inspections

Despite considerable progress on risk management, mutual recognition of inspection results and prevention of overlapping inspections, the working groups findings point to insufficient progress in cutting specialised inspections. Only three ministries  transport, environment and construction  have met the target of cutting 50 per cent of specialised inspections.

The report also stated that a common measure that ministries have been implementing was purely mechanical, meaning that goods and products would be subsumed under a single category to shorten the list of goods and products to be inspected, and the ministries can boast of administrative reform.

In reality, the same number of goods and products would still have to go through the same steps of inspection or meet business requirements as before, with no changes to speak of.  VNSHA NOI  Viet Nam wants the Global Environment Fund (GEF) to continue helping in addressing environment-related issues, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said during his reception for GEF CEO and Chairperson Naoko Ishii in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

He thanked the GEF Secretariat for selecting Viet Nam as the host of the GEFs sixth Assembly, which, he said, showed the funds appreciation for Viet Nam and the countrys role, contributions and commitments to collaborating with the international community to solve global environmental issues.



Viet Nam attaches importance to environmental issues in national development, the PM affirmed, adding that the country hopes to intensify cooperation with GEF.



Regarding the organisation of the GEF Assembly and related events, the government leader told his guest that he had assigned the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment to coordinate with GEF on preparatory work.



He also expressed his hope that GEF maintains its assistance for Viet Nam, especially in realising environment-related targets and Sustainable Development Goals, building sustainable financial policies and mechanisms to preserve biodiversity through the involvement of the community and the private sector, and transferring technology related to sustainable energy, and implementing measures to deal with climate change.



Viet Nam also wishes to receive GEFs help in implementing forest ecosystems and production services, ensuring food security at the local level in the context of implementing the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and boosting green economy opportunities.



The Government leader said he hopes GEF will implement projects to help the country tackle ocean waste and address climate change and rising sea levels in the Mekong Delta.



Nakao Ishii said that GEF needs cooperation from foreign governments and businesses around the world in addressing global environmental issues.



She appreciated that Viet Nam is making positive changes to tackle environmental issues, but still faces a number of challenges.



GEF commits to supporting Viet Nam in addressing these challenges, she stated, stressing the important role of the Vietnamese Government, Prime Minister and Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment in the work.  VNSNational Assembly (NA) deputies on Wednesday agreed that it is necessary to make amendments to the Law on Trade Unions to better protect labourers working for private enterprises.  VNA/VNS Photo Phuong Hoa

HA NOI  National Assembly (NA) deputies on Wednesday agreed that it is necessary to make amendments to the Law on Trade Unions to better protect labourers working for private enterprises.

Deputy Pham Minh Chinh from Quang Ninh Province said the number of private enterprises has increased, meaning the number of labourers working for the private sector is now higher than that of the State-owned sector.

The current Law on Trade Unions focuses on protecting rights of State-owned enterprise labourers, but not so much for private sector labourers.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) signed by Viet Nam and ten other countries allows labourers to establish their own organisations, which means trade unions will no longer be the only organisations representing workers, Deputy Bui Van Cuong, President of the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour said, adding that this is a complicated issue, and proposing the NA consider extending the deadline of the law amendments.

Commenting on the law and ordinance building programme of next year and adjustments to the programme this year, deputies pointed out shortcomings in the methods of collecting feedback regarding the implementation of laws.

Deputy Pham Thi Thu Trang from Quang Ngai Province raised questions about quality of feedback, citing that a lot of agencies and organisations only give opinions on laws of their professions and generally agree with laws of other sectors.

This shortcoming has worsened the quality of draft laws submitted to the NA. Government and NA draft laws compiling committee and investigative agencies must strictly follow regulations of the 2015 Law on Promulgation of Legal Documents when collecting opinions on laws, ordinances and draft resolutions, she said.

Deputy Vuong Ngoc Ha from Ha Giang Province said that opinions of people who are directly impacted by the laws have not been mentioned in the documents submitted to NA deputies.

Deputies do not know who is directly impacted by the laws, how many of these people have had their opinions collected.

Its essential that we compile laws relevant with practical conditions and thoughts, as well as the expectations of citizens, she said, while proposing detailed regulations on collecting opinions of people directly affected by laws.

NA deputies also agreed the necessity to tighten administrative discipline in the work of law building and clarify the responsibilities of individuals, organisations and agencies which fail to finish the law and ordinance building programme.

According to Chairman of NA Committee for Legal Affairs Nguyen Khac inh, the NA Standing Committee decided to adjust the 2018 law and ordinance building programme.

Eight draft laws and one draft resolution will be submitted for approval at the fifth session of 14th NA. The NA deputies will also give opinions on eight other draft laws.

During the NAs sixth meeting, ten draft laws will be submitted for approval. Six other draft laws and a draft resolution of the NA Standing Committee on environmental protection tax will be debated.

Next years programme will include 18 draft laws and one of the NAs draft resolutions.

inh said that following resolutions of the sixth plenary session of the 12th-tenure Party Central Committee, at least seven draft laws need to be studied, amended and finalised this year and next year.

These draft laws relate to the organization of the NA, Government, and local administration; as well as the Law on Cadres and Civil Servants; the Law on Public Employees; the Law on State Audit and the Trade Union Law.

He urged the Government, alongside the Viet Nam General Confederation of Labour and the State Audit of Viet Nam to work with NA committees to supervise the draft law preparations for the upcoming submission to the NA.

Law on Higher Education

Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha delivered a report on Monday morning on amendments to the Law on Higher Education. The draft amended law focuses on university autonomy and reforms in training management.

The NA Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children, which examined the draft amended law, agreed that the higher education law must be reviewed thoroughly. Key content must be selected for amendments. The law should be amended to meet the requirements of standardisation, modernisation, socialisation and global integration.

The committee said that boosting university autonomy is necessary and in accordance with general trends of higher education. Autonomy should go hand in hand with upholding responsibilities of universities and university management reform, as well as improving the capacity of the universitys council.

The committee proposed clarifying definitions of right to autonomy and autonomy capacity as well as the necessary conditions to become autonomous.

Phan Thanh Binh, Chairman of the NA Committee for Culture, Education, Youth and Children said that the committee agreed with accurate calculation of training expenses following service fee mechanisms, and that higher education facilities have the right to decide on the fee for training services that do not use State budget.

However, the committee is not in favor of replacing the word tuition fee with training service charge as proposed in the draft amended law. - VNSHCM CITY  Owners of shrimp-breeding ponds pay VN50-200 million for electricity per hectare per crop, accounting for 10 per cent of their total cost of aquaculture production.

Experts said using clean renewable energy could help the aquaculture sector in Viet Nam sustainably develop while at the same time protecting the environment.

It could help ease the pressure on the national power grid and reduce CO2 emissions into the environment.

According to the Southern Power Corporation (EVNSPC), the demand for electricity from the aquaculture industry rose from 7,780MW in 2015 to 9,529MW last year but it had difficulty meeting it.

Lack of long-term plans for shrimp and fish breeding sectors and coordination mechanisms between electric power suppliers and environment management agencies has also hindered EVNSPCs power supply to the aquaculture production.

Farmers use electricity provided for lighting to operate motors/engines and other equipment used in shrimp ponds, causing the power grids to be overloaded, affecting supply in the region, according to EVNSPC.

According to Nhu Van Can of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Developments Aquaculture Production Department, aquaculture, especially shrimp farming, requires a lot of electricity.

Shrimp farms need power to operate motors to supply oxygen without which the creatures would die.

Renewable energy in shrimp farming

According to Nguyen Phuoc uc, deputy general director of EVNSPC, since shrimp farms in the Mekong Delta and southern provinces are facing a shortage of electricity, renewables, especially solar energy, could be used to supply them, reducing their costs and helping promote the shrimp industry in the region.

EVNSPV has plans to integrate solar panels with engines/motors used in shrimp ponds in provinces where the industry is large.

EVNSPC has also provided technical support to shrimp farmers, enabling them to use electricity economically, effectively and safely.

"The development of solar and wind energy will help EVNSPV meet the demand for electricity for aquaculture and promote the industry," he said.

In 2018 EVNSPV has undertaken a pilot energy-saving project involving 161 households in the Mekong province of Soc Trang.

The VN658.4 million project is helping these households save electricity by 15.2 per cent or VN658.4 million a year.

According to Tran Viet Ngai, president of the Viet Nam Energy Association, a developing country like Viet Nam is bound to face power shortages in the coming years.

But since the country has huge solar and wind energy potential, it would be necessary to use renewables to make up the electricity shortfall, he added. VNSLocal authorities have been pushing to promote a work safe environment, aiming at protecting workers health and businesses property.  VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY  Local authorities have been pushing to promote a work safe environment, aiming at protecting workers health and businesses property, said online newspaper baotintuc.vn.

According to HCM Citys management board of industrial zones (IZs) and export-processing zones (EPZs), most businesses in the zones have been paying more attention to safety in the workplace than before.

However, work-related accidents still happens at some businesses which have been ignoring health and safety issues.

Last year, the city had more than 1,500 work-related accidents causing 1,350 injuries and 213 deaths, of which three cases happened in IZs and EPZs, reported the board.

To reduce accidents this year, the municipal authorities have asked businesses and labourers to enhance work safety awareness.

Pham Huy Thong, the boards deputy head, told the paper that to limit accidents in workplaces, attention from both employers and employees is required.

Employers must review production chains and working conditions as well as set up rules of workplace safety. They should also give safety training to their workers, said Thong.

"For employees, complying with rules on workplace safety will help protect them and the businesses as well," he said.

In the Central Highlands Province of ak Nong, work safety has been enhanced in businesses of mineral exploitation and processing.

The provincial Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Department, alongside businesses, focused on processing minerals of bauxite, soil, sand and rocks has invested in advanced equipment to increase productivity and ensure worker safety.

The mineral exploitation industry must use industrial explosives; as a result, the local authorities have tightly controlled the activity of blasting mines.

At present, there are dozens of quarries for exploiting rocks for construction materials in the province.

The local authorities asked the quarry owners to follow regulations on blasting mines such as ensuring a safe distance from blasting locations to residential areas and regulating the number of explosives used.

This was very important because there were several accidents related to blasting mines for mineral exploitation in the province recently, said Huynh Ngoc Anh, director of provincial Labour, War Invalids and Social Affairs Department.

Ensuring work safety in the mineral exploitation and processing businesses has been a priority, said Anh.

According to a survey last month from the Department of Work Safety under the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA), the construction sector was currently seeing the highest number of fatal work accidents, making up more than 20 per cent of the total amount of incidents across the country.

The construction materials manufacturing sector ranks second with more than nine per cent of total fatal work accidents in the country.

Falling from height is the main cause of fatalities in work accidents, making up more than 27 per cent. Electric shock is the second main cause with 13 per cent of the total number.

The country saw close to 9,000 work accidents last year, killing 982 people and injuring more than 9,100 others, according to MOLISA.  VNSHCM CITY  Government agencies are wrapping up final plans to prepare for the adjusted expansion plan of Tan Son Nhat International Airport, according to the Ministry of Transport (MoT).

The Civil Aviation Authority of Viet Nam will send the final adjusted plan to the MoT, which will then submit it to related ministries and the HCM City Peoples Committee for approval in June.

Last month, the Prime Minister agreed to the proposal made by ADP-I consultants to expand the Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Under the adjusted plan, a new passenger terminal in the southern area of the airport would accommodate 20 million passengers per year, and by 2025, the airport would have capacity for up to 50 million passengers per year.

Cargo terminals, aircraft parking and technical maintenance areas will be built in the northern area of the airport.

Also at this event, the MoT unveiled that many key projects are under active implementation.

The Airport Corporation of Vietnam has completed negotiations with a contractor to conduct a feasibility study on the Long Thanh International Airport project.

Transport Engineering Design Inc and other agencies have completed a feasibility study report on the North-South Expressway project from HCM City to the Eastern Provinces.

Transport Engineering Design Inc is also working on three other North-South Expressway projects: Mai Son-National Highway 45, Nghi Son- National Highway 45 and Phan Thiet- Dau Giay.

Minister of Transport Nguyen Van The has told a number of agencies to speed up the projects to ensure that they can be completed on schedule. --- VNSA soldier of the La Lay International Border Gates Border Post teachs pupils at a "Border Class" in Lay Lay border of Central Quang Tri Province.  Photo tienphong.vn

QUANG TRI  Do you know what this is? a teacher asked.

It is a landmark, answered the pupils.

What do you think the border guards are doing? the teacher asked.

They are going on a patrol, the pupils said.

Believe it or not, this was a lesson for the pupils of A Ngo Secondary School in central Quang Tri Provinces akrong border District to learn about border laws. The province borders Laos.

The Border Class was initiated by soldiers of the La Lay International Border Gates Border Post in Lay Lay border area two years ago and is held once a week for schools in A Ngo and A Bung communes.

The class was aimed at updating local pupils with knowledge about border regulations, Captain Nguyen Duy Thanh from the Border Post told news website dantri.com.vn .

Pupils also learn about the rights and obligations of people living along the border as well as essential skills to protect the border, landmarks and fight social evils such as drug trafficking and drug use, he said.

The initiative began two years ago when soldiers from the border post visited A Ngo Secondary School. During the exchanges with pupils, they discovered that most of the pupils did not understand much about the border.

Head of La Lay Border Post Nguyen Ba Duyet told Tien Phong (the Vanguard) newspaper that the class would help raise local pupils awareness of their rights and obligations as border residents as well as of regulations when entering border areas.

Each pupil will then become an active information disseminator to spread knowledge to their family members, he said.

Challanges

However, for these young soldiers, becoming a teacher is not easy.

The biggest difficulty is collecting documents and building lesson plans for each class, according to Thanh.

No one in the Border Post was trained as a teacher so it is difficult to make lesson plans suitable for pupils at different education levels. Choosing what should be taught and how to teach this dry content to pupils is another challenge, he said.

He recalled there were times when the pupils did not remember what the soldiers taught right after the class ended although the teachers had carefully prepared lesson plans.

But they did not give up.

After a long time studying and testing, they finally developed an e-lesson plan that involved audio and visual aids to make the lessons livelier.

Ho Van Nganh, a sixth grader, said the class has helped him learn more about border issues and about the importance of protecting the border.

I also better understand the sacrifice and difficulties border guards have gone through to protect the country, he said.

Teacher oan Thi My Le said the class was necessary as teachers like her did not have enough knowledge to teach pupils about border regulations.

The class is highly welcomed by students as it is practical, useful and is directly taught by border guards, she said.

Principal of A Ngo School, Hoang Quang Can, agreed that the class was very necessary as it would not only help equip pupils but also teachers with knowledge about border issues.

The model should be expanded, Can said.  VNSBERLIN  A pilot project of Germany on training Vietnamese nurses has proved effective, as was reported at a seminar reviewing the project held in Berlin.

The seminar was organised by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Conducted by the German Development Cooperation Agency (GIZ), the project has trained 200 Vietnamese nurses since 2012.

Over half of them have completed the course and have received work permits in Germany.

More than 95 per cent of the German training establishments involved in the programme spoke highly of the Vietnamese trainees diligence and was willing to welcome more candidates from Viet Nam.

As the elderly population in Germany is rapidly increasing, the government has set a target of training and recruiting 8,000-13,000 nurses from now until 2021 at home or from third-world countries, including Viet Nam.

Minister Counsellor at the Vietnamese embassy in Germany Nguyen Huu Trang highlighted cooperation opportunities between Viet Nam and Germany, especially in labour training and exchange. According to him, Viet Nam now has a golden population structure, with over 63 million people, or 68.7 per cent of the population, in the working age.

During their visits to Viet Nam this year, leaders of the German states of Hamburg, Bremen, Rheinland Pflaz and Mecklenburg Vorpommern proposed boosting labour and vocational training cooperation with Viet Nam, including training of nurses.

Trang took the opportunity to ask Germany to simplify immigration procedures, especially for Vietnamese trainees.

Viet Nam now has agreements on training and employment of skilled labourers with over 10 countries, including Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Taiwan (China), Australia and Belgium. Currently, more than 53,000 Vietnamese work in 37 countries. VNSHCM CITY  HCM City needs to develop specific healthcare policies and guidelines for transgender women as HIV prevalence among this group is estimated to be about 19 per cent worldwide, according to Dr Hoang inh Canh, deputy director of the Viet Nam Authority of HIV/AIDS Control.

The risk of contracting HIV is 49 times higher for transgender women than in the general population, he said.

Speaking at a workshop on healthcare and HIV prevention for transgender women on May 30 in HCM City, Canh said that more research and surveys should be conducted to gather information and evaluate the effectiveness of solutions.

He called on the Government, NGOs, the community and transgender people to help reduce the rate of HIV prevalence among transgender women, and achieving the UNs 90-90-90 Goals in HIV/AIDS prevention and control by 2020.

He praised the work of the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, which produced a research report in collaboration with the Centre for Promotion Quality of Life (LIFE) on risk factors leading to HIV infection among transgender woman in HCM City.

o Van Dung, vice rector of the university and head of the research group, said the cross-sectional study was conducted among 456 transgender women in HCM City from February to May this year.

The study used respondent-driven sampling (RDS) and computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI).

It found that 77 of 456 transgender women were living with HIV, accounting for 16.5 per cent of the total interviewed.

About 67.3 per cent of the people living with HIV were receiving anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy. However, most transgender women said they had not used pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs.

The survey found that more than 50 per cent of the respondents had previously contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

More than 40 per cent of those surveyed said they have regular sex with male partners, and 55 per cent said they were not regularly using condoms within 30 days prior to the study.

About 25 per cent of people said they received payment for sex with men who were not their regular sex partners, 53 per cent of them not using condoms regularly, the survey found.

Factors that contribute to HIV transmission among transgender women consist of non-use of condoms; drinking more than four units of alcohol; use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) before sex; and incidents related to gender inequality and social discrimination.

Severe social stigma and discrimination may create barriers to accessing HIV testing and treatment services, one transgender woman told the researchers.

The study recommended that untreated HIV-infected people should have better access to treatment and healthcare services related to PrEP and STDs.

Developing effective strategies and enhancing interventions are also needed to raise awareness in the transgender community of the proper use of condoms, alcohol, and ATS.

Programmes on preventing discrimination against transgender women living with HIV should promote gender equality in healthcare services, Dung said.

The workshop was organised by the LIFE, which is part of a project titled Strengthening Community Connections for HIV/AIDS Prevention and Control in Southern Provinces (C-Link) funded by the US Agency of International Development (USAID).  VNSBINH DUONG  The Thu Dau Mot University and University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Information Technology Park on Thursday signed a memorandum of agreement for jointly organising an international conference titled South East Viet Nam Outlook.

It will be an academic forum where local and foreign experts will discuss development and management of skilled human resources for the south-eastern regions development in the context of the fourth industrial revolution.

Issues related to science and technology, social welfare and training will be highlighted at the conference.

The event will be held on December 6-7 at Thu Dau Mot University in Binh Duong Province.

Both organizing universities are members of the Viet Nam National University-HCM City. VNSNEW YORK  US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a top North Korean official met in New York on Wednesday over a beef dinner to try to salvage next months summit between the North Korean and US leaders.

Kim Yong Chol, considered the right-hand man of leader Kim Jong Un, flew in on an Air China flight from Beijing, becoming the most senior North Korean official to visit the United States in 18 years.

Pyongyangs envoy joined Pompeo at the apartment of a US diplomat on Manhattans East side for the evening meal that lasted about an hour and a half. Two more meetings are scheduled for Thursday.

Asked about the working dinner, Pompeo told reporters afterwards: "It was great," adding that they had enjoyed a meal of "American beef."

It was the third meeting between the two officials who are working to finalize planning for a June 12 summit designed to end a nuclear standoff that once threatened to plunge Korea back into war.

"They are meeting to see what needs to be done in the two weeks that remain," a senior US official said.

The United States wants North Korea to agree to "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearisation" of the Korean peninsula.

US and North Korean envoys have also been meeting in Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone between North and South Korea, and an American "pre-advance" team is in Singapore to make logistical arrangements for the rapidly planned meeting.

Trump to decide on summit

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump suddenly announced a cancellation of the summit after North Korea issued a sharp rebuke of what it saw as threatening language from the US side, and the US side warns talks could be postponed if Kim is not serious about disarmament.

"Between now and if were going to have a summit, theyre going to have to make clear what theyre willing to do," said the official.

The decision to hold the summit "is 100 per cent in the hands of the president," he added.

Moscow said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would travel to North Korea on Thursday to discuss Pyongyangs nuclear programme. Pompeo and Lavrov spoke by telephone for the first time Wednesday.

Pompeo called his South Korean and Singaporean counterparts over the weekend and Japan is also keenly watching summit preparations. Trump will meet its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Washington on June 7.

On Sunday, US negotiators, headed by Washingtons ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, began meeting North Korean counterparts in the truce village of Panmunjom that divides the two Koreas.

Kim Yong Chol is the most senior North Korean on US soil since Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok met then-president Bill Clinton in 2000.

The general has played a front-seat role during recent rounds of diplomacy aimed at ending the nuclear stalemate on the Korean peninsula.

He sat next to Trumps daughter Ivanka, who is also a White House aide, during Februarys closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics in South Korea, an event that was seen as a turning point in the nuclear crisis.

He also accompanied Kim Jong Un on both of his recent trips to China to meet President Xi Jinping, and held talks with Pompeo when he travelled to Pyongyang.

Yawning gap

Kims journey to the US caps a frenetic few days of meetings between North Korean and American officials.

An AFP photographer saw Kim Chang Son, Kim Jong Uns de facto chief of staff, in Singapore Tuesday for preparatory discussions there.

The key task is to settle the agenda. The main stumbling block is likely to be the concept of "denuclearisation" -- both sides say they want it, but there is a yawning gap between their definitions.

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.

But analysts say North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US will not try to topple the regime.  AFPBEIRUT  The Islamic State group on Wednesday claimed one of its "soldiers" killed two policewomen and a student in the Belgian city of Liege this week, the jihadists Amaq propaganda agency said.

"The author of the attack on the city of Liege in Belgium is a soldier of the Islamic State," IS said in a statement published on Amaqs Telegram account a day after the attack.

The terror group said "he led the attack in response to calls to target the countries of the US-led international coalition," which is fighting the jihadist group mainly in Syria.

The attacker identified as Benjamin Herman repeatedly stabbed two policewomen in Liege on Tuesday before using their own firearms to kill them, according to investigators in Belgium.

The 31-year-old also shot dead a student sitting in a parked car in the centre of the industrial city.

Belgian police have identified Herman as a drifter who spent a decade in and out of prison for acts of violence and petty crimes.

Prosecutors said his method of attack was a known "modus operandi" of IS, which claimed deadly attacks in Brussels in 2016.

Amateur footage obtained by AFP showed the gunman shouting "Allahu akbar" (Arabic for "God is greatest") as he walked through the streets during the rampage.  AFPWith the ever-advancing valuations for WWII-era fighter planes in the current civilian market, it is becoming harder and harder for a pilot of relatively modest means to own and fly a high performance vintage military aircraft from that era. However, for those willing to substitute the cachet of a fighter with a post-WWII trainer born of thoroughbred heritage, like the North American T-28 Trojan, then the world is your oyster. The T-28 comes from the same stable as the P-51 Mustang, and has fighter-like qualities, with a powerful engine up front and 300+ mph top speed as well as exceptional maneuverability.

As our sponsor, Courtesy Aircraft Sales explains It looks, sounds, and performs comparably to a WWII fighter at a fraction of the cost. With its two roomy cockpits, tricycle landing gear, huge flaps, and superb flying characteristics, general aviation pilots can readily learn how to operate this aircraft [and without the enormous expenses typically associated with a WWII fighter]. In addition, maintenance and parts availability remains reasonable with plenty of technical support available.

There are several hundred T-28s currently flying world-wide, and a good number of these are available on the market at any given time. For less than 10% of what it costs to acquire a P-51 Mustang, you can find yourself flying in one of the most exciting and forgiving high-performance piston-engined aircraft available anywhere. Maintenance, operating and insurance costs are similarly minimal in comparison to the Mustang and other fighter-types as well.

North American built nearly 2,000 examples, with a number of variants of differing capability. Courtesy Aircraft describes the genesis of the breed, and its subsequent incarnations as follows

During and immediately following WWII, the Air Force tapped into the vast knowledge of NAA for the purpose of developing the next generation, high performance, advanced trainer to serve as a successor to the NAA T-6/SNJ Texan. The result was the T-28 Trojan series and the A was the first model. 1,194 A models were built with the Wright R-1300, 800 hp engine, and the Aero Product 2-blade propeller. The Air Force used these aircraft for training and various other roles from 1950 to 1956. The A model also replaced the Mustang fighters in the reserve units until 1959.past daily news Sep 13 (1) Sep 09 (15) Sep 06 (12) Sep 04 (10) Sep 03 (10) Aug 31 (17) Aug 29 (14) Aug 26 (13) Aug 22 (11) Aug 21 (12) Aug 19 (21) Aug 14 (6) Aug 13 (10) Aug 10 (10) Aug 08 (9) Aug 07 (10) Aug 06 (10) Aug 05 (8) Aug 03 (8) Aug 02 (7) Aug 01 (7) Jul 31 (14) Jul 29 (1) Jul 27 (7) Jul 25 (5) Jul 24 (10) Jul 22 (11) Jul 19 (16) Jul 17 (6) Jul 16 (10) Jul 15 (13) Jul 12 (7) Jul 11 (5) Jul 10 (8) Jul 08 (8) Jul 07 (3) Jul 06 (5) Jul 05 (8) Jul 04 (11) Jul 03 (8) Jul 02 (7) Jul 01 (5) Jun 30 (8) Jun 28 (7) Jun 27 (8) Jun 26 (7) Jun 25 (8) Jun 24 (6) Jun 23 (6) Jun 22 (9) Jun 20 (5) Jun 19 (9) Jun 18 (8) Jun 15 (9) Jun 13 (13) Jun 11 (11) Jun 09 (19) Jun 06 (10) Jun 04 (10) Jun 03 (8) Jun 01 (6) May 31 (5) May 30 (5) May 29 (6) May 28 (7) May 27 (7) May 26 (6) May 25 (4) May 23 (6) May 22 (6) May 21 (4) May 20 (7) May 19 (9) May 18 (4) May 17 (6) May 16 (5) May 15 (7) May 14 (3) May 13 (3) May 12 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Strategic Alliance to Build Tennant Creek Processing Hub

Perth, May 31, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emmerson Resources Limited ( ASX:ERM ) announce a strategic alliance with Territory Resources to build the Tennant Creek Processing Hub to support Small Mines.Highlights- Emmerson has entered into an Asset Sale and Purchase Agreement plus a Strategic Alliance with Territory Resources Ltd (TTY) as follows:o Sale of Emmerson's Warrego Mill Lease to TTY for construction and commissioning of a Central Processing Facilityo Proposed 300,000tpa facility to be the hub for feed from Emmerson's 100% owned small mines which have priority over other third party feedo TTY to pay an initial $100,000 non-refundable deposit to Emmerson with further payments subject to final negotiations and transfer of liabilitieso TTY to assess Emmerson's small mines for future mining and processing on a profit share or royalty basiso Negotiation of a farm-in and JV over Emmerson's southern tenements and TTY's Nobles Nob and Juno projects - further consolidating the ownership of the Tennant Creek Mineral Fieldo Emmerson to manage and operate the exploration program of any future farm-in and JV- Black Snake Mine granted approval by Northern Territory government - Emmerson's second small mining operation after Edna Beryl- Emmerson to continue its primary focus on its active exploration campaigns in Tennant Creek and New South WalesEmmerson's Managing Director; Mr Rob Bills commented: "The development of a modern centralised processing facility at Warrego is a major step forward to establishing an integrated exploration, mining and processing hub in the Tennant Creek Mineral Field. This is something Emmerson has been championing for some time as it has the potential to unlock stranded gold assets in the region and is consistent with our strategy of monetising our smaller, high grade resources. This will generate additional funding for one of the most exciting exploration programs in the history of Emmerson - aimed at discovery of high grade gold, copper and cobalt, similar to our recent discoveries at Edna Beryl and Jasper Hills."We thank the Minister for Primary Industry and Resources, Ken Vowles, for recently announcing the approval for Emmerson's second mine at Black Snake and the election promise to develop Tennant Creek as a mining hub to create jobs and boost the local economy. This central processing facility is a transformational enabler for the region.Emmerson is very excited to welcome Territory Resources to the district and believe that its milling and mining expertise, combined with Emmerson's exploration track record, will prove to be a winner for all stakeholders."Territory Resources Ltd Chairman, Mr Yuzheng Xie commented: "Territory Resources has been operating in the NT for the past decade, primarily in mining and processing iron ore, and now we are expanding into mining and processing high grade gold and other mineral deposits. I am confident the combination of Territory's operational expertise with Emmerson's exploration skills will drive a very sucessful partnership in Tennant Creek. This Strategic Alliance will bring new life back to Tennant Creek with the potential to create many new jobs and encourage more exploration in the region. Our ambition is to start mining mutiple high grade small deposits to feed the centralised processing facility as soon as possible."Warrego Mill SaleEmmerson has entered into a binding agreement to sell its mothballed Warrego Mill Lease (ML 30888) to Territory Resouces Ltd (TTY). In exchange, TTY will build a modern processing facility on the site and prioritise the processing of ore from Emmerson's assets over other third party ore. The deal is subject to a number of conditions subsequent, including negotiation with the NT Government on the existing Environmental Liabilities. Emmerson has already fulfilled its commitment for the rehabilitaion of the Warrego Town site and any remaining liabilities are expected to be transferred to TTY as part of the sale agreement.Mining and ProcessingEmmerson and TTY will work collaboratively to establish profit share or royalty agreements pertaining to the mining and processing of Emmerson's portfolio of mines and tailings at Warrego. TTY's intention is to construct a modern, 300,000tpa processing facility on the Warrego Mill lease. First gold production is projected to occur in late 2018 - contingent on receiving the necessary regulatory approvals.TTY is an experienced mining and processing operator with a successful track record at other sites around Australia - allowing Emmerson to remain focussed on its core objective of exploration and discovery.Emmerson aims to accelerate and monitise its portfolio of high grade gold projects to provide additional funding for one of the most exciting exploration programs ever undertaken in the Tennant Creek Mineral Field. This program is well underway, with a 2,400m drill program and innovative helicopter-borne geophysical survey completed. This geophysical survey has potential to pinpoint further high grade cobalt, gold and copper deposits within Emmerson's northern project area. Examples of which include the recently announced Jasper Hills project with best grades from drill holes of 28m at 5.83g/t gold, 0.17% cobalt and 8.52% copper, and Edna Beryl which is now in production via a Tribute Agreement with specialist small miner, the Edna Beryl Mining Company. This mine is producing at grades in excess of 30-40g/t gold.Earn-in and JVAs part of the strategic alliance, TTY will enter into an earn-in and potential joint venture over Emmerson's southern tenements, subject to reaching agreement on the commercial terms (see Figure 1). This area is the most gold endowed portion of the Tennant Creek Mineral Field. It contains the historical Nobles Nob and Juno deposits (now owned by TTY) and the gold tailings from these projects will provide a source of feed to the Central Processing Facility. Under the contemplated earn-in and JV, Emmerson will conduct systematic, science-based exploration utilising modern techniques, aimed at making further discoveries or extensions to these historic mines.Black Snake Gold ProjectEmmerson's Black Snake gold project is located in the southern tenements, some 70km southeast from the proposed Central Processing Facility.The mineralisation at Black Snake is interpreted to strike East-North-East within a vertical dipping shear zone, and where gold occurs within hematite shale and veins that have yet to be closed off by drilling. Previous drill results include 14m at 60.9g/t gold from 15m, including 9m at 92.8g/t gold from 18m highlighting the high-grade and shallow nature of the mineralisation (refer to ASX announcement 17 May 2017).The approval by the NT Government for a mining operation at Black Snake gives Emmerson an opportunity to fast-track development of a second small mining project. The proposed small mine would involve the construction of an exploration drive and underground drill platforms to to test the potential for high-grade mineralisation beyond the current limit of surface drilling, along with the production of high-grade gold ore for processing.About Territory ResourcesTerritory Resources Limited (TTY) explores, mines, rails iron ore and exports out of the Darwin Port in Northern Territory Australia. The company primarily holds an interest in the Frances Creek mine, located to the south of Darwin, Northern Territory. The Company also has interests in the Mt Bundey project and the Yarram project both located in Northern Territory. The Company was incorporated in 2002 and is based in West Perth, Australia. As of February 28, 2018, TTY operates as a subsidiary of Gold Valley Holdings Pty Ltd. TTY is currently expanding its operations into gold projects in the NT, including advancing the +300koz gold project at Nobles Nob and Juno mines in Tennant Creek. More recently, TTY purchased the Black Jack gold processing facility in Charters Towers.About Emmerson Resources Limited

Emmerson Resources Limited (ASX:ERM) (FRA:42E) recently commenced exploration on new gold-copper projects in NSW, identified (with our strategic alliance partner Kenex Limited) from the application of 2D and 3D predictive targeting models  aimed at increasing the probability of discovery. The highly prospective Macquarie Arc in NSW hosts >80Mozs gold and >13Mt copper with these resources heavily weighted to areas of outcrop or limited cover. Emmerson's five exploration projects contain many attributes of the known deposits within the Macquarie Arc but remain under explored due to historical impediments, including an overlying cover (plus farmlands) and a lack of exploration focus. Kadungle is a JV with Aurelia Metals covering 43km2 adjacent to Emmerson's Fifield project.

In addition, Emmerson is exploring the Tennant Creek Mineral Field (TCMF), one of Australia's highest-grade gold and copper fields producing over 5.5 Mozs of gold and 470,000 tonnes of copper from deposits including Warrego, White Devil, Orlando, Gecko, Chariot and Golden Forty. These high-grade deposits are highly valuable exploration targets, and to date discoveries include high-grade gold at Edna Beryl and Mauretania, plus copper-gold at Goanna and Monitor. These are the first discoveries in the TCMF for over a decade.

EDI Scheme Record Date and Distribution

Sydney, May 31, 2018 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Kingston Resources Limited ( ASX:KSN ) is pleased to advise that it has been successful in its application for participation in the Federal Government's Exploration Development Incentive (EDI) Scheme for the 2017 tax year.The EDI enables eligible exploration companies to create exploration credits (EDI Credits) by giving up a portion of its tax losses and distributing these EDI Credits to its shareholders. Australian tax resident shareholders that are issued with an EDI Credit will be entitled to a refundable tax offset (for shareholders who are individuals or superannuation funds) or franking credits (for shareholders who are companies). The Company's carry forward tax losses will be reduced by the amount of EDI Credits created.KSN has claimed EDI expenditure of $1,458,906 for the 2017 income tax year. KSN shareholders will receive a pro-rata distribution of $437,671.80 of EDI Credits, which equates to 0.0360c per share.Shareholder entitlements to the 2017 EDI Credits have been determined as at 5 pm (AEST) on Wednesday, 30 May 2018 (Record Date) and will be relative to the number of shares held on the Record Date as a proportion of the Company's total shares on issue on the Record Date. EDI Credits will be rounded down to the nearest dollar and the minimum EDI Credit to be issued will be $1 (Eligible Shareholders).Eligible Shareholders as at the Record Date will be issued with the EDI Credits in the approved form on 29 June 2018. The 2017 EDI Credits can be claimed in the 2017/2018 year.Further information on the EDI Scheme is available at:www.ato.gov.au/Business/Exploration-Development-incentive/Shareholders should obtain their own tax advice on the application of the EDI credits issued to them from their tax advisor.About Kingston Resources Limited

Kingston (ASX:KSN) is a metals exploration company. Currently the Company's priority is the world-class Misima Gold Project in PNG, which contains a JORC resource of 2.8Moz Au, a production history of over 3.7Moz and outstanding potential for additional resource growth through exploration success. Kingston currently owns 70% of the Misima Gold Project.

In addition, Kingston owns 75% of the Livingstone Gold Project, WA which holds a 50koz resource and is the site of ongoing exploration and a number of high-grade historic intersections.CALIFORNIAMore than one million Californians already have cast their ballots in the state primary.

California elections officials mailed more than 11.5 million ballots to registered voters.

As long as the ballot is postmarked by June 5th it can arrive up to three days later and still be counted.

Traditionally only voters who request mail ballots get them.

This year five counties are experimenting by sending mail ballots to all registered voters.

The counties trying it out are Sacramento, Nevada, San Mateo, and Madera.

Stay with Action News Now for all of your Primary Election coverage. SIGN UP: Get our daily newsletterChico, Calif. -- Clues to health of a local environment can often times be found in the overall health of various species who share the space with humans. On Friday, June 1, 2018, the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) will host a citizen science event that not only celebrates the butterfly and its diversity but also give scientist a glimpse of the overall health of the local environment.

For the past twelve years, the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve has played host to the annual tradition, in which participants come together to gather data, by counting the number of butterflies and the species within the count area.

Dr. Don Miller, a Professor of Biological Sciences with Chico State University, says the butterfly gives scientist a sense of the health of the environment. He says the more species counted and the more broad the community of diversity discovered, points to a better quality of local environment.

Dr. Miller says one way to consider the butterfly, is to think of it as an index to gauge what it happening with the ecosystem. A count event such as the one scheduled for Friday, June 1, 2018, allows scientist to answer questions about the health of specific species; some of which are thriving and others which have not been seen for years.

One species Dr. Miller says is doing quite well in the region, is what is known as the Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly. And he says there is a good chance many in the region have also seen the species caterpillar, which he describes as black and fuzzy with red dots. Dr. Miller says oftentimes these creatures are seen trying to cross the road! Those that survive, mature into the Pipevine Swallowtail, recognizable by their purplish-black coloring.

The Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve Annual Butterfly Count takes place Friday, June 1, 2018 from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM. Click here to learn more information on the event, availability and how to get involved.Butte County, Calif. -- Californians will head to the polls for the primary election on Tuesday.

Three candidates will be facing off for the Butte County supervisors seat in the 3rd district.

The candidates running will fill Supervisor Maureen Kirk's seat. Kirk is retiring after 11 years.

District 3 includes Cohasset, Forest Ranch and the eastern half of Chico.

Californians will be heading to the ballots this Tuesday. There are three candidates vying for Butte County supervisor for District 3; Tami Ritter, Norm Rosene and Bob Evans.

Ritter is a former Chico city councilwoman. Norm Rosene is a Chico dentist. Bob Evans is a former Chico city councilman.

Action News Now asked the three candidates what is their stance on marijuana.

"My stance on cannabis personally doesn't matter because it's really up to the voter and the voters of California have cast their votes, they have said they want just not medicinal, but adult use as well," said Ritter.

"My stance on cannabis is I agree with their current position. Maureen Kirk, the previous supervisor District 3, agreed with that and I hope to maintain the status quo for now," said Rosene.

"I'm in complete agreement with where the current board is today. I don't think we need to be leading the charge on legalizing marijuana," said Evans.

The supervisor race will take the majority vote, which means 50% plus one. If there is not a majority, the two candidates with the most votes will have a runoff election.

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Twitter: @LauraEngNewsAndrew joined Aon in 2015 as Head of Strategy for Aon Benfield, where he developed innovative ways to grow the business across its existing client base, and implemented a range of strategies to attract new clients to the firm. He was appointed President of Aon Benfield in 2017, taking on a wider executive role to support ongoing growth strategies. Eric Andersen, co-President of Aon, commented: After joining our firm three years ago, Andy has performed varied roles that have given him an in-depth understanding of Aons Reinsurance Solutions business. He has successfully identified key growth initiatives and implemented strategies that will allow us to achieve profitable growth in a sector with challenging market dynamics. We are pleased that Andy agreed to take on this new position, and we are excited to have him leading the business. He will provide strong leadership and brings an international perspective to the role as we continue to grow. Prior to joining Aon Benfield in August 2015, Andy was CEO of Guy Carpenters US Operations and head of its Global Facultative business. He was also a member of their Board of Managers and the International Leadership Team. Andy joined its London office in 1990 from Hoare Govett in London, where he was a Convertible Equity Trader. Andrew Marcell, Chief Executive Officer of Aons Reinsurance Solutions business, added: I look forward to taking on this broader role and it is a privilege to lead such a well-respected and outstanding business. It is an exciting time at Aon as we further align the firm to ensure we deliver the best of Aon to our clients and colleagues. Aon announced in May 2018 it will retire the business unit brands of Aon Benfield and Aon Risk Solutions, which follows the retirement of the Aon Hewitt business unit brand in 2017. This move was designed to increase the rate of innovation across the firm and make it easier for colleagues to work together to bring the best of Aon to clients. Aon has five specific global solution lines: Commercial Risk Solutions, Reinsurance Solutions, Retirement Solutions, Health Solutions and Data & Analytic Services.

Rothesay Lifes 12bn acquisition of part of Prudentials annuity book in Q1 marked a sea-change from the mid-size deals seen in 2017. Deals executed last year ranged from 100m - 900m, with no individual transaction exceeding 1bn. Current insurer pricing is providing an attractive entry point for schemes across the market, with improving funding levels and rising sponsor interest feeding trustee demand. Beyond the Rothesay mega-deal and M&Ss 1.4bn buy-in with Aviva and Phoenix, several other potential 1bn plus transactions remain out at market and a 2bn longevity swap was transacted by National Grid Electricity Group. Despite the uptick in activity at the larger end of the market, the mid-sized segment continues to remain very busy, with a mix of Q1 2018 transactions and late-announced H2 2017 transactions, including the Post Offices 450m buy-in with Rothesay Life, the buyout of five schemes by WPP with PIC, the Sea Containers 187m PPF+ buyout with Aviva, Kingfishers 209m buy-in with PIC, and Toshibas 170m buyout with Rothesay Life. The market is moving away from historic practices used to obtain UK bulk annuity quotations. Demand for quotations in early 2018 is already so high that for those schemes that are still using traditional broking processes, insurers are pushing back delivery timescales significantly and being increasingly selective over which schemes they will quote for. Early evidence suggests that the recent move away from benefit specifications and separate scheme data files is bringing regular transaction-level pricing within the reach of all pension schemes. Harry Harper, Head of Buyouts at JLT Employee Benefits, comments: Its encouraging to see new technology and innovation drastically shortening the process to obtain insurer prices from two months to, in some cases, as little as five days. This is something that has never been seen before in the bulk annuity market. At the same time the ease with which prices can be monitored over a period of time is enabling schemes to get quotations they might otherwise not have been able to get and to be on the front foot and transact rapidly when pricing hits a sweet spot. Looking ahead, innovation will continue to prove key to improving market efficiency. Publicised deals in 2018 Bulk annuity and longevity swap market volumes since 2006The oldest age group, aged 75 and over, is showing the fastest acceleration in usage across all age groups  more than doubling from 20% in 2011 to 44% today. By 2020, Aviva estimates that a majority of all age groups will be regular internet users. The love for the internet is strongest in the UK Aviva research has also found that UK consumers are the most comfortable making financial transactions online. Three in five (60%) agree with this sentiment, and only 11% disagree. This is the strongest across 10 leading Aviva markets:



I am comfortable making financial transactions online (% agree): 1. UK: 60%

2. Ireland: 56%

3. Canada: 55%

4. USA 54%

5. Singapore: 48%

6. Turkey: 48%

7. Poland: 44%

8. France: 39%

9. China: 39%

10. Italy: 36% For those aged 25 to 55 in the UK, Avivas research finds the internet to be the first port of call for financial information. For those aged 18 to 24, friends and family beat the internet into second place. And for those aged 55 and over probably starting to think about retirement  and perhaps with the greatest accumulated wealth  a financial adviser is our preferred source of information. Commenting on todays data, Alistair McQueen, Head of Savings & Retirement at Aviva said: In the UK, were all embracing the internet, and were embracing it more strongly than many other leading economies. UK workers are increasingly turning to the internet for help and guidance with their money. Pension providers must respond to this growing internet usage, which has the potential to completely transform how we engage and manage our pensions. Aviva is continuing to develop digital solutions for its pension customers. Our online My Aviva service allows our customers to monitor their products whenever and wherever they want. More than 5 million customers have so far registered for the free service, helping them to take greater control over their financial futures.UK companies are this week showcasing leading-edge technology, products and services for land-based, naval, aerospace and joint forces military units at Canada's largest defence industry event, CANSEC 2018.





Above: Conference Doors at CANSEC.

Courtesy British High Commission Ottawa



The main themes as UK companies seek more industrial cooperation and joint ventures with Canadian companies this week at CANSEC in Ottawa, Canada, are 'Collaboration, Industrial Cooperation and Technology Transfer'.



CANSEC is also an important opportunity for UK companies with investment in Canada to showcase their capabilities in the maritime air and other domains. As the Royal Navy continues with its modernisation programmes, UK companies in the sector now have proven records for delivery, quality, the ability to meet strict deadlines and the continuing need to respond to the challenge of producing world leading capabilities.



The UK Government is keen to foster greater defence industrial cooperation with Canada and will continue to encourage collaborative projects. UK companies have an excellent record of transferring technology and offering innovative solutions, long term logic support and training. The UKs defence industry also continues to be at the forefront of technological innovation and its international success demonstrates its ability to develop and supply highly capable equipment at competitive prices.



The UK delegation at CANSEC is led by Guto Bebb, Minister for Defence Procurement. The UK wants to explore continued cooperation in the defence and security sectors working in partnership with the Canadian government and industry. The UK is keen to engage with the defence and security sectors in both countries through regular dialogue, partnership and technology exchange.

Guto Bebb MP, Minister for Defence Procurement said: "The UK and Canada share a proud, historic and prosperous relationship that runs through the fabric of both our nations. We remain firm allies, especially in defence, where we have much to offer each other in terms of research, development, collaboration and training.



"I look forward to seeing British and Canadian companies continuing to build long-term partnership and develop innovative solutions to meet the needs of our respective Armed Forces."Francis Donahue, 38, thought it was ridiculous when the landlord from Paradigm Properties asked him to pay a move-in fee and a clean-up fee. He only paid it because he really wanted the apartment he was about to live in.

When I moved in, the condition was filthy, Donahue said. (On) the first day they broke their agreement with me, so I knew it was illegal.

Donahue isnt alone in his experiences with renting in Gainesville. At an open dialogue held by the Alachua County Labor Coalition on Tuesday evening, 64 renters in the community expressed the problems they were facing as tenants.

At the meeting held inside the Emmanuel Mennonite Church at 1236 NW 18 Ave., attendees proposed solutions to renting concerns such as a lack of energy efficiency, quality standards and affordable housing.

Speakers included City Commissioner for District 4 Adrian Hayes-Santos and Kali Blount, co-chair of the Alachua County Housing Authority.

The crowd quickly started clapping when the issue of segregation of housing was introduced.

Blount, 61, believes that while racial segregation of housing is illegal, strong economic segregation of housing still exists.

It is important to obtain mixed income housing, but it must happen across the board. Theres been some willingness in this community to put market rate housing over in the east, thats good up until a point unless its reciprocal, Blount said.

Renters also spoke up on landlords not being forthcoming about the rights and responsibilities that come with renting, such as specifics about security deposits and the renters right to privacy.

Santos said more transparency is needed when a renter is making housing decisions.

Before a future tenant signs a lease, its important they are told about their rights as a renter. This ensures they understand their responsibilities and know what to do as a tenant in a given situation, Santos said.

I think having these discussions is what makes Gainesville great, Santos said. People in our community care. This shows that we have a community that is progressive and advocating for what they believe in.

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Follow Ke'on Christian on Twitter @iamsecond_____ and contact him at keonchristian23@gmail.com.

Follow Madison Rubert on Twitter @madisonrubert and contact her at madisonrubert@ufl.edu.Students at UF will now have the ability to virtually chat with the members of the Student Government executive branch.

Student Body President Ian Green announced the addition of digital office hours via Facebook on Tuesday. The program is titled MeetingU.

The program allows students who may be unable to attend office hours in person to video chat with SG executive members, Green said.

I dont want Student Government to be looked at as some entity that is far away from the students but one that is very approachable and accessible, Green said.

The Zoom platform was chosen to launch the digital office hours, Green said. The application is available to all students for free, whether they use Apple, Android or Windows devices.

Nobody has signed up for a meeting so far, Green said, but he is anticipating appointments in the future.

In-person office hours will still be held throughout the year, Green said.

From what I know, I think it would be really beneficial, Senate President Danielle Grosse said. I am really excited to see Ian come and talk about it more next week.

There was no senate meeting on the Tuesday the announcement was made.

Green will be addressing the Senate regarding the program at the regular SG meeting Tuesday, Grosse said.

Follow Gillian Sweeney on Twitter @gilliangsweeney and contact her at gsweeney@alligator.org.

Ian Green

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe NowGainesville police arrested two young men on Memorial Day for allegedly breaking into someones home and stealing their dog.



A witness saw Kaylan Gandy, 22, and Deven Collins, 21, allegedly knocking on the front door of a house along Northwest Eighth Avenue. According to the report, they tried to turn the door knob, but it seemed to be locked.



The witness stated she lost sight of Gandy and Collins when they walked around to the back of the house. While they were out of sight, she reportedly heard four pops that sounded like glass breaking.





Gandy and Collins were then reportedly seen leaving the back of the house and walking down an alley that connects to the Servants of Christ Anglican Church. According to the GPD report, an officer made contact with them in the church parking lot at around 3:30 p.m.



The victims dog was reportedly with them, and Collins had a puncture tool in his pocket. When the GPD officer looked over the fence of the victims house, he saw broken glass. The officer then jumped over the fence and saw that the back door was open.



According to the report, fresh shoe prints were on the back porch, but no one was home.



The victim stated over the phone that he was on vacation, and Gandy and Collins shouldnt have been at his home. He spoke to the person watching his house, and they said the back door was left open for the dog. The victim reportedly said the glass wasnt broken when he left.



Gandy told police that he and Collins knew the victims son. He said they went to see if the son was home.

The victim told the officer that his son hadnt lived in his home for over a year, and his son had been in prison the whole time.

According to their statements, Gandy and Collins walked to the back and, seeing that the sliding glass door was open, yelled for the victims son. Since the victims son wasnt home, they reportedly went back to their car that was parked in the church parking lot.

Collins told the officer that the dog followed them when they left. Both he and Gandy denied going into the house or breaking the glass.



On the way to jail, Collins said he and Gandy went to the house to get cannabis plants that were allegedly growing in the victims residence.



According to jail records, Gandys bond has been set at $75,000. Collins bond is set at $25,000. They were charged with burglary to an unoccupied structure and criminal mischief.



Follow Jessica Curbelo on Twitter @jesscurbelo and contact her at jcurbelo@alligator.org.

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Alligator delivered to your inbox Subscribe NowChristopher Barbey researches strawberry genetics at UF with his PhD adviser in a lab with no name on its door.

His adviser, Kevin Folta, used to display his name. But Folta said he took it down years ago when he began receiving death threats for teaching people how to communicate science.

In a Facebook post Tuesday night, Kevin Folta, a professor and the former chairman of the horticultural sciences department at UF, said damaging attacks from activist groups caused him to resign from his chairman position.

In his resignation email Friday, he said his decision is also for personal reasons, which he later explained as a difficult divorce.

(W)hen you have personal matters to take care of and are being targeted by these groups, its not fair to have to split my time that needs to be 100 percent devoted to my research, and to my faculty and to leadership, Folta said.

GMWatch.org is an activist group that campaigns against genetically modified organisms, a focal point of Foltas research. On Monday, the group posted a story online with spousal abuse allegations against Folta and called for a thorough investigation.

However, his colleagues hail him as a worldwide influence. Barbey, a UF doctoral student, said Folta is the reason he came to UF from Idaho for graduate school.

I followed Kevin online because he is a huge champion for people who have a pro-science attitude toward genetic engineering and what it can do, Barbey said.

Jonathan Matthews, editor of GMWatch.org, said in an email that he received a signed statement from Jane Graham Jennings, director of The Womens Community, Inc., detailing an eyewitness account of Folta abusing his wife. Graham Jennings could not be reached for comment before deadline.

UF needs to urgently carry out a thorough investigation, Matthews said. Some of the allegations involve not just ethical concerns but possible criminal activity, and UF cannot turn a blind eye to this.

Matthews said the online publication is concerned with the genetic modification of food crops and companies who promote them such as Monsanto Company, which Folta has had previous ties to. Matthews said he first got involved with Folta while reporting on his support for genetic engineering and the industry.

The New York Times reported in 2015 that Folta received an undisclosed amount of grant money from Monsanto. In the article, he said UF intended to donate the money to a food pantry.

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Folta said he is surprised that this group is having a public influence because the website is not a credible source. He was not aware of the emails sent to UF personnel about the abuse allegations.

These people stir the pot all the time, Folta said. That is what they do. Some people will take this the wrong way.

Folta said the group has targeted him for years because he is a scientist, calling them a hate group that harrasses him, his mother and his ex-wife.

He said being harassed is nothing new, and this will not be the last time as long as he continues to teach about technology in sustainable agriculture.

All I can say to that is look at their website, Folta said. Look at how theyve targeted me for years. This is just another set of allegations that will go away like the rest of them did.

UF spokesperson Margot Winick said Tuesday she has no information yet on who will assume Foltas position.

Folta said he will be a leader for the horticulture department even after resigning.

Im just changing the title, Folta said. I will still always work hard to be good at what I do.

**Update 6/5/18**

Roxanne Porozinski, Foltas ex-wife, said Thursday the spousal abuse allegations that GMWatch posted online were true. She said she was disappointed in the first article published by The Alligator because it made Folta the victim.

Porozinski could not be reached for comment before the original deadline. The phone number originally provided for Porozinski was disconnected.

Im confirming those allegations are true, she said. I cant expand on anything until after the divorce.

Porozinski's divorce from Folta is currently being litigated and was filed for on February 9, according to the Alachua County Clerk of Court website. No allegations of abuse have been mentioned as of June 1 within the divorce proceedings.

However, Porozinski said she has organized documentation and a timeline to support the abuse allegations as well as witnesses.

Women dont speak out because they are re-victimized, she said. The first article showed Kevin as the victim. That is one of the reasons women dont speak out.

Porozinski said that Folta told his department at the end of 2017 that he was stepping down. She said Foltas resignation is a way to blame her.

Hes not going to be the victim here, Porozinski said.

Divorces are bitter, Folta said. Roxanne told me last year to be careful because activists that are out to get me would make claims of sexual assault, impropriety with students or physical abuse. I didnt know it would be her. I wish her the best professionally and personally.

Folta said he wishes Porozinski would go through the police rather than the internet and activist websites to pursue the matter.

This is not for the University of Florida to investigate, its not for the paper to investigate, its not for GMWatch.org to investigate, he said. Its for the police to investigate.

Follow Angela DiMichele on Twitter @angdimi and contact her at adimichele@alligator.org.US State Department 2017 Report on Religious Freedom

(AINA) -- The US State Department published its annual International Religious Freedom Report for 2017 on Tuesday. The following are excerpts from the report concerning Assyrians in Turkey, Iran, Syria and Iraq.

Iraq

Christian leaders estimate there are fewer than 250,000 Christians remaining in the country, with the largest population -- at least 200,000 -- living in the Ninewa Plain and the IKR. The Christian population has declined over the past 15 years from a pre-2002 population estimate of between 800,000 and 1.4 million persons. Approximately 67 percent of Christians are Chaldean Catholics (an eastern rite of the Roman Catholic Church), and nearly 20 percent are members of the Assyrian Church of the East. The remainder are Syriac Orthodox, Syriac Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Armenian Apostolic, and Anglican and other Protestants. There are approximately 3,000 evangelical Christians in the IKR.

According to the Assyrian Democratic Movement (ADM) -- a group politically opposed to the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party -- the Peshmerga looted houses of Christians and public service infrastructure, including electric cables, water pumps, and water pipes in Bashiqa, Teleskof, and Batnaya. Also the ISF and PMF looted Christian property and public service infrastructure in Tel Kayf, Qaraqosh, and Bartalla during their liberation. Yezidi properties were looted in Bashiqa.

In July Christian civil society organizations reported the Assyrian Christian mayors in Al Qosh and Tel Kayf were replaced, reportedly due to corruption, with KDP members who also were Christian. At the direction of the mayor, security forces in

Al Qosh arrested and threatened a group who publicly protested this decision. Christian groups stated this was part of a "Kurdization" of their towns. In May Syriac Orthodox Archbishop Dawood Matti Sharf accused the ISF and PMF of destroying the second century CE tomb in Qaraqosh of religious notable Youhana al-Delimi and filed a lawsuit against ISF and PMF commanders assigned to the area.

In July the KRG used official funds to open a new church in the Ankawa neighborhood of Erbil for Christian IDPs on 1,000 square meters (10,800 square feet) of land donated by the KRG at a cost of 3.55 billion IQD ($3.9 million).

Advocacy groups and religious minority representatives reported continued emigration. Estimates ranged from 10 to 22 Christian families leaving the country, including the IKR, every day. Several Christian MPs said 20-22 Christian families were leaving the country daily. Some Yezidis and Christians formed their own protection militias. Some of these received support from Baghdad through the PMF, while others received assistance from KRG Peshmerga units. Some representatives of religious minority groups, such as Yezidi and Sabean-Mandean MPs, stated they must have a role in their own security and requested government support to create armed groups from their own communities; others asked to join regular law enforcement units.

As coalition forces advanced towards Mosul in June, ISIS destroyed with explosives the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul, which had dominated the skyline for eight centuries. In July authorities announced UNESCO had started the first stage of the restoration of the ancient city of Nimrud. The city was liberated from ISIS in November 2016, and is associated with the Assyrian civilization dating from the 13th century B.C. Additionally, in November UNESCO hosted a meeting with the minister of culture in attendance where an agreement was reached over the reconstruction of the fourth century Mar Behnam Monastery and the Mar Mattai Monastery, founded more than 1,600 years ago.

Christians in the south and those in PMF-controlled towns on the Ninewa Plain and Sabean-Mandeans in Basrah, Dhi Qar, and Maysan Governorates reported they continued to avoid celebrating their religious festivals when they coincided with Islamic periods of mourning. There were continued reports that non-Muslim minorities felt pressured by the Muslim majority to adhere to certain Islamic practices, such as wearing the hijab or fasting during Ramadan. Non-Shia Muslims and non-Muslim women continued to feel societal pressure to wear hijabs and all-black clothing during Muharram, particularly during Ashura, to avoid harassment. According to representatives of Christian NGOs, some Muslims continued to threaten women and girls, regardless of their religious affiliation, for refusing to wear the hijab, for dressing in Western-style clothing, or for not adhering to strict interpretations of Islamic norms governing public behavior. Numerous women, including Christians and Sabean-Mandeans, said they opted to wear the hijab after continual harassment.

Following the liberation of the Ninewa Plain in early March, in mid-March the Ambassador, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS, and the Consul General in Erbil traveled to Bashiqa to visit destroyed churches, Mar Matta Monastery, and a Yezidi temple, and to meet with Yezidi religious leaders and activists and Christian and Yezidi families in several minority IDP camps. On August 23, the Ambassador, Special Presidential Envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS, and the Consul General in Erbil visited Teleskof , which was controlled by ISIS August 7-18, 2014, and whose population of 4,000 is almost 100 percent Chaldean Catholic. The delegation reiterated U.S. government support for Christians and other minorities. In December senior embassy officials visited Bashiqa and Sheikhan to meet with Christian and Yezidi leaders as well as Christian, Yezidi, and Shabak IDPs, while attending the opening ceremony of a restored church in Teleskof. The Erbil Consul General visited Yezidi leaders in Sinjar and al-Qosh. Members of the Bahai Faith met with embassy officials in November to urge U.S. government support and advocacy on their behalf to the Iraqi government to officially acknowledge the religion.

Turkey

In June a Mardin court denied appeals from the Syriac Mor Gabriel Foundation regarding the Treasury's ownership of expropriated Syriac community properties, including churches, graveyards, and village homes not registered to a Syriac foundation. Current law does not allow the Syriac community to transfer such community-owned (unregistered) properties from the Treasury to a religious foundation. The government offered to transfer the religious properties to the GDF and to give the Syriac community long-term leases, but the community rejected the proposal and was seeking a legal framework that would give it full ownership. A Syriac member of parliament in July called for the government to adopt policies to protect citizens of different faiths.

Non-Sunni Muslims said they continued to face difficulty obtaining exemptions from compulsory religious instruction in primary and secondary schools and often had to choose from electives concerning different aspects of Sunni Islam, particularly if their identification cards listed their religion as "Muslim." The government said the compulsory instruction covered a range of world religions, but some religious groups including Alevis and members of the Syriac Orthodox community, stated the courses largely reflected Hanafi Sunni Islamic doctrine and contained negative and incorrect information about other religious groups. Some Alevis stated that schools taught Alevi students incorrect information about their own faith, which parents had to correct at home.

In Nusaybin, the Syriac community restored three of the seven Syriac churches damaged or destroyed over several years during government clashes with the PKK. Two of the seven churches were completely destroyed during the clashes; renovation work on the two others continued at year's end. In November Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Cavusoglu stated the government was working on a plan to transfer Syriac churches to the Syriac foundations in the Taskoy (Arbo) village of Mardin, noting the law would also facilitate the transfer of properties under the Mor Gabriel Foundation in Mardin. The churches in Taskoy, Mardin include Mor Dimet, Mor Salito, Meryem Ana, Mor Gevargis, Mor Batlo, Mor Simuni, and Mor Semun.

The Syriac Orthodox community continued to seek agreement with the Roman Catholic community to build a second church in Istanbul to accommodate its growing population. The Syriac Orthodox community to date had only one church in Istanbul to serve an estimated local population of 17,000 to 20,000. Because the land offered by the Istanbul municipality to the Syriac Church Foundation to build a second church previously belonged to the Roman Catholic Church, the Regional Board for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage required a written agreement between the two communities. The two communities had not reached agreement by year's end.

Iran

Since the law prohibits citizens from converting from Islam to another religion, the government only recognizes the Christianity of citizens who are Armenian or Assyrian Christians, since the presence of these groups in the country predates Islam, or of citizens who can prove they or their families were Christian prior to the 1979 revolution. The government also recognizes Sabean-Mandaeans as Christian, even though the Sabean-Mandaeans do not consider themselves as such. The government often considers Yarsanis as Shia Muslims practicing Sufism, but Yarsanis identify Yarsan as a distinct faith (known as Ahle Haq or Kakai). Yarsanis may also self-register as Shia in order to obtain government services. The government does not recognize evangelical Protestants as Christian.

On June 11, Judge Ahmadzadeh sentenced Victor Bet Tamraz, the former leader of Iran's Assyrian Pentecostal Church, along with Christian converts Hadi Asgari and Kavian Fallah Mohammadi, to 10 years in prison. The judge sentenced Christian convert Amin Afshar Naderi to 15 years in prison. MOIS agents allegedly arrested these converts for participating in Christian activities or rituals.

According to human rights organizations, Christian advocacy groups, and NGOs, the government continued to regulate Christian religious practices. Official reports and the media continued to characterize Christian house churches as "illegal networks" and "Zionist propaganda institutions." Christian community leaders stated that if the authorities found Armenian or Assyrian churches were baptizing new converts or preaching in Farsi, they closed the churches. Authorities also reportedly barred unregistered or unrecognized Christians from entering church premises, closed churches that allowed them to enter, and arrested Christian converts.

Christian advocacy groups stated the government, through pressure and church closures, had eliminated all but a handful of Farsi-language church services, thus restricting services almost entirely to the Armenian and Assyrian languages. Security officials monitored registered congregation centers to perform identity checks on worshippers to confirm non-Christians or converts did not participate in services. In response, many citizens who had converted to Protestantism or other Christian faiths reportedly practiced their religion in secret. Other unrecognized religious minorities such as Bahais and Yarsanis were also forced to gather in private homes to practice their faith in secret.

Sunni leaders reported authorities banned Sunni religious literature and teachings from religion courses in some public schools, even in predominantly Sunni areas. Other schools, notably in the Kurdish regions, included specialized Sunni religious courses for the students. Assyrian Christians reported the government continued to permit their community to use its own religious textbooks for use in schools, after the government reviewed and authorized their content. Unrecognized religious minorities, such as Yarsanis and Bahais, reported they were unable to legally produce or distribute religious literature. The UN special rapporteur's August 14 report said, "Adherents of recognized religions also continue to face severe restrictions and discrimination, and are reportedly prosecuted for peacefully manifesting their religious beliefs."

Syria

In March, according to multiple media outlets, the Democratic Union Party -- the political arm of People's Protection Units (YGP) -- shut down the headquarters of rival Kurdish and Assyrian parties and announced there would be no gatherings in al-Qamishli to celebrate the Nowruz festival, which had Zoroastrian religious origins.

Human rights groups reported unidentified militias in July killed Dr. Elias Kafarkis Isaq, an Assyrian Christian and former dean of Al-Furat University in Hasakah Province. He was the second Assyrian Christian from that university killed, and the Assyrian Observatory for Human Rights and press reports stated the crimes were part of a campaign targeting Christians.The Mexican government will take reciprocal measures against the United States following the imposition of Section 232 duties on steel and aluminium imports from the country, the economy secretariat said on Thursday May 31.

In the face of the tariffs set by the US, Mexico will impose equivalent measures against various products, such as flat steel (hot-rolled and cold-rolled sheet, coated [goods] and several types of tubes), it said.



Other non-steel goods will also be subject to the measures, including lamps, apples, grapes, blueberries and cheese.



The duties will be in force until the US government eliminates the tariffs, according to the secretariat.



Earlier on Thursday, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that the US will be imposing tariffs of 25% on steel and 10% on aluminium imports from Mexico, Canada and the European Union effective June 1.



Mexico has repeatedly stated that such measures under the national security criterion are neither adequate nor justified.



Mexico reiterates its openness to constructive dialogue with the US, its support for the international trading system and its rejection of unilateral protectionist measures, the secretariat said.



The US government had temporarily excluded Mexico-origin steel and aluminium from its Section 232 tariffs announced in March, while negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement treaty were in progress.





Posted on: May 31, 2018 2:01 PM

Climate change is an ecological and moral emergency that impacts all other aspects of our shared lives and requires us to work together to protect our common home  thats the message from more than 500 religious and scientific leaders in the US-state of Massachusetts. The Episcopal Churchs bishops of Massachusetts and Western Massachusetts, Alan Gates and Doug Fisher, were amongst those who endorsed the Faith and Science Joint Appeal for Climate Action last week, as was Cardinal Sean OMalley from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston.

All of us . . . must do our utmost to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to protect our communities from the catastrophic impacts of climate change, the joint appeal says. We especially call upon our political representatives to address the climate crisis with the boldness and urgency it requires, with substantive and immediate action.

The emerging coalition of faith leaders and scientists came about after the president of the Woods Hole Research Center, Phil Duffy, contacted Cardinal OMalley. The Revd Dr Margaret Bullitt-Jonas, missioner for creation care for the Diocese of Western Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ, told the Episcopal News Service that the coalition was an extraordinary, even unprecedented, alliance between religion and science.

The publication of the joint appeal coincided with the third anniversary of the publication of Laudato Si, Pope Francis encyclical on the environment.

As followers of Jesus, we seek to build a society that is marked by mercy, justice, and hope, Bishop Doug said. The only way to love God and our neighbour is to preserve the conditions that allow life on Earth to flourish, which begins with a habitable climate. Our emerging coalition of faith and science illuminates a basic truth: climate disruption is not only a scientific issue, but also a deeply spiritual and moral issue.

Bishop Alan added: This coalition is a strong rebuttal of three all-too-commonly-held fallacies: that faith and science do not align  they do; that climate change is a partisan political issue  it is not; and that we have plenty of time to figure out solutions to this crisis  we dont! I am grateful for the opportunity to move beyond these mis-judgments and get on with the work that our stewardship of Gods Creation demands.

I view this initiative as strong encouragement to Episcopal congregations to learn about climate science, to engage in conversations about climate change as a moral and spiritual concern, and to take effective action, Dr Bullitt-Jonas said. In order to protect our common home and to break our dependence on fossil fuels, Americans need both head and heart.

Facts and reason alone will not motivate us to change course; we also need stories, prayer, and ceremonies, the power of imagination and a vision of hope. Together with scientists, we can speak with one voice about the sacredness of Gods Creation and the moral imperative to protect it.Jeremy Corbyn has antisemitic views says Jewish expert

Jeremy Corbyn has antisemitic views. So says Jonathan Arkush. Arkush is the outgoing president of the board of deputies. He says the Labour Party leader has views which are antisemitic, and he has problematic views. Arkush tells the Daily Telegraph that British Jews are asking: Do we have a future here?

Under a country governed by Corbyn: yes, of course Jews will continue to live in the UK. One remarkable characteristic of Jewish history is the persistence with which they are persecuted. Some Jew always stays on to light the lamp, denying Mohammed and Jesuss claims of divine destiny by waiting for the true Messiah. Will derelict synagogues in London, Leeds or Manchester become stopping points on tourists walks, like those in India, Cuba, Morocco, Turkey, Iraq, the Czech Republic, Syria, Italy and all other places where the Jews were dispossessed and expelled? Will the country under Corbyn do its bit for the deep history of Jewish victim hood? No. Well, not yet.

The future for British Jewry might not be a vibrant one. Better, of course, if British Jews become the right sort of Jews. But Arkush does not speak for all British Jews, even if the Mail does bill him as The Tribes chief. The bilge that ethnic minorities in the UK have community leaders who speak for their kind sticks in the craw. Dont lump us all in together. Dont divide us into groups. You dont need to be Jewish to see that Corbyns Labour has a little problem with Red Sea Pedestrians. Arkush speaks for himself. And we can listen. Jews, after all, are often rather good at spotting Jew haters.

He was a chairman of Stop the War, which is responsible for some of the worst anti-Israel discourse, says Arkush. If he shares the prevalent discourse about Israel, then that view is unquestionably antisemitic I think we are all entitled to some clarity on his real views about Israel.

Corbyn is too nuanced and slippery to let the electorate know his real views on much. But he does have a spokesman to tell everyone that Arkush comments are personal attacks without any evidence to support them Jeremy has been absolutely clear that he is a militant opponent of antisemitism and is committed to driving it out of our movement.

He is? Got any evidence of anything hes done to prove it?

Jonathan Arkushs attempt to conflate strong criticism of Israeli state policies with antisemitism is wrong and undermines the fight both against antisemitism and for justice for the Palestinians, the spokesman adds. It should be rejected outright.

Rhea Wolfson, a member of Labours national executive committee, is shocked by the comments. Her words take up half the Guardians story on the matter. The paper offers no words in support of Arkushs view. Jeremy Corbyn is not antisemitic, he does not hold antisemitic views, Wolfson tweeted. I cannot understand what Arkush is trying to achieve here but I know it isnt about being constructive.

Jonathan Arkush has never spoken for me, for many other young, progressive Jews, and he doesnt in this article. We have a lot of work to take a lot of poison out of the debate around Israel and Palestine, making blanket accusations isnt constructive and doesnt move towards a better debate or solutions. So much for Corbyn being militant. Its a debate he wants.

The Guardian story is headlined: Jeremy Corbyns views could drive Jewish people from UK. So if youre a bigot, vote Jez, right? The paper finds no space to report what Arkush also said. This from the Tele:

Mr Arkush said: We have always felt Britain is a generous, fair-minded, exceptionally tolerant, mutually respectful country where Jews have been secure, well accepted and in return they have contributed vastly. That is why I am so troubled that, particularly in the last few months, there is an increasingly widespread question asked over the dinner table  which is, do we have a future here, and whats that future going to look like? In its current, widespread form, it is very new. Asked if he attributes this new anxiety in the community to Mr Corbyns leadership, he said: Yeah. I do.

You do wonder how any British Jew can vote for Corbyn, or, indeed, be a member of the Labour Party he heads. But it takes all sorts to make a community. And  get this  not all Jews are the same.

Anorak

Posted: 31st, May 2018 | In: News, Politicians Comment | TrackBack | PermalinkPARIS - 'Mission Patrimoine', mission heritage, is the objective in France of a new lottery to save monuments at risk.



President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday presented the initiative at the Voltaire castle in Ferney, a symbol of tolerance and enlightenment at the French-Swiss border that has just been restored for nine million euros and will open its doors to the public at the weekend.



Conceived by a TV cultural journalist who is very famous in France, Stephane Bearn, the 'Lotto of heritage', which includes a scratch card, vies to fund expenses to restore monuments that municipalities can't afford to pay on their own.



Overall, 18 locations - including religious and industrial buildings as well as architectural jewels and monuments - will have priority in the program. They include a 19th-century fortress, a small island off Bretagne, the house of writer Aime Cesaire in Martinique and a Roman aqueduct in western France.



A lottery with 15-euro tickets will also be organized in September.



The French government estimates revenues between 15 and 20 million euros from the initiative that will go to a specific fund for 'heritage sites at risk'.



On Thursday night, Macron will meet at the presidential palace with representatives of 269 projects selected and other activists working to protect the national heritage. (ANSAmed)Tunisia: terror attack foiled at border with Algeria In governorate Kasserine

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, MAY 31 - Tunisian national guard units in the night between Wednesday and Thursday foiled an attack at the border crossing of Haidra with Algeria, in the governorate of Kasserine, carried out by a commando of armed jihadists divided into two groups, the Tunisian interior ministry said on Thursday.



The ministry said that national guards forced the terrorists to flee along the Tunisian-Algerian border to mountains in the region.



Additional military units were deployed to the region in cooperation with Algerian authorities, the statement said. The interior ministry added that the border crossing of Haidra has been previously targeted but Tunisian security forces managed to foil the attacks. (ANSAmed)Migrants: Slovenia asks EU, Frontex to boost controls 'More regional supervision along barriers'

(ANSAmed) - LJUBLJANA, MAY 31 - Slovenia is not satisfied about the situation of the migrant route in the Balkans and that is why it is necessary that all countries in the region, the European Commission and Frontex work to do more, the secretary of State of the interior ministry, Botjan efic, told the STA news agency. He stressed that the growing number of migrants were arriving from Turkey through Greece, Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia to reach western Europe. And a new route appears to have opened from Greece through Albania, Montenegro and Bosnia, a journey which European border agency Frontex should watch more closely, said efic. Although Slovenia is not the main country of destination, many migrants apply for asylum in the country, the first State in the Schengen area along the route. One of the problems is that Serbia has introduced the liberalization of visas with Iran and some African countries: ''This means that these people are entering Serbia in a completely legal way'', continued efic. He believes that some 2,000 people did not travel back to Iran at the end of April. A similar journey is also possible from Turkey to Bosnia.



At the moment, Slovenia has registered 50 attempts to enter each day, a number that efic has criticized, announcing the construction of new ''temporary technical barriers'' in some border areas, mainly in the area of the Kolpa, the river along the natural border between Slovenia and Croatia, to dissuade migrants from crossing after a few died as they attempted to reach the country.



''We have boosted controls at border crossings because illegal migrants are found on trucks and trains and we give space to measures to compensate inside the country'', he said, in order to fight migrant smuggling networks. The secretary of State stressed that barriers alone can't solve the problem, which requires joint supervision at a regional level. (ANSAmed)Syria: Assad denies presence of Iranian troops 'Only officials helping us, Israel lies'

(ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, MAY 31- Syrian President Bashar al Assad denied the presence of Iranian troops in Syria in an interview with Russian television Russia Today quoted by Syria's government agency Sana. Assad said: ''We don't have Iranian troops. We have never had them and we can't hide them. We would have no problem admitting their presence''.



Repeated reports over the past five years, which have also been confirmed by Iranian media, claimed Iranian officers, including high-ranking officials, have been killed on various fronts of the Syrian war.



Assad admitted that there are Iranian officials ''working with the Syrian army and offering help''.



Talking about recent air raids attributed to Israel against alleged Iranian bases in Syria, the president said ''it is an Israeli lie. Also in the recent attack, a few weeks ago, they said they attacked Iranian bases and camps there were dozens of Syrian martyrs and wounded soldiers but no Iranian'', the president added.



Marysville, CA (95901)

Today

Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High around 70F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Clear skies. Low around 45F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph.Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) has announced that its leasing division DAE Capital has recently signed three agreements to sell 16 aircraft with a total market value of approximately US$900 million.

The aircraft covered by these agreements include Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, A330, and A350 family aircraft, have an average age of two years and are currently on lease to 11 airlines in 11 countries.



Firoz Tarapore, chief executive officer of DAE said: This divestment activity will help us optimize our portfolio composition and monetize some of our recent larger-scale investments. This transaction does not impact our total number of customers. Proceeds will be used to pay down debt and reinvested to support our ambitious growth plans. Proactively managing our portfolio through active trading is a critical component of our long-term portfolio strategy and it is important for us to remain relevant in all segments of the secondary market for aircraft sales.



These agreements are expected to close in the second half of 2018.Egyptian Aviation Academy is looking to target African and Middle Eastern student pilots and engineers, according to its chairman and CEO, Captain Elias Sadek. Marcelle Nethersole reports.

Established in 1931, the Egyptian Aviation Academy is located at the 6th of October Airport in Giza. It is Egypts oldest aviation academy.

It consists of three faculties  Misr Flying College, the Air Traffic Control College, and the Civil Aviation Management Training College.

The academy has the recognition and the approval of the Ministry of Civil Aviation of Egypt for all of its colleges as a regional training centre in Africa and the Middle East. It was the first academy to get such approval.

Its Misr Flying College gives student pilots a unique advantage by offering a jet rating licence upon graduation.

For a small sum of money, students will get the jet rating licence upon graduation, which will serve as a transition for pilots from light aircraft to large commercial aircraft  and we are the only company in the world to do this, explained Captain Elias Sadek, chairman and CEO.

The college offers 38 training capabilities of different aircraft types on its young and advanced fleet.

We offer training on the Cessna 172 G1000, which is the most modern with a glass cockpit, so when they transition to the real aircraft it is exactly the same, said Sadek.

The fleet also include Bonanzas  it received two new ones in November  as well as two Baron multi-engine aircraft, and four Cessna Mustang C510s.

The company also has seven modern flight simulators.

Sadek has been CEO of Egyptian Aviation Academy for 18 months but he still manages to fly for EgyptAir once a month on a B777 to maintain his licence.

He is also an instructor and examiner, and last April was elected a member of the TRAINAIR PLUS steering committee (TPSC) in Addis Ababa. This is the body that is connected to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which is responsible for the upgrade and development of all courses.

As a full TRAINAIR PLUS member, the Egyptian Aviation Academy is applying right now to become a centre of excellence  the final accolade, said Sadek.

The CEO wants to reach out to other Arabic countries and, especially, to the African market.

I am targeting having 75% non-Egyptian students in the next few years  mainly from African and Arab countries, said Sadek.

We currently have Egyptian students, as well as other Middle East students from countries including Yemen, Kuwait, and Iraq. Our African students are from Nigeria, Tanzania and Sudan.

He added: We would like to serve as a place where African pilot and engineer students can come for high-quality training. We have competitive prices but we have lowered the margin of profits to help attract both Africa and the Arab world.

Sadek believes there is a deep shortage of pilots and aviation engineers in many of these targeted countries.

Iraq has ordered about 70 Airbus and Boeing Aircraft, so they have a pilot and engineer shortage. Our academy is perfect for them and, actually, we already have Iraqi engineers training.

Sadek said the company has many things of which to be proud.

We have a department that graduates aircraft maintenance engineers and I am delighted that, for the first time, the class that joined in October last year will graduate with an ICAO license carrying a European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) endorsement.

We have a lot female students from all over the world. One female pilot that trained at the Egyptian Aviation Academy is Naveen Darwish, now captain of an Emirates A380.

The academy also offers aero medical examiner certificate training  allowing graduates to have the licence to examine pilots and flight crew, and it will soon start a new field, in hot-air balloon training for pilots and engineers.

We have about 28 companies working in the south of Egypt, so we are starting pilot and engineer training for this in 2018, said Sadek. A hot-air balloon pilot training course takes six months. It is quite complex  but we can do complex.

Jetex has announced it has signed an MOU with AERIA airport management company to be the exclusive FBO operator and manager of the newly built FBO in Abidjan, the economic capital of Cote d'Ivoire.

For the current FBOat the Felix-Houphouet-Boigny International Airportthe handover is scheduled for July of this year.

We are happy to appoint Jetex as sole and exclusive FBO operator in Abidjan, said Gilles Darriau, CEO of AERIA. Jetex has high standards for FBOs, which is exactly what we were looking for.

We chose Abidjan because it is an economic powerhouse for West Africa. Its a very urbanized and industrial city, said Jetex President (Europe) Salem Youssef. Were excited to offer VIP service and become the first to do so in the region. Were looking forward to welcoming passengers at our new FBO very soon.

This adds to the Jetex portfolio with our first FBO in West Africa and second location in the region after Morocco. This 1,000 m2 location is expected to open by July 2018 with full VIP services.

A full spectrum of flight support, ground transfer, and bespoke concierge services will also be available via Jetexs operations centers in Dubai, Miami, and Beijing.

AERIA (International Airport of Abidjan) is part of the wider EGIS airports network, which includes 17 airports across 8 countries.Honeywell is expanding its range of GoDirect connected services to deliver improved flight support within its signature program, GoDirect Flight.

Using the new integrated services, business aviation operators will benefit from improved flight planning and in-flight communications through Honeywells GoDirect Flight Planning, GoDirect Flight Tracker and GoDirect Weather applications. As a result, flight crew workload can be reduced while enhancing flight safety and operational efficiency.

In todays fast-paced business aviation environment, our customers are increasingly looking for end-to-end integrated solutions that will help them quickly, easily and cost-effectively manage their flight operations so they can remain competitive, said John Peterson, senior director, Connectivity Services, Honeywell Aerospace. Our range of updated services act as a flight departments premier partner, providing the insight needed to make informed decisions using real-time data and automation.(1st prize)

Humans accomplishments are the result of rituals and metamorphosis, bonding the human being to its own roots through dance, history, music, colours, flavours, materials and landscapes. From this concept the participants took inspiration for the design process of a Cultural Center in Sedhiou, Senegal.



Kaira Looro Competition 2018 - Cultural Center is the second edition of the International Architecture Competition Kaira Looro, whose project theme for this year is the design of a Cultural Center in the city of Sedhiou, Senegal, with the aim of conserving and passing on secular traditions, currently endangered by globalization and migratory phenomena.

Kaira Looro, that in Mandingo language means "Architecture for Peace", is not just architecture, but it also represents a link to culture, spirituality and research of interiority. The main idea of the competition is to develop a deep research in the field of design in developing countries and for emergencies, but especially to give opportunities and visibility to young promises of the international architectural scene.

The competition is organized by the Nonprofit Organization Balouo Salo with the collaboration of the University of Tokyo, Kengo Kuma & Associates, Sedhiou Region and other international partners.



Winning projects have been nominated by an internationally renowned jury made up of: Kengo Kuma, Toshiki Hirano (University of Tokyo), Agostino Ghirardelli (SBGA), Azzurra Muzzonigro (Stefano Boeri Architetti), Rene Bouman (Mohn+Bouman Architects), Camillo Magni (ASF), Angelo Ferrara, Pilar Diez Rodriguez, Rainer Kasik (X Architekten), Sebastiano D'Urso (University of Catania), Giuseppe Mazzaglia (Kaan Architects), Ignazio Lutri (In/Arch), Raoul Vecchio (Balouo Salo).

On 20th may 2018, the jury nominated 25 awarderd projects: 1st , 2nd and 3rd prize, 2 honorable mentions nominated by Kengo Kuma , 5 mentions and 15 finalists. First prize is a cash prize and an internship at Kengo Kuma & Associates in Tokyo. All awarded project will be published in Kaira Looro official book, hosted in exhibitions and published on articles and magazines.



The first prize of the second edition of Kaira Looro Competition goes to the project CWS - Culture Well of Sedhiou, developed by the Italian team composed by Giacomo Spanio, Sergiu Cernea, Paolo Reali, Nicola Puppin.



The second prize goes to Kaira Looro | Architecture for Peace, by another Italian team made up of Giulia Grazioli and Giulia Cascioli.



A Spanish project by Sergio Gonzalez Torres, Ana Mendez Garzom and Santiago Canete Sanchez, Filter for shelter, won the third prize. Others awarded teams come from Brazil, China, France, Kosovo, Norway, Mexico, Portugal, Canada, Poland, Romania and Greece. Last year, the first edition of Kaira Looro Competition Sacred Architecture was won by a polish team.



Also this year the entire proceeds, derived from the registration fees of the participants, were entirely donated to the humanitarian organization Balouo Salo, which operates in Africa to solve the social and environmental problems that afflict local communities.



This year, as the last one, the competition received an exceptional participation from all over the world with over 500 competing projects from over 50 different countries. The proposals showed considerable sensitivity to the theme of the competition and to the context of intervention. The event thus becomes a promoter of architectural research issues for particular social and environmental contexts, as well as a witness to humanitarian initiatives.



The winning projects are available online on the official website of the competition and will be transmitted to the international media of the sector. Moreover, a dedicated book "Kaira Looro Architecture Competition - Cultural Center" will be published with all the winning projects, and, also in this case, the proceeds will be donated for humanitarian purposes.

2nd prize:

3rd prize:

Others awarded projects:Mozambique is currently in talks with Russia to discuss weapons it would like to get under the military and technical cooperation agreement, Mozambican Minister of Foreign Affairs Jose Pacheco told TASS on the threshold of the talks in Moscow.



Mozambican Marines aboard the USS Robert G. Bradley practice visit, board, search and seizure techniques with U.S. Navy sailor. (Picture source Africom)

"The military agreement is part of the process of developing bilateral relations between Mozambique and Russia," Pacheco said.

"We have this agreement and it covers different areas. Training of military personnel and the delivery of various equipment are among our priorities," he added.

"We are discussing technical issues with Russia to specify what Mozambique really needs and how all these purchases can be financed. I believe that we will see the results of the agreement sooner or later," the Mozambican foreign minister said.

The document on bilateral military and technical cooperation was signed on December 22, 2015 in the Mozambican capital of Maputo. It envisages the delivery of military hardware and its further maintenance. The document was signed for five years and can be automatically prolonged for further five-year periods.Sweden close to sign a deal in the next few weeks to purchase American-made Patriot air defense missile system from the U.S. Company Raytheon. The contract could reach an amount of 10 billion crowns ($1.13 billion) and is the biggest military purchase since 2013 from the Swedish armed forces.



Mobile launcher unit of American Patriot air defense missile system (Picture source Army Recognition)

Since the Swedish parliament settled the defence framework decision 2015, the Swedish Armed Forces (SwAF) and FMV have evaluated different systems to enhance the Swedish air-defence capability with a medium range surface-to-air system. in November 2017, the Swedish government has given go-ahead to FMV (Swedish Materiel Administration) to commence negotiations regarding procurement of the US Patriot system.

According to Joakim Lewin, head of the Army Design Office at the Swedish Materiel Administration (FMV), Sweden is now done negotiating with the U.S. about Patriot and will now ask the governments permission to sign the contract. The Patriot deal includes four firing units, parts, training and an undisclosed number of missiles.

In option, Sweden could also purchase 300 additional missiles, in this case the final contract will be around $3 billion, said Joakim Lewin.

The U.S. Company Raytheon has built more than 220 Patriot fire units and delivered them to customers in 15 nations including Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Taiwan, Greece, Spain, south Korea, United Arab Emirates, Qatar and United States. Many of those countries have chosen to take advantage of Patriots flexible architecture and upgrade their systems.

The government of Romania signed on November 29, 2017, an agreement to purchase seven Patriot Configuration 3+ units, complete with radars, a control station, antennas, launching stations and power plants. In November 2017, the U.S. State Department approved a $10.5 billion sale of four Patriot missile defense system to Poland.

The MIM-104 Patriot is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system, the primary of its kind used by the United States Army and several allied nations. Patriot uses an advanced aerial interceptor missile and high performance radar systems. The latest generation of Patriot launcher uses the PAC-3 missile produced by the Company Lockheed Martin. The PAC-3 Missile is a high velocity interceptor that defeats incoming targets by direct, body-to-body impact. The PAC-3 can be used to intercept ballistic missiles with a range from 15 to 20 km.The chamber also urged the government to come up with a stimulus plan for restoring the health of public sector banks.

Consequently, banking activities in public sector banks across the country have been interrupted.

New Delhi: The two-day nationwide strike by employees of public sector banks (PSBs) may affect customer transactions worth up to Rs 20,000 crore, Assocham said on Wednesday, urging the United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) to call off the strike.

The chamber also urged the government to come up with a stimulus plan for restoring the health of public sector banks.

State-owned lenders are grappling with high levels of bad loans and as per reports their losses for the quarter ended March 2018 are set to hit a record Rs 50,000 crore which is more than double the losses of Rs 19,000 crore in preceding quarter ended December 2017, Assocham said.

Considering such a precarious situation, we at Assocham would urge the government to come up with a stimulus plan which must include restoring the PSBs to health, Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat said.

With about 10 lakh bank employees going on strike, banking operations such as cheque clearances, cash withdrawals and deposits at PSB branches across India will be affected, he added.

The UFBU, an umbrella body of bank unions, has gone on strike against the proposed wage hike of 2 per cent as against 15 per cent given last time, AIBEA general secretary C.H. Venkatachalam said.

Consequently, banking activities in public sector banks across the country have been interrupted.

However, operations in the new-generation private banks like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank were almost normal, barring few activities including cheque clearance.Private firm Ernst and Young has been appointed the Transaction Adviser (TA) for the process.

According to the procedure, the floor price (base price for the airline) is decided by the Transaction Advisor but the Government is apprised of it once the financial bids are opened in the Request for Proposal (RFP) process.

New Delhi: No Expressions of Interest (EoI) have been received so far for national carrier Air India, a day before the EoI deadline ends, a senior civil aviation ministry official reportedly told TV channels on Wednesday. However, there seems to be hope in official circles that some bids may be received at the last-minute before the deadline ends on Thursday evening.

It may be recalled that the Government had earlier extended the Expression of Interest (EoI) submission deadline from May 14 to May 31 this month while the deadline for intimation to Qualified Interested Bidders was extended from May 28 to June 15 this year. Private firm Ernst and Young has been appointed the Transaction Adviser (TA) for the process.

Further, as reported earlier, national carrier Air India may not be sold after all if the Government finds the bid price to be inadequate. Union Civil Aviation Secretary R.N. Choubey had earlier told reporters, The Government retains the right to sell or not to sell (stake in Air India) if the bid price is found to be inadequate.

According to the procedure, the floor price (base price for the airline) is decided by the Transaction Advisor but the Government is apprised of it once the financial bids are opened in the Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The government, as the owner of Air India, has the right to modify the floor price. If the Government finds that the bid price is lower than the floor price, it could give rise to a situation wherein the Government may not sell the national carrier since it would then be a loss-incurring move. The Union government had a few weeks ago issued the Preliminary Information Memorandum for inviting the EoI for Strategic Disinvestment of loss-making national carrier Air India.Tata Motors along with Tata Power will also facilitate setting up of EV charging stations in the Maharashtra.

Company has already completed the production of 250 cars and initiated the execution of second phase orders.

New Delhi: Tata Motors on Thursday said it has inked a pact with Maharashtra government to deploy 1,000 electric vehicles (EVs) from its range of passenger and commercial vehicles across the state.

As part of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked with the state government on Thursday, Tata Motors along with Tata Power will also facilitate setting up of EV charging stations in the Maharashtra.

"Tata Motors is committed to the government's vision of e-mobility in India. We are excited to join forces with the government of Maharashtra towards this endeavour," Tata Motors CEO & MD Guenter Butschek said in a statement.

The company is uniquely positioned to leverage the strength of its group companies to create an EV ecosystem, he added.

"With our ready portfolio of EV offerings across our passenger and commercial vehicles, we are geared up to meet future requirements beyond the current tender commitments," Butschek said.

He added that as part of its tender with EESL, the company has already completed the production of 250 cars and initiated the execution of second phase orders.

"With Tigor EV, we have begun our journey in boosting e-mobility and will offer a full range of electric vehicles to the Indian customers. We continue to work in a collaborative manner to facilitate faster adoption of electric vehicles and to build a sustainable future for India," Butschek said.The minister is in Paris for the meeting of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu will meet top officials of Airbus in Paris this week and discuss possibilities for the aerospace giant to manufacture aircraft in India.

New Delhi: Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu will meet top officials of Airbus in Paris this week and discuss possibilities for the aerospace giant to manufacture aircraft in India.

"I will be meeting top bosses of Airbus and try to request them to start manufacturing aircrafts in India," Prabhu told PTI.

The minister is in Paris for the meeting of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He will also participate in the meeting of key WTO (World Trade Organisation) members on the sidelines of OECD meet. The minister also holds commerce and industry portfolio. India is also seeking cooperation from the US to locally produce civil and defence aircraft in the country.

In March, the minister had stated that the government wants to extend the 'Make in India' initiative to planes and drones, and not just import the entire requirement in the coming years. India will need more than 1,300 planes in the next few years, he had said.

About the OECD meet, Prabhu said India would raise the issue of growing protectionism and challenges for global trade. He will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia, France and South Africa.The move is the next step in efforts by New York prosecutors to bring former Tinseltown powerbroker to trial.

Harvey Weinstein attend the premiere of 'August: Osage County,' at the Regal Cinemas at LA Live in Los Angeles, California. Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein's former company has announced on February 26, 2018 it will file for bankruptcy, complaining that talks with frontrunner investors to buy the troubled studio had collapsed, leaving it with "no choice" but to go to the wall. The Weinstein Company said that it had failed to reach a deal with an investor group led by Maria Contreras-Sweet, a former Obama administration official, for a reported $500 million despite a last-minute push to make the deal palatable to New York prosecutors. (Photo: AFP) 700 Characters Remaining

New York: A Manhattan grand jury voted today to indict disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein on rape and sex crime charges, prosecutors announced.

The move is the next step in efforts by New York prosecutors to bring the former Tinseltown powerbroker to trial for alleged sex crimes.

He was initially charged last week in what was hailed a landmark for the #MeToo movement, nearly eight months after his career imploded in a blaze of accusations of misconduct.

"This indictment brings the defendant another step closer to accountability for the crimes of violence with which he is now charged," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said today.

"Our office will try this case not in the press, but in the courtroom where it belongs," added Vance, who has been criticized for failing to prosecute Weinstein in a separate case three years ago.

"This investigation remains active and ongoing. We continue to urge additional survivors and others with relevant information to call us," he added.

Weinstein's defence attorney announced earlier today that his client would "follow the advice of his attorneys" and not testify before the grand jury, accusing Vance's office of bowing to political pressure.

The 66-year-old twice-married father of five has been charged with rape in the first and third degrees, stemming from an attack on a woman in 2013, and a criminal sex act against another woman in 2004. Neither victim was named.

His lawyer says the rape allegation involves a woman with whom Weinstein "shared a 10-year consensual sexual relationship that continued for years" after the alleged 2013 incident.

Brafman also claimed that an indictment was "inevitable due to the unfair political pressure being placed on Cy Vance to secure a conviction." "The defendant's recent assault on the integrity of the survivors and the legal process is predictable. We are confident that when the jury hears the evidence, it will reject these attacks out of hand," hit back Vance.

The former movie mogul posted bail at $1 million cash, surrendered his passport and has been fitted with a GPS monitoring device.

His career went down in flames in October over sexual assault allegations following explosive articles in The New York Times and New Yorker, which sparked a sexual harassment reckoning across the United States, in multiple industries.RLD wins Kairana, first Muslim UP MP since 2014.

New Delhi: Tremors were felt in the saffron camp as an united Opposition decimiated the BJP in the high-profile Kairana Lok Sabha constituency and Noopor Assembly seat in Uttar Pradesh. Of the four Lok Sabha bypolls, the BJP won only one  Palghar in Maharashtra. Similarly, of the 11 Assembly seats that went to the polls, the BJP could score only a lone victory in the Tharali Assembly seat in Uttarakhand.

While the Congress finished third in the Palghar bypoll, the party managed to win four Assembly seats, including Shahkot (Punjab), Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra), Ampati (Meghalaya) and R.R. Nagar (Karnataka). At Palus Kadegaon, the Congress candidate won unopposed as the BJP withdrew its candidate. It may be recalled that since 2014, the BJP has managed to win only four of the 23 Lok Sabha bypolls that have been held.

The Janata Dal (United), which had crossed over to the NDA, on Thursday cautioned the BJP against the united power of the Opposition parties. JD(U) spokesperson K.C. Tyagi told the media that the NDA allies were feeling isolated.

In Kairana, Uttar Pradesh, Tabassum Hasan, the RLD candidate supported by the entire Opposition, including the Samajwadi Party, BSP and Congress, won the high-stakes Lok Sabha battle, and became the first Muslim MP from Uttar Pradesh since the 2014 general election. She trounced the BJPs Mriganka Singh by a margin of 44,618 votes. It may be recalled that the campaign in Kariana was communally charged. Four days before the bypoll in Kairana, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had raised the issue of the Muzaffarnagar riots and urged people not to give anti-social elements the opportunity to trigger riots in western Uttar Pradesh. The other major blow was the BJPs defeat in the Noorpur Assembly seat in the state. SP candidate Naim Ul-Hasan, supported by an united Opposition, trounced the BJPs Avni Singh by a margin of over 6,000 votes. While the saving grace for the BJP was its lone victory in the Palghar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra, its ally NDPP managed a home run in Nagalands lone Lok Sabha seat. In Maharashtra, as the BJP romped home defeating the Shiv Sena candidate in the Palghar Lok Sabha seat, Shiv Sena supremo Uddhav Thackrey launched a scathing attack on its ally. Indicating that the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance at this juncture hangs by a thread, Mr Thackeray slammed its ally by saying that the BJP doesnt need its friends and allies any more. He further pointed out that the BJP has lost its majority in the Lok Sabha.

Incidentally, the Shiv Sena had thrown its weight behind the Congress candidate at Palus Kadegaon Assembly seat in Maharashtra.

Another body blow was delivered to the ruling BJP in Jharkhand, where the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha backed by non-BJP outfits retained both the Assembly berths  Gomia and Silli. In Silli, Seema Mahto wife of outgoing JMM MLA Amit Mahto, defeated her nearest rival, party president of AJSU (a BJP ally in the state) Sudesh Mahto by a margin of 13,508 votes. In Gomia, JMM candidate Babita Devi also retained the berth by defeating AJSU candidate Lambodar Mahto by a narrow margin on 1,355 votes.

While the BJPs ally NDPP managd to score a victory in Nagaland, the JD(U) yet again lost to Lalu Yadavs RJD in Bihar. The RJD candidate won the Jokihat Assembly berth by defeating the JD(U) by a huge margin of over 41,000 votes. After JD(U) chief and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar shifted to the NDA, both his outfit and the BJP suffered electoral losses in bypolls held in March. During the March byelections in Bihar, the BJP had lost the Araria Lok Sabha seat and the JD(U) the Jehanabad Assemby berth to RJD candidates.

In West Bengal the Trinamul Congress continued its victory march by winning the Maheshtala Assembly seat. In Kerala, however, the CPI(M) invaded the Congress bastion and won the Chengannur Assembly berth.

Commenting on the results, senior BJP leader and Union home minister Rajnath Singh has said that one has to take two steps backward before a big leap. Asked about the BJPs performance in these byelections, Mr Singh said in Bhopal: For a massive leap, one always has to go two steps backward... (And) we are going to take a massive leap.

Speaking in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal chief minister and Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee said that these byelection results had signalled that the death knell for the BJP has been sounded and that the federal front formula she had mooted was a success.

The beginning of the end has started from Uttar Pradesh, she told reporters, saying that UP will play a crucial role in the Lok Sabha polls due next year. If Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawatiji, Ajit Singhji come together, they can reverse the 2014 figures.The Dom community that carries out the cremation rituals has agreed to the Aadhaar clause.

Those who do not have Aadhaar cards will also not be permitted to use the services of motorboats that ferry corpses.

Lucknow: Aadhaar card is now mandatory for cremation of the dead at the Manikarnika and Raja Harishchandra Ghats in Varanasi.

Aadhaar will help us in maintaining records and also the authenticity of the information about those cremated here. People come to cremate the dead from states like Bihar, Jharkhand and even West Bengal. At present, we do not have any mechanism to verify the identity of the deceased and an Aadhaar card will serve the purpose, said Ramesh Chaudhary, one of the caretakers at the Manikarnika Ghat.

According to sources, Aadhaar has been made mandatory in collaboration with the National Disaster Response Force which mooted proper certification for cremation rituals.

The Dom community that carries out the cremation rituals has agreed to the Aadhaar clause.

Those who do not have Aadhaar cards will also not be permitted to use the services of motorboats that ferry corpses. The corpse carrying motorboat services are provided at Manikarnika Ghat by a Gujarat based foundation headed by Sudhansu Mehta and was inaugurated by Union finance minister Arun jaitley in 2015.

The local people of the ancient city, however, feel that initially the new policy will create problems for those wanting to cremate their near and dear ones in the burning ghats of Varanasi.The move comes just days after Akhilesh, his father, moved SC seeking 'appropriate time' to vacate their official residences.

SP chief and former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav was seen shifting to his father Mulayam Singh Yadavs residence. (Photo: Twitter/ANI)

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party (SP) chief and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday vacated his government residence in Lucknow, complying with the order of the Supreme Court.

SP chief was seen shifting to his father Mulayam Singh Yadavs residence, news agency ANI reported.

This comes just days after the Akhilesh, along with his father, moved the apex court seeking "appropriate time" for vacating their official residences allocated by the Uttar Pradesh government.

The former chief ministers, in their plea filed through advocate Garima Bajaj, have sought appropriate time to vacate their official bungalows.

Also Read: Mayawati vacates govt house in UP, not the one she lives in as 'caretaker'

On Wednesday, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati too vacated the government residence. However, she is holding on to a second sprawling bungalow which her party says is a memorial to their founder Kanshi Ram.

he top court had on May 7 held that former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh cannot retain government accommodation after demitting office and had said that a chief minister was at par with a common man once his or her term ends.

The top court had passed the order on a petition filed by an NGO Lok Prahari challenging the amendments made by the Akhilesh Yadav government to the 'UP Ministers (Salaries, Allowances and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 1981'.India also sought assistance to trace Nirav Modi.

New Delhi: The third Home Affairs dialogue between India and United Kingdom, which discussed a host of security related issues and even possible extradition of Vijay Mallya was held on Wednesday, with Indian delegation led by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, while the delegation from Home Office of the UK was led by its Second Permanent Secretary, Ms Patsy Wilkinson.

Sources said, a number of issues covering cyber security, women safety, organised crime, terror financing, and a need to put in place a mechanism for timely exchange of information and intelligence inputs on such issues were discussed. Detailed exchange of views, officials added, took place between the two sides on Indian fugitives and economic offenders living in the UK. The Indian delegation impressed upon the UK authorities the need to expedite the process. India also sought assistance to trace Nirav Modi.

Another important topic discussed was related to streamlining the process of various categories of visas for students and highly skilled professionals.The court also directed it not to take any coercive action against Mr Chidambaram in the matter till then.

New Delhi: Hours after securing protection from arrest in Aircel-Maxis case from a city court, former Union minister P. Chidambaram on Wednesday moved the Delhi high court seeking anticipatory bail in the CBIs INX media corruption case.

Lawyer P.K. Dubey, who filed the plea on behalf of Mr Chidambaram, said that the matter was mentioned in-chamber before a two-judge bench of acting chief justice Gita Mittal and justice C Hari Shankar, which allowed it to be listed later in the day. He said that subsequently, the matter came up before justice S P Garg, who recused from hearing it. Earlier in the day, the senior Congress leader moved his petition for anticipatory bail in the Aircel Maxis money laundering case before Special Judge O P Saini, who directed him to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on June 5 as per the summons already issued by the agency. The court, which also issued notice to the ED seeking its reply by June 5, also directed it not to take any coercive action against Mr Chidambaram in the matter till then.Commenting on the loss, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said, 'Out of over 8 lakh people who voted in Palghar, over 6 lakh rejected the BJP.'

NCP workers celebrate their party's success in BhandaraGondiya Loksabha by-elections, outside their party office, in Bhandara district of Maharashtra on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: The BJP on Thursday lost the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat to the NCP but retained the Palghar seat in the bypolls held in Maharashtra. In Bhandara-Gondiya seat, which the BJP had won in 2014, Madhukar Kukade of the NCP won by 48,097 votes, defeating Hemant Patle of the saffron party.

Kukade polled 4,42,213 votes as against 3,94,116 of the BJP in a direct contest. The bypoll in this constituency was necessitated as BJP MP Nana Patole had quit the Lok Sabha membership as well as the party after publicly criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's style of functioning.

Later he joined the Congress, with which he had been associated earlier. With this win, NCP's number in the Lok Sabha has gone up to five while BJP's number of MPs in the lower house from the state has reduced to 22.

In Palghar, BJP's Rajendra Gavit defeated Shrinivas Wanaga of the party's ally Shiv Sena by 29,572 votes, a state election official said. Gavit polled 2,72,782 votes while Wanaga got 2,43,210 votes in the bypoll which saw a bitter fight between the BJP and ally Shiv Sena, which jointly rule the state and are in alliance in the central Narendra Modi-led government.

Also Read: After Palghar loss, Shiv Sena says discrepancies in counting of votes

The bypoll in this constituency was necessitated because of the death of BJP MP and Shrinivas Wanaga's father Chintaman Wanaga. Baliram Jadhav of Bahujan Vikas Agadhi (BVA) got the third place with 2,22,838 votes, while Kiran Gahla of the CPM secured 71,887 votes.

Damodar Shingda of the Congress finished a distant fifth with 47,714 votes. Shankar Bhaga Badade of Marxist Leninist Party of India polled 4,884 votes. Sandeep Jadhav, the lone independent in the fray got 6,670 votes. There were a total of 17,31,077 voters.

The number of valid votes polled was 8,69,985. There were 16,884 votes for NOTA.

Gavit was in the Congress before joining the BJP and had been a minister in the previous Congress-NCP government. Palghar, on the outskirts of Mumbai, is a Scheduled Tribe reserved constituency.

Commenting on the loss, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said, "Out of over 8 lakh people who voted in Palghar, over 6 lakh rejected the BJP."

Addressing a press conference, he blamed the EVMs and threatened to drag the Election Commission to Court while demanding suspension of the election officers over the sudden increase in voting percentage. He added that while the Sena had never contested in Palghar before, he was in two minds this time as well and the only reason why it decided to do so was to give justice to Shriniwas Wanaga, who was "mistreated" by the BJP.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Election Commission should investigate malfunctioning of the EVMs as the BJP too was affected because "our early morning voters don't return to polling booths after snags in the machines."

NCP said its success in Bhandara-Gondiya was a stamp of approval against the "dictatorial style" of functioning of Modi. NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said the BJP had benefitted in Palghar bypoll due to division of votes. The Congress and the NCP had joined hands to take on the BJP in both the seats.Akhilesh Yadav said it was a victory for the farmers, the neglected, the poor and the Dalits.

'This is a defeat for those who do not believe in democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP,' Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Lucknow: Reacting to BJP's defeat in the Kairana bypoll, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said that it was a defeat for those who do not believe in democracy.

Akhilesh Yadav also added the people of Uttar Pradesh have taught the BJP a lesson for "betraying them." He went on to say that it was a victory for the "farmers, the neglected, the poor and the Dalits".

"I want to congratulate all the people, farmers, Dalits etc. who voted for us. This is a defeat for those who do not believe in democracy. People have given a befitting reply to the BJP. The people who were trying to divide the nation have got a befitting reply," Akhilesh Yadav said.

"People of the state have taught them a lesson for betraying them. Uttar Pradesh government has repeatedly fooled the people. Farmers were told that their loans were waived but instead they lost their lives," the Samajwadi Party president said.

"This is a victory for the farmers, the neglected, the poor and the Dalits," he added.

The joint candidate of opposition parties won the Lok Sabha bypoll in Kairana and the Assembly bypoll in Noorpur.

Akhilesh Yadav thanked the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh, RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary for holding the fort against the BJP in Kairana and recalled the legacy of former Prime Minister Charan Singh.

The SP leader also thanked the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Mahan Party, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Nishad Party, Peace Party, Left parties and the Congress for supporting the opposition candidates in the bypolls.

(With inputs from agencies)The superstar said it was true that the police intelligence failed but that did not mean the infiltrators were not to be blamed.

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth waves at supporters as he comes out of a government hospital after visiting those who got injured Tuticorin police firing, in Tuticorin. (Photo: PTI)

Thoothukudi/Chennai: Superstar Rajinikanth on Wednesday blamed anti-socials for the violence during the anti-Sterlite rally on May 22 that resulted in 13 deaths in police firing and warned that Tamil Nadu would end up as a graveyard if too many agitations disrupt order in the state. He wanted a Jayalalithaa-style iron fist policy to crush the anti-socials as otherwise this state would face serious danger.

Looking visibly annoyed and angry as a couple of reporters heckled him at his media interaction at Chennai airport, asking him to substantiate his allegation about the anti-socials infiltration, Rajinikanth said it was absolutely true that problem started only after the police came under attack from such anti-social elements.

Attacks on policemen should not be tolerated at any time as then there would be no protection for the seven million people in the state, he asserted, before walking away from what was becoming a verbal duel between him and a section of the media.

The reporters were repeatedly quizzing him if he had any evidence of anti-socials infiltrating and also mentioned that the opposition leaders had reacted angrily to his infiltration charge made earlier at his Thoothukudi media meet, saying that the anti-Sterlite protesters felt humiliated that he was branding them as anti-socials. Showing aggressive body language, Rajinikanth said the same kind of anti-socials had infiltrated the Jallikattu protest at Marina to make it violent during the last stage and the pattern was repeated during the IPL demonstration in Chennai.

Now too, the anti-Sterlite protest turned bloody because of the infiltration on May 22 while it had been peaceful for 99 days of continuous agitation by the people, he argued, adding, The people, who participated in the protests, including the fishermen, are innocent.

Asked if the police were not responsible for the bloodshed, the superstar said it was true that the police intelligence failed but that did not mean the infiltrators were not to be blamed. The violent elements infiltrating genuine anti-Sterlite protesters attacked the Collectors office, and torched vehicles vehicles parked in the Sterlite quarters and beat up the police brutally.

Earlier, speaking to reporters at Thoothukudi after meeting those injured in the police firing, Rajinikanth dismissed as mere politics the opposition demand for the resignation of Chief Minister K Palaniswami. If you demand resignation for everything, what (is the purpose)... I dont want to talk about that, he said.

On the other hand, he said, the government should take firm steps against the anti-socials. On that front I laud Jayalalithaa as she kept such elements under check with an iron fist. They should follow her policy and keep them under check, as otherwise it will result in great danger for Tamil Nadu, he said.

To a question, he said he had no confidence in the state government appointed one-man inquiry commission to probe the violence, under retired Madras High Court judge Aruna Jegadeesan.

The actor said constant agitations may not yield solutions whereas the courts could be approached to get any grievance redressed. Agitations often happen in the state, sometimes for genuine reasons but we must be careful against being incited and misled.

He also warned that too many protests could dissuade trade and investors from coming to Tamil Nadu, which would hit the state economy and hurt the employment opportunities for the youth when the farm sector has already been badly affected by water scarcity.

Earlier in the day, when reporters sought his comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi not reacting to the Thoothukudi violence so far, he shot back: The media is so powerful. Ask him, ok.

The actor gave away Rs 10,000 relief to each of the 48 injured persons. He had earlier announced a relief of Rs two lakh each to the families of the 13 deceased.The Kairana byelections are being seen as a testing ground for the unity of the Opposition parties against the BJP.

The results of all the byelections, which were held in four Lok Sabha seats (including Palghar in Maharashtra and one in Nagaland) and 10 Assembly seats across several states, like Jharkhand, West Bengal and Kerala on May 28, will be declared on Thursday, May 31. (Representational image)

New Delhi: Amid tight security arrangements, repolling was held at 122 polling booths in the Kairana and Gondia-Bhandara constituencies of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra respectively and one booth in Nagalands lone Lok Sabha seat on Wednesday. The repolling was ordered by the Election Commission after technical snags in the EVM-VVPAT machines during the byelections held on Monday were reported from these booths. The entire exercise is learnt to have passed off largely peacefully.

While 73 booths under Kairana Lok Sabha seat underwent repolling, votes were cast again in 49 polling booths in Maharashtras Gondia-Bhandara constituency. One booth in Nagalands Aongleden also saw repolling.

The results of all the byelections, which were held in four Lok Sabha seats (including Palghar in Maharashtra and one in Nagaland) and 10 Assembly seats across several states, like Jharkhand, West Bengal and Kerala on May 28, will be declared on Thursday, May 31.

On Wednesday, the Election Commission also announced the biennial polls to three Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala, including the one held by Upper House deputy chairman P.J. Kurien, that are falling vacant on July 1. The election will be held on June 21, for which the notification will be issued on June 4, the poll panel said.

In Kairana, meanwhile, around 80,000 voters were registered in the booths where the repolling was held. The Opposition Samajwadi Party and Rashtriya Lok Dal as well as the ruling BJP had raised claims of the tampering of electronic voting machines (EVMs) at these booths.

The repolling began at 7 am and continued till 5 pm in 23 polling stations at Nakur, 44 in Gangoh and one station at Thana Bhawan in Saharanpur and five in Shamli. The repolling in Kairana saw 61 per cent voter turnout on Wednesday.

On Monday, 54 per cent polling was recorded in Kairana seat, which had fallen vacant following the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh, whose daughter Mriganka Singh is the partys candidate in the bypoll.

Mriganka Singh is fighting the Rashtriya Lok Dals Tabassum Hasan, who is also backed by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.

The Kairana byelections are being seen as a testing ground for the unity of the Opposition parties against the BJP.

In Gondia-Bhandara, after 411 EVMs and Voter-Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) malfunctioned during the Lok Sabha byelection on Monday, the Election Commission had announced repolls in the affected 49 booths. On Wednesday, repolling was held in 49 booths in Sakoli, Bhandara, Gondia, Arjuni and Moregaon in Maharashtra.

The bypoll there was necessitated after sitting BJP MP Nana Patole resigned from the party in December 2017. The BJP has fielded Hemant Patle against NCP-Congress candidate Madhukar Kukde.In Kairana, Tabassum polled 4,81,182 votes, while BJP's Mriganka Singh got 4,36,564 votes.

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday suffered a stunning electoral upset with the joint opposition candidates posting victories in the bypolls for Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly constituencies.

Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes, while Naeemul Hasan of the Samajwadi Party bagged the Noorpur Assembly seat by a margin on 5,662 votes. Both seats were earlier held by the BJP.

The opposition victories follow the BJP defeats in the Lok Sabha by-elections in Gorakhpur and Phulpur in March, and come just a year before the general election.

In Kairana, Tabassum polled 4,81,182 votes, while BJP's Mriganka Singh got 4,36,564 votes, the election office said.

The death of Singh's father, BJP MP Hukum Singh, had necessitated the bypoll. Hasan (48) has now become the first Muslim face from Uttar Pradesh in the 16th Lok Sabha. The RLD candidate, who was supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, established an almost invincible lead by noon.

Also Read: Path for united opposition is clear in 2019: Tabassum Hasan sets to win Kairana

In Noorpur, SP's Naeemul Hasan was backed by the Congress, the BSP and the Aam Aadmi Party. Naeemul Hasan polled 94,875 votes while BJP's Avni Singh got 89,213 votes.

Election for the assembly seat followed the death of Avni Singh's husband Lokendra Singh Chauhan in a road accident in February.

Tabassum Hasan said her victory showed the people were now standing up against the BJP misrule.

Had there be no EVM problem, my victory margin would have been more. I was confident of my victory as I had faith in the people," she said.

She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have no impact in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP's arrogant people say there is no alternative to Modi, but the Almighty always finds a way out and the alliance of opposition parties will come out triumphant against the BJP in 2019."

"My victory has proved that the path of the united opposition is clear in 2019," she said.

Losing BJP candidate Mriganka Singh said, "We were unable to convey the achievements of the Centre and the UP government to the people."

Jayant Chaudhary, RLD's national vice president and son of party leader Ajit Singh, said, "The agenda of those who wanted to win the bypolls by spreading communalism has been rejected by the people.

"In this election, every person said that 'ganna' (sugarcane) and not 'Jinnah' is the issue, he said. He said in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the role of the RLD will be important.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "This is a defeat for those who do not believe in democracy and play divisive politics. The people have given a befitting reply to the BJP, he said.

RLD national spokesman Anil Dubey said, "This victory is not of our party alone, but of the united opposition. With this victory, we succeeded in uniting the society which the BJP attempted to fragment with its divisive politics."

Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma claimed the opposition resorted to communalism and caste to win.

"We believe in working for development and we don't want to contest elections on communal or caste lines," the BJP leader said.

"The opposition is in a state of political unemployment. Hence it is resorting to every trick to ensure the victory of its candidate. We are contesting elections as a part of democracy and will continue to do so and win elections," he said.

Counting of votes for the Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly by-elections began Thursday morning amid tight security arrangements.

Polling for the high-stakes bye-elections to the two constituencies was held on Monday.

In Kairana, repolling was held at 73 polling stations on Wednesday.Health department sources said 18 persons have tested positive for the Nipah virus so far, of whom 16 have died.

Kozhikode: Sixteen persons have lost their lives to the Nipah virus in Kerala, with one more person succumbing to it on Thursday.

Twenty five-year-old Resin, who was under treatment at the Kozhikode Medical college hospital, died on Thursday, official sources said. Health department sources said 18 persons have tested positive for the Nipah virus so far, of whom 16 have died. Two are undergoing treatment.

According to the sources, the number of samples tested for Nipah virus is 196 of which 178 have tested negative. The virus had claimed two lives on Wednesday. In Kolkata, a 28-year-old soldier from Kerala, who was posted at Fort William, Kolkata, died of suspected Nipah virus last week.

He was admitted to the command hospital on May 20, where he died five days later, a Defence spokesperson had said. His samples have been sent for testing at the National Virology Institute at Pune and the results are awaited.

Over 1300 people, who had come in contact with the affected persons before the confirmation of the virus, are under observation. Three fruit-eating bats, their faecal and urine samples have been sent for testing at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal, official sources said.

Earlier, samples of three insectivorous bats caught from an unused well of the Moosa family here, which lost three members to the Nipah virus, were sent to the Bhopal laboratory along with samples of pigs, goats and cattle in a five km radius of the affected area and all of them tested negative, the sources said. The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus.In a video clip widely circulated on social media, an 8-year-old boy can be seen hung upside down and physically assaulted by a 'maulvi'.

The accused teacher identified as Molvi Mushtaq Ahmed Dar, a resident of Batpora Tangmarg, has been arrested. (Photo: Representational)

Srinagar: A teacher has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a minor student at a religious seminary in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said on Thursday.

In a video clip widely circulated on social media, an 8-year-old boy can be seen hung upside down and physically assaulted by a 'maulvi' (religious teacher) of a local Dargah (seminary), a police spokesman said here.

The police have registered a case under relevant sections of RPC and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2013.

The accused teacher identified as Molvi Mushtaq Ahmed Dar, a resident of Batpora Tangmarg, has been arrested, the spokesman said. He said further investigation into the matter was on.The trophy hunter had gunned down a buffalo in South Africa when a second beast from the same herd gored him to death,

The giant beast tore the father-of-three's femoral artery with its horn and he died quickly at the scene of the attack. (Photo: Pixabay)

A South African hunter who had shot a wild buffalo was himself killed by another member of the herd

The trophy hunter had gunned down a buffalo in South Africa when a second beast from the same herd gored him to death,

The 54-year-old Claude Kleynhans, was preparing to load his kill on to a truck when a large male charged at him from out of the bush.

The giant beast tore the father-of-three's femoral artery with its horn and he died quickly at the scene of the attack.

According to reports, the former cop ran a professional hunting operation in Limpopo province and was leading clients on a shoot when he was killed.

Amidst controversies regarding professional hunters, Kleynhans has been described as "one of the countrys finest ethical hunters'" who hunted for both conservation and trophy reasons.

However, at the wake of his death, a number of people tracked his Facebook page down and bombarded it with hate messages with many suggesting his death was karma.

One Sammy Davies took to Facebook and wrote on his wall, Now thats karma for ya, love it when poachers get killed by the animals theyre hunting  may you rest in HELL.

Another user, Sharon Ka wrote, So glad this poetic justice was made. BRAVO! One serial killer less in this world.The market value of the gold, which has been seized, is around Rs. 41.03 lakh.

Earlier this month, the customs officials had arrested 28 Turkmen nationals, including 22 women, for smuggling gold worth about Rs. 5 crore at the airport. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: A Turkmen woman was arrested at the Delhi airport for allegedly trying to smuggle gold worth around Rs. 41 lakh into the country, officials said on May 31.

The 43-year-old accused was intercepted by the customs officials after her arrival from Istanbul on Thursday.

"A detailed personal and baggage search of the passenger resulted in the recovery of multiple gold rings intertwined and crudely given shape of one chain, collectively weighing 1.3 kg, which she had worn around her neck," a statement issued by the customs said.

The market value of the gold, which has been seized, is around Rs. 41.03 lakh, it said, adding that the passenger, who is a native of Turkmenistan, has been arrested.

Earlier this month, the customs officials had arrested 28 Turkmen nationals, including 22 women, for smuggling gold worth about Rs. 5 crore at the airport.

The smugglers had followed the same modus operandi for smuggling gold.The sand loaded in dumper fell on cab, rescue operation lasted for over an hour.

New Delhi: Six people were injured after a sand-laden dumper hit their cab on National Highway 24 on May 30, the police said.

The cab was going towards Kapashera when a traffic police personnel signalled the driver to stop the vehicle, they said. While the driver was stopping the car, the dumper hit the cab from behind and overturned.

The sand loaded in the dumper fell on the cab, the police said, adding rescue operation lasted for over an hour.

This caused a severe jam on the Delhi-Gurgaon route.

The injured have been identified as cab driver Mohd Umar (25), Sanjay Kumar (38), Dukhi Mehto (77), his wife Parmeshwari Devi (75), Akhilesh (26) and Sunita (46), the police said, adding they are undergoing treatment at hospital and their condition is stable.NIA filed chargesheet against Shahid Yusuf for willfully raising, receiving, collecting 'terror funds', holding proceeds of terrorism.

He was the seventh accused against whom a chargesheet had been filed in the case. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed the bail plea filed by Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) chief Syed Salahuddin's son Syed Shahid Yusuf in a Hawala terror funding case.

On April 21, National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against Yusuf in a terror funding case.

The NIA filed the chargesheet on April 20 against Shahid Yusuf, under section 120-B of the IPC and 13, 17, 18, 20, 21, 38 and 40 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, for willfully raising, receiving, collecting 'terror funds' and holding proceeds of terrorism for furtherance of terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

Yusuf, a resident of Soi Bugh village in Budgam district, is a former employee of Jammu and Kashmir Agriculture Department. He was suspended after he was arrested by the NIA.

He was the seventh accused against whom a chargesheet had been filed in the case. The other accused include Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, Mohammad Sidiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo, Farooq Ahmad Dagga, Mohammad Maqbool Pandit and Aijaz Ahmad Bhat.

Out of these seven accused people, five, including Yusuf, are in custody and two namely Mohd Maqbool Pandit and Aijaz Ahmad Bhat are absconding.On Monday evening, Ms Sukhi stepped out for her evening walk when the branch fell on her in Walkeshwar.

MUMBAI: Three days after the branch of an Ashoka tree fell on 91-year-old Lila Sukhi in south Mumbai's Walkeshwar area, leading to her death, the police has registered an accidental death report (ADR) in the case. The police claimed that no one from the deceaseds family came forward to express apprehension about any foul play involved. Meanwhile, the BMC said that the tree was located on private premises.

Dynaneshwar Chavan, deputy dommissioner of police (zone 2) said, The death of the senior citizen seems to be due to natural causes, as the tree falling specifically on Ms Sukhi cannot be intentional. Also Ms Sukhi's family did not come forward to register any formal complaints against any authorities, blaming them for Ms Sukhi's death.

It was very unfortunate and a mere coincidence that the senior citizen died after the tree fell, and we have registered an ADR in the matter. Our mandatory protocol is to probe the matter, and we are doing so accordingly.

An officer from Malabar Hill police station said on condition of anonymity, On Tuesday, when the police approached the Kevalya Math committee members, they said that it was a natural disaster, and it was not their fault. Similarly, when BMC ward D officer was questioned, he said that the tree was on private property and they could not take any action without prior intimation.

On Monday evening, Ms Sukhi stepped out for her evening walk when the branch fell on her in Walkeshwar.State seeks to combat pollution from vehicular emission.

Mumbai: Paving the way for green transportation, the state government has signed an agreement with Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to boost electric mobility in Maharashtra, especially in cities such as Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. As such, the state is looking forward to increasing the movement of electric vehicles to combat pollution from vehicular emission.

As part of the first phase of the agreement, EESL will provide over 1,000 electric vehicles in Maharashtra. UNEP director Erik Solheim stated that government policies, a strong public transport system, encouraging car-pooling and e-mobility must be implemented across states to reduce air pollution.

For the first phase, EESL had floated a global tender for 10,000 electric cars out of which 500 vehicles were to be procured in this phase. Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra have won the bid in the first tender of EESL for 10,000 cars. Initially, the electric vehicles will be used by government bodies, which will later be extended to private and public transport. In the initial phase, the supplied electric cars will be used by government bodies and charging stations are being set up in government offices. Not only it is eco-friendly, but it is also a cheaper alternative as seen in other countries. Even if you charge your car at about Rs 10 per unit, the cost running per kilometre is less than Rs 1 as compared to Rs 5 to Rs 6 for petrol and diesel, said Saurabh Kumar, managing director, EESL.

For the tender of the second phase, EESL is waiting for the finalisation of a new policy on charging stations by the department of heavy industries. Elaborating on consumers behaviour, Mr Solheim told The Asian Age, Were at a turning point, but theres still more to do. Consumers are being held back by ease-of-use issues, specifically driving range and charging points. At the same time, the initial purchase price and longer term cost of ownership are extremely competitive.

E-Vehicles across indian

In agreement with EESL, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat will procure 10,000 EVs and 8,000 EVs respectively.

Presently, around 200 electric cars are operational in Delhi, and another 150 will be added.

The company is in talks Rajasthan, MP and Telangana for supply of electric cars.

The Union government had earlier announced that there would be only electric vehicles on the streets by 2030.The diamond businessman would import cheap quality pearls and sell them at steep rates.

Mumbai: Fugitive diamond businessman Nirav Modi used to sell cheap Chinese factory made pearls as natural sea pearls at jacked up prices to his customers. These pearls were one of the highest selling items of his firms, said Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials. The ED also found that most of these pearls were not even round in shape.

The diamond businessman would import cheap quality pearls and sell them at steep rates. He would hike prices by around 30 per cent and sell them.

Modi owns M/s Stellar Diamonds, M/s Solar Exports and M/s Diamonds R US, which imported pearls and diamonds and sold it not only in India but also overseas. The three companies procured Letter of Undertakings (LOUs) from the PNB fraudulently. PNB was defrauded to the tune of over Rs 13,000 core via 143 LOUs.

These companies are being investigated for their fraudulent operations and jacking up value of substandard goods and selling them at higher rate. The pearls are cheap substitutes of what original pearls are and many were not even in a full round shape, said an ED officer.

The ED has also moved in for getting the property and valuables of Modi seized from Hong Kong. However, the officials said that overseas seizures would take time as it depends on the cooperation of the concerned country.

Modi is currently on the run and has switched to multiple locations from USA to Hong Kong. Though sources in the ED refused to confirm, Modi is supposed to be travelling on a Singaporean passport and was last spotted in London.

The list of seizures now includes the wind farm owned by Modi, which used to sell electricity to Rajasthan state government for a profit of Rs 5 crores per year. The wind farm with four windmills located in Jaisalmer is worth Rs 52.8 crore and generates 9.6 megawatt power. The ED has attached properties worth Rs 7,600 crore belonging to Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, co-accused in the case.Congress leader P Chidambaram requested the former president to enlighten RSS on what is wrong with their ideology.

"One may have ideological differences with RSS, but it is a nationalist organisation. If they invite the former President, there should be no controversy around it," said Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut. (Photo: ANI)

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Thursday said that the party has no issues with former President Pranab Mukherjee accepting the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's (RSS) invitation for an event in Nagpur, adding that there shouldn't be any controversy around it.

"Congress' Mani Shankar Aiyar earlier went to Pakistan and spoke to anti-India outfits. Other Congress members have also talked to outfits like Hurriyat. One may have ideological differences with RSS, but it is a nationalist organisation. If they invite the former President, there should be no controversy around it," Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut told ANI.

"RSS has contributed towards the welfare of the society. So, these discussions have no meaning," Raut added.

His comments come after Congress leaders Ramesh Chennithala and C. K. Jaffer Sharief wrote to Pranab Mukherjee requesting him to refrain from attending the RSS event scheduled later this month.

Congress leader P Chidambaram also requested him to enlighten the RSS on what is wrong with their ideology.

"Now that he (Pranab Mukherjee) has accepted the invitation, there is no point debating why he accepted it. A more important thing to say is, sir you have accepted the invitation, please go there and tell them what is wrong with their ideology," Chidambaram said at an event in Delhi.

The former President will address the Third Year Sangha Shiksha Varga (SSV) on June 7, which is held annually at the RSS headquarters in Nagpur.Vin Diesel will be seen in the fourth installment of the xXx series but the 'Padmaavat' star has not been confirmed yet.

New Delhi: After creating a buzz in Bollywood, seems like Deepika Padukone's 'lungi dance' is all set to cross over seven seas.

D.J. Caruso, director of Deepika's Hollywood debut 'xXx: Return Of Xander Cage', took to Twitter on Wednesday to express his desire to end the fourth film in the franchise with a Bollywood song.

He then said he is considering the 32-year-old's song from 'Chennai Express' for the same.

He wrote, "I want to end xxx4 with and Bollywood dance song. Led of course by @deepikapadukone. Lungi Dance?? Something new?"

I want to end xxx4 with and Bollywood dance song. Led of course by @deepikapadukone. Lungi Dance?? Something new?  D.j. Caruso (@Deejaycar) May 30, 2018

Meanwhile, Vin Diesel will be seen in the fourth installment of the xXx series but the 'Padmaavat' star has not been confirmed yet.Dulat and Durrani closed off their book in March this year.

This book has to be read to be disbelieved. Spy Chronicles: RAW, ISI and the Illusion of Peace has been co-authored by a former chief of Pakistans ISI (retired) Lt. Gen. Asad Durrani, and a former head of Indias RAW Amarjit Singh Dulat.

Such cross-border collaborations are not unknown. Two spring to mind: Diplomatic Divide by Dr Humayun Khan and G. Parthasarathy (2004), and then Divided by Democracy by Meghnad Desai and Aitzaz Ahsan (2005). Diplomats and politicians, however, are expected to talk to each other. Spies like Durrani and Dulat were paid to eavesdrop on one another, not to retire and then together chatter like mynahs.

The book is a candid record, culled by the Indian journalist Aditya Sinha from conversations held with and by Durrani and Dulat in such exotic locations as Bangkok, Kathmandu and Istanbul. Istanbul seems to be a magnet for secret rendezvous. Readers will recall Khurshid Kasuris revelations about his secret meeting there on the rooftop of the Topkapi Palace with his Israeli counterpart foreign minister Silvan Shalom in August 2005.

This book would have been twice as long  over 170,000 words  had some thoughtful editor not conducted a surgical strike on the manuscript. Dulats motive? The toxic, or the intoxicating, mix helped people like me, who had been in and out of hot seats, join post-retirement the ever-expanding club fatuously called the strategic community. No surprise, therefore, that some of us are bursting with wisdom that can hardly wait to be shared. Durrani agrees. Both acknowledge that there will be people in the fraternity who will say how did these s() get so chummy: who was working for whom? After all we have each been a part of licensed skulduggery on either side.

Dulat and Durrani closed off their book in March this year. It is a tribute to their professional skill that their former employers reacted to the book only after its release, as if unaware of its gestation.

Spy Chronicles contains 33 chapters, some surprising, many incendiary, a few embarrassingly disingenuous. (Read Chapter 3: Brotherhood to the Rescue in which Dulat saves Durranis son stranded in Mumbai because of a visa violation.) This book reeks of alcohol. There are at least five references to the beneficial effect whiskey had on lubricating discussions between the unabashed Indians and the bashful Pakistanis. To repeat E.M. Forsters devastating review of the bibulous poet Dom Moraes book Gone Away, one longs for a non-alcoholic edition.

Many years ago, at a briefing session given by a senior officer of the ISI, someone asked him, had he been the DG RAW instead of DG ISI, what would he have feared most from the ISI? He reflected, then replied: For obvious reasons I cannot give you an answer, but the very fact that RAW fears us is a measure of our success.

Perhaps Dulat means it as a back-handed compliment to the ISI when he admits that he would have loved being the DG ISI. His greatest failure was not to be able to infiltrate the ISI, at least at the level where it counts.

Durrani confesses his failure was to not have recognised that the surge in freedom fighting in Kashmir was not a wave of resentment but a tsunami of rebellion.

Spy Chronicles is to be ingested with a pillar of salt which would dwarf Lots wife. How does one check the veracity of Dulats recollection: In Islamabad in 2011, when we got a bottle of Black Label (whiskey) from General Sahebs car and had a drink in my room, he spoke to me about how it would be if we had an understanding. For instance, if Mumbai happened again, there would be an understanding that India would retaliate. And that it could be managed. That India could do what (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi did, a surgical strike. It was interesting. Here was a former ISI chief with a considerable reputation, suggesting to choreograph surgical strikes. How can a person get more candid? Indeed. Candour, Dr Samuel Johnsons once wrote, was but another kind of indirect self-praise, and had its foundation in vanity.

This book will undoubtedly attract many readers, none among them though widows and family members of those who martyred in Kargil and in Kashmir, or anywhere else in the name of India and Pakistan. They died so that their superiors could live and profit from such memoirs.

In December 1971, after the surrender in East Pakistan, senior generals called a meeting of their subordinates to explain away the debacle. A shoe was thrown at the then COAS Gen. Hamid Khan. Retired Lt. Gen. Asad Durrani, HJ, HI(M), has thrown a shoe at his own service and at the self-respect of 220 million of his compatriots. They might prefer not to contribute to his shared royalties.

By arrangement with DawnThe mismanagement of the fuel economy is the latest measure of arrogance as the government brazens it out.

Are both the BJP and the Congress reading the tea leaves wrong for the battle of 2019? In their visceral hatred for one another, they continue to obsess about each other and perhaps this will allow both to be blindsided by the ragtag bobtail army of federal chieftains who are waiting to bushwhack them. Lying as they are in wait to ambuscade them, driven into the ground due to the BJPs heft of majoritarianism over the last four years. Attempts at acute polarisation in West Bengal, use of investigative agencies in Bihar, Muslim bashing in Uttar Pradesh, shoot and scoot politics in Odisha to break Naveen Patnaiks party, muscle-flexing against the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra and Telengana, going back on funding commitments for N. Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh  there are myriad reasons for malcontent against the ruling dispensation in the federated state of India. While one rails about the dynasty, the other rants about the fascist agenda of the RSS and BJP, and neither speaks about development or about lifting the masses of people out of poverty with intent and initiatives. Blinded by rage, the top deck leadership of both parties indulges in cheap name-calling.

The ingrained loathing and personal animosity that the Congress first family shares for the Prime Minister, and vice versa, has been a running saga over these last four years. It has turned into an single-minded obsession on both sides as they attack each other relentlessly, displaying an aversion and hostility seldom seen in politics. Norman Mailer would have summed up the situation like this: Obsession is the single most wasteful human activity, because with an obsession, you keep coming back and back and back to the same question, and never get an answer. So true, because you end up expending energy in trying to convince the electorate that the other is injurious for health. In the process, what we have seen is that the BJP has ended up cloning Congress social welfare economic model, veering left of centre. Of course, one cannot deny that PM Narendra Modi has widened and deepened administrative reform, but failed abysmally when it comes to structural reform. He can take credit for the demonetisation, which was an unmitigated disaster in terms of causing massive demand destruction even as it served the short-term goal of crippling Mayawatis cash economy just before the UP elections. But he cant do the same for an under and ill-prepared GST, which was rammed down the throat of India and has wreaked havoc on small businesses, traders and exporters. For the finance minister was adamant that this reform should be pushed despite the whole world asking for a brief extension.

The mismanagement of the fuel economy is the latest measure of arrogance as the government brazens it out. Their thinking is predicated on the fact that those who can afford Rs 60 can afford Rs 70 and then Rs 80, and so on, even as household budgets turn into wastelands. Excise hikes and VAT have resulted in almost Rs 450,000 crores accruing to the Centre and the states, courtesy a spike in crude prices, but with no respite forthcoming for the common man. The scenario that exists in India currently reminds me of 1989, where the challenger Raja of Manda V.P. Singh discredited PM Rajiv Gandhi, besieged as he was over Bofors, the IPKF action in Sri Lanka, a defamation bill to curb scurrilous writing and criminal imputation, Shah Bano and even the promise of Ram Rajya, breaks free of the Congress to set up the Jan Morcha. Three blocs emerged then too  a tattered and tired Congress under the shadow of Bofors, a fractious but seemingly united Opposition under V.P. Singh and the BJP. V.P. Singh was seen as a messiah with his earthy metaphors and biting sarcasm raising the war cry of Bofors ka Dalal kaun? Rajiv Gandhi  came the response from the groundswell. Accompanied by his comrades in arms Arun Nehru and Arif Mohammed Khan, the splinter targeted Rajiv Gandhi personally very much like what PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi are doing to one another right now.

For the first time since Mrs Indira Gandhis Emergency debacle, the index of Opposition unity manifested itself as the National Front under V.P. Singh won 143 seats, the once invincible but now completely isolated Congress 197, the BJP 85 and the Left 45 seats. Imagine the BJP and Left combined to support the National Front even as Rajiv Gandhi told President R. Venkatraman that he could not form the government. Knowing fully well that there were inherent contradictions in this patchwork quilt, it all fell apart very quickly. It began on the wrong foot. In a dramatic meeting in the Central Hall of Parliament on December 1, V.P. Singh proposed the name of Devi Lal as Prime Minister, in spite of the fact that he himself had been clearly projected by the anti-Congress forces as the clean alternative to Rajiv and their PM candidate. Devi Lal, a Jat leader from Haryana, stood up and refused the nomination, and said that he would prefer to be an elder uncle to the government, and that V.P. Singh should be PM. This stunned Chandra Shekhar, the former head of the erstwhile Janata Party, and V.P. Singhs bete noire within the Janata Dal. Chandra Shekhar, who had clearly expected that an agreement had been forged with Devi Lal as consensus candidate, stormed out of the meeting and refused to serve in the Cabinet. The fissures and knives were out soon. Imagine the Indian Right and Left supporting the centrist forces, the dichotomy burst out in the open. His government fell after V.P. Singh, along with Lalu Prasad Yadav in Bihar, had L.K. Advani arrested in Samastipur (Bihar) and stopped his rathyatra, which was going to the Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya on October 23, 1990, and the BJP withdrew support to the V.P. Singh government, which lost a parliamentary vote of confidence on November 7, 1990. Along came Chandra Shekhar, who broke away from the Janata Dal with 64 MPs, and formed the Samajwadi Janata Party in 1990. He got outside support from the Congress and became the 11th Prime Minister of India. He finally resigned on March 6, 1991, after the Congress alleged that the government was spying on Rajiv Gandhi. The wheel had come full circle, another perilous experiment with coalition truth had been exposed.

Now 27 years later, as you go into the final bend of the grand hustings of 2019 (perhaps even earlier in November 2018 itself), the faux construct of another alliance is in place with the same contradictions and hunger for the top job. The experiment in Gorakhpur and Phulpur, more recently in Karnataka and now in Kairana (UP) and Bhandara-Gondiya (Maharashtra), has shown that when the Opposition presents a united face, then the BJP struggles. These results will add to the confusion. The BJP is thinking that it is fighting the Congress in 2019 and vice versa. Both may fall short of the big number of 272, the BJP marginally and the Congress hugely. It is the regional satraps who will dominate  Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal (42 seats), Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati (80 seats) in UP, the RJD along with the Congress in Bihar (40 seats), Shiv Sena and NCP in Maharashtra (48 seats), Tamil Nadu (39 seats), which may well see a quadrangular contest (DMK vs AIADMK vs Rajinikanth vs Kamal Haasan), Andhra Pradesh (25) where N. Chandrababu Naidus TDP is dominant, Telangana (17 seats), where K. Chandrasekhar Rao calls the shots and Odisha (21 seats), where Naveen Patnaik still rules.

The Congress should do well in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, perhaps New Delhi, where there may be a triangular contest with the AAP and BJP for seven seats. Equally, the BJP will polarise voters and do well in the Hindi Hindu heartland of UP, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka. Despite ruling in 20 states, the BJP has no presence in large swathes of India  two MPs in Andhra, one in Telangana, one in Odisha, one in Tamil Nadu, three in West Bengal, none in Kerala.

In 2014, the BJP got 73 seats along with Apna Dal in UP, 22 in Bihar out of 40, 23 in Maharashtra, 10 in Chhattisgarh, 12 in Jharkhand, 17 in Karnataka, 26 in Gujarat, 27 in MP, 25 in Rajasthan, seven out of seven in Delhi and five out of five in Uttarakhand. A collective federal front, say under the leadership of a Yashwant Sinha and a few more rebels from the BJP, may do a lot better if they get their calculus right. It may well be that the BJP falls short and as a political pariah like Rajiv Gandhi in 1989 becomes the single largest party, but cannot form the government, and the federal front, bickering over who will head the government (because the Congress will want to foist its man), actually ends up in power with the Congress supporting it from the outside. Obviously the pulls and pressures on this type of government will be immense, the internecine sniping in the Republic of Kichdi a given with the ability to combust at any point in time weighed as it will be under congenital contradictions, almost paradoxical.

This scenario has many game-changers, first and foremost remains PM Modis unparalleled popularity and skill as a demagogue, he will obviously be the campaigner in chief and complementing him will be Amit Shahs fabled booth management techniques using tireless karyakartas as the vanguard. As Mark Zuckerberg says, strategy is about making choices; trade offs, it is deliberately choosing to be different. PM Modi and Rahul Gandhi may well have to recalibrate their battle plans, for the India of 2018-19 is different from that of April-May 2014. Growth and development have been consigned to the ashes of history; Hindu majoritarianism, anti-minorityism and hope and fear, dominate the political narrative.The need of the hour is an intelligent system that monitors all the cameras and can send automatic alerts.

Every day thousands of parents all over the country drop their kids off at school and wait anxiously for their little ones to come back later in the afternoon. Adding to their paranoia, are the tabloid headlines. A class X student from a Noida school was slapped by his classmate and subsequently lost his hearing. Another 15-year-old, in Tamil Nadu, teased and bullied by his fellow classmates, decided to hang himself. Last years incident about a 7-year olds brutal murder in a school, still rings loud in every parents ears. These are not isolated incidents rather newspapers are filled with such stories. Another worry that constantly disturbs parents is ragging and bullying. Although UGC goes to great lengths to ban ragging from all schools and colleges, statistics show a saddening trend. A total of 917 cases were registered in 2017 compared to 515 the previous year. However, these dont include the countless cases that go unreported. A child might not always report when he is facing a tough time in school.

This raises the question- are kids safe in school and if not, what can we do to make them safer?

Aditya Mishra from ShepHertz Technologies believes that the need of the hour is an intelligent system that monitors all the cameras and can send automatic alerts. Artiftificial intelligence powered face recognition software could not only detect dangerous objects like knives but could also detect missing students in the class. Also, by using emotion detection and AI, the software could detect cases of fighting or bullying and stop such issues before they escalate. Facial recognition protects the campus by monitoring students and keeping tabs on potential miscreants. Students who indulge in bullying or fighting can be placed on a blacklist and monitored more closely. All these measures should be extended beyond the school premises to the school bus. It is pivotal that students are safe while they commute to and fro from school.

This system can also detect different emotions and can have a wide range of application in the smart surveillance domain. Not only can it safeguard students from any mishaps but will also assist them in academics. In situations where students are found missing during the class time, the system can search for them by their faces and track the students. This way schools can reduce bunking or students loitering around during class hours.

In exams, facial recognition can detect students who are involved in malpractices or cheating activities. During regular lectures, through emotion detection, we can find out whether the students are being attentive. It could be used to find how attentive the students are. Chances are that if a student is attentive less than 5-10 per cent of the time, he could be facing some difficulties possibly depression or some learning disorder. If caught early, these ailments can be treated more effectively.

This can also serve as a one-time solution for access control and attendance for students, teachers, and staff in schools. It will provide a weekly report with a list of students, teachers, and staff who have been missing or have been late. Apart from this, it can authenticate authorised users and generate an auto alert to the essential personnel when an unauthorised person wants to get access. This could be used to secure areas where exam papers are kept and plug paper leaks.

When it comes to the safety and security of children, every second counts. Bone-chilling incidents like murders inside school premises highlight the inadequacy of current human-based solution. Face recognition is, therefore, the final piece in the school security and surveillance puzzle. It conforms to the governments 117-point agenda for school safety which mandates CCTV cameras and detailed records of all visitors. Thus, it is only a matter of time before face recognition becomes mainstream. ShepHertz with its expertise in technologies like machine learning and AI aims to be at the forefront of this change. Incorporating these technologies, we can make schools safer and a place where kids are excited to go. It can give parents peace of mind and make that six hours wait for their children coming back home, a little less stressful.

(source)Mapbox maps are found in Snap Inc's messaging app and the Instacart grocery delivery app.

Mobileye is building its own detailed database of road features that are stored in the cloud.

Mapping startup Mapbox said it is teaming up with Microsoft, Intel and Softbank Groups ARM Holdings chip unit to deepen its push into providing maps for self-driving cars.

Mapbox does not make a mapping app itself. It instead competes against Alphabets Google Maps and HERE Technologies, the map firm owned by a group of companies, to provide the underlying maps inside of other apps. Mapbox maps are found in Snap Inc's messaging app and the Instacart grocery delivery app.

But the Washington, DC-founded startup, which has raised about $228 million from Softbanks Vision Fund, DFJ Growth and others, has been pushing into providing tools for software developers who are making the software for self-driving cars.

Our main focus has been in making maps for humans, Chief Executive Officer Eric Gundersen told Reuters in an interview. But maps for self-driving cars are read by the cars computers and need more detailed data, he said.

At an event it held for software developers in San Francisco, Mapbox announced a handful of partnerships designed to make its technology more useful for self-driving cars.

One of Mapboxs products is software that lets either a mobile phone or a cars computer see the road as the car drives, picking out things like lanes or speed-limit signs. The company said it will weave that software together with an offering from Microsoft.

The combination will let drivers in the car see real-time events like speed limit changes but then split off some of the camera data and send it to Microsofts cloud computing service, Azure. Once there, the data can be processed later by powerful servers to help improve the algorithms that help self-driving cars navigate.

Separately, Mapbox is also working with chipmaker ARM to optimise its self-driving vision software so features detected by ARMs chips can be recognised as lanes, pedestrians and road signs even faster. In one form or another, ARMs chips power the majority of mobile phones, tablets and other mobile computers that are making their way into cars.

Mapbox is also pairing with Intels Mobileye self-driving unit, which the chipmaker purchased last year for $15.3 billion.

Mobileye is building its own detailed database of road features that are stored in the cloud. Mapbox has built software that will live in cars to beam down Mobileyes data without hogging up mobile data bandwidth. Cars that use the system will get a constant map ahead of about 200 metres (660 ft), providing a key backup to the cars onboard sensors, the companies said.Kim Kardashian met with Donald Trump to discuss prison reform and sentencing.

The reality star entered the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue wearing a black suit and canary yellow stilettos, an AFP photographer witnessed. (Photo: Twitter | @realDonaldTrump)

Washington: Days away from a historic summit with North Korea's mercurial leader, US President Donald Trump held a White House meeting Wednesday with another famous Kim -- reality TV star Kardashian -- to discuss prison reform and sentencing.

The reality star entered the grounds of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue wearing a black suit and canary yellow stilettos, an AFP photographer witnessed.

Kardashian was expected to meet aide Jared Kushner, who has spearheaded stuttering White House efforts at criminal justice reform.

In the end, she met with fellow TV personality, President Donald Trump -- formerly of "The Apprentice" and New York tabloid fame.

"Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing," the president said in a tweet, accompanied by a photograph of the pair in the Oval Office, with Trump flashing a broad grin.

Kardashian, 37, is known for her socialite TV persona, but has also called for the release of Alice Marie Johnson, a 62-year-old who has been in prison for more than two decades for a nonviolent drug offence.

Fixing tough sentencing laws had been a priority of president Barack Obama's administration, but he failed to win Congressional support, prompting a stream of presidential pardons and clemency actions.

Trump has so far taken a more hardline approach, advocating a "lock-em-up-and-throw-away-the-key" approach to criminal justice.

During his first year and half in office he has pardoned disgraced Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, a Trump supporter who was convicted of violating a court order to halt traffic patrols targeting immigrants.

He also pardoned vice president Dick Cheney's former chief of staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Last month, Kim's rapper husband Kanye West raised eyebrows after tweeting about his "love" for Trump and describing him as a "brother" with whom he shared "dragon energy."Ukrainian police said Babchenko was shot multiple times in the back on Tuesday and found bleeding there by his wife.

Moscow: Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko turned up at a news conference in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev on Wednesday less than 24 hours after police reported he had been shot and killed at his city apartment building. The countrys security services said Babchenkos death was faked to foil a plot to take his life.

Ukrainian police said on Tuesday that Babchenko, a strong critic of the Kremlin, was shot multiple times in the back on Tuesday and found bleeding there by his wife. Authorities said they suspected he was killed because of his work.

Vasyl Gritsak, head of the Ukrainian Security Service, announced at a news conference on Wednesday that the security agency and police had solved Babchenkos slaying. He then startled everyone there by inviting the 41-year-old reporter into the room.

To the applause and gasps of the press, Babchenko took the floor and apologised to friends and family who mourned for him and were unaware of the plan. Im still alive, he said.

Before ushering Babchenko into the room, Gritsak said investigators had identified a Ukrainian citizen who had been recruited and paid $40,000 by the Russian security service to organise and carry out the killing. The unidentified Ukrainian man, in turn, hired an acquaintance who had fought in the separatist war in eastern Ukraine as the gunman.

Babchenko, one of Russias best-known war reporters, fled the country in February 2017 after receiving death threats. He spoke and wrote about leaving the country because of the threats against him and his family. He said his home address was published online and the threats he received were made by phone, email and social media.

Ilya Ponomarev, a former Russian lawmaker who also moved to Ukraine, said on Wednesday that Babchenko continued being threatened after he settled last fall in Kiev, where he worked as a host for the Crimean Tatar TV station. Babchenko did not take the intimidation too seriously, according to Ponomarev.

Moscows annexation of Crimea and support for separatist insurgents in eastern Ukraine were topics on which the journalist was scathingly critical of the Kremlin.The Commission directed to provide assets details within the three days after taking office.

Islamabad: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Wednesday summoned assets details of nominated caretaker Prime Minister Nasirul Mulk and his family members.

The Commission directed to provide assets details within the three days after taking office. The details would be provided on ECPs Form-B.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Opposition leader Khurshid Shah had named former chief justice Nasirul Mulk as the caretaker PM.

The five-year term of the countrys government and National Assembly ends on May 31 (today), after which an interim Prime Minister and administration will take over.

As the government prepares to hand power over to caretaker administration, President Mamnoon Hussain approved July 25 date, which will see Pakistans more than 100 million voters getting the opportunity to vote for both the national and provincial assemblies.

Justice Nasirul Mulk was born on August 17, 1950 in Mingora, Swat. He completed his degree of Bar-at-Law from Inner Temple London and was called to the Bar in 1977.

The now-retired Mulk practiced as an Advocate in all fields of Law for more than 17 years until his elevation as a judge of the Peshawar High Court. He remained PHC chief justice for some time before his elevation as a judge of the Supreme Court.

He is remembered for the way he conducted a contempt case against then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Meanwhile, the ECP made it definite that general elections will be held on July 25 without any delays for any reason.

ECP officials said the elections will not be delayed due to delayed culmination of constituency delimitation.From Kuala Lumpur, the Prime Minister will leave for Singapore where he will deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Modi and Mahathir are expected to deliberate on ways to deepen bilateral relationship in a range of areas, including trade and investment. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Kuala Lumpur: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today arrived in Kuala Lumpur from Indonesia to meet his newly-elected Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad.

Ninety-two-year-old Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia's prime minister on May 10 after leading the opposition alliance to a stunning election victory over the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had ruled Malaysia since 1957.

Modi and Mahathir are expected to deliberate on ways to deepen bilateral relationship in a range of areas, including trade and investment. Modi had announced in New Delhi that on his way to Singapore, he will make a brief halt in Malaysia to meet Mahathir and congratulate the new Malaysian leadership.

From Kuala Lumpur, the Prime Minister will leave for Singapore where he will deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security meet, on Friday.

During his first-ever official visit to Indonesia, Modi held "productive discussions" with President Joko Widodo. The two countries elevated their bilateral ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terror.

India and Indonesia also signed 15 agreements, including one to boost defence cooperation and called for freedom of navigation in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.Oli, who took charge as Nepals PM in February for the second time, said the PM's Office will be made paperless within six months.

Oli said that the ministers can take help from their assistants in operating the laptops for six months. (Photo: PTI)

Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Wednesday warned his new ministers that they will be sacked if they fail to learn how to operate a laptop within six months.

Oli, who took charge as Nepals prime minister in February for the second time, said the Prime Ministers Office will be made paperless within six months.

Speaking during the 12th general convention of Nepal National Teachers Organisation in Kathmandu, he said that anyone at the Council of Ministers who does not know how to operate a laptop will be sacked, the Kathmandu Post reported.

I have already said in the Council of Ministers meeting that we will make the office paperless within six months and the meetings programmes and agenda will be discussed using laptops, said Oli.

He said that the ministers can take help from their assistants in operating the laptops for six months.

We will bid farewell to any ministers failing to operate laptops on their own after six months, he said, adding that the sacked ministers will be given the laptops so that they can learn to operate until their next tenure.

Oli further said the government aims to take strides in making Nepal an information technology friendly country within the time period.by Wang Zhicheng

The plan omits specific details. Sinicization launched by Xi Jinping in 2015, demanding an assimilation of Chinese culture, independence from "foreign forces", leadership of the Communist Party. A new meeting between the Chinese and Vatican delegations at the beginning of June. But few are optimistic. For the Archbishop of Taipei there is no agreement yet. Attention to the "Pastoral Bible", which re-interprets the Gospel, adapting it to communism.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - The Patriotic Association of Chinese Catholics (PA) and the Council of Chinese Bishops (BCCC) have launched a "Five-Year Plan of Development for the Sinicization of the Catholic Church in China". The plan was approved by acclamation in the Fourth Joint Meeting of the two national bodies, held last week, attended by the leaders of the two organizations, neither of which are recognized by the Holy See.

In his address to the gathering, Yu Bo, vice director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, explained that " The 4th coalition meeting is to implement deeper the spirit of the Ninteenh National Congress of the Communist Party in October 2017 and the spirit of the National Conference on Religious Work in April 2016, and to focus on the deliberations of a five-year plan to advance sinicization of the China Catholic Church".

The "sinicization" of religions and of the Chinese Catholic Church has been a constant theme since 2015, when President Xi Jinping took part in a meeting of the United Front (the body that should oversee all the non-communist realities of China) . It involves:

a) increasing assimilation of Chinese culture into religious expression, eliminating "foreign influences";

b) "independence from foreign influence" (which means to do without the mandate of the Holy See for episcopal ordinations);

c) submission to the Party because it must "guide" religions and must "hold firmly the role of leadership in all religious activities".

No details of the 5-Year Outline were mentioned in the May 22 news release of the CCPA-BCCCC website. Even in the previous three coalition meetings, which have been devising contents for the Sinicization of the China Catholic Church, the CCPA-BCCCC website also gave no details. Some Catholic observers believed it was perhaps not to offend the Vatican, as China and the Vatican is undergoing negotiations and some illicit bishops in the national Church bodies are waiting for the Pope to absolve them.

However, a news report of the "Minzu Bao" (the official journal on religious and ethnic topics) of July 25 2017 on the first coalition meeting offered glimpses. It said the plan will be undertaken through five aspects. Based on a sincized Catholicism, it will

1. take unified action to link up the development of the China Church;

2. understand the history of the China Church;

3. drive theological research of the China Church;

4. pay emphasis on implementation in advancing evangelization and pastoral work;

5. focus on the manifestation of a sinicized China Church in architecture, arts, and liturgy.

The Fourth Common Meeting took place just as ecclesial sources in China and outside the country say that next week there will be a new round of negotiations between China and the Vatican. Last February, rumors had spread that there would be a meeting between the Chinese and Vatican delegations in March, but none took place. It was even rumored that if everything gets set in this early June meeting, another round would take place in late June for the signing of the accord.

In general, Chinese Catholics do not seem optimistic about the signing of the agreement. Violence against the Church has emerged in recent months (ban on minors going to church in Henan, destruction in Xinjiang, etc. ...). In addition, on the internet, anonymous bloggers revealed a name list of about 20 bishops that the Holy See appointed before and after the China-Vatican negotiations resumed in 2014, implying the Holy See breached consensus in the negotiations.

In an interview with the South China Morning Post on May 18, Msgr. John Hung Shan-chuan, Archbishop of Taipei, said that the Pope told him that he would not compromise Catholic principles for the negotiations and that the power to appoint bishops must remain in the hands of the pontiff. For this, concludes Msgr. Hung, there is still no final agreement on the dialogue.

The "Sinicization" plan also involves the Protestant Church and was approved last April. Rumors have spread that the Communist Party would like to "rewrite the Bible". In fact, according to Protestant scholars, this idea is ridiculous, but Christians should pay attention to attempts to re-interpret the Bible, as happened in the recent past in Latin America, when the "Pastoral Bibles", which tried to re  interpret the Gospel message by bringing it closer to the communist ideology.by Mathias Hariyadi

The Israeli Department of Border Control has made it clear that the provision will also apply to those already in possession of a regular tourist visa. Catholics and non-Catholics were not preparing to take advantage of the next days of national holiday to visit the Holy Land. Catholic tourism operator: "It is a political problem, but we are all affected".

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - The Tel Aviv government has ordered the revocation of tourist visas for Indonesian visitors, starting next June 9th. The provision is a possible retaliation for Jakarta's alleged decision to prevent Israeli citizens from entering the country in response to the violence in Gaza. Indonesia had harshly criticized the killing of over 100 Palestinians during the protests that followed the opening of the US diplomatic representation in Jerusalem.

On the basis of an order issued by the Foreign Ministry (photo 2), the Israeli Border Control Department made it clear yesterday that the provision will also concern Indonesians who already hold a regular tourist visa. The Jakarta government has not yet issued official statements on the matter. Indonesia and Israel do not have diplomatic relations, but until now both had allowed the entry of citizens of the other country, for tourist or business reasons. The Indonesians have for years been able to visit Israel to take part in religious pilgrimages. The Israelis have instead been able to exploit what is referred to as "call visa" or "limited stay".

The Tel Aviv decision surprises and pains above all the Christian community of the most populous Islamic country in the world. Catholics and non-Catholics were preparing to take advantage of the days of celebration that the Indonesian government grants on the occasion of the Eid al Mubarak, which will close Ramadan next June 15, to visit the Holy Land. Citing the latest data from the Forum of the Indonesian tourist association, a Catholic sector operator, who prefers to remain anonymous, tells AsiaNews that every year about 20,000 Indonesian pilgrims (photo 1) go to Israel.

"In recent weeks, we had organized the trip to the Holy Land for dozens of groups - he says - the tickets have already been issued, as well as hotel bookings. Everyone was ready to leave during the holidays for Eid al Mubarak, but it is almost certain that we will not be able to make the planned trip. This problem is above all political, but we are all seriously affected by the decisions taken by the two countries. For any tourist agency, this is a disaster and we're really worried about the future consequences."Triennial assembly was held in Chennai (27-30 May) centred on the Church going forth to meet the material and spiritual needs of people living on the margins of society. Participants reiterated their unity at a difficult time in Indias political life. Media turn a pastoral letter by the archbishop of Delhi into a Vatican plot.

Chennai (AsiaNews)  The Conference of Religious India held a meeting in Chennai (Tamil Nadu) from 27 to 30 May. Participants agreed that, despite criticism of Christians, they will continue to work together for the good of the country.

Speaking at the event, Mgr Theodore Mascarenhas, secretary general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI), reiterated the importance of Church unity, stressing the need for everyone  bishops, Caritas, religious and laity  to work together.

Speaking to AsiaNews, Fr Rayarala Vijay Kumar, regional superior of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME), said that that the meeting provided an opportunity to talk about the countrys political situation, ahead of next years general elections.

The venue also gave participants a chance to reiterate the commitment of the Catholic Church to the needy people of India, Fr Kumar said, not only their material needs, he added, but spiritual ones as well."

The general assembly of superiors of religious  male and female  congregations is held every three years. About 550 superiors and representatives of Church hierarchies were present at this years meeting, including Mgr Giambattista Diquattro, apostolic nuncio to India and Nepal.

"One thing we greatly appreciated was the fact that the nuncio stayed for all four days, Fr Kumar said. He spoke to at least with 250 men and women religious. This shows the Vatican's interest in India."

Taking a cue from a topic dear to Pope Francis, the Assembly discussed "the Church going forth", i.e. "the Church going out to the edges (or peripheries) of society, Fr Kumar explained. It means finding the Lord in those who thirst for him, the marginalised, and lend a helping hand to those in need."

With the term edge (or periphery), "we mean being on the margins  the needy, the poor, the sick  but also spiritual, that is, those who live in the misery of the spirit, whether rich or poor".

Fr V. M. Thomas, a former CRI president, was one of the first to speak. He highlighted the challenges the Indian Church has to face at a very delicate moment in the country's political life.

"With my address I wanted to raise awareness about the issues we are facing, Fr Thomas said. Many are afraid of the lack of freedom of expression. The problem is that anyone who criticises the government is accused of being anti-national, not only Christians, but Muslims and even Hindus."

For him, India has "one the most beautiful democratic institutions in the world and we must respect the values contained in the Constitution".

The meeting coincided with a pastoral letter from the archbishop of Delhi, Mgr Anil JT Couto that is still sending ripples across the country.

In it, the prelate addresses the faithful of his diocese, asking them to pray and fast for a year ahead of the 2019 general elections because of the "turbulent political climate". This sparked a debate inside the nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Some of his prominent members, including President Amit Shah, told the prelate to stay away from political issues and accused him of trying to divide the electorate over sectarian issues.

Others, including BJP members, reiterated the principle of freedom of expression. One of them is Francis D'Souza, Goa's Minister for Urban Development, who said that the Church has every right to lead her people.

Some sources warn though that the country is increasingly polarised. The nationalist party is asking everyone to be loyal to the government and Hinduism. This is means drifting towards a dictatorial government.

State media also seem to be supporting the attempt to split society by manipulating information. On television and in newspapers, the letter of the archbishop of Delhi was presented as a Vatican initiative against the Hindu majority, or even worse that Pope Francis was against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In so doing, the whole issue is manipulated, turning the appeal to pray into a plot by the pontiff, thus undermining the foundations of Christianity and increasing hatred against Christians. The goal is to drive out all Christians and create a Hindu nation.He will also have to pay a fine of 235 thousand euros and spend another three years on probation. His online posts undermine "the status and prestige" of the country and "its symbols". The international press banned from attending trial. The accusation of "conspiracy" with a "terrorist organization" dropped.

Abu Dhabi (AsiaNews / Agencies) - A court in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has sentenced Ahmed Mansoor, one of the most famous internal opposition leaders to 10 years in prison and fine of 235 euro. The human rights defender and well-known blogger was arrested in March of last year in his home in 'Ajman for having criticized the leadership in power and clouded the image of the country through a series of posts published on the internet and social networks.

The judges who imposed the sentence also determined that he will have to spend three years on probation after leaving prison. Two local newspapers, The National and Gulf News, reported the sentencing, because the international press could not attend the trial, confirming an increase in censorship and a growing iron fist by the royal families towards critical voices.

According to the ruling, the 48-year-old dissident leader was convicted of undermining "the status and prestige" of the Emirates "and its symbols". He also harmed relations between Abu Dhabi and the Gulf area nations. The court, on the other hand, dropped charges of "conspiracy" with an unspecified "terrorist organization".

His arrest had raised a wave of indignation and international protests. To justify the arrest, the prosecutor in charge of the fight against cybercrime has accused Mansoor of using the network to "publish false information" and spread "tendentious ideas to sow sedition and sectarianism" and "attempt at national unity".

Ahmed Mansoor was the only independent voice, not yet in prison, to speak through his blog and Twitter account of human rights violations within the country. He suffered repeated death threats, intimidation and harassment by the UAE authorities and its supporters. His computer, phone, email and Twitter account have all been repeatedly hacked.

In 2011, when he was sentenced to three years in prison for "offenses to public officials" in the context of the revolts that broke out during the Arab Spring, he was attacked and threatened with death by government supporters. In 2015 he won the prestigious Martin Ennals prize for human rights defenders.Several projects are planned, including the reopening of a church on the outskirts of the French capital and the restoration of an abbey near Lourdes. In his meeting with Macron, the prelate discussed current political issues, ranging from the Syrian refugee crisis to the preservation of the Christian presence in the Middle East.

Paris (AsiaNews)  Under the impulse of love and truth, the official three-day visit to France of the Maronite Patriarch, Card Beshara al-Rahi, represented a real "spring" for French Christians.

This renewed vitality in pastoral care and evangelisation in an increasingly secularised West was marked by the reopening of a long disused church and the start of new cultural and social projects.

Amid the official events, including the first face to face meeting with French President Emmanuel Marcon, and the visit to the Maronite communities, the cardinal inaugurated some of the most important projects that will animate the future of the local Maronite Church.

This included the reopening of the Church of the Most Holy Saviour in Issy-les-Moulineaux, on the outskirts of Paris, and the establishment of a Maronite community near Lourdes.

After years of neglect, the church of the Most Holy Saviour is now used once a week for Mass and is at the centre of a broader initiative aimed at setting up a trilingual school under the direction of the College of Our Lady of Jamhour (Beirut).

This reflects the image of civilisations encounter envisaged by John Paul II in his encyclical "Orientale lumen", which stressed the meeting between the Churches of the East and the West. The two are distant for historical reasons but are driven more than ever to join forces against the growing challenges of secularism and fundamentalism in the Middle East and the world.

The second project involves the renovation of an old abbey, the Saint-Pe-de-Bigorre, about 15 minutes from Lourdes. The historic building will serve as a home for spiritual retreats and a reception centre for pilgrims to Lourdes or Santiago del Compostela.

The venue will boost the Maronite presence in the Pyrenees region and host religious educational seminars. Local agricultural products will also be grown inside it.

In addition to its religious aspect, the patriarchs visit to France had a political component, which took the form of meetings between Al-Rahi and French officials, including President Macron.

The prelate spent an hour with the French leader focusing on four main issues: the three international conferences on Lebanon promoted by France (CEDRE), Syrian refugees in Lebanon and the disastrous and no longer sustainable consequences for the country, the Lebanese model of coexistence between religions and cultures, and the need to preserve the Christian presence in Lebanon and the region.

In particular, Patriarch al-Rahi insisted on the need for "an immediate return" of Syrian refugees "to the safe areas of their country".

Lebanon, he warns, "will not be able to endure the presence on its territory of 1.5 million Syrians (in a country of 4 million people), to which must be added the Palestinian refugees" who have lived in Lebanon for so long.

For this reason, the support of France and all the member states of the European Union is increasingly important to overcome the crisis.

Finally, the patriarch reminded Israel that "peace is built with peace" and that Lebanon "has already paid enough" for a policy based on violence.by Lawrence Jangma Gam

Led by Card Charles Maung Bo, a delegation of Religions for Peace, visited Rakhine. The religious representatives visited refugee camps and local ethnic communities. Between May 22 and 25, they came together to express a shared response to the challenges facing the country.

Naypyidaw (AsiaNews)  Major national and international religious leaders are calling for peaceful reconciliation of the various groups involved in Myanmars ethnoreligious strife.

A few days ago, Card Charles Maung Bo, archbishop of Yangon, led a delegation representing Religions for Peace (RFP) to Rakhine State in western Myanmar.

Between May 26 and 28, top members of the worlds largest and most representative interfaith organisation visited the areas around the cities of Sittwe, the capital of Rakhine, and Maundaw.

Violence broke in the area in August 2017, following a series of attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and the consequent response by Myanmars security forces.

The delegation arrived in Maung Taw on the first day accompanied by top government officials, such as Religious Affairs Minister Thura U Aung Ko and Rakhine Chief Minister U Kyaw Aye Thein.

The city is on the border with Bangladesh, where some 700,000 Muslims and hundreds of Hindus found refuge in the Hla Hpo Khaung Kya camp after fleeing violence. This is one of the newly built facilities to accommodate returning refugees.

The visitors were welcomed by U Khin Maung Tin, deputy minister of the State Counsellor Office, which is headed by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Project engineer and Maung Taw district administrator U Ye Htut briefed the delegation about the plan to host the refugees, how the camp is being built and how refugees will be received. He answered their questions. At the end of meeting, the delegation drove around to see things closer.

The group then headed to the Taung Pyo Lat Wae camp, where they were briefed by its administrators, deputy director U Soe Tun and director U Ko Thaw of the Ministry of Labour, population and immigration. The latter provided information about the camp, the registration process, and the issuance of RV cards.

The delegation later visited the friendship bridge between Myanmar and Bangladesh and some government offices where officials provided information about immigration, biometric data collection and healthcare for refugees.

The religious leaders met with Hindu victims of ARSA at Maung Taw district General Administration Department (GAD) meeting hall.

They heard the former hostages tell their stories about their captivity and the conditions in the camp. RFP president U Myint Swe gave them a cash donation.

Afterwards, Card Bo and the other members of the delegation left for Pan Taw Myae, a recently rebuilt Muslim majority village where the local administrator briefed them about local social and economic conditions. The visitors also quizzed the local official about primary and Islamic education in the village.

Finally, the RFP delegation visited two other villages, inhabited by ethnic Myo and Kain Gyi.

At the start of the crisis, the terrorists attacked the Myo population, which thanks to government support was able to rebuild its settlement. The meeting focused on food security, education and peaceful coexistence between the two communities.

After this meeting, the interfaith group returned to Sittwe.

The Rakhine visit by the RFP shows the commitment of religious leaders to the difficult path of reconciliation in Myanmar. On 25 May, Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmars Foreign Minister received Card Bo and the other 18 members of the RFP delegation (pictures 2 and 3).

The latter handed over a Letter to the Peoples of Myanmar to State Counsellor Suu Kyi  it contains a joint appeal for peace and development in the country.

Earlier in the week, between 22 and 25 may, Card Bo hosted Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Muslim leaders in Yangon (picture 1) for a meeting centred on understanding the religious, cultural, political and socio-economic challenges that await the nation and to find a shared response, convinced that only dialogue and common action can open the path to peace.The appointment of Msgr. Henryk Hoser is "indefinite". It is an "exclusively pastoral" task that "has the purpose of ensuring a stable and continuous accompaniment of the parish community of Medjugorje and of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage, whose needs require special attention".

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis today addressed the issue of Medjugorje, naming Msgr. Henryk Hoser, S.A.C. special apostolic visitor for the parish of Medjugorje, "indefinitely and ad nutum Sanctae Sedis", that is, until the Pope decides otherwise.

Msgr. Hoser, Archbishop-bishop emeritus of Warszawa-Prague (Poland), had already received the post of Holy See Special Envoy for the parish from Francis, a mission that recently concluded.

The Vatican stated that it is an "exclusively pastoral" task, in continuity with the previous mission, entrusted to Msgr. Hoser on 11 February 2017. "The mission of the Apostolic Visitator is to ensure a stable and continuous accompaniment of the parish community of Medjugorje and of the faithful who go there on pilgrimage, whose needs require special attention ".

The story of Medjugorje began June 24, 1981 when two girls saw a woman with a child in her arms, who identified herself as Our Lady. Over the years, the two girls have joined other people who claim to have seen the Virgin, bringing to seven the number of visionaries, who claim to have visions and daily messages. The alleged apparitions were denied by the then bishop of Mostar and his successor. Faced with the growth of the number of faithful, pilgrimages and even economic interests, there have been controversies, medical examinations on the seers, and interventions by the political authorities.

In 2010 the Holy See established a special commission of inquiry, the conclusions of which, although not officially published, would have considered only the first apparitions to be authentic.

Pope Francis, who is responsible for defining the position of the Church, has not formally expressed himself, but on several occasions has appeared quite critical. Most recently, in November 25, 2016, he spoke of a Madonna who like a "post office mistress sends a different letter every day, saying: 'My children, do this and then the next day do that.' No, this is not her. The true Madonna is that which generates Jesus in our heart, she is Mother ".By Sunanda Creagh, Head of Digital Storytelling

Cindy Zhi/The Conversation NY-BD-CC, CC BY-SA

Today on Trust Me, Im An Expert, were bringing you the explainer episode - where we ask researchers to unpack some truly tricky topics.

The University of Queenslands James Sherlock explains what psychology can reveal about why people like pimple popping and ingrown hair removal videos. Theyre more popular online than you may realise, as a quick YouTube search for words like pimple or blackhead will attest - but be careful, theyre not for the faint of heart.

And by the time youve finished this episode, youll be able to explain quantum mechanics in a nutshell - how it affects everything from the way your jeans are cut to the headphones youre using to hear this podcast.

Andrew White, a professor in physics at the University of Queensland, gives us a great little primer on how far quantum mechanics has come, why the research hit a wall, and what exciting breakthroughs might be just around the corner.

But first, well hear from Raffaello Pantucci, a Kings College London expert on lone actor terrorism. He talks about what the research says about this troubling phenomenon, and why police never use the phrase lone wolf to describe it.

Trust Me, Im An Expert, out at the start of every month, is a podcast from The Conversation, where we bring you stories, ideas and insights from the world of academic research. Find us and subscribe in Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts or wherever you get your podcasts.

And lastly, if you like this podcast and want to help keep it on air, please consider making a contribution during our two-week donations campaign.

Additional audio

Kindergarten by Unkle Ho, from Elefant Traks

Hip Horns With Drums by (none given), from Free Music Archive

Somnolence by Kai Engel, from Free Music Archive

Heaven Beyond the Trees by Squire Tuck, Free Music Archive

La tapa del domingo by Circus Marcus, from Free Music Archive

PIMPLE/BLACKHEAD POPPING: REACTION WARNING, Day with James, YouTube.

CNN - The challenges of lone-wolf terrorists

Vignesh Ram - World mourns following Norway tragedy

BBC - Broadcast from Westminster terror attack

ABC News - Sept 20, 2001 - Bush declares war on terror

ABC News (via Fairfax) - Malcolm Turnbull press conference on the threat of lone-actor terror

Originally published in The Conversation.I am currently here on a WHV that ends Nov 2018. I have met someone that I want to be with and therefore would like an extended Visa, preferably permanent.



** When did you meet?



My issues are currently:



1. I am a nurse but feel that my skills assessment will not be positive due to lack of experience and other things.



** It would be wise to spend a few hundred $'s with a RMA to investigate this and other options.



2. Partner Visa - we have not lived together for more than 12 months. I am tempted to lodge the application at the end of my WHV and stay on the bridging Visa and then appeal the decision when its declined - or reapply for another Partner Visa if possible.

Im in WA which does not recognise registered relationships for migration purposes.



** There is no 12 month "living" together requirement for de facto, it is a length of relationship of at least 12 months (dating does not count here).



3. WHV 2nd year - again, tempting, but due to work commitments for the next 5 months im unable to work on a farm. I may be able to though, but 3 months away will be hard.



** 3 months is nothing compared to what many from high rick countries face.



4. I have heard that obtaining a Student Visa / Visitor Visa after a WHV is difficult and risky. I am leaning towards a Student Visa however through Brightannica. I would like to study more anyway, and even although I have a degree already im happy to do a course on a lower level.



** Not a good idea to apply for Student Visa when a Partner Visa is what is really wanted. You also need to show funds for this without relying on the 40 hours per fortnight work rights.I had applied 457 visa via a migration agent then after more than 1 year I got refusal decision from immi department . I paid them a huge amount for them searching the sponsorship for me as well. During that time if I do not ask for information they won't tell me anything, even when the sponsor was refused they did not notice me and the big thing is they have no employment contract for me! I am now just have 2 weeks visa till it expried. They appeal my case to AAT without nomination application. Their purpose is extend my visa BVA and want to apply TSS for me by getting BVB let me go oversea a few days then they'll apply it. I don't think it's a great thing they can do for me, I am now just want to get refund or suit them because what they did are terrible job and ruin my life! Is there any advice what should I do in this situation?

Thanks alot!I think we will be ok regarding the genuine & ongoing relationship.

S\we met while she was visiting Sydney, she has visited here on a tourist visa - 2 year multiple entry, can she make enquiries about potential employers??

I know she is not allowed to work, she just wants to see what's available and what potential employers may want etc.There is always the possibility of a VAC increase on 1 July, so if you are able to lodge now, you should do so.



Keep in mind that the online system often gets overloaded in the last week of June and will also shut down completely at times to allow for updates and maintenance.



If you are unable to lodge before 1 July, you'll just have to take your chances on whatever happens to the the VACs as well as any other changes.



There is little you can do about it.Thank you for reading!

Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.Joseph Luiz can be reached at 395-7368 or by email at jluiz@bakersfield.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @JLuiz_TBC.Unfortunately, our website is currently unavailable in your country. We are engaged on the issue and committed to looking at options that support our full range of digital offerings to your market. We continue to identify technical compliance solutions that will provide all readers with our award-winning journalism.The Bible has been under attack in the western world for over 200 years but never more intensely than today. These attacks have taken different forms and have come from many different corners of the academic world, from philosophers, to scientists, to textual critics. In the specialized world of archaeology the attacks have increased dramatically in the past 50 years. Once a specialization filled with Bible believing individuals, the field of archaeology is now overrun with atheists and skeptics, agnostics and those committed to the destruction of the Bible as a source of true historical information.

These attacks on the Bible are a part of a sweeping movement in western culture. Spearheaded by academic elitists in the university and the public educational system, the news and popular media, and the entertainment industry, these revisionists cloak themselves with supposed objectivity, purity of motives, and the superiority of science over the "uninformed", "unscientific", religious community.

They regularly mock those who question their world-view and their conclusions by name-calling and the worst forms of anti-Bible and anti-Christian propaganda. They have powerfully infected the church by turning Bible believing Christians against the very Scripture which is the foundation of truth and life in this world. Instead of contending for the Bible, Christian academics, pastors, and lay-persons are making egregious accommodations to these destroyers of faith and truth.

In these days of intense spiritual battle, God has called ABR to step into the gap to contend for the truth and to assist the church in this critical hour. ABR is a non-profit ministry dedicated to demonstrating the historical reliability of the Bible and to give answers to questions being asked by believers and non-believers alike. We do this by using original archaeological fieldwork and research along with studies in other apologetic disciplines. We take on the bold claims of skeptics and critics. We challenge the bizarre anti-biblical propaganda that is purveyed upon the public as gospel through television and print media. We uphold the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is God's message for the salvation of all mankind!For Immediate Release, May 31, 2018 Contact: Collette Adkins, (651) 955-3821, cadkins@biologicaldiversity.org Lawsuit Targets Washington's Cruel Killing of Black Bears on Timberlands State Agency Illegally Authorizes Hunting Methods Banned by Voters SEATTLE The Center for Biological Diversity sued the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife today to stop its illegal program of using inhumane and unsporting methods like bait, traps and hounds  outlawed by state voters  to kill hundreds of black bears on private timberlands. Its so sad that Washingtons bears continue to be killed by barbaric methods banned by the states voters, said Collette Adkins, a Center biologist and attorney who represents the environmental group in the lawsuit. State wildlife officials need to stop this illegal program that allows a small group of hunters to shoot bears over bait, chase them with hounds and catch them in traps. After emerging from hibernation in the spring, hungry black bears sometimes peel the bark from trees to eat the calorie-dense sapwood. Even-aged stands of trees in industrial forests lack other natural food sources and are particularly vulnerable to damage from bears seeking to replenish their depleted fat stores. The fish and wildlife department purportedly authorizes the killing of black bears to protect commercial timber stands from black bears. But without any evidence that the program targets tree-damaging bears, the department has created a private hunting season for a favored group of hunters, allowing them to kill bears using methods outlawed by the states voters. In 1996 and 2000, Washington voters approved Initiatives 655 and 713, which banned the killing of black bears using bait, dogs and traps. The initiatives contained limited exceptions for targeting animals that cause property damage. The lawsuit notes that the departments program does not fall within these narrow exceptions. In passing initiatives to ban these heartless hunting practices, voters said clearly that inhumane bear-hunting methods arent acceptable in Washington, Adkins said. The fish and wildlife departments bear-killing program is cruel, ineffective and ecologically harmful. We need to stop it. Since 2010 the department has authorized the killing of approximately 900 black bears using bait, dogs and traps on private commercial timberland. Along with in-house counsel, attorneys at the law firm of Lane Powell are representing the Center in this litigation.For Immediate Release, May 31, 2018 Contact: Jeff Miller, (510) 499-9185, jmiller@biologicaldiversity.org Rare Southern California Alpine Flower Declared Recovered Hidden Lake Bluecurls Are an Endangered Species Act Success Story LOS ANGELES The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has announced the recovery of the Hidden Lake bluecurls, a rare alpine wildflower from Southern California, and the removal of the plant from the endangered species list. This small mint plant with blue flowers is found only on the shores of a single high-elevation, seasonal lake in the San Jacinto Mountains of Riverside County and nowhere else on Earth. The Endangered Species Act has saved another unique species from extinction, said Jeff Miller, a conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. Thanks to this highly effective law, the beautiful Hidden Lake bluecurls can thrive and continue to grace the San Jacinto Mountains. The single population of Hidden Lake bluecurls is on the margins of Hidden Lake, a small montane vernal pool in Mount San Jacinto State Park. The plant was protected under the Endangered Species Act in 1998 because of its extremely limited range and trampling of flowers by hikers and equestrians. With protection the habitat and flower have recovered. The watershed area where the flower grows is now managed as a natural preserve to protect rare plants and wildlife. The Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Parks and Recreation have developed a long-term monitoring and management plan to ensure the flower is protected into the future. Hidden Lake bluecurls seeds have been secured in a seedbank to reintroduce the plant if a catastrophic event were to deplete the natural population. Because of its highly limited range and dependence on wet conditions, climate change poses a potentially dire threat to the flower by increasing the likelihood of severe drought or altered precipitation patterns. Future management and monitoring of the plant is designed to detect potential threats due to changing climate. The Hidden Lake bluecurls joins a growing list of species that have recently recovered with protection under the Endangered Species Act. Since 2016, at least 13 species have been recovered. These include four subspecies of island foxes from Californias Channel Islands, two humpback whale populations, Kentucky's white-haired goldenrod and the Kirtlands warbler in Michigan and Wisconsin. Additional species proposed for delisting or downlisting from endangered to threatened status include the black-capped vireo, the Tobusch fishhook cactus in Texas, the Kuenzler hedgehog cactus in New Mexico, and the Hawaiian goose or nene. Listing a plant or animal as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act leads to science-based measures tailored to prevent its extinction. The Act has been successful in saving more than 99 percent of species placed under its care, despite significant underfunding of the laws vital measures and political attacks maligning the Act itself.More Than 30 Whales Entangled Off West Coast in 2017 The National Marine Fisheries Service reports that at least 31 whales were confirmed entangled off the West Coast in 2017  triple the annual average from before 2014.



For the third year in a row, the most common fishing gear identified on whales came from California Dungeness crab commercial traps. The Center sued the California Department of Fish and Wildlife over the issue in October; our lawsuit is pending.



"California fishery managers have failed to meaningfully address the problem of whale entanglements," said the Center's Catherine Kilduff. "Too many whales are still being killed and injured in crab lines. We're seeing whales without tails. We're seeing whales hauling gear for hundreds of miles. And still state officials refuse to take action."



Read more in the Marin Independent Journal.MultiChoice Africa has announced a Pan-African initiative for the film and television industry, to ignite Africa's creative industries. The MultiChoice Talent Factory will launch with regional academies in Kenya, Nigeria and Zambia.

Touchpoints



This is part of a game changing-era in which creative and production skills will be developed to enable local content be produced and compete with the best across any genre.



MultiChoice Africas main aim is to grow the MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTF) into vibrant, economic centres.The African development story has long been defined by investment in the vast mineral wealth on the continent, leaving our creative industries to fend for themselves on the fringes of economic development for far too long.As a result, the film and television industries have not developed at the same rate as other industries on the continent, and not for a lack of talent, passion or imagination, said Brand De Villiers, CEO of MultiChoice Africa.We are abundantly blessed in these areas, however, the space given for this expression has at best been limited and at worst, been relegated to the fringes of the mainstream economy, leaving in its wake, unfulfilled dreams, unexplored talent and unwritten stories.As an African business, MultiChoice, together with our valued partners and stakeholders across the continent, have collaborated to make a positive socio-economic impact in the communities in which we live and work through the MultiChoice Talent Factory initiative.The MTF initiative will deliver three touchpoints that launch throughout the year, the MTF academies, Masterclasses and the MTF Portal. The first to launch is the MTF Academy, a 12-month educational programme aimed at furnishing 60 deserving, young, talented people who want to work and innovate in film and television production.The MTF Academy students will be provided with skillsets to develop their talent, connect with industry professionals and tell authentic African stories through a comprehensive curriculum comprising theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience in cinematography, editing, audio production and storytelling.The programme will take place at three regional MTF Academies based in Kenya for East Africa, Nigeria for Western Africa and Zambia for Southern African countries and will be overseen by acclaimed local film and TV industry experts, academy directors: Njoki Muhoho in the Eastern Hub; Femi Odugbemi in the Western Hub and Berry Lwando in the Southern Hub.Film making knowledge and skills that translate into enhanced livelihood, is what our youth in the creative industry desire, said Muhoho, MTF Academy director for East Africa.The MultiChoice Talent Factory is the response to this cry. MTF is a 12-month long film making boot camp where the student will be taken on an experiential and practical film-making journey that will result into a highly-competent graduate who is a passionate, employable and an entrepreneurial film maker. My role is to be a catalyst to this process, she added.I am truly delighted to be a part of this great African renaissance, one that will not only tap into Africas latent but grow talent by up skilling our youths so that they can grow our creative industries, said Lwando, MTF Academy director for Southern Africa.This is part of a game changing-era in which creative and production skills will be developed to enable local content be produced and compete with the best across any genre. For Southern Africa, the MultiChoice Talent Factory answers the questions of training and advancement in film production we have asked for a long time and provides us the local content solution we have desired. Nothing can be more rewarding to our creative industries, Lwando added.During the course of the programme, MTF Academy students will produce television and film content that will be aired on our local M-Net channels across the MultiChoice platform including Africa Magic, Maisha Magic East, Maisha Magic Bongo, Zambezi Magic, M-Net and SuperSport to reach African audiences on the DStv and GOtv platforms. Upon graduation from the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy, the MTF student will leave the Academy with the knowledge and skills to contribute professionally to the film and television industry.Professional training is key to success in any occupation. We need interventions like the MTF so that emerging filmmakers are better equipped in the creative processes that has scholarship and technology at its foundation, concluded Odugbemi, MTF Academy director for West Africa. We must consciously build capacity so that our next-generation filmmakers and producers can also create wealth and create employment by being entrepreneurs as well." Call for entry closes 5 July 2018:The latest monthly Global Ad Trends report by Warc takes a closer look at search advertising.

 Muhammad Ribkhan via 123RF.com

Mobile is driving growth in the search market

The four largest players made $101bn last year

Google also dominates user share across desktop and mobile

Click through and conversion rates for search ads outperform online display

Voice and image search have room to grow

Global media analysis: A round-up of search advertising

3.3% average click-through rate (CTR) for search ads4.3% average conversion rate for search ads

17.2% compound annual growth rate for Google's search revenue

17.6% of UK millennials regularly using image search

21.9% search's share of global advertising spend this year

89.3% Google's share of the mobile search engine market

Other new key media intelligence on Warc Data

Latest results provide the first evidence that younger users are leaving Facebook

Almost a fifth of US advertisers have fully moved programmatic buying in-house

China is core to Facebook's ad business as brands target users in the Americas

Broadcast primetime CPM set to top $30 during this season's upfronts

Global Ad Trends is part of Warc Data, a dedicated online service featuring current advertising benchmarks, data points, ad trends and user-generated expanded databases.

Following an analysis of Warc's adspend data for its 12 key markets  Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom and United States  search advertising spend will amount to $100.5bn in 2018, an increase of 11% from $90.5bn in 2017. This equates to one in five dollars spent on advertising worldwide this year.Mobile search is expected to attract $62.7bn this year  62.4% of total search spend within Warc's 12 key markets. Mobile's share of total search spend has near doubled since 2015, driving wider sector growth.Across mobile and desktop, paid search's share of global advertising spend has trebled over the last decade, rising to over a fifth this year. Search's share is expected to reach 22% in the US this year, 26% in China, and near 30% in the UK. Most of these gains have been at the expense of display formats.James McDonald, data editor, Warc, says: "In its function as a pull medium, search has done more than replace classified  it is steadily eating into the share of advertising expenditure going to display. Emerging formats such as mobile voice and image look likely to continue this trend. This may be a sign that brands are shifting budget; though it more likely reflects a multitude of SME advertisers who have started spending due to the accessibility of the format."Analysis of company reports shows that the four largest providers - Google, Baidu, Yahoo and Microsoft's Bing  made a combined $101bn from paid search in 2017, of which $10.5bn came from outside Warc's 12 key markets. Google dominates the landscape, drawing an estimated $85.8bn in 2017 (up 20% from 2016). Badiu ($10bn), Yahoo ($3bn) and Microsoft ($1.8bn) follow some way behind, but all saw revenues grow.Google attracts the vast majority of search revenue because it is the dominant player in terms of users. This is particularly true for mobile users, with 89.3% preferring Google's search service.Figures from April 2018 show that Google's share dips closer to two-thirds (66.8%) in the more mature desktop market. Baidu controls a fifth (20.5%), Bing takes 7.7%, Yahoo 3.5%, and others 1.5%.Data for 16 product categories show that paid search routinely outperforms online display advertising in terms of both conversion and click through (CTR) rates. On average, search ads recorded a CTR of 3.3% compared to just 0.57% for online display. With regard to conversion rates, search's average is 4.32% compared to display's 1.09%.The stronger results from search advertising come at a cost for advertisers. On average, the cost per click (CPC) for search ads is over four times higher than for display, at $3.00.Smartphones are driving voice search, with data showing that 47% of users utilise voice tech at least once a month on a global level. Of those that use voice tech at least once a week, the top six activities are search related, including online searches (60% of users), finding information on a product (53%), asking questions (50%), asking for directions (42%) and finding information on a brand or company (41%).Neurological research shows that when people ask a question involving a brand name, their brain activity demonstrates a significantly stronger emotional response compared to people typing that same brand question. This emphasises the need for brands to craft the sound of their own voices.Image search is also gaining momentum, with half (51%) of UK millennials having used the feature, while almost a fifth (17.6%) already do so regularly. Households with children also demonstrate similar adoption levels to millennials. However, brands looking to advertise against visual search queries may have to wait sometime before digital platforms advance inventory beyond basic text-style search terms.Aimed at media and brand owners, market analysts, media, advertising and research agencies as well as academics, Warc Data provides current advertising and media information, hard facts and figures  essential market intelligence for ad industry related business, strategy and planning required in any decision-making process.Warc Data is available by subscription only. For more information click hereAccording to a report by Gartner, global sales for smartphones returned to growth in the first quarter of 2018. The report shows a 1,3% increase over the same period in 2017.

Image source: Gilles Lambert on Unsplash

Compared to the first quarter of 2017, sales of total mobile phones stalled and reached 455 million units in the first quarter of 2018. Nearly 384 million smartphones were sold in the first quarter of 2018, representing 84% of total mobile phones sold.

Samsung growth slows, Apple share increases

Huawei and Xiaomi see growth

Continued weakness in greater China's mobile phone market limited growth potential for top global brands, including Chinese brands such as Oppo and Vivo, with over 70% of their sales coming from greater China.Samsung's midtier smartphones faced continued competition from Chinese brands, which led to unit sales contraction year on year. This is despite the earlier launch of its flagship Galaxy S9/S9+ compared to the S8/S8+ in 2017, and despite the Note 8 having a positive impact on Samsung sales in the first quarter of 2018. Samsung's smartphone growth rate will remain under pressure through 2018.The delayed sales boost for Apple from last quarter materialised. Apple's smartphone unit sales returned to growth in the first quarter of 2018, with an increase of 4% year on year.Huawei's smartphone portfolio helped strengthen its number three global smartphone vendor position.Research director at Gartner, Anshul Gupta, says: "Achieving 18.3% growth in the first quarter of 2018 helped Huawei close the gap with Apple. However, its future growth increasingly depends on the vendor ramping up share in emerging Asia/Pacific and resolving issues in the US market, through the development of a stronger consumer brand.Xiaomi achieved a growth of 124% year on year. Xiaomi's refreshed portfolio of smartphones and aggressive pricing strategy helped it hold the number four spot in the first quarter of 2018.In the smartphone operating system (OS) market, Google's Android and Apple's iOS achieved growth in units in the first quarter of 2018, but Android saw its share slightly contract.There is no doubt that traditional brick-and-mortar shopping remains the backbone of the South African retail industry, but new ways of purchasing are fast becoming standard practice in retail markets around the world, says Malcolm Horne, CEO of Broll Property Group.

Technology driving radical advancements

Glimpse of the future

He was speaking at the companys release of its latest retail research paper entitledWhile e-commerce is well-entrenched in the market globally and the use of mobile devices (m-commerce) to conduct retail purchases is increasing steadily, a-commerce  also known as augmented commerce  is hovering in the wings, according to Brolls research paper.Augmented commerce relates to retail that utilises augmented reality, enabling consumers to visualise products virtually in the real-world environment before purchasing. In general, South African consumers have yet to become more fully acquainted with these new retail practices, but local retailers need to keep up to speed if they dont wish to be caught sleeping on the retail watch.New trends and products are emerging daily, making the retail environment volatile and exciting. Technology has been the driving force behind these radical advancements, says Horne. In addition, there is enormous pressure on major retailers to acquire brands which meet their consumers expectations and demands, while integrating new technologies into their day-to-day operations.Are these relentless technological innovations driving brick-and-mortar retail towards an eventual retail apocalypse? Its hard to say. Transforming a traditional retail business digitally and technologically can be an overwhelming task, but may be a necessary one for many retailers as end-users demand improved, instant and simpler shopping transaction experiences. In some cases, retailers have taken the leap of converting their bricks into clicks by closing under-performing stores and creating e-commerce fulfilment centres to beef up their online income stream.The South African online shopping marketplace is still very much in its infancy but an increasing number of retailers are incorporating the convenience concept of click-and-collect into their businesses. Larger national retailers such as Dis-Chem, Clicks, Pick n Pay, Mr Price Group and Cotton On amongst others, now offer this convenient shopping service to assist time-strapped consumers.Brolls research paper paints a vivid picture of the scope of technologies which could become part of the retail landscape in the near future and which are already being used in some marketplaces.Alibabas supermarket, Hema, for example, has revolutionised mobile app shopping. Within nine minutes of receiving an order via the Hema app, staff hand-select the specific goods and send a personalised shopping bag to the delivery warehouse where it is packaged for delivery and delivered within 30 minutes in a 3km radius. Furthermore, their app allows shoppers to purchase their goods via facial recognition technology.Amazon Go, a partially-automated, cashless and till-free store in Seattle allows patrons to shop in the store using the Amazon Go mobile app. Now the same concept is geared to shake up grocery retail in Chicago and San Francisco.The research also highlights endless aisle shopping as fast becoming the latest retail buzz-phrase. As retailers look at downsizing their brick-and-mortar portfolios, the concept of providing in-store kiosks where customers can order products that are out of stock or not sold in-store is growing. Once ordered, products are dispatched from off-site warehouses to customers homes. Showroom or bag-free stores take this a step further. A range of product items is showroomed in-store but not kept in stock. Instead, they are ordered online and delivered directly to customers.If retailers are opting for more warehouse capacity, improved efficiency and speed is vital and this is where robots step to the fore. Various models of autonomous robots are already in operation, such as LocusBots that work alongside warehouse staff and assist in locating and transporting products, while Sure Sort excels at a small-item sorting system.7Fresh supermarket in China already offers autonomous shopping carts. These types of carts guide shoppers to the exact aisle and location of the products needed, display advertising and accept payment. The carts even follow customers to their cars with their purchases and are programmed to return to the store completely unmanned.And if thats not mind-blowing enough, here come autonomous self-driving stores.Toyotas e-Palette, Moby Mart and Robomart are some of the autonomous self-driving convenience stores that could potentially roam the streets 24/7 once they have been fully developed. Essentially, consumers will use a specific app to request a visit from an autonomous self-driving store. Once the store arrives, the app can open its doors, consumers can select the products they want and are charged automatically upon exiting the store.It seems clear from Brolls research that the practice of retail is destined to be increasingly dominated by technology. Adapting and keeping abreast of this uncertain landscape is a challenge that retailers will need to embrace, concludes Horne.The people of KwaZulu-Natal are urged to wear orange on Friday, 1 June 2018, to stand up against gun violence and show their support for victims of gun violence. The effort to mobilise people was launched by East Coast Breakfast this morning, following the tragic murder of nine-year-old Sadia Sukhraj on Monday.

We care about the wellbeing of all our people in KZN and we want every single person to join us and #StandUpForSadia as well as for the many other victims of gun violence by wearing and displaying anything orange this Friday. In order to be truly effective, were asking that people encourage their family, friends and colleagues, as well as schools to take part and take a stand this Friday, says East Coast Radios programming manager Zane Derbyshire.Aside from wearing orange to raise awareness around this scourge, Derbyshire adds, We are calling on individuals and communities to also be more vigilant and become actively involved in helping the police put an end to gun violence by reporting unlicensed guns and criminal activity.The reason people have been encouraged to wear orange specifically in order to make their voices heard is because it has become the defining colour of the gun violence prevention movement worldwide. It first started when in 2013 Hadiya Pendletons friends wore orange in her honour when she was shot and killed in Chicago at the age of 15.Take a stand this Friday and show everyone that youve had enough of gun violence by wearing orange. Also, share your pictures and videos of you and your family and friends wearing or displaying orange on social media this Friday, using the hashtag: #StandUpForSadia.This company article has been removed.Ster-Kinekor Cinema Nouveau will host the 2018 edition of the annual creative documentary film festival, Encounters. A selection of 37 local and international features and short films will be screened at the Cinema Nouveau Rosebank Mall in Johannesburg and the Cinema Nouveau V&A Waterfront in Cape Town from 31 May-10 June 2018.

The Encounters Youth Jury connoisseurs comprise:

This year, Ster-Kinekor is also sponsoring the inaugural EYE (Encounters Youth Experience) Award. This award will be judged by a Cape Town-based panel of three young industry jurors and will be presented to the best South African short documentary screened during the festival.As the countrys leading exhibitor, our involvement with Encounters and sponsoring of the second EYE Award gives us a great opportunity to entrench our commitment further to developing the local film industry, and supporting South Africas exciting, rising young talent, says Motheo Matsau, chief of marketing and sales at Ster-Kinekor Theatres.Continued focus on the youth market at our cinemas is a key sector element of our marketing strategy. This sponsorship opportunity further strengthens that strategy, and enables us to interact with some of the countrys developing young talent within the sector, whose careers are just starting to take off.-Khanyisile Mazibuko (23), is an actress, talk-show host and filmmaking student. A National School of the Arts alumni and the director of award-winning short film-Beth Ribeiro (20) is a final-year student in screen production and drama at UCT.-Shari Mwanika (21) is an aspirant Ugandan filmmaker who storytelling is an extension of who she is and that passion has moulded her.The festival will facilitate comprehensive screening and workshop programme aimed at bringing the South African documentary to young audiences. This initiative shows continued support to young filmmakers in this genre and to the practical craft of documentary filmmaking.Bookings are now open and festival tickets prices are R 60.00. For more information about the Encounters Documentary Festival screening at Nouveau, visit www.sterkinekor.com . For any queries, call Ticketline on 0861Movies (668 437).#StartupStory sponsored by

#StartupStory: MMMC and Canvas CAM start joint venture

MMMC (Mofolo Media Marketing Communications), a boutique digital brand communications consultancy, has recently announced its partnership with Canvas CAM (Casting Artist Management), a fast-growing talent agency, for a joint venture into the world of influencer-driven branded content production for both brands and broadcasting networks.

Pictured L to R: Thomas Mofolo (MMMCs chief brand communications consultant), Anna Hlalele (Co-founder, Canvas CAM) and Vinesh Duckworth (Co-founder, Canvas CAM).

Like MMMC, Canvas CAM is based in Johannesburg and represents a wide variety of public figures, actors, voice over artists, TV personalities, and writers. Excited about the partnership, founder Anna Hlalele, said: As a team, we at Canvas CAM are delighted and expectant for this collaboration with MMMC and look forward to impacting our local industry by providing revitalised, dynamic and powerful talent.



I caught up with MMMCs chief brand communications consultant, Thomas Mofolo and asked him to elaborate on this new venture and partnership with Canvas.



How did this partnership come about? How did this partnership come about? Like MMMC, Canvas CAM is based in Johannesburg and represents a wide variety of public figures, actors, voice over artists, TV personalities, and writers. Excited about the partnership, founder Anna Hlalele, said: As a team, we at Canvas CAM are delighted and expectant for this collaboration with MMMC and look forward to impacting our local industry by providing revitalised, dynamic and powerful talent.I caught up with MMMCs chief brand communications consultant, Thomas Mofolo and asked him to elaborate on this new venture and partnership with Canvas.

Tell us about the new venture and how it works. Tell us about the new venture and how it works.

Conceptualise creative communications and produce branded content for new digital campaigns. Use Canvas talent as the narrator or influencer for all of this content. Create affiliate marketing programs where brands can sell their products through the influencers own digital platforms.

What is your competitive advantage or core differentiator over the rest of the industry? What is your competitive advantage or core differentiator over the rest of the industry?

What's first on the agenda? What's first on the agenda?

What does the future of influencer marketing look like to you? What does the future of influencer marketing look like to you?

What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs who want to follow suit, contemplating if partnerships are the way to go? What advice do you have for budding entrepreneurs who want to follow suit, contemplating if partnerships are the way to go?

Juanita Pienaar's articles About Juanita Pienaar Juanita is the editor of the marketing & media portal on the Bizcommunity website. She is also a contributing writer.

Juanita is the editor of the marketing & media portal on the Bizcommunity website. She is also a contributing writer.

I know the founders of Canvas personally and have been following the growth of their business over the past few years with much excitement and saw an opportunity for how I could marry my marketing communications expertise with their skills of nurturing local media talent.A few years ago, they invited me to a PR event hosted by Hennessy where they were in the process of providing talent for a new campaign that the brand was developing and since then we have been in ongoing discussions about how to use their talent as ambassadors and influencers to help out other brands.As the popularity of using influencers to promote branded content kept on growing in the world of marketing we finally found a mutually beneficial way for how our businesses could collaborate and decided on pursuing this joint venture.Most of Canvas' talent already has a huge fan base in their own right because of their fame on screen as actors and naturally, this has also translated into a huge social media following which makes them influential in a number of ways that can help brands looking to increase their awareness, affinity, and loyalty. Although they are not influencers in the traditional sense of being personalities who are authority figures on a specific content genre they still have a voice and most importantly a significant audience of young South Africans.As part of this new venture, MMMC will now function as an in-house PR partner for Canvas and seek new brand partnerships for their talent, assist with increasing their media coverage as well as produce and manage some of their digital content.Our value proposition to the brands who were looking to partner with is to:Most of the rest of the industry who are still trying out influencer marketing as part of their strategy have a huge challenge in managing and measuring the impact of some of these individuals so our main advantage is that our talent is already proven and has mass appeal even outside of social media.Secondly, we go beyond just promoting product solely within social networks but also produce the content as well which helps with streamlining processes where multiple teams or suppliers would usually be needed to coordinate everything from production right through to paid promotion.And most importantly we deal with the drama off screen so brands can focus on their own canvases.Creating a collective and individual brand identity for the actors then migrating their followers from social media on to their own digital platforms (personal websites) where we can collect their fans personal info as data and explore how to monetise these fan bases through brand partnerships targeted at their audience.Very bleak. Influencer marketing is definitely not the solution to fix all marketing problems but just one piece of the puzzle for how to help brands navigate the digital realm. As algorithms on social networks continue to hamper organic reach even influencers will potentially start seeing their popularity wane due to low levels of engagement with their content.In the future, the only true influencers will be those who actually own their audience outside of social networks. A high following on social media means nothing if you cant engage all those followers in one go on your own terms.As a sole proprietor with only two hands there is only so much that I can do myself but with a network of other talent and partnerships in place I can bring much more value to any project I undertake so I would advise young entrepreneurs to also invest their time into collective partnerships with like-minded businesses who are already doing great things in their own right that can benefit their own efforts.#AfricaMonth: "African consumers are on the rise" - Pernod Ricard

Hlukani Pinto, regional marketing manager SSA at Pernod Ricard, lets us in on the luxury brand's African consumer market and how they tailor their 'premiumisation' approach to mobile-first consumers on the continent.

Hlukani Pinto, regional marketing manager SSA at Pernod Ricard.

As regional marketing manager SSA, Pinto does a lot of work in the African market.



This involves contributing to the strategy development for sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring that brand companies and market companies are aligned in this regard; as well as implementing these strategies with the assistance of market and brand companies; monitoring and evaluating these strategies to be able to course correct or better move into the next fiscal year; while also building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders across the business.



#WomensMonth: Pernod Ricard's Vika Shipalana on creating money can't buy' experiences

Here, Pinto explains how the Pernod Ricard brand does business in Africa, particularly in terms of how they then tailor and spread their marketing messages to the continents mobile-first consumers



Pernod Ricard is a luxury brand  does that make it more of a challenge to do business in Africa? Explain the context of doing business here. Pernod Ricard is a luxury brand  does that make it more of a challenge to do business in Africa? Explain the context of doing business here. As regional marketing manager SSA, Pinto does a lot of work in the African market.This involves contributing to the strategy development for sub-Saharan Africa, ensuring that brand companies and market companies are aligned in this regard; as well as implementing these strategies with the assistance of market and brand companies; monitoring and evaluating these strategies to be able to course correct or better move into the next fiscal year; while also building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders across the business.Here, Pinto explains how the Pernod Ricard brand does business in Africa, particularly in terms of how they then tailor and spread their marketing messages to the continents mobile-first consumers

Africa has a young population and a growing labour force. This is a highly valuable asset in an ageing world. Furthermore, it is estimated that within the next 10 years, an additional 187-million Africans will live in cities  thats the worlds fastest rate of urbanisation. So contrary to popular belief, Africa is on the rise and certainly the consumers we are paying attention to are too, as the rest of the world should.

Share a few insights into the African consumers you target and how they differ from your South African consumers specifically. Share a few insights into the African consumers you target and how they differ from your South African consumers specifically.

As South Africans, I believe we could learn from consumers across the continent, especially the sense of pride and patriotism expressed through their everyday life such as dress, food, language, music and more.

What do you need to factor in to your marketing strategy when catering to the various levels of African consumer? What do you need to factor in to your marketing strategy when catering to the various levels of African consumer?

Makes sense. Lastly, as Africa is obviously a mobile-first continent, how does that play into how you tailor and spread your marketing messages? Makes sense. Lastly, as Africa is obviously a mobile-first continent, how does that play into how you tailor and spread your marketing messages?

Leigh Andrews' articles About Leigh Andrews Leigh Andrews AKA the



Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen , is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews

Pernod Ricard was established officially in 1975 with the merger of two French anise-based spirits companies: Pernod, founded in 1805; and Ricard, founded in 1932. We have over 80 affiliates and 100 production sites globally and employ over 18,500 employees.And although the business has been operating globally since 1975, operations in Africa only formally began in 2011, excluding South Africa, where our presence has been in existence since 1994.Our business strategy has chosen to focus on sustainable growth through a large portfolio of international brands, and a high-end strategy known as premiumisation.Our African consumers have a huge sense of country/African pride. This is expressed across the board from their sense of everyday dress to food, language and music played in high-end nightclubs.Consumers across the continent are a lot more alike than people may realise. It is on these similarities that were able to build on learnings from our South African, US and UK consumers, to tailor our approach to consumers on the rest of continent.Pernod Ricards vision is: We are reinventing conviviality by enhancing social moments. This is part of our company and part of our people.We regard our brands as aspirational and carry products that can be enjoyed at every social moment. Our products, along the rest of the luxury category, are aspirational. As a result, we cater to consumers with this mindset.Digital is at the heart of all our initiatives implemented, in fact, this is a key pillar of our global business strategy.E-commerce has taken off exceptionally well on the continent, as illustrated through our partnership with Jumia, where weve co-created a new platform: Jumia Party.Jumia Party is a one-hour alcohol delivery service and has seen in excess of 100% growth within 6 months.Digital has and will continue to play a vital role in the way we choose to connect with our consumers.Thereports that a Russian journalist, Arkady Babchenko, who was thought to be dead is well and alive. Babchenko had sought the help of Ukrainian security officials in Kiev after it was discovered that there was a Russian-backed operation in the process of assassinating him.Read more on how the Ukrainian officials pulled off the staged death here.Reciba en su email: noticias de ultima hora, analisis tecnicos o el cierre de mercado

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PEARL HARBOUR (AFP): The Pentagon is renaming its oldest and largest military command to reflect the growing importance of the Indian Ocean in US strategic thinking, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis has said.



From now on, the storied US Pacific Command, or PACOM, which was formed after World War II, will be known as the Indo-Pacific Command.



The name change is largely symbolic for now, and won't immediately result in any shifts in the command's boundaries or assets across the vast area stretching from the western part of India to America's Pacific coastline.



"In recognition of the increasing connectivity between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, today we rename the US Pacific Command to US Indo-Pacific Command," Mattis said on Wednesday in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.



"Over many decades this command has repeatedly adapted to changing circumstance and today carries that legacy forward as America focuses west."



The name change is part of Washington's efforts to counter China's growing influence across the Asia-Pacific domain, even though critics say President Donald Trump has ceded considerable regional leadership.



Trump has pulled the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreed in 2015 by a dozen nations that accounted for 40 per cent of the global economy.



The remaining 11 countries are moving forward with the deal without Washington, leaving America with a diminished say on regional trade rules and creating an opening for Beijing.



Recent years have seen China emerge as a major regional power.



In 2017, it opened its first overseas naval base in Djibouti and has strengthened ties with several regional countries including Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.



And Beijing is pursuing its "Belt and Road" global infrastructure initiative that invests in Southeast Asian countries but which US critics say is based on "predatory" economics.



"The Indo-Pacific has many belts and many roads," Mattis said.



"America continues to invest vigorously in Indo-Pacific stability, bolstering the free and open rules-based international order." Mattis was in Hawaii for a ceremony marking the departure of Admiral Harry Harris as PACOM's head. He has been nominated to be ambassador to South Korea and is being replaced by Admiral Philip Davidson.



Mattis in February unveiled the US National Defense Strategy which made clear America will focus on Asia in the context of China's growing military might.



China "seeks Indo-Pacific regional hegemony in the near term and displacement of the United States to achieve global preeminence in the future," Mattis wrote.



Pentagon officials say the command's new name also recognises India's growing role in providing regional security and forces military thinkers to consider the broader region.



The Pentagon chief visited India in September in an effort to further strengthen growing military ties, saying at the time that the world's largest democracy is "clearly a pillar of regional stability and security."



In 2016 the US designated India a "Major Defence Partner" with the aim of improving military cooperation, increasing information-sharing and cutting red tape to ease defense deals.

JAKARTA (PTI): India and Indonesia on Wednesday elevated their bilateral ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and called for freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region as they signed 15 agreements including one on defence cooperation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held "productive discussions" with President Joko Widodo.



Prime Minister Modi, who arrived in Jakarta last night on his first-ever official visit to Indonesia, was accorded a red carpet welcome on his arrival at the Merdeka palace, one of the presidential palaces in Indonesia, in the morning.



The meeting commenced with a tete-a-tete between the two leaders, followed by the delegation-level talks. They discussed areas of strategic cooperation, ways towards ensuring better economic ties, closer cultural relations as well as regional and global issues of mutual interest.



"Held productive discussions with President Joko Widodo. Glad that ties between India and Indonesia are gaining strong momentum. We discussed areas of strategic cooperation, ways towards ensuring better economic ties and closer cultural relations between our nations," Modi tweeted.



In a joint press statement after the meeting, Modi said India and Indonesia have agreed to elevate their ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.



He said that India's Act East Policy and the vision of SAGAR (Security and Growth for all in the Region) matches Widodo's Maritime Fulcrum Vision.



"As mutual partners and neighbours, our worries are similar. It is our duty to ensure maritime security and safety. This is also for the safety of our economic interests," he said.



"In the Indo-Pacific region, we, as partners, have mutual interests in each other's progress and well-being and that's why we have agreed upon mutual vision and principles for the Indo-Pacific region," he said.



Modi also strongly condemned the recent terror strikes on three churches in Indonesia's second-largest city Surabaya, and said India stands resolutely with Jakarta in the fight against terrorism.



A joint statement issued later said the two leaders reiterated their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations including cross-border terrorism and terror-related incidents in Indonesia and India and affirmed that perpetrators of these heinous acts must be brought to justice.



They called upon all countries to work towards disrupting terrorist networks and their financing channels, and halting cross-border movement of terrorists from terror organisations as well as other terrorist groups threatening peace and security in respective region, the statement said.



They also shared the view on the imperative need to eradicate radicalism and reiterated the importance of promoting peaceful pluralism.



The two countries signed 15 agreements including on the cooperation in the field of defence, space, science and technology, railways and health.



Modi said that India and Indonesia will double their efforts to take bilateral trade to USD 50 billion by 2025.



Recalling the visit of ASEAN leaders in January to attend the Republic Day parade in New Delhi, Modi said India-ASEAN partnership can become a guarantee of peace not only in Indo-Pacific region but also beyond it.



Both leaders reiterated the importance of achieving a peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region where sovereignty, international law, freedom of navigation and overflight, sustainable development and an open and fair trade and investment system are respected, the statement said.



It said the two leaders welcomed the adoption of the 'Shared Vision on Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific between India and Indonesia' with a strong belief that the two sides could develop further cooperation in maritime which can be a force of immense stability in the region.



"The two leaders welcomed the growing convergence in the political, strategic, defence, security and economic fields between the two countries," it said.



They reaffirmed their commitment in the field of defence, with the signing of Defence Cooperation Agreement between two sides. The pact will further strengthen and renew the existing cooperation for the mutual benefit of the two countries and the region, the statement said.



They agreed to further enhance mutual trust through regular meetings and staff talks between their armies, navies and air forces. They also directed officials to expand mutually beneficial collaboration between their defence industries for joint production of equipment, technology transfer, technical assistance and capacity building as well as sourcing of defence equipment.



They reiterated the shared commitment to enhance liaison between the intelligence and law enforcement agencies of both countries.



Both sides agreed to work intensively for the early conclusion of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and reiterated that it needs to be comprehensive, fair and balanced with benefit to all member states.



They welcomed potential cooperation in the area of peaceful use of nuclear energy and looked forward to the early renewal of an agreement on cooperation regarding the utilisation of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.



Both sides agreed to intensify cooperation in the fields of culture, education, tourism, films and people-to-people exchanges.



Modi extended advance Eid greetings to the Indonesian people, saying "on behalf of India's 1.25 billion people, I wish you prosperity, good health and great success."



Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.



An internet imagery.

BALASORE, ODISHA (PTI): An upgraded version of Pinaka rocket, with a guidance system and an enhanced range, was successfully test-fired from the Proof & Experiment Establishment (PXE) at Chandipur in Odisha on Wednesday.



"Two rounds of tests have been conducted and some more rounds have been planned," said a defence source here.



The earlier Pinaka version, which was an unguided one, has now been upgraded into a guided version, with a navigation, guidance and control kit developed by the Research Centre, Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad, he said.



The RCI comes under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).



According to a source in the DRDO, the conversion helped in enhancing the range and accuracy of Pinaka.



If its range was earlier 40 km, it is more than 70 km now, he said.



"Radars, electro-optical systems and telemetry systems at the defence range at Chandipur, tracked and monitored the rocket all through its flight path. The guided version is Pinaka mark-II, which evolved from Pinaka mark-I," the source said.



The success of the guided Pinaka has reinforced the technological strength of the country in converting the unguided systems into weapons of high precision, he added.



The guided Pinaka was developed jointly by the Armament Research and Development Establishment (ARDE), Pune, the RCI, and the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad.



The PXE, Chandipur, provided the range and launch support.

NEWTOWN BOROUGH >> Strada is taking it to the street with its edgy line of every day wear for men and women. Located at 28 South State Street, Newtown Boroughs newest retail store features a full line of casual wear for the guys, ages 30 and up, as well as a smaller selection of womens wear, jewelry and accessories. The...Inside a former church, construction arts program transforms the space and students

Inside a former church in Buffalo's historic Allentown neighborhood, a new program is giving underemployed, underrepresented participants a fresh start by teaching them skills in construction arts and design. Photo: Douglas Levere. See more photos.

Its a program that uses the arts to talk about issues of design, artistic excellence and construction in a more holistic way.  Dennis Maher, founder/director Society for the Advancement of Construction-Related Arts

BUFFALO, N.Y.  When she came to Buffalo from Texas two years ago, Donna Neiberline had no experience with making things. She only knew the world of fast food and serving. A screwdriver was probably the only tool I ever used, she says. Now, Neiberline is the proud owner of a circular saw  and she knows how to use it, among other tools. Roofing was the only world native Buffalonian Anthony Lidge ever knew. He wanted to branch out and learn new skills to broaden his job opportunities. Now, he can tell you all about working with wood, from the best type to use for a project, to how to manipulate it. The next time he works on a house, he wont have to start at the top. Being here taught me how to build a house from the ground up, he says. Neiberline and Lidge are among the graduates of the spring term of a program called the Society for the Advancement of Construction-Related Arts, or SACRA. Its a collaboration between the Albright-Knox Art Gallerys Innovation Lab and Assembly House 150, an organization founded by artist and University at Buffalo architecture professor Dennis Maher, whose work has been exhibited around the globe. The program began last fall out of Assembly House 150s headquarters inside the former Immaculate Conception Church in Buffalo.

SACRA THIS SPRING (Photos by Douglas Levere)

Programs mission is rooted in Buffalos architectural history

SACRA aims to transform Buffalos future by educating students about the citys architectural past, whether it be delving into a book on classical architecture, or taking a walking tour of Victorian homes in Buffalos historic Allentown neighborhood. Meanwhile, as the program graduates more students, SACRA will infuse the regions workforce with skilled craftspeople who can contribute to a range of construction jobs, including the growing number of historic preservation projects happening throughout Buffalo. There is such a legacy of artistic and design excellence in much of the architecture in Buffalo. We want to graduate students who can contribute to bolstering that culture of contemporary craftsmanship excellence, both from a design and a making standpoint, says Maher, who co-directs the program with Russell Davidson, manager of the Innovation Lab at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. We are seeing more restoration projects as the citys housing stock ages, but there is a lack of trained workers for those projects, adds SACRA Program Coordinator Alexandra Johnston, who holds a dual degree in architecture and art history from Yale and is a founding member of the SACRA Advisory Council. Neiberline sees SACRA as an opportunity to find jobs that will enable her to work with her hands. The program has taught her skills she can employ both in the workforce and in her own home. Ive learned something new here pretty much every day, Neiberline says. Even the first project we did  we made sawhorses  that was the first thing Id ever built. Being able to finish something and say I made this was a good feeling. Before, I never would have thought I could do that, and now it seems kind of simple. That feeling, Maher says, is the driving force behind SACRA. Its so rewarding to see their confidence build and the pride that comes from visitors entering our space and saying, Wow, this work is amazing. Students are referred to SACRA through Erie Countys Department of Social Services. The 15-week program is offered in the fall and spring, with last Septembers group serving as the inaugural class. The spring group graduates on June 6 with a ceremony at Assembly House 150. Its a chance to celebrate the students accomplishments since February, while showcasing some of the projects theyve worked on.

Signature piece for new workforce training center

One of the spring groups signature pieces will be prominently on display inside the Northland Workforce Training Center, a $44 million hub that is expected to open later this summer. The project is a 40-by-17-foot decorative wooden wall that will be installed in the training center lobby, for all visitors to see. The decorative wall began with a basic mapping of the City of Buffalo. Then, students began to build special components that focused on different joinery conditions or aspects of detailing and inlay. They combined those pieces with wooden-molded relics from the former Niagara Machine and Tool Works, the more than century-old building that is the site of the new training center. In a sense, every project inside Assembly House 150 begins as a seed that grows into something larger. For example, Quarter House  a two-story construction that includes components of traditional Victorian architecture  began as an exercise in basic house framing before moving into wainscoting, stairs and windows. The idea was that each phase in the construction of the house became part of the curriculum, Maher says. Everything in here is an opportunity to teach a skill or technique. Earlier this month, Quarter House was appropriated as a stage for an event featuring Eva Franch i Gilabert, director of the Storefront for Art and Architecture in New York City. Maher, who is also a clinical assistant professor of architecture in the University at Buffalos School of Architecture and Planning, often involves his UB students in Assembly House 150 projects. For example, with Cabinet Cabinet Cabinet, Mahers graduate students explored the work of renowned 18th century English furniture maker Thomas Chippendale by designing and building a collaborative cabinet that examined some of the themes of Chippendales work.

Not a traditional vocational program

SACRA is not a traditional vocational program, says Maher. Its a program that uses the arts to talk about issues of design, artistic excellence and construction in a more holistic way. Toward that end, students learn from a rotating cast of skilled craftspeople who give lessons tied to a particular project the class is working on. A few weeks ago, Kitty Mahoney, a stained glass restoration artist with Buffalo-based Swiatek Studios, gave a demonstration. Other collaborators have included Jim Cordes, the woodworking artist-in-residence at the Roycroft Campus in East Aurora; Steve Oubre, the lead carpenter at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Darwin-Martin House in Buffalo; and John Gulick of J.A. Gulick Window & Door Co. SACRA instructors also include Daniel Salomon, who was trained at Cornell University, and Quincy Koczka, one of Mahers former students at UB. For Maher, SACRA offers an opportunity to move into projects that focus on collaboration and civic engagement, while still feeding into his artistic practice that is rooted in sculpture and environmental design. Its a way of thinking about being and making in the world and bringing people and materials together in order to create new opportunities and relationships, he says. For SACRA participants, the opportunities could be life-changing. The ultimate goal is to find our students meaningful, gainful employment, says Johnston, the program coordinator. As the semester winds down, we talk with each student about which aspects of the program they liked most and try to match them up with jobs. We want them to be happy with what theyre doing. That sounds good to Lidge, the Buffalo roofer who plans on bringing his two children to graduation. I went through a couple stressful times recently but this program has helped keep me levelheaded, he says. Its like a family. Im happy every day Im here.

Media Contact InformationIn ancient boulders, new clues about the story of human migration to the Americas

University at Buffalo PhD candidate Alia Lesnek (center) at one of the study sites on Dall Island. Credit: Jason Briner

Geologic evidence supports a coastal theory of early settlement

Our study provides some of the first geologic evidence that a coastal migration route was available for early humans as they colonized the New World. 

Researchers, including team members from the University at Buffalo and the U.S. Forest Service, traveled by boat to Warren Island, one of the study sites. Credit: Jason Briner

BUFFALO, N.Y.  When and how did the first people come to the Americas?

The conventional story says that the earliest settlers came via Siberia, crossing the now-defunct Bering land bridge on foot and trekking through Canada when an ice-free corridor opened up between massive ice sheets toward the end of the last ice age.

But with recent archaeological evidence casting doubt on this thinking, scientists are seeking new explanations.

One dominant, new theory: The first Americans took a coastal route along Alaskas Pacific border to enter the continent.

A new geological study provides compelling evidence to support this hypothesis.

By analyzing boulders and bedrock, a research team led by the University at Buffalo shows that part of a coastal migration route became accessible to humans 17,000 years ago. During this period, ancient glaciers receded, exposing islands of southern Alaskas Alexander Archipelago to air and sun  and, possibly, to human migration.

The timing of these events is key: Recent genetic and archaeological estimates suggest that settlers may have begun traveling deeper into the Americas some 16,000 years ago, soon after the coastal gateway opened up.

The research was published on May 30 in the journal Science Advances.

People are fascinated by these questions of where they come from and how they got there, says lead scientist Jason Briner, PhD, professor of geology in UBs College of Arts and Sciences. Our research contributes to the debate about how humans came to the Americas. Its potentially adding to what we know about our ancestry and how we colonized our planet.

Our study provides some of the first geologic evidence that a coastal migration route was available for early humans as they colonized the New World, says UB geology PhD candidate Alia Lesnek, the studys first author. There was a coastal route available, and the appearance of this newly ice-free terrain may have spurred early humans to migrate southward.

The findings do not mean that early settlers definitely traversed Alaskas southern coast to spread into the Americas: The project examined just one section of the coast, and scientists would need to study multiple locations up and down the coastline to draw firmer conclusions.

Still, the work is exciting because it hints that the seafaring theory of migration is viable.

The bones of an ancient ringed seal  previously discovered in a nearby cave by other researchers  provide further, tantalizing clues. They hint that the area was capable of supporting human life at the time that early settlers may have been passing through, Briner says. The new study calculates that the seal bones are about 17,000 years old. This indicates that the region was ecologically vibrant soon after the ice retreated, with resources including food becoming available.

Co-authors on the research included Briner; Lesnek; Charlotte Lindqvist, PhD, an associate professor of biological sciences at UB and a visiting associate professor at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore; James Baichtal of Tongass National Forest; and Timothy Heaton, PhD, of the University of South Dakota.The BMF has launched its 19th Regional Centre of Excellence with the support of pump manufacturer Grundfos.

The growing network of BMF Regional Centres of Excellence is making training courses and regional meetings more accessible to BMF members around the country. The latest centre, based in Grundfoss office in Leighton Buzzard, will serve BMF members in the South East.

Grundfos was founded in Denmark in 1945 by Poul Due Jensen. It produces pump solutions for a wide range of applications, setting the standard in terms of innovation, efficiency, reliability and sustainability. Grundfos also develops water solutions worldwide. It has 80 sales companies across 55 countries, producing 17 million pump units each year, with a global turnover in 2017 of approximately 3,022 million.

John Newcomb, Chief Executive at the BMF, said: The centre was opened after our BMF Plumbing and Heating Forum on 24 May. This is an excellent centre that is well used by Grundfoss clients. We are extremely grateful that they are opening the centre to our members too, as localisation is an important strategy for the BMF. We look forward to holding future meetings and training courses here for members in the region.

Dave Lacey, Director of Sales, Domestic Building Services at Grundfos, said: Grundfos are delighted to be recognised as a Regional Centre of Excellence by the BMF, which we believe will strengthen our relationships with BMF members. We are very excited at the opportunity to assist the BMF in promoting industry best practice as well as increasing the awareness of our innovative product and service solutions on offer to the BMF members and their customers.

Pictured (left to right): Diane Willis (Grundfos), Alex Clifford (BMF), Dave Lacey (Grundfos), Keith Jones (BMF Plumbing & Heating Forum Chairman), John Newcomb (BMF).Ben Lumsden was announced as Ibstock Bricks Apprentice of the Year, and donated his prize money to charity.

Lumsden works at the companys Throckley factory in Tyne and Wear. He impressed the interview panel with his confidence, planning skills, academic achievement and the practical application of his skills.

The award, which is now in its fourth year, is an opportunity to celebrate exceptional performance. Apprentices at Ibstock Brick learn about the business through a mixture of classroom and practical learning, with graduates achieving externally recognised academic and vocational qualifications.

The Apprentice of the Year is awarded 500, and Lumsden has donated this to the Royal Victoria Infirmary Bowel Cancel Ward where his Grandad was treated for the disease.

Lumsden said: I have always had an interest in engineering from a young age after spending time with my Grandad. I studied engineering at Gateshead College for a year until I heard about the Ibstock Apprenticeship through my mum who works for Ibstock Brick. The scheme has been very beneficial in helping me develop my skills as I have gained a lot of hands on experience. I was very proud to be chosen as Ibstocks Apprentice of the Year. It was always something I wanted to achieve and worked hard for, but I was surprised to win as the competition was fierce. In the future I hope to continue my career with Ibstock Brick, making it as far up the career ladder as I can.

Andrew Craddock, Production Director at Ibstock Brick, said: Our apprenticeship scheme was developed to create a pool of engineering and technical specialists who, in the future, will help drive forward innovation and manufacturing excellence. The scheme has gone from strength to strength, and I would like to congratulate Ben, and all of our apprentices, for their hard work and dedication to learning. It is only by nurturing our future talent that we will have people with the technical expertise and skills to manufacture our products for years to come.The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has sought from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) details of the case of alleged corruption filed against top executives of AirAsia, according to ED sources. We will analyse the case registered by the CBI to see if a fresh case has to be filed by us or what further action we can take, said an ED official.

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Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

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Digital EditorDear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.



As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.



Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.



Digital EditorThe NCLAT on Wednesday permitted Vedanta Ltd to make an upfront part payment of its Rs 53.3 billion bid to the Committee of Creditors (CoC) of Electrosteel Steels India Ltd. Following this, the Anil Agarwal-owned company claimed in an announcement to the Bombay Stock Exchange that it has been allowed to take over the debt-ridden company.

If Vedanta is able to finally get through with the resolution plan, Electrosteel will be the second steel company to see completion of insolvency process after Tata Steel took control of Bhushan Steel earlier this month. This would also mean ...The RJD on Thursday wrested the Jokihat assembly seat in from the JD(U) in the bypoll by a margin of 41,000 votes.

RJD candidate Shahnawaz Alam defeated Murshid Alam of the JD(U), Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Baiju Nath Kumar said.

Following the win, a buoyed Tejashwi Yadav attacked Chief Minister saying if he has conscience he should immediately tender his resignation.

The Jokihat seat in Muslims-dominated Araria district was held by the JD(U) during the 2015 state elections. The bypoll was necessitated due to the resignation of sitting MLA Sarfaraz Alam, the elder brother of the RJD candidate, in March.

Sarfaraz Alam went on to win the bypoll to the Araria Lok Sabha seat on an RJD ticket.

Their father Taslimuddin, whose death had necessitated the Araria bypoll, had represented Jokihat for a record five times.

The bypoll defeat has come as a jolt to Nitish Kumar's JD(U), which had registered three consecutive wins at Jokihat before Thursday's loss.

Kumar, who returned to Patna from a JD(U) function at on Thursday, is yet to make any comment on the bypoll result.

However, JD(U) General Secretary K C Tyagi saw the Jokihat defeat as an outcome of people's nationwide reaction over recent fuel prices hike.

The defeated JD(U) candidate Alam said the recent tie-up of the JD (U) with the may also have angered many of the party's traditional voters. He also accused the RJD of "indulging in large-scale mischievous campaign on communal lines against the BJP-led NDA".

Meanwhile, leader of the opposition in assembly Tejashwi Yadav claimed that Kumar has been "reduced to the status of a captain who cannot even find a place in the playing eleven".

"If the chief minister has conscience, he should immediately go to the Raj Bhavan and tender his resignation," the former deputy chief minister told a press conference convened immediately after counting of votes ended.

Yadav also claimed that the chief minister "has realised that his days are over... A reason why he is busy fielding candidates in far-off states like and and holding rallies in instead of concentrating on which has been his party's bastion."



He further claimed that the JD(U) president's "body language shows that he is ready for yet another political somersault as he has been unable to secure any benefits for Bihar after his alliance with the His sudden reiteration of the demand for special status is an example."



" would, however, now find no takers as he has lost the trust of all. I thank the people of Bihar for giving a befitting reply to both the chief minister and the for conspiring together to hijack the mandate for 2015 assembly polls and achieve power by forming an unethical alliance," Yadav said.

The RJD heir apparent said the victory was also "a befitting reply to the political detractors of my father who has been framed in one case after another".

" stands not only for an ideology, but represents a scientific approach to politics, something could never appreciate. Lalu had envisaged a united opposition to take on the BJP which is taking shape across the country and if the results of bypolls held in various parts of the country are any indication, countdown for the BJP-led NDA at the Centre has begun," asserted Yadav, who had attended the swearing-in ceremony of H D Kumarswami at Benguluru recently.The on Thursday granted former Union minister interim protection from arrest till July 3 in the Central Bureau of Investigation's INX Media corruption case.

Justice A K Pathak asked Chidambaram to join and cooperate in the questioning session as and when called by the

The court also sought the investigating agency's response on the Congress leader's anticipatory bail plea and listed the matter for further hearing on July 3.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, opposed the anticipatory bail plea saying he was merely called for questioning.

Chidambaram had on Wednesday rushed to a trial court for protection from arrest in before approaching the in connection with the INX Media case, in which he has been asked by probe agencies to join investigations.

Chidambaram's role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Aircel-Maxis deal of Rs 35 billion and involving Rs 3.05 billion. It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 regime that FIPB clearance was granted to the two ventures in which alleged irregularities have been found.

In the INX Media case, the had registered an FIR on May 15, 2017, against alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 3.05 billion in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister.

Chidambaram's son was also arrested in the matter for allegedly receiving funds to the tune of Rs 1 million in the case.

The other accused in the case include then INX Media Director Indrani Mukerjea and then INX News Director Peter Mukerjea.The Indian government and the on Thursday signed a $500 million loan agreement to provide additional financing for the (PMGSY) Rural Roads Project, implemented by Ministry of Rural Development.

The PMGSY will build 7,000 km of climate resilient roads, out of which 3,500 km will be constructed using green technologies.

The has supported PMGSY since its inception in 2004.

So far it has invested over $1.8 billion in loans and credits mostly in the economically weaker and hill states across North - Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

It has built and improved about 35,000 km of rural roads and benefited about eight million people with access to all-weather roads.

The loan agreement for the project was signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, joint secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the government of and Junaid Ahmad, country director, India, on behalf of the World Bank in the presence of Alka Upadhyaya, joint secretary (RC), Ministry of Rural Development.

"The PMGSY over the years has brought about a paradigm shift in the way rural roads are mapped, designed, monitored and built, involving communities especially women," said Khare.

"The additional finance will bring a new shift in construction technology using green and low carbon designs and climate resilient construction techniques. Now more rural communities will have access to better economic opportunities and social services," Khare added.

Adequate maintenance of the existing 4.6 million km of road network is emerging as a major challenge.

Many parts of the existing road network are either vulnerable to or have already suffered damage from climate induced events such as floods, high rainfall, sudden cloud bursts and land-slides.

"To support the rural economy and communities and households that depend on rural livelihoods, it will be critical to ensure that infrastructure is built and maintained to withstand climatic changes," said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in

"This project will demonstrate how climate resilient construction can be integrated in the strategy and planning of rural roads," he added.

The PMGSY and the Bank's involvement under this additional financing, will emphasise on managing the rural road network through green and climate-resilient construction using green, low-carbon designs and new technologies - far beyond merely funding civil works.

This will be done through the following measures: climate vulnerability assessment during the design process to identify the critical locations affected by floods, water-logging, submergence, cloud bursts, storms, landslides, poor drainage, excessive erosion, high rainfall, and high temperatures.

Special treatment for flood-affected areas through adequate waterways and submersible roads to allow easy passage of water, use of concrete block pavements, and improved drainage; use of environmentally optimised road designs and new technologies which uses local and marginal materials and industrial by-products such as sand, local soils, fly ash, brick kiln wastes, and other similar materials in place of crushed rocks; innovative bridges and culverts through use of pre-fabricated/pre-cast units for roads and bridges having better ability to withstand earthquakes and water forces such as continuous beams, bearing free construction, and river training works; use of hill cutting material in hill roads ensuring its productive use and resolving its disposal problem, use of bio-engineering measures, improved drainage and other treatments for landslide prone areas and providing adequate slope protection.

The additional financing will also fill the gender gap by creating employment opportunities for women in construction and maintenance.

The earlier project had piloted community-based maintenance contracts through women self-help groups (SHGs) for routine maintenance of 200 km of PMGSY roads in Uttarakhand, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh.

SHG-run maintenance contracts will now be extended to about 500 km roads over five states.

"All components of the project will have substantial climate co-benefits and help road agencies in India to substantially minimise GHG emissions. Improving road conditions alone will result on an average in direct savings of 2.68 million tons annually in GHG emissions and minimise the annual losses of about USD 9 billion in the road asset value and an equal amount by way of high vehicle operating costs," said Ashok Kumar, senior highway engineer and World Bank's task team leader for the project.

The $500 million loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), has a three-year grace period, and a maturity of 10 years.Digital India has been the signature campaign of the Narendra Modi led-NDA regime and when it comes to highlighting achievements of the past four years, the government has chosen the digital route to reach out to the citizens. A website 48months.mygov.in has been created and lists out achievements and milestones across various sectors.

It gives a complete view of the government functioning in the last 48 months. The new portal is being publicised across websites of all the ministries. Usually, Press Information Bureau (PIB) organises conferences to list out the achievements of ...Branch-level operations, including cheque clearance and cash deposits, took a hit on Wednesday after 1 million participated on the first day of a two-day nationwide strike called by unions demanding wage hike.

While ATM functions were not affected much, about 80 per cent were operational, some digital transactions were hit.

A total of 3.9 million instruments, including cheques and demand drafts worth Rs 217 billion could not be processed by during the day, said C H Venkatachalam, general secretary of the All India Bank Employees' Association. The impact is expected to be similar on Thursday.

The strike resulted in the shutdown of around 85,000 branches of and some of those of the older private sector banks, for the full day, Venkatachalam said. However, operations of such as ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank were normal in most states.

Trade unions have opposed the Indian Banks Association's (IBA's) offer of a 2 per cent wage hike. Banks, saddled with high levels of bad loans, have expressed their inability to offer a bigger wage hike.

At least 88 per cent employees working in did not report to work, according to a preliminary assessment report.

Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and the seven north-eastern states were the worst hit.

In Madhya Pradesh, 97 per cent bank staff did not report to work, followed by Karnataka and Chandigarh (95 per cent), Gujarat (94.5 per cent) and Chhattisgarh (94 per cent).

In some states, a few branches of were functioning. In Maharashtra, 70 per cent of the workers in private banks skipped work.

Since the strike coincides with the month-end cycle, salary withdrawals may be affected. Owing to the strike call, several government departments had credited advance salaries to employees on May 29.

According to industry body Assocham, the two-day strike called by the Union Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), representing nine unions, will affect transactions worth up to Rs 200 billion.

Branch deposits, treasury operations and money market operations could also be hit.

Bankers, however, downplayed the impact and said most of them were prepared in advance because the strike notice was given by unions two weeks in advance. "We have alerted all our regions and will ensure that run at normal capacity. While there will be some treasury impact, a lot of operations are now digital and are unlikely to be hit," State Bank of India Chief Operating Officer Neeraj Vyas said.

ALSO READ: Bank strike paralyses operations; Bengal, Kerala, Bihar among worst hit



A (RBI) official told Press Trust of India that some transactions were done through electronic systems such as RTGS, but the functioning of banks' servers was severely affected. comprised about 5 per cent of banks' total operations, the official added.

Various rounds of wage negotiations between banks and unions have failed to make headway. Bank unions have argued that the employee workload had increased "drastically" due to the implementation of the government's flagship schemes such as Mudra and Jan Dhan, as well as the demonetisation exercise. In the last wage revision in 2012, for the period between November 1, 2012 and October 31, 2017, were awarded a 15 per cent hike.

Another point of contention for unions was the decision of six public sector banks, including State Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce and Union Bank, to restrict wage negotiations to Scale-III officers, or till the senior manager level. However, bank unions are demanding a wage hike for officers up to Scale-VII, which will include general managers, deputy general managers, assistant general managers and divisional managers.

The office of the Central Labour Commissioner held a meeting with bank unions and managements on Monday. However, disappointed with the bankers' response, unions decided to go ahead with the strike. The CLC advised banks to swiftly set up a meeting with unions and offer a fresh wage hike. It also told banks to cover all officers in wage negotiations since it might "not be conducive for amicable industrial relations."



(With inputs from Gireesh Babu in Chennai and Nikhat Hetavkar in Mumbai)At a time when the banking sector in India is reeling under a huge burden of rising bad loans, Mangaluru-based private sector lender Karnataka Bank is hopeful of containing its gross non-performing assets (NPA) below five per cent in the current financial year, and doesn't see further slippages from its corporate accounts going ahead.

The bank, with a healthy net interest margin (NIM) of above three per cent, is also planning to reduce its cost of capital to less than one per cent from the current level of around 1.25 per cent. "As of now, even with the proactive ...China may be somewhat of a mystery to the majority of international investors who will soon find themselves owning mainland shares for the first time.

The countrys main bourse, opened in Shanghai in the early 1990s, is accessible only through a link with Hong Kong or using either of two licences available to institutions like insurers or pension funds, both of which impose quotas and limitations. There will be a third route come Friday, when anyone tracking MSCI Incs indexes will be forced to own a piece of the 234 companies that were picked for inclusion this ...President intends to impose steep import duties on and aluminium from Europe starting Friday, after weeks of talks failed to reach a compromise, The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.

Trade officials from Washington and Brussels had continued discussions to find a solution, such as import quotas, that would convince Trump to extend the exemption for the from the 25 per cent tariff on and 10 per cent on aluminium.

But The Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the matter saying a last minute deal appeared unlikely, and the tariff announcement could come as early as Thursday.

Trump imposed the tariffs in March to address global oversupply of the metals, but though it was largely aimed at it hit US allies as well.

Washington exempted and from the tariffs while negotiations continue to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement, and South Korea agreed to quotas instead of tariffs.

The has vowed to hit back at the US with tariffs on American goods, including iconic items such as Harley-Davidson motorbikes, blue jeans and bourbon whiskey.

The metals dispute is just one front in Trump's multi-sided trade confrontation that has hit economic partners and adversaries alike. He has veered from threats to compromise and back again, sowing confusion in global capitals.

He is pressing ahead with 25 per cent tariffs on USD 50 billion in Chinese goods, even after last week saying that dispute was "on hold," and 25 per cent tariffs on auto imports, which is likely to spark a fierce reaction from the as well.Debt-free companies (on net debt basis) account for 57 per cent of all market capitalisation of listed non-financial companies even though these companies are in a minority in terms of revenues, assets and net profits. In all, 209 non-financial companies out of a total sample of 594 companies were debt-free at the end of 2017-18 and together they accounted for 25.6 per cent of the sample companies' combined net sales, 22.7 per cent of all ...

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Digital EditorThe nearly 200-billion rupee Indian broking industry is going through a bit of turbulence. And its roots can be traced all the way to Europe.

The European Union has introduced new rules that are already taking a bite out of revenues and is changing how research and execution services are offered to some of Indias largest foreign investors. The resulting pressure on earnings is likely to mirror the tumult seen elsewhere in the world, according to experts. The European Unions Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II (MiFID II) rules are designed to improve ...The Balochistan Assembly on Wednesday passed a resolution seeking a one-month delay in the upcoming general elections in the province.

The Balochistan Home Minister Mir Sarfaraz Ahmed Bugti submitted the resolution that urges the provincial government to ask the federal government to postpone the elections for a month, Dawn reported.

The purpose of delaying the elections from July to August is to ensure that the people of the province can fully exercise their right to vote.

As per the resolution, the weather in Balochistan would make it nearly impossible for voters to participate in the electoral process.

The absence of electricity at polling stations would make it difficult to conduct elections.

A majority of the public wants to undertake Hajj in July and hence, they would be unable to vote in the elections, the resolution said.

The opposition staged a walk-out in protest when the resolution supported by Bizenjo was passed by the assembly.

Following the adoption of the resolution, the Balochistan Assembly session was adjourned till 3 p.m. on Thursday.

Last week, Pakistan's President Mamnoon Hussain approved a summary sent by the Election Commission for the general elections to be held on July 25, 2018.

The incumbent governments in the centre, Balochistan and Punjab are set to complete their five-year term on May 31.

The caretaker governments in the centre, under the leadership of Justice (R) Nasirul Mulk, will then take over and ensure a smooth transition of power after the elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Naxals in Bihar's Munger district torched four road construction vehicles on Thursday.

They also burned three other vehicles along with it.

The police authorities have confirmed that Naxals have abducted eight labourers in the process but freed four of them.

A search operation has been launched to track down the Naxals and the abductees.

Earlier on May 1 Naxalites had set ablaze as many as five vehicles engaged in road construction work in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The opposition party backed Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Tabassum Hasan is leading from the politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh.

At the time of filing the report, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who held the seat earlier, was in the second position and trailing by over 19900 votes.

The Kairana seat fell vacant in February 2018 after the death of BJP leader Hukum Singh, following which the party fielded his daughter Mriganka Singh from this seat.

Elated with her initial leads, the Hasan said the result of the by-polls cleared the path for the united opposition in 2019.

"This is the victory of truth. I still stand by what I said, there has been a conspiracy and we do not want any future elections to be conducted on Electronic Voting Machines (EVM). The path for the united opposition is clear in 2019," Hasan said.

The BJP left the Shiv Sena candidate behind by 17417 votes from Maharashtra's Palghar Lok Sabha seat in the seventh round of counting.

Reacting to the initial trends, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Raut alleged that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used the by-polls were faulty.

"Many EVMs were faulty, names of about 50-60,00 people were missing from the voter list. Also, within 12 hours of voting ends, the Election Commission changed vote percentage. So all this is very doubtful," Raut said.

In the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is ahead of the BJP by 3100 votes.

Meanwhile, in the Nagaland Lok Sabha constituency, the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), who won this seat during the state assembly polls, has left the Naga People's Front (NPF) behind, as per the current trend.

The NDPP is ahead of 34, 669 votes in the lone Lok Sabha constituency of Nagaland.

Assembly Constituencies:

In the assembly by-polls held in 10 constituencies of nine states, Samajwadi Party has won the Uttar Pradesh's Noorpur Assembly constituency with the clear margin of 6211 votes.

While the Congress' Miani D Shira has secured the Meghalaya's Ampati Assembly constituency.

In the two assembly constituency of Jharkhand where the by-polls were held, the BJP and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has secured one each.

The BJP is leading from Gomia by 7174 votes, while JMM's Seema Devi is ahead by 296 votes from Silli.

In the neighbouring Bihar state, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is ahead with 16299 votes from Jokihat assembly seat, which was earlier under Janata Dal (United) (JD-U).

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is back in the position to win the seat leaving the BJP behind.

TMC's Dulal Chandra Das is leading by over 32,000 votes from Maheshtala assembly constituency, as per the latest trends.

The BJP has managed to gain its seat back in the Tharali assembly constituency in the Hilly state of Uttarakhand.

The party is moving ahead with 1092 votes, followed by the Congress party.

In the southern state of Kerala, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is leading by 9359 votes from Chengannur assembly seat, which seat fell vacant after the death of the party sitting in January.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The counting of votes for by-elections to four Lok Sabha seats and 10 assembly constituencies has begun.

Tight security arrangements have been made to ensure safe and fair counting.

Lok Sabha Bypoll:

The Lok Sabha seats which went for polls were; Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya in Maharashtra; the politically-crucial Kairana Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh, and Nagaland parliamentary constituency.

It will be a litmus test for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as a positive outcome is necessary for the saffron party to maintain its majority in the Lok Sabha.

The results will also test the mettle of a united opposition with that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Though, after losing from Gorakhpur and Phulpur, the BJP had profusely campaigned to win the Kairana seat.

Similarly, in Maharashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondiya, all four major parties -- the BJP, Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress left no stone unturned to woo the electorates in their favour.

Elections were necessitated in Kairana after the seat fell vacant in February following the death of BJP leader Hukum Singh. The BJP has fielded Mriganka Singh, daughter of Singh, from this seat.

In Maharashtra, Palghar is a reserved seat, which was previously held by the BJP. The seat fell vacant after sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanga died in January.

Chintaman Wanga had thrice won the constituency as a BJP member, however, after his death, his family had joined hands with the Shiv Sena.

In Bhandara-Gondiya the bye-election was necessitated when BJP's sitting MP Nana Patole quit the party to join the Congress in December last year.

Meanwhile, in Nagaland Neiphiu Rio of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party was the representative of the lone Lok Sabha constituency in Nagaland. Rio, who represented this constituency, quit in February to contest in the assembly election. Rio is the chief minister of Nagaland.

Assembly Bye-election:

The by-elections were held in Legislative Assemblies of Shahkot (Punjab), Tharali (Uttarakhand), Ampati (Meghalaya), Chengannur (Kerala), Jokihat (Bihar), Gomia (Jharkhand), Silli (Jharkhand), Maheshtala (West Bengal), Noorpur (Uttar Pradesh), Palus Kadegaon (Maharashtra).

The by-poll in Gomia Assembly was necessitated after the sitting MLA Yogendra Prasad Mahto of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) was expelled from the assembly after he was convicted in a coal theft case.

In Jharkhand's Silli the sitting MLA, Amit Mahto, of the JMM was convicted in a criminal assault case in March following which the seat fell vacant.

The seat of Noorpur in Uttar Pradesh fell vacant after the death of sitting BJP MLA Lokendra Singh Chouhan. Chouhan was a two-time MLA from here.

The Maheshtala seat was held by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Kasturi Das until his death in February. He too had represented this constituency twice.

Former Meghalaya Chief Minister and Congress MLA Mukul Sangma resigned from Ampati seat in March, as he had also won from Songsak. Sangma was the MLA from this seat since 1993.

Tharali seat in Uttarakhand is reserved for the member of scheduled castes. The by-poll was necessitated after the death of the BJP MLA Magan Lal Shah in February.

Chengannur seat fell vacant after the death of Communist Party of India (Marxist) sitting MLA K.K. Ramachandran Nair in January.

Sarfaraz Alam had won the Jokihat assembly seat on Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) ticket. He later contested from RJD ticket and resigned in April from the post of MLA after his victory in the Araria Lok Sabha by-poll.

The Shiromani Akali Dal representative of the Shahkot seat, Ajit Singh Kohar the sitting MLA, died in February, which necessitated by-poll in the assembly. Kohar had won from the constituency in 2012 and 2017.

The by-poll in Palus-Kadegaon Assembly constituency was necessitated due to the death of Congress's Patangrao Kadam, who had won the constituency twice. The EC has declared Kadam's son elected unopposed as the BJP had withdrawn its candidate.

These bye-elections were also marred with the complaints of EVM malfunctioning and in the view of which the election commission had to replace the faulty machines at certain places after which repolling was held on several booths on Wednesday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A day after the United States announced 25 per cent tariff on USD 50 billion of Chinese tech goods, China on Wednesday said that it did not want a trade war and remained undeterred.

"We want to reiterate that we don't want a trade war, but we aren't afraid of fighting one," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a briefing on Wednesday, CNN reported.

"If the US insists on acting arbitrarily and recklessly, China will take firm and powerful measures to safeguard its own legitimate rights," Hua said.

On Tuesday, the White House announced that on June 15, it would provide details of the Chinese products affected by the new tariffs, which would come into effect "soon".

The Donald Trump administration stated that it would crack down on "illegal" Chinese trade practices by June 30.

Earlier this month, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who was on a visit to China over trade negotiations said that the trade war with China was "on hold," with both sides agreeing to remove the proposed tariffs.

The latest move to announce the tariffs comes ahead of US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross's visit to China next month over the same.

The United States and China have been tied-up in a constant bilateral trade war.

On March 23, Trump had imposed massive trade tariffs amounting to USD 60 billion on China, in an effort to stop the latter from stealing "intellectual property" from American companies.

In retaliation, China threatened to impose a 25 percent tariff on USD 50 billion worth of US exports.

However, none of the tariffs above came into effect.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)After conceding defeat to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Palghar Lok Sabha constituency, Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took a jibe at Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for campaigning in Maharashtra despite losing in his own constituency.

"Yogi Adityanath is losing in his own state and he is coming to campaign here (Maharashtra). Janta ne Yogi ji ki masti utaardi hai," Thackeray said while addressing a press conference here.

However, the Shiv Sena Chief dodged questions regarding a withdrawal from the alliance with the BJP.

"You people are asking the same question again and again. But my concern is regarding democracy, and people should understand the seriousness of this," he said.

The Shiv Sena Chief also took a dig at the Election Commission (EC), alleging them of being corrupt.

"Seeing the corruption in Election Commission, I would suggest that even election commissioners should not be appointed, but elected. If needed, we will go to court. But, whatever I have said about our democracy, election process and the threat to it was very serious.

Earlier in the day, the BJP won the Palghar bypoll by defeating Shiv Sena by 29572 votes.

The by-election in Palghar was necessitated due to the death of sitting BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indian and Singapore are actively engaged in promoting the Act East policy, said New Delhi's envoy to Singapore, Jawed Ashraf.

"There is a great deal of anticipation and expectations on what Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision is about the Indo-Pacific region," Ashraf told ANI in an interview.

"We have strong bilateral relationships and a productive, meaningful partnership in the international platform. Singapore is really a springboard, a gateway to South East Asia. It is also a very important defence partner of India. We have the longest running uninterrupted naval exercises and we train together every year, across the three wings of the armed forces," said Ashraf.

The four pillars of the India-Singapore partnership are strategic, economic, innovation and technology, human and cultural links, he added.

India and Singapore are also working in areas like humanitarian assistance in disaster relief, keeping the seas safe, and boosting tourism.

"Singapore is the biggest destination for Indian investments overseas. Nearly 22% of Indian investments come to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Furthermore, 1.3 million Indian tourists come to Singapore. It's the first country we have signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with," High Commissioner Ashraf said.

In Singapore, Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to visit the Indian Heritage Centre in Little India, where he will launch a permanent platform to bring Indian artisans, craftsmen to showcase their crafts to support rural livelihood. Furthermore, he will be launching schemes like Bheem, RuPay, which is a new Domestic Card Payment Scheme, to take Digital India to a new level.

Eight agreements in collaboration with the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) would be signed for higher education, technology and research work during the Prime Minister's visit.

On the other hand, Singapore is working with India to develop Andhra Pradesh's capital Amaravati and some parts of Pune.

Ashraf said he expected initiatives, launches and announcements during Prime Minister Modi's visit, which would take this partnership to a new level.

Prime Minister Modi is currently on a three-nation tour to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

The aim of the visit is to enhance India's relations and engagements with all the three countries, who are the members of the ASEAN.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former Union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram was granted interim protection from arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) till July 3 in the INX Media Case on Thursday.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who is representing Chidambaram, in this case, refused to speak on the matter, saying that, "it is not the right time to discuss the issue."

This came a day after Chidambaram obtained temporary relief from arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the Aircel-Maxis case till June 5.

The former union minister had moved the anticipatory bail in the Delhi High Court in connection with the INX Media Case on Wednesday.

Chidambaram in his bail plea said that "investigation is based on mala fide intention, the petitioner will duly appear before CBI tomorrow and cooperate with the investigation."

Former Finance Minister was directed by the CBI to appear before it on May 31 for questioning in the said case.

The case is related to alleged irregularities when the media company sought foreign investment approval in 2007.

The investigative agency had earlier arrested P. Chidambaram's son, Karti Chidambaram for alleged irregularities of Rs 305 crore in the case.

Karti Chidambaram was arrested on February 28 at the Chennai airport on his return from the United Kingdom, for his alleged role in facilitating Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance for INX Media Ltd. and its directors, Peter and Indrani Mukerjea.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome from the crowd, most of them Indian, as he reached Hotel Fullerton on arriving in Singapore.

This is his second official visit as the Prime Minister to the island nation and is packed with a series of meetings, mainly with the business community.

This evening, he is scheduled to visit India-Singapore Enterprise and Innovation Exhibitions at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre. Most of these exhibitions will deal with the social impact, as to how they can make a difference to health, education, water, and agriculture.

Following that, the Prime Minister will attend a business and community event, where nearly 5,000 people are expected to turn up.

Later, Prime Minister Modi will have a round-table conference with CEOs over dinner. Thirty top business leaders of Singapore will participate in the conference.

On Friday, he is scheduled to visit the Arjuna's Chariot and the Istiqal Mosque. He will then go to the Indian Heritage Centre, where he is expected to launch a platform to bring Indian artisans and craftsmen to showcase their work to support rural livelihood.

At the end of his stay in Singapore, he will visit Changi Naval Base, where he will interact with naval officials and sailors.

Before Singapore, Prime Minister visited Indonesia and Malaysia in a bid to enhance India's relations and engagements with the three countries, who are members of the ASEAN.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for Kairana Lok Sabha seat, Mriganka Singh on Thursday congratulated Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) candidate Tabassum Hasan and the opposition alliance, stating that they have emerged strong and BJP has to prepare for future.

"Many voters did vote for BJP, but with a lead of some thousand votes alliance has won. I would like to congratulate the candidate. The alliance has emerged strong and now we have to prepare better for future," Mriganka told ANI.

The Kairana seat fell vacant in February 2018 after the death of BJP leader Hukum Singh, following which the party fielded his daughter Mriganka Singh from this seat.

The BJP is leading from Gomia by 7174 votes, while JMM's Seema Devi is ahead by 296 votes from Silli.

In the neighbouring Bihar state, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is ahead with 16299 votes from Jokihat assembly seat, which was earlier under Janata Dal (United) (JD-U).

The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) is back in the position to win the seat leaving the BJP behind.

TMC's Dulal Chandra Das is leading by over 32,000 votes from Maheshtala assembly constituency, as per the latest trends.

The BJP has managed to gain its seat back in the Tharali assembly constituency in the Hilly state of Uttarakhand.

The party is moving ahead with 1092 votes, followed by the Congress party.

In the southern state of Kerala, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is leading by 9359 votes from Chengannur assembly seat, which seat fell vacant after the death of the party sitting in January.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) on Thursday welcomed the reactivation of dialogue with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).

A PMSA delegation was on an official visit to India to hold talks with their Indian counterparts on maritime issues of mutual importance.

The PMSA delegation was led by its Director General, Rear Admiral Zaka Ur Rehman. The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) team was led by its Director General Rajendra Singh.

Rear Admiral Zaka Ur Rehman said that both sides have agreed to take steps to ease the sufferings of fishermen, particularly those who cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) inadvertently.

Both sides called for enhanced cooperation with regard to responses to pollution and natural calamities.

Rear Admiral Zaka Ur Rehman also visited the Pakistan High Commission during his stay in New Delhi.

The last meeting between the PMSA and the Indian Coast Guard took place in Islamabad in July 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hailing the bilateral relations of India and Singapore Prime Minister Narendra Modi called them to be "warmest and closest".

While addressing the community-cum-business event named 'Anushasan' on Thursday at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore Prime Minister Modi called the indo-Singaporean relations as "a natural partnership with a shared vision".

While highlighting India's role in developing the Association of South Asian (ASEAN) Region Prime Minister Modi further said, "Singapore became a partner and bridge between India and ASEAN".

He further noted that bilateral defense relations of two countries are strongest and the political contacts are with "no contests, irritants, or doubts".

Earlier while addressing the Indian Diaspora living in Singapore Prime Minister Modi said, "The course of India's centuries-old Silk route also ran through Singapore. The human link is deep and enduring, which lives in the Singaporean Indians."

He added that irrespective of some who came in Singapore as a result of globalisation and circumstances of history, "You have become part of Singapore's unique fabric and its progress. You represent the diversity of India."

Prime Minister Modi is further scheduled to attend a roundtable conference with the Chief Executive Officers over a dinner event at Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre itself.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is on a three-nation tour to South-East Asia left for Singapore after meeting his Malaysian counterpart Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Putrajaya.

Prime Minister Modi will be residing at Hotel Fullerton.

He will then pay a visit to India-Singapore Enterprise and Innovation Exhibitions at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre.

Following the exhibitions, the Prime Minister will attend a business and community event.

Later, Prime Minister Modi will have a business round-table conference with CEOs for dinner.

In a statement on May 28, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, three countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region are strategic partners of India.

Prime Minister Modi is currently on a three-nation tour to Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

The aim of the visit is to enhance India's relations and engagements with all the three countries, which forms ASEAN.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday started his tour in Singapore, by visiting an exhibitions centre.

The India-Singapore Enterprise and Innovation Exhibitions at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre showcase innovation in frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, fin-tech and innovation for social impact.

The exhibition is put up jointly by Indian and Singaporean companies.

Prime Minister Modi was being led on to a museum tour where he was guided about new innovative types of equipment and techniques displayed across.

New models of mobile phones and other electronic gadgets were introduced at the place as Prime Minister Modi went to discuss each of their features.

Further, the Indonesian professionals demonstrated new techniques revolving around the use of electricity.

The innovators also explained the construction of some of their ambitious projects through graphical representations, as Prime Minister Modi held further talks with them to understand their functions.

Following this, Prime Minister Modi will be participating in a business-cum-community event here where he is expected to address issues including India's economic engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

While addressing an expected audience of about 5,000 people he shall highlight the current investment climate in India while informing them about the various reforms introduced within the country.

Later, Prime Minister Modi will have a round-table conference with CEOs over dinner. Thirty top business leaders of Singapore will participate in the conference.

On Friday, he is scheduled to visit the Arjuna's Chariot and the Istiqal Mosque. He will then go to the Indian Heritage Centre, where he is expected to launch a platform to bring Indian artisans and craftsmen to showcase their work to support rural livelihood.

At the end of his stay in Singapore, he will visit Changi Naval Base, where he will interact with naval officials and sailors.

Prime Minister Modi is a four-day visit to three-nation tour.

He earlier visited Indonesia following a brief stop-over at Malaysia. The agenda of the visit was to expand and strengthen Indian relations with the three South- Asian countries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)After former President accepted RSS' invitation for an event in Nagpur, senior leader P on Wednesday requested him to tell the organisation what is wrong with their ideology.

"Now that he (Pranab Mukherjee) has accepted invitation there is no point debating why he accepted it. More important thing to say is, sir you have accepted invitation, please go there and tell them what is wrong with their ideology," said at an event in

Meanwhile, Leader Ramesh Chennithala wrote to requesting him to refrain from attending the event which is to be held on June 7.

"I have been associated with him for many years; I am very concerned and surprised by his decision. is always trying to divide the society," Chennithala told media here.

Earlier in the day, another leader C. K. Jaffer Sharief wrote a letter to the former President wherein he requested him to "reconsider and avoid visiting" the event scheduled.

The former President will address the Third Year Sangha Shiksha Varga (SSV), which is held annually at the RSS headquarters in

(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.)South Korean President Moon Jae-in is likely to visit Singapore next month to hold a summit with the United States and North Korea.

The South Korean president is also expected to sign a permanent peace treaty with North Korea to formally end the six-decade Korean War, officials said on Thursday.

An official from the Cheong Wa Dae presidential office said that no decision has been made so far, Yonhap news agency reported.

The official added that President Moon will visit Singapore if he is invited by the US and North Korea.

Asked about the preparations of holding a trilateral summit involving the two Koreas and the US, the official said, "We have no plans to prepare for a three-way summit in advance."

"We plan to make preparations (for a trip) when there is an invitation though we still do not know whether there will be one," the official added.

Meanwhile, the Vice Chairman of North Korea, Kim Yong Chol on Wednesday arrived in New York, in a bid to revive the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un.

According to CNN, citing a law enforcement source, Chol landed in New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, becoming the most senior official from North Korea to touch American soil since 2000.

He is slated to meet US Secretary of Source Mike Pompeo over the preparations for the proposed June 12 summit later in the day. Both the leaders will meet again and have a state dinner.

The latest flurry of diplomatic activities from the US came after Trump on May 24 had issued an official letter to Kim to call off the most awaited summit following the latter's threats to do the same following the US-South Korea 'Max' military drills.

Earlier this month, North Korea also threatened to withdraw from the Trump talks if the US continued to insist Pyongyang abandon its nuclear programme.

However, on May 27, President Moon, who met Kim once again at the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) said that the latter had reaffirmed his willingness to hold a summit with the US and was for the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Cube Wealth, India's first "one app, one minute" service that offers members wealth creation, automated savings, and expense management through an award-winning user-interface was launched in India on Thursday.

Cube will appeal to progressive, professional Indians - entrepreneurs, technologists, creatives, media professionals, doctors and homemakers - with a first of its kind service that will simplify and automate the entire world of money management for its members.

The Cube Wealth service is open for new members as of today for six days only until June 5.

After this period, membership will be selective with existing members having the privilege of inviting a limited number of their friends and family.

"Every one of us at Cube believes in simplifying wealth creation and money management, and our app was created on this very premise. It's like having your personal, perfect money manager working for you around the clock. We have spent a lot of time understanding the Indian professional's problem around money and wealth creation, and have built the simplest and best service ever seen to simplify all the work, while still giving the user full control. 1 app, 1 minute - that's all our members need to create wealth and simplify their lives," said Satyen Kothari, a veteran of the Indian startup ecosystem space.

"We are excited about the launch as the product has been tested extensively by our early beta members since January. My prior experience in founding Citrus Payments serves us well as we are obsessively focused on member data privacy and security. Cube is the modern finance avatar that combines everything that a great wealth manager and the perfect bank account should do to simplify our lives. Now, you have that perfect world in your pocket with Cube Wealth," he added.

Simplifying your life with Cube:

- Create wealth: The formula to create wealth is simple and yet hard to execute. Quality assets + disciplined investing. Cube provides a platform to access proven, high-quality advisors so members can invest in modern wealth creation options. It also automates the investing process to remove effort, while still allowing full control to its user.

- Access blue-chip advisors: Cube's platform provides access to the best wealth advisors in the market. These advisors were previously accessible only to UHNIs, but Cube has negotiated to bring these available at low monthly SIP amounts to the Indian professional user.

- Simplify your life: Most of us don't enjoy looking at numbers and spreadsheets. Cube facilitates tracking exactly how each of your investments is doing in simple terms of amounts and profits. It shows you where your overall money is going in a simple historical statement.

- Easy sign-up: Members finish all the process in a few taps on the app. Personal information is safe and secure and all the money always stays in the member's name in SEBI approved funds and accounts.

- International investment options: An Americano or a Made in China? No, we are not talking about coffee or clothes. With a minimum initial investment, subscribers gain access to a clear assortment of mutual funds based on the returns and risk factors involved, so you make an informed decision. These include international funds to access various markets around the globe.

The Android and iOS app was launched by five-time entrepreneur and prolific angel Investor - Satyen Kothari.

In the past, Satyen has founded Citrus Payments where he led the overall strategy, product, UX, and marketing, to drive the brand to a USD 2.5 billion payment leader in a short span of four years.

Citrus Payments was backed by Sequoia Capital and sold to PayU for an 850 crore all-cash deal in 2016.

Additionally, Satyen is a veteran of Silicon Valley and has worked at Apple and frog design and has studied design, computer science, and entrepreneurship at Stanford University.

Cube Wealth has seen an overwhelmingly positive response from early-invite members who have gone on to deposit crores already during the pre-launch phase.

The company's previous product around bills payments had 350,000 paying customers and was recognised amongst the "Best new apps" by Apple.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Following a visit to the Innovation Exhibitions centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was given a grand welcome by the Indian diaspora as he proceeded to attend the community-cum-business event named Anushasanam in Singapore.

Prime Minister utilised this platform to launch Bharat Interface for Money (Bhim) mobile application in line with promoting digitization in the country.

There was a small presentation that explained United Payment Interface launched in the partnership of State Bank of India and National Payments Corporation of India.

Further, another presentation was done to depict the upcoming new innovation centre in Singapore.

On that note, prior to this event, Prime Minister Modi inspected the various innovative projects at the Marina Bay, as he held talks with the respective innovators.

Further, a group of classical Bharatnatyam dancers displayed a performance as they started with arangetram.

Prime Minister is further scheduled to address the audience at the event where he shall talk about the new Indo-Singaporean projects.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tata Consultancy Services, a leading global IT services, consulting and solutions organisation, has been named number one for customer satisfaction in the UK by the Whitelane Study - one of the country's largest independent report of IT service providers.

TCS received a customer satisfaction score of 81 percent in the UK, and the company also topped the rankings for the whole of Europe, retaining the number one spot for the fifth consecutive year and topping the rankings in Germany (80 percent), Benelux (80 percent), Netherlands (80 percent), Switzerland (83 percent), and the Nordics (82 percent).

The latest Whitelane Study also showed that TCS was ranked number one in application development, maintenance, testing and SaaS; and data centre, managed infrastructure and hosting. In addition to overall customer satisfaction, the survey also assessed each company based on eight key performance indicators (KPIs). TCS was ranked in the top three for service delivery quality, price level and understanding.

The 2018 UK IT Outsourcing Study is based on the experiences of more than 240 leaders (CIOs, CEOs, CFOs or their direct reports), who oversee 760 IT services contracts held by the UK's top IT spending organisations. The in-depth research looks into 31 providers, examining their performance, customer satisfaction levels and delivery quality across IT services sector.

Shankar Narayanan, Head of TCS UK & Ireland said: "TCS is delighted to be recognised as the IT services industry customer satisfaction leader again in the UK. This recognition underscores the value we continue to deliver to our customers in helping them achieve their goals and it is this relentless focus that is at the heart of our continued success and growth. Digital technologies such as cloud, mobile, big data, automation and AI are playing an increasingly significant role in the British economy. At TCS, we remain committed to this transformation and in helping our customers on their Business 4.0 journey."

Jef Loos, Head of Sourcing Europe, Whitelane Research, said, "TCS has once again taken the number one spot for customer satisfaction in the UK. By applying the principles of Business 4.0, TCS has earned a satisfaction score of 81%, and continues to be a trusted technology partner to the UK's top organisations. The Whitelane IT Outsourcing Study surveys more than 240 participants from the UK's top spending IT organisations, and leading the customer satisfaction ratings again underscores the value that TCS continues to add to these businesses with cloud, automation and connected technologies being crucial parts of their digital transformation journeys. Along with retaining number one spot for customer satisfaction across 13 European countries for the fifth consecutive, this is an impressive achievement by TCS to be celebrated in today's fiercely competitive customer environment.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Terrorists on the wee hours of Thursday attacked an Army's patrolling party in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.

The incident took place around Qaziabad forests situated in Kralgund area of the district.

The firing was retaliated and triggered off following a brief gunfight between the security forces and terrorists.

A search operation has been launched to trace out the terrorists.

No loss of life or injury has been reported so far.

More details are awaited.

Yesterday, a suspected terrorist lobbed a grenade at the residence of Conference leader Mohammad Ashraf Bhat in Pulwama's Tral town.

On the same day, terrorists hurled a grenade towards a joint checkpoint of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Jammu and Kashmir police in Pulwama district.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice-chairman of the North Korean ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, Kim Yong-Chol, met in New York on Wednesday to discuss the summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

At a 90-minute working dinner, the two leaders deliberated on whether the two sides can conduct the summit on dismantling the North's nuclear weapons program in exchange for concessions.

"Good working dinner with Kim Yong Chol in New York tonight. Steak, corn, and cheese on the menu," Pompeo tweeted post the meeting.

Last week, President Trump had said the much-anticipated United States-North Korea summit, that was scheduled to be held on June 12 in Singapore, stands cancelled.

He blamed the 'hostility' and anger displayed by North Korea regarding the US-South Korea Max military drills for calling off the summit.

A few days later, Pompeo said that even after President Trump called off the summit with Kim, Washington was willing to continue its efforts to have a dialogue with N Korea.

Since then, officials from both sides are putting in efforts to make the summit happen.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Venting out his anger over the Russian meddling probe, United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he rued his decision of picking attorney general Jeff Sessions to head the Department of Justice (DoJ).

Trump was cited by Republican Party's Trey Gowdy, wherein the latter told in a CBS interview that "he wished that he could pick someone else to lead the DoJ."

As per The Hill, Gowdy, who was later quoted by Trump said the US President was merely "expressing frustration that Attorney General Sessions should have shared these reasons for recusal before he took the job, not afterwards."

In a series of tweets, Trump wrote, "Rep.Trey Gowdy, "I don't think so, I think what the President is doing is expressing frustration that Attorney General Sessions should have shared these reasons for recusal before he took the job, not afterward. If I were the President and I picked someone to be the country's...."

"....chief law enforcement officer, and they told me later, 'oh by the way I'm not going to be able to participate in the most important case in the office, I would be frustrated too...and that's how I read that - Senator Sessions, why didn't you tell me before I picked you.....", the US President wrote his second tweet on the micro-blogging site.

"...There are lots of really good lawyers in the country, he could have picked somebody else!" And I wish I did!", Trump wrote in his third tweet.

A top backer of Trump campaign, Sessions decided to recuse himself from the Russian meddling probe after it was revealed that during the 2016 presidential election, he had not disclosed the "contacts" with the US ambassador to Russia.

The decision was slammed by Trump, calling it as an "ultimate betrayal". The US President has earlier said that he wanted an attorney general to shield him "legally and politically."

Aides close to Trump have said that the US President did not fire Sessions as it would draw massive flak among others.

Instead, Trump has been lambasting special counsel Robert Mueller and his investigating team for "undermining" the credibility of the Russian meddling probe.

Mueller, who is investigating the alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 United States election, has planned to wrap the probe into whether President Donald Trump obstructed the Russia inquiry by September 1, the president's lawyer Rudy Giuliani had told Fox News, earlier.

According to the report, the date, however, is conditional as it comes with the clause from Mueller, which states, "if he is able to interview Trump by mid-July".

The former mayor of New York City urged that the investigation should end soon so that it doesn't affect Republican chances in November's midterm elections.

Giuliani also urged the swift wrapping of the probe in the backdrop of former Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director James Comey revelation in the last days of the 2016 presidential race that he was reopening the investigation into then Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton's email server, according to several media reports.

Russia had earlier denied meddling in the US election campaign and Trump called Mueller's probe a "political witch hunt".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath called for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)-led probe into the death case of ATS officer Rajesh Sahani.

Yesterday evening, the Chief Minister held a meeting with Principal Secretary (Home) and DGP UP, where he took the decision.

A recommendation in this regard has also been sent to the Central Government.

On May 29, Rajesh Sahni, a senior police officer of Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) committed suicide in Lucknow.

Sahni was Additional Superintendent of Police of Uttar Pradesh ATS.

His body was found inside the ATS office with a bullet wound.

"Rajesh Sahni, Additional Superintendent of Police, ATS, committed suicide by shooting himself on the temple at 1245 hrs in his office with an official weapon. The reason for suicide is being ascertained, "said, Additional Director General (Law and Order) Anand Kumar.

Sahni was a 1992 batch Provincial Police Services (PPS) officer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shri Ram Vilas Paswan, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution asserted that foodgrain at subsidized prices is being allocated for welfare and development of weaker sections of society to ensure adequate standards of nutrition in Welfare Institutions and SC/ST/OBC Hostels.

Shri Paswan stated that Government of India has revamped its scheme for additional allocation of foodgrain to ensure adequate standards of nutrition in such institutions with a view to meet the requirement of Welfare Institutions such as Beggar Homes, Nari-niketans and other similar welfare institutions sponsored by State Governments/UT Administrations, that are not covered under Targeted Public Distribution System or under any other Welfare Scheme; and also for residents of SC/ST/OBC Hostels.

Shri Paswan informed that as per the schematic guidelines, the hostels with atleast 2/3rd of the resident students belonging to SC/ST/OBC community are eligible to get subsidized foodgrain for all the resident students, including those who belong to other categories.

The Central Issue Price of foodgrain under the scheme is fixed at BPL rates.

The Food Minister further stated that the scale of issue of wheat and rice (ratio to be decided on the basis of food habits in different areas) is as per the nutrition requirement of the residents, subject to a maximum of 15 kg per resident per month.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)ICICI Bank fell 1.49% to Rs 281 at 9:36 IST on BSE after the bank said that it will start an enquiry into whistleblower complaint.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 30 May 2018.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 94.47 points, or 0.27% to 35,000.58.

On the BSE, 1.17 lakh shares were traded in the counter so far compared with average daily volumes of 5.03 lakh shares in the past two weeks. The stock had hit a high of Rs 285 and a low of Rs 280.35 so far during the day. The stock hit a record high of Rs 365.65 on 29 January 2018. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 256 on 24 October 2017.

The board of directors, at its meeting held on 29 May 2018, decided to institute an enquiry to be headed by an independent and credible person, to examine and enquire into an anonymous whistle-blower complaint, disclosing certain information, alleging in substance that bank's MD & CEO had not adhered to provisions relating to "Code of Conduct" of the bank and legal and regulatory provisions relating to "conflict of interest" over a period of time, as also alleging quid pro quo in the course of her work in dealing with certain customers/borrowers of the bank.

The scope of enquiry would be comprehensive and include all relevant matters arising out of and in the course of examination of the facts and wherever warranted, use of forensics/email reviews and recordal of statements of relevant personnel etc. The enquiry would also cover all connected matters in the course of the investigation to bring the matter to a final close.

In keeping with the Whistle Blower Policy of the bank, the board has mandated its Audit Committee to take all further actions in the matter to operationalize this decision including in particular, appointment of an independent and credible person as head of the enquiry, determining the terms of reference of the enquiry, the period which will be covered by the enquiry etc. The audit committee will also, in consultation with the head of the enquiry, make arrangements to assist him with independent legal and other professional support as may be required.

ICICI Bank's net profit dropped 49.62% to Rs 1020 crore on 20.24% rise in total income to Rs 19942.97 crore in Q4 March 2018 over Q4 March 2017.

ICICI Bank is one of the leading private sector banks in India.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Commerce Secretary, Ms. Rita Teaotia disclosed that re-engagements between India and EU would recommence shortly to further negotiate the proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) within the two.

Ms. Teaotia informed that in the past a great deal of stock taking had already happened between the India and EU and several issues relating to proposed FTA were addressed to get a fair stock taking exercise needed.

In this direction, both India and EU are progressing and possibilities for re-engagements towards effecting Indo EU FTA have strengthened and necessary preparations are on, pointed out the Commerce Secretary without indicating a firm timetable for it.

According to her, FTAs are significant for enhancement of external trade between strategic partners and since their sometimes emerge distortions in FTAs, these should not be regarded as a single tool for enhancement of India's trade basket both imports and exports and thus focus should also be laid on multilateral channels so that trade particularly external flourishes according to the potential of the stakeholders concerned.

Elaborating on FTAs particularly signed post-2010 like India-ASEAN FTA, India - Japan CEPA and India - South Korea CEPA, the Commerce Secretary felt that their utilization factor has increased to benefit the nationalities concerned and therefore, not only the exports witnessed significant growth but imports as well.

China, whether it is a trade partner to India or its competitor, Ms.

Teaotia was of the view that despite China's low tariffs on many front and India's higher tariff on certain sector, somehow Indian products particularly in the pharmaceuticals segments among others are finding it difficult to access the Chinese market whereas India provides much easier market access to Chinese products. This distortion needs correction, she felt.

On India's export performance, the Commerce Secretary though expressed satisfaction that India has been doing fairly well on its external front but to further strength its export position in the world, India needs to enhance its cost competitiveness both on scale and pricing and also requires a deeper understanding of regulatory frameworks of its strategic and exporting partners.

President, PHD Chamber, Mr. Anil Khaitan pointed out that higher tariffs only protect the domestic industry and sought that FTAs signing should precede with comprehensive homework so that they lead to a logical conclusion.

Powered by Capital Market - Live News

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Prakash Jarwal on Thursday moved a Delhi court to seek a court-monitored investigation into the Chief Secretary assault case, in which he is one of the accused MLAs.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal issued notice to the Delhi Police and sought its reply by June 27, the next date of hearing.

In his application moved through lawyers B.S. Joon and Mohammad Irshad, the Deoli legislator expressed apprehension that the police may tamper with the statements of witnesses and the videotaped content of the day when the alleged incident took place.

AAP MLAs Amanatullah Khan and Prakash Jarwal were arrested by Delhi Police on the charge of assaulting Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash on February 19 night at the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Jarwal was granted bail by the Delhi High Court in March.

"The investigating agency has already examined more than 20 persons, including some MLAs/Ministers in three months but it still is uncertain about the status of such persons -- whether they will be made accused or witnesses in the chargesheet," the petitioner said.

Jarwal also said that the police had given an "incorrect and baseless statement" to the media on alleged evasion of questions on the alleged assault by Kejriwal during his questioning in the matter.

The Chief Secretary had accused the two AAP legislators of assault in the presence of Kejriwal at the CM's residence, where the top bureaucrat had been called for an emergency meeting.

--IANS

akk/tsb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Online retail giant Amazon led the recruitment of Jindal Global Business School (JGBS) students this year with offers of up to Rs 1.6 million per annum, O.P. Jindal Global University said here on Thursday.

The other leading recruiters included ITC, Ernst and Young, HDFC Bank, Home First Finance Company (HFFC), Genpact, Dyson, Brands of Desire, Pinnacle Connect and SalesEdge, the university said.

"We are constantly working to create new opportunities to meet students' imaginations and cater to their career aspirations," C. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor, O.P. Jindal Global University, said in a statement.

The summer internship programme at Jindal Global Business School also attracted several new companies like Bisleri International, Future Group, Honda Cars, IDBI, India Bulls, HDFC Bank and Decathlon, among others.

"Our partnership with IBM has helped in opening immense opportunities in the area of business analytics," said Tapan Panda, Dean, JGBS.

Software major IBM set up its Business Analytics Lab at Jindal University last year to provide necessary support and a critical analysis platform to execute the Jindal Global Business School MBA Business Analytics programme smoothly.

"What is interesting this year is the wide variety of domains that the students have been offered, they have got opportunity to work in the emerging of business process engineering, business analytics and social media analytics profile," Panda added.

--IANS

gb/bg

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress on Thursday demanded a response from Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on an alleged kickback of Rs 17.55 crore received by ministry officials in the purchase of spares for the IAF's AN-32 transport aircraft.

The party also demanded that the government should use, not "misuse" its investigative agencies in this case.

Citing a news report about Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau investigating an alleged kickback of Rs 17.55 crore over the sale of spares for the Soviet-era aircraft to India, party spokesperson Manish Tewari said: "AN-32 is the workhorse of the Indian Air Force and plays an extremely critical role in the entire logistics and supply chain of the IAF. The news report and some letters circulating in the social media alleged that a contract for procurement of spares was signed on November 26, 2014."

Despite the terms of contract not having been fulfilled, completion statements were signed between the Ministry of Defence/Air Headquarters and supplier company Spetstechnoexport on August 13, 2015, October 20, 2015 and April 5, 2016, he said, adding the government should respond on this extremely serious issue.

"We do hope she (Sitharaman), who speaks on every issue, will take time out and respond to something which pertains to her ministry also," he said.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi had earlier on Thursday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the "self-proclaimed chowkidar", should take immediate action against the Defence Ministry officials.

Meanwhile Tewari further said that Ukrainian investigators held after signing of these completion statements despite the terms of contract remaining unfulfilled, a sum of Rs 17.55 crore was transferred to the account of a company called Global Marketing, ostensibly in the Noor Islamic Bank in the UAE.

"They (the government) should go deep into the matter and put all the facts in front of the people. We urge them instead of misusing the institutions like CBI, ED and Income Tax for spreading political hatred, they must use them for national interest in this case."

He raised five points for the government to respond to, including if the Ukrainian authorities sought legal assistance from the Indian government in February this year, and if so, the government's response, or if the Defence Ministry had ordered any probe into the matter.

He also asked if this government believes in transparency, why it is hiding these facts or will it "like the Rafale purchase again hide behind the veil of some confidentiality clauses to sweep this matter under the carpet?"

--IANS

sid/vd

(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.)Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the "self-proclaimed chowkidar", take immediate action against Defence Ministry officials for allegedly receiving kickbacks of Rs 17.5 crore in purchase of spares for the IAF's An-32 transport aircraft.

"Ministry Of Defence, India (MODI) officials, accused of making millions of dollars in kickbacks via Dubai by Ukrainian government in An-32 deal. Modiji, as our self proclaimed chokidar, I urge you to take immediate action against your corrupt MODI officials," Gandhi said in a tweet.

He attached a report by The Indian Express which said that Ukraine is probing the alleged kickbacks in India's purchase of spares for military transport aircraft An-32 in which its anti-corruption bureau suspects involvement of Indian Defence Ministry officials.

--IANS

ps/in/vd

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Banking operations across India were crippled for the second successive day owing to the strike by over 10 lakh bank employees demanding an early wage settlement, said the unions.

The unions squarely blamed the Indian Banks' Association (IBA) for forcing them to resort to a two-day strike, impacting banking transactions worth around Rs 43,400 crore.

"The two-day strike was a huge success," All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA) General Secretary C.H. Venkatachalam told IANS.

"It is the IBA which has put the banking public to trouble and not the unions. The unions had given strike notice 20 days before the actual strike. The IBA did not respond to that," he added.

All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC) General Secretary D.T. Franco also told IANS that it was the IBA which has to be blamed for the strike. "Even for the conciliation meeting called by the Chief Labour Commissioner (Delhi), the IBA had sent a junior official who had no authority," he said.

In the northeastern states, banking operations were affected severely as most branches of major banks remained closed and most of the ATMs ran out of cash. Leaders of the striking employees claimed that the response of the bank strike was tremendous in all northeastern states.

Many branches of the private banks also remained closed on Wednesday and Thursday due to the pressure of the agitating bank employees' organisations.

However, the union officials said it would be the protesters who would bear the brunt.

"While the IBA has put the customers to difficulty, it is the banks which will be saving cost or earning income due to the two-day strike. The staff will not be paid wages for the period they were on strike and there will be saving on power costs as the offices were closed," Venkatachalam said.

The United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), an umbrella body of nine bank unions, called for the two-day strike that started on Wednesday.

Venkatachalam said the unions had requested the IBA to come up with a better offer than the mere two per cent hike offer, so that the strike could be averted.

He said the IBA was also asked not to delink the wage negotiations for bank officers in the Scales 4-7 but it did not do anything.

At the conciliation meeting on Monday, the Chief Labour Commissioner (CLC) asked the IBA not to raise new controversies like delinking the wage talks for officers in the 4-7 scale, he said.

"Though the CLC tried its best to sort out the strike issues, there is no positive developments," Franco had said earlier.

Wage revision in the banks was due from November 1, 2017 and according to Venkatachalam, the Central government had been advising the IBA to conclude the wage issue before this date.

Unions had submitted the Charter of Demands in May 2017 and discussions commenced with them that month. But even though several rounds of discussions in the last one year, the IBA did not come forward with an offer.

On May 5, the IBA made an offer to hike the wages by two per cent, quoting poor financial condition of the banks as a reason. This offer was not acceptable to the unions.

According to Franco and Venkatachalam, the IBA began the wage talks with five per cent hike during the last settlement.

"Over the years the wage cost for the banks are declining as experienced employees are retiring in large numbers and there is no commensurate new recruitment," Venkatachalam said, adding that he is not against the mechanism of annual talks for wage revisions instead of the elaborate negotiations at the end of every five years, strikes and other time consuming matters.

"It is the government and the management who are not in favour of annual pay hikes. We are for working out some mechanism for such an action," he said.

Franco said: "There are some pros and cons. There is a proposal to do away with the wage settlements in the Wage Board Bill."

The nationwide strike also evoked great response for the second day too with more than 80,000 bank branches remaining closed.

Venkatachalam said that banking transactions worth about Rs 21,700 crore could not be put into effect across the country on Thursday.

A total of banking transactions worth about Rs 43,400 crore were affected during the two-day strike.

"However, these transactions would be completed when the banks open their shutters on Friday. But for the bankers, their two days' wages were lost due to the inaction of the IBA," Venkatachalam said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With a resurgent and united opposition on Thursday wresting both Kairana Lok Sabha seat and the Noorpur Assembly seat from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the ruling party has been hit by poll blues worst in the recent past.

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD)'s Tabassum Hasan defeated BJP's Mriganka Singh by a margin of 44,618 votes and Naeem Ul Hasan of the Samajwadi Party (SP) snatched the sitting seat of the BJP by 5,678 votes.

Senior leaders, who till Thursday morning were laughing off at the talks of BJP's impending drubbing in face of a united opposition, were by evening ducking direct questions and taking recourse to the beaten track of "we will take stock".

A senior minister in the Yogi Adityanath government told IANS: "It's high time the party woke up to the writing on the wall."

He added that the promises made to people in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the 2017 state assembly elections, both in which the BJP swept, were apparently not being kept and this was leading to the "humiliating back-to-back defeats in the bypolls".

There have been five bypolls ever since the BJP government took over the reins of most populous and politically most crucial state in the country, but it has lost four. Barring Akbarpur in Kanpur Rural, the ruling saffron camp has lost Gorakhpur, Phulpur, Kairana and Noorpur. This comes as a body blow to the party which just a year back won 323 seats in a 403-member state assembly.

What makes the successive defeats stand out even more is the fact that the first two parliamentary seats that it lost were earlier represented by incumbent Chief Minister Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya. Adityanath had in fact won Gorakhpur for five straight terms.

In Kairana and Noorpur, results for which were declared on Thursday, too, the seats were not only held by the BJP but it had even fielded family members of its late lawmakers to ensure their victory.

They tried their best to taste victory right from the "Jinnah's portrait at AMU" controversy to trying to play up the traditional rivalry between Jats and Muslims in the western UP region.

However, going by the results, all these tricks failed miserably and a united opposition brought down the aura of invincibility created around the BJP. Plush with its long-delayed win, RLD leader Jayant Chowdhary lost no time in claiming that they had "successfully halted the chariot of hate of the BJP" in Kairana.

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, too, termed the bypoll results as "the defeat of those who do not believe in democracy". He said that people who made tall promises like clearance of cane arrears in 14 days and loan waiver for farmers have now been punished by voters for their falsehood.

A BJP general secretary, though refusing to see this as a "trailer for things to come in 2019", said that the party had been "outsmarted by the opposition who not only got their caste matrix correct but also brushed aside long-standing differences to halt the Modi juggernaut".

"It is to their credit that they have pulled these victories and am sure our party's think tank would find a solution to this new-found bonhomie in the opposition camp," he said requesting anonymity.

Sources in the ruling party told IANS that while an immediate crackdown on the state unit, ministers and officials might not be in the offing, a "covert operation to fix things will certainly be rolled out soon".

With these defeats, winnability and the star power of the monk-turned-Chief Minister has also come under shroud, say insiders.

"Though his leadership might not be in question immediately, he has certainly lost the aura and he will have to deliver on the agenda of good governance or he is on the Uma Bharti way," said a political observer.

(Mohit Dubey can be contacted on mohit.d@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP dismissed its big loss in the bypolls, tthe results of which came out on Thursday, saying they were no reflection of things to come and when the country will have to chose its Prime Minister, it will be Narendra Modi again.

"When elections will happen in 2019, when Prime Minister will have to be chosen, the people of India know what is the meaning of PM. P is for 'performance' and M is for 'mehnat' (hard work) ... on this measuring scale, Modi ji alone will be the country's PM," said party spokesman Sambit Patra at a press conference.

The way the Modi government has worked in the past four years providing electricity to left-out villages and homes, provided 1.5 times the cost to farmers, provided water through irrigation programmes and four crore LPG cylinders to houses, "natural 'performance is with us and 'mehnat' is also with us".

"So, when 2019 election will happen on the measuring scale of 'performance' and 'mehnat', Modi ji alone will be country's Prime Minister. BJP under the leadership of Modi ji and Amit Shah's hard work will win more seats in 2019 than it did in 2014," he added.

Putting a brave front, Patra said the BJP had lost in bypolls in 2014 even after winning the general elections with a huge mandate but in 2017 it won 325 seats in Uttar Pradesh and formed the government. "Why did this happen?" he asked.

"It is because bypolls are fought on local issues and it does not chose a Chief Minister or a Prime Minister. After losing the 2014 bypolls, when in 2017 Uttar Pradesh had to chose the Chief Minister, people blessed BJP and we won 325 seats," said the BJP leader.

Saying it was a day of introspection for the BJP to seek the reasons for the loss, Patra, however, felt it was more important for the Congress to do the introspection instead of throwing barbs at others and clapping at the performance of other regional parties.

Also seeking to cite the positives, he went on to highlight how BJP has emerged as the second leading party in West Bengal, where in Maheshtala constituency, it raised its voteshare from seven per cent in 2016 state assembly elections to more than 25 per cent this bypoll with the Congress and Left party combine relegated to the third position despite getting more than 42 per cent voteshare in 2016.

"The kind of progress BJP has achieved in Bengal is historic," he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A US Admiral expected to become the country's next ambassador to South Korea has said that China's "dream of hegemony" is Washington's biggest long-term challenge, a media report said.

"A nuclear-capable North Korea with missiles that can reach the US is unacceptable. But China remains our biggest long-term challenge. Without focused involvement and engagement by the US and our allies China will realise its dream of hegemony in Asia," Admiral Harry Harris said on Wednesday.

He made the remarks at a ceremony as he turned over the reins of the US Pacific Command to Admiral Phil Davidson at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The event also announced the rebranding of US military assets in the region to the US Indo-Pacific Command, reports CNN.

During his term at the Pacific Command, Harris had issued warnings on China as Beijing had pursued a more muscular military posture in the Pacific and established a military presence on man-made islands in areas the US and its allies contend are international waters.

The admiral and future ambassador also warned his successors to keep an eye on Moscow, saying Russia is trying to act as "the spoiler" in the Indo-Pacific.

"A geopolitical competition between free and repressive visions of world order is taking place in the Indo-Pacific," Harris said.

"Great power competition is back and I believe we're approaching an inflection point in history.... Freedom and justice hang in the balance."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Beating of drums, corner meetings, sit-in protests -- both by elected representatives and residents -- and protests on social media were slowly increasing each day over the failure of the BJP-ruled civic body to supply adequate potable water to the state capital.

Taking up the cause, the Himachal Pradesh High Court has been monitoring day-to-day working of the Municipal Corporation and issuing diktats almost every day in past four days just to ensure equal distribution of water in the city.

Shimla is facing a water crisis since almost a fortnight now as a majority of localities are getting potable water once in a week, rued residents.

Acting tough, the High Court on Tuesday suspended all construction activity for a week and said no water would be supplied through tankers to the VIPs, including judges.

As the Himachal Pradesh capital reels under the worst water crisis in the recent years, Mayor Kusum Sadrate of the BJP, which came to helm of the civic body for the first time in three decades in June 2017, is away to China for official engagements.

Officials say the problem aggravated in Shimla, which is getting adequate funds under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), as the mercury rose abnormally high and natural water channels almost dried up.

A notable spike in footfall of the tourists is also blamed by locals for its shortage.

Planned by the British for a maximum population of 16,000, Shimla, now with a population of nearly 200,000, requires 42 million litres per day (MLD) water, but is currently only getting 18-20 MLD water.

Irate residents of Benmore area along with BJP first-time councillor Kimi Sood and former Mayor Narender Kataria staged a protest in front of Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur's residence.

Another BJP councillor Aarti Chauhan alone sat on a hunger strike in front of the civic body's office, demanding fair distribution of water in all 33 wards.

Police said four people were detained on Wednesday night after a fight over water distribution in the Kaithu ward.

Beating of drums, a method adopted by the civic body to inform the residents about the arrival of a water tanker, is common these days.

The district administration is even providing police security along with the water tanker to avoid any untoward incident.

"The third World War for water starts from Shimla," reads a post by Shimla resident and entrepreneur Kavi Khanna on social media.

Even locals are requesting tourists to stay away from Shimla so their city can overcome the water shortage.

"Stop visiting Shimla!" a message went viral on social media.

"The residents are barely getting water to drink, and at a few places, sewage water is being supplied to the houses. And it'll only get worse as tourists throng to the place in large numbers during June," it reads.

Representatives of the hospitality industry told IANS that the tourist arrival was down by more than 50 per cent in the past few days owing to the water shortage.

"The Central government is also serious on water crisis in Shimla and sought suggestions from the state for solving this issue permanently. We are preparing a proposal in this regard," Health Minister Vipin Singh Parmar said in a statement.

Locals rue that Shimla is now synonymous with water scarcity -- both in summer and winter.

The civic authorities blame leakages in the distribution network, a significant portion of which goes back to the British days, and diminishing water resources that have been over-exploited to meet the increasing demand for the tourism industry.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The opposition Congress is leading in the Ampati Assembly byelection in Meghalaya on Thursday

The ruling National People's Party candidate Clement G. Momin is trailing by 2,365 votes to Congress candidate Miani Dalbot Shira, the eldest daughter of Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma.

The by-poll was necessitated after Mukul relinquished the seat in March after he was elected from here as well as Songsak assembly constituency defeating senior NPP leader Nihim Dalbot Shira.

The NPP candidate was supported by the coalition partners of the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Counting of votes for the by-polls to the Chengannur Assembly seat in Kerala was underway on Thursday with CPI-M candidate Saji Cherian taking an early lead with over 1,500 ballots.

Election experts predicted that the signs were positive for Cherian as compared to the 2016 Assembly polls when the Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate had a lead of only 400 votes.

"The signs are good and victory is becoming clear because I have led in all the 14 booths which include strongholds of the Congress-led UDF," said Cherian.

Congress candidate D. Vijayakumar is the second position followed by the BJP's P.S.Sreedharan Pillai.

The by-polls for the Chengannur Assembly seat was necessitated following the death of CPI-M legislator K.K. Ramachandran Nair in January.

Voting for the seat took place on Monday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Counting was underway for Punjab's Shahkot Assembly seat byelection on Thursday with the ruling Congress candidate leading by over 2,000 votes.

Congress candidate Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia was leading over his Shiromani Akali Dal rival Naib Singh Kohar after the first two rounds of counting, an election official said.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Rattan Singh was trailing fair behind.

The seat fell vacant following the death of sitting Akali Dal legislator Ajit Singh Kohar in February.

Kohar, a former minister, was elected five times from this seat. His son Naib Singh Kohar was fielded by the Akali Dal.

There were 12 candidates in the fray this time.

A total of 76 per cent voting was reported on May 28.

Punjab has a Congress government since March 2017.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Contrary to the UDF's expectations, CPI-M candidate Saji Cherian on Thursday won with one of the biggest margins from the Chengannur assembly constituency as he defeated Congress' D. Vijayakumar by 20,956 votes.

At the end of the counting process in the 182 polling booths, Cherian secured 67,303 votes, Vijayakumar got 46,347 and BJP's P.S. Sreedharan Pillai finished third with 35,270 votes. Voting took place on Monday.

In the 2016 assembly polls, the Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate, K.K. Ramachandran Nair, had an overall lead of 7,893 votes and his untimely death in January led to the bypoll.

Nair then defeated sitting two-time Congress legislator P.C. Vishnunath, while Pillai had come a close third with 2,305 votes.

Right from the time counting of votes began at 8 a.m., Cherian maintained a solid lead and till the end not even once did he trail behind, instead at the end of each of the 14 rounds, his lead kept on increasing.

Celebrations began at Cherian residence just after he crossed the halfway mark with sweets distributed right after the fifth round and his wife coming out to thank the electorate.

Cherian said that it's a reward for his four-decade of active public life. "My party has been the source of my strength and this is a really good victory. It is a stamp of approval for the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan government."

The CPI-M candidate was able to get a firm hold in more than 90 per cent of the booths.

Cherian Aled with 77 votes from the booth from where former Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's father hails and so was the case even at the polling booth where Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala and his family voted .

A beaming Vijayan met the media in Thiruvananthapuram after the results came and said: "Lots of canards were spread against us but the people has given us their wholehearted support and hence this huge victory."

He said the results should be seen as a green flag to the Left's programmes, policies and governance.

"It appears that a new political culture has begun in our state where voters failed to fall into communal overtures and they are interested in development," the Chief Minister added.

Taking a dig at a section of the media, Vijayan said: "TV anchors in suit has been contemptuous against me, but it has been proved that such persons are not the ones to pass verdicts, instead the people have voted for us."

Veteran Congress leader A.K. Antony who campaigned in the constituency, said the Left's victory has taken place due to the manner in which communal was played and there was absolute misuse of government machinery.

The biggest setback in the election came for the Bharatiya Janata Party whose votes for Pillai came down from 42,682 in 2016 to 35,270.

Chandy, who led the campaign for the Congress reacted by saying they never expected this outcome.

Veteran K.M. Mani whose party Kerala Congress (Mani), a former ally of the Congress-led UDF, which now sits as an independent block and supported the latter, said: "We did our best but some serious undercurrents beyond have taken place and it has to be examined in detail."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The ordinance imposing the death penalty for raping a child was in the pipeline for long and was not brought because of the nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a minor in Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir, a top official in the Women and Child Development (WCD) ministry has said.

"It was a criminal law amendment bill piloted by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). And we (WCD ministry) extended our full support to it. The introduction of the new amendment has nothing to do with the Kathua rape incident," WCD Secretary Rakesh Srivastava told IANS.

"Our minister (Maneka Gandhi) had pitched about it earlier much before the ordinance came into action. We had already moved the suggestion to the law ministry and it was announced on due time," Srivastava added.

The ordinance, which amended the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Posco), brought down the age of the victims from 18 to 12 years. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), a statutory body under the WCD ministry, has been mandated to monitor Pocso.

However, the government's move has not been welcomed by lawyers, NGO workers and human rights activists. According to them, the existing act was strong enough and the new law will have a negative impact on the minds of both the victim and the accused.

"Different viewpoints have emerged when the new amendment came into limelight but we haven't examined all the opinions. I agree we didn't consult with the NGOs or human rights activists before enforcing the act which we should have done, but we always go through all the ideas which are suggested to us," he pointed out.

Asked whether the death penalty is the ultimate solution to curb rape cases and reduce incidents of sexual harassment, the secretary insisted that the new act will serve as a deterrent both for criminals and the judiciary with a timeframe now being laid down for trying cases under the act.

"The stringent act will force the criminals to think before committing the heinous crime; there will be a fear of facing the death penalty. This will reduce the rate of crimes against children in the country," he maintained.

Recently a court in Madhya Pradesh sentenced to death a man found guilty of raping a minor. Pointing to this, the Secretary said that the district courts have started to act quickly on such cases and they are serious about the issue.

However, currently over 112,000 cases under the Pocso are pending before various district courts and High Courts. As per the NCRB data, the pendency rate of Pocso act cases was 89 per cent whereas conviction rate was only 29.6 per cent.

According to activists and lawyers, lack of professionals for Pocso cases at the district level often leads to delays in proceedings.

When asked whether the ministry is working on bringing a quick solution to the large number of pending cases, Srivastava said that the WCD is also pitching for fast track courts so that day-to-day hearings can be conducted.

"Also the time limit for hearing a case has been decided at two months," he noted.

The secretary also added that the ministry is equally concerned about the sexual abuse that boys below the age of 12 face and are therefore working towards bringing another amendment in the Pocso.

"It (Pocso) has always been gender neutral. Sexual harassment during childhood is faced equally by boys and girls. Under Section 5 of the Pocso act, Criminal Law Act 2013 will undergo the change and it will be introduced by WCD only," he stated.

(Somrita Ghosh can be contacted at somrita.g@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court on Thursday rejected the bail plea of Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin's son Syed Shahid Yousuf, arrested in a seven-year-old terror funding case.

A bench of Justice S. Muralidhar and Justice I.S. Mehta rejected Yousuf's plea, challenging special court's orders which had rejected his application seeking statutory bail plea.

An accused is entitled to statutory bail (default bail) under Section 167 of Code of Criminal procedure if the probe agency failed to file the charge-sheet within stipulated days of his arrest.

"The court does not find any illegality in the impugned orders of the special court," the bench said.

"This court concurs with the trial court that once the period for completion of investigation stood extended up to April 21, the occasion for the appellant to file an application for statutory bail under Section 167 CrPC did not arise unless there was a failure by the NIA to file a charge sheet before April 21."

However, the high court clarified that its present order must not affect independent consideration of Yousuf's plea seeking regular bail pending in special court.

Shahid, 42, a Jammu and Kashmir government employee, was arrested here on October 24 last year after he was called for questioning at the National Investigation Agency (NIA) headquarters.

The NIA filed chargesheet against him in April alleging that Shahid was collecting funds from Aijaz Bhat, a Srinagar resident now based in Saudi Arabia and a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, on the direction of his father Salahuddin, who is based in Pakistan.

The money was meant to fund Hizbul Mujahideen's activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The 2011 terror funding case pertains to money sent through hawala channels by militants based in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier, the NIA had filed two chargesheets against six accused in 2011.

Four persons -- Ghulam Mohammed Bhat, one of the closest aides of Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mohammed Sidiq Ganai, Ghulam Jeelani Liloo and Farooq Ahmad Dagga -- are currently in Delhi's Tihar Jail.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K.Palaniswami on Thursday said it was the DMK government that was supportive of Sterlite Copper smelter plant, owned by Vedanta Ltd, and not the AIADMK government.

Speaking in the assembly. Palaniswami refuted DMK leader M.K.Stalin's charge on Monday that the AIADMK government had extended the operation of the copper smelter plant in Thoothukudi.

"Sterlite located in Thoothukudi is implementing a capacity expansion project at an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore," Palaniswami quoted Stalin's statement in the assembly on May 3, 2010 as the state Industries Minister.

The Chief Minister also said it was Stalin as the then Industries Minister allotted 230 acres for the second copper smelter unit of Sterlite Copper, saying that it was his government that has brought to light who was supportive of the Sterlite Copper.

According to Palaniswami the AIADMK government is taking all legal steps to shut down the copper smelter plant.

Even in 2013 under then Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa, steps were taken to shut down the copper smelter unit but taking legal recourse, the company continued to operate the plant, he said.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)French Finance Minister Bruno le Maire on Thursday told the US that European countries will take all necessary and firm measures if it imposes tariffs on steel and aluminum from the continent.

"It will be the responsibility of the US alone if they increase steel tariffs without any justification, as overcapacity in steel and aluminum does not come from Europe," Le Maire said after meeting US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross here.

The French Minister reiterated that US tariffs on European metals would be dangerous for global free trade, Xinhua news agency reported.

"I reminded the US Secretary of Trade this morning that we Europeans will respond with a united, appropriate and firm way," he stressed.

Despite opposition from business groups and trading partners around the world, US President Donald Trump in March decided to impose a 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and 10 per cent on aluminum.

He has granted the European Union a temporary exemption from these tariffs which will expire on Friday.

"It's entirely up to US authorities whether they want to enter into a trade conflict with their biggest partner, Europe," Le Maire said.

"We are open to negotiation, but we don't accept to negotiate under pressure," he added, expressing readiness to discuss with "American friends" on ways to rebuild multilateralism.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the Indian Air Force, the Delhi Police and the city civic authorities to file status report mentioning the expenditure incurred while dousing a massive fire that erupted in a rubber factory in south Delhi.

Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports on Malviya Nagar fire incident, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar asked the Delhi Police, the Delhi Fire Service and the Indian Air Force to file status report on the incident and listed the matter for further hearing on July 3.

The court asked the Delhi Police to submit report on the details of the property housing the rubber factory, its owner and how it managed a commercial licence in the residential area.

The court also said that time has come when criminal liability has to be taken and people, including the property owner responsible for the incident, must pay expenses incurred in such operations.

Despite repeated orders of the courts on illegal encroachment, no action has been taken by the authorities, it observed.

The fire, that broke out in the factory on Tuesday, also swept through and partially gutted an adjoining school building and a gymnasium. However no casualties were reported. The blaze was finally doused Wednesday morning, with an IAF Mi17V5 helicopter undertaking several sorties to spray water on it.

Later on Wednesday, the factory owner, Sanjay Saini was arrested. Police said that he didn't take the required permission from the MCD and there was no safety equipment installed in the warehouse.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said the Indian Air Force (IAF) should lead the nation in drafting a roadmap for manufacture of advanced aviation technology products and thus propel India's growth story.

"... being a tech intensive service, the IAF should pioneer in laying the roadmap for absorption and production of high-end aviation technology products in India and propel India's growth in these sectors," an official statement quoted Sitharaman as saying.

Inaugurating the first biannual IAF Commanders' Conference of 2018 at Vayu Bhawan (Air Headquarters), the minister laid down her vision for contribution of the IAF towards indigenisation as envisaged in the government's 'Make in India' policy in the next 15 years.

The Defence Minister also commended the IAF for its role in nation building by way of promoting regional connectivity through its support to the UDAN scheme. The IAF has opened up several of its airfields for civil aircraft operations in furtherance of the scheme.

IAF chief B.S. Dhanoa welcomed Sitharaman, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre and Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra.

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa introduced IAF Commanders to the minister and briefed her on the current status of the IAF and on Exercise 'Gagan Shakti', which was conducted in April this year.

He highlighted that the exercise was very fruitful in testing the IAF's surge operations capability, logistics supply chain, rapid augmentation of personnel, inter theatre move of forces, communication network and reliability of equipment and systems.

Addressing the IAF Commanders, the Defence Minister praised the exemplary conducting of the IAF's biggest exercise in recent times. Calling 'Gagan Shakti' a landmark exercise for the IAF, she said its focus was to draw lessons for evolving the doctrinal loop which is an ongoing process.

She complimented the IAF for a leadership role in jointmanship which was evident during the exercise and congratulated the Army and Navy for supporting the Air Force in achieving the objectives.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Idea Cellular on Thursday announced the completion of the sale of its pan-India standalone tower business, by divesting its entire stake in ICISL (100 per cent subsidiary of Idea), to ATC Telecom Infrastructure Private Limited.

The transaction has been closed with an enterprise value of Rs 4,000 crore for approximately 9,900 standalone towers.

Vodafone's sale of its standalone tower business to ATC has already been completed earlier for an enterprise value of Rs 3,850 crore. Post the completion of Vodafone India and Idea merger, around 6,300 co-located tenancies of the two operators on the combined standalone tower portfolio will collapse into single tenancies over a period of two years without the payment of exit penalties, the company said in a statement.

Both Vodafone India and Idea as customers, and ATC as a vendor, have agreed to treat each other as long-term preferred partners, subject to existing arrangements, it added.

"With this both Idea and Vodafone India have now monetised the standalone tower assets for a total enterprise value of Rs. 78.5 billion, as per the timelines provided at the time of the announcement in November 2017, strengthening the financial position of the merged entity," the statement said.

Amit Sharma, American Tower's EVP and President, Asia said in a statement: "We are pleased to acquire this portfolio, which will complement our existing footprint and help us serve our tenants in India as they expand their 4G networks in the coming years.

"This transaction also expands our presence in Central, North and Northeast India (Assam, Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, North East, Orissa and Jammu & Kashmir Circles, among others)- under-served areas in which we expect substantial future 4G-focused investments."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Union Textiles Minister Smriti Irani on Thursday claimed that India has the potential to become one of the largest jute exporters in the diversified section, if the quality of the raw material can be improved.

The minister also urged the jute industry to bolster the centre's initiative in providing certified jute seeds to the farmers that would produce better quality crop.

"When we look at jute, we wonder why our jute industry has not galloped ahead like Bangladesh. One of our biggest challenges has been the output of the raw material which is not fine enough for enhanced diversification," Irani said while addressing the members of the Merchants' Chamber of Commerce here.

The minister pointed out that the agricultural ministry and the textile ministry invited all state governments to ensure that certified seeds are given to the jute farmers through every Krishi Vigyan Kendras (the agricultural extension centres created by the Indian Council for Agricultural Research to provide farm support).

"I would encourage the jute industry to become a participant in that endeavour, so that the productivity and income of the farmer increases and at the same time our crop becomes finer and better for more diversification," she said.

Pointing out that India is the largest jute producing country in the world, she said "we have the potential to become one of the largest jute exporters in the diversified section".

The Union Minister said the Centre is providing support to the partners of the jute industry, who have enhanced the diversification of jute products so that they can be self sufficient and do not have to completely rely on the government's support.

She also highlighted the importance of the newly emerged technical textile sector and hoped the Bengal textile industry that contributes to more than five percent of the overall national textile segment will be a huge participant in the development of this sector.

"The Centre has an apparel package for the first time in the history of the country of up to Rs 6,000 crore. This is the largest ever sanction in the textile industry in this country," she pointed out.

Irani said an outlay of Rs 690 crore has helped set up 21 readymade garment manufacturing (RGM) units in the seven northeastern states at the end of last year under the direction of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They have become fully functional.

Referring to the GST refund or 'refund Pakhwada' that would take place from May 31 to June 14 this year, she said a simplified mechanism for the small importers has been put in place, that would enable more people in the MSME sector to get the refund and help increase the ease of doing business.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Bangladesh's Envoy to India on Thursday requested India to play a "bigger role" in the rehabilitation of Rohingya refugees in Myanmar.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Syed Muazzem Ali said that Mynamar should be put under pressure to recognise Rohingyas as its citizens so that they can live there with dignity.

"We want international pressure to be mounted on Myanmar so that these people (Rohingyas) can go back and settle in their own country with dignity. India should play a bigger role in their rehabilitation process... but the pressure should be on the Myanmar government," he told reporters here.

Since the latest eruption of communal violence in Myanmar last year, more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have taken refuge in Bangladesh which shares border with the northern Rakhine state inhabited majorly by Muslims.

The tension between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists of the northern Rakhine state goes back to the time of Second World War and the area is said to be in a state of insurgency ever since the country got its independence from British in 1948.

"We have no bilateral problem with Myanmar... The crux of the matter is Myanmar's inability to recognise these people as citizens of the country. Rohingyas have been living in Rakhine and Arakan regions for centuries," Ali said.

"Currently they are living without any citizenship status since 1982," he added.

The envoy also expressed hope for resolution of the sharing of water of Teesta River, which, originating in Sikkim, flows to West Bengal and from there to Bangladesh.

"(West Bengal Chief Minister) Mamta Banerjee has said she doesn't have enough water to share. But I am sure that once the negotiations between the West Bengal government and the Central government are over, we will be able to solve our issues through a joint river commission," he said.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was on a two-day visit to India between May 25 and 26, during which she had discussed various issues with Banerjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)To boost digital transformation of its enterprise clients, Infosys on Thursday launched a new Microsoft Cloud Business Unit, marking the strengthening of relationships between the two software majors.

The new Microsoft Cloud Business Unit at Infosys will focus on the Cloud needs of enterprises -- from infrastructure to business applications.

It will consist of a central pool of trained consultants, architects and specialist sales team that will be aligned to four core solution areas -- modern workplace, business applications, application development and infrastructure and data and analytics, Infosys said.

The new unit will develop solutions and services spanning Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office 365, Windows 10 and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

"Our newly formed Microsoft Cloud Business Unit will help to synergise best-in-class capabilities, and our investments across Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 will support in orchestrating differentiated solutions," said Ravi Kumar S, President and Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Infosys.

As part of this enhanced alliance, Infosys said it will also establish a global Microsoft Cloud Innovation Centre in the US, which will act as a forum to help enterprise clients utilise the power of Microsoft Cloud.

The centre will enable incubation, co-innovation and proliferation of solutions leveraging Microsoft Cloud services.

Over the past six months, Infosys and Microsoft teams have worked closely to organise multiple events and hackathons aimed at developing new solution ideas, and providing a wide cross-section of Infosys employees with hands-on experience in deploying Microsoft Cloud solutions and services.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Islamic State (IS) terror group has claimed that the man who killed two police officers and a civilian in the Belgian city of Liege was a "soldier of the caliphate".

In a brief communique released on the Telegram social platform on Wednesday, the IS media wing Amaq said that the attack on Tuesday was perpetrated in response to the calls to attack the countries in the US-led international coalition fighting the IS in Syria and Iraq, reports Efe news.

Belgian prosecutors confirmed on Wednesday that initial aspects of the investigation point to an IS terrorist attack.

"The elements that make us think this is the modus operandi, which is the same as that which the IS shows in some videos, the fact that the subject shouted 'God is great' during the attack and that he had been "in contact with radicalised people"," said the prosecutors.

The suspect was killed by police and later identified as 31-year-old Benjamin Herman, a Belgian born, who had been imprisoned for minor crimes and had left the Marche-en-Famenne prison on a 36-hour furlough.

Herman attacked two municipal policewomen, ages 45 and 53, with a knife from behind and killed them with their own guns as they lay on the ground.

Then, he went into a nearby cafe but didn't see anyone inside and later opened fire on a vehicle killing a 22-year-old man before barricading himself inside a school, where the police ultimately killed him in a shootout.

This is not the first time that attackers inspired by the ideology of the IS have carried out attacks of this kind in Western countries participating in the military alliance headed by Washington, which has been bombarding and otherwise fighting the jihadis since 2014.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday urged the US to open its consulate in this tech city at the earliest.

"The US should open its consulate in Bengaluru at the earliest to facilitate, among other things, granting of its visas to the citizens of our state," Kumaraswamy told US Ambassador to India Kenneth Juster who called on him here.

The US has consulates in Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai and Hyderabad besides its embassy in New Delhi but not in India's technology hub.

"The Chief Minister has assured Juster infrastructure, including land, building and support system to enable the US set up a consulate in the city, which has the largest number of American firms," said the Chief Minister's office in a statement.

Referring to the warm and long-standing relations between Karnataka and the US, the Chief Minister told the US envoy that hundreds of Kannadigas were working at top positions in the US and a growing number of citizens from across the state visit America as tourists through the year.

"A consulate with facilities to process and issue visas will help our people to save time, energy and cost as most of them go to Chennai or Hyderabad for visa interviews and collecting their passports or travel documents in person," the statement said.

Responding to the Chief Minister's plea, Juster said he would convey the state's request to the US Administration for setting up a consulate in Bengaluru soon.

"About 370 US companies operate from Bengaluru and contribute significantly to the state's economy. They, however, face infrastructure problems in the city, which needs to be addressed on priority," Juster told Kumaraswamy.

The Chief Minister directed the officials concerned to meet the heads of US firms and resolve the issues at the earliest.

Chennai-based US Consul General Robert G. Burgess, US Economic Officer Joseph Bernath and US Public Affairs Officer Lauren Lovelace participated in the meeting Juster had with Kumaraswamy at the state secretariat in the city centre.

State Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha briefed the US delegation on the measures taken to improve the city's infrastructure, including signal-free traffic movement, extension of the metro rail system and building elevated express highways for high-speed movement of vehicles across the tech hub.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)CPI-M candidate Saji Cherian, with a lead of around 12,000 votes as counting crossd the halfway mark in the Chengannur Assembly bypoll in Kerala, was heading towards a comfortable victory on Thursday.

In the 2016 assembly polls the Communist Party of India-Marxist candidate, K.K. Ramachandran Nair, had an overall lead of 7,893 votes.

He had defeated sitting two-time Congress legislator P.C. Vishnunath, while BJP candidate P.S.Sreedharan Pillai, had come a close third with 2,305 votes.

Celebrations have already begun at the CPI-M candidate's residence with sweets being distributed. His wife came out and thanked the electorate.

Cherian said that it's a reward for his four-decade of active public life. "My party has been the source of my strength and this is a really good victory. It is a stamp of approval for the ruling Pinarayi Vijayan government," said Cherian.

Cherian was able to get a firm hold in more than 95 per cent of the booths where vote counting was underway.

Cherian is leading with 77 votes from the booth from where former Congress Chief Minister Oommen Chandy's father hails. The Congress said it had not expected this outcome.

Congress candidate D. Vijayakumar is in the second position followed by the Bharatiya Janata Party's Pillai, who has been fielded again.

"I had told soon after the elections that the Left has purchased votes, and all that can be seen now," said Pillai.

Voting for the seat took place on Monday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Pandurang Phundkar died on Thursday following a massive heart attack here, a BJP official said.

Phundkar, 67, was admitted to the K.J. Somaiya Hospital on Wednesday where his condition reportedly deteriorated followed by the massive heart attack. He breathed his last at around 4.35 a.m. on Thursday.

Top Bharatiya Janata Party state and central leaders have expressed shock and grief over Phundkar's sudden demise.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other senior leaders will visit the hospital to pay their last respects.

Phundkar's body is likely to be taken to his native village in Khamgaon, Buldhana district of Vidarbha, for the last rites later on Thursday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Pandurang P. Fundkar passed away early on Thursday following a massive heart attack.

Fundkar, 67, was admitted to the K.J. Somaiya Hospital on Wednesday where his condition reportedly deteriorated followed by the massive heart attack. He breathed his last at around 4.35 a.m. on Thursday.

He is survived by his wife Sunita and two children, including son Akash who is a sitting BJP legislator from Khamgaon.

Fundkar's body was taken to his native village in Khamgaon in Buldhana district of Vidarbha for the last rites scheduled on Friday morning.

Known as a soft-spoken, studious leader with excellent organisational skills, Fundkar served as a three-time Member of Parliament in the 9th, 10th and 11th Lok Sabha from Akola, besides as MLA and MLC in the state since his first election in 1978.

In 1991-1996, he served as the Maharashtra BJP President and contributed to its grassroots base, along with stalwarts like the former party leader the late Gopinath Munde and others.

Among the senior ministers in the cabinet of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis since July 2016, Fundkar was among those who played an important role in the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Krishi Samman Yojana, or the Rs 34,000 crore farm loans waiver in June 2017.

Top BJP leaders in the country and the state, besides opposition leaders, paid rich tributes to Fundkar.

"His death is shocking and sad. He was a senior leader, guide and mentor with deep knowledge of agriculture, cooperation and other fields," said Fadnavis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Saddened by the demise of Maharashtra's Agriculture Minister Shri Pandurang Fundkar. He made an invaluable contribution towards building the BJP in Maharashtra. He was also at the forefront of serving the farmers of the state. My thoughts are with his family and supporters."

"In his demise, Maharashtra has lost a good Parliamentarian," said Governor C.V. Rao in a condolence message.

The opposition Congress state President Ashok Chavan said the state has lost "a very senior and experienced leader who grappled the issues concerning agriculture, rural development and cooperation".

"Fundkar hailed from a very humble family but rose to great heights in He worked all his life for the cause of farmers and downtrodden, and contributed in a big way to agriculture, cooperative movement and education," Chavan said.

Nationalist Congress Party's Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde and Congress' Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil also expressed grief over Fundkar's demise.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Making a spectacular comeback, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday bagged the prestigious Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat, snatching it from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party by a convincing margin of over 54,000 votes.

The NCP's Madhukar Kukde secured around 376,000 votes compared to his nearest BJP rival Hemant Patle, who got around 322,000 votes.

Earlier in the day, Patle - who had defected from Shiv Sena on poll eve to the BJP and was rewarded with the ticket - was leading in several rounds but by noon, Kukde surged ahead in the vote-count.

NCP senior leader Ajit Pawar termed the victory "an outcome of the joint efforts with the Congress" which did not put up a candidate in Bhandara-Gondiya and supported Kukde.

The May 28 bypolls, necessitated by the resignation of sitting BJP member Nana Patole who subsequently joined the Congress, were marred by large-scale incidents of malfunctioning EVM-VVPATs with all the opposition parties and ruling ally Shiv Sena hurling allegations of foul play and tampering of the machines.

On Tuesday, the EC ordered a repoll in 49 polling stations across five Assembly segments in Bhandara-Gondiya, besides shunting out the Gondiya District Collector.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here from Indonesia on Thursday on the second leg of his three-nation tour of Southeast Asia.

In his brief stopover here, Modi will meet newly elected Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

"Malaysia is a strategic partner and a priority country in our Act East Policy," Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted soon after Modi's arrival.

Mahathir, who governed Malaysia for more than two decades, at the age of 92 became the world's oldest elected leader earlier this month.

From here, Modi will leave for Singapore later in the day on the third and last leg of his tour.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior North Korean official Kim Yong-chol met US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York, ahead of a historic summit between the leaders of the two countries.

Kim, the most senior North Korean official to visit the US in 18 years, was seen exiting the Corinthian building in Manhattan at around 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday, following a dinner with Pompeo, reports CNN.

The meeting came as the two sides look to revive the prospects of an on-again off-again summit between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, originally scheduled for June 12 but later cancelled by Trump.

A senior State Department official described Wednesday's dinner as an opportunity for the two men to strengthen their relationship and discuss preparations.

Prior to Kim Yong-chol's arrival in New York, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said that the officials' "conversation is going to be focused on denuclearization of the peninsula as well as the summit that will take place in Singapore", adding that the administration was still aiming for a June 12 meeting.

"We are preparing and expect that to take place on June 12 and if not, we'll be ready on July 12," CNN quoted Sanders as saying earlier on Wednesday.

Kim Yong-chol is seen as a powerful surrogate for Kim Jong-un.

The vice chairman of North Korea's Party Central Committee, he is the top official in charge of relations between North and South Korea and has been present in all recent high-level meetings with South Korea.

He is also a former head of North Korea's Reconnaissance Bureau, an espionage and special operations organization.

He is believed to have been involved in a torpedo attack that sank the South Korean warship Cheonan in 2010, killing 46 South Korean sailors.

Pompeo and Kim Yong-chol's high-level discussions come as a US delegation extended its stay in South Korea "for at least another day".

The US delegation, led by Philippines Ambassador Sung Kim, had been meeting their North Korean counterparts at the Demilitarized Zone since Monday.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Since took office as the US President, has toned own climate change communication with the public due to "fear and anxiety", according to a former employee of the agency, the Guardian reported.

Laura Tenenbaum, a former science communicator for NASA, who departed the US space agency in October 2017 after working there for 10 years, said she was restricted in speaking to the media due to her focus on climate change

She was also warned off using the term "global warming" on social media, said the report on Wednesday.

"NASA's talking point is that it's business as usual, but that's not true," Tenenbaum was quoted as saying.

"They have stopped promoting or emphasising climate science communication, they have minimised it. People inside the agency are concerned Trump will cut climate science funding. There is a fear and anxiety there and the outcome has been chaos," she added.

Figures show a notable decline in NASA's output of climate information since the election of the Trump administration.

According to CrowdTangle, a content discovery and social monitoring platform, posted frequently on its climate change Facebook page during 2016, peaking at 122 posts during August of that year.

posted 53 such Facebook posts in January 2017, the month of Trump's inauguration. They came down to 21 times this March and 31 times in April.

This slide in posts has also resulted in dwindling interactions with the public on Facebook, the report said.

"There was confusion about what to do now we have a president who doesn't believe in climate change. Everyone was scrambling. It was chaos," Tenenbaum was quoted as saying.

However, a Nasa spokesman was quoted as saying that there has been "no policy change about how we communicate our science to the American public".





Outgoing Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Thursday made an appeal to uphold and protect democracy in the country during the closing session of the Parliament, which completed its full term for only the second time in the country's 71-year-old history.

The country is set to hold general and provincial elections on July 25, with around 105 million people registered to vote, according to the Election Commission.

"Pakistan's issues can only be resolved through a government which comes through the will of the people," said Abbasi, reported Efe.

"We did experiments in the past but a non-representative government can never solve the problems," said the Prime Mminister of a nation which has been ruled by military junta for more than half of its independent history.

His Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) party, in a Twitter post, also hailed the Parliament completing its tenure, calling it a "success-story for democracy".

Pakistan's first handover of power between two parliaments took place in 2013, when the Pakistan People's Party-led government ended its term and the subsequent elections saw the PML-N come to power.

However, neither of the Prime Ministers elected during the two governments could finish their full terms.

Leader of Opposition, Syed Khursheed Shah, also praised the completion of the term although he stressed that there was a need to further strengthen democracy in the country.

After the dissolution of the Parliament on Thursday night, an interim government led by former Chief Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk will govern the country until the elections.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Film: "Phamous"; Director: Karan Lalit Bhutani; Cast: Jimmy Sheirgill, Kay Kay, Pankaj Tripathi, Jackie Shroff, Shriya Saran, Mahie Gill; Rating: **

Motivated by the modus operandi of how to become "phamous" -- to be or not to be is a choice or dilemma for Radhe (Jimmy Sheirgill), a simpleton living in the Chambal Valley. This does not come out strikingly clear in Karan Lalit Bhutani's directorial venture.

"Phamous" is a simple story of Radhe's journey. He is a sincere student who is infatuated with his Rosie teacher (Mahie Gill). He is also in awe of the gun wielding, local politician Kadak Singh (Kay Kay).

By happenstance, Kadak Singh is indebted to Radhe who saves him from the police's clutches when he was summoned as a witness to identify a killer.

Meanwhile, another politician, an accomplice of Kadak Singh, Ram Vijay Tripathi (Pankaj Tripathi) who is high on his libido, rapes and murders Rosie teacher.

From thence, Radhe has a grouse against Tripathi. It is only when Tripathi focuses his attention on Radhe's wife Lalli (Shriya Saran) that Radhe is forced to train his guns on Tripathi. What ensues by default is the battle of supremacy which comes across as too blithe.

Technically, the film is astutely mounted with moderate production values. Told in a non-linear manner, the graph of the plot appears manufactured. The film starts off on a dramatic note and stagnates on an even keel. It picks up momentum just minutes before the interval and again plateaus till the climax, which again is perfunctory. Never are there moments of high octane drama or nail biting thrills.

The writing definitely lacks depth and finesse. The dialogues, spoken in the local dialect, have stray gems that spurt out at unexpected moments, but that's that. Humour and sarcasm makes the process so relaxed that the stakes, while always present and consistently absorbing, fail to seem insurmountable.

Also, what probably does not work for the film are the abrupt scenes. Each scene is brilliant, but in silos, disconnected with the next, it gives you an essence of the narrative but does not bring to life the engrossing tale that is supposed to be told. Calling these scenes masterpieces is reductive. They are inspiringly unapologetic tributes to resourcefulness and ingenuity.

The lead actors Kay Kay, Pankaj Tripathi and Jimmy Sheirgill walk through their roles. Mahie Gill and Shriya Saran hardly have any scenes to boast about. In a sub-plot working as deux-ex-machina, Jackie Shroff as Shambu Dada a disgruntled dad seeking revenge, is wasted.

The music and background score befits the genre and overall, the film gives you a feel of a B-grade potboiler of the 1980s.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Actress Rysa Saujani, 14, says playing the "innocent years" of actress Sunny Leone's life in her upcoming show was emotionally challenging.

"I am playing her innocent years between the age around 12-13 up to 15. I felt like the role was emotionally very challenging. I always wanted to play such types of roles that had a lot of emotional depth," Rysa, who will be seen as Sunny's younger version in ZEE5's show "Karenjit Kaur - The Untold Story Of Sunny Leone", told IANS.

It required a lot of preparation.

"Before arriving on the set, I did regular Skype calls, and felt like that helped me to understand young Sunny's journey a lot more. I was able to have my questions cleared which allowed me to act in my best ability," said the young England-based actress.

She is all praise for Sunny whose real name is Karenjit Kaur Vohra.

"I have nothing but respect for her. She has always been very gracious and made me feel comfortable," said Rysa.

On learning from the life of the former adult film actress, she said: "Within my family, especially, we don't have the right to make any judgements about someone. This (the show) reemphasized the belief that I had.

"She is one of the most genuine people I have ever met."

Rysa doesn't watch a lot of Hindi movies but featured in the 2017 Bollywood film "Dobaara: See Your Evil" as the younger version of actress Huma Qureshi.

"After doing 'Dobaara...', I felt that acting was something that I really wanted to do," said the Dubai-born actress.

Any plans of shifting to Mumbai?

"I am still in school and doing my education in England. I do really care about my grades and want to do well. So, because of my education it is better for me to stay in London," she said.

The winner of the Face Of The Globe Pageant 2014 - People's choice award is looking forward to attending an acting school in Los Angeles later this year.

"I am also keen to continue in Bollywood and try going to Hollywood if possible."

Talking about her favourite actresses, she said: "Emma Watson. She has been such an inspiration. Her acting is so realistic. The characters that she plays look so real. I want to do something like that where people believe that I am that character."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Punjab's ruling Congress won the Shahkot Assembly seat on Thursday by a huge margin of over 38,800 votes, wresting the seat from the Shiromani Akali Dal after over 20 years.

Congress candidate Hardev Singh Ladi Sherowalia got 82,745 votes against the 43,944 votes polled by his Akali Dal rival Naib Singh Kohar in the by-election.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Rattan Singh got just around 1,900 votes and forfeited his security deposit.

After the victory, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh told the media that the electorate had favoured the policies of the Congress and rejected those of the Akali Dal.

Cabinet Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu told reporters that the victory was important for the Congress since the Shahkot seat was an Akali Dal stronghold for over two decades.

The seat fell vacant following the death of sitting Akali Dal legislator Ajit Singh Kohar in February. He was the father of the Akali Dal candidate. Kohar, a former minister, was elected five times from this seat.

There were 12 candidates in the fray this time. A total of 76 per cent voting was reported on May 28.

Punjab has a Congress government since March 2017.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Yoga guru Ramdev's so-called "swadeshi" messaging app "Kimbho" that aimed to take on the giant WhatsApp abruptly disappeared on Thursday from Google Play Store amid security and "heavy traffic" concerns.

Several Android users took to Twitter and Facebook, displaying their frustration in downloading the app from Play Store. Some fake iterations of "Kimbho" app and even a "Kimbho" messenger too appeared on Play Store, leading to more confusion.

"We are facing extremely high traffic on Kimbho. We are in process of upgrading our servers and will be back shortly. Sorry for the inconvenience. Please stay tuned," tweeted the "Kimbho" app team.

Kimbho is a Sanskrit word and according to Patanjali's spokesperson SK Tijarawala, it means "How are you? or What's new?"

"Now WhatsApp will be given a competition. Our own #SwadeshiMessagingplatform. Download it directly from Google Play store," tweeted Tijarawala on Wednesday.

But the day one experience raised several concerns, including security.

Famous French security researcher who goes by the name of Elliot Alderson called "Kimbho" a security disaster on Twitter.

"Ok, I will stop here. The #Kimbho #android #app is a security disaster. I can access the messages of all the users," he tweeted.

"The @KimbhoApp is a copy paste of another #application. The description and the screenshots in the app stores are the same. Moreover, the #Kimbho app is making request to bolomessenger[.]com," the security researcher added, advising people not to install the app.

"This @KimbhoApp is a joke, next time before making press statements, hire competent developers... If it is not clear, for the moment don't install this app," Anderson further tweeted.

The Patanjali app guide available on Play Store also failed to get users to download the app. While clicking on how to download Kimbho app inside the guide, the message poped up: "We are sorry, the requested URL was not found on this server.

Most of those who succeeded in downloading the app thrashed the experience.

"first make it robust and fix all bugs then launch," tweeted one user.

"Even a 12th grade kid can build a better app than this," said another.

A mail sent to Google for the sudden disapperance of the app went unanswered.

However, the app was still seen on iOS App Store.

According to Faisal Kawoosa, Head New Initiatives, CyberMedia Research (CMR), it will not be easy for "Kimbho" to create a space dominated by WhatsApp by just on being "Swadeshi."

"So far, just around 5k installations and reviews are full of issues and concerns. Nevertheless, seems Patanjali is getting serious about communications," Kawoosa tweeted.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Protecting the people of India and Pakistan from violence should be a priority of both countries, a leading daily here has said, hailing the "significant" decision to restore a ceasefire on the LoC and calling on both sides to build on it towards peace.

Resumption of the 2003 ceasefire suggests "both pragmatism and recognition of the need to protect hard-won gains in the long and tumultuous road to bilateral normalisation and eventual peace", the Dawn said in an editorial.

"The relative rarity in recent times of good news on the Pakistan-India front makes it all the more welcome when the two states reach an unexpected agreement," it said.

Terming the 2003 ceasefire "historic", the editorial said it deserves to be kept in place because it is a sensible arrangement and there is no clear, better alternative.

It said the agreement announced on Tuesday immediately after the DGMOs of the two countries used a special hotline to speak to each other suggests that the "Pakistan-India back channel may be active and that the national security advisers of the two countries continue to either meet or discuss confidence-building measures".

"The agreement coming on the eve of the dissolution of the National Assembly indicates that quiet back-channel diplomacy and security contacts could continue through the term of the caretaker dispensation rather than such engagement being blocked until an elected government assumes office in Pakistan," it said.

"Positive signals sent by the Pakistani military leadership in recent months appear to have been received in India and a willingness to reciprocate shown," it added.

The editorial suggested that among the issues that can help improve the atmosphere in which dialogue can be considered between the two countries is the issue of prisoners which offers the possibility of quickly creating goodwill.

"Whatever the issue chosen to help reopen dialogue, the moment should be built on quickly," it urged.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) on Thursday announced the 13 lowest bidders out of 18 eligible for the Rs 46,000 crore Nagpur-Mumbai Super Communication Expressway (NMSCE).

These 13 lowest bidders for the 13 packages of the 700-km Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, or NMSCE, were announced a week after the financial bids were opened on May 23.

The lowest bidders include Megha Engineering for Nagpur Package 1, Wardha Afcons (Wardha Package 2), NCC (Amravati Package 3), PNC Infratech (Washim East Package 4), Sadbhav Engineering (Washim West Package 5), APCO (Buldana East Package 6) and Reliance Infrastructure (Buldana West Package 7).

MonteCarlo gets Jalna Package 8, Megha Engineering (Aurangabad East Package 9), Larsen & Toubro (Aurangabad West Package 10), Gayatri Projects (Ahmednagar Package 11), Dilip Buildcon (Nashik East Package 12) and BSCPL for Nashik West Package 13 are the other lowest bidders.

"With the outcome of the financial bids, we have completed another important milestone. We shall now undertake the process of evaluation of the valuations submitted by the financial bidders. After due diligence in the next few days, we may issue the work orders," said MSRDC Vice Chairman and MD Radheshyam Mopalwar.

The construction of the NMSCE has been divided into 16 packages of which 13 lowest bidders were announced on Thursday and the bid process for the remaining three packages is under progress, he added.

A pet project of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the NMSCE will connect the state capital directly with a high-speed corridor to the second capital in eastern Maharashtra.

Till date, the state government has acquired 81 per cent private and government lands against a total compensation of Rs 4,788 crore for the state's biggest project of an expressway.

The NMSCE, a Greenfield Project, will zip through 10 districts, 26 sub-districts and 392 villages en route, reducing the travel time between Mumbai and Nagpur from the existing 18 to just eight hours.

It will help the state prosper through a holistic process that integrate road connectivity with sustainable rural development through agri-business ecosystem and multi-dimensional sub-projects.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is set to wrest an Assembly seat from the ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) in Bihar where it was leading by over 34,000 votes, officials said on Thursday.

After trailing in the initial round of counting, the RJD established a comfortable lead of over 31,000 against JD-U in the bypolls to the Jokihat Assembly seat in Bihar on Thursday, according to the Election Commission officials.

After 20 rounds of the ongoing ballot counting, RJD candidate Shahbawaz Alam established a comfortable lead over JD-U's Murshid Alam.

The Jokikhat seat fell vacant following the resignation of JD-U MLA Sarfaraz Alam, who joined the RJD.

Voting for the seat took place on Monday.

The JD-U was backed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while the RJD had the support of the Congress and Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) of former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi.

Jokihat is a Muslim-dominated Assembly constituency, considered as a stronghold of former Union Minister and Shahnawaz Alam's father Mohammad Taslimuddin, who died last year leading to bypolls in Araria Lok Sabha seat.

This is for the second time this year the RJD contested polls in the absence of RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who was jailed after being convicted in fodder scam case.

At present, Lalu Prasad is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mumbai following provisional bail.

The RJD, under the leadership of Tejashwi Yadav, former Deputy Chief Minister and younger son of Lalu Prasad, proved again that it has an edge over the JD-U of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Two months ago, the RJD has defeated JD-U in bypolls to Jahanbad assembly seat and bypolls to Araria Lok Sabha seat.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed bilateral relations in a phone conversation on Wednesday, the Russia Foreign Ministry said.

"They exchanged views on several aspects of the joint agenda, including bilateral relations, and efforts to resolve the Syrian crisis and overcome the conflict in Ukraine based on the Minsk agreements of February 12, 2015," the ministry said in a press release, Xinhua reported.

They agreed on the need to work to fulfil the task, set in a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump, of overcoming existing differences through professional dialogue in the interests of normalizing the atmosphere of Russian-US interaction, it said.

It is the first phone call of Pompeo as US Secretary of State with Lavrov.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the talks with a delegation from North Korea in New York are going "very well" and that he expected a letter from Kim Jong Un.

Trump made the remarks minutes after the delegation from Pyongyang led by Kim Yong Chol, Vice Chairman of ruling Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee, started talks with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York.

Pompeo, who headed to New York on Wednesday afternoon after meeting with Trump at the White House, had dinner with Kim Yong on Wednesday night, reported Xinhua.

The two were expected to have a full-day meeting on Thursday.

Trump said the negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang "are in good hands", but refused to say if the current detente could secure a deal for a summit in Singapore on June 12.

The White House said on Wednesday that the multi-track talks between Washington and Pyongyang had went well and it still expected a June 12 meeting between the leaders of the two countries will take place.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Tata Motors and Maharashtra Government have signed a MoU to deploy 1,000 Electric Vehicles across its range of passenger and commercial vehicles in the state, an official said here on Thursday.

Tata Group company, Tata Power Ltd, will help Tata Motors set up EV Charging Stations across the state, with the MoU coming as part of the World Environment Day celebrations.

"The MoU boosts the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Policy, 2018, in accelerating the adoption of EVs in the state. We are committed to the government's vision of 'e-mobility' in India," said Tata Motors CEO & MD, Guenter Butschek.

He said that Tata Motors is "uniquely positioned to leverage the strength of its group companies to create an EV ecosystem" and geared up to meet future requirements beyond its current commitments.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis flagged off five Tigor EVs at the Gateway of India, provided by Tata Motors to the EESL as part of its tender for the initiative.

Tata Power CEO & MD, Praveer Sinha, said that the company is in tune with the state's vision to make Maharashtra EV ready and provide green technology solutions, reduce India's carbon footprints and enable customers with a sustainable future.

As part of the tender with EESL, Tata Motors has already completed production of 250 cars and initiated the phase two orders.

Today's delivery of five Tigor EVs by EESL to the state government has started the journey to boost e-mobility with offers of a full range of electric vehicles to Indian customers, said Butschek.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Thai court on Thursday acquitted a British activist, convicted of defamation in 2016 after he had reported alleged abuses against migrant workers in a fruit export firm.

The court accepted the appeal filed by the legal team of Andy Hall, who is currently abroad, and ruled that the activist's work showed there were real possibilities of human rights abuse in the factory of the Natural Fruit company, reported Finnish non-profit Finnwatch, which had commissioned Hall's research, reports Efe news.

"I didn't feel anger anymore towards anyone who has prosecuted or attacked me for my work. But I felt with regret their anger and pain. The judicial harassment against me has harmed so many people and damaged Thailand's reputation. Today I hope reconciliation is still a possibility," Hall tweeted after the verdict.

"The Appeals Court's decision to acquit Andy Hall is much welcome. It is also a much-needed acknowledgement by Thailand's justice system that Hall's work - researching allegations of companies abuse of human rights of migrant workers - is legitimate, not a crime and in the public interest," Sonja Vartiala, Executive Director of Finnwatch, said in a statement.

The court's decision can be appealed in the Supreme Court of Thailand.

Natural Fruit had begun a series of legal processes against Hall in 2013 after the publication of his report "Cheap Has a High Price", which included interviews with migrant workers who reported alleged abuse of their rights in a Natural Fruit factory in southern Thailand.

The report alleged that the company, which exported to the European Union, had employed thousands of immigrants from Myanmar, including minors and confiscated their passports while paying them less than the minimum wage.

Hall had left Thailand in November 2016, two months after being convicted of criminal defamation and computer crimes and awarded a suspended three-year prison sentence as well as a $4,600 fine by a court, vowing not to return until the "judicial harassment" ended.

In March 2018, another court had ruled that Hall would have to pay 10 million baht ($312,000) in damages to the same company in a separate civil defamation suit.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Bharatiya Janata Party-led alliance government in Tripura would soon submit a Special Leave Petition (SLP) before the Supreme Court to extend the services of 10,323 government teachers for two more years, a minister said here on Thursday after a cabinet meeting.

On March 29 last year, the Supreme Court had upheld a Tripura High Court verdict to terminate the services of 10,323 government teachers on grounds of wrongdoing.

But following the appeal of the previous Left Front government, the apex court had extended their services up to June this year.

"The state cabinet today (Thursday) decided to submit an SLP before the Supreme Court to extend the services of 10,323 government teachers up to June 2020. If their services are not extended, lakhs of students would be deprived of getting proper in 4,928 government schools," and Law Minister Ratan Lal Nath told the media.

He said that already the state government has vacant posts of 12,222 teachers and these posts could not be filled up as there are huge shortages of qualified candidates with professional degrees.

The Minister said that the state has only six B.Ed (Bachelor of Education) colleges to provide professional degrees and diploma to the would be teachers.

"Managing of large numbers of teachers with professional degrees could not be possible as the required degrees or diploma could not be provided from these small number of B. Ed colleges."

According to the minister, currently 40,658 teachers are providing to 7.29 lakh students in 4,928 government schools.

The BJP government earlier urged the Centre for a one-time relaxation in academic and other qualifications to facilitate recruitment of 12,222 teachers to overcome their shortage in the state.

Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb recently met the Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Nripendra Mishra in New Delhi and took up the teachers' recruitment issue.

"Deb told Mishra that if the Human Resource Development Ministry did not relax the academic and other qualifications of teachers as laid down by the NCTE (National Council For Teacher Education), the state would not be able to recruit 12,222 teachers," an official posted in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) here said.

According to the Right of the Child to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act of 2009 and NCTE guidelines, Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) is mandatory for recruitment of teachers in government schools.

To appear for the TET, the candidate ought to have 50 per cent marks in certain subjects and a Bachelor's degree or Diploma in Elementary Education or Diploma in Education.

The HRD Ministry had earlier relaxed the minimum qualification norms for teachers, as notified by the NCTE, for Assam and West Bengal.

The teachers' recruitment was a key political issue ahead of the February 18 Assembly elections in Tripura as the Supreme Court had upheld a Tripura High Court verdict to terminate the services of 10,323 government teachers on the ground of discrepancies during the rule of the Left Front government.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Geneva, May 31 (IANS/WAM) The UAE and Afghanistan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the area of labour on the sidelines of the 107th International Labour Conference here.

The MoU was signed by UAE's Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation Nasser bin Thani Al Hamli and Afghanistan's Faizullah Zaki who is the Minister of Labour, Social Affair, Martyrs and Disabled, the news agency reported on Wednesday.

Al Hamli stated that the MoU was part of the efforts to develop the ongoing friendship between the two countries, through establishing an institutional partnership to improve the management of temporary contracts for Afghan labour in the UAE.

He also highlighted the MoU's importance in managing the work of recruitment agencies, adopting transparent recruitment practices and ensuring compliance with the law by relevant parties.

Al Hamli also said that the two countries will cooperate in the areas of technology, exchanging labour information and research. The MoU will help implement mutual programmes to raise the awareness of Afghan workers about their rights before arriving in the UAE, he said.

Zaki praised the UAE's legislation that regulates employment relations, protects the rights of workers, including those from Afghan.

According to the MoU, workers from Afghanistan should be recruited as per the policy of the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation. Potential workers should receive a detailed offer including a comprehensive description of the rights and duties of all parties, as well as their working conditions.

--IANS/WAM

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Shiv Sena President Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Election Commission (EC) labelling it as a "corrupt body" responsible for the mess in the conduct of elections in the country.

He also said that the Sena will fight all future elections independently, without any alliance.

Addressing the media, Thackeray alleged that large-scale manipulations are being carried out in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) with the knowledge of the EC officials.

"The elections and the vote-counting in Palghar was a total farce. After the elections, how did the voting percentage shoot up by nearly 100,000 votes overnight? We want proof of this... There was a fraud," Thackeray said.

He said the Sena has already sought a re-count after its candidate Shriniwas Vanga was defeated by a margin of around 29,000 votes.

"In the later rounds of counting, the Sena's vote count suddenly fell by several thousands... How is that possible? We have sought a recount, but we don't expect the EC to take note of it," Thackeray said.

He said the Sena defeat in Palghar is an outcome of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' poll-eve statement on 'Saam, Daam, Dand and Bhed', which is "not acceptable to us".

"We fought Palghar for the first time... We did not have a proper party apparatus, especially in the far-flung tribal pockets. Yet we gave a tough fight to the BJP."

Targeting the EC, he said now all the political parties must move court against the poll panel and its functioning which has raised doubts in the minds of people.

He questioned whether the Chief Election Commissioner "has control over the election machinery" in the country, and pointed to how EVMs suddenly fail midway in the election process, why there are discrepancies in the counting and other issues.

"I think it is time to 'elect' even the EC officials, not merely appoint them, as they have become puppets in the hands of the ruling party now," he said, wondering if the there is a need to even appoint international observers to oversee the election process in India.

On the party's future course, he reiterated that the Sena will fight all elections in future independently without alliance with any political parties.

"The BJP doesn't need friends anymore... We shall go solo in future," Thackeray declared.

Contrary to intense political speculation, the Sena chief did not comment on the possibility of walking out of the National Democratic Alliance or the Maharashtra government.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov on Wednesday condemned the latest escalation in Gaza.

The past two days have seen the most serious escalation in Gaza since the 2014 conflict between Hamas and Israel, Mladenov told the UN Security Council. "They have been a warning to all of us how close we are to the brink of war every day," Xinhua reported.

Between Monday and Wednesday, 216 projectiles, rockets and mortar shells were fired from Gaza toward Israel, he quoted the Israeli Defense Forces as saying.

Although most of the projectiles were intercepted by the Iron Dome system, one hit a kindergarten yard in a kibbutz near the Gaza border and at least another damaged a house, he said.

In response to those rockets and mortars, the Israeli Air Force carried out strikes on 65 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza and destroyed a 2-km tunnel near the Kerem Shalom crossing, said Mladenov.

Fortunately, there have been no casualties on either side, he said.

He condemned the indiscriminate targeting of civilians.

"Such attacks are completely unacceptable. The firing of rockets and mortars against civilians cannot be justified under any circumstances. I take this opportunity to call on the international community to join me in unequivocally condemning these indiscriminate targeting of civilians and the dangerous escalation in Gaza," said Mladenov at an emergency meeting of the Security Council that was requested by the United States.

He noted that the situation has calmed down since the early hours of Wednesday.

--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 military has renamed its Pacific Command to the US Indo-Pacific Command in a largely symbolic move signalling Indias growing importance to the Pentagon.

The Pacific Command has 375,000 civilian and military personnel monitoring the greater Pacific region, including India. The name change comes amid tensions with China, which has been expanding its military activity in the region.

"In recognition of the increasing connectivity of the Indian and Pacific Oceans today we rename the US Pacific Command to the US Indo-Pacific Command," Defence Secretary James Mattis said at a change-of-command ceremony in Hawaii on Wednesday.

"It is our primary combatant command, it's standing watch and intimately engaged with over half of the earth's surface and its diverse populations, from Hollywood to Bollywood, from polar bears to penguins," he said.

"Relationships with our Pacific and Indian Ocean allies and partners have proven critical to maintaining regional stability," Mattis was cited as saying by the Hill magazine.

Admiral Phil Davidson took over the leadership of the US Pacific Command from outgoing commander Admiral Harry Harris at the ceremony. Harris was earlier nominated by President Donald Trump as the next US Ambassador to South Korea.

The change does not mean more personnel will be sent to the region, but instead recognises the increasing military importance of India as the the US works to assert regional dominance over China.

"We stand by our partners and support their sovereign decisions because all nations large and small are essential to the region if we are to sustain stability in ocean areas critical to peace," Mattis said.

In 2016, the US and India strengthened their military ties by signing an agreement to use each other's bases for repairs and resupply.

The Command has yet change its name on Twitter or its website.

--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 is poised to impose steel and aluminium tariffs on the European Union (EU) and possibly on Canada and Mexico, this week when a temporary exemption expires as trade talks remain at an impasse, a media report said.

The threat of tariffs was supposed to force trading partners into quickly agreeing to US concessions, including limiting imports of steel and aluminium and other trade terms that favour American companies and workers, an informed official told The New York Times on Wednesday.

In addition to the metal tariffs, President Trump has threatened to impose levies on imported automobiles, the bulk of which comes from Canada, Mexico, South Korea, Japan and the EU.

Discussions between the countries are continuing and President Donald Trump could ultimately decide not to impose tariffs on any of the trading partners, according to the official.

But with the exemption deadline quickly approaching and the countries still far apart on many issues, a resolution could be tough to pull off by Friday.

The EU, Canada and Mexico, all of which were granted temporary exemptions from the metal tariffs, said they were unsure whether the tariffs would go into effect on Friday, but were readying retaliatory measures that would impose equal harm on American consumers and businesses in case they are triggered.

Chrystia Freeland, the Canadian Foreign Minister, met US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer on Wednesday to discuss the tariffs, as well as Nafta (North American Free Trade Association).

"I would like to absolutely assure Canadians, particularly those who work in steel and aluminium industries, that the government is absolutely prepared to and will defend Canadian interests and Canadian jobs," she said.

"We will respond appropriately."

Cecilia Malmstrom, the European Trade Commissioner, told the European Parliament on Tuesday that she expected to have a "positive agenda with the US side, with no tariffs or quotas", reports The New York Times.

"Realistically, however, we do not think we can hope for that," she added.

Mexican officials were also planning to retaliate with their own limits on American imports should tariffs on steel and aluminium be imposed.

As the steel and aluminium tariffs went into effect in late March, the Trump administration has insisted that trading partners either accept the tariffs or commit to voluntarily restraining their own metal exports with quotas.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that his administration has nearly won the seven-year-long war as the army has made major progress in the fight against the rebels, media reports on Thursday said.

He also said that the West was trying to prolong the crisis with every Syrian victory.

"With every move forward for the Syrian army, and for the political process..., our enemies and our opponents, mainly the West led by the US and their puppets in Europe and in our region, try to make it farther, either by supporting more terrorism, bringing more terrorists to Syria, or by hindering the political process," Xinhua cited a report in Russia Today quoting Assad.

The Syrian President said if it was not for the foreign support to the rebels in Syria, the militants could have been defeated within a year.

After the advance of the Syrian army, as well as the unreliable nature of opposition forces, the US administration has started losing its "cards" and could be brought to the negotiation table, Assad said.

"Our challenge is how we can close this gap between their plans and our plans," he added.

He said it's the duty of the army to liberate all of Syria because "this is our land, it's our right and our duty to liberate it and the Americans should leave somehow they are going to leave".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Star Indian weightlifter Sanjita Chanu has been handed a provisional suspension by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) after failing a dope test.

"IWF reports that the sample of Ms. Sanjita Chanu Khumukcham (IND) has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for Testosterone (S1.1 Anabolic Agents). As a consequence, the Athlete is provisionally suspended in view of a potential anti-doping rule violation," the IWF said in a statement.

The Manipur star has the right to challenge the decision before an anti-doping disciplinary panel.

However, if her appeal is unsuccessful, she will be stripped of the Commonwealth Games title which she won at Gold Coast, Australia earlier this year.

Chanu had lifted a total of 192 kilogram to win her second Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women's 53kg category, setting a new meet record in the snatch along the way.

The IWF however, did not reveal details about the date and place of the dope test.

"In any case where it is determined that the Athlete did not commit an anti-doping rule violation, the relevant decision will also be published," the IWF said.

"IWF will not make any further comments on the case until it is closed," the statement added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The decision of the defence minister to throw open the roads in cantonments may have pleased her political colleagues but is this the hallmark of her performance? Can she defend the country? The answer is, no. For a defence minister to be effective, he or she has also to be the finance minister of her ministry.

If the defence minister has to go time and again to the finance minister with a begging bowl, then the defence of the country is not the responsibility of the defence minister but that of the finance minister. Has any finance minister ever been held responsible for any of our ...Pranab Mukherjee, former President of India, has decided to accept the RSSs invitation to him to attend a parade or something. Delhis chattering class which -- by and large -- tends to be ignorant, judgemental and sycophantic is hissing like Jean Baptiste Colberts geese. Well, here are three reasons why the chee-chee brigade should revert to its beers and try not to tax its intellect too much.

First, Mr Mukherjee has the total and absolute right to go wherever he pleases. He is a free citizen who is no longer bound by any party affiliation. Therefore, as ...Kritika, a 22-year-old transwoman who had faced humiliation and bullying almost her entire life, says she has finally thrown out the "masculine cage" that imprisoned her soul, after a gender reassignment surgery.

Kritika suffered from what doctors describe as "gender dysphoria", the condition of feeling one's emotional and psychological identity as male or female to be opposite to that of one's biological sex.

"I was a female trapped in a male's body. I was bullied in schools, humiliated in college and faced job rejections," she said.

Kritika hails from Lucknow and had enrolled in an engineering college. "One day some boys tried to sexually assault me, forcing me to drop out and crawl into isolation for one year," she said.

She and Taksh (22), another transwoman, shared their life struggles today at a press conference here organised by the hospital where they were operated for gender reassignment.

Kritika, who underwent surgery in October, says she is married now and working as an executive with a private airline.

Taksh, who has walked the ramp at a popular fashion show, underwent the gender reassignment surgery in February.

Richie Gupta, director of department of plastic, cosmetic and reconstructive surgery at Fortis Hospital in Shalimar Bagh in Delhi, said in gender dysphoria cases a person's mind (gender) is at conflict with the physical body and sex as assigned at birth.

"The condition has a definite neurologic, genetic and hormonal basis, as proven by scientific research. The first step is to make a firm diagnosis of gender dysphoria, and to rule out psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia. This is done with the help of psychometric analysis and opinion of two different psychiatry teams.

"Once that is done, the they also have to undergo endocrinological evaluation and hormone therapy... They must undergo real life experiences living in desired sexual role, in these cases, as a female for a period of more than two years," he said.

The hospital authorities said the facility follows the guidelines laid by World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

"In the two cases, after hormone therapy, surgeries were done (feminising genitoplasty), which involves removal of penis and reconstruction of new vagina, clitoris and labia. Breast augmentation is required in a few cases, in which sufficient breast enlargement does not occur even at eighteen months of hormone therapy, or where the transwoman specifically demands the procedure," Gupta told reporters.

Optional procedures which facilitate them in the desired sexual role in the society include, voice-change surgery, hair transplants, rhinoplasty, liposuction and facial feminisation surgery, which consists of forehead and jaw shaping surgeries, he said.

Gupta said a transman or transwoman can live normal sexual life but "cannot biologically produce children".

"However, their sperms (in case of male-to-female) or eggs (in case of female-to-male) can be preserved, and they can go for test-tube baby or become parents through surrogacy later," he said.

Taksh said: "People made me feel as if femininity was something to be ashamed of, and that I would be giving up the privileges that comes with being a male."



"But I had to find inner peace and accept my true self, being a woman. And why should society feel that my life is any less fulfiling," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two inter-state narcotic smugglers were arrested and 26 kg of poppy was seized from their possession in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district today, police said.

Based on a tip-off, a police party intercepted a truck at Dhar road in Udhampur and during its search seized 26 kg of poppy, a police officer said.

Following the seizure, Parminder Singh of Nawasher belt and Kashmiri Lal of Hoshiyarpur in Punjab were arrested, he added.

A case has been registered at police station Udhampur and further investigation is on, the officer said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A local court today remanded nine



of the 11 tourists from Pune, who were arrested for allegedly molesting a minor girl and beating her minor brother at a beach near here, in judicial custody for five days.

"Judicial Magistrate First Class at Mapusa remanded the nine accused to five-day judicial custody and were sent to a correction facility at Colvale in North Goa district," Calangute police inspector Jivba Dalvi said.

The other two accused, who are juveniles, aged 15, have been sent to a protection home near here, he added.

The victims - 17-year-old boy and his 16-year-old sister - were on May 29 sitting in a shack at the Baga beach in North Goa while their parents were having food nearby.

At that time, a group of 11 visitors, who arrived from Pune district in the neighbouring Maharashtra state, started clicking pictures of the girl, Dalvi had earlier said.

"When the boy objected to the group taking photos of his sister, they allegedly slapped and beat him," he said, quoting the complaint filed by parents of the siblings.

The Calangute police had yesterday arrested all the accused before they could leave the state.

Besides the two juveniles, the other nine accused are in the age group of 18 to 30 years, police said.

The accused included some students and salesmen working in different companies.

Offences were registered against all the accused under IPC sections 354 (molestation), 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) and 323 (causing hurt), and relevant provisions of the Goa Children's Act, the police added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior Punjab AAP leader Sukhpal Khaira today termed the party's defeat in the Shahkot bypoll as "writing on the wall" and that he along with Sangrur MP Bhagwant Mann had suggested the leadership not to contest the by-election.

The ruling Congress today wrested the Shahkot Assembly seat by handing out a crushing defeat to the SAD in its stronghold after a gap of 20 years.

Congress's Hardev Singh Ladi trounced Shiromani Akali Dal's Naib Singh Kohar by 38,802 votes in the bypoll. The AAP's performance remained dismal as its candidate Rattan Singh Kakkar Kalan faced a humiliating defeat, securing just 1,900 votes.

"I and Bhagwant (Mann) had suggested the party in Delhi and Punjab not to contest the Shahkot bypoll as not much work had happened on the party's organisational structure.

"We had suggested the party not to contest the bypoll, rather... Focus on our organisational structure and raise people issue vociferously. But the party did not accept our suggestion and we had to go by what the party leadership decided," said Khaira, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly.

"Its (defeat) was writing on wall. We cannot win the election under these circumstances and we cannot give good performance," the legislator from Bholath.

Khaira also said the party "failed" to build up a campaign for the Shahkot bypoll.

"Those who took the responsibility during the bypoll could not build the campaign for the party," he said.

On whether Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's apology to SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia adversely hit the party in the state and eventually, led to its defeat, Khaira said it was one of the several reasons which affected thinking of the people about the party.

"People asked us that you fought vigorously on the drugs issue and then you took an U-turn," he said.

AAP chief Kejriwal tendered an apology for levelling charges of involvement in the drugs trade against Majithia in March following which the latter decided to withdraw the court case against him.

Khaira said the party leadership in Delhi "failed" to give the right to leaders in the state to take their own decisions.

"After the defeat in the 2017 assembly polls, many party leaders in Punjab sought that they should be given the right to take decisions concerning the state unit.

"Unfortunately, the party leadership in Delhi did not implement it. It appears that leaders in Punjab are taking decisions. But they are imposed on us," he said.

Ladi got 82,747 votes while Akali candidate Kohar polled 43,945 votes, said an official spokesman of election office.

The bypoll was necessitated after the demise of SAD MLA Ajit Singh Kohar in February.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three people appeared in a French court today on charges of illegally helping migrants cross the border from Italy in a case that has sparked protests and allegations that prosecutors are punishing a "crime of solidarity".

The trio -- Italian student Eleonora Laterza, 27, Swiss student Bastian Stauffer, 26, and Theo Buckmaster, a 23-year-old Swiss-Belgian -- were detained in April for joining a march of 100 activists escorting some 20 migrants over an Alpine pass.

They were responding to a blockade set up at a nearby pass by several dozen far-right activists from Generation Identitaire (Identity Generation), seeking to keep the migrants out.

It is the latest trial involving activists trying to help migrants on the move through Europe, often in protest at tough new immigration legislation spearheaded by French President Emmanuel Macron.

If convicted on charges of assisting illicit entry into the country as part of an "organised gang", the activists could face up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to 750,000 euros (USD 880,000) and could be banned from entering France.

At today's hearing, the court lifted the strict bail conditions imposed on the three, allowing two of them to sit end-of-term exams and the third to return to his job.

The trial was adjourned until November 8 to allow the Constitutional Court time to issue a ruling sought by the defence on whether humanitarian aid to illegal immigrants should be considered a criminal offence.

Earlier this week, around 120 leading French figures in education, science and signed an open letter in Le Monde supporting the activists, accusing prosecutors of flouting France's constitutional promise of fraternity and equality for all.

As the hearing opened, several dozen protesters gathered outside the courthouse in the southeastern city of Gap to stage a "reverse trial" against the government.

"We're accusing the state and the government's migrant policies," said Michel Rousseau of the Tous Migrants (We're All Migrants) association.

Their trial comes a day after a 73-year-old Amnesty International volunteer appeared in court in the southern city of Nice on charges of helping two underage Africans illegally enter the country. A ruling is expected on July 13.

And at least 12 other activists have been fined or given suspended jail terms since 2015 for helping migrants despite police efforts to stem the flow of people arriving from Italy.

One of the most notable cases was that of olive farmer Cedric Herrou who was given a four-month suspended sentence in August for trying to help migrants cross the border near his land.

And this week, the leftist mayor of Grenoble awarded him the city's official medal in honour of his efforts, which he has vowed to continue.

Last month, French lawmakers voted to soften laws criminalising acts of solidarity, exempting those who provide migrants with free food, shelter, medical care or legal advice.

But helping migrants illegally cross the border remains a crime. The government argues that tighter controls are needed to check the rise of anti-immigration populists who claim Europe has allowed in too many people seeking a better life.

The law currently before parliament aims to both cut waiting times for asylum applications -- reducing it from 12 to six months -- and to facilitate the deportation of "economic" migrants whose applications to stay have been rejected.

NGOs have been quick to highlight the discrepancies in the government's approach, contrasting the trial of those helping the migrants with the fast-track recognition of an illegal Malian migrant who rescued a young boy hanging from a balcony in Paris.

"A black person who saves a white person deserves praise, a white person who helps a black person deserves prison," said Giscard Destin, a 23-year-old from Cameroon at a rally to support the three activists in nearby La Roche-de-Rame yesterday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Air India employee unions today claimed "victory" as the government failed to attract bidders for the loss-making airline's strategic disinvestment.

"No bids for Air India, victory for joint forum in our endeavour to save the airline," a joint forum of various said in a statement as the last date for submission of bids ended this evening.

The joint forum, which is a platform of various Air India unions, associations and guilds, has been opposing the move to privatise the national carrier on the grounds of massive 'job losses'.

In a major setback to the Air India disinvestment process, the government said no initial bids were received for the proposed strategic stake sale of the airline by the end of the deadline on May 31, and that "further course of action will be decided appropriately".

The government had proposed to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players, as per the preliminary information memorandum.

The transaction would involve Air India, its low-cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services. The latter is an equal joint venture between the national carrier and Singapore-based SATS.

The forum comprises Air Corporations Employees Union, All India Service Engineers' Associations, Air India Employees Union, Aviation Industry Employee Guild, Air India Aircraft Engineers' Association, All India Aircraft Engineers' Association, Air India Engineers Association, United Air India Officers Association, All India Cabin Crew Association and All India Airline Retired Personnel Association.

ALSO READ: Cong takes dig at govt after no bid received for Air India stake sale

Under a turnaround plan approved by the previous UPA regime, Air India is to receive up to Rs 302.31 bilion from the government, subject to meeting certain performance thresholds.

The 10-year bailout package began from 2012.

Earlier this month, the government had extended the expression of interest (EoI) submission deadline to May 31, from May 14 earlier. The qualified interested bidders were to be intimated on June 15.All 51 students of a government



school in Palwal failed in the Haryana Board Class 10 examination, prompting the department to ask authorities to initiate strict action against the "erring" teachers.

All 51 students of Deeghot Senior Secondary School in Palwal who took Class 10 examination conducted by Haryana Board has failed, Palwal District Officer (DEO) Suman Nain said here today.

"My department has written to the deputy commissioner of Palwal to take strict action against the teachers as per rules," she said after the state government ordered a probe into the poor result of the school.

On Wednesday, the villagers locked the school in protest over the issue of poor system, said Jitender Tanwar, sarpanch (village head) of Deeghot village.

Last month, the Board of School Education Haryana (BSEH) has released the Haryana Board Class 10th results.

51.15 per cent students have passed the Class 10 board exams. The girls outnumbered boys by securing 55.34 per cent result while 47.61 per cent boys remained successful.

In 2017, the overall pass percentage of Class 10th was 50.49 per cent.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An alleged supporter of the Islamic State group accused of encouraging attacks on 4-year-old Prince George has changed his plea from innocent to guilty.

Husnain Rashid was two weeks into his trial at Woolwich Crown Court when he admitted today to three counts of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorist acts and one count of encouraging terrorism.

Judge Andrew Lees then put two further charges on hold.

The trial, which had been scheduled to last six weeks, was abruptly ended because of the plea. Sentencing is set for June 28.

The prosecution had argued that Rashid ran a "prolific" Telegram channel named the Lone Mujahid.

Prosecutor Annabel Darlow had earlier told a jury that Rashid encouraged attacks on a range of targets, including "Prince George at his first school.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amit Khare, a 1985-batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre, today assumed charge as Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on superannuation of N K Sinha.

Prior to the appointment as Secretary, Khare was Additional Chief Secretary, Jharkhand government, an official release said.

Earlier, he has served as Principal Secretary, Finance & Planning Department, Jharkhand government.

Khare has also worked as Member Secretary in the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Union Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Joint Secretary in the Department of Higher Education, Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.

He is an MBA from IIM, Ahmedabad, and holds a Certificate in Public Administration from Syracuse University, US.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Unemployed graduate youths in Andhra Pradesh would soon get a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 each, the TDP government today announced, fulfilling the party's 2014 election-eve promise.

The state Cabinet which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu decided to pay Rs 1,000 a month to each unemployed graduate in the state with an upper age limit of 35.

In the run-up to the assembly elections in 2014, the TDP had assured to give an allowance of Rs 2,000 for unemployed youths.

The government estimated that there were about 10 lakh unemployed people as per the "Pulse Survey data", ministers N Lokesh and Kollu Ravindra told reporters here.

The scheme would cost Rs 1,200 crore a year to the public exchequer, they said adding the launch date would be announced soon.

"A group of ministers studied similar schemes being implemented in various states in the country as well as some foreign countries. No other state in India is paying Rs 1,000. Though Uttar Pradesh paid Rs 1,000, the scheme was discontinued in six months, Lokesh said.

The Andhra Pradesh governments objective was, however, to make the scheme 'irrelevant' in due course since focus was on large scale employment generation, they noted.

The government was offering several incentives for industrial promotion and several major industrial units were expected to commence operations in the next two-three years, which will create scores of jobs.

"Then there should be no unemployment in the state and the allowance scheme should become irrelevant," they added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)An Army officer died today under mysterious circumstances in an Army Camp in Jammu, police said.

Lieutenant Colonel Sanat Kabi (45) was found unconscious in transit camp here under suspicious circumstances, they said.

He was shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC&H) Jammu where doctors declared him brought dead, they said.

Kabi belonged to Odisha. His body was handed over to Army after the postmortem, they said.

Inquest proceedings have started, police said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With the monsoon expected to arrive in Goa soon, the state government today issued an advisory asking tourists to refrain from swimming in sea waters along the beaches for four months starting tomorrow.

The tourism department issued a circular asking all shack owners to dismantle their structures on the beaches.

It also asked the private lifeguard agency, which has been manning the state's beaches, to put up signboards marking the waters as 'no swimming' zones.

The department has formed squads to ensure that shacks are removed from the beaches and signboards are installed to warn tourists against venturing in the Arabian Sea.

The last chartered flight carrying international visitors to Moscow in Russia had flown out of Goa about a fortnight back, thus formally culminating the international tourist season in the state.

According to the tourism department's figures, around 7.7 million tourists both domestic and international



visited the state during the calendar year 2017.

From January to March this year, about 8.6 lakh visitors came to Goa.

Besides, 65,523 international travellers came to Goa from November 2017 till April this year in cruise ships, which were berthed at the Mormugao Port Trust in Vasco town, about 40 km from here.

Russian visitors constituted the highest number of foreign travellers in the state in the last tourist season - from May 2017 till April this year.

Travel and Tourism Association of Goa president Savio Messiah said the last tourist season was good, but the state needs to gear up for the next year.

"This time, due to disturbances in Egypt and Turkey, more international travellers chose to fly to India, specially Goa. But with the situation in both the countries improving, tourists are likely to prefer to fly there for the next season," he said.

Travel and Tourism Association of Goa is an apex body of tour operators in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Banking services were disrupted for the second day today with over 10 lakh bank employees abstaining from work to protest a "meagre" 2 per cent salary hike proposed by the Indian Banks Association (IBA), a body representing management.

Apart from disruption in operations related to deposits, FD renewals, government treasury and money market operations, there were reports of ATMs running dry in parts of the country.

Banking operations are likely to become normal from tomorrow after the 2-day strike which was called by the unions.

The United Forum of Banking Unions (UFBU), which had called the strike, claimed that nearly 80 lakh cheques in various public sector banks, old generation private sector banks, foreign and regional rural banks remain uncleared.

UFBU, an umbrella organisation of 9 bank staff unions, also claimed that the strike was a "total success" as the employees "enthusiastically participated in the strike in all banks and in all branches".

According to reports from various states and centres like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Patna, Nagpur, Jammu, Guwahati, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Agra, Ambala, and Trivandrum, employees have enthusiastically participated in the strike in all banks and branches, unions claimed.

There are about 85,000 branches of 21 public sector banks across the country having business share of about 70 per cent.

Operations in the new-generation private banks like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, however, were almost normal, barring few activities including cheque clearance.

Talking to PTI, Harvinder Singh, General Secretary of India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), said that overall all branches were closed across India.

"All old generation private sector banks are also under our fold including those in South India like the Federal Bank, Catholic Syrian Bank, South Indian Bank. Branches of some private sector banks ICICI Bank and HDFC Banks are also our members and participated in the strike," Singh said.

Another union said the strike remained "fully successful" and almost public sector bank branches remained closed, "paralysing the banking services".

Nearly 10 lakh employees, working in various branches of 21 public sector banks, 13 old generation private sector banks, six foreign banks and 56 regional rural banks across the country went on the two-day strike yesterday as IBA offered them a nominal wage revision, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), affiliate of UFBU had said in a statement.

In its last wage negotiation meeting held earlier this month, IBA proposed a nominal salary revision to bank employees and officers, owing to huge losses incurred by them in the last few quarters, bank unions said. The lenders are faced with mounting non-performing assets (NPAs) or bad loans.

Wage revision in the banks has been due from November 2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Employees of various banks, part of the United Forum of Bank Unions, continued their protest for the second today, against the 'meagre' two per cent wage hike offered by the Indian Banks Association.

As part of the agitation, employees staged a demonstration in front of the Union Bank of India office here and raised slogans.

Bank Employees Federation of India, Tamil Nadu, General Secretary, C P Krishnan said the staff held protests in front of banks across 50 places in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Following the strike call given by the associations, banking services were hit in the state and neighbouring Puducherry.

Nearly 12 lakh cheques worth Rs 7,000 crore stagnated in the state due to the two-day strike.

The Unions had claimed that the strike was a 'total success' as employees 'enthusiastically participated in the strike in all banks and in all branches.'



Operations in the new-generation private banks like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, however, were almost normal, barring few activities including cheque clearances.

In its last wage negotiation meeting held earlier this month, Indian Banking Association proposed a nominal salary revision to bank employees and officers, owing to huge losses incurred by them in the last few quarters, bank unions said.

Wage revision in the banks has been due from November 2, 2017.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Banking services across the state remained paralysed for the second and final day of the two-day strike today.

The strike was called by United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU), the umbrella body of seven trade unions, to press for higher wage revision for the employees.

The Indian Banks Association (IBA), a body of the bank managements, offered a two per cent rise in wages which was rejected outright by the unions.

The IBA negotiates with the unions on wage revision issues.

"Only 10-15 per cent of the automated teller machines (ATMs), those installed in various institutions, were open," Siddhartha Khan, convenor of West Bengal chapter of UFBU said.

He said that the strike has been successful and hoped that IBA would return to the negotiating table again.

Not only the public sector banks, private sector and foreign ones also participated in the strike.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Delhi court today granted bail to the owner of a firecracker factory in north west Delhi where 17 people were killed in a massive blaze earlier this year.

Additional Sessions Judge Ramesh Kumar granted the relief to accused Manoj Jain, who was arrested on January 31 in connection with the fire incident, on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and a surety of like amount.

Advocate Rishipal Singh, representing all the victims, said he would move the high court against the bail order.

The court released Jain on bail on the grounds of parity considering that other accused, except one, have secured the relief already.

I have heard the contentions of both the sides and have gone through the material placed on record. Other co-accused persons except accused Lalit Goyal are on bail. Hence at this stage, on the grounds of parity accused Manoj Jain is admitted to bail, the judge said.

The court also imposed conditions on the accused including that he would surrender his passport and not leave the country without permission of the court.

Jain has also been asked to appear before the court in every hearing and not try to influence witnesses in any manner.

In his bail plea filed through advocate Pradeep Rana, Jain contended that he has been in judicial custody since January 31 and was no more required to be kept in custody.

Opposing his bail plea, the additional public prosecutor said that the charge sheet has been filed against him under serious offences and the matter is at the initial stage.

He said that the accused was well versed about the danger in which the labourers were working in his factory. Therefore, he should not be granted bail.

The police had in March this year filed a charge sheet in a city court against Jain, co-owner Lalit Goyal and five others.

A fire had broken out in the storage unit on the ground floor of the two-storey building in Bawana area on January 20 and engulfed the entire structure.

Of the 17 killed, 10 were women. A man and woman were also injured in the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a BJP ally, today won the lone Nagaland Lok Sabha seat in the bypoll, defeating rival NPF nominee by a huge margin of over 1.73 lakh votes.

NDPP nominee Tokheho Yepthomi, representing the ruling PDA (People's Democratic Alliance) in Nagaland, defeated NPF nominee C Apok Jamir by 1,73,746 votes in the by-election, Chief Electoral Officer Abhijit Sinha said.

Yepthomi polled 5,94,205 votes against the only opposition Naga People's Front (NPF) nominee Jamir who bagged 4,20,459 votes.

Counting of votes for the by-poll held on May 28 last was taken up today in 13 centres across the state.

PDA nominee Yepthomi won in nine districts, except for Phek and Peren districts.

The bypoll was necessitated after Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, who is also the NDPP leader, had resigned from the Lok Sabha in February.

NDPP had joined hands with BJP to form a coalition government headed by Neiphiu Rio after state poll in the North-Eastern state of Nagaland in February this year.

Phek has been a strong bastion of NPF while Peren is Opposition leader TR Zeliang's district.

A total of 3,991 votes were cast in favour of NOTA.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP today lost the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat to the NCP but retained the Palghar seat in the bypolls held in Maharashtra.

In Bhandara-Gondiya seat, which the BJP had won in 2014, Madhukar Kukade of the NCP won by 48,097 votes, defeating Hemant Patle of the saffron party.

Kukade polled 4,42,213 votes as against 3,94,116 of the BJP in a direct contest.

The bypoll in this constituency was necessitated as BJP MP Nana Patole had quit the Lok Sabha membership as well as the party after publicly criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's style of functioning.

Later he joined the Congress, with which he had been associated earlier.

With this win, NCP's number in the Lok Sabha has gone up to five while BJP's number of MPs in the lower house from the state has reduced to 22.

In Palghar, BJP's Rajendra Gavit defeated Shrinivas Wanaga of the party's ally Shiv Sena by 29,572 votes, a state election official said.

Gavit polled 2,72,782 votes while Wanaga got 2,43,210 votes in the bypoll which saw a bitter fight between the BJP and ally Shiv Sena, which jointly rule the state and are in alliance in the central Narendra Modi-led government.

The bypoll in this constituency was necessitated because of the death of BJP MP and Shrinivas Wanaga's father Chintaman Wanaga.

Baliram Jadhav of Bahujan Vikas Agadhi (BVA) got the third place with 2,22,838 votes, while Kiran Gahla of the CPM secured 71,887 votes. Damodar Shingda of the Congress finished a distant fifth with 47,714 votes.

Shankar Bhaga Badade of Marxist Leninst Party of India polled 4,884 votes. Sandeep Jadhav, the lone independent in the fray got 6,670 votes.

There were a total of 17,31,077 voters. The number of valid votes polled was 8,69,985. There were 16,884 votes for NOTA.

Gavit was in the Congress before joining the BJP and had been a minister in the previous Congress-NCP government.

Palghar, on the outskirts of Mumbai, is a Scheduled Tribe reserved constituency.

Commenting on the loss, Shiv Sena chief Uddav Thackeray said: "Out of over 8 lakh people who voted in Palghar, over 6 lakh rejected the BJP."



Addressing a press conference, he blamed the EVMs and threatened to drag the Election Commission to Court while demanding suspension of the election officers over the sudden increase in voting percentage.

He added that while the Sena had never contested in Palghar before, he was in two minds this time as well and the only reason why it decided to do so was to give justice to Shriniwas Wanaga, who was "mistreated" by the BJP.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Election Commission should investigate malfunctioning of the EVMs as the BJP too was affected because "our early morning voters don't return to polling booths after snags in the machines."



NCP said its success in Bhandara-Gondiya was a stamp of approval against the "dictatorial style" of functioning of Modi.

NCP spokesman Nawab Malik said the BJP had benefitted in Palghar bypoll due to division of votes.

The Congress and the NCP had joined hands to take on the BJP in both the seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The JD(U) today cautioned the BJP following reverses in the bypoll results today, saying the saffron party should make the ruling NDA coalition more "cohesive" and address "concerns" over issues related to farmers and Dalits, as well as the petroleum price rise.

JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi said the biggest challenge for the BJP was in Uttar Pradesh, where the coming together of two formidable regional parties --the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party -- have trumped the saffron party in recent bypolls.

Asked by reporters if the UP results were a win of 'ganna' (sugarcane) over Jinnah, he answered in the affirmative and said thousands of crores are still due to sugarcane farmers.

He, however, rejected suggestions that the Nitish Kumar-led party may dump the NDA after joining it last year and asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led alliance will make a comeback in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

He described Lalu Prasad-led RJD, its former ally, a party of the corrupt and anarchists.

Tyagi downplayed his own party's loss in Jokihat assembly bypoll in Bihar to the RJD, saying the seat did not belong to any party but Taslimuddin, a regional satrap who had died last year, and whichever party was represented by his family won from there.

Talking of the NDA, he said, "There is a need for the BJP to make the alliance more cohesive and engage with allies."



The JD(U) will support the BJP's efforts in this regard, he said.

There are concerns over issues involving Dalits and farmers besides petroleum price rise, he said, adding that the BJP needs to address them.

These may be issues of perception but they needed to be addressed, Tyagi said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP today played down the outcome of the bypolls, saying people do not vote for a prime minister or chief minister in such elections but are driven by local issues and asserted that the party will win 2019 general polls.

However, the party said it will analyse the cause of the defeat in one Lok Sabha seat each held by it in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra attacked the Congress saying it has been reduced to a peripheral player in national

"As far as the Congress is concerned, though it has every rights to criticise in a democracy, the fact is the opposition party been reduced to a peripheral player in Indian today," he told reporters here.

Citing the case of UP where the BJP lost most of the bypolls before the state elections, Patra said despite that it emerged victorious with 325 seats in the Assembly polls.

"People do not elect their CM or PM in such elections. They vote on local issues but in national elections, when they have to chose their leader, the BJP will emerge as the front runner," he said.

The party spokesperson said that to become the prime minister, P' for performance and M' for 'mehnat' (hard work) are required, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has.

"Under the able leadership of Narendra Modi, who has practised of performance, the BJP will be victorious in 2019 getting more number of seats than what it won in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The reverses suffered by the BJP today in bypolls across the country including in Kairana where the united opposition won a third Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh this year sparked fresh calls from the opposition parties to forge unity in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The Congress termed the outcome of the bypolls as the people's mandate against the four years of the Narendra Modi rule and the "beginning of the end" of BJP's empire while the Samajwadi Party(SP) said people are giving a "befitting reply" to the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP).

Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader Jayant Chaudhary, whose party nominee wrested the Kairana seat from the BJP, said the united opposition had succeeded in halting the ruling party's "chariot of hate" in Uttar Pradesh. He hoped the combined opposition would keep its momentum to defeat the BJP in the next Lok Sabha polls.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said people are disenchanted and observed that regional parties are very strong now.

Opposition parties won 11 seats, restricting the BJP and its allies to just three, out of four Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats across 11 states.

The BJP and its ally NDPP won the Palghar(Maharashtra) and Nagaland parliamentary constituencies respectively while in the Assembly segment the saffron party managed to retain the Tharali assembly seat in Uttarakhand by a slender margin. The NCP beat its nearest BJP rival in Bhandara-Gondiya parliamentary seat which the saffron party had won in the 2014 elections.

The Congress bagged three (in Meghalaya, Karnataka and Punjab) and others got six -- JMM(2) in Jharkhand, while CPI (M), SP, RJD and Trinamool bagged one each in Kerala, UP, Bihar and West Bengal respectively.

"This is a defeat for those who do not believe in democracy and play divisive People have given a befitting reply to the BJP. This is a victory for the farmers, poor and dalits," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters in Lucknow. The SP won the Noorpur byelection in UP after its candidate, who was supported by other opposition parties, wrested the seat from the BJP. BJP lost the Gorakhpur and Phulpur parliamentary seats in bypolls early this year.

Yadav said the bypolls have ended the "divisive politics" of the BJP. "This success of the alliance(in UP) is a message for the entire country. All parties including BSP, RLD, Peace Party, AAP worked together for the victory," he added.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said the writing on the wall is clear as he accused the Modi government of totally ignoring the poor and the farmers in last four years.

"The outcome of the bypolls is the people's mandate against the four years of the Modi government. It is a beginning of the end of the BJP empire which is based on lies, cheating and betrayal," Tiwari told a press conference in Delhi.

Punjab Chief Minister and Congress leader Amarinder Singh said the BJP was faring "badly" all over the country-- a clear sign of the mood of the people ahead of the 2019 polls.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not come back to power, it will be the Congress which will form the next government in the country", said Amarinder, adding that the current trends showed that the people's enchantment with Modi was history now.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav said his father Lalu Prasad has envisaged an united opposition to take on the BJP which is taking shape across the country.

"If the results of by-polls held in various parts of the country are any indication, the countdown for the BJP-led NDA at the Centre has begun," Yadav told reporters in Patna. The RJD wrested the Jokihat assembly seat in Bihar from BJP ally JD(U).

The CPI termed the victory of the united opposition in bypolls as the victory of secular democratic forces which are coming together to defeat BJP's communal

"The bypoll results show the continuation of the decline of BJP. From Gujarat, Karnataka the decline had started and it would definitely reflect in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Secular democratic forces have now realised that they should come together. People are also leaving BJP as they have realised the communal agenda of BJP," CPI leader D Raja said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maharashtra BJP MLA Ashish Deshmukh today said his party lost the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha bypoll because it "failed" to implement its electoral promise of carving out a separate Vidarbha state.

Deshmukh, a staunch proponent of separate Vidarbha, alleged that the BJP used unfair means to win elections in the constituency, but couldn't succeed.

The Sharad Pawar-led NCP today wrested the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat from the BJP, which had won it in 2014 defeating senior NCP leader Praful Patel.

NCP's Madhukar Kukade defeated Hemant Patle of BJP by 48,097 votes in the bypoll.

"Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency, once the bastion of the BJP, is lost despite the BJP trying to win the bypoll by hook or by crook," said Deshmukh who represents Katol seat in Nagpur district.

He said the BJP had promised to form separate Vidarbha during campaigning for the 2014 elections, but has failed to keep it after coming to power in Centre and Maharashtra.

"The government should fulfill the promise of forming separate Vidarbha or the BJP will face more defeats in the upcoming elections," he said.

The BJP had won 44 assembly seats out of the total 62 seats in Vidarbha region in east Maharashtra. "However, the party's failure to create a separate state has disappointed the people of the region," he added.

Deshmukh demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi propose a resolution in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament for formation of Vidarbha state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP's Rajendra Gavit today won the Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll in Maharashtra, trouncing Shrinivas Wanaga of the Shiv Sena by 29,574 votes.

The result was declared after completion of counting of votes in 33 rounds, a state election official said.

Gavit polled 2,72,780 votes against 2,43,206 polled by Wanaga.

Baliram Jadhav of Bahujan Vikas Agadhi (BVA) stood third with 2,22,837 votes, while Kiran Gahla of the CPM secured 71,887 votes. Damodar Shingda of the Congress finished a distant fifth with 47,713 votes.

The bypoll was necessitated after the death of BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga and saw a bitter face-off between the BJP and the Shiv Sena, the sparring ruling allies in the state.

The Shiv Sena fielded Shrinivas Wanaga, late Chintaman Wanaga's son, while the BJP put up Gavit, a former Congress minister, as its candidate.

The BJP made the Palghar bypoll a matter of prestige, with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis campaigning extensively. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union minister Smriti Irani also campaigned for the BJP nominee.

During the poll campaign, the BJP dubbed the Uddhav Thackeray-led party as a "backstabber".

In the run up to the Palghar Lok Sabha bypoll, the Sena chief had released an audio clip of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, purportedly asking the BJP workers to use all possible means to win the election.

Fadnavis had responded by releasing a 14-minute audio clip, claiming it was the complete version of the clip released by Sena. "The Sena can see it is losing and has thus stooped to such levels," he had claimed.

Political analysts say the BJP benefited from the division of votes between the Sena and the BVA as both parties polled over two lakh votes each.

NCP leader Nawab Malik said the Congress should have extended support to BVA candidate Jadhav as he had contested against Chintaman Wanaga in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and was then supported by the Congress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A five-year-old boy was killed and his mother sustained serious injuries when a wall collapsed on them after a LPG cylinder exploded at their home in neighbouring Navi Mumbai this morning, the police said.

As the woman woke up in the morning and went to the kitchen to switch on the stove in her apartment, located in Kalamboli area, the gas from the leaking LPG cylinder came in contact with the flame leading to the explosion, a police official said.

Due to the impact of the blast, a wall of the house collapsed on the woman and other family members who were fast asleep, he said.

The woman and her son suffered serious injuries in the mishap. They were rushed to a hospital where the child, identified as Sohan Baban Katke, was declared dead before admission, the official said.

The Kalamboli police registered an accidental death report and was investigating the incident, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Brazil's oil workers federation called today for the suspension of a 72-hour strike aimed at forcing change at state-controlled giant Petrobras, but declared illegal by the country's top labour court.

Given the court ruling, the Unified Oil Workers' Federation (FUP) "recommends that unions suspend the strike," it said in a statement. The strike, which started yesterday, came on the heels of a devastating truckers' strike, which brought Latin America's biggest economy to a standstill for more than a week in protest at high fuel prices.

The oil workers want Petrobras CEO Pedro Parente to be removed. They also want an end to the company's market-based pricing policy, put in place in 2016 by center-right President Michel Temer as part of attempts to open up Brazil's sluggish economy.

The FUP called the court's ruling "a serious violation of trade union rights" and said the suspension was just "a temporary retreat." Unions say the three-day stoppage had been planned as a "warning" ahead of a possible indefinite strike penciled in to start mid-June.

Disruption to Brazil's oil industry was minimal yesterday as refineries had their reserves full -- in part because of the truckers' strike which saw movement of fuel grind to a halt nationwide Truckers finally wound down their protest this week after Temer caved in to demands for lower diesel prices.

However, that measure is temporary and the government remains under pressure from unions to cancel Petrobras' pricing autonomy -- something that would alarm investors.

After Temer initially suggested that he might reconsider Petrobras' autonomy, his government issued a clear statement yesterday that said "we will maintain the pricing policy."



Superior Labour Court Justice Maria de Assis Calsing ruled that the oil workers' strike was illegal because of its "abusive" nature and the danger it posed "to the Brazilian population." The court imposed daily fines of two million reais (USD 537,000) on unions violating the order.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)One of the UK's largest Muslim groups today accused the country's ruling Conservative party of Islamophobia and called on the party chair to launch an investigation and a "full audit" to remove racists and bigots from its fold.

Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) used the appearance of a controversial speaker from West Bengal, Tapan Ghosh, at a seminar in the UK Parliament complex last year as an example of anti-Muslim activities by some Tory MPs.

"No action has been taken against Bob Blackman MP who has now shown a consistent record of endorsing Islamophobia. Blackman re-tweeted an anti-Muslim post by the far-right extremist Tommy Robinson, hosted the anti-Muslim extremist Tapan Ghosh in Parliament, shared an anti-Muslim post on Facebook and this week was found to have been a member of a number of Islamophobic Facebook groups," notes the open letter from MCB Secretary General Harun Khan addressed to Conservative party chair Brandon Lewis.

Blackman, MP for Harrow East a heavily Indian-origin constituency in north London, has previously distanced himself from comments made by Ghosh, founder of the extremist Hindu Samhati group, at a seminar hosted by him as chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus in October last year.

"I did not host Tapan Ghosh in Parliament. He was invited by an organisation without my knowledge. In the past I shared a social media post in error which I apologised for at the time," Blackman said in a statement today.

On the wider allegations, he stressed that he condemned Islamophobia, adding: "I utterly refute this allegation. I was added to Facebook groups without my knowledge or permission and immediately removed myself from them when I became aware I had been added."



MCB goes on to list out other instances of alleged anti-Muslim activities by Tory MPs, claiming "weekly occurrences of Islamophobia" from candidates and representatives of the Conservative party. The nine incidents listed in the letter range from sharing allegedly anti-Muslim posts and articles on social media to membership of far-right, anti-Islamic organisations.

"These cases are just the tip of the iceberg and what is in the public domain. Whilst they were thankfully dealt with once they were brought to public light, these cases suggest a wider problem," the letter claims.

Its list of recommended steps for the Tory party include launching a "genuinely independent inquiry" into Islamophobia within the members, structures, electoral campaigns and public representatives of the party, publishing a list of incidents of Islamophobia within the party where action has already been taken, adopting a programme of education and training on Islamophobia, and publicly reaffirming from the highest levels a commitment against bigotry.

In its response to MCB's letter, the Conservative Party said: We take all such incidents seriously, which is why we have suspended all those who have behaved inappropriately and launched immediate investigations."



Since being appointed Tory party chairman in a Cabinet reshuffle in January by British Prime Minister Theresa May, Brandon Lewis has launched a code of conduct for MPs and local election candidates and encouraged members to email him if they hear of bigotry.

The MCB described the effort as admirable but claimed more needed to be done.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The NCP today said its success in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha by-poll in Maharashtra was an expression of people's resentment against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dictatorial way of functioning.

Madhukar Kukade of the NCP defeated BJP's Hemant Patle in Bhandara-Gondiya.

"This is a vote against Modi's dictatorship," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik said here.

He blamed the BJP's victory in Palghar Lok Sabha by-election on division of votes.

Had the Congress extended support to the Bahujan Vikas Agadhi, the BJP wouldn't have won in Palghar too, Malik said.

"BJP misused power and the government machinery and spent a lot of money to win the by-poll," he alleged.

In Bhandara-Gondiya too the BJP violated the code of conduct by misusing the government machinery, he said.

"If you look at today's four Lok Sabha by-poll results, BJP could not win anywhere except in Palghar. The assembly by-election results also show that it is the beginning of the end for BJP," the NCP spokesperson said.

Referring to reports of Electronic Voting Machines malfunctioning in Bhandara-Gondiya, where re-polling was ordered in some booths, Malik said the Election Commission should consider the demand of reverting to ballot paper voting.

Along with like-minded parties, the NCP and Congress would defeat the Shiv Sena and BJP in 2019 irrespective of whether the saffron allies contest together or separately, Malik said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a big setback to the ruling BJP, opposition parties today appeared winning 11 bypolls, limiting the saffron party and its allies to just three, out of four Lok Sabha and 10 Assembly seats across 11 states -- riding high on strengthening non-BJP unity in run-up to the 2019 general elections.

With prestige at stake in every single bypoll, the BJP was seen losing the high-profile Kairana Lok Sabha seat in politically important Uttar Pradesh to a united Opposition after a communally-charged election campaign, while similar appeared the result for Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra, as per the trends and results announced by the Election Commission.

However, the BJP retained another Lok Sabha seat from Maharashtra, Palghar, where it had faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena but the Opposition could not pose a united fight. BJP's Rajendra Gavit won the seat, defeating Shiv Sena's Shrinivas Wanaga by 29574 votes.

The fourth Lok Sabha seat, Nagaland, for which bypoll was held earlier this week appeared to be going in favour of the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a BJP allly in the north eastern state.

While the Lok Sabha bypoll results appeared equally divided at 2-2 between the BJP-plus-allies and the opposition parties, figures for the 10 assembly bypolls came as a big setback for the ruling party which could manage just one (in Uttarakhand), while Congress bagged three (in Meghalaya, Karnataka and Punjab's Shahkot) and others got six -- JMM got two in Jharkhand, while CPI (M), SP, RJD and Trinamool one each in Kerala, UP, Bihar and West Bengal, respectively.

The results appeared more slanted against the BJP after taking into account the parties that had won these seats before bypolls were necessitated. While the BJP alliance was seen retaining two Lok Sabha seats -- one in Maharashtra and another in Nagaland -- it failed to retain two others -- UP's Kairana and Maharashtra's Palghar.

Similarly in 10 assembly seats, the BJP and its allies failed to retain seats like Noorpur in UP and Shahkot in Punjab, while the opposition parties such as Congress, CPI (M), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Trinamool retained their respective seats.

The BJP retained Tharali assembly seat in Uttarakhand, but Samajwadi Party snatched Noorpur in neighbouring UP from the saffron party. SP's Naeemul Hasan cruised ahead of his nearest BJP rival Avni Singh to win this seat.

In Bihar, opposition RJD won Jokihat assembly seat by defeating BJP's ally JD(U) by a huge margin. The result was being seen as a big jolt to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who dumped the RJD and Congress last year to join hands with the BJP to form a new coalition government in Bihar.

Commenting on the results, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap.

Asked about the BJP's performance in these by-elections ahead of next year's general polls, Singh said, "For a massive leap, one always has to go two steps backward."



"We are going to take a massive leap," he added.

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal latched onto the bypoll results to attack the BJP and said it reflects the anger against the Modi government.

The trends from UP showed the biggest electoral ubset for the BJP with the joint opposition candidate, RLD's Tabassum Hasan, leading by a big margin in Kairana Lok Sabha constituency. The seat fell vacant following death of the BJP candidate Mriganka Singh's father, Hukum Singh.

Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, supported by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, established an early lead over Mriganka Singh right from the beginning to establish an almost invincible lead by noon.

In Maharashtra, the BJP retained Palghar but was staring at defeat in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency, which the BJP had won in the 2014 elections. The NCP's Madhukar Kukade was leading over the BJP's Hemant Patle, as per latest trends.

The Congress has won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without any contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates.

Punjab's ruling Congress candidate Hardev Singh Ladi wrested the Shahkot assembly seat from the Shiromani Akali Dal, defeating the party's nominee Naib Singh Kohar with a margin of 38,801 votes, an election office spokesperson said.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh hailed the Congress victory as a "vindication" of the government's people-centric policies, a rejection of the "negative" of SAD and "decimation" of AAP.

Trinamool's Dulal Das won Maheshtala assembly bypoll in West Bengal, defeating BJP's Sujit Kumar Ghosh by 62,827 votes.

Kerala's ruling CPI(M)-led LDF's Saji Cheriyan also won the Chengannur Assembly bypoll by a huge margin of 20,956 votes over his nearest Congress rival D Vijaykumar, while the BJP candidate came third.

JMM retained both Silli and Gomia assembly seats in Jharkhand. In Gomia, JMM's Babita Devi defeated AJSU nominee Lambodar Mahto by 13,00 votes while BJP's nominee Madhavlal Singh stood third on the seat.

In Silli, JMM's Seema Mahto defeated AJSU chief and former state Deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahto by 13,000 votes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court today sought the response of telecom major Vodafone on the Centre's plea against the international arbitration the company has initiated against India under the India-UK Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPA) in connection with a tax demand of Rs 11,000 crore.

The central government has appealed against a single judge order of May 7 dismissing its plea against the international arbitration initiated by Vodafone.

A bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Vinod Goel issued notice to Vodafone and sought its reply by July 5 to the government's appeal.

The court did not pass any other order after Vodafone orally assured that nothing will happen till middle of July in the international arbitration.

As part of its oral assurance, the company also told the court it will not sign the terms of reference (TOR) regarding the arbitration.

In its appeal, the Centre has challenged the decision of the single judge permitting consolidation of two international arbitrations initiated by the company against India under the India-Netherlands and India-UK BIPA.

Vodafone had initiated the arbitration proceedings under the India-UK and India-Netherlands BIPA in connection with the tax demand raised against it in relation to its USD 11 billion deal to acquire the stake of Hutchison Telecom.

While proceedings under the India-Netherlands BIPA were pending, the telecom major initiated a second arbitration under India-UK BIPA as well on January 24, 2017.

The Centre had contended before the single judge that the Vodafone Group had abused the process of law by initiating two international arbitrations.

The single judge, while dismissing the Centre's plea, had given it liberty to raise the issue of 'abuse of process' before the consolidated India-UK BIPA tribunal.

He had said the Centre was a party to the BIPA, a treaty between two sovereign governments (of the United Kingdom and India). The obligations under such treaties were not subject to domestic laws and disputes arising out of them were not subject to the jurisdiction of the national courts, the judge had observed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China's supreme court overturned the decade-old bribery and fraud conviction of a retail magnate today, a rare reversal amid a government drive to crack down on corporate misdeeds.

Zhang Wenzhong, the former chairman of retailer and supermarket operator Wumart, was prosecuted in northern Hebei province in 2007 and later sentenced to 12 years in prison and fined 500,000 yuan (USD 78,000).

Zhang petitioned the Supreme People's Court in 2016 and was given a retrial last year. The top court ruled that he had not committed the crimes and found that the lower court had made "errors" in its judgement.

Acquittals are extremely rare in China, where prosecutors boast a 99 per cent conviction rate.

The ruling also comes as business people have come under heightened scrutiny from authorities who have moved aggressively to prevent heavily-indebted large private companies from collapsing and triggering a financial crisis.

On May 10, a court sentenced the former high-flying head of troubled Anbang Insurance Group, Wu Xiaohui, to 18 years in prison for defrauding the company of more than USD billion. Wu has lodged an appeal, according to the state-run Global Times newspaper, which cited his lawyer.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China today commended India and Pakistan for their decision to observe the 2003 ceasefire agreement to stop cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed hope that the two neighbours will "properly resolve" their differences.

The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan on May 29, during a conversation over the hotline, agreed to fully implement the ceasefire pact of 2003 in "letter and spirit" to stop cross border firings in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We commend the positive actions taken by both sides," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media briefing here.

"We hope that both sides could properly resolve their disputes through dialogue and consultation and maintain regional peace and stability," she said in response to a question.

The LoC has been witnessing increasing hostilities in the last few months.

According to Defence sources in New Delhi, a total of 908 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan Army were reported till May 29 in the current year as against 860 incidents during 2017.

India's DGMO Lt Gen Anil Chauhan and Pakistan's Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza had reviewed the prevailing situation along the LoC and the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, following which both sides agreed to fully implement the 15-year-old ceasefire understanding.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)China today welcomed India and Pakistan's decision to observe the 2003 ceasefire agreement to stop cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed hope that the two countries will properly resolve their differences.

The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan on May 29, during a conversation over the hotline, agreed to fully implement the ceasefire pact of 2003 in "letter and spirit" forthwith to stop cross border firings in Jammu and Kashmir.

"We commend the positive actions taken by both sides," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told media briefing here.

"We hope that both sides could properly resolve their disputes through dialogue and consultation and maintain regional peace and stability," she said.

The LoC has been witnessing increasing hostilities in the last few months.

According to Defence sources in New Delhi, a total of 908 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan Army were reported till May 29 in the current year as against 860 incidents during 2017.

Indian DGMO Lt Gen Anil Chauhan and Pakistan's Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza had reviewed the prevailing situation along the LoC and the International Border in J and K, following which both sides agreed to fully implement the 15-year-old ceasefire understanding.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) today said it has entered into an agreement with Kerala government to construct three marine ambulance for the state fisheries department.

The agreement was signed by N V Suresh Babu, Director (Operations) , CSL and S Venkatesapathy, Director, Department of Fisheries in presence of J Mercykutty Amma, Minister of Fisheries, Kerala.

"Government of Kerala has signed an agreement with Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL) for construction of three Marine ambulance boat for Fisheries Department," the company said in a statement.

The vessel will be designed by CSL at its in-house design department. The vessel will be able to complement 2 patients and will have a total crew capacity of seven, including the paramedical staff, it said.

The boats will also have various paramedical facilities like examination and nursing room, medical beds, mortuary freezer, refrigerator and medical lockers, CSL added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kerala government today signed an agreement with Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) for construction of three marine ambulance boats for Fisheries department, which would be helpful in saving lives during disasters like Ockhi.

The marine ambulances will be used for the rescue and instant treatment of fishermen in distress.

These vessels will have an approximate length of 22.5 metres, beam size of about 5.99 metres and will have a maximum speed of 14 knots, a CSL release said here.

The vessel will be fuel-efficient with most modern design, designed by CSL in-house design department, it said.

"Designing of these boats had posed challenges to the yard, as these are extremely weight sensitive vessels. The boat will be built as per IRS standard," the release said.

The vessel will be able to complement two patients and will have a total crew capacity of seven, including paramedical staff.

The vessel will also have various paramedical facilities like examination and nursing room, medical beds, mortuary freezer, refrigerator and medical lockers.

On delivery of these vessels, it will fulfil the longstanding need for the sophisticated seaworthy rescue ambulance for rescue operations.

The requirement of marine ambulance was felt during the recent Ockhi rescue operations.

CSL said it presently has a robust order book in shipbuilding and ship repair.

CSL posted a turnover of Rs 2,355 crore for the financial year 2017-18 as compared to Rs 2,059 crores for the financial year 2016-17.

The company posted a profit after tax of Rs 397 crore as compared to Rs 322 crore for the previous year, it said.

The shipbuilding turnover for the financial year 2017-18 was Rs 1,732 crore as compared to Rs 1,516 crore for the previous year.

The ship repair turnover for the year 2017-18 was Rs 623 crore as compared to Rs 543 crore for the previous year.

The company is presently constructing four passenger vessels for Andaman and Nicobar administration.

CSL is also constructing the indigenous aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy and technology demonstration vessel for the Government of India.

The agreement was signed by Director (Operations), N V Suresh Babu on behalf of CSL and Fisheries Department Director, S Venkatesapathy at the state Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram.

Ministers J Mercykutty Amma and Kadakampally Surendran were present on the occasion, the CSL release said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today rejected the opposition Congress' allegations that a "scam" worth Rs 2400 crore has taken place during desilting of water bodies under the state government's "Sujalam Sufalam" water drive.

Rupani today participated in the Narmada 'Jal Pujan' ritual which was held in the dry Bhavani lake in Dhandhuka town in Ahmedabad district.

The ritual marks culmination of the month-long drive which was launched with an objective to deepen around 13,000 lakes and ponds as well as 32 major rivers across the state.

Speaking at the occasion, Rupani slammed the Congress for accusing the ruling BJP of indulging in massive corruption in desilting water bodies.

"As many as 4,600 excavator machines and over 16,000 trucks and tractors were put to use for desilting the water bodies during the last one month," Rupani said.

He also said over 3 lakh labourers were involved in the drive.

"I pity those who are making baseless allegations against us. Congress has showcased their foolishness by accusing us of indulging in corruption. When the total cost of this entire drive was Rs 200 crore, is it possible that a scam of Rs 2,400 crore can take place?" asked the CM.

He was referring to the allegations of the Congress that the Sujlam Suflam drive was mired into multi-crore corruption.

The Bhavani lake, which has gone dry, was also deepened as part of the Sujlam Suflam drive so that more water can be stored in the water body during the monsoon season.

Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Rupani said the drive was "immensely successful".

"The drive will be organised for two more years in order to increase the water storage capacity of lakes, ponds, rivers, and canals," he said.

Rupani dismissed the Congress' allegation that the drive was organised with an eye on the next year's Lok Sabha elections.

He said the state government was exploring various means to fight water scarcity.

"We have decided to set up a desalination plant near the Gujarat coast to convert sea water into fresh water. Our government has recently launched a policy for the use of treated waste water. I am sure that our endeavour would yield positive results" he said.

During the ritual, 108 pots containing water from the Narmada river were worshipped amid chanting of mantras.

These pots were then emptied out into the lake by Rupani and other dignitaries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress today asked Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to respond to the "serious" allegation that kickbacks to the tune of Rs 17.55 crore were paid for the procurement of spares of AN-32 military aircraft by India.

At a press conference, Congress leader Manish Tewari, citing a media report on the alleged kickbacks, also demanded that the government should come out with details of the contract and not sweep it under the carpet "as was the case" in the Rafale deal.

The media report said Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau has sent a request to the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking legal assistance in its probe into the alleged kickbacks, besides help in identifying defence ministry officials who participated in the negotiations, signing and implementation of the deal.

"There seems to be trouble in paradise, the Ministry of Defence," Tewari said, adding that the contract for the AN-32 spares was signed in November 2014 during the tenure of the BJP-led NDA government.

Tewari raised five questions over the defence deal and sought the reply of the government saying he hoped that it would "not sweep the matter under the carpet".

He asked whether it is a fact that the anti-corruption bureau of Ukraine sought legal assistance from the home ministry in February this year.

The Congress leader said the government "misused" the confidentiality clause and hid behind it following allegations of wrongdoing in the Rafale deal.

Tewari sought to know whether it is a fact that the terms of contract were not fulfilled and the ministry of defence signed a statement of completion which facilitated the transfer of the alleged illegal gratification.

"This is actually the nub of the entire issue and the government must respond. What has been the response so far of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Defence to the request of the Ukrainian government?" he said.

All the details such as whether any internal process has been initiated by the Ministry of Defence in the wake of the alleged scam should be made public, he said.

"If this government believes in transparency and probity and if it abides by the slogan of 'na khata hun, na khane deta hun' ((we don't take bribes nor let others to do so), then why have you been hiding these facts from the people. The moment the request came from the Ukrainian government it should have been put out in the public space," he said.

The former Union minister said, "This is an extremely serious issue and we would like the BJP government's response from the highest levels.

"Since the honourable defence ministry holds fort on all and sundry 24/7, we do hope she would take the time out to respond to something which pertains to her ministry," he said.

India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 58,000 crore.

The Congress recently raised several questions about the contract and accused the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting "crony capitalism" and causing a loss to the public exchequer.

The government had refused to divulge the details of the deal, citing a confidentiality pact between India and France.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Congress today made major gains in the Shahkot Assembly by-election in Punjab with its candidate Hardev Singh Ladi leading by over 21,000 votes over his nearest rival, Shiromani Akali Dal's Naib Singh Kohar, after nine rounds of counting, officials said.

Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) candidate Rattan Singh Kakkar Kalan was trailing far behind the Congress and the Akali Dal.

The votes would be counted over 17 rounds, an official said.

The Shahkot bypoll was necessitated by the death of Akali MLA Ajit Singh Kohar, Naib Singh Kohar's father, in February this year.

As trends showed Ladi in the lead by 21,004 votes in what is considered an Akai bastion, workers of Punjab's ruling party started celebrating, distributing sweets at the Punjab Congress Bhawan here and dancing to drumbeats in Chandigarh and in Jalandhar.

"The people of Punjab, especially voters of Shahkot, have once again put their stamp of approval on the policies of the Punjab government under the leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh. They have also shown the Akali Dal their place," Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar told reporters in Jalandhar.

Jakhar, the Lok Sabha MP from Gurdaspur, also questioned the leadership of SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal following their "defeat" in their stronghold Shahkot.

The Akali Dal, he said, has been ruling the Shahkot Assembly constituency for the last 20 years.

"... the Akali Dal will have to see whether they will accept the leadership of Sukhbir Badal. Akali Dal has faced consistently faced humiliating defeat, be it the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll, the Shahkot bypoll today and also the civic polls," said Jakhar.

He said the people of Shahkot had "broken the arrogance of Akali Dal and its leadership".

His party colleague, state cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, also took a dig at Sukhbir and his brother-in-law and former minister Bikram Singh Majithia, saying the defeat of the Akali Dal was imminent wherever 'jija-saala' were present.

"Congress won the Shahkot bypoll by destroying the Akali bastion," said Sidhu, predicting victory for the party.

The counting process for the Shahkot assembly constituency bypoll began at 8 am in Jalandhar in the presence of the election observer, candidates of the political parties and their representatives today amid tight security arrangements.

The counting centre was set up at the office of the director, Land Records, in Jalandhar.

Three-tier security arrangements were made to ensure peaceful counting of vote, an official said.

More than 300 police personnel were deployed at the counting centre to ensure that the counting proceeds smoothly, the official said.

Over 76 per cent of 1.72 lakh voters exercised their franchise for the May 28 bypollwhere the Congress, SAD and AAP were locked in a triangular battle.

The bypoll is being seen as a barometer for the popularity of the 14-month-old Congress government of Amarinder Singh.

The opposition Akali Dal, striving to retain its pocket borough from where the late Kohar was elected five times, had accused the ruling party of misusing official machinery against its political opponents.

The Election Commission had used EVMs and VVPATs at the all the 236 polling stations.

The Congress had won 77 seats in the 117-member Punjab Vidhan Sabha during 2017 Assembly polls while the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP alliance managed to win 18 seats. The AAP won 20 seats while Lok Insaf Party had bagged two seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The closure of Vedanta Resources PLC's Indian copper smelter is marginally negative for the company and will not materially affect its cash flows, S&P Global Ratings said today.

The Tamil Nadu government this week ordered the state Pollution Control Board to seal and "permanently" close the Vedanta group's copper plant in Tuticorin following last week's violent protests over pollution concerns during which 13 people were killed in police firing.

"The cash flows from Vedanta's Indian copper smelting operations were marginal compared with gross cash flows, but they provided cash flow diversity," S&P credit analyst Vishal Kulkarni said in a statement.

At the same time, S&P said, the diversified natural resources company faces a number of operational headwinds in India, including domestic coal-supply constraints and potentially higher taxes on crude oil producers.

These issues could test Vedanta's cash flow targets, if realised, it added.

However, it said, "Despite such headwinds, we expect the company's financial ratios will continue to improve."



On the copper smelter in southern India, S&P further said that while the company could pursue legal proceedings to restart existing smelter operations, this would likely be a lengthy process.

"We don't expect the closure to be materially negative for Vedanta's cash flows because the smelting operations provided only about 5 per cent (roughly USD 200 million-USD 225 million) of Vedanta's gross annual EBITDA," the statement said.

The smelter operations have certain working capital arrangements in place, such as bank-funded trade payables and customer advances.

Vedanta will likely need to reconfigure such financing, including fresh local borrowings.

"While we consider these arrangements as debt-like and thus add them our adjusted debt, we do not expect the reconfiguration to change our assessment of the company's leverage," it said.

S&P added: "We continue to anticipate that Vedanta's aluminum operations in India will continue to ramp up this year and produce 2 million tons of metal. We expect the segment to improve in fiscal 2019 (year ending March 31, 2019), supported by better coal and bauxite supply linkages.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Kerala's ruling CPI(M)-led LDF's Saji Cheriyan today won the Chengannur Assembly bypoll by a huge margin of 20,956 votes over his nearest Congress rival, officials said.

According to the Chief Electoral Office, Cheriyan polled 67,303 votes while the Congress-led UDF candidate D Vijaykumar got 46,347 votes and BJP's P S Sreedharan Pillai came third with 35,270 votes.

Saji Cheriyan, CPI(M)'s Alappuzha district secretary, had maintained a steady lead from the beginning, and emerged victorious in a hard fought triangular contest between the three fronts-- LDF, UDF and NDA.

The victory margin of Cheriyan this time was more impressive than in 2016, when the LDF had won by a margin of only 7,983 votes.

It was in 1987, that the LDF candidate had got 15,703 votes.

A total of 76.25 per cent of the 1,99,340 electorate had exercised their franchise in the constituency in the by-poll held on May 28.

The by-election was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA K K Ramachandran Nair (CPI-M) in January this year due to illness.

Reacting to the LDF victory, Kerala Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan, said it was a "massive show of solidarity" by the people towards the policies and programmes of the LDF government.

It was also a victory of truth over "false campaigns" against the government, Vijayan told reporters.

The poll outcome showed that the people of the state fully endorsed the "democratic, secular values and development policies," he added.

CPI-M state secretary, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, also said the defeat of the Congress candidate was a rejection of the "soft hindutva policy" adopted by the Congress in the constituency as it had done in Karnataka.

Senior Congress leader, A K Antony, said the party will examine the reasons for the defeat and take corrective steps.

The main reason for the drubbing, he said was due to the "naked communal card played by the the marxist party in the constituency."



Antony also pointed the dip in the BJP's vote share and said UDF votes had only increased and not fallen.

Thanking the electorate for the bypoll outcome, a beaming Cheriyan said, "his victory is a people's endorsement of the LDF government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and its achievements during two years."



The by-poll victory for the LDF is a huge relief for the front as it comes following outrage and criticism faced by the government over alleged police lapse in the recent 'honour killing' of a Dalit Christian youth in Kottayam district and death of a man in police custody at Varapuzha.

It is a sweet comeback for Cheriyan, an active political figure in the constituency, who started off as a student leader, after his defeat in the same constituency in 2006 against P C Vishunath of the Congress.

The BJP that had polled 42,682 votes in the last election, had tried its best to improve its margin.

The poll outcome, however, showed that once again the saffron party, with a single MLA in the state assembly, had failed to make any fresh inroads.

As far as the Congress was concerned, the defeat of its candidate is seen as a setback as it was an opportunity not only to wrest its traditional stronghold from arch rival CPI(M), but also to boost morale among partymen ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The trouncing of the UDF candidate was also a blow to the Kerala Congress(M) led by former Finance minister, K M Mani, which was maintaining an equidistance from both the fronts, but decided to cosy up to the UDF camp days before the bypoll.

The fall in vote share margin of BJP in this bypoll, which managed to garner about 16 per cent of the votes in 2016, was a cause of concern.

This was mainly because one of NDA's key ally-- the Bharat Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS), a political party of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP), an outfit of the backward Ezhava community, kept away from the campaign following differences with BJP.

The month-long electioneering witnessed an unparalleled fierce campaign by the fronts, who used all means ranging from attacking each other with 'communal cards' to highlighting 'achievements' of the state and central governments to win the hearts of the voters.

Senior Congress leaders including A K Antony and Tripura Chief Minister and BJP leader Biplab Kumar Deb were among those campaigned in the constituency.

In 2016 election, the CPI(M) candidate Ramachandran Master had got 52,880 votes while Congress' P C Vishnunath had garnered 44,897 votes and BJP's Sreedharan Pillai 42,682 votes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel rallied to the defence of embattled ally Nicolas Maduro on his first foreign visit today, calling on Latin American nations to support his Venezuelan counterpart's cause.

The Cuban, who succeeded Raul Castro on April 19, was received with open arms by Maduro's government -- Cuba's closest political and economic ally -- on his arrival at Caracas' Maiquetia airport.

"Very happy to be in Venezuela; and long live the Bolivarian revolution, and also, long live President Maduro," Diaz-Canel said.

After being honored at the presidential palace by Maduro, Diaz-Canel stressed: "No matter how big the troubles and challenges may be, you can rely on Cuba -- today and always.

The support is unconditional." Diaz-Canel said the main reason for his visit to Venezuela was to show solidarity with Maduro after his May 20 reelection was widely dismissed as a sham by the US, EU and 13 other Latin American states.

He described the elections, boycotted by the main opposition, as an "overwhelming success." "Maybe that sound rising up from the majority so bothered the United States and the right that they are not capable of recognising legitimacy," he said.

The Cuban leader's visit coincided with Canada's announcement of further sanctions against Maduro associates, including his wife Cilia Flores, for holding "illegitimate and anti-democratic" elections.

Canada rejected the result as "fraudulent," and along with its G7 partners has called on Maduro to schedule another vote, release all political prisoners and restore the authority of the country's National Assembly.

Beaten candidate Henri Falcon has called for fresh elections and filed an appeal with the country's highest court Wednesday to have the result annulled.

Speaking to the Constituent Assembly -- set up by Maduro last year to usurp the opposition-dominated body -- Diaz-Canel said the main purpose of international sanctions was to obliterate Maduro's reelection victory.

And he called on "the people of the Americas" to show solidarity as Venezuela resists a "political, diplomatic, economic and financial war" waged by what he called US "imperialism." Venezuela under Maduro had fallen victim to "the imperialist actions of submission, harassment, isolation and blockades," Diaz-Canel told the Assembly to loud cheers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ousted Tata Sons chairman Cyrus P Mistry today hit out at "shameful" case of top executives of AirAsia being booked for allegedly paying bribes to influence policy, saying there was a decline in governance standards at the group's airline venture.

Mistry slammed AirAsia director R Venkataraman, who has along with chief executive Tony Fernandes been named by the CBI in the FIR, for using his name to cloak his alleged misadventures, and said individuals with "questionable motives" are bringing disrepute to the Tata brand.

Yesterday, Venkataraman had alluded to his name figuring in the FIR due to "baseless allegations made by Cyrus P Mistry and the Shapoor Pallonji Group against Tata Trusts Trustees (me included) and Tata Sons in his 'revenge' legal actions".

Mistry, who was ousted as Tata Sons chairman in end-2016, denied Venkataraman's allegations as "malicious and defamatory".

"The Board of Tata Sons and the Tata Trustees need to concern themselves over the decline in governance standards at AirAsia India that this shameful case reveals. The Group and its employees deserve better," he said in a statement.

Tata brand, he said, has always stood for the highest levels of ethics and governance.

"It is therefore deeply disturbing that a few individuals with alleged questionable motives are today bringing disrepute to the Tata Brand," he said, adding that Venkataraman was intimately involved in the affairs of AirAsia India right from its inception.

Mistry said Venkataraman had many roles including that of Executive Assistant to Ratan Tata at the time of the formation of the company, Tata Sons's nominee on the board, as well as that of a shareholder with a 1.5 per cent stake in the company.

"Therefore, his weak excuse that he was only a non-executive director without any responsibility is totally without any merit," he said.

Stating that Shapoorji Pallonji Group has had a relationship running over 50 years with the House of Tata, he said, "R Venkataraman, as the Managing Trustee of the Tata Trusts, should know better than to drag the name of such a remarkable institution into an investigation by the CBI over his alleged personal integrity and alleged corrupt business dealings."



CBI has alleged that the airline's executives bribed officials through middlemen to sway government decisions including obtaining a flying permit for domestic arm and approvals to operate internationally.

"This ridiculous attempt to question the independence of the CBI and to cloak his alleged misadventures by using my name is treated with the contempt it deserves. His alleged actions, which are today under investigation, raise grave public concerns over his credibility and ability to be the custodian of India's largest public charitable trust," Mistry said. "Needless to state, I deny all the malicious and defamatory allegations against me."



Venkataramanan had yesterday said he had been "wrongly" named as an accused since he was a non-executive director of AirAsia India Ltd and had little or no role to play. "It is commonly known that the present accusations qua Air Asia India find their root in baseless allegations made by Cyrus P Mistry and the Shapoor Pallonji Group against Tata Trusts Trustees (me included) and Tata Sons in his 'revenge' legal actions," he had said in a statement.

After a bitter fallout with Tata Sons and Ratan Tata, Cyrus Mistry was ousted as the group chairman in late 2016. After his ouster, Mistry had flagged various governance issues at the group, including alleged wrongdoings at AirAsia India.

Since then, Mistry and Tatas are locked in an acrimonious legal battle over various issues.

Mistry said actions of the board of Tata Sons and the Tata Trustees will define their commitment to value system of the group.

"The founders built the Group on a vision far ahead of their time and were pioneers in many industries that established the industrialisation of India," he said adding he had the privilege of working alongside 6,50,000 employees of the Tata Group and have seen their unstinting commitment to a set of values that form the cornerstone of the group's ethos.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Cancer care provider Cytecare Hospital has raised USD 31 million in series A funding round led by Wall Street investment bank Goldman Sachs, by selling an undisclosed stake.

Other domestic and international investors also participated in the funding round.

The funds will be used by the hospital, which has a flagship 15-bed facility Bengaluru, to establish an oncology franchise across four to five cities throughout India, an official statement said.

Ankur Sahu, the co-head of private equity investing in Asia for Goldman Sachs, said the country accounts for a fifth of the cancer deaths globally.

"Cytecare, with its experienced leadership and multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, is positioned to build a nation-wide cancer care network," he added.

The high street bank has deployed over USD 3.4 billion in the country since 2006 in private equity investments.

Cytecare co-founder and chairman Ferzaan Engineer said the investment will fuel the next stage of expansion and also benefit through knowhow from Goldman Sachs' other investee companies in the oncology sector globally.

"We are currently in the process of identifying new cities to execute our hub-and-spoke growth strategy," co-founder and chief executive Suresh Ramu said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today said the "death knell for the BJP has been sounded" with the result of the bypolls in 11 states and claimed that the federal front formula she had mooted has been a success.

The people are "disenchanted" with the BJP, she said after the declaration of results to four Lok Sabha and 10 assembly seats across the country.

"Death knell for the BJP has been sounded... The beginning of the end has started from Uttar Pradesh," she told reporters here.

The BJP today suffered a major jolt in the bypolls, including in the Kairana Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh where opposition parties came together and supported the RLD candidate against the rival saffron party nominee.

Banerjee said Uttar Pradesh will play a crucial role in the next Lok Sabha poll due next year. "If Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati Ji, Ajit Singh Ji come together, they can reverse the 2014 figures."



The bypoll results have shown that the opposition parties have won wherever they were strong. "The regional parties, the federal front are now very strong in the country," she said.

Banerjee had mooted the idea of federal front of regional parties and advocated a one-to-one electoral contest against the BJP.

"The result is a lesson for the regional parties. The (federal front) formula is successful. The people are disenchanted (with the BJP). In politics, one cannot achieve everything by force. There must be 1:1 fight. Alliances must be formed if necessary. And it has worked," she said.

The TMC chief said the BJP could not defeat the RJD in Jokhihat bypoll in Bihar "even after jailing Lalu Prasad Yadav", while in her state people reposed their trust in her party.

The TDP is strong in Andhra Pradesh, the DMK in Tamil Nadu, while the Shiv Sena and the NCP in Maharashtra.

The 2019 Lok Sabha poll, she said, might take place in five or six months and "we have to be prepared".

Banerjee alleged that there are attempts to undermine the Constitution and said: "No one should try to cross their limits. Whisper campaign and conspiracies may work at times, but fake will not always win".

Continuing her criticism of the BJP, she said "divisive politics" may reap dividends for the time being but it harms the society in the long run. "We all have to live together in harmony. This is the spirit of India".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh today launched 'Samanvay Yatra' (coordination tour) from Orchha town in Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh to unify the party cadres and boost their morale ahead of this year's Assembly polls.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister embarked on the state-wide tour by offering prayers at the Ram Raja temple in Orchha in Tikamgarh district.

Singh, who is the party's coordination committee chief for Madhya Pradesh, later addressed the party workers at Digoda village in the district.

He said the ideology, which drove the British out of the country, would also oust the BJP from power.

"On the one hand, one ideology made the landless, poor, Dalits and tribals capable of leading an honourable life, the other ideology rendered them landless," Singh said in a veiled dig at the ruling BJP.

He also accused the state government and BJP leaders of indulging in corruption.

Satyavrat Chaturvedi, a member of the coordination committee, who is considered to be Singh's arch rival in the state unit, and other members of the panel are also accompanying him in the tour.

While announcing the launch of the yatra last week, Singh had said that the exercise is aimed at resolving the differences between the party leaders at district level.

He had said that the members of the coordination committee would dine together with cadres during the journey.

The yatra would end on August 31 after covering all the districts of state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Seeking to turn the tables on arch-rival DMK over the Sterlite issue, the ruling AIADMK today claimed that the main opposition party had allotted land for the expansion of the copper plant in Tuticorin district when it was in power during 2006-11.

Underlining his government's commitment to ensure the permanent closure of the copper unit in that district, Chief Minister K Palaniswami listed out the efforts made for it, including the 2013 action taken by J Jayalalithaa as then chief minister of Tamil Nadu.

He said DMK working president MK Stalin had allotted 230 acres of land for Sterlite expansion when he was holding the industries portfolio as deputy chief minister earlier.

Recalling excerpts from a speech made by Stalin in May 2010, Palaniswami said that the former had then stated, "Sterlite Industries located in Tuticorin has undertaken expansion at an investment of Rs 1500 crore."



"He (Stalin) mentioned about the investment on expansion (of Sterlite) while being the industries minister. Not only that, he had also allotted 230 acres of land for the plant's expansion," he claimed.

"That being the case, who is the one who supported the plant," he asked.

Palaniswami's statement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly came after the opposition Congress, a DMK ally, called for a unanimous resolution for the closure of Sterlite and involving the DMK in the exercise.

The DMK, which is boycotting the ongoing Assembly session over the Sterlite issue, has been critical of the government over a protest by locals against the plant on May 22 in Tuticorin which turned violent, resulting in the death of 13 people.

Palaniswami said he was presenting the facts on the issue and that "this government has brought to light who worked in support of Sterlite Industries," adding that people were also aware of this information.

Taking a dig at the DMK's mock assembly session held yesterday, the chief minister claimed that it was an attempt to "conceal their mistakes" on the Sterlite matter.

"As far as the Amma (Jayalalithaa) government is concerned, all steps are being taken for the permanent closure of the plant. Efforts in this regard were taken in 2013 itself when Amma was the chief minister," he said, apparently referring to a closure order issued following a gas leak from the plant then.

However, the firm, a unit of Vedanta Ltd, had moved the court against the order, he said.

Palaniswami said the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board had rejected Sterlite's application seeking renewal of consent to operate the plant last month, even as the power supply to the unit was cut on May 23.

He also referred to the closure order issued earlier this week and the plant being sealed thereafter.

Thirteen people were killed in police firing on May 22-23 when violence broke out at the protest by locals who were demanding closure of Sterlite Industries in that district over pollution issues.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court has directed the Centre not to disburse any grants to the states which have not registered domestic workers under the Unorganised Workers Social Security Act.

The top court was annoyed after it was informed that several states have not complied with its direction of January 11 in which it had directed starting the registration process from February.

As a pilot project, it had earlier directed the Delhi government to take immediate steps to register the domestic workers.

A bench of Justices Kurian Joseph and M M Shantanagoudar issued notices to all state governments and asked the chief secretaries of each state or principal secretaries in the administrative departments to file a status report on action taken in compliance to its earlier orders.

"It is directed that the Central Government shall not disburse any further grants to the States, which have not registered the domestic workers," the bench said and posted the matter for further hearing on August 8.

The directions to the Centre came on a petition filed by NGO Shramjeevi Mahila Samiti, which had told the court that despite the Act coming into force in 2008 and framing of several schemes, no domestic worker has enjoyed their benefits.

It said this was on account of the fact that the domestic workers had not been registered for the purpose of the benefits.

The apex court had directed the Secretary of the Labour Department of the Centre to furnish a report in three months and ordered that the domestic workers should not only be registered but identity cards should also be issued to them.

The apex court had on March 24, 2017, directed the Centre to constitute a National Social Security Board as per the provisions of the Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act, enacted in the year 2008.

The Centre had set up the board on May 22, 2017 after which the court on August 4, last year, had directed the board to file a report regarding the steps taken for the welfare of the unorganised sector and in particular, the domestic workers, within a period of one month.

As a pilot project, the top court had then directed the Government of NCT of Delhi to take steps forthwith to see that the domestic workers in Delhi are registered under the Act by eliciting cooperation on all stake holders.

Earlier, the Centre had informed the court that schemes like Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme, National Family Benefit Scheme, Janani Suraksha Yojana, Janshree Bima Yojana, Aam Admi Bima Yojana and Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana schemes have been notified for the unorganised workers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) today seized a huge cache of Tramadol drug from a factory in Gujarat's Valsad district which officials said is popular among IS terrorists in the Middle East as a "fighter drug", and arrested two partners of the firm.

The agency said Tramadol is also popular in some African countries like Nigeria and Ghana.

The raid was conducted at a pharmaceutical firm located in Sarigam village after the DRI's Ahmedabad zonal unit received inputs about the illegal manufacture of the drug, which is banned under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During the raid, DRI officials found out that the factory was being used for massive production of banned psychotropic drugs, the DRI said in a statement.

Two partners of the said firm were also arrested, it said.

The DRI seized 6.7 crore Tramadol tablets as well as capsules which were ready for dispatch. In addition, over two tonnes of loose Tramadol tablets and 870 kgs of raw material was also seized, it said.

Tramadol is a synthetic opioid drug which is in demand in Nigeria and Ghana where a large section of population is addicted to this drug as its consumption generates euphoria, DRI said.

"Tramadol drug is reportedly also very popular among ISIS terrorists in the war-zones of the Middle East. ISIS fighters use this drug to overcome pain and fatigue. That is why it is sometimes called as Fighter Drug," the agency stated.

Tramadol was brought under the NDPS Act in April 2018 given its wide misuse, the DRI said, adding that further investigation is on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)State-run Energy Efficiency Services (EESL) is in talks with states like Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan among others for supplying electric vehicles (EV), a senior company official said.

EESL, a joint venture company of government-owned four power sector companies including NTPC, Power Finance Corporation, Rural Electrification Corporation and Power Grid, has so far signed agreements with states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat to supply EVs for government use.

"We are in talks with various states including Telangana, which will be soon launching its EV policy, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan among others," EESL managing director Saurabh Kumar told reporters here today.

He said nearly 200 EVs are already operating in Delhi NCR and soon another 150 will be added to the fleet and another 100 have been delivered in Andhra Pradesh.

While Andhra Pradesh has signed an agreement to procure 10,000 EVs, EESL will be supplying 8,000 vehicles to Gujarat and 1,000 (in first phase) to Maharashtra.

"For the other states, we will not be able to give the numbers as we have not signed the agreements, but we believe it will be significant," Kumar added.

In the first phase of the EV program, EESL had floated a global tender for 10,000 electric which was split into two parts 500 vehicles were to be procured in the initial phase and the rest in the second part. Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra had emerged as successful bidders in the first tender of the EESL for 10,000 cars.

When asked about the company's decision to extend the bidding timelines for its second phase of 10,000 cars, he said, "we are still waiting for the department of heavy industry to finalise its new policy on charging stations before going ahead with a new tender for buying electric cars. We are told that the policy will be out soon."



Kumar further said the new policy would incorporate all the prevailing standards on charging stations, thus attracting more players to the expanding market.

As per the agreement between EESL and Maharashtra, the company will support the state's vision of generating investment worth Rs 25,000 crore in EV and component manufacturing, assembly enterprises and charging equipment manufacturing.

The Maharashtra government's Electric Vehicle and Related Infrastructure Policy 2018 entails increasing the number of registered EVs in the state to 5 lakh and creation of one lakh jobs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held talks today with the envoy on Syria of Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, the Kremlin official's second visit to Ankara in a week as cooperation deepens.

Erdogan hosted Alexander Lavrentiev for talks at his Ankara palace, the Turkish presidency said, without elaborating on their discussion.

Lavrentiev last visited Ankara on May 24, when he had come directly from talks the day earlier in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, an eye-catching itinerary that startled analysts.

On that occasion he met with Erdogan's spokesman Ibrahim Kalin and top foreign ministry officials. In Moscow, the foreign ministry said only they had discussed "tasks aimed at advancing the political solution in Syria".

Erdogan and Putin also held the latest in a series of phone conversations on Tuesday, discussing issues including Syria. Turkey and Russia have been on opposing sides of the civil war in Syria since the conflict broke out in 2011, with Moscow the key backer of Assad and Turkey pressing for his ouster.

But since Russia's military intervention in Syria began to tip the balance especially from late 2016, Ankara and Moscow have been working increasingly closely to find a peaceful end to the civil war.

Turkey's official policy remains to oppose Assad, whom Erdogan has repeatedly denounced as a "murderer". But Ankara has softened its rhetoric against Damascus since the cooperation with Russia began, prioritising the fight against Kurdish militia in northern Syria deemed by Turkey to be terrorists.

Some analysts have speculated that Russia would like to see a rapprochement between Erdogan and Assad in order to lay the foundation for a peaceful and stable postwar Syria, although there have been no signs of this coming to fruition.

Yet Turkey was likely to have been pleased with comments by Assad in an interview broadcast today suggesting he is prepared to use force against the Kurdish militia in northern Syria despised by Ankara.

Prior to the civil war, Erdogan, then prime minister, and Assad enjoyed a relatively warm relationship frequently exchanging visits up to 2010. Their wives Emine and Asma also have cordial public ties.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The European Court of Human Rights ruled today that Lithuania and Romania were complicit in a CIA programme to hold terror suspects at secret detention sites on their territories.

Two suspects now being held at the US prison in Guantanamo lodged the case with the court in 2011 and 2012, saying they were illegally held at the CIA "black sites" from 2004 to 2006.

In Romania, the court found authorities knew that Saudi national Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri would risk torture and the death penalty when it allowed the CIA to detain him at a facility from April 2004 to November 2005.

Nashiri is accused of orchestrating a2002 attack on the MV Limburg, a French oil tanker, and the 2000 attack against the USS Cole in Yemen that left 17 dead.

Lithuania was found complicit in hosting a secret CIA prison from February 2005 to March 2006 when it illegally held a top Palestinian Qaeda operative, Abu Zubaydah.

A 2014 US Senate report found that both Zubaydah and Nashiri were subject to "enhanced interrogation techniques" in CIA detention, including waterboarding.

The court found that in both cases, the suspects were effectively within their national jurisdictions and therefore Lithuania and Romania were "responsible for the violation" of their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights.

The convention explicitly forbids torture and the death penalty.

In the wake of the September 11, 2001, attacks the CIA took suspected Al Qaeda detainees to several "black sites" around the world to escape US limits on interrogations, a programme that has since been judged illegal.

The court also ordered Lithuania and Romania to pay 100,000 euros ($117,000) to each man.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court today directed the Centre to extend till 2030 its production sharing contract with Vedanta Limited and ONGC to produce oil from a Rajasthan block.

Justice Rajiv Shakdher said that Vedanta, formerly Cairn India, was entitled to the extension of its contract, set to expire in 2020, for a further period of 10 years on the same terms and agreements when it was first entered into in 1995.

The direction by the court came on Vedanta's plea for extension of the production sharing contract (PSC) between the company and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) have with the government to extract oil from the Barmer block in Rajasthan.

"The writ petition is allowed," the court said and directed the Centre to communicate the extension of the contract to Vedanta and ONGC within two weeks of receipt of its verdict.

ONGC had communicated its approval for extension of the PSC in July 2016 after which the Centre had assured the court it would positively take a decision by October of the same year.

However, later it had sought more time as it was framing a uniform policy with regard to all such PSCs.

Vedanta had moved the court after its request to the government in 2009 to extend the PSC did not elicit any response. It had claimed that the delay in a decision by the government was preventing it from infusing further investment of over Rs 30,000 crore in the project.

It had also contended that when none of the state-run companies could find oil in the block, it had invested around Rs 10,000 crore in exploration back in 1995 when the PSC was entered into. It had also claimed that the government has earned around Rs 80,000 crore from commercial production out of the area.

In its plea, Vedanta had said that the estimated recoverable assets in the block were about 1.2 billion barrels of oil equivalent, of which 466 million barrels are expected to be recovered beyond current PSC period until 2030. Besides, it was also producing natural gas from the block and supplying it to government companies, the company had told the court.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India's industry body FICCI and Paris Process on Mobility and Climate (PPMC) have joined hands to chart a future road map for sustainable mobility in the country by adapting ongoing global efforts to local needs.

A collaborative agreement has been signed between FICCI and PPMC -- an open platform created to serve as a facilitator for the transport sector in the COP 21 Lima Paris action agenda -- at the MovinOn by Michelin event here.

PPMC co-founder Patrick Oliva said there are ongoing efforts on how to get zero emissions from the transport sector considering how all pervasive it is across the globe.

"Already there are programmes running in Europe and countries like Morocco. Now we can launch something in India based on the learnings from these," he added.

The objective of the Indian road map will be to engage sustainable mobility community following a bottom up approach to contribute towards the implementation of 2030 global agenda on sustainable development and Paris Agreement on climate change, FICCI Assistant Secretary General Rita Roy Choudhury said.

Highlighting the need for local adaptation she said, "The global road map focuses on road, air and rail under the components of urban urban mobility. Railways as a sector needs to be given special focus under the Indian context," she added.

Choudhury also said after consulting with various stakeholders in India, the feedback that has been given is that the, global 2050 targets are too far considering the practical implementation and the road map should focus until 2030 in the Indian context.

Moreover, she said, "The title of the road map should be revised to low carbon trajectory for transport sector in India."



Efforts will also be made under the road map to bring already ongoing different works for sustainable mobility in India on a common single platform for better exchange of knowledge and execution, she added.

"The idea is to develop an Indian road map that spells out actions and implement strategies for low carbon sustainable transportation in India with a long-term view," Roy said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Gujarat Narmada Valley Fertilisers & Chemicals (GNFC) has bagged Porter Prize for second year in a row for innovative and pioneering role in promoting cashless/less cash drive.

The prize is administered by the Institute for Competitiveness, India, which works in affiliation with Harvard Business School, USA, GNFC said in a statement issued today.

This recognition was established to felicitate Indian companies competing on the basis of value creation, innovation and strategy, it said.

GNFC said the company has sold so far about 4 million bags of fertiliser worth nearly Rs 130 crore to over three lakh farmers via cashless means across many states of the country using PoS machines, BHIM, and other digital means.

The company has created infrastructure of PoS machines, special apps, and trained over two lakh farmers, fertiliser retailers and students in executing cashless transactions, it said.

It has helped replicate the cashless/less cash township model in synergy with Niti Aayog by handholding and facilitating 100+ townships in the oil, power, fertiliser, and other sectors, to turn them into cashless/less cash townships, the statement said.

GNFC is jointly promoted by the Gujarat government and the Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd (GSFC).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A delegation of the Goa government met Union minister Nitin Gadkari in Delhi today, seeking his intervention for resumption of mining activities in the state.

The delegation led by senior minister Sudin Dhavalikar comprised Rajya Sabha MP Vinay Tendulkar, South Goa MP Narendra Sawaikar and legislators Nilesh Cabral and Dipak Pawaskar.

"The delegation met Gadkari in Delhi, where they discussed the issue with him. Gadkari is aware of the crisis as he had attended a meeting in Goa on the issue," Union AYUSH minister and North Goa MP Shripad Naik told reporters here.

He said the delegation will also meet BJP chief Amit Shah and Attorney General K K Venugopal during their Delhi visit.

"The Goa government is doing everything possible to start the mining industry in the state again. We are not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that the industry restarts," Naik said.

Responding to a question on Congress' claims that they have a solution for the mining crisis, Naik said, "Anyone who has a valid suggestion or solution is welcome. Our ultimate aim that the mining industry resumes as many people are suffering due to its closure."



The Supreme Court in its order passed in February this year, had quashed second renewals of 88 mining leases while directing them to stop operations after March 15.

As per the government estimates around two lakh people in the state are dependent on this industry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The civil aviation ministry today said it was expecting better participation for the Air India stake sale and indicated that there could be a rethink on the strategy after the disinvestment failed to attract any initial bids.

The deadline for submission of Expression of Interest (EoI) ended today and did not elicit any response from potential bidders.

"We were looking forward for better participation," Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said.

The alternative mechanism headed by the finance minister would decide on the future course of action on Air India disinvestment, Choubey said even as he emphasised that the government would not like the airline to lose the market share.

Speaking to reporters soon after the deadline for the submission of the EoI ended, he indicated that there could be a rethink on the disinvestment strategy.

The government will ensure that the airline does not face "any operational difficulties following the latest developments".

He was responding to a query on whether the airline would now be having more financial uncertainties as there are decisions linked to the outcome of the disinvestment process.

"As informed by the Transaction Adviser, no response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India," the civil aviation ministry said in a tweet.

"Further course of action will be decided appropriately," it added.

EY is the transaction adviser for the process.

The government has proposed to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players, as per the preliminary information memorandum.

The transaction will involve Air India, its low cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd. The latter is an equal joint venture between the national carrier and Singapore-based SATS Ltd.

The ailing airline's total debt stood at over Rs 48,000 crore at the end of March 2017.

In April, both IndiGo and Jet Airways had said that they would not be participating in the Air India disinvestment process. IndiGo was the first to evince interest in Air India disinvestment when the government had mooted the plan last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government has reconstituted the Press Council of India (PCI) for a three year term but the names under medium newspaper category have not been announced as the matter related to it is sub-judice.

According to a gazette notification, members of the newly reconstituted body under the category of Working Journalists-Editors' are Chandramani Raghuvanshi, Uttam Chandra Sharma, Pradeep Kumar Jain, Om Prakash Khemkarni, Sayed Razza Husain Rizvi and Baldev Raj Gupta.

In the category of Working journalists-Other than Editors', the nominated membere are Amar Devulapalli, Balwinder Singh Jammu, Sarat Chandra Behera, Pravat Kumar Dash, M A Majid, Kamal Nain Narang and Chhayakanta Nayak.

Sharma, Dash and Nayak were nominated for the second term in the revamped PCI, the notification said.

Vijay Kumar Chopra and Rakesh Sharma have been nominated from Big newspapers category', while Shayam Singh Panwar and Keshav Dutt Chandola from the 'Small newspapers category'.

Ashok Upadhyay, editor of United of India (UNI), has been nominated in the category of persons who manage agencies.

However, the names of two members from the category of medium newspapers have not been announced as the matter is sub-judice, a PCI official said.

Earlier, the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) had moved the Delhi High Court against PCI's decision to reject the nomination of Hormusji N Cama, owner of Mumbai Samachar weekly and a member of the INS, in the category of medium newspapers. The court had stayed the council's decision.

The INS had accused the PCI chief of "biased" selection of new members. The claims were, however, rejected by the media watchdog, which said, laid down rules were followed in the process of induction of new members.

On March 16, the government had notified the names of eight nominated members of the reconstituted council. Parliamentarians nominated to the new body were Meenakshi Lekhi, T G Venkatesh Babu, Prathap Simha, Vinay P Sahasrabuddhe and Swapan Dasgupta.

Members nominated to PCI from different organisations were Sushma Yadav from University Grants Commission (UGC), Manan Kumar Mishra from Bar Council of India and K Sreenivasarao from Sahitya Akademi.

Lekhi and Sreenivasarao were nominated for the second term.

On May 22, former Supreme Court judge C K Prasad was appointed the chairman of the PCI for a second term. He had headed the media watchdog for three years from November 2014.

According to the Press Council Act, the council shall consist of a chairman and 28 other members.

The Press Council of India is a statutory body with a mandate to act as a watchdog to oversee the conduct of the print media. It was reconstituted for three years in October, 2014 and its term ended in October last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Hamburg today became the first German city to ban older diesel vehicles from some roads, a measure that is largely symbolic but disputed by carmakers and the government.

A 1,600-metre (one-mile) stretch of highway and a 580-metre section of another major road are now closed to diesels which do not meet "Euro-6" emissions standards, with signs to indicate that the restriction is now in force.

The first ban came after the Federal Administrative Court found in February that such restrictions were a legitimate way for local authorities to bring air pollution below European Union health thresholds.

But Hamburg's partial ban is being met with skepticism in Germany.

"It's symbolic politics. The authorities are blocking only two roads, so only 1,787 residents out of the 1.8 million inhabitants of Hamburg are affected by these restrictions," wrote Spiegel in a commentary online.

The move was simply aimed at showing the EU that authorities were taking action to bring down pollutant levels, the magazine suggested.

Nevertheless, Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is watching the trend warily, mindful of the number of jobs at stake in the auto industry, which risks being shaken up if other German cities follow suit.

The cities of Stuttgart in the south and Kiel in the north are mulling their own diesel restrictions in the battle against air pollution, while Munich, Cologne and Duesseldorf are closely monitoring the Hamburg experiment.

The diesel engine industry has come under intense pressure after Volkswagen admitted to fitting 11 million vehicles with illegal devices to cheat pollution tests.

Jens Kerstan, the official in charge of in Hamburg, acknowledged that the ban would cause hardship for "innocent car owners, but it is unavoidable because carmakers tricked us and the government has tried for many years to do nothing." Germany's federal government has often appeared to take the car industry's side.

It has pushed back against diesel bans and rejects the idea of a "blue badge" drivers could stick on their windscreens that would identify the least polluting vehicles.

Instead, Berlin has offered longer-term measures like a cash pot to extend public transport and build up cities' electric vehicle fleets.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)All districts of Haryana will soon have a one stop centre (OSCs) to facilitate integrated services for women affected by violence, the state's women and child development department said here today.

Set up under the Central government's Nirbhaya Fund, the state already has seven functional OSCs in seven districts including Karnal, Bhiwani, Gurugram, Faridabad, Hisar, Rewari and Narnaul, the official said.

The proposal to set up more such centres in the remaining 15 districts of Ambala, Charkhi Dadri, Fatehabad, Jhajjar, Jind, Kaithal,Kurukshetra, Mewat, Palwal, Panchkula, Panipat, Rohtak, Sirsa, Sonipat and Yamunanagar has been approved by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the official said.

The aim of these centres is to facilitate integrated services like police assistance, medical and legal aid, psycho-social counselling, and temporary stay for five days.

A copy of the OSC scheme would be forwarded to all the deputy commissioners and district programme officers for their information and for opening bank account in the name of the scheme, to be operated by the deputy commissioner of the concerned district, the official said.

To set up the new centres, temporary provision of space would be made within the complex of a civil hospital or any other existing office building within the radius of two kilometers from the hospital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With the BJP facing reverses in bypolls to Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap.

Asked about the BJP's performance in the by-elections to 11 Assembly and four Lok Sabha seats in various states ahead of next year's general polls, Singh, in a lighter vein, said, "For a massive leap, one always has to go two steps backward."



"We are going to take a massive leap," the senior BJP leader said.

The former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh was addressing a press conference here to highlight the NDA government's achievements in the last four years.

As per the latest trends and results available of the bypolls, the BJP was set to lose the Kairana Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh and Bhandara-Gondiya parliamentary constituency in Maharashtra.

It, however, was leading in the Palghar Lok Sabha seat in Maharashtra.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court today asked a committee, set up on its orders to develop an action plan to control the monkey population, to spell out the estimated expenditure on sterlisation of 25,000 simians in the city for the time being.

The court also accepted the timeline placed by the Delhi government's wildlife warden for the sterlisation process of monkeys in the national capital, where their estimated population could be up to one lakh, and said the authorities should be bound by it.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the committee, comprising a member each from NGO Wildlife SOS and the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), to complete the process of calculating the estimated expenditure and place it before the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) which will take a decision on it in four weeks.

The court also noted that a complete census of monkey population is yet to be done.

The wildlife warden submitted an affidavit along with guidelines and timeline on the basis of a meeting of the committee, in which it was decided that an advisory will be issued by the Delhi government to all the agencies that no monkey trapping efforts would be carried out other than this organised effort to ensure no simian was subjected to unnecessary cruelty or trauma.

As per the timeline, it would take 180 days to conduct population census of monkeys in Delhi by the selected agency after receiving sanction or grant from the MoEF and for doing awareness programmes for public and establishing monkey helpline.

"In the meeting, it was informed that one mobile unit may sterlise 7000-8000 monkeys per year. The selected implementation agency could be encouraged to deploy increased number of units to expedite the monkey sterlisation project to address the population goals," the committee report said.

It said that to implement the sterlisation process in a time bound manner, all land owning agencies like DDA, MCD, NDMC and Delhi government have to provide land within two weeks to the implementing agency for establishing mobile station for the purpose.

A miffed court had earlier said if monkeys should be asked not to procreate or bite people till the government comes out with a method to sterilise them.

It had also pulled up the Centre for importing oral immune-contraception vaccines for testing on the simians without getting approvals for carrying out the sterilisation trials.

It was hearing a PIL filed in 2001 by advocate Meera Bhatia seeking directions to the authorities to take steps to deal with the menace of monkeys and dogs in the city.

Regarding the monkey menace in New Friends Colony in South Delhi raised by Bhatia, the wildlife warden said it would also be controlled.

Wildlife SOS had earlier told the court that monkey population rapidly increases in urban areas due to the easy access to food, especially in garbage, as compared to forest areas where they have to forage for food.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Reliance Jio has dragged the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) into a legal battle for allegedly making certain objectionable and defamatory statements against it, prompting the Delhi High Court to ask the association to refrain from using "disparaging" remarks.

Justice Yogesh Khanna issued notice to COAI and its director general Rajan S Mathews on a suit filed by Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd seeking to prevent and restrain them from continuing to make "maliciously false, disparaging and defamatory statements" against it, saying a prima facie case is made out.

Mathews and the counsel for the association argued that whatever comments have been passed were "fair" and did not fall in the purview of the definition of defamation.

The judge, however, said "I doubt whether the phrases/words used ... would fall within the phrase of fair comment and hence the plaintiff (Jio) has been able to make out a prima facie case and thus the defendants (COAI and Mathews) to file written statement/ reply to application ... in four weeks."



"In the meanwhile, the defendants should refrain from (making) disparaging and defamatory statements, like the 'words' stated above against the plaintiff," the court said and listed the matter for further proceedings before the joint registrar on August 24.

In its suit, Reliance Jio, represented by senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, sought general and special damages for loss of reputation and "enormous business losses" due to the alleged illegal actions and malicious campaign of the association.

COAI was formed for representing the common and mutual interests of its members who are licenced telecom service providers and considered the official voice for the telecom industry.

The suit claimed that the association in a press release on September 25, 2016 had made certain objectionable statements against Reliance Jio and did it again in February this year, causing harm to the reputation of the company.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court today reserved its order on a PIL seeking "detailed investigation" into alleged lapses of the Centre in saving 39 Indians, who were killed by terror outfit ISIS after their abduction from Mosul in Iraq in 2014.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar heard the arguments of the petitioner advocate and the counsel for the Centre, who raised questions over the maintainability of the plea, and said it would pass an order later.

The petitioner -- advocate Mehmood Pracha -- contended that the Centre was aware long back that the abducted Indians had been killed by the terror outfit, but had chosen not to disclose it and kept taking the stand that they were alive.

He claimed that there were glaring anomalies in the statement made by the External Affairs Minister on the floor of Parliament.

Advocate Manik Dogra, appearing for the Centre and the Intelligence Bureau, argued that there was no public interest in this petition which should be dismissed with cost.

He highlighted the efforts made by the government to rescue the Indians, who were taken hostage at Mosul and said helplines were also set up by the Indian embassy.

During the hearing, the bench asked Pracha whether he could tell who had killed those Indians.

The petitioner said he was seeking an investigation for this purpose only as he wanted to know when and how the Indians were killed.

He had earlier said when the bodies were brought back to India in March this year, the government did not allow the families of the victims to open the caskets.

The Centre's counsel had earlier said that the government does not say "missing, presumed dead". He had added that "till 100 per cent confirmation of death, we continue to believe they are alive."



Pracha had in 2015 moved the court challenging a look-out circular issued against him to prevent him and his delegation from going to Iraq.

In his PIL, he has claimed that the reason he was stopped from travelling to Iraq was to ensure that his delegation did not find out about the fate of the 39 Indians, whose bodies were recently exhumed from a mass grave in Badosh, a village near Mosul, and brought back.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Ever since he came out with his first book at the age of 17, Ruskin Bond has uncountable works to his name, be it short stories, novels, poems and essays and the octogenarian author now wishes to try his hand at something he hasn't done till now - a detective novel.

Bond says he read a lot of Agatha Christie and detective stories of other writers since the age of 10.

"Occasionally I have written about stories related to crime but I have never attempted a traditional detective story. So I want to write a true detective story," he told PTI in an interview.

Bond has written a number of novellas, essays, poems and children's books. He has also written over 500 short stories and articles that have appeared in magazines and anthologies.

On his 84th birthday on May 19, he came out with his latest book "Ranji and the Music Maker". Published by Penguin Random House imprint Puffin India, the book is about young Ranji who once in the middle of his languid holiday, stumbles upon assorted musical instruments in the storeroom - first a shrill flute, then a blaring little trumpet and, finally, a too-big drum that may have once sounded a battle march.

Ranji stages impromptu concerts down the road, not sparing his neighbours, the cats around his porch, or the peace-loving inhabitants of the zoo.

"The book was set off, inspired you might say, by the photograph of a small boy playing his flute for a kitten sent to me by a reader in Sri Lanka. I imagined the little boy as Ranji," says Bond.

On his writing journey, Bond says, "When I ventured into writing at the age of 17, I wanted to be a good and successful writer. I just wanted to write good stuff - poems, prose, stories, essays, everything."



Reading is also very important for Bond. "My first book was a big one of nursery rhymes." As a boy he wanted to emulate his favourite authors and be one of them himself.

On children's books of today, he says he is happy that more and more publishers are now coming out with books for kids.

"Now you have books for different ages. There are good illustrators too," he says.

On graphic novels, he says he doesn't get absorbed into them. "I liked the old comic books, especially the funny ones like Popeye and Beetle Bailey."



Bond also says he is a good typist but he stopped using the typewriter 10 years ago as he had some stiffness in his hand.

"My publishers now have the task to type my manuscripts and send me the printouts. I still prefer a pen, a decent and simple ball point pen," he says.

Bond was born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, and grew up in Jamnagar, Dehradun, New Delhi and Shimla. As a young man, he spent four years in the Channel Islands and London. He returned to India in 1955. He now lives in Landour, Mussoorie, with his adopted family.

At the age of eight, Bond escaped his jail-like boarding school in the hills and went on to live with his father in Delhi. His time in the capital is filled with books, visits to the cinema, music, and walks and conversations with his father a dream life for a curious and wildly imaginative boy, which turns tragic all too soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru has made it to the top 100 universities in the Times Higher Education's World Reputation Rankings 2018, becoming the only Indian institution to make it to the prestigious list this year.

The IISc has been ranked in the 91-100 band of the annual list topped by American universities Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford, with the UK's Cambridge and Oxford completing the top five.

"India features in the table for the first time since 2011, with its flagship institution, the Indian Institute of Science, making the 91-100 banding," said Phil Baty, editorial director of the rankings, which are compiled from a globally representative survey of 10,000 senior academics on the most renowned educational institutions in the world.

Founded in 1909, the IISc had started with just two departments - General and Applied Chemistry and Electrical Technology - but today has over 40 departments spread across six divisions: Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, Electrical Sciences, Interdisciplinary Research, Mechanical Sciences, and Physical and Mathematical Sciences.

The UK has nine institutions in the Top 100, down from 10 last year, following Durham University's exit. Several other UK universities also witnessed slight declines on last year, with University College London (UCL) shifting from 16th to joint 18th, Imperial College London falling from 18th to 20th and London School of Economics (LSE) slipping from 20th to 25th.

"This should give pause for serious thought as the country seeks to champion its status as 'global Britain' in a post-Brexit world," Baty noted.

"What is particularly striking is that the US has actually strengthened its position in the world despite fears that the US is suffering a 'Trump slump' in terms of its global reputation," Baty said.

The 'World Reputation Rankings' are created using what 'Times Higher Education' describes as the world's largest invitation-only academic opinion survey and unique piece of research.

The survey, available in 15 languages, uses United Nations data as a guide to ensure that the response coverage is as representative of world scholarship as possible. It is also evenly spread across academic disciplines.

The 2018 rankings are based on a more than 10,000-strong survey carried out between January and March this year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)India signed a USD 500 million (Rs 3,371 crore) loan pact with World Bank today to provide additional financing for PMGSY rural road projects.

The loan has a 3-year grace period, and a maturity of 10 years, the finance Ministry said in a release.

It will provide additional financing for the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) Rural Roads Project "which will build 7,000 km of climate resilient roads, out of which 3,500 km will be constructed using green technologies", the release said.

The World Bank has supported PMGSY since its inception in 2004. So far it has invested over USD 1.8 billion in loans and credits mostly in the economically weaker and hill states across North India -- Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

It has built and improved about 35,000 km of rural roads and benefited about eight million people with access to all-weather roads.

The release further said that adequate maintenance of the existing 4.6 million km of road network is emerging as a major challenge.

Many parts of the existing road network are either vulnerable to or have already suffered damage from climate induced events such as floods, high rainfall, sudden cloud bursts and land-slides.

To support the rural economy and communities and households that depend on rural livelihoods, it will be critical to ensure that infrastructure is built and maintained to withstand climatic changes, said Mr Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India.

The project, he said will demonstrate how climate resilient construction can be integrated in the strategy and planning of rural roads.

The additional financing will also fill the gender gap by creating employment opportunities for women in construction and maintenance.

The earlier project had piloted community-based maintenance contracts through women self-help groups (SHGs) for routine maintenance of 200 km of PMGSY roads in Uttarakhand, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh.

SHG-run maintenance contracts will now be extended to about 500 km roads over 5 states, the ministry said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 22-year-old Indian-origin man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for fatally shooting his father.

Vishal Shah of New Jersey was sentenced last week in New Brunswick by Superior Court Judge Colleen Flynn for aggravated manslaughter in the death of his 53-year old father Pradipkumar Shah, Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey said in a statement.

The 25-year term in a New Jersey state prison is subject to the 'No Early Release Act', which means Shah will have to serve 85 per cent of the term before he can be released on parole.

Shah had pleaded guilty in March 2018 to one count of aggravated manslaughter.

An investigation by Detective Amy Noble of the Sayreville Police Department and Detective David Abromaitis of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office found that Shah shot his father once in their home in New Jersey's Sayreville town in the morning of June 2016 and had then hid the weapon, a .25-caliber handgun.

Pradipkumar Shah later died in a local hospital.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Former union minister P Chidambaram today secured interim protection from arrest till July 3 from the Delhi High Court in the INX Media corruption case lodged by the CBI.

Justice A K Pathak asked Chidambaram to join questioning and cooperate in the investigation as and when called by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

The court also issued notice to the CBI and sought its response on the senior Congress leader's anticipatory bail plea and listed the matter for further hearing on July 3, directing that the agency will not arrest him till then.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid, appearing for Chidambaram,



mentioned the matter before the judge in the morning and assured the court that the Congress leader will cooperate with the investigating agency.

Additional Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, opposed the plea saying Chidambaram should have first approached the trial court for relief, instead of the high court.

He said the politician has been called for questioning in pursuance to the notice issued by the CBI and the law was equal for every citizen of the country.

The court, however, observed that the ASG should make a statement that the CBI will not arrest him till the next date of hearing.

Either you (Mehta) make a statement that you are not going to arrest him, (Chidambaram) or else I need to protect as he apprehends his arrest, the judge said.

Chidambaram, who was earlier slated to appear before the CBI today, did not appear before it for questioning in connection with the INX Media corruption case, officials said..

In Chidambaram's anticipatory bail plea filed through advocate P K Dubey, it was contended that the former minister was being harassed in the case in which he was not named in the FIR. However, he has been asked to join questioning by the CBI.

Chidambaram had yesterday rushed to a trial court for protection from arrest in the Aircel-Maxis case of the Enforcement Directorate before approaching the high court in connection with the INX Media case.

Chidambaram's role has come under the scanner of investigating agencies in the Aircel-Maxis deal of Rs 3,500 crore and INX Media case involving Rs 305 crore. It was during his tenure as finance minister in the UPA-1 regime that FIPB clearance was granted to the two ventures in which alleged irregularities have been found.

In the INX Media case, the CBI had registered an FIR on May 15 last year against alleged irregularities in the FIPB clearance to INX Media for receiving overseas funds to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 when Chidambaram was finance minister.

Chidambaram's son Karti Chidambaram was also arrested in the matter on February 28 for allegedly receiving funds to the tune of Rs 10 lakh in the case. He was granted bail on March 23.

The other accused in the case include then INX Media Director Indrani Mukerjea and then INX Director Peter Mukerjea.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Fuel retailer IOC has for the second year in a row beaten ONGC to become India's most profitable state-owned company, raising questions over calls for the explorer to subsidise retailers amid soaring petrol and diesel rates.

Indian Oil Corporation, which has for decades been India's biggest company by turnover, last week posted a record net profit of Rs 21,346 crore in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018 (FY 2017-18), up 12 per cent from Rs 19,106 crore in the last fiscal.

Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC) yesterday reported its FY18 numbers - 11.4 per cent rise in net profit to Rs 19,945 crore.

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries retained the crown of being India's most profitable company for the third year in a row, posting highest ever net profit of Rs 36,075 crore.

Tata Consultancy Services, India's largest software services exporter, with a net profit of Rs 25,880 crore was the second most profitable company in the country.

ONGC was for long India's most profitable company but lost the crown to private sector Reliance and TCS three years back. In fact, its profit was higher than the combined net profit of the three state-owned fuel retailers - IOC, Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd (HPCL) and Bharat Petroleum Corp Ltd (BPCL) but now it is behind IOC.

For 2017-18, HPCL last week reported its highest ever net profit of Rs 6,357 crore on a turnover of Rs 2.43 lakh crore. BPCL earlier this week reported a net profit of Rs 7,919 crore for the fiscal.

The sustained profitability of the refining and marketing companies has led to some questioning the rationale of asking ONGC to subsidise fuel that IOC, BPCL and HPCL sell.

"Look at their profits. They don't need any subsidy support," said a senior ONGC official.

"We are in the capital-intensive business of oil and gas exploration and production which has to be necessarily funded through internal accruals. Unlike refiners, we cannot get loans for risk E&P business," he said.

ONGC is investing Rs 30,000 crore to Rs 35,000 crore annually, which cannot be sustained if it is again asked to subsidise fuel, he insisted.

Upstream oil producers, ONGC and Oil India Ltd had until June 2015 provided for up to 40 per cent of the annual fuel subsidy bill.

This they did this by way of providing discounts on crude sold to downstream refining and marketing companies, IOC, BPCL, and HPCL. This discount helped the retailers make good a part of the losses they incurred on selling petrol and diesel below cost.

The idea of upstream producers again subsidising fuel has been mooted after petrol and diesel prices earlier this week hit a record high of Rs 78.43 per litre and Rs 69.31 respectively. Rates have since marginally cooled but the threat still remains.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Students passing out of Industrial Training Institutes (ITI) in Bihar will henceforth be treated as at par with those having cleared their plus two exams, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi said today.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the state labour department here, which was attended among others by labour minister Vijay Kumar Sinha and the department's Principal Secretary Deepak Kumar Singh, among others.

"Those who get enrolled at ITIs, often are unable to pursue further The state government would, therefore, treat certificates issued to them as being at par with 10 plus two", Sushil was quoted as saying in a release.

Speaking about the state government's skill development measures, the Deputy CM said a number of ITI students were being provided training through computers and webcasting.

"Besides, a number of our ITI students are being trained by reputed companies as part of agreements reached with private companies. Training is being imparted to more than 300 students at a Yamaha Motors facory in Faridabad. Samsung India has set up a training centre at women's ITI in Patna, while workshops have been conducted by Maruti Suzuki at Muzaffarpur, Patna and Bhagalpur", he said.

"Besides, Huyndai Motors has held workshop for training students in Muzaffarpur. Renowned beautician Javed Habib is scheduled to impart training in beauty and wellness at Patna", he added.

He also said "about 10 lakh construction workers are registered with the state labour department. Out of these, registration of at least one lakh has been done online in the current financial year. The state earns about Rs 265 crore every year from the cess levied on the construction industry".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A teacher has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a minor student at a religious seminary in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said today.

In a video clip widely circulated on social media, an



8-year-old boy can be seen hung upside down and physically assaulted by a 'maulvi' (religious teacher) of a local Dargah (seminary), a police spokesman said here.

The police have registered a case under relevant sections of RPC and the Juvenile Justice Act, 2013.

The accused teacher identified as Molvi Mushtaq Ahmed Dar, a resident of Batpora Tangmarg, has been arrested, the spokesman said.

He said further investigation into the matter was on.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A jewellery shop worker who had fled with precious ornaments worth Rs 57.60 lakh given to him by his employer for polishing was arrested along with two others from West Bengal, a Mumbai Police official said today.

The worker, identified as Kartik Payra (23), had fled with the ornaments last week which were handed to him by jeweller Kalyan Kar, police said.

A case was registered at Pydhonie police station under section 408 (Criminal breach of trust) of the IPC against Payra, an official said.

As Payra hailed from West Bengal, a police team probing the case travelled to his native place, the official said, adding that they took a family member of the accused in custody to find out his whereabouts.

On specific input, police first arrested one Zadeshwar Maiti (34) who turned out to be the alleged mastermind of the crime.

Subsequently, Payra and a 32-year-old man were also arrested in connection with the crime, he said.

"Maiti was the mastermind of the crime. He used to provide workers from West Bengal for polishing work in Mumbai," the official added.

The accused trio were produced before court yesterday and were remanded in police custody till June 4, he said.

He said police recovered ornaments worth Rs 49.20 lakh from the accused trio.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), which



was supported by Congress and other opposition parties, today retained both Silli and Gomia assembly seats in the by-election, ringing an alarm bell for the ruling BJP ahead of the general election next year.

In Gomia, JMM candidate Babita Devi, who bagged 60,551 votes, defeated AJSU (All Jharkhand Students Union) nominee Lambodar Mahto by 1,344 votes while the BJP's Madhavlal Singh stood third



with 42,037 votes, Chief Electoral Officer L Khiangte said.

In Silli, JMM's Seema Mahto defeated AJSU chief and former state Deputy Chief Minister Sudesh Mahto by 13,508 votes.

Both the seats were with the JMM.

A buoyed JMM chief Hemant Soren described it as victory of opposition unity and said "its heat is bound to reach Delhi."



The bypolls were necessitated following the conviction of JMM MLAs Yogendra Mahto and Amit Mahto in coal theft and assault cases respectively.

The successful outcome of the byelection, in which JMM got the support of Congress, RJD and JVM of former Chief Minister Babu Lal Marandi, has given a boost to the votaries of opposition unity against the BJP in the 2019 parliamentary polls.

While in Silli, the BJP and its ally AJSU were together, in Gomia seat they fielded their candidates against each other and at the end paid the price with a defeat.

There is no change in party position in the 81-member Jharkhand assembly after today's bypolls result as both the seats were with JMM earlier.

The BJP has 43 members and is supported by 5 MLAs of AJSU. JMM has 19 MLAs while Congress has 6 and JVM 2. RJD of Lalu Prasad has no member in Jharkhand house at present.

In Silli in Ranchi district, it is the second consecutive defeat for AJSU president and former state deputy chief minister Sudesh Mahto since 2014 state polls.

BJP state General Secretary Deepak Prakash tried to play down the bypolls outcome saying both the seats were with JMM previously which they retained.

The BJP had bagged 12 seats and the JMM won two in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The defeat of the ruling JD(U) candidate in the Jokihat assembly bypoll in Bihar today led to demands from within the NDA for "better coordination" among the allies and that the BJP give up its "big brotherly attitude".

The RJD today won the Jokihat assembly seat defeating JD(U) by a huge margin of 41,000 votes.

In a strongly-worded statement, the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RLSP), headed by Union Minister Upendra Kushwaha, said, "It is no secret that discontent has been brewing among some sections of the NDA for quite some time."



"Mostly, it has been because of the big brotherly attitude shown by the BJP," it said.

The statement was issued by the RSLP's national general secretary and spokesperson Madhaw Anand.

"We hope that better sense will prevail over the BJP high command and they will sit together to formulate policies that can help strengthen the alliance in the state", it said.

The JD(U), though more guarded in response, echoed the demand for better coordination among NDA partners and the need for the BJP to take initiative in this regard.

"What has happened in Jokihat is essentially a Taslimuddin phenomenon. Whichever side his family swings to, tastes victory in the assembly segment", JD(U) chief spokesman and national general secretary K C Tyagi said.

Mohd Taslimuddin, a towering figure of Seemanchal region in Bihar, had represented the seat five times. His elder son Sarfaraz Alam won the seat twice - both times as a JD(U) candidate.

The seat has been retained for the family by younger son Shahnawaz Alam who wrested the constituency for the RJD. He defeated Murshid Alam of JD(U).

Tyagi, however, said "there is considerable resentment across the country over a number of issues, the latest of these being the spiralling petrol and diesel prices".

"The NDA is a large coalition and we hope that (BJP president) Amit Shah, as the leader of the biggest partner, will take the initiative to communicate better with alliance partners.

"Better coordination is a must for the coalition to do well in forthcoming elections", he said.

The JD(U) returned to the NDA last year, after having snapped its ties with the BJP in 2013.

The NDA coalition in Bihar presently has BJP, JD(U), LJP and RLSP.

The Hindustani Awam Morcha headed by former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi left the coalition on the eve of the bypoll for the Araria Lok Sabha seat and two assembly seats in Bihar in March last.

He joined hands with Lalu Prasad's RJD.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)"Allah has called my son early. That is his fate. Another life will not bring back my child," a mother in Kerala told the wife of her son's killer.

Ayesha Beevi tried to console a sobbing Razia, who had fallen at her feet seeking pardon for her husband, Muharam Ali, who is on death row in Al-Hassa for killing 24-year-old Asif.

Razia had travelled from Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district to meet Ayesha Beevi and other members of the family her husband had devastated six years ago, seeking their pardon.

Ali worked at a petrol station in Al-Hassa and Asif, the victim, was his supervisor. They were friends and shared a room. But one night, Ali killed Asif by slitting his throat in his sleep. Ali was immediately arrested and put behind the bars.

Last year, a Saudi Arabia court sentenced Ali to death.

The Al-Hassa chapter of Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre, a voluntary organisation, stepped in to get justice for Asif's family.

A few years later, Ali started showing signs of mental instability, KMCC former secretary Kunhalassan Kutty told PTI.

"The two were working together, staying together and there was no enmity between them," Kutty said, adding that the accused had not escaped after the crime and slept in the room.

Seeing his mental state, the Saudi police urged the KMCC to mediate to help Ali, who has two daughters of marriageable age and a young son.

Following discussions, Asif's mother and relatives agreed to pardon the accused, Kutty said.

"No blood money was demanded. Asif's family does not even have a house. But they were magnanimous enough to pardon Muharam Ali," Kutty said.

Yesterday, Razia and her relatives met Asif's mother and other relatives and sought their pardon.

The oupouring of emotion left everyone teary-eyed as Razia fell at the feet of the 61-year-old Ayesha Beevi, urhing her to pardon her jailed husband.

"In this holy month of Ramzan, I pardon him unconditionally," Ayesha Beevi said and signed the pardon letter in presence of IUML supremo Panakkad Hyder Ali Thangal's son Sadiq Ali.

The letter was sent to Dammam this morning and would be submitted in court as soon as possible, Kutty said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A designated PMLA authority has held that 11 land plots worth Rs 44.75 crore, attached by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the name of a firm linked to RJD chief Lalu Prasad's family, are money laundering assets and ordered that their attachment should continue.

The central probe agency had provisionally attached the plots measuring about 3-acres, located in Danapur near Bihar's capital Patna, in December last year under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), in connection with the IRCTC hotel allotment case.

Considering the material (filed) in the original complaint (by the ED).. I find that the immovable properties provisionally attached are involved in money laundering.

I, therefore, hereby confirm the attachment of the property...and order that the said attachment shall continue during investigation for a period not exceeding ninety days or the pendency of the proceedings relating to any offence under the PMLA before a court and become final after an order of confiscation is passed by the special court," a recent order issued by Member (Law) of the Adjudicating Authority of the PMLA, Tushar V Shah, said.

The ED will now seize the properties, bearing a market value of Rs 44.75 crore, and put up its sign board on these plots, agency sources said.

The land pieces are in the name of Ms Delight Marketing Co Pvt Ltd, now Lara Projects LLP, whose managing partner is Lalu's wife Rabri Devi, partners are his son Tejashwi Yadav and Tej Pratap Yadav, and Ms Meridian Construction India Limited promoted by Abu Dojana, an MLA of the former Bihar Chief Minister's party-- the Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD).

When the ED attached these assets last year, a shopping mall was supposed to come up on these plots. It also had recorded the statements of Rabri Devi, Tejashwi, the former deputy chief minister of Bihar, and others in the case.

In July last year, the agency registered a case against Lalu Prasad, his family members and others under the provisions of the PMLA.

Before this, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had registered a criminal first information report and conducted multiple searches on the properties of Lalu Prasad and others.

The CBI FIR alleged that Lalu Prasad, during his tenure as the railway minister in UPA-I, handed over the maintenance of two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation hotels to a company in 2004 after receiving a bribe in the form of a prime land in Patna through a 'benami' company owned by Sarla Gupta, wife of Prem Chand Gupta, a former Union minister and an RJD MP.

The ED registered its criminal case based on this CBI FIR.

Others named in the CBI FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar (both directors of Sujata Hotels), Delight Marketing company and the then IRCTC managing director P K Goel.

The CBI FIR was registered on July 5 in connection with favours allegedly extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as "quid pro quo".

The accused can appeal against this order, issued by the authority, before the Appellate Tribunal of the Act.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has accused Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe of shielding former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa, his family and supporters in corruption cases, in a fresh jolt to their ruling coalition.

The unity government of Sirisena's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and Wickremesinghe's United National Party (UNP) was plagued with crisis ever since former President Rajapaksa's new party pulled off a stunning victory in February's local elections seen as a referendum on the ruling alliance.

A new turn of events in the continued political crisis came yesterday when Sirisena addressed a public gathering to commemorate a leading Buddhist monk who was instrumental in the then Opposition's victory over Rajapaksa in 2015.

Referring to a speech by the monk at the event where he was faulted for accepting the leadership of the SLFP after becoming the president, Sirisena said it was due to him that Wickremesinghe became premier and the current government was able to stay afloat.

"I made Ranil Wickremesinghe the prime minister with just 47 seats when Mahinda Rajapaksa had two thirds of the seats," Sirisena blasted.

"There are people who are trying to make out that it is I who obstructed the prosecution of corrupt members of the former regime. If you want to know the truth, ask the relatives of Wasim Thajudeen and their lawyers," he said of Thajudeen, a rugby player who was killed in 2012 and the Rajapaksas blamed for it.

Sirisena suggested that Wickremesinghe had "cut deals" with the Rajapaksas and was protecting the corrupt.

Several members of UNP led by Wickremsinghe have been accused in central bank Treasury bond scam of 2015.

The SLFP and the UNP had formed a national unity government after 2015 elections but both parties have differed on several issues.

Sirisena said he had telephoned the Air Force chief yesterday to ask who ordered the release of helicopters for former president Rajapaksa to travel to his southern province home soon after his defeat in January 2015.

"I was told that the then Air Force commander had been told that I wanted helicopters given, but they didn't even inform me about such a thing," he said, suggesting it was done by Wickremesinghe.

Sirisena said he was also unaware of the 100-day reform programme unveiled by the UNP-led government soon after his election. During the programme, the government introduced the 19th amendment to the constitution which pruned presidential powers to dissolve parliament.

Sirisena said his SLFP support was the key factor in adopting the 19the amendment.

In response, UNP's Kabir Hashim said his party was taking the ownership of the programme. "The 100-day programme was something all parties had signed up for. We were able to introduce far reaching democratic reforms by implementing the 100-day programme," Hashim said.

Sirisena in March had replaced Wickremesinghe as the law and order minister amidst fresh violence between majority Sinhala Buddhists and minority Muslims in the Kandy district despite imposition of nationwide emergency.

Later in the month, Sirisena had further reduced the responsibilities Wickremesinghe, while suspending Parliament for about a month in April in the backdrop of the ongoing political turmoil in the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Four persons suspected of involvement in the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh were today remanded in police custody for 10 days by a city court.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) produced Manohar Gundappa Edve (30), Sujith Kumar alias Praveen (37), Amol Kale alias Bhaisab (40) and Amit Degwekar alias Pradeep before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Court and sought their custody for interrogation.

The four persons were arrested recently for allegedly hatching a plot to kill Kannada writer K S Bhagawan, known for his anti-Hindutva stance, according to SIT sources.

The SIT arrested them suspecting their possible involvement in the murder of Gauri Lankesh also.

Police have already arrested K T Naveen Kumar alias Hotte Manja in connection with the Lankesh murder case and filed a charge sheet against him yesterday.

Lankesh, who was known for her Left leaning and anti-Hindutva stand, was shot dead on September 5, 2017 evening triggering a nationwide outrage.

The first breakthrough was the arrest of Naveen Kumar, followed by four others.

Sources claimed he had not only supplied firearms to the assassins of Lankesh, but also conducted a recce of the area around her residence and provided them vital inputs about her.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The CPI-M-led LDF candidate's victory in the Chengannur assembly bypoll is a resounding acceptance of the two-year-old government's policies, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said today.

The victory has only humbled the government and has increased its responsibilities, Vijayan said following the impressive win of CPI-M's Saji Cheriyan by 20,956 votes over his nearest Congress rival.

"This is a victory for progress, secularism and development," Vijayan said.

The result showed that the left government has succeeded in unifying the state's people. The government would carry forward its development and welfare programmes, Vijayan said.

"The government cannot be cowed down by controversies and malicious campaign. Government will not retreat from development initiatives," he added.

Lashing out at the media, the chief minister said the poll outcome has established that "people" were the final judges and not anchors in Television channels who control debates.

"People are the final judges," Vijayan, whose government faced severe criticism in recent days over police "lapses" in a case connected with alleged honour killing of a 23-year-old man and custodial death of a youth.

Vijayan said the LDF victory was also against the "unfounded malacious campaign" against government unleashed by the Opposition with help from a section of the media.

He listed various instances of media reports flaying the LDF government after it assumed office in May 2016.

The government would go ahead with development initiatives such as laying of the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) pipleline, he said.

"The face of the state is set for a change in the next four years," Vijayan said.

However, Vijayan said government welcomed healthy criticism and is ready to take corrective steps and accept suggestions.

The chief minister said the LDF when it was in the Opposition had taken a positive approach on development issues.

On the other hand, the Congress-led UDF Opposition was adopting an attitude of sabotaging development works,he said.

Vijayan, a senior CPI-M politburo member, said defeat and fall in the BJP candidate's vote-share was a clear signal that people of the state were against the "communal and divisive" agenda of the saffron party.

The Congress-led UDF candidate D Vijaykumar secured 46,347 votes and BJP's P S Sreedharan Pillai came third with 35,270 votes.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA K K Ramachandran Nair in January.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The ruling BJP was today staring at defeat in the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha constituency but appeared set to retain the Palghar parliamentary seat, according to the latest trends available in the Maharashtra bypolls.

In Bhandara-Gondiya seat, which the BJP had won in the 2014 elections, the NCP's Madhukar Kukade has established a lead of 16,112 votes over the BJP's Hemant Patle.

After 10 rounds of counting, Kukade polled 173856 votes while the BJP's Hemant Patle bagged 157744 votes.

The bypoll in this constituency had been necessitated because BJP MP Nana Patole had quit the Lok Sabha membership as well as the party after publicly criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's style of functioning.

Later, he joined the Congress party, with which he had been associated earlier.

In Palghar, the BJP looked set to retain the seat where it faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena.

At the end of 23 rounds of counting, BJP's Rajendra Gavit was leading over his Shiv Sena rival by 25,645 votes.

Gavit polled 257506 votes while Shriniwas Wanaga of the Shiv Sena bagged 231861 votes.

Baliram Jadhav of the Bahujan Vikas Agadhi got 200244 votes, CPI-M candidate Kiran Gahla polled 70826 votes while Congress nominee Damodar Shingda got 46079 votes.

The BJP had made the Palghar bypoll a matter of prestige as the Shiv Sena fielded Shriniwas Wanaga, son of former BJP MP Chintaman Wanaga, whose death necessitated the by-election.

Gavit was in the Congress before joining the BJP and had been a minister in the previous Congress-NCP government.

Palghar, on the outskirts of Mumbai, is a Scheduled Tribe reserved constituency.

"Winning or losing is not as much important as taking forward the good work done by my father," said Wanaga as the trends showed him losing.

"We will rectify our mistakes and I am confident we will win the election in 2019," he told reporters here.

He said that the BJP had used all possible means to win the elections.

Gavit attributed his success to those known and unknown persons who had helped him in this election.

He said that the RPI and the Shramajivi Sanghatana had worked for him.

Talking to reporters, he said his work in the district during his tenure as a minister of state and resolving various issues had been helpful to him.

Meanwhile, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has called a meeting of senior party leaders later today in view of the apparent loss in Palghar.

NCP leader Nawab Malik told PTI that the Congress should have supported Jadhav of Bahujan Vikas Agadhi and ensured that the CPI-M did not field its candidate.

He noted that the Congress had supported Jadhav in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections against Chintaman Wanaga of the BJP.

"We had discussed this with the Congress. But, the party's leader from the region Rajendra Gavit switched over to the BJP and the former MP Shingda was not in the contest at all," Malik said.

The Congress and the NCP had joined hands to take on the BJP in both the seats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Maersk Line, which ferries the largest proportion of the country's container traffic, today said it will be levying a surcharge of around USD 60 per standard 20-foot container to cover for rising fuel costs.

"We have introduced an emergency fuel surcharge. For any shipping line, fuel is one of the key components of variable costs. We have seen an increase in bunker price of around 20 per cent since the beginning of the year," the company's managing director for India, Sri Lanka and Bangaldesh, Steve Felder, told PTI today.

He said the surcharge varies as per geographic corridors in which it operates, but put the figure at an average of USD 60 per standard 20-foot container (TEU).

The levy sets in from tomorrow for all the customers, except the ones in the US, where it would be from July 1, he said.

Felder said the company's current contracts with customers allow for such emergency surcharges and added that the trade also understands the difficulties faced by the shipping lines.

When asked if the firm fears losing market share - which stood at 19 per cent as of end-2017 - because of such a charge, he said its peers have also introduced similar charges in order to recover the costs of the additional input costs from the customers.

Commenting on a specific question on margins, he said the additional surcharge will help recover the extra costs that are being incurred, hinting that the spreads will be maintained.

The container line came up with a trade report for container movements in and out of the country today, which said that imports went up by 16 per cent and exports increased by 7 per cent.

Felder said the imports were majorly due to a high import of waste paper and metals into the country after China imposed certain restrictions on it, while the exports growth was driven by the setback of demonetisation and GST implementation waning off.

He said at a combined level, the total trade was up 11 per cent during the first three months of the year, adding the firm expects the same performance to continue.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A man has been sentenced to ten years rigorous imprisonment for raping, stalking and threatening his wife's sister, with a Delhi court observing that the convict did not mend his ways despite four FIRs lodged against him by the woman.

"Agirlwhoiscontinuouslyfacingmolestationat thehandsofher(brother-in-law) whohadanevileyeonherandwantedtobe physical with her since his marriage with her sister,hadnooptionbuttofilethecomplaintwiththepolice," Additional Sessions Judge Renu Bhatnagar said.

The court observed that despite taking legal recourse, the woman fell prey at the hands of the accused, who married her sister in 2015.

"Her (victim's) various police complaints, culminating in registration of four FIRs againsttheaccused,telltaleofthehelplesssituationofagirl,who despite taking recourse tolawandpolice,fellpreyinthehandsofthe accused, who ultimately succeeded in committingrapewithher,despite all her resistance and efforts.

"Nothingadversecameoutinthecross examinationoftheprosecutrix so as to show thatshewasdeposing falselyinthecourt. Hertestimonyis consistentthroughout," the judge said.

The court, which also slapped a fine of Rs 15,000 on the convict, directed the Delhi Legal Service Authority (DLSA) to pay the victim Rs two lakh compensation considering "the gravity of the offence, her mental and physical trauma, her social status and financialcondition".

It noted that ever since the convict got married, he was stalking his wife's sister because of which the couple soon separated.

According to the prosecution, the man forced the victim to have physical relations with him and threatened to torture her sister (his wife) and kill her father and brother if she refused.

She lodged several complaints against him, yet he did not mend his ways, the woman told the court, adding that on December 27, 2015 he raped her.

She lodged an FIR on January 6, 2016 alleging that on several occasions, he had molested her and stalked her following which she lodged various complaints.

The man, however, denied all the allegations and claimed he was falsely implicated by the victim, adding that he had consensual physical relations with her.

The court rejected his contentions and sent him behind bars while noting that the woman was threatened and coerced to have physical relation.

"Theactofmaking physicalrelationswasundercoercionandthe consent wasnotvoluntary anditwaspassivegivinginbytheprosecutrixonaccountof inevitable compulsionandcloudedbythefearofthreatsofblackmailingbythe accused.

"Despitethe continuousFIRsagainsttheaccused, theaccusedwasnot desistingfrom hisactofmolestingtheprosecutrixandconductoftheaccused certainly had a scary impact onthemindoftheprosecutrix," the court said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The fate of the juvenile accused in the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in will be decided next week by the High Court with the Crime Branch moving a petition to contest that he is a minor, officials said on Thursday.

A decision on the petition, which will be heard early next week, will give clarity on whether his case will be heard along with the seven other accused before the district and sessions judge or continue to be tried by the Juvenile Board in

"The police has conducted a thorough probe and also carried out medical tests on the accused. The reports suggest his age to be in the 19-23 age bracket," said a senior official of the state law department.

He said all the evidence collected in the case was the same for all the accused.

"We cannot make a witness depose twice -- once in and the second time before the Juvenile Board. The clarity is important," the official said.

The case was transferred out of to following a petition moved by the victim's family, which pressed for a fair trial and cited the hostile attitude of the Bar Association that had tried to prevent Crime Branch officials from filing the charge sheet.

On May 7, a three-judge bench comprising and Justices D Y Chandrachud and Indu Malhotra transferred the case to the district and sessions judge in Pathankot and directed it to hold in-camera day to day trial.

In its nine-page order, the bench had said, "The juvenile, who is facing the trial, shall be dealt with in accordance with law and he should be given all special care and protection as per the command of the law."



The juvenile had allegedly kidnapped the girl on January 10 on directions of his uncle Sanji Ram, who is the brain behind her abduction and killing.

The minor along with Vishal, son of Sanji Ram, and special police officer Deepak Khajuria, alias 'Deepu', had raped her repeatedly for four days before killing her on January 14 and dumping her body in the jungle, the charge sheet said.The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is likely to issue work orders for the ambitious Rs 46,000-crore Nagpur-Mumbai Samruddhi Expressway in June, a senior government official said.

The corporation today declared the list of 13 lowest bidders for the 700-km project, which will be developed in 13 packages.

The bidders include Nagpur Megha Engineering, Afcons, NCC, PNC Infratech, Sadbhav Engineering, APCO, Reliance Infrastructure, MonteCarlo, Megha Engineering, L&T, Gayatri Projects, Dilip Buildcon and BSCPL.

"After the outcome of the financial bids, we shall now immediately undertake the process of evaluation of the valuation submitted by the financial bidders. After completion of the due diligence in next few days, we may issue work orders," MSRDC vice-chairman and managing director Radheshyam Mopalwar said in a release.

So far, the state government has acquired 81 per cent of private and government lands for the project.

"The project will connect 10 districts, 26 talukas and 392 villages in the state and will help state prosper through a holistic process," he added.

The greenfield project will have access control, while its design and alignment is prepared as per International Road Congress (IRC) standards.

The expressway will not only connect Nagpur and Mumbai, but also reduce current travel time of 18 hours to eight hours between the two cities.

The construction for the project has been divided into 16 packages and the bid process for the remaining three packages is still under progress.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) today admitted the petition of debt ridden Jaiprakash Associates challenging NCLT order, which had directed the realty firm to return nearly 760-acre land to its subsidiary Jaypee Infratech.

It has directed to list Jaiprakash Associates' appeal on July 13 for next hearing, when the petition of lenders - Axis Bank, Standard Chartered Bank and ICICI Bank, which have already challenged the order of National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) -- will be heard.

The appellate tribunal had already stayed the order of Allahabad bench of NCLT on May 24 on lender's plea.

"The interim order would continue," said a two member bench headed by Chairman Justice S J Mukhopadhaya while admitting the plea.

Passing an order on May 16 NCLT had asked Jaiprakash Associates to return nearly 760-acre land to its subsidiary Jaypee Infratech, declaring the transfer of the land as "fraudulent" and "undervalued".

However, NCLAT had on May 24 stayed it, saying the finding of NCLT that fraud has been committed on the mortgaged property by Jaiprakash Associates to the banks was not based on 'evidence' or 'in accordance with law'.

The appellate tribunal had also observed: "NCLT is not a civil court...it has no right to declare an instrument illegal".

NCLT had directed JP Group's flagship firm Jaiprakash Associates to release and discharge interest created over the patch of land to lenders, including ICICI Bank.

The order had come over a petition filed by Jaypee Infratech's resolution professional (RP) Anuj Jain in the NCLT, seeking direction over the transactions entered by the company's promoters, creating mortgage on its 858 acre to secure debt for Jaiprakash Associates.

In the 77-page order, the tribunal had listed out the details of six parcels of land totalling 759-acres land in Agra and Aligarh districts, Uttar Pradesh.

The NCLT directed to return only 759 acre out of total 858 acre as it found that the transaction related to 100 acre in Aligarh district was entered before the start period of CIRP.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) today wrested the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha seat from the BJP, which had won it in 2014 defeating senior NCP leader Praful Patel.

NCP's Madhukar Kukade defeated Hemant Patle of BJP by 48,097 votes in the bypolls, an election official said.

The bypoll was necessitated due to resignation of BJP MP Nana Patole.

The NCP nominee polled 4,42,213 votes against the BJP candidate's 3,94,116, the official said.

The other 16 candidates in the fray were mostly independents or belonged to local outfits. The total valid votes polled were 9,42,048.

The bypoll was held on May 28 and repolling was held at 49 centres on May 29 after EVM malfunctioning was reported.

The result takes NCP's tally of Lok Sabha members from Maharashtra to five, while the number of BJP Lok Sabha members from the state was reduced to 22.

Patole resigned from the party and Lok Sabha in December last year, alleging government's failure in handling economy, agriculture and unemployment.

He was a known critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and often hit out at the NDA government's policy decisions.

A former Congress legislator, Patole joined the BJP in the run up to the 16th Lok Sabha elections and defeated senior NCP leader Praful Patel.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The National Green Tribunal has rejected a plea seeking permission to conduct a "mata ki chowki" in a public park at Janakpuri here saying that the place needs to be preserved as "lung space".

A bench headed by acting NGT Chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim said that such a function cannot be held at a public place which was meant for the benefit of the residents in the area.

"The applicant claims to be a group of persons who want to conduct various public functions, and presently has sought directions to the respondents namely South Delhi Municipal Corporation to permit them to conduct 'mata ki chowki' function in the park.

"Undoubtedly, it is a public function which normally cannot be allowed to be conducted in a park which is to be preserved as lung space, and its construction work affects the health of the people of locality. We find no case made out for grant of the function. Hence the application is rejected," the bench said.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by city-based organisation Jyoti Jagran Mandal seeking direction to the municipal corporation concerned to permit them to conduct "mata ki chowki", a Hindu congregation, on June 9 at Chanchal park in Janakpuri here.

Referring to October 10, 2017 order of the NGT, the plea said that the tribunal had allowed holding of "Ramleela" function and Durga puja at the same park.

"We do not find anything illegal or environmentally so prejudicial that we should prohibited for holding of these pujas in the public parks and in the parks which are so earmarked.

"But while permitting so we make it clear that it should be ensured that other parks in the same area are kept free for such allotments to allow greenery and to make availability of parks for the benefit of the residence of the area," the NGT had said in its order.

The New Delhi Municipal Council had earlier told the tribunal that it has taken a policy decision not to give public parks for marriages or other day-to-day functions.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)NSE benchmark Nifty staged a smart recovery today by climbing 121.80 points today on sustained buying in shares of banks, financial and energy sectors tracking firm global cues.

Hectic short-covering bets in view of derivative expiry day for May series along with optimism ahead of key GDP data scheduled to be released late in the day bolstered the trading sentiment.

Overseas, most European stocks were trading higher, but trading in May was set to wrap up with auto makers under pressure as the European Union braces for US-imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Asian stocks ended higher as elevated concerns over Italy's deepening political crisis showed signs of abating.

The 50-issue NSE Nifty ended above the psychological 10,700-level at 10,736.15, showing a gain of 121.80 points, or 1.15 per cent, it shuttled between 10,763.80 and 10,620.40.

Sector-wise, Nifty Bank rose by 2.39 per cent, followed by private banks 2.18 per cent, finance services 2.13 per cent, energy 0.91 per cent, IT 0.80 per cent, FMCG 0.55 per cent and PSU banks 0.35 per cent, while pharmacy fell by 1.21 per cent, media 0.88 per cent, realty 0.71 per cent, metal 0.46 per cent and auto 0.27 per cent.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a major setback to the Air India disinvestment process, the government today said no initial bids were received for the proposed stake sale and various options would be explored for the future of the debt-laden national carrier.

The deadline for submission of Expression of Interest (EoI) ended today with not a single bidder evincing interest in the airline, nearly one year after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led NDA government gave its nod for the stake sale.

In nearly two decades, this is the second time that Air India stake sale has not taken off. Back in 2001, during the then NDA government, the disinvestment process was scrapped.

"As informed by the transaction adviser, no response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India," the Civil Aviation Ministry said in a tweet.

"Further course of action will be decided appropriately," it added.

EY is the transaction adviser for the process.

Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said the government was expecting better participation for the Air India stake sale and indicated that there could be a re-think on the strategy.

The alternative mechanism headed by the finance minister would decide the future course of action on Air India disinvestment, Choubey said, even as he emphasised that the government would not like the airline to lose the market share.

A joint forum of Air India employee unions claimed "victory" as the government failed to attract bidders.

To a query on the possible impact on the government's fiscal deficit and disinvestment target, Economic Affairs Secretary Subhash Chandra Garg said, "We would need to look at what these options are whichever option is chosen... will have an implication for current year".

The government has proposed to offload 76 per cent equity share capital of the national carrier as well as transfer the management control to private players, as per the preliminary information memorandum.

The transaction would involve Air India, its low cost arm Air India Express and Air India SATS Airport Services Pvt Ltd. The latter is an equal joint venture between the national carrier and Singapore-based SATS Ltd.

Under the proposed disinvestment process, around Rs 33,000 crore debt would have remained with Air India. The national carrier's debt burden was about Rs 50,000 crore at the end of March 2017.

Earlier this month, the government had extended the EoI submission deadline to May 31 from the previous date of May 14. The qualified interested bidders were to be intimated on June 15.

"The buzz we received (about Air India stake sale) was certainly encouraging... The transaction adviser will be finding out what is it that they (potential bidders) still found to be a deterrent. We will sit together and take stock," he noted.

Choubey said the entire process has been a great learning experience and we are in a much better position to judge what the market wants.

"We again and again informed the market that the government has no intention of doing any kind of control other than whatever is the limited rights that we will get as part of shareholders' agreement. We did not leave it ambiguous. Our impression is that we were very very clear which ought to have given the comfort that the new buyer can run exactly as it wants," he said.

The government would retain 24 per cent stake in the national carrier, the winning bidder would be required to stay invested in the airline for at least three years, as per the memorandum that was issued on March 28.

Indicating that there would be a re-think on disinvestment strategy, Choubey said the government would factor in all the learnings, including those related to employees and debt while deciding the future course of action.

The government will ensure that the airline does not face "any operational difficulties following the latest developments", Choubey said.

He was responding to a query on whether the airline would now be having more financial uncertainties as there are decisions linked to the outcome of the disinvestment process.

In April, both IndiGo and Jet Airways had said that they would not be participating in the Air India disinvestment process. IndiGo was the first to evince interest in Air India disinvestment when the government had mooted the plan last year.

Explaining about the next steps, Choubey said the process involves going to the evaluation committee -- which is an inter-ministerial grouping -- under the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), then to the Core Group on Disinvestment headed by Cabinet Secretary and finally to the alternative mechanism.

The alternative mechanism on Air India is likely to take up the matter in a couple of weeks, he added.

"Various options are available and the alternate mechanism would take a call," he said, adding that current bid process cannot go forward since there are no EoIs.

Air India is staying afloat on a bailout package worth over Rs 30,000 crore approved by the previous UPA regime in 2012.

Aviation consultancy CAPA urged the government to carry out a comprehensive restructuring of debt-ridden Air India and followed by 100 per cent divestment with less complex terms.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said he was not aware of any letter to his ministry from Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NAB) regarding



alleged kickbacks in the procurement of spare parts for transport aircraft An-32 by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

He was replying to a question on the media report which claimed that Ukraine's NAB had written to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) claiming that kickbacks to the tune of Rs 17.55 crore was paid to some Indian defence officials for the spares deal.

"Aisa koi mamla mere saamne abhi tak nahi aya hai (no such matter has come to me so far)," Singh told reporters here.

The media report said the Ukrainian agency had sought legal assistance from the MHA for its probe into the alleged kickbacks.

Responding to a question on firing by the Pakistani troops targeting civilians along the border in Jammu and Kashmir, the home minister said there were concerns about their safety and bunkers were being built for them.

Describing these border dwellers as the country's "strategic asset", he said, "We are constructing 1,400 bunkers for them. These bunkers will be built in the next couple of months."



Listing the Modi government's achievements, he claimed "no major" terror attack took place in the country in the last four years.

"Security forces thwarted the terror attacks in Gurdaspur and Pathankot and all the terrorists were neutralised," the minister said.

Singh said the government has succeeded in curbing Maoist activities to a large extent. "In India, Maoists are now confined to 90 districts only. Earlier, 126 districts were affected by them," he said.

"Naxal terror is mainly restricted to 10 to 11 districts in the country," Singh said adding that in other Maoist-hit districts, cases of extortion and setting transformers on fire were reported.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The health department has issued show-cause notices to 14 hospitals in the district for allegedly flouting norms, an official said today.

The notices were sent after a committee headed by district civil surgeon M K Rathod conducted checks at 350 hospitals, nursing homes and sonography centres in Jalna, Bhokardan, Ambad and Partur municipal councils in the district.

The operation was launched on May 1, the official said.

"We paid surprise visits to 350 hospitals, including 67 sonography centres, and found that 14 of them did not follow the rules laid down under the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act," Rathod said.

"Show-cause notices have been issued to these hospitals. They will face action if they do take the necessary steps," he added.

The committee checked whether the health centres conformed to the rules under Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, apart from the Bombay Nursing Home Registration Act.

"The committee also checked whether these nursing centres and hospitals followed the laid-down safety standards, like fire safety and disposal of bio-medical waste," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)More than half of India's cyber crimes are being committed by fraudsters from an obscure place called Jamtara in Jharkhand, Union Home Secretary Rajib Gauba said today.

Gauba, a 1982-batch IAS officer of Jharkhand cadre, also said that Jamtara, located in Santhal Pargana region, has become the "underbelly" of digital India due to the notoriety it received as the country's cyber crimes hub.

"Jamtara is a sleepy town in the tribal region of Santhal Pargana. It continues to be an obscure town. But in the last few years it got the notoriety as cyber crimes hub," he said at a conference on homeland security here.

"More than half of India's cyber crimes, mostly committed by fraudsters posing as bank managers, were traced back to this small town. This place has become digital India's underbelly," Gauba said.

The home secretary said victims of the fraudsters located in Jamtara are spread across the country.

"The NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) data has not been fully captured the Jamtara's contribution to cyber crime in the country," he said.

Gauba said the reason for highlighting the fraudsters of Jamtara was to show the manner in which the crime was being committed with ease by criminals sitting in a small town.

"These are not highly educated individuals. They are youngsters with little education. They have taken into cyber crime in a big way," he said.

The home secretary said the region was know for petty criminals and thugs and earlier their modus operandi was drugging train passengers, looting them, stealing coal, other minerals, because the region is mineral rich.

"Now they have shifted their modus operandi and they are using smart phones to make a quick buck. This is just a simple example of a larger trend and larger phenomena. I think the arena of activities have shifted to cyber crime. Increasingly people do their transactions online, whether it is buying groceries or books, social interactions.

"So arena of crime is also growing and that is why the law enforcement agencies have to rise and comprehend, undergo massive, I would say tectonic shift in the modus operandi -- from physical world to cyber space," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Odisha police today ordered eight Thai women who were rescued from a high profile sex racket here to leave the country by 3.30 pm.

Commisioner of Police, Bhubaneswar-Cuttack police commisionerate Y B Khurania said the women were rescued on May 19 from a high-profile sex racket running in the guise of a spa at Bapuji Nagar area here.

The Quit India notice was issued to the women as they had violated the visa rules by involving themselves in the flesh trade, he said.

The notice said while some of them had tourist visas, a few had business visas.

During the raid, seven persons were arrested from the spa, Khurania told newsmen.

The special squad of the Commissionerate Police had busted a similar prostitution racket at Gajapati Nagar here recently and rescued three girls. Three men were taken into custody in connection with it.

A similar notice was issued by the police last year three Thai women and asked to leave the country for their involvement in a sex racket running at a spa located at Kharvel Nagar here.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Dealing a body blow to the ruling BJP, opposition parties today emerged victorious in 11 out of 14 bypolls while limiting the saffron party and its allies at just three and snatching the high-profile Kairana Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh with a united force.

With prestige at stake in every single bypoll in run-up to the 2019 general elections, the opposition leaders latched onto today's results across 11 states to claim sliding popularity of the Narendra Modi-led government, even as the BJP asserted that the PM -- which it described as 'P' for performance and 'M' for Mehnat (hard work) -- would decide the Lok Sabha polls next year.

However, opposition leaders saw a big boost for strengthening non-BJP unity with the ruling party losing Kairana Lok Sabha seat in the politically important UP to a united Opposition after a communally-charged election campaign, while similar appeared the result for Bhandara-Gondiya LS constituency in Maharashtra.

The BJP retained another LS seat from Maharashtra, Palghar, where it had faced a challenge from its own ally Shiv Sena but the Opposition could not pose a united fight. BJP's Rajendra Gavit won the seat, defeating Shiv Sena's Shrinivas Wanaga.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, however, alleged "discrepancies" in counting of votes for Palghar.

In Nagaland, the fourth LS seat for which bypoll was held, went to the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a BJP allly in the north-eastern state.

While the LS bypoll results were equally divided at 2-2 between the BJP-led alliance and the opposition parties, figures for the 10 assembly bypolls came as a big setback for the ruling party which could win just one (in Uttarakhand). The Congress bagged three (in Meghalaya, Karnataka and Punjab) and others got six -- JMM two in Jharkhand; CPI (M), SP, RJD and Trinamool one each in Kerala, UP, Bihar and West Bengal, respectively.

The Congress also won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates.

The party, which retained RR Nagar assembly seat in Karnataka and another in Meghalaya, termed the bypoll results as the people's mandate against four years of the Modi rule and the beginning of the end of the BJP empire.

"The writing on the wall is clear. The BJP's exit and success of the Congress and its allies are guaranteed," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told reporters.

The results appeared more marked against the BJP after taking into account the parties that had held these seats earlier. While the BJP alliance retained two LS seats -- one in Maharashtra and another in Nagaland -- it lost two others -- UP's Kairana and Maharashtra's Palghar.

In assembly seats, the BJP and its allies failed to retain Noorpur in UP and Shahkot in Punjab, while Congress, CPI (M), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Trinamool retained their respective seats.

The BJP retained Tharali in Uttarakhand, but lost Noorpur in UP to the SP. Naeemul Hasan of SP trounced BJP's Avni Singh in Noorpur.

In Bihar, RJD won Jokihat by defeating BJP ally JD(U) by a huge margin. The result is being seen as a big jolt to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar who dumped the RJD and Congress last year to join hands with the BJP to form a new coalition government in the state.

A buoyed Tejashwi Yadav of RJD said Kumar should immediate resign if he has some conscience left.

Commenting on the results, senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap and the BJP is "going to take a massive leap."



BJP's Subramanian Swamy, however, had a word of caution for the party and said the "this huge setback in by polls is due to Hubris".

"But the trend is easily reversible if party stops rewarding sycophancy and has more participatory decision making ethos amongst those leaders whom the public find credible. BJP has infrastructure to bounce back but needs a new ethos," he said.

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the results reflect the anger against the Modi government.

The UP results came as the biggest upset for the BJP with the joint opposition candidate, RLD's Tabassum Hasan, wining in Kairana. The seat had fallen vacant after death of the BJP candidate Mriganka Singh's father, Hukum Singh.

Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called the results "a defeat of divisive politics".

CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechuri said BJP's loss at its "laboratory of communal and hate politics", Kairana, clearly showed that people did not accept the ruling party's governance that is "destroying" the unity and integrity of India. He, however, feared that the loss would push the RSS-BJP to spread communal tensions to consolidate the "Hindutva votebank" ahead of the 2019 general elections.

In Punjab, Congress' Hardev Singh Ladi wrested Shahkot from the Shiromani Akali Dal. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh hailed the victory as a "vindication" of the government's people-centric policies.

Trinamool's Dulal Das won Maheshtala bypoll in West Bengal, defeating BJP's Sujit Kumar Ghosh. The Left came third.

In Kerala, Left's Saji Cheriyan won Chengannur bypoll. The Congress came second and the BJP third.

JMM retained Silli and Gomia seats in Jharkhand. In Gomia, JMM's Babita Devi defeated AJSU nominee Lambodar Mahto, while BJP came third. In Silli, JMM's Seema Mahto defeated AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The BJP defeat in Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly constituency has signalled the strength of unity to the opposition in Uttar Pradesh.

Tabassum Hasan of the Rashtriya Lok Dal won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes, while Naeemul Hasan of the SP bagged the Noorpur Assembly seat by 5,662 votes.

The winning RLD candidate in Kairana was backed by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. In Noorpur, the main opposition parties supported the SP nominee.

Against this united opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party's all-out effort to stop a chain of losses in bypolls in the state since 2014 proved futile even though Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath led from the front.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi too held a road show in the vicinity of Kairana, prompting the RLD to approach the Election Commission against what it saw as an attempt to influence polling a day later.

The opposition said its strategy was to confine the election, especially in Kairana, on issues like sugarcane dues from mills and farmers' problems.

The opposition parties formulated a well thought-out plan to check polarisation on communal lines and ensure that sugarcane and farmers remained the main issues, RLD spokesman Anil Dubey said.

The opposition parties concentrated mainly on door-to-door campaigning rather than organising big rallies, he said.

"Collecting big crowds was never a part of our strategy which could have given our opponents a chance to gain advantage in the area, which is communally charged," he said.

Opposition leaders claimed that it was with this in mind that Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav did not campaign personally in Kairana, while RLD's Ajit Singh and Jayant Chaudhary led the campaign with a personal touch.

"It is not necessary to personally visit a place to campaign in the elections, SP spokesman Rajendra Chaudhary said.

An appeal was issued on behalf of the party chief and the rest was managed by the leaders there," he said."The need for a personal visit by Akhilesh Yadav was not felt."



An upbeat joint opposition candidate Tabassum Hasan had said, "We believe in live and let live... we meet everyone, sit with everyone and take everyone along.

We have done that and we will continue to do so. We live in peace and harmony," she said.

She said the BJP never talked about real issues.

"They bring up issues like photos of Jinnah. After all, Jinnah was once from here, she said referring to the recent row over Pakistan founder's portrait which hangs at the student union office on Aligarh Muslim University campus.

That is not a real issue. The real issues are those of the farmers, the poor. On that, they have nothing to say," she said.

The opposition had tasted success in the earlier Lok Sabha bye-elections in Gorakhpur and Phulpur, winning seats vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his deputy Keshav Prasad Maurya.

It applied the lesson from those bye-elections to the Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly bypolls, wresting both seats.

The ruling BJP, however, made a big effort to win the two seats, especially Kairana.

It hoped to send out a strong message that the drubbing it got in the March bypolls was an aberration, and that the party was very much a force to reckon with in western UP.

Mriganka Singh, the losing candidate, said the power of the alliance was seen in these polls and the BJP will have to work harder in future elections.

"A lot of work has been done by the central and the state governments, but it seems that we have not been able to take that message to the people," she said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's Punjab province government has sought a grant of one billion rupees from the Federal Finance Ministry for running over 200 properties of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation, seized during a crackdown on the two organisations of the Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, a provincial official said today.

The federal government had, in February, started confiscating the properties of Saeed's banned outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) and its charity arm Falah-e-Insaniyat Foundation (FIF) across the country during a crackdown on the two organisations, in line with the UN Security Council sanctions list.

In a letter to the Federal Finance Ministry, the Punjab government, which claims to have taken over 200 properties - including offices, schools, dispensaries and ambulance service - of the JuD and the FIF, expressed its inability to bear the expenses of running them and demanded immediate release of at least Rs 1 billion for the purpose in the financial year (2018-19), a provincial officer told PTI.

"Since the Federal government had not allocated any amount in this year's budget to run the JuD and FIF properties, taken over by the Punjab government, it has written to the federal finance ministry informing that it needs at least Rs 1 billion for the financial year (2018-19) for the purpose," he said.

"Only for Gujranwala division, that houses more than 50 properties of the JuD and the FIF, including JuD's Muridke headquarters (about 40-km from Lahore) an amount of of Rs 370 million is required annually to run them," he said.

A Senate committee, in March, had disclosed that 148 properties of the two entities linked to Saeed had been taken over in nine out of 10 divisions of Punjab.

The assets of the medical wings of the two groups were to be taken over by Pakistan Red Crescent Society.

The federal government has barred companies and individuals from giving donations to the JuD, the FIF and other organisations on the UN Security Council sanctions list.

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan issued a notification to all companies, prohibiting them from donating money to the entities and individuals listed under the UNSC sanctions committee's consolidated list.

But despite properties being taken over, the JuD and FIF activists are allowed to use them, especially JuD headquarters in Lahore and Muridke.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain today signed a key constitutional amendment bill to merge restive tribal region along the Afghan border with the northwestern province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, bringing an end to the 150-year-old British-era arrangement.

The bill was passed by the National Assembly, the Senate and KP Assembly before being sent to the president for formal approval.

After signing the bill, the president congratulated the people of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Geo TV reported.

The bill amends several Articles of the Constitution including Article 1 that defines the territory of Pakistani federation.

Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi who played a key role in bringing consensus to pass the amendment in the National Assembly had said that it will "change 150-year-old system in the tribal areas."



The semi-autonomous tribal region was created by British colonizer as a buffer zone to avoid direct conflict with Afghanistan.

It consists of seven districts - Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Mohmand, North Waziristan, Orakzai and South Waziristan - which stretch along the border with Afghanistan, and became known in the world due to presence of militants who fled the porous border after US forces invaded Afghanistan post-9/11.

These seven districts are home to some eight million residents, mainly ethnic Pashtuns.

Pakistan forces launched repeated military operation to clear the area of rebels and dismantle their hideouts which were used to launch attack in the country and Afghanistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan's PML-N government today completed its five-year tenure, the first time that two consecutive democratically elected governments have served their terms in the country's seven decades history.

The country, ruled by the powerful army for much of its life, experienced its first democratic transition of power in 2013, when Pakistan Peoples Party handed over the power to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) after the general elections.

Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs today issued a notification announcing the dissolution of the 14th National Assembly at midnight on May 31, 2018.

At the stroke of midnight, the National Assembly's constitutionally mandated tenure of five years will expire, and a caretaker setup which will oversee the country's affairs till the general elections on July 25, 2018 will be ushered in.

The caretaker government headed by former chief justice Nasirul Mulk will be sworn in tomorrow to run the country during the period when elections are held to elect the new government.

A government official said that all preparation have been made to administer oath to the caretaker prime minister at the President House where President Mamnoon Hussain will give oath to Nasirul Mulk.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) today also formally announced the final schedule for general elections which will be held on July 25 across the country.

It said that candidate will file nomination papers from June 2-6, which will be scrutinised by the ECP from June 7-14.

Rivals will be allowed to challenge the nomination until June 19 and the ECP will decide on these appeals by June 26.

The final list of candidates will be issued by June 27, and all shortlisted candidates will have till June 28 to withdraw their nomination papers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan today accused India of escalating ceasefire violations at the Line of Control and the Working Boundary, and said it will continue to support the Kashmiri people.

Pakistan's outgoing Foreign Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan, who also holds the Defense portfolio, said that the eastern neighbour will have to "abandon negative approaches, and concede to the logic of unconditional dialogue."



Talking to reporters on the five-year performance report of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party government, which completed its term today, he said Pakistan highlighted and forcefully put the Kashmir issue at every forum and platform, particularly at the UN General Assembly.

He accused India of disrupting the Indus Water Treaty and escalating violations of ceasefire at the Line of Control and Working Boundary.

He said that on the regional plane, SAARC summit was impeded from going ahead.

The SAARC summit was scheduled to be held in Islamabad in 2016, but it was cancelled after India boycotted the meet following an attack on an Indian Army camp in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir, in which 17 jawans were killed and severa others injured.

SAARC summits have not been held since 2016, as India argues that the summit cannot be held unless Pakistan takes action against terror outfits operating out of its soil.

Khan claimed that the arrest and confession of Indian prisoner Khulbhushan Jadhav has beyond "an iota of doubt proven India's reprehensible designs to subvert Pakistan."



On Afghanistan, he said Pakistan would continue to lend all possible support to an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process of peace and reconciliation. He also welcomed the Afghanistan government's unconditional offer of talks to the Taliban.

The minister also shared five-year performance report called "Pakistan's Foreign Policy 2013-2018: Challenges, Successes and Future Direction".

He said in the past five years, Pakistan had faced with numerous challenges emanating from a difficult strategic environment, unprecedented flux in the geopolitical context, and its fight against terrorism and extremism.

"We have navigated successfully through turbulent waters, and have achieved measurable success through a 'regional recalibration' of our foreign policy," he said.

Khan said that first under former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and later under Prime Minister Shahid Abbasi, the PML-N government endeavoured to forge closer and better relations with countries in the neighbourhood, and the world at large.

He said the launch and quick progress on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, the flagship project of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative, has been a landmark achievement. "It is a measure of success of our foreign policy that we are now poised to translate our geo-strategic location into a geo economic asset," he said.

He said the PML-N government delivered on all fronts in five years and the country emerged from the dark period of terrorism, crippling energy shortages, and a regressing economy into a peaceful, economically vibrant, energy-sufficient and globally-connected nation.

On Pakistan's strained ties with the US, he said, "the new US policy on Afghanistan and South Asia has created an "unnecessary" divergence, which is based largely on perceptions rather than facts.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)"Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar", starring Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra, will hit the theatres countrywide on March 1, next year.

The romantic-thriller, directed by Dibaker Banerjee, features Arjun as a Haryanvi cop, while Parineeti essays the role of an ambitious girl from the corporate world.

"I feel this is my first film all over again, at least in terms of the excitement with the material. 'Sandeep and Pinky' bring to screen the two Indias that are forever clashing. I want the audience not to lose a second of that. We finished the shoot one month late because of the intense weather conditions on the Indo-Nepal border," Dibaker said in a statement.

"I don't want 'Sandeep and Pinky' to be shortchanged on edit time. YRF agreed with my request and so we are pressing on together to the new date. 2019 is when India chooses its future. I'm looking forward to release in that year and choose mine," he added.

The film marks the second collaborations between Arjun and Parineeti after "Ishaqzaade" in 2012. The pair will also be seen in "Namastey England" which will release in October this year.

"Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar" has been produced by Yash Raj Films which will also distribute it.

"Arjun and Parineeti have 'Namaste England' releasing on Dussehra this year and the makers had announced this date a while back. It would have been unfair for us to request them to shift their film. Also, we wanted to have a gap between these two films as it features the same star cast and given the extremely busy release calendar of this year, we feel March 1 is the best date for our movie to open," Rohan Malhotra, VP - Distribution at YRF, said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)PDP Chief Coordinator Choudhary Abdul Hamid said today his party had sought an assurance from the Centre over holding of talks with Hurriyat and Pakistan ahead of government formation in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The foundation of PDP was laid upon the principle of restoration of peace and end of enmity between the two countries," Hamid said at a meeting convened at the party office here.

The party, ahead of the formation of government, sought assurance from the central government over holding talks with Hurriyat and Pakistan for the timely resolution of the long pending Kashmir issue, he added.

He said that the government of India responded positively to the pleas of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti was a remarkable achievement for the people of Kashmir as the Centre is not only helping the chief minister to usher in a new era of development but is also on the forefront to ensure a peaceful solution.

Welcoming the recent ceasefire on borders, Hamid said the initiatives being taken by the government of India must be welcomed by all in the state irrespective of the party lines as it is Jammu and Kashmir that was getting affected by the arch rivalry between the two countries.

Hamid said the violence on borders was taking toll, affecting the local populace and denying them the right to live peacefully and earn livelihood with dignity.

Hailing Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for impressing upon those at the helm in New Delhi to extend the hand of friendship towards neighbouring countries, the PDP chief coordinator said the party had not been leaving any stone unturned to ensure the state, already torn by the uncertainty and violence, could witness an era of peace and progress.

Welcoming the announcement made by the chief minister for equal benefits to the people living along the International Border (IB) as available to those living along the Line of Control (LoC), he said their sufferings were indistinguishable.

He said the announcement of construction of 'Border Bhawans'including a special recruitment drive would at large benefit the residents of LoC and IB.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Philadelphia Zoo officials hope to recapture four peacocks that escaped and caused a traffic jam on a major highway.

The officials will work with police today after the birds took a stroll along Interstate 76 around 8.30 pm local time yesterday. State police arrived and shut down two lanes of traffic on the highway, causing backups for miles.

Police say they managed to get the birds off the highway, but they were unable to capture them. Zoo officials say the peacocks went to roost for the night.

The zoo says the flock roams freely on its grounds, and it is cared for by veterinary staff. The zoo says the birds sometime venture past its gates, but they normally return home on their own.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The government is mulling a proposal to import gold from to help gems and jewellery exporters provided they agree to ship out the entire consignment after value addition, Commerce and Industry Minister has said.

Under the 'bonded basis' imports, the duty free consignment will not be allowed for domestic use and the entire gold will have to be exported after value addition.

The scheme is expected to help save foreign exchange and cut the country's import bill in US dollar terms.

The idea was floated by Prabhu during his recent visit to St Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2018.

"Huge gold resources are there in and we have a huge potential of jewellery exports from India. It is a labour intensive sectors. Import of gold affects current account deficit." he told PTI.

"Therefore, I have proposed to them that can we import gold from on a bonded basis. That will come here but will not be treated as imports and that will be used only for value addition and then export," he said.

Prabhu said he will be discuss the proposal at the highest level.

India's gold imports declined by about 13.5 per cent to $27.4 billion in 2016-17. It is one of the largest gold importers in the world, led by demand from the jewellery industry.

The idea assumes significance as the gems and jewellery exporters have raised issues over high import duty on gold. Currently there is a 10 per cent customs duty on the yellow metal.

Prabhu has also proposed to Russia to increase exports of rough diamond for cutting and polishing here. India is the world's largest cutting and polishing centre.

To further strengthen economic ties with Russia, the minister has proposed to develop agriculture and creation to corridor to facilitate smooth movement of consignments.

'This was a very important and productive visit," he said, adding that in September the ministry is planning to invite 100 Russian industrialists to make goods in India and promote business between the two sides.

According to government the data, the bilateral trade between the countries increased to $7.5 billion in 2016-17 from USD 6.2 billion in the previous fiscal. But the trade is in the favour of Russia.Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his newly-elected Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad and the two leaders had a productive exchange of views on strengthening the strategic partnership.

Modi, who arrived here today on the second leg of his three-nation tour, met Mahathir in his office at Perdana Putra Complex, Putrajaya.

"The two leaders had a productive exchange of views on strengthening our strategic partnership. PM congratulated Dr. Mahathir on assuming the post of Prime Minister of Malaysia," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Ninety-two-year-old Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia's prime minister on May 10 after leading the opposition alliance to a stunning election victory over the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had ruled Malaysia since 1957.

Earlier, the Prime Minister's Office said that Modi will be discussing aspects relating to India-Malaysia cooperation with Mahathir.

"Malaysia is a strategic partner and a priority country in our Act East Policy," Kumar said.

Modi had announced in New Delhi that on his way to Singapore, he will make a brief halt in Malaysia to meet Mahathir and congratulate the new Malaysian leadership.

From Kuala Lumpur, Modi will leave for Singapore where he will deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security meet, tomorrow.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad to personally congratulate him on his stunning election victory and the two leaders had "productive discussions" on bolstering the bilateral strategic ties.

Modi, who arrived here on a whirlwind visit on the second leg of his three-nation tour, met 92-year-old Mahathir in his office at Perdana Putra Complex, Putrajaya.

"Glad to have met Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. I thank him for the warm welcome. We had productive discussions on further cementing India-Malaysia ties," Modi tweeted in both Malay and English.

The two leaders discussed ways to boost economic and cultural relations between India and Malaysia.

Modi is among the first world leaders to meet Mahathir, who became the world's oldest elected leader when his Pakatan Harapan Opposition alliance registered a stunning victory over the Barisan Nasional coalition, which had ruled Malaysia since 1957.

Mahathir, who had retired from the post of prime minister in 2003, after 22 years at its helm, was sworn-in again as Malaysia's premier on May 10.

This is the first meeting between Modi and Mahathir. Modi last visited Malaysia in November 2015.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said the two leaders had a productive exchange of views on strengthening the strategic partnership between India and Malaysia.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi congratulated Dr. Mahathir on assuming the post of Prime Minister of Malaysia, he added.

During his brief stopover, Modi also met with Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and her husband Anwar Ibrahim.

"Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia Dr. Wan Azizah called on PM @narendramodi during PM's brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur. Good discussion took place to take our relationship to newer heights. Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was also present," Kumar tweeted.

Malaysia and India have close ties with culture and history as well as in various key areas, particularly infrastructure development, education, tourism and defence.

India is Malaysia's largest trading partner in South Asia with total turnover of RM 61.43 billion (USD 15.44 billion) in 2017.

Earlier, the Prime Minister's Office said that Modi will be discussing aspects relating to India-Malaysia cooperation with Mahathir.

"Malaysia is a strategic partner and a priority country in our Act East Policy," Kumar said.

Modi had announced in New Delhi that on his way to Singapore, he will make a brief halt in Malaysia to meet Mahathir and congratulate the new Malaysian leadership.

After concluding his whirlwind trip, Modi left for Singapore where he will deliver a keynote address at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an annual security meet, tomorrow.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi today launched three Indian mobile payment apps in Singapore at a business event aimed at internationalisation of the country's digital payment platform.

At the 'Business, Innovation and Community Event' here where digital platform was the main feature, Modi launched India's BHIM, RuPay and SBI app.

India's RuPay digital payments system was linked up with Singapore's 33-year old Network for Electronic Transfers (NETS).

RuPay users will be able to make payments at all of NETS acceptance points across Singapore.

Holders of Singapore NETS will be able to make online purchase on any National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) e-commerce merchant website in India, using 2.8 million RuPay point of sale terminals in India.

Industry observers said it would create multi-billion dollar transactions as some five million Indians travel to and transit through Singapore, internationalising the RuPay beginning with the first cross border usage.

Also, a new app-based rupee remittance mode of the SBI's Singapore branch was launched at the event.

"In order to expand our remittance offering, we are launching rupee remittance to India through United Payment Interface (UPI)," SBI country head in Singapore, Soma Sankara Prasad, said today after the launch at the event where digital platform was the main feature.

Singapore branch of the SBI is the first to launch this new mode of remittance in collaboration with National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI).

"This is a major step towards the internationalisation of India's digital payment platform," Prasad said.

It will be most convenient for Indian blue-collar workers here to use the app for sending money home from their dormitories at work sites, he said.

Remittance of up to Rupees 100,000 will be made quick, easy and convenient with the help of Virtual Payment Address (VPA). This service will be available to all savings account holders of SBI Singapore.

SBI has six branches in Singapore as well as Auto Teller Machines (ATMs).

Modi today started his tour in Singapore, by visiting the exhibitions centre.

The India-Singapore Enterprise and Innovation Exhibitions at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre showcased innovation in frontier technologies, including artificial intelligence, fin-tech and innovation for social impact.

The exhibition was put up jointly by Indian and Singaporean companies.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for Malaysia after wrapping up his visit to Indonesia where he held talks with President Joko Widodo to cement the political, economic and strategic interest of the two friendly maritime neighbours.

"I thank President Joko Widodo and the wonderful people of Indonesia for the exceptional hospitality. This visit has added great strength to bilateral relations between our nations," Modi tweeted tweeted in both Indonesian and English along with his pictures.

During his brief stopover in Kuala Lumpur on his way to Singapore, Prime Minister Modi will meet his newly-elected Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad.

Ninety-two-year-old Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia's prime minister on May 10 after leading the opposition alliance to a stunning election victory over the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, which had ruled Malaysia since 1957.

Modi and Mahathir are expected to deliberate on ways to deepen bilateral relationship in a range of areas, including trade and investment.

During his first-ever official visit to Indonesia, Modi held "productive discussions" with President Widodo. The two countries elevated their bilateral ties to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and condemned terrorism in all its forms, including cross-border terror.

India and Indonesia also signed 15 agreements, including one to boost defence cooperation and called for freedom of navigation in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for Singapore after a brief halt in Malaysia where he met his newly-elected Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohammad and discussed ways to boost bilateral ties.

Modi congratulated Mahathir on assuming the post of Prime Minister of Malaysia. The two leaders had a productive exchange of views on strengthening the strategic partnership.

Deputy Prime Minister Dr Wan Azizah was at the airport to see off Modi.

Modi, who arrived here today on the second leg of his three-nation tour, met 92-year-old Mahathir in his office at Perdana Putra Complex, Putrajaya.

Modi is among the first world leaders to meet Mahathir, who became the world's oldest elected leader when his opposition alliance registered a stunning victory over the Barisan Nasional coalition, which had ruled Malaysia since 1957.

Mahathir was sworn in as Malaysia's prime minister on May 10.

This is the first meeting between the two leaders. Modi last visited Malaysia in Novembver 2015.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi today said polls should be held on time as neither the government nor the opposition are in favour of any delay in the upcoming general election.

Abbasi made a farewell address during the 14th National Assembly's final session just hours before the end of five-year term of the parliament at midnight tonight.

Not even a day's delay will be acceptable, he said referring to the election due to be held on July 25.

He said free and fair elections were necessary for the survival of democracy in the country.

Abbasi also said the democracy should continue at all costs as there was no alternative to democracy.

The current problems faced by Pakistan can only be resolved through a government which comes through the will of the people, said Abbasi.

He said timely holding of elections is a constitutional requirement and "we would not allow even a day's delay in the conduct of polls".

He also proposed national dialogue to define the relationship among institutions and forge consensus on critical issues.

The prime minister said economy of the country has been revamped and a growth rate of about six per cent has been achieved. He claimed Pakistan has become an investment destination for foreign and local investors adding radical tax reforms have been introduced while the energy crisis has been overcome due to prudent policies of his government.

He said government initiated projects will ensure sufficient availability of electricity by 2030. He said 114 new gas discoveries were recorded in his tenure.

He also said today gas is available to every consumer in Pakistan and that supply of gas will be made available by 2020 through the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) gas pipeline.

Abbasi said the government has brought a revolution in internal and regional connectivity. He said 1,700 kilometers long motorways have either been completed or in completion phase across Pakistan. He said western corridor will open up Balochistan.

He said merger of the tribal region with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is also a hallmark of the government.

He also thanked Speaker Ayaz Sadiq and Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed Shah for their leadership in running to business of the parliament.

Abbasi also said that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has turned around the economy and was leaving the county in far better shape than it inherited in 2013.

The economy is better than it was when we came into power, in spite of all the challenges we faced both external and internal, he said.

Speaker Sadiq also delivered his farewell speech expressed satisfaction with the house and federal government's five-year term.

He said this parliament passed 57 new laws, six finance acts, five Constitution amendments, three amendments (repeal) and 82 amendments were made in existing laws.

He said for the first time seven acts were passed in joint sitting whereas thirty private bills became laws during the tenure of this assembly.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu will meet top officials of Airbus in Paris this week and discuss possibilities for the aerospace giant to manufacture aircraft in India.

"I will be meeting top bosses of Airbus and try to request them to start manufacturing aircrafts in India," Prabhu told PTI.

The minister is in Paris for the meeting of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). He will also participate in the meeting of key WTO (World Trade Organisation) members on the sidelines of OECD meet.

The minister also holds commerce and industry portfolio.

India is also seeking cooperation from the US to locally produce civil and defence aircraft in the country.

In March, the minister had stated that the government wants to extend the 'Make in India' initiative to planes and drones, and not just import the entire requirement in the coming years.

India will need more than 1,300 planes in the next few years, he had said.

About the OECD meet, Prabhu said India would raise the issue of growing protectionism and challenges for global trade.

He will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Australia, France and South Africa.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Two rare original drawings of Tintin from the comic album "The Red Sea Sharks" go under the hammer Saturday, in a seldom-seen sale expected to rake in huge sums.

A pencil-on-paper 35.2x50 cm (13.8 x 19.6 inch) design and a 30.7x47.7 cm India ink copy, drawn by the Belgian cartoonist known as Herge in 1957, could fetch between USD 720,000 to USD 960,000 (618,000 to 825,000 euros), auctioneers said.

The two drawings depict page 58 of the intrepid boy reporter's adventures in the 19th album by Herge, known as "Coke en Stock" in French and published in 1958.

They show 12 panels starting with Tintin, his crusty sea-going friend Captain Haddock, his faithful canine companion Snowy and the eyepatch-wearing Estonian pilot Piotr Skut looking out to sea.

The action seamlessly moves underneath their ship, the S S Ramona, where an attempt by a frogman to plant a limpet mine is cut short as he is hit on the head by a dropping anchor.

The mine is then eaten by a ravenous shark which swims off emitting a series of hiccups, while the diver is treated on a nearby submarine, his head heavily bandaged.

In the last panel, Tintin and Captain Haddock look on in disbelief as the limpet mine explodes far off to sea after a final hiccup from the shark.

The pages "are excellent examples of Herge's clear-line drawing technique," said Brussels-based comic art expert Eric Verhoest.

"But it's not just the drawings, it's also the way he moves the story forward. Herge was a master in doing this," Verhoest told AFP.

"With great ingenuity, Herge arranges the spaces according to the locations" -- on board the ship, under water and in the submarine, added Heritage Auctions, which is putting the drawings up for sale in Dallas, Texas on Saturday.

The auction house will also livestream the event at its Dutch headquarters outside Utrecht.

Original Herge drawings rarely appear on the open market as the artist did not have to sell his original artworks, but occasionally gave them away to close friends as gifts, Heritage Auctions added in a statement.

Herge gave the set on auction Saturday to a "Scandinavian friend" in the 1970s who later sold it to a buyer "in a German-speaking part of Europe," Verhoest said.

Earlier this month a rare original 1939 illustration from the comic book album "King Ottokar's Sceptre" sold for more than 600,000 euros at an auction at Christie's in Paris.

The record for an original page of Herge's drawings dating from 1937 was set in 2014 when it sold at over two million euros.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Financial services firm Religare Enterprises today reported a 27 per cent jump in its standalone net loss at Rs 64.33 crore in the quarter to March 2017-18.

It had registered a net loss of Rs 50.59 crore in the corresponding January-March period of 2016-17.

Total income on standalone basis during the quarter under review stood at Rs 13.26 crore against Rs 1.82 crore in the same period a year ago.

For the full fiscal (2017-18), its net loss came in at Rs 110.18 crore against a loss of Rs 159.24 crore in the preceding fiscal, the company said in a regulatory filing.

Total income (standalone) during 2017-18 was Rs 71 crore, up from Rs 35.09 crore in FY 2016-17.

On a consolidated basis, the company reported a net loss of Rs 1,192.50 crore during the fiscal ended March 2018, against Rs 174.27 crore in the previous year.

Consolidated income during the year also fell to Rs 2,693.14 crore as against Rs 3,841.02 crore.

The company said it made provisions of Rs 82.76 crore during the year ended March 2018 against non-performing assets on inter corporate loan given and advance given for settlement of corporate guarantee given to banks.

In a matter related with certain fixed deposits (FDs) made by its subsidiary Religare Finvest Ltd (RFL) with Lakshmi Vilas Bank, it said the bank through a letter in February purported "to allude to certain loans disbursed by LVB to third parties allegedly in consideration of security of the RFL's FDs with LVB".

"By means of this letter, LVB also purported to call upon RFL to execute the security documentation in connection with the alleged loans," it said, adding it was informed expressly to the bank that RFL was not party to any loans that were allegedly sanctioned on granted by LVB to any third party.

It said the subsidiary has filed a suit for recovery of the FDs aggregating to Rs 79,144.77 lakh appropriated by the bank before the Delhi High Court.

The company's auditor said that "pending disposal of the case, we are unable to comment on the status and classification."



Stock of the company closed 2.12 per cent down at Rs 50.90 apiece on the BSE.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)As many as 26 countries, including India, would participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) military exercise from June 27 to August 2, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California, the Pentagon announced today.

Known as the world's largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC this year involves 47 surface ships, five submarines, 18 national land forces, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel.

Ahead of the announcement, the United States had disinvited China from RIMPAC, a move Beijing described as "unfortunate".

Four countries -- Brazil, Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnam -- are participating in RIMPAC for the first time. The theme this year is "Capable, Adaptive, Partners." Participating nations and forces will exercise a wide range of capabilities and demonstrate the inherent flexibility of maritime forces, a media release from the US 3rd Fleet Public Affairs said.

Other countries participating in this year's exercise include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, South Korea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Tonga, and the United Kingdom.

Additional firsts include New Zealand serving as sea combat commander and Chile serving as combined force maritime component commander. This is the first time a non-founding RIMPAC nation (Chile) will hold a component commander leadership position.

This year will also feature live firing of a Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) from a US Air Force aircraft, surface-to-ship missiles by the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force, and a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from a launcher on the back of a Palletized Load System (PLS) by the US Army.

This marks the first time a land-based unit will participate in the live fire event during RIMPAC. RIMPAC 18 will also include international band engagements and highlight fleet innovation during an Innovation Fair, the media statement said.

Hosted by Commander, US Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2018 will be led by Commander, US 3rd Fleet, Vice Adm. John D Alexander, who will serve as combined task force (CTF) commander. Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm Bob Auchterlonie will serve as CTF deputy commander, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Rear Adm. Hideyuki Oban as CTF vice commander.

RIMPAC exercise began in 1971.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Pyongyang today, North Korea's state media said, ahead of a landmark summit between Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Lavrov's visit comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity to organise next month's summit, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also meeting Kim's right-hand man Kim Yong Chol in New York late yesterday.

"Sergei Lavrov, foreign minister of the Russian Federation, arrived here today at the invitation of Ri Yong Ho, foreign minister of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)", KCNA agency said in a brief dispatch.

It gave no further details but Russia's Tass agency said the two foreign ministers had begun talks at the Supreme People's Assembly building in Pyongyang.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said earlier they were expected to discuss "vital issues of bilateral relations and key international and regional issues".

Lavrov is paying a visit to North Korea for the first time since 2009, Tass said.

Lavrov spoke to his US counterpart Pompeo by telephone for the first time yesterday ahead of the Secretary of State's dinner meeting with Kim Yong Chol.

Washington is pressing North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for lifting sanctions and economic relief.

But analysts say North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US will not try to topple the regime.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Supreme Court today directed former TV anchor and producer Suhaib Ilyasi, who was awarded life term by a trial court for killing his wife 18 years ago, to approach the Delhi High Court for interim bail.

A bench comprising justices L Nageswara Rao and Mohan M Shantanagoudar refused to grant any immediate relief to Ilyasi after his counsel said that high court had on April 26 granted him interim bail for four weeks which expired on May 23.

His counsel said that Ilyasi's appeal against conviction and sentence in the matter was pending before the high court which was schedule to hear the plea on July 4.

He said that on April 26 Ilyasi was granted interim bail for four weeks and the relief should continue till July 4.

"No. You can file a separate application (before high court for interim bail). We are giving you an opportunity to file fresh application for extension of that order (of April 26)," the bench said.

"By an order dated April 26 passed by the high court, the petitioner was granted interim bail for a period of four weeks. He is permitted to file another application for interim bail," the bench noted in its order.

The high court had granted interim bail for four weeks to Ilyasi to enable him to take care of his ailing second spouse.

The former TV anchor was taken into custody on December 16 last year after he was convicted by the trial court.

The trial court had on December 20 last year sentenced him to life term for stabbing his wife Anju to death, saying he had "committed murder and gave it a colour of suicide".

It had also imposed a fine of Rs two lakh on him and directed that Rs 10 lakh be paid as compensation to Anju's parents. The expense would be borne by him.

Anju was rushed to a hospital on January 11, 2000 with stab wounds she received at her East Delhi residence.

Ilyasi, who had shot into fame for hosting the TV crime show 'India's Most Wanted', was arrested on March 28, 2000. Charges were framed against him in the case after his sister-in-law and mother-in-law had alleged that he used to torture his wife for dowry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)BJP president Amit Shah today lauded the Modi government as India's GDP growth in the January-March quarter rose to 7.7 per cent.

"I congratulate PM Narendra Modi & his cabinet for keeping India on high growth trajectory. GDP growth rate of 7.7%, a sharp increase over 7% in previous quarter, led by all round growth in key sectors such as Agri, Manufacturing & Construction is very encouraging," he said in a tweet.

Robust performance by manufacturing, construction and service sectors and good farm output pushed India's January-March 2018 GDP growth to a seven-quarter high of 7.7 per cent, helping it retain the fastest growing major economy tag, government data showed today.

India's economic expansion at 7.7 per cent was significantly higher than China's 6.8 per cent in the January-March period.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Punjab's main opposition party AAP today pinned its loss in the Shahkot Assembly bypolls on Amarjit Singh Thind, who defected to the SAD just before the by-elections, saying he "betrayed" the party and the electorate of the constituency.

Congress's Hardev Singh Ladi trounced his nearest rival Naib Singh Kohar of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) with a margin of 38,802 votes.

The performance of the AAP in the bypoll remained dismal as its candidate Rattan Singh Kakkar Kalan faced a humiliating defeat, securing just 1,900 votes.

"We started very late (in the bypoll). There were also desertions and the ground reality was not in our favour," Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab unit co-president Balbir Singh said.

"Our former candidate (during the 2017 Punjab Assembly election) Amarjit Singh Thind left the party and joined the Akali Dal.

"He betrayed the party and voters of Shahkot. People were quite angry with him. So, it was the party that had to face the consequences in this bypoll," he said.

Thind had contested on an AAP ticket from Shahkot in the 2017 assembly polls. He had managed to get more than 40,000 votes. However, SAD candidate Ajit Singh Kohar won from the seat.

The bypoll was necessitated after the demise of SAD MLA Ajit Singh Kohar in February.

Thind had joined the SAD in March, ahead of the May 28 Shahkot bypoll, the results for which were declared today.

Two other AAP leaders, H S Walia and C D Kamboj, had also joined the SAD before the by-election.

Defending the party's decision to field a candidate for the Shahkot bypoll, Balbir Singh said, "It (the decision) was 100 per cent correct. It was better than not to fight (the bypoll)."



Sangrur MP and senior AAP leader Bhagwant Mann, ahead of the by-election, had reportedly said that the party should not contest the Shahkot bypoll and rather should focus on the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The AAP, which was a favourite at one time to win the 2017 Punjab polls, could manage to win just 20 seats in the elections.

During the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll in October last year, AAP candidate Major General (Retd) Suresh Khajuria had lost his security deposit, as the party remained at the third spot.

Balbir Singh also accused the ruling Congress of using "wrong" methods such as liquor distribution and money power to influence voters during the bypoll.

"We will continue to fight for the causes of the people. We will also reorganise ourselves and re-strategies ," he said.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, after the declaration of the bypoll's results, advised the AAP, to pack its bags and leave Punjab instead of continuing to shame itself with such shocking electoral defeats.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sonalika International on Thursday said it plans to invest Rs 2 billion in setting up a new research and development (R&D) facility in the national capital region (NCR) for various farming solutions.

The company will be hiring over 150 designers and domain experts for the new R&D centre, which is expected to be fully functional in the next two years, a release said.

It already has an R&D facility at its manufacturing plant in Punjab's Hoshiarpur.

The company earlier this month had said it has earmarked Rs 2.5 billion for FY19 to meet requirements in

" has set a vision to double its annual sales to two lakh in the next five years (2023-24). In-line with this vision, the company is investing Rs 2 billion in setting up an R&D facility in the NCR region," the release said.

This facility will help to offer innovative farming solutions through technological up-gradation, new emission norms and reducing the product development cycle, it added.

The company had sold over one lakh tractors in the last financial year, out of which around 86,000 were in the domestic market, while the rest were exported.

"This will be a fully functional development centre to produce all aggregates and prototypes, with test facility," said Raman Mittal, executive director, Sonalika Group.

It will work on contemporary and future technology needs to meet the emission and safety norms in global markets, including Europe and the US, he added.Sri Lanka today released its new map by incorporating major development projects undertaken in the island country over the past few years, including the Chinese built port city and the strategically-important Hambantota port.

The map was released by the Department of Survey General in the presence of the Minister of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms Gayantha Karunathilake.

The new map, released after nearly 20 years, incorporates the changes made in the country's landscape due to the under construction port city project in Colombo and the port in Hambantota in the deep south.

The port city and the Hambantota port have changed the country's landscape and required a new map.

Surveyor General PPM Udayakantha said that the new map produced by the 1:500 ratio also includes the Moragahakanda reservoir and the new highways in Sri Lanka.

The port city, a new city under construction, seeks to reclaim 269 hectares of land adjacent to the Galle Face.

Land reclamation for the project is expected to be completed next year before construction begins on the new city.

He said the new map will see more changes over the next few years as the landscape of Sri Lanka continues to change with major development projects underway.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Singapore startups can now gain faster entry to India's vibrant startup ecosystem to form partnerships and co-innovate with Indian startups after a state-owned enterprise here has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with one of the largest global entrepreneurship organisations of Indian-origin.

The MoU between Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Singapore was signed yesterday, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival in the country on a three-day visit.

The MoU kick-starts an incubation programme that aims to foster collaboration between Singapore and Indian start-ups through jointly organised networking events, workshops and sessions with in-market mentors.

Singapore startups can now gain faster entry to India's vibrant startup ecosystem to form partnerships and co-innovate with Indian startups, said ESG in a statement yesterday.

The MOU with TiE Singapore, one of the largest global entrepreneurship organisations of Indian-origin which began in Silicon Valley and boast of strong funding muscles and deep pockets, kickstarts the "Singapore India Incubation Programme" by Startup SG1, led by Enterprise Singapore, with the support of Trade Associations and Chambers and startup partners.

As a start, TiE Singapore will be running a startup mission in July with 10 Singapore startups to meet with Indian startups, corporates, mentors and investors to partner and co-innovate solutions in fintech, e-services and deeptech.

With a network of 11,000 members globally, India currently constitutes one third of TiE's global membership. TiE was formed by Silicon Valley-based Indian technologists.

Tan Soon Kim, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of Enterprise Singapore, said, "India is an up-and-coming hotspot for global startups and businesses. The growth of India's startup landscape has been remarkable."



"The Singapore - India Incubation Programme aims to introduce ideas and concepts between the ecosystems of both countries and foster collaboration between companies in each other's markets and in Southeast Asia. Over time, we aim to establish a series of key innovation nodes within India to form an innovation network for Singapore companies to tap on," said Tan.

Puneet Pushkarna, Chairman of TiE, said, "The strategic collaboration between TiE and Enterprise Singapore would strengthen the bridge between India and Singapore's startup ecosystem, which today are amongst the most vibrant in the world."



"With 19 chapters in India alone, TiE provides the fattest pipe of entrepreneurial connectivity between the two countries and we hope to enhance market access opportunities for startups on both sides. We are confident that the platform would further proliferate networking amongst innovators and allow for the development and adoption of ideas, flow of capital and implementation of technically challenging solutions for the betterment of the society at large," said Pushkarna.

In line with the "Singapore India Incubation Programme" by Startup SG, Enterprise Singapore will be organising an iAdvisory Seminar: "Startups in India" on June 12 2018, to help Singapore companies understand the startup landscape in India, opportunities and how to enter the market.

India's startup ecosystem ranks third globally, with over 4,750 startups. Its key focus areas include e-commerce, fintech, healthtech and edutech.

The number of startups in India grew 12 per cent in 2016 and is expected to cross 10,000 by 2020.

In 2017, the value of startup funding amounted to approximately USD 13.7 billion, significantly higher than the USD 4.06 billion of 2016 and the USD 8.4 billion of 2015, said the statement, citing industry data.

The growth is fuelled by increased Government support through startup schemes that eased registration and gave Indian startups priority in Government-led projects and rising middle class which led to a boom in startups tapping into the consumer space, it said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Protesters demanding reservations for the Dhangar community indulged in stone-pelting at a function in Ahmednagar district today where Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan was also present, police said.

While the Speaker was not harmed in the incident, a police constable was injured.

Mahajan was the chief guest at a function organised to mark the birth anniversary of Ahilyabai Holkar, the 18th century ruler of the Indore state, at Chondi in this central Maharashtra district.

A group, allegedly headed by Dr Indrakumar Bhise and Suresh Kamble, staged a protest demanding reservations for the local Dhangar community when the function began, said district superintendent of police Ranjankumar Sharma.

When the police were taking away Bhise and Kamble in a van, there was stone-pelting in which head constable Sandeep Pawar was seriously injured, he said.

Police soon brought the situation under control and detained 30 persons, the SP said.

Mahajan, who was on the dais, also appealed people to keep calm, he said.

The rest of the function passed off smoothly and Mahajan later left by helicopter, the officer added.

The function had been organised by Maharashtra water conservation minister Ram Shinde. Chondi is Ahilyabai Holkar's birthplace.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Uttar Pradesh's ruling BJP today suffered a stunning electoral upset with the joint opposition candidates posting victories in the bypolls for Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly constituencies.

Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan won the Kairana seat by a margin of 44,618 votes, while Naeemul Hasan of the Samajwadi Party bagged the Noorpur Assembly seat by a margin on 5,662 votes.

Both seats were earlier held by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The opposition victories follow the BJP defeats in the Lok Sabha bye-elections in Gorakhpur and Phulpur in March, and come just a year before the general election.

In Kairana, Tabassum polled 4,81,182 votes, while the BJP's Mriganka Singh got 4,36,564 votes, the election office here said.

The death of Singh's father, BJP MP Hukum Singh, had necessitated the bypoll.

Hasan (48) has now became the first Muslim face from Uttar Pradesh in the 16th Lok Sabha.

The RLD candidate, who was supported by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party, established an almost invincible lead by noon.

In Noorpur, SP's Naeemul Hasan was backed by the Congress, the BSP and the Aam Aadmi Party.

Naeemul Hasan polled 94,875 votes while BJP's Avni Singh got 89,213 votes. Election for the assembly seat followed the death of Avni Singh's husband Lokendra Singh Chauhan in a road accident in February.

Tabassum Hasan said her victory showed the people were now standing up against the BJP misrule.

Had there be no EVM problem, my victory margin would have been more. I was confident of my victory as I had faith in the people," she said.

She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have no impact in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The BJP's arrogant people say there is no alternative to Modi, but the Almighty always finds a way out and the alliance of opposition parties will come out triumphant against the BJP in 2019."



"My victory has proved that the path of the united opposition is clear in 2019," she said.

Losing BJP candidate Mriganka Singh said, "We were unable to convey the achievements of the Centre and the UP government to the people."



Jayant Chaudhary, RLD's national vice president and son of party leader Ajit Singh, said, " The agenda of those who wanted to win the bypolls by spreading communalism has been rejected by the people.

"In this election, every person said that 'ganna' (sugarcane) and not 'Jinnah' is the issue, he said.

He said in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, the role of the RLD will be important.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "This is a defeat for those who do not believe in democracy and play divisive The people have given a befitting reply to the BJP, he said.

RLD national spokesman Anil Dubey said, "This victory is not of our party alone, but of the united opposition. With this victory we succeeded in uniting the society which the BJP attempted to fragment with its divisive "



Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma claimed the opposition resorted to communalism and caste to win.

"We believe in working for development and we don't want to contest elections on communal or caste lines," the BJP leader said.

"The opposition is in a state of political unemployment. Hence it is resorting to every trick to ensure the victory of its candidate. We are contesting elections as a part of democracy and will continue to do so and win elections," he said.

Counting of votes for the Kairana Lok Sabha and Noorpur assembly by-elections began this morning amid tight security arrangements.

Polling for the high-stakes bye-elections to the two constituencies was held on Monday. In Kairana, repolling was held at 73 polling stations yesterday.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Tata Power today said it has partnered with Tata Motors to make Maharashtra EV ready and to establish electric vehicle charging stations in the state for public use.

Tata Motors has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the state to support the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Policy (2018) in accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EV), Tata Power said in a statement.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the new EV charging stations (Tata Power) to mark the week-long World Environment Day celebration, the statement said.

The nine new locations where the EV charging stations have come up include Matunga, BKC, Bhandup (near LBS Marg), Chembur, Malad (near Link Road) and Carnac Bundar (near Fort & Freeway).

"We are committed to making Maharashtra EV ready and Government's vision of providing green technology solutions. We are happy to partner with Tata Motors to deliver on the Government and Group's vision of improving India's carbon footprint and enabling the customers with a sustainable future.

"We are happy to present Maharashtra with various electric vehicle charging stations that cover the wide expanse of the city," Tata Power CEO and MD Praveer Sinha said.

With the launch of nine EV charging stations today to mark the World Environment Day, it is Tata Power's endeavour to provide the best of solutions for the country to achieve a greener tomorrow. By using innovative technology, Tata Power is providing customers easy access to energy-efficient processes and facilitating that by setting up charging infrastructure around the city, the statement added.

"Tata Motors is committed to the Government's vision of e-mobility in India. We are excited to join forces with the Government of Maharashtra towards this endeavour. We are uniquely positioned to leverage the strength of our group companies to create an EV ecosystem," Guenter Butschek, CEO & MD, Tata Motors said.

Tata Power plans to device a mix of fast and regular chargers at these charging stations that will facilitate to charge vehicles from both private and public sphere. The chargers can also monitor the car battery charging status and units consumed while charging a car, the company said in the statement.

Tata Power has established the first public electric vehicle charging station at Vikhroli in Mumbai.

Being the first to propagate the change towards sustainable energy, Tata Power aims to supplement the government's plan to replace fossil fuel vehicles with electric vehicles by 2030, by installing charging stations at strategic locations, it said.

Since the inauguration of the first station in August 2017, two more were started in January 2018 for public usage at Palladium mall in the Lower Parel area and Phoenix Market City in the Kurla area of the city.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 22-year-old man was beaten to death in an alleged road rage case, leading to tension in two border villages of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, police said today.

The incident took place on Monday when Sakesh Chauhan, a resident of Jogawala village in Uttarakhand, was riding his motorcycle and accidentally hit another biker from Dallawala village in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, a police official said.

An altercation ensued between Chauhan and the other biker who was soon joined by his friends. As tempers rose, the group hailing from Dallawala village attacked Chauhan with bamboo sticks and seriously injured him before fleeing from the scene, the official said.

The young man was taken to a hospital but succumbed to his injuries. Angry residents of the two villages clashed with each other following the incident, they said.

According to B P Singh, the SHO of Bhopa police station, under which the Jogawala village falls, security has been tightened in both the hamlets and extra forces from Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh police have been deployed in the area.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Delhi High Court today rejected a plea by Syed Shahid Yousuf, son of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen founder and a 'specially designated global terrorist' Syed Salahuddin, challenging an order dismissing his bail in a terror funding case.

A bench of Justices S Muralidhar and I S Mehta upheld two orders of a trial court, including one by which his plea for statutory bail was rejected, saying there was no illegality in them.

"This court concurs with the trial court that once the period for completion of investigation stood extended up to April 21, 2018, the occasion for the appellant (Yousuf) to file an application for statutory bail under Section 167 Cr PC did not arise unless there was a failure by the NIA to file a charge sheet before April 21, 2018," the bench said.

42-year-old Yousuf was posted as agricultural assistant in Budgam of central Kashmir when he was arrested by the NIA on October 24 last year. The bail plea of Yousuf, currently in judicial custody, was dismissed by the trial court here on March 7.

The high court was informed by the counsel for the accused that his application seeking regular bail was pending before the special court here.

The bench clarified that nothing said in its today's order will affect the independent consideration of such bail application on its merits by the special court.

Yousuf had said he was entitled to statutory bail and the special court had erred in denying him the relief in its March 7 order. He had also challenged the special court's February 5 order allowing the NIA's plea for extension of time up to 180 days to complete investigation and remanding the accused to judicial custody.

The NIA had earlier alleged that the accused had links with proscribed terrorist organisations like Hizb-ul-Mujahideen. It had alleged that the case was registered on the basis of information about funds from Pakistan being sent to Jammu and Kashmir through hawala channels via Delhi to spread terrorism.

The NIA had in 2011 arrested several persons, including Ghulam Mohd Bhat with Rs 21.2 lakh, and alleged that Yousuf was "one of the several Indian contacts of Bhat" who had been in touch with him for receiving money transfer codes.

It had alleged that Yousuf's involvement was found in collecting funds from a terrorist outfit in Saudi Arabia and from other accused on directions of his father Mohd Yousuf Shah alias Syed Salahuddin, the self-styled supreme commander of the Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen.

Salahuddin was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the US Department of State in June last year.

The NIA has claimed that Yousuf has received a total of nearly Rs 4.5 lakh through eight international wire transfers. It had also registered two other cases related to terror funding -- one in November 2011 and the other in May 2017. It had filed a charge sheet against 10 people including Salahuddin in the April 2011 case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A Thai appeals court today vindicated a British labour rights activist entangled in a years-long legal confrontation with a fruit-packing company after he publicised alleged human rights violations at its factory.

The legal victory for Andy Hall was welcomed by Amnesty International but is not necessarily the end of protracted court battles that forced him to leave Thailand in 2016.

A criminal defamation and other cases against Hall stemmed from a 2013 report he researched for Finnish consumer organisation Finnwatch that alleged labour abuses at Natural Fruit's pineapple canning operation. It employed migrant workers from Myanmar who said the company abused them and broke labor regulations.

Sunya Joongdee, a lawyer for Hall, said Thursday's court ruling dismissed the criminal defamation case, which also resulted in the collapse of a related computer crime case.

He said the court accepted that Hall's interviews with migrant workers revealed allegations of rights violations that should be made public. Hall was found guilty of criminal defamation in 2016, fined and given a suspended prison sentence.

Natural Fruit, owned by businessman Wirat Piyapornpaiboon, can appeal to the Supreme Court. Other cases brought by both sides as the legal battle escalated are still before the courts.

On Twitter, Hall said he had previously lost hope of justice but now a "flame was reignited in my heart." "There is still the possibility that today's verdict could lead in some way to peace and reconciliation," he said.

Amnesty International's Thailand campaigner, Katherine Gerson, said the ruling should be followed with law changes that prevent companies using the courts to harass activists who campaign against abusive corporate practices.

"This successful appeal is very welcome, and it underlines how the original conviction against Andy Hall was an abuse of justice that should never have been allowed," she said in a statement.

Finnwatch also welcomed the ruling.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The ruling Trinamool Congress today registered an impressive victory in the Maheshtala assembly bypoll in West Bengal defeating its nearest rival BJP by a margin of 62,765 votes.

TMC candidate Dulal Das secured 1,04,818 votes as against 42,053 votes bagged by BJP's Sujit Ghosh, a senior EC official said. Left Front's Prabhat Chowdhury was third with 30,384 votes.

The victory follows the ruling party's win in the panchayat polls earlier this month.

"After complete counting of votes, the victory margin is 62765," the EC official said, adding, in the 2016 assembly polls, the winning margin was 12,452.

There was no Congress candidate in the bypoll as the party was in an electoral understanding with the Left Front for the first time since the 2016 assembly poll in the state.

The NOTA option found favour with 3742 voters of the seat, the EC official said.

The May 28 bypoll was necessitated following the death of TMC MLA Kasturi Das. Dulas Das is her husband.

An elated Mamata Banerjee said the bypolls show that people are disenchanted with the NDA government and regional parties are very strong now.

TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee hit out at the opposition after the declaration of the result.

"When we had won in the panchayat elections, opposition parties had said that we had won because of violence during the poll. What will they say now? We have won both this bypoll and panchayat elections because of our development politics," he said.

This was the fourth bypoll in the last eight months in which TMC has garnered more than 50 per cent of the votes.

BJP state president Dilip Ghosh reacting to the bypoll result said, "Only we can fight against the misrule of the TMC. Several elections have proved that BJP is the main challenger of TMC."



The saffron party has witnessed a massive increase in its vote share in Maheshtala seat from seven percent in 2016 to nearly 24 per cent in the bypoll.

Demographically the Maheshtala assembly seat, which is situated in the south-western fringes of Kolkata, has 60 per cent Hindu and 40 per cent Muslim voters.

The Left Front, which has been fast losing its political ground in the state, lost a huge chunk of votes to the TMC and the BJP with its vote share dropping from 42 per cent in 2016 in Maheshtala assembly seat to just 17 per cent this time. The assembly seat had been a stronghold of CPI(M) for 34 long years from 1977 till 2011.

"We will assess the results and find out what went wrong", a senior CPI(M) leader said when asked.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Rubbishing arch-rival DMK's oft repated jibe that the ruling AIADMK was subservient to the BJP, Tamil Nadu Minister P Thangamani today asserted the government was firm in getting its rightful due from the Centre and would never compromise on its rights.

Listing out 'achievements' of the government in the state assembly, Thangamani, holding charge of electricity ministry, accused the princiapl oposition party of being power hungy.

Winding up discussion on the demands for grant pertaning to his ministry, he cited the recent low 1.5 day coal inventory with the state-run power monolith Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO).

Thangamani said the coal supplies from the Centre went up and now the TANGEDCO had adequate stocks.

Referring to the subservient jibe without naming DMK, the Minister said the replenishing of the coal stock showed that the state government was firm in getting its rightful due from the Centre. "Our rights are never compromised."



Across the country, coal fired power plants were running to their full capacity which meant heavy demand in view of the summer, he said adding despite such a scenario, the Centre increased supplies to Tamil Nadu and gave nod for imports.

Seeking to turn the tables on the DMK, he said it wanted only such a government "that worked for the people" to go. "People, however, cannot be hoodwinked," he said.

"Our Chief Minsiter (K Palaniswami) is a farmer," he said adding as an ordinary person he understood the needs of people "while they (DMK) wanted to somehow come to power as they are power hungry."



Listing out milestones in his sector, he said the state that witnessed power cuts for several hours during the DMK rule had become energy surplus in 2015 as per the assurance of late chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in 2011 assembly election.

"Tamil Nadu will continue to be a power surplus state in 2018-19 also with an energy surplus of 15,116 Million Units and with a peak power surplus of 2,235 MW," he said.

On increasing capacity further, he said 6,200 MW will be added by 2020-21 and 11,400 MW in the next five to six years.

Reeling out statistics, he said 7.94 lakh new consumers were given power connections during 2017-18 adding 30,835 power connections were given to farmers.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Sixteen persons have lost their lives to the Nipah virus in Kerala, with one more person succumbing to it today.

Twentyfive-year-old Resin, who was under treatment at the Kozhikode Medical college hospital, died today, official sources said.

Health department sources said 18persons have tested positive for the Nipah virus so far, of whom 16 have died.

Two are undergoing treatment.

According to the sources, the number of samples tested for Nipah virus is 196 of which 178 have tested negative.

The virus had claimed two lives yesterday.

In Kolkata, a 28-year-old soldier from Kerala, who was posted at Fort William, Kolkata, died of suspected Nipah virus last week.

He was admitted to the command hospital on May 20, where he died five days later, a Defence spokesperson had said yesterday.

His samples have been sent for testing at the National Virology Institute at Pune and the results are awaited.

Over 1300 people, who had come in contact with the affected persons before the confirmation of the virus, are under observation.

Three fruit-eating bats, their faecal and urine samples have been sent for testing at the National Institute of High Security Animal Diseases in Bhopal today, official sources said.

Earlier, samples of three insectivorous bats caught from an unused well of the Moosa family here, which lost three members to the Nipah virus, were sent to the Bhopal laboratory along with samples of pigs, goats and cattle in a five km radius of the affected area and all of them tested negative, the sources said.

The natural host of the virus is believed to be fruit bats of the Pteropodidae family, Pteropus genus.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A grief-stricken woman, who lost her son two days ago, today tried to commit suicide after poisoning her two daughters at Padasahi village in Odisha's Jajpur district.

The woman has been identified as Ketaki Jena (45) and her two daughter -- Gurubari (12) and Mamata (15), police said.

The trio was rescued by the neighbours and later rushed to the district headquarters hospital at Jajpur town. Their condition is stated to be stable, hospital sources said.

Police said, Ketakis son Mantu Jena (25) began working at a plywood company in Kerala a couple of months back. However, he died of some disease on Tuesday.

Hearing his death news, Ketaki along with her two daughters, jumped into a pond last night. However, the neighbours foiled their suicide bid and rescued them.

However, Ketaki once again tried to commit suicide along with her two children by consuming poison today morning.

Ketaki consumed poison today after poisoning her two daughters this morning. We immediately rescued them and admitted them to the local hospital. But, we shifted the trio to the district headquarters hospital after their condition deteriorated, said Dibakar Jena, a villager.

It was her second suicide bid within 12 hours, he said.

The condition of the mother and her two daughters are stable and they are under the vigil of a team of doctors, said a doctor at District Headquarters hospital.

Prasanta Kumar Mallha, Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Jajpur said, Mantu, Ketaki's son, was the lone bread earner of the family as Ketakis husband is mentally challenged.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump is concerned about China's unfair trade practices and striving to stop Beijing from such practices and theft of American intellectual property, the White House said today.

The White House statement came a day after it renewed its threat to place 25 per cent tariffs on USD 50 billion in Chinese goods in retaliation of the latter's unfair trade practices.

At the same time, US President Donald Trump is having a "good relationship" with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and both are continuing to have conversations when it comes to North Korea.

"The President continues to have a good relationship with President Xi, but what he is concerned about is making sure he stops the unfair trade practices that China has engaged in for decades; stopping the intellectual property theft that China has been engaged in; and making sure that we no longer allow China to play on a different playing field than the rest of us," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily conference



She expressed hope that the two leaders will continue to share a good relationship, but added that Trump would not stand for any unfair trade policy.

"He's not going to allow American workers to be taken advantage of. He's going to call that out, and he's going to step up and make those changes," she said in response to a question.

Congressman Drew Ferguson applauded the Trump administration for their decision to place restrictions on China's acquisition of sensitive American technology.

"We must not allow this country to overtake the United States and become a leading power," Ferguson said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Commerce announced the affirmative preliminary determination in the countervailing duty (CVD) investigation of imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China, finding that exporters in China received countervailable subsidies ranging from 12.81 per cent to 94.67 per cent.

As such, the Commerce Department will instruct US Customs and Border Protection to collect cash deposits from importers of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China based on these preliminary rates.

In 2017, imports of certain plastic decorative ribbon from China were valued at an estimated USD 22.5 million.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)President Donald Trump's administration is planning to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports after failing to win concessions from the European Union, a move that could provoke retaliatory tariffs and inflame trans-Atlantic trade tensions.

US and European officials held last-ditch talks in Paris today to try to reach a deal, though hopes are low and fears of a trade war are mounting.

"Global trade is not a gunfight at the OK Corral," France's finance minister quipped after meeting US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. "It's not about who attacks whom, and then wait and see who is still standing at the end."



The tariffs are likely to go into effect on the EU with an announcement before tomorrow's deadline, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The administration's plans could change if the two sides are able to reach a last-minute agreement, said the people, who spoke only on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Ross told Le Figaro newspaper that the announcement would come today, likely after markets close, and that the Americans remain open to negotiations.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed her opposition to the tariffs Thursday. "We believe these tariffs aren't compatible with WTO rules," she said in Lisbon. EU leaders want "exceptions from these tariffs and have offered to hold talks on a certain basis." But if there are no exemptions, she said, "We will respond in an intelligent, decisive and joint way."



EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said today the European side is "ready to deal with any kind of scenario, and to defend the EU interests and international trade law."Trump announced in March that the United States would slap a 25 per cent tariff on imported steel and a 10 per cent tariff on imported aluminum, citing national security interests. But he granted an exemption to the EU and other US allies; that reprieve expires tomorrow.

"Realistically, I do not think we can hope" to avoid either US tariffs or quotas on steel and aluminum, said Cecilia Malmstrom, the European Union's trade commissioner. Even if the US were to agree to waive the tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, Malmstrom said, "I expect them nonetheless to want to impose some sort of cap on EU exports." Malmstrom is meeting US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in Paris today among other international trade chiefs.

If the US moves forward with its tariffs, the EU has threatened to impose retaliatory tariffs on US orange juice, peanut butter and other goods in return. Fears of a global trade war are already weighing on investor confidence and could hinder the global economic upturn. European officials argue that tit-for-tat tariffs will hurt growth on both sides of the Atlantic.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called the US tariffs "unjustified, unjustifiable and dangerous". "This will only lead to the victory of those who want less growth, those who don't think we can develop our economies across the world. We think on the contrary that global trade must have rules in a context of multilateralism. We are ready to rebuild this multilateralism with our American friends," he said.

Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to the US can help local producers of the metals by making foreign products more expensive. But they can also increase costs more broadly for US manufacturers who cannot source all their needs locally and have to import the materials. That hurts the companies and can lead to more expensive consumer prices, economists say.

"Unilateral responses and threats over trade war will solve nothing of the serious imbalances in world trade. Nothing," French President Emmanuel Macron said in an impassioned speech yesterday.

In a clear reference to Trump, Macron added: "These solutions might bring symbolic satisfaction in the short term.... One can think about making voters happy by saying, 'I have a victory, I'll change the rules, you'll see.'" But Macron said those "who waged bilateral trade wars... saw an increase in prices and an increase in unemployment." Besides the US steel and aluminum tariffs, the Trump administration is also investigating possible limits on foreign cars in the name of national security.

Ross criticised the EU for its tough negotiating position. But, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier insisted the Europeans were ready to negotiate special trade arrangements, notably for liquefied natural gas and industrial goods, including cars.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump said today he was expecting to receive a message from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as the two sides scramble to revive a summit previously set for next month between the two leaders.

"I look forward to seeing what's in the letter. They will probably be coming to Washington DC on Friday to deliver the letter so I look forward to that," Trump said before heading to Texas for the day.

He also said that meetings in New York between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and top North Korean official Kim Yong Chol, which resumed early today, were going "very well.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump today announced that he was granting full pardon to Indian-American conservative commentator and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, who was sentenced to five years of probation in 2014 for violating federal campaign law.

In a tweet, Trump said D'Souza was treated very unfairly".

"Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D'Souza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government! Trump tweeted.

Mumbai-born, D'Souza, 57, was convicted of making an illegal campaign contribution of USD 20,000 in 2014 to a New York politician.

D'Souza, who is a conservative filmmaker and political commentator, pleaded guilty in 2014 to using straw donors for illegally contributing money to a 2012 Senate campaign for his friend Wendy Long.

He was sentenced to five years of probation, including eight months living under supervision in a "community confinement centre" and a USD 30,000 fine.

Trump has pardoned several people during his 16 months in office, including former Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff "Scooter" Libby and former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio.

Author of several New York Times best selling books, the Indian-American has stirred controversy on social media for his offensive comments directed towards former President Barack Obama.

In 2012, his movie '2016: Obama's America's' which was based on his anti-Obama book had become the second-highest-grossing political documentary film produced in the US.

D'Souza, who comes from a Roman Catholic family from Goa, had launched campaign against both Obama and the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

He is a big supporter of Trump.

He is the author of nearly 20 book and producer of four movies, with the latest one being Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party.

The Indian American did not immediately comment on the presidential pardon, except retweeting Trump's tweet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Three Turkish soldiers were killed today in clashes with fighters from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, the army said.

"Three of our heroic comrades fell as martyrs as a result of clashes with members of the separatist terrorist organisation in northern Iraq," the army said, referring to the PKK which is designated as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.

Turkish warplanes have often bombed PKK hideouts in the mountainous northern Iraq while the security forces have sporadically launched cross-border incursions in pursuit of rebel fighters.

The army statement did not say where the latest clashes took place.

On Tuesday, the army said another soldier was killed in an attack blamed on the PKK, and responded with airstrikes against the group.

The PKK has been waging an insurgency in the southeast of Turkey since 1984 which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Fighting in the region intensified between Turkish security forces and the PKK after the collapse of a two-year ceasefire in 2015.

The PKK's leadership and rear bases are located in the remote mountainous Qandil region and other areas of northern Iraq.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened a major cross-border operation to dislodge the group from its strongholds there.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Turkey's ambassador to Washington was today heading back to the United States after a spat over the official inauguration of the new US embassy in Jerusalem.

State TRT television said Serdar Kilic had left Ankara to resume his post after an absence of over two weeks from Washington.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meanwhile told the Hurriyet daily that Kilic would be back at work by the time he meets his US counterpart Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday.

Turkey recalled its ambassadors to Washington and Tel Aviv early this month for consultations after dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire along the Gaza border on the same day the US celebrated the opening of its embassy in Jerusalem.

In Washington, Pompeo and Cavusoglu are expected to try and agree terms for the withdrawal of US-backed Kurdish militia from the Syrian town of Manbij, a move long sought by Turkey.

Relations between the two NATO allies Turkey have become increasingly bitter in recent months over issues including US support for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

Ankara argues the YPG is a branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party which has been fighting against Turkey state since 1984 while Washington insists they are part of a legitimate opposition group called the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Manbij hosts a US military presence with American soldiers providing military support to the YPG in the fight against jihadists.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to expand an incursion inside Syria to Manbij after clearing the western enclave of Afrin of YPG militia in January.

Cavusoglu told Hurriyet that in Washington both foreign ministers would publicise a timetable on the Manbij roadmap.

"We will make a joint statement that day," he said. "The concrete step is that YPG will be withdrawn from there," he added.

Cavusoglu said Turkey and the United States would decide together who would replace the YPG in Manbij's administration and security forces.

Pompeo is also expected to raise the case of US pastor Andrew Brunson who has been held in detention in western Turkey since October 2016 on terror and spying charges. Washington has repeatedly denounced his incarceration.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The two-day nation-wide bank strike ended today with nearly 80 lakh cheques in various public sector, old generation private sector, foreign and regional rural banks remaining uncleared, bank unions claimed.

Around 10 lakh employees of 21 public sector banks, 13 old generation private sector banks 6 foreign banks and 56 regional rural banks were on a two-day strike, since May 30, to protest a meagre two per cent pay hike proposed to them by Indian Banks Association (IBA).

In Maharashtra alone, 60,000 employees and officers from around 12,000 branches were on strike.

"The protest was mainly for adequate wage revision. It was completely successful. Close to 80 lakh cheques were not cleared in these two days," United Forum of Bank Unions (UFBU) Convenor (Maharashtra) Devidas Tuljapurkar claimed.

It will take another week to clear these pending cheques, he added.

Industry body Assocham pegged that the the two-day strike might impact Rs 20,000 crore worth of customer transactions.

IBA in its recent wage revision meeting held on May 5, offered a nominal salary revision of two per cent to bank employees and officers.

The wage revision was due since November 1, 2017. Banks' management justified the action with the huge losses incurred by these lenders in the past few quarters, bank unions said.

Tuljapurkar said huge losses were on account of higher provisioning made by lenders towards non performing assets.

"Bank employees are not responsible for the fall in profits," he added.

Bank employees have tirelessly worked towards implementation of various government schemes such as Jan-Dhan, demonetisation, Mudra and Atal Pension Yojana, among others, he added.

In the last wage settlement, which was applicable for the period November 1, 2012 to October 31, 2017, IBA had given a wage hike of 15 per cent to bank employees.

In the current wage negotiation meeting, IBA also maintained that the negotiations on officers demand would be restricted up to scale III officers only.

UFBU is an umbrella body of nine unions, including All India Bank Officers' Confederation (AIBOC), All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) and National Organisation of Bank Workers (NOBW).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)In a major breather to banks, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has reduced by half, the daily minimum Aadhaar enrolment or updation target for stipulated bank branches to eight from July 1, 2018.

It has also said that banks which achieve the fresh target for July will not have to face "financial disincentives" up to that month, according to a circular issued by the UIDAI.

The banks - which are required to ensure that 10 per cent of their overall branches have Aadhaar enrolment centres - were so far facing a target of logging 16 daily enrolments or updations in each of these branches.

This target has now been relaxed and has to be met by banks in three phases.

As per the circular, which has been seen by PTI, the stipulated bank branches with Aadhaar facility will have to ensure at least eight enrolments or updations in each branch daily, from July 1, 2018. These targets will then be raised to minimum of 12 per day per branch from October 1, and to 16 from January 1, 2019 onwards.

These numbers will be seen on a cumulative basis against the total target of the bank.

The relaxation has come in view of progress made by banks in meeting the target on setting up Aadhaar centres and the "field difficulties" being cited by the banks.

Banks that achieve the target of minimum eight Aadhaar enrolments or updations per day per branch in July will not have to face "financial disincentives" up to July 2018.

"In case bank fails to meet the target of carrying out minimum enrolment or updation per day per branch, financial disincentive in respect of uncovered branches as on last day of the month will be levied from July 2018 onwards," the source added.

The Bank Aadhaar Kendras were set up with a view to make the Aadhaar verification process of bank accounts convenient for the people, and also to have more Aadhaar centres across the country. Accordingly, banks were asked to open Aadhaar enrolment centres in 10 per cent of their branches as part of this initiative being driven by UIDAI.

About 10,000 branches of private and public sector banks have so far opened Aadhaar enrolment and updation centres within their premises, as against the stipulated over 13,851 branches that are required to do so.

Banks have been asked to ensure enrolment centres are set up and made operational and target met at the earliest "and in any case before June 30, 2018".

In March this year, UIDAI CEO, Ajay Bhushan Pandey while talking to PTI had flagged low Aadhaar enrolment and updation at nearly 2,500 out of 7,000 bank branches that were, at that point, providing Aadhaar facility. He had instructed banks to take immediate steps to correct the situation.

The Aadhaar-issuing body was of the view that the enrolment or updation activity carried out in each of these laggard branches must be at least 16 per day and anything below this level only meant that people are not approaching such branches for Aadhaar-related activity.

The circular issued today by UIDAI further noted that at present the eKYC and authentication services are offered without any transaction charge, although as per pact signed between user agencies and provisions of Aadhaar Act, "banks are liable to pay transaction charges as determined by the UIDAI from time to time".

The UIDAI is in the process of working out the cost of providing eKYC and authentication services and will notify the same once they are finalised, it added.

"UIDAI, will, however, as a concession notify a special reduced transaction charges for those banks which meet the enrolment benckmark target. Any bank not meeting the enrolment benchmark target shall not be eligible for the special reduced transaction charges...," it said.

The move comes at a time when the Supreme Court has reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the Aadhaar Act and the use of biometric identifier in various government and non-government services.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The UN Mideast envoy says the latest escalation in Gaza between its Hamas rulers and Israel is a warning of "how close to the brink of war we are every day." Nikolay Mladenov told an emergency Security Council meeting today that the international community should "unequivocally condemn" Hamas' rocket and mortar attack against Israel.

But he said "the dangerous escalation" can't be divorced from two months of protests at the Gaza fence in which some 110 Palestinians were killed and large numbers injured by Israeli fire.

The Security Council remained paralysed, unable to agree on any action.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley, who called the meeting, said a proposed statement to condemn the Hamas attacks was blocked. The US previously blocked three statements to condemn Israeli killings during the protests.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The United Nations made an "urgent and critical" appeal today for donations to its main aid budget for Syrian refugees, currently four-fifths short of the total needed for the year.

"The mathematics are straightforward -- we asked for USD 5.6 billion (4.8 billion euros)" for 2018, said Amin Awad, the UN refugee agency's director for the Middle East and North Africa.

"We are in May and we have about 20 percent of it." "UN programmes and government entities that are supporting refugees... are running out of funds," the UNRWA official told journalists in Jordan's capital.

Donors at an April conference in Brussels pledged some USD 4.4 billion to help civilians affected by Syria's devastating seven-year war, but much of that money has yet to arrive, Awad said.

World Food Programme regional director Muhannad Hadi voiced gratitude "for all the support the donors have given us, but we stress on the importance of continuing this support until a political solution is found".

Since war broke out in 2011, half of Syria's population has been displaced, including more than five million outside the country and another six million internally displaced.

Most of the refugees are in countries bordering Syria, including Lebanon, Jordan, and Turkey, whose governments have repeatedly called for more help in supporting these populations.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The US today announced the end of exemption on steel and aluminum tariffs on imports from European Union, Canada and Mexico.

The EU, Canada and Mexico have threatened retaliation after US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that exemptions on steel and aluminum import tariffs would end on June 1.

President Donald Trump had announced in March to impose an import tariff of 25 per cent on steel and 15 per cent on aluminum, based on addressing the perceived threat to national security. On April 30, he extended for 30 days the temporary exemption from the steel and aluminum tariffs for Canada, Mexico and the EU to allow for further negotiation.

Ross said that while not much progress has been made in negotiations with the European Union, the NAFTA negotiations with Canada and Mexico is taking longer than expected.

We look forward to continued negotiations with Canada and Mexico on one hand and with the European Commission on the other hand as there are other issues we need to get resolved, the commerce secretary said.

While the imposition of 25 per cent duty on import of steel and 15 per cent on aluminum was intended to target the Chinese industry, the new tariff policy looks like it has hit close friends and allies of the US. Ross denied this impression and said that there has been transshipment of Chinese steel and aluminum.

The Trump administration has granted indefinite exemptions to Argentina, Australia and Brazil, given agreements in principle reached with those trading partners. South Korea also received a permanent exemption from steel tariffs, having negotiated instead an absolute quota equivalent to 70 per cent of 2015-2017 imports. South Korea has not negotiated an exemption for its aluminum exports.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Amid the global concern over China's 'debt trap diplomacy', a bipartisan group of influential US lawmakers has visited Sri Lanka to gauge the ground-level situation.

Cash-rich China has invested millions of dollars in Sri Lanka's infrastructure since the end of a brutal civil war in 2009.

Under a pact with Sri Lanka, China recently gained lease of the strategic Hambantota port for 99 years.

Sri Lankan politicians had said that the deal, valued at USD 1.1 billion, was necessary to chip away at the debt.

Congressman Mac Thornberry, Chairman of the powerful House Armed Services Committee, said: "While I share the hope of many that these projects will one day benefit the Sri Lankan people, I was struck by what one Sri Lankan official told me: 'one cannot assume that China's motives are entirely innocent'".

Led by Thornberry, the Congressional delegation including Congressmen Henry Cuellar, Vicky Hartzler and Carol Shea-Porter concluded a two-day visit to Sri Lanka.

The delegation toured the Port of Colombo, a critical strategic location in the Indian Ocean, and extensive infrastructure projects financed by loans from China and managed by Chinese companies.

It is clear that the strategic value of Sri Lanka is not lost on China, Thornberry said.

"The Chinese government is providing an astounding amount of resources, often in the form of loans, to projects on the island," he said.

In Colombo, the delegation met Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Parliament Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and Opposition Leader R Sampanthan along with Tamil National Alliance leaders.

During their meetings, the delegation emphasised the shared values of democracy, rule of law and freedom of the seas.

They encouraged the Sri Lankan leaders to continue vital constitutional reforms and stability efforts.

"The American relationship with Sri Lanka goes back to hundreds of years, and Congress is committed to deepening it going forward. Sri Lanka is a vital hub in the Indian Ocean, one that is key to keeping the lanes of commerce and security free and open.

"One cannot overstate how important it is that a prosperous, stable democracy hold this strategic ground. Sri Lanka has come a long way in the past few years, but they have much hard work ahead of them," Thornberry said.

America's commitment to their progress from increased military-to-military exchanges, development aid and governance projects - is vital at this important time, he added.

Recently, an influential US think-tank expert warned that the increasing Chinese economics of "debt trap" will likely result in Beijing gaining greater access to several key countries around India.

Richard D Fisher, Senior fellow at International Assessment and Strategy Centre, told members of the House Select Intelligence Committee during a hearing on 'China's Worldwide Military Expansion' that the Chinese economic and 'debt trap' pressures will likely result in China gaining greater access to bases in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and perhaps the Maldives.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)US President Donald Trump today said his officials are having "very good meetings" with the North Koreans, ahead of a possible summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Running against time, US and North Korean officials are having three separate meetings in New York, Singapore and at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea.

Very good meetings with North Korea, Trump said in a tweet, raising the chances of the June 12 summit meeting with Kim in Singapore.

Trump however did not confirm the June 12 meeting. However, the White House has said that it is preparing itself for the Singapore Summit on June 12.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was holding talks with North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol. A US advance team, led by the White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin, was having meetings with the North Korean team in Singapore. At the DMZ, the US delegation, led by Ambassador Sung Kim, is meeting with North Korean officials.

A senior state department official said what the Trump administration is looking for is "CVID" complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearisation. In order for a summit to be successful, the North Koreans have to do things that they have not done before, said the official, who requested anonymity.

I think the president has made clear and Secretary Pompeo has made clear, the North Koreans have defined what they want as security, and they have determined some years ago that security could be found with nuclear weapons, the official said.

What we have to convince them is that, on the contrary, their nuclear programme has made them less secure, that there's a better path forward, that we can work with them. We're willing to work with them to provide them the security guarantees they feel they need, and in fact, we're willing to go beyond that to help them have greater economic prosperity. But they have to denuclearise, said the official.

As of now, it is being planned as a one-day summit, but there are options to extend it further.

The president made clear that he's willing to stay on beyond one day. I think we are looking for something historic. I think we're looking for something that has never done before. Be it for whatever reason the North Koreans say they're not ready to do something like that....We will ramp up the pressure on them and we'll be ready for the day that hopefully they are, the official said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Trump administration is planning to go ahead with its plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the EU, which could draw sharp retaliation from the bloc, a media report has said.

President Donald Trump had announced in March to impose an import tariff of 25 per cent on steel and 15 per cent on aluminum, based on addressing the perceived threat to national security.

On April 30, he extended for 30 days the temporary exemption from the steel and aluminum tariffs for Canada, Mexico and the EU to allow for further negotiation.

The decision, likely to be announced as early as today, comes after the administration's inability to win concessions from European countries, The Wall Street Journal said.

The deadline for getting concessions from Europe ends tomorrow, June 1.

"The move, which has been threatened for months, is almost certain to draw response from the EU, which has threatened to retaliate with its own tariffs on such American products as motorcycles, jeans and bourbon," the daily said.

Trump had granted indefinite exemptions to Argentina, Australia and Brazil, given agreements in principle reached with those trading partners.

South Korea also received a permanent exemption from steel tariffs, having negotiated instead an absolute quota equivalent to 70 per cent of 2015-2017 imports. South Korea has not negotiated an exemption for its aluminum exports.

Among major steel exporters to the US, which are not exempted, are India, Japan, Russia, Taiwan, Turkey, China, Vietnam, Thailand, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

Major suppliers of aluminum which are not exempted are China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iran, South Africa, Qatar, Japan, Indonesia and Venezuela.

In 2017, US imports of steel and aluminum products covered by Section 232 tariffs totalled USD 29 billion and USD 17.4 billion respectively.

The EU alone accounts for USD 5.9 billion or 20.6 per cent of the total steel imported into the US.

India on the other hand exports USD 761 million worth of steel to the US, which is 2.6 per cent of the total import.

On the other hand, Canada with USD 7 billion or 40.5 per cent of the exports, is the top supplier of aluminum to the US followed by the EU (USD 1.2 billion or 7.2 per cent).

In 2017, India exported USD 382 million worth of aluminum to the US, amounting to 2.2 per cent of total aluminum into the country.

According to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, the US wants to keep negotiating a possible deal that opens markets in Europe to US exports.

"It's not that you can't talk just because there are tariffs," Ross said in Paris at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

"God knows there are plenty of tariffs the EU has in place on us," he said.

The EU disputes the American argument.

"We have not seen any analysis that shows these exports pose a problem to national security," David O'Sullivan, the EU ambassador in Washington was quoted as saying by the daily.

"If the United States wants to open discussions on a possible sort of trade deal, we don't think slapping tariffs on our aluminum and steel exports is a way to start off," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The United States will impose harsh tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, Canada and Mexico as of midnight (0400 GMT Friday), Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced today.

Ross said talks with the EU failed to reach a satisfactory agreement to convince Washington to continue the exemption from the tariffs imposed in March.

Meanwhile, negotiations with Canada and Mexico to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement are "taking longer than we had hoped" and there is no "precise date" for concluding them, so their exemption also will be removed, Ross told reporters.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)The Centre today told the Delhi High Court that it had deported an American woman entrepreneur and later blacklisted her as some of her activities had political overtones and she had made false assertions in her application for a business visa.

The government told Justice Rajiv Shakdher, who is hearing the matter, that the woman was carrying out charity work and NGO activities for which there was a different visa and she could not carry out those under a business visa.

It also told the court that some activities of the 48-year-old US national, Kasha Elizabeth Vande, had poltical overtones, like when she organised an art exhibition against the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

A plea was moved challenging her detention at the Chennai airport when she had returned from the US. She was deported on January 5, even before the matter had reached the court.

The government said while an Indian citizen can carry out such an activity, a foreigner visiting the country, that too on a business visa, cannot.

However, Kasha's lawyer, Shoumendu Mukherjee, said the art exhibition was only organised by her way back in 2013, despite which the government had renewed her business visa in 2017 for another 10 years.

He sought interim orders allowing his client to return to India as she was the organiser of a popular photo exhibition 'PondyPHOTO', scheduled to be held this year in Puducherry. He said the event has been postponed thrice already as she could not be there.

The photo exhibition was popular around the world, attracting various artists, sponsors as well as partnership by the Puducherry government, which would positively impact tourism and economy of the union territory, the lawyer told the court.

The court, however, refrained from passing any interim directions, saying the matter required longer hearing and saying "let's not rush into it".

In her petition, Vande has challenged her deportation to the US and denial of entry in to India despite having a valid business visa.

According to the woman's plea, she was denied entry into India despite having a valid business visa. She has also claimed that she had been residing in India for 10 years before her deportation in January this year.

She had also said she was running an organisation which promoted tourism in Puducherry with the support and permission of the government there. According to her plea, she was running a cafe and a boutique named 'Kasha ki Asha' in Puducherry.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)A 75-year-old man was killed in a landmine blast today along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a senior police officer said.

"Today, around 1600 hours, a mine exploded along the LoC near a forward Kangra post," he said.

Imam Din, a resident of Bagyaldara village, died on the spot due to the blast near the Kangra border post, the officer told PTI.

He inadvertently stepped on the mine, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy today told police officials that he would not put any political pressure on them and asked them to put an end to unlawful and illegal activities.

He was speaking to police officers led by Director General of Police Neelamani M Raju who had called on him to greet him on behalf of the department on becoming the chief minister.

The chief minister told the police officers that he would not tolerate any unlawful and illegal activities in the state and asked them to put an end to them.

Raju explained to the chief minister about the measures taken to curb attacks on innocent individuals by mobs on the suspicion of being child-traffickers.

She said the department was sensitising people against taking the law into their hands.

Chief secretary K Ratna Prabha and other senior police officers were present.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)With a forecast of normal monsoon, the Soybean Processors Association of India today predicted 14 per cent increase in soybean cultivation area in the country.

"During the coming kharif season, soybean will be sown on 120 lakh hectares in the country, against 105 lakh hectares last year," SOPA chairman Davish Jain told PTI.

With the Met department forecasting a normal monsoon, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, which are chief producers of the crop, would see increased soybean cultivation, he said.

These two states produce nearly 80 per cent of the country's soybean crop.

In the last four Kharif seasons, farmers in these two states were seen favouring crops such as Tuar, Moong and Urad, as soybean prices were not attractive.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)By Chen Aizhu and Meng MengDONGYING, China (Reuters) - ExxonMobil Corp's global oil marketing team stormed into China this week hoping to elbow aside rivals and gain access to the nation's "teapot" refining market, executives told Reuters.The push by Exxon, the world's biggest oil and gas company by market value, to court the independent refiners, known as teapots, illustrates the clout they are exerting on the global oil market since winning crude import licenses from the government in 2015. The refiners are big foreign crude buyers in a country that is now the world's largest oil importer. ...By Ayenat MersieNEW YORK (Reuters) - Oil prices surged on Wednesday, shrugging off an unexpected build in U.S. crude stockpiles and rebounding from a four-day slump as Russia's central bank expressed caution on plans to boost oil supply.Brent settled up $2.11, or 2.8 percent, at $77.50 a barrel. U.S. crude gained $1.48, or 2.2 percent, to $68.21.Data from industry group American Petroleum Institute (API) showed that U.S. crude inventories rose unexpectedly last week, increasing by 1 million barrels against analyst expectations of a 525,000-barrel decline. [API/S]Prices were little changed ...By Krishna V Kurup(Reuters) - Indian shares advanced on Thursday as Asian markets rebounded after worries about a political crisis in Italy waned, while expectations that the domestic economy likely gained momentum in the first three months of 2018 buoyed investor sentiment.Asian stocks bounced back from a two-month trough as a degree of calm returned with the two anti-establishment parties renewing efforts to form a coalition government rather than force Italy into holding elections for the second time this year.MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan gained 0.7 percent ...Google is stepping into social networking giant Facebooks territory with its new app called Neighbourly that will allow users to ask queries and get them answered by other users in their vicinity. The internet giant on Thursday launched the beta version of the hyperlocal app for the users in Mumbai, and said it would take a call on rolling out in other cities based on the response the company receives.

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Digital EditorLOGAN  It looks like Utah voters will make a decision this fall on whether or not to legalize medical marijuana.

Utah Senator Lyle Hillyard of Logan, however, said there are still questions being asked about how the legalization of medical marijuana would work.

Its against the law federally, he said. So you cant bank money with it, a lot of it is cash. So that raises issue about how to handle the transaction. Secondly, the fact that we really havent tested it. We really dont know the real impact on a controlled method so doctors can prescribe certain quantity of marijuana or certain circumstances to make it work.

Organizers of the medical marijuana legalization proposal were happy about Tuesdays announcement that it had been added to the ballot.The Velvet revolution in Armenia raised concerns about the possibility of a Russian intervention in this South Caucasian republic, for the sake of preventing Russias key ally in the region from slipping into Maidanization and Armenia escaping Moscows foreign political and security orbit. Yet events that unfolded illustrated Moscows rather ambiguous attitude toward the countrys bottom-up regime change, something that Russian elites, fearful as they are of Western-inspired color revolutions, have otherwise done their best to forestall. The explanation for Moscows reception of Armenias revolution lies in Russias clout in Armenia, the character of the popular demonstrations and the regime, and Nikol Pashinyans reassuring stance toward Moscow and its interests throughout his campaign.

BACKGROUND: It would be erroneous to claim, as some observers have done, that Moscows strong influence on Armenias security, economy and politics alone ensured its non-interference in the Armenian crisis. A decade ago, when Armenia faced what appeared to be a popular revolt, Russian elites were much more determined to intervene on behalf of the friendly regime should the events have gotten out of control.

Unlike the previous president Robert Kocharyan (1998-2008), Serzh Sargsyan has shunned the use of violence to solve political and personal problems. While Kocharyan did not refrain from using lethal violence on March 1, 2008, when dozens of demonstrators were killed during the process of power transition from Kocharyan to Sargsyan, the latter opposed the use of lethal force throughout the present crisis. Second, the timing the protests played a crucial role as protestors took to the streets on the eve of April 24, which is the Genocide Remembrance Day. Using violence against thousands of demonstrators would certainly have compromised Sargsyan and the regime, inviting the opposition to draw parallels between the Ottoman Empire on the one hand, and the Turkified members of the Nagorno-Karabakh clan on the other.

Third, the scale of protests also played a role. Demonstrations were massive, supported by Armenians from all social strata and walks of life. Quelling them would have required massive violence, which would have increased the stakes for both Sargsyan and his regime. Fourth, the Armenian Diaspora overwhelmingly shared a highly critical opinion of the Sargsyan regime, considering his government corrupt, unprofessional and responsible for the mismanagement of Armenia in the past decade. Fifth, in 2008 Levon Ter-Petrosyan led the protests and a considerable part of the population and Diaspora considered him to be the wrong person to head the nation due to his efforts to reconcile Armenia with Azerbaijan and Turkey at the expense of concessions in Karabakh. Hence, many Armenians inside as well as outside the country considered Ter-Petrosyan to be a national traitor. With the Karabakh conflict resolved, Moscow might effectively have lost its leverage on Armenian elites.

Sixth, Armenias current political and particularly economic elites are divided, with part of the independent or semi-independent oligarchy reluctant to side with Sargsyan. During Kocharyans presidency, the oligarchy was integrated into the regime. Seventh, during the 2018 events, segments of the Armenian Army and clergy did not hesitate to step in to support the opposition movement. This, too, can be explained by the fact that during Kocharyans repressive reign, there was more fear in society of punishment at the hands of the authorities, while the relatively benign presidency of Sargsyan focused on extracting resources from the country rather than on suppressing dissent as had been the case prior to 2008.

IMPLICATIONS: However, at the very onset of the protests Moscow encouraged Sargsyan to act with more determination against the protests. Some pro-regime oligarchs deployed Ukrainian-style titushki (mercenary agents) against the peaceful protesters. However, the scale of the protests and evidently wide support for the demand that Sargsyan should to step down tipped the scale. Moscow therefore reverted to pushing Sargsyan to step down. Indeed, given the scale of the popular protests and the opposition to Sargsyans rule, intervening on behalf of Sargsyan or pushing him to quell the protests by force could have triggered massive violence. This would have damaged Moscows interests by antagonizing a large part of Armenias population against both the violent regime and its patron.

Russias diplomatic and intelligence sources based in Yerevan repeatedly reported back to Moscow that Sargsyan would not be able to hold on to power without using violence, which he was not ready to do. Thus, Moscow had to minimize the damage by approaching Pashinyan in order to extract assurances from the emerging leader of his commitment to Russo-Armenian relations. Several delegates from Moscow, including Duma officials, approached Pashinyan who rather quickly confirmed that he would preserve the existing framework of relations between Moscow and Yerevan, assuring that his goals were purely domestic. Moscow then gave a green light for Sargsyans resignation and welcomed Pashinyan, carefully framing the protests in Armenia as the sovereign right of the Armenian people  an unprecedented move given Moscows record of counteracting color revolutions in the post-Soviet space. Moscow had to verify that Pashinyan understands the existing limitations to Armenian sovereignty both formally (membership in the Eurasian Union and Collective Security Treaty Organization) and informally (economic and political dependence on Moscow). The vast majority of Russian analysts in the foreign policy and diplomatic community agreed that a reshuffle would be of little or no danger to Moscows interests, and that moderate support for Pashinyan would be the least risky option in the long-term. Pashinyan sent timely and clear signals to both domestic and international audiences on his attitude towards Russia, pacifying the skeptics in Moscow.

According to Kremlin insiders, Pashinyan is a politician that makes Russian elites and strategists uneasy, since bottom-up grassroots politics and politicians capable of rallying thousands in a protest movement, is what Russian elites fear the most. Given his appearance as a blend of Saakashvili, Navalny and Ghandi, Pashinyan is not Moscows preferred type of leader in Yerevan; and he was certainly not Moscows first choice. Yet opposing his rise would have implied greater risks for Moscows interests in the region, thus Moscows framed its official position in a way that both welcomes Pashinyan as a partner and reinforces Russias image among the Armenian population. The downside of this approach is the example that Pashinyans triumph sets for Russias political opposition, projecting the image that a grassroots movement with a leader campaigning against corruption could lead to a bloodless and quick change of political leadership  a message that Moscow would clearly like to suppress.

CONCLUSIONS: No major changes should be expected regarding Armenias dependence on Moscow. The existing framework of relations where Russia is the main guarantor of the status-quo and Armenias security, and a major economic partner, is hardly up for debate in the short to mid-term. Russia has no interest in pushing Armenia away or providing its political leadership with excuses for seeking closer relations with the U.S. or EU, despite the fact that part of Pashinyans Yelq party is rhetorically aiming for a more pro-Western Armenia, a direction supported by a considerable part of Armenias liberal youth. Given the external limitations, Pashinyan will have to double-down on any major expectations of such changes to occur in the foreseeable future. It should be noted that Armenias newly imposed parliamentary system will allow Moscow to easily block any pro-western initiatives, relying on its strong and cross-party power base. As some Russian analysts have suggested, Moscow will have to manage any possible Western attempts to use Pashinyans rise as an opportunity to strengthen their presence in the region, a rather unlikely perspective given how little is currently at stake for the U.S. and EU member states in the South Caucasus. It remains unclear whether Pashinyan will be able to deliver on his promises to negotiate better terms for Armenias alliance with Russia, especially with regard to Russias energy monopoly in Armenia, in economics, and concerning Russo-Azerbaijani military trade. However, whether successful or not, any changes to the existing framework will be minor.

AUTHORS BIO: Emil A. Souleimanov is Associate Professor of Political Science at the Department of Security Studies, Faculty of Social Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic. Anton Barbashin is a political analyst and Editorial Director at Riddle, an online journal on Russian foreign and domestic politics.

Image source: By: kremlin.ru, accessed on 5.31. 2018Firebrand political activist, Andre Blaise Essama has chastised actions by Chiefs of the Bell Canton who destroyed a monument under construction around Njo Njo round about in Bonapriso Douala, in honor of late nationalist Reuben Um Nyobe.

He stormed the area where the Chiefs destroyed; standing on the monument pillar shouting at the top of his voice, Um Nyobe, a sign to say his place is where the City Council had planned.

Essama urged the Government Delegate to the Douala City Council, Dr Fritze NTONE NTONE not to be scared by what he described as mere intimidations from the chiefs.

The construction of the monument will go in line with what I have been asking for in this City, Essama told onlookers.

He has been to jail on several occasions for his fight against the construction of statues of foreign nationals in Cameroon. He has been at the Centre of attraction in removal of historic General Leclerc of France.

He was arrested and jailed for six months in September 2016 for destroying public properties and publication of banned articles.

In July 2017, he was arrested for same reasons after cutting off the head of Leclerc from the statue. He was arrested, jailed and fined to pay huge fines.

Late 2017, Essam rallied bikers who helped him to transport the statue of Jiohn Ngu Foncha and placed at Mobile Bonakouamouang, In Akwa Douala. But the statue was later removed by Police and Essama was declared wanted.

His action this week has been widely acclaimed especially by critics who hold that the acts of the Chiefs was a sign of tribalism, scandalous and a slap on the countrys drive towards living together in diversity.An attempt by some unknown men on Tuesday May 29, to set ablaze the multipurpose hall of Presbyterian Church, Ntamulung, Bamenda in the North West of Cameroon has been thwarted.

Security guards on duty got alerted by smoke and beams of light through the windows of the hall, they immediately alerted surrounding residents who helped to put off the fire.

Dark spots on the floor and some few chairs partially touched by the flames are the few damages recorded after the incident. A container filled with fuel was also found inside the hall.

The culprits have not been traced but it is suspected that Ambazonia fighters could have orchestrated the act following a firm warning given by the Communication Secretary of the Anglophone Separatists, Chris Anu who cautioned against the holding of any meeting in the hall.

The warning came following an announcement that members of the National Commission for the promotion of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism will be meeting denizens of the North West region from all works of life including; farmers, politicians, buyam sellams, bikers, taxi drivers , businessmen among others.

The Separatists argue that the Musonge Commission has nothing to offer in solving the Anglophone crisis and should not be allowed to fool the people.

The Bilingualism Commission is not going to the North West region to discuss language or culture; it will be hearing issues from the population on the Anglophone crisis and others.

Members say, their mission is to gather facts and ideas that would be fed into dialogue machine and also to allow government look into and address some of the problems in due time.Members of the public are using the toll free hotline number 1517 to denounce acts of corruption report CT.

ADS



Cameroonians have appropriated the toll free hotline number 1517 not only to denounce acts of corruption they undergo or witness in public services but virtually all vices and problems in society.



The toll free number was officially launched by the Chairman of the National Anti-corruption Commission (NACC), Reverend Dr Dieudonne Massi Gams on April 24, 2018.



Slightly more than a month since the number was launched, the population has flooded the anti-corruption body with all sorts of calls extending to issues that do not concern corruption. The Head of the Prevention and Communication Division in NACC, Irene Morikang Tche told Cameroon Tribune that a minimum of 100 calls are received per day.



She said the issues reported range from land disputes, acts of corruption of all forms, court hearings and even the current socio-political situation in the North West and South West Regions.



People talks about everything. They call to air out their grievances, she said. While launching the toll free number in a press conference, NACC Chairman, Rev. Dr Massi Gams announced that human and material resources have been put in place to ensure that the number is accessible to the public from 7: a.m. to 6: p.m. everyday. He also announced that two reception points were opened to receive the denunciations from public service users.



Staff of NACC with the ever-increasing calls have a daunting task. Irene Morikang said the calls are screened. She disclosed that some cases of corruption denounced are treated urgently, the rest of the cases are noted down for further investigation. She cited the example of the ongoing census of civil servants where people have been calling to denounce the cases of absentee civil servants.



Such denunciations, she said, are compiled and sent to the Ministry of Finance and cases of theft are compiled and sent to the Police. Irene Morikang advises that people should call usefully, when it is important and when the call concerns purely corruption. This is because calls that have nothing to do with corruption and wrongful denunciations lead to wastage of public resources in case investigations are opened and also block other users from calling.



The institution of the toll free hotline number to denounce corruption has come to add to the already existing arsenal of communication weapons to fight corruption in Cameroon put in place by NACC. The body has a new look website www.conac.cm and an email info@conac.cm at the disposal of users to exploit to denounce acts of corruption an further contribute to the fight against the canker warm.



Other media platforms also exist such as specialised programmes on radio and television to raise awareness on the actions of NACC. In this light, there is Espace CONAC; a radio magazine broadcast every Saturday on CRTV National Station, Espace CONAC; a television magazine on CRTV and Canal 2. There is also the CONAC newsletter published monthly and distributed nationwide.





www.conac.cm and an email info@conac.cm at the disposal of users to exploit to denounce acts of corruption an further contribute to the fight against the canker warm.







Other media platforms also exist such as specialised programmes on radio and television to raise awareness on the actions of NACC. In this light, there is Espace CONAC; a radio magazine broadcast every Saturday on CRTV National Station, Espace CONAC; a television magazine on CRTV and Canal 2. There is also the CONAC newsletter published monthly and distributed nationwide.



Emmanuel KENDEMEH| BY Ricki Green |

TorchMedia has launched the first full train wrap on Sydney Trains with foundation client Charles Sturt University (CSU) and McCann Sydney. Measuring over 70 metres long, the wrapped four carriage train is the largest transit advertising asset available in Australia.

Following the popularity of Showcases launched in 2017, TorchMedia invested considerable time in developing larger formats with Sydney Trains to meet advertiser demand. The full wrap format was created for the advertiser who truly wants to dominate the commuter environment on a scale that has never been seen before.

Says Kirsty Dollisson, managing director of TorchMedia: Executing this campaign has been a true logistical triumph. It has required the utmost cooperation between the Torch team, McCann, Charles Sturt University, Sydney Trains and our production and install partners. The execution took 28 hours to install over 280 square metres of material.

The ability to offer clients high impact options like the Full Wrap on a network which delivers 1 million journeys daily is what sets rail advertising apart from other mediums.

Says Jennifer Galloway, head of strategic development, Charles Sturt University: We are thrilled to work with Torch and McCann on this initiative and believe the CSU Start Now campaign works perfectly with this exciting new advertising platform.

Bringing to life, on such a grand scale, our impactful creative and immediate call to action, that is sure to make commuters consider their life choices and look to CSU as the university that will deliver them a better life tomorrow. We know that a rewarding life is there for the taking, and all they have to do is start.

Says Hadley Allchurch, media manager, McCANN Worldgroup: Charles Sturt University operates in a very competitive environment, so we are always looking for advertising placements that really stand out. The Full Train Wrap delivers massive impact and it services exactly the right audience. As its a media first too, it is even more noticeable and unexpected. Finally, a train that cant be missed!| BY Ricki Green |

Photoplay has announced the signing of Swedish director Linnea Bergman, whilst the production companys sister arm, Playtime, welcomes the directorial debut of in-house talent, Suzanne Kim.

A background in illustration and motion graphic design informs Bergmans unique aesthetic style and her signature approach to light and movement often define her films. In 2006, she established her career under the partnership Ensrettet, applying her craft to title sequences and later to commercials.

Moving on solo, Bergmans focus shifted towards more classic live action, merging her love of art, fashion and design. Her eye for intimate detail and abstract flair have seen her deliver on campaigns for brands including IKEA, Bosch, Philips, Jaguar, H&M, BBC and Lenscrafters.

To view Linnea Bergmans reel click here.

Says Oliver Lawrance, executive producer, Photoplay: Linneas work has a sense of rhythm and artistic flair that she uses to craft authentic and touching human moments; shell certainly bring a fresh look to Australia.

With Photoplays emphasis on design and art direction, Linnea compliments our roster with work that is aesthetically striking and graphic, which also feels spontaneous, natural and emotionally focused. Her reel demonstrates her grasp on the transformative potential of filmmaking, she is always looking for a way to move the viewer; to change the way they see the world.

Whether raising awareness of human exploitation for client Stop The Traffik or giving active-wear a pulse for brand Running Bare, new Playtime director Suzanne Kim is driven to tell stories that explore a deeper human truth. Building a body of work that is both lyrical and bold; her cinematic images are triggered by a political conscience, giving them an emotional complexity rarely seen in commercial work.

Says Kim: Im drawn to the idea of being emotionally invested in peoples stories and I wear my heart on my sleeve, which means Im usually quite spontaneous and responsive to what happens around me. Id love to pursue scripts with a strong visual narrative where dynamic movement and choreography are prominent. Im excited by the energy, spirit and camaraderie intrinsic to telling stories around the culture of sport.

Adds Lawrance: Watching Suz develop her directing talent from the inside has been a delight. Shes always been a gun producer for Photoplay but to see her creativity hit the screen has been something special. Were very pleased and honoured to represent Suz as she steps into directing and I think her style of authentic storytelling mixed with her love of creative problem-solving really offers our clients something unique.| BY Ricki Green |

A new integrated campaign for Nescafe Gold is set to launch as the coffee brand rolls out its richer tasting barista style coffee across Australia.

The latest creative showcases how meaningful connections are rare, precious and worth saving, because they truly enrich peoples lives. Individuals will meet around 80,000 people in their lifetime, but only a few will be really special to them.

The Nescafe Gold campaign brings these connections to life in the new, emotive TVCs, linking the care people put into their relationships, with the care and attention that goes into making a cup of Nescafe Gold.

The integrated campaign leads with two TVCs, which go live on Sunday 3 June, a series of influencer-led content and out of home activations including barista cafe pop-ups. It supports the relaunch of Nescafe Gold, which features improved recipes and an update to its classic packaging to a new, modern design.

Says Sabine Schusser, client services director, Publicis Sydney: The global TV campaign developed by Publicis London / Publicis Conseil, that looks at coffee through a powerful interpersonal lens, provided us with the bedrock for the Nescafe Gold launch in Australia and New Zealand. Locally, we created high impact, brand design work to augment and amplify the TV campaign and provide Nescafe Gold with strong visual impact in market.

Says Rebecca Dobbins, head of marketing, Nescafe: Our ongoing commitment is to deliver quality taste and the new Nescafe Gold range will continue to exceed expectations of what is possible from barista style instant coffee. We understand that Kiwis know what makes a great coffee, which is why we have developed an immersive consumer experience that will serve an incredible 500,000 coffees nationwide.

The fully integrated campaign is live from 30 May through to December 2018 and will also cover an entire brand immersion across out of home locations, that will result in Nescafe Gold reaching more than one million commuters. In addition to this, experiential sampling will be taking place through multiple Nescafe Gold Pop-up cafes with their own in-store baristas.

The new Nescafe Gold range is available from May 2018.

Lead Creative Agency  Marcel Sydney

Media Agency AU  Wave Maker (Group M)

Media Agency NZ  MediaCom

Experiential Agency  Havas| BY Ricki Green |

Melbourne-based brand transformation agency Whippet has launched a new brand platform and integrated campaign for Aussie bedroom retailer Snooze.

The campaign will run nationally through TV, radio, digital, social and in stores, and is the first work from the agency after a successful pitch in March.

The new work heralds a shift for Snooze as the brand launches its proprietary system, the Snooze Profiler, under a new brand platform that establishes Snooze as the destination for expert advice on all things comfortable, starting with a bed.

The Snooze Profiler system asks customers a few simple questions about how they sleep and how they live, and takes a customers preferences into account to help them find a mattress that may better suit them.

The campaign includes two 15 second television commercials shot by director Tracey Rowe, featuring a range of bed lovers basking in the comfortable positions that are unique to them.

Says Tod OReilly, ECD, Whippet: Snooze is a well-known Australian brand with great values. And with this work we had a great opportunity to help drive a shift in perception that will continue over time.

Says Simon Beaty, managing director, Snooze Australia: The introduction of the Snooze Profiler takes Snooze to the next level and maintains the brand as Australias leading bedroom specialists.

Says Irene Tutek, brand, content and campaign manager: Were thrilled with the work Whippet has developed within an extremely tight timeframe. It was a pleasure working with a senior and nimble team who understood our current challenges and were able to deliver a flexible platform that can evolve with our business.

Client  Snooze

Simon Beaty  Managing Director

Sarah Baxer  National Marketing & Brand Manager

Irene Tutek  Brand, Content & Campaign Manager

Agency  Whippet

Tod OReilly  Executive Creative Director

Reuben Cirugeda  Senior Art Director

Rebecca Williams  Senior Art Director

Oliver Ward  Copywriter

Pete Forbes  Senior Designer

Senior Account Director  Lisa Turnbull

Senior Producer  Tania Templeton

Production Company  K & K McGrath

Director  Tracey Rowe

Producer  Kevin McGrath

Production Manager  Ema Thornell

Post Production  Abe Wynen| BY Ricki Green |

Award-winning filmmaker, photographer and visual artist Tim Georgeson has joined Moth Projects.

Georgesons experience shooting in war zones, at rock concerts and on streets across the globe has given him unique insights into the human condition that translates beautifully into multiple delivery platforms. His reputation for creating emotionally stirring work has been celebrated in the media, the arts and the commercial world. His approach as a director is raw, intimate and real.

Says Jonathan Samway, Moth EP: Tims photography and film direction is surreal and imaginative in style  he crosses the genres of film and photography by merging found moments with fine art. For me, he is that rare creative force that will push boundaries for clients in a time of digital change and media free-fall. Hes also a top bloke!

Georgesons photos have been shown in solo and group exhibitions in Paris, Perpignan, London, Tokyo, FOAM Amsterdam, ICP New York, Olsen Gallery and Stills Gallery. His awards include World Press Photo, Leica Camera & Cannes awards, NY Festival and Australian National Portrait prizes. His work has been featured in the New Yorker, National Geographic, Colors, New York Times Magazine & Rolling Stone Magazine.

Says Georgeson: Its pretty cool to be joining a team that has such a distinctive and considered aesthetic  I have always admired the high level of creative output of Moth. Exciting times indeed.The Greater Pine Island Chamber of Commerce named Kayla McGuire as named Mango Queen for 2018 at its monthly card exchange meeting last Wednesday night at Capn Cons.

Im absolutely thrilled to be Mango Queen, McGuire said. I was born on Pine Island and have lived here my whole life. I went to Pine Island Elementary and I even remember as a little girl going to MangoMania and seeing the Mango Queen so Im very excited to represent Pine Island.

Kayla Camille Baker was born and raised on Pine Island and graduated from Ida Baker High School in 2011. Her parents owned and operated several businesses on the island while she was growing up.

Growing up on the island, Kayla and her family were always on the water, which intrigued her to go try her skills at captains school. Capt. Kayla succeeded and holds her 6 pack OUPV captains license.

Kayla and Capt. Cory McGuire of Falling Tide Charters married last year and own a home in Bokeelia.

Chamber Executive Director Jennifer Jennings, who was Mango Queen in 2003, said the choice was difficult but Kayla was a great choice.

As Mango Queen, McGuire will be the face of the annual MangoMania  Tropical Fruit festival, Jennings said.

Every year the chamber holds an adult T-shirt design contest and a childs T-shirt design contest as part of the MangoMania activities. The winner of the adult design this year is Diane Greenwoman Wickes. The students contest is run at Pine Island Elementary School and Meagan Kunkle was named the winner.

This is the official kickoff to the 2018 MangoMania season, Jennings said. This will be our 22nd anniversary of Pine Islands MangoMania  Tropical Fruit Fair. As you know, Pine Island is known for our mangoes but this summer festival is about all of the tropical fruit grown on Pine Island. The 2018 MangoMania Festival is a two-day event at the German American Club in Cape Coral on Saturday, July 14, and Sunday, 15.

The German American Club is at 2101 S.W. Pine Island Road.Photo: Contributed Silver Foxes (left to right): model Maye Musk, stylist Kimberly Robart, grey ombre

If you are starting to see more white threads cropping up on your head, guess what? Youre in vogue.



The past year has seen a huge surge in the popularity of silver and white hair as older women embrace their natural locks and younger women dye for the granny look.



I call them sparkles that run through the hair, says Kimberly Robart, owner of Moi Studio hair salon.

"Our society has made going grey seem like a bad thing for women. Even the word has a negative connotation. I much prefer to use the terms platinum or silver.



She knows from experience, sharing her own struggle with accepting what has traditionally been an unpopular hair colour.



Robart noticed sparkles in her mane at age 18 and spent much of her twenties and thirties darkening her hair. Finally, she decided to go with it and now rocks a white pixie cut.



It used to be that men with silver hair were distinguished and women were just old. Now were realizing that women are gorgeous silver foxes too, Robart says.



Maye Musk, mother of tech mogul Elon, and Carmen DellOrifice are successful models in their seventies, and 96-year-old Iris Apfel and The Accidental Icon Lyn Slater have become international style titans, all with platinum crowns.



If you are tired of dying your hair a darker shade, Robart offers suggestions for a healthy and stylish transition to natural silver.



I use a mix of lowlights and highlights to soften the transition into blonde or white. It will take several salon visits and some patience, but is very much worth it.



The other option is to simply cut all the dark hair off if you dont want to go the chemical route.



Sadly, some women have come to associate dark hair with beauty, so if they feel if they dont colour, they wont be pretty, she adds.

I encourage women to feel foxy in their silver. Your haircut has to be a centrepiece, an expression of who you are.



The silver trend is so strong even women without a single white strand are lightening their locks.



It started when Katy Perry and Lady Gaga experimented with pastel colour rinses that required a white base. Now, all-over grey or ombre is the hottest hair colour for 2018.



Robart advises that if you are interested in this look, be prepared for a big investment and commitment to ensure hair stays healthy.



Lifting pigment from hair can be damaging, so white and pastel hair requires a lot of upkeep for perfection. This really is taking hair to the extreme.



Each time strands are exposed to bleaching agents, it breaks their natural protective bond. Done too often without proper maintenance and your hair can literally break off.



Then scissors are the only remedy, Robart says.



Be wary of any online articles or Pinterest promotions that suggest you can achieve these looks in one sitting or with drugstore kits.



Its my job as a stylist to educate clients and I want to ensure they are happy.



Whether natural or not, you will see more silver vixens of all ages in the coming year. White hair is a dramatic and affirming statement, and Im sure they have more fun.Colton Davies

While the flood outlook has improved drastically in many areas of the South Okanagan, the location that has arguably been hit the hardest this spring has improved at a much slower pace.

Seventeen properties in the Sportsmens Bowl Road area have been ordered evacuated since April 21 due to localized flooding. Nearly six weeks later and most of the road remains a river, and there's no indication when any sort of reprieve could come.

"We seem to be the forgotten ones with all this flooding," resident Stan Marshall says.

He adds he was told by officials on Wednesday there's "no end in sight." The Sportsmens Bowl area is taking on some water from the overfull Twin Lakes upstream.

Marshall says he and his wife are two of the lucky ones; a neighbour behind them, on Secrest Hill Road, has allowed them to drive through his property and they have had full access to their home, which has no water damage.

"The rest of my neighbours who can't have the luxury of getting to their homes have been out of here for over a month. And there's no information sent to any of us as to what they're going to do."

In many spots on Sportsmens Bowl Road, water is spilling across the road from the floodwater's main path of flow. Marshall pointed out the path is covered with debris, silt and sand and is shallow in many spots.

He says if it were dug deeper and cleared of debris, it would stop the water from flowing across the road, which could make it safe for residents to access their properties.

"But nobody's coming in here with an excavator just to manage it in the short term," Marshall says.

"I'd like to see our neighbours get back to their homes and I'd like to see a short-term and a long-term solution from anybody... If we have another snowpack like we did last year, we're going to be in the same situation."

Cameron Baughen, information officer for the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, says the Park Rill water system  spanning from Twin Lakes past the Sportsmens Bowl  is the regional district's top flood priority currently.

He says the RDOS has no jurisdiction for water management and can only assist property owners during emergencies. They could, however, take over the Sportsmens Bowl Road area as a local service area if residents ask for it  an idea that has been floated by residents in Twin Lakes.

In an email, the Ministry of Transportation say they are monitoring Sportsmens Bowl continuously and will be assessing infrastructure needs. They said larger culvert will be installed where necessary, but it's unclear when that work will take place.Ariana Grande has been lying to friends and fans for the past two years about her beauty secrets, because she couldn't tell...Photo: Contributed

While governments grant permits for resource development, only communities can grant permission.

Many people believed this statement by Justin Trudeau and his promise to honour what he called social licence when it came to approving pipeline projects.

Perhaps this is why I have heard an unprecedented level of outrage on the announcement that the Trudeau Liberal government is borrowing $4.5 billion to buy the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline this week.

The Liberal government has claimed that purchasing the Kinder Morgans Trans-Mountain assets was necessary so that the government can complete the estimated $7.4 billion pipeline expansion project.

The Liberals have also claimed they will, in the immediate future, look for other buyers and investors and ultimately look to sell the pipeline expansion project once completed.

Critics have suggested that the Prime Minister is buying his way out of a problem of his own making, while activists have promised this news will only increase protests and further fuel anti-pipeline sentiment.

There is some validity to these sentiments as those who oppose the Trans-Mountain pipeline project, including the BC NDP provincial government, have indicated they will continue to oppose the project regardless of the change in ownership.

Likewise, for supporters of the project, many view this change in ownership as bringing the pipeline no closer to actually getting built.

My thoughts?

I believe it is true that the Prime Minister did largely create this problem.



The promise to honour social licence created expectations that clearly the Prime Minister had no intention of observing.

Further, with the Prime Minister promising for many months that the project would get built without offering any details, he ultimately created a situation where Kinder Morgan imposed a May 31 deadline for certainty.



This deadline served as an ultimatum to the Liberal government.

If Kinder Morgan withdrew from the project over a lack of certainty, it would be viewed as a massive failure in federal leadership on the part of Prime Minister Trudeau given his promise the pipeline would get built.

The Prime Minister had other options.



For instance, rather than utilizing his political capital to work with Premiers Rachel Notley of Alberta and John Horgan of B.C. to a mediated solution, we saw only a brief meeting recently where all three leaders could press for some political resolution.



The Prime Minister could have introduced or supported Independent Senator Doug Blacks Bill S-245, that would have further clarified the federal jurisdiction as he had previously publicly committed to do.

Buying the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline does not ensure the expansion project is built.



Activists have vowed to use all means necessary to stop the construction and the change of ownership now makes these protests more politically motivated.

What Prime Minister Trudeau did achieve in buying the Trans Mountain pipeline with our money is control of the projects timeline.



As there is no longer an ultimatum from Kinder Morgan, the Liberals can decide where they begin the construction and where they do not and of course when, if at all.



With an election on the horizon, I submit this purchase was more about controlling the political agenda then about seriously building a pipeline.



Perhaps I am wrong on this speculation but time will tell.

My question to you this week:

Do you believe the Prime Minister will enforce the rule of law and begin actively constructing the Trans Mountain expansion project or are the Liberals simply buying political time at our expense?



I can be reached at [email protected] or call toll free 1-800-665-8711.Photo: SOWINS

The largest fundraiser of the year for the South Okanagan Women in Need Society is days away.

SOWINS' fifth annual Walk to End Abuse  renamed this year after being called Walk a Mile in Her Shoes for the past four years  takes place on Sunday, beginning at 10 a.m. at Penticton's Rotary Park.

For participants, there will be a hot breakfast from Earls and coffee from Starbucks. There will also be music at Gyro Park and a guest speaker sharing her story of surviving abuse.

There are also prizes for the top fundraising teams, including a night at Burger 55 with up to 20 colleagues.

The non-profit shelter for women and children expects this year's walk will surpass $50,000 in funds raised. To date, just over $30,000 has been raised in the campaign tied to the walk, which ends on June 18.

In 2017, SOWINS had more than 4,500 bed stays at its transition house for women, youth and children. The shelter also ran more than 500 counselling sessions and tended to more than 1,500 crisis calls.

Those looking to register for the walk and donate to SOWINS' campaign can do so here.Photo: Google Street View Summerland Seniors Village

Interior Health remains confident in the team running the Summerland Seniors Village after local politicians started raising alarms about a staffing shortage at the facility recently taken over by the Chinese government.

We have a good working relationship with the management company, said Cindy Kozak-Campbell, IH executive director residential services.

They keep us up to date when they are having staffing vacancies like they are at the time  so it isn't news to us that theyve got a staffing challenge and we are confident that their action plan will be successful, she added.

Penticton MLA Dan Ashton and Central Okanagan MP Dan Albas told Castanet News last week they have heard complaints about a single aide assigned to care for 20 patients overnight.

The Summerland Seniors Village was purchased by Chinas Anbang Insurance last year along with 21 other B.C. care homes with the purchase of Retirement Concepts for $1B. In February, the Chinese government seized control of the company and jailed its CEO for fraud.

Kozak-Campbell says all that turmoil up the chain of command doesnt seem to be impacting the day-to-day operations of the care home, we continue to work with the same group of people.

She said all care homes in the province experience staffing shortages from time to time, driven by a shortage of qualified care aides in B.C.

A report earlier this year from the B.C. Seniors Advocate showed just four per cent of care homes in the Interior Health region met the required 3.36 care hours per resident in 2016/17. All privately-run contracted facilities, like Summerland Seniors Village, fell short.

However, Kozak-Campbell maintains the Summerland facility is meeting and exceeding their contract obligations for staffing this past fiscal year.

Across B.C., just 15 per cent of care homes met their staffing obligations, according to the Seniors Advocate.

Senior care homes are inspected by Interior Health twice a year and are expected to submit their worked hours to the agency quarterly. Private centres that constantly fail to meet the required care hours per resident could have some of their funding clawed back by Interior Health, but Kozak-Campbell admitted that rarely happens.

When I think of the past five years, generally weve been satisfied, its unusual for a site to not meet their funded requirements , she said.

MLA Dan Ashton called on Interior Health to stop sending new patients to care homes that are already struggling with staffing, but Kozak-Campbell said work schedules can be changed and bathing times can be shifted, so it doesnt interfere with their ability to admit people to the site.

A 2017 survey of BC care home residents by the Seniors Advocate heard 62 per cent of residents do not get to bathe or shower as often as they want. One in four residents say they sometimes, rarely or never get help to the toilet when needed.

Kozak-Campbell said the province-wide staffing shortage is driven by a lack of qualified care aides. Some progress has been made in opening up new educational care aide seats, but Kozak-Campbell thinks young people could use some encouragement. A campaign, similar to what the provincial government funds for the trades, could go a long way to attracting young people to the sector.

So everyone is aware that, here is a really good choice for you as a career, particularly if you enjoy working with people and have compassion. It can be a very rewarding career for people.

She said they are also working with colleges and school districts to allow students to complete care aide training under a dual credit program while still in high school.Photo: CTV

UPDATE: 12:55 p.m.

Four homes in one of Vancouver's oldest neighbourhoods have been damaged in an early morning fire.

Vancouver Fire and Rescue Capt. Jonathan Gormick says the first calls came in just before 6 a.m., and firefighters arrived in the Strathcona neighbourhood to find four homes involved.

He says a vacant house where the fire started has been gutted and crews found a hoarding situation in a badly damaged home next door, so they haven't been able to confirm if anyone was inside.

The other two homes on the block have damage to their upper floors, but Gormick says no injuries have been reported.

The gutted house, which was once an 1880s heritage home, had been partially rebuilt after a fire in 2008, but stood unfinished for years.

Gormick says it's likely that the latest blaze was sparked by squatters.

In 2006, four homes and a food warehouse on the block were torched in separate fires that Vancouver police said were the work of a serial arsonist.

 The Canadian Press

ORIGINAL: 8:20 a.m.

Vancouver firefighters are on scene of a blaze that has engulfed four homes in Vancouver's Strathcona neighbourhood.

Emergency crews responded to a call just before 6 a.m. at Prior and Gore streets, by the time they arrived one home was already destroyed.

Reports indicate the fire started in a home that was unoccupied and quickly spread to the other homes. Crews are working frantically to contain the blaze at this hour.

-with files from CTVPhoto: Contributed

The BC Lottery Corporation recently paid out the largest Lotto/649 jackpot in B.C. history.

However, the winner of the $30 million jackpot will remain a mystery.

While one of the conditions for claiming a prize is consent to have their name, picture, place of residence and prize published, winners can request anonymity.

BCLC says it investigates, and verifies all requests for anonymity. Circumstances must be extraordinary and substantiated with evidence that is verifiable, and capable of independent confirmation.

The $30 million ticket from the April, 2018 draw, was sold at the IGA on Parkway Boulevard in Coquitlam.Photo: Richmond RCMP An arrest warrant is out for 30-year-old Kim World Huang, who is facing 12 counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking.

Charges have been approved against an alleged drug trafficker in Richmond, in relation to a significant drug bust last fall.

Kim World Huang, 30, is facing 12 counts of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking. A warrant is out for his arrest.

The charges stem from an incident on Oct. 4, 2017, when Richmond RCMP assisted ambulance crews with three people suffering from apparent overdoses in an apartment on Hazelbridge Way.

The three people all survived, and on scene police found a large quantity of drugs which they seized after executing a search warrant.

The confiscated drugs included two kilograms of meth, 164 grams of heroin cut with fentanyl, 435 grams of cocaine, 212 grams of MDMA, 24 grams of ketamine, 0.98 grams of fentanyl and 407 grams of cannabis. Six LSD paper blotters were also seized.

We are fortunate to have secured these drugs, removing them from the street and out of our community. Other lives will have been saved," Richmond RCMP Cpl. Dennis Hwang said.

"We would like this opportunity to warn the public that the consumption of illicit drugs is an incredibly dangerous undertaking," Hwang added. "You have no idea of what is inside  the concentration or what other chemicals have been mixed together."

Anyone with information on Kim Huang's whereabouts is asked not to approach him and to call RCMP or CrimeStoppers.Photo: The Canadian Press Finance Minister Bill Morneau attends the G7 finance ministers meeting in Whistler, B.C., Thursday, May 31, 2018.

A panel of prominent economic and political leaders kicked off the G7 finance ministers' meeting today with a firm defence of the embattled club of some of the world's richest countries.

The opening day of the meetings in Whistler, B.C. comes as Canada and other G7 members brace for a painful economic blow from big steel and aluminum tariffs set to be imposed by one of their partners: U.S. President Donald Trump.

The move by the U.S. threatens to drive a powerful wedge between the G7  and could push the multilateral relationship closer to a G6 plus one.

During a question-and-answer session, the panellists steered away from direct questions about the tariffs and instead spoke about how the G7 has been a key leader that, for example, helped the world economy avoid a second Great Depression about a decade ago.

Bank of England governor Mark Carney, a former Bank of Canada governor, responded to a direct question about the tariffs by jokingly thanking the moderator for "lobbing a grenade" his way.

The panel also featured International Monetary Fund managing director Christine Lagarde, former prime minister Paul Martin and Tiff Macklem, a former senior deputy governor of the Bank of Canada.

The G7 meeting in Whistler is being chaired by Finance Minister Bill Morneau and will help set the stage for next week's leaders' summit in the Quebec region of Charlevoix, which will also mark Trump's first visit to Canada.

During his opening remarks, Morneau did not address the tariff issue. He is to hold a news conference to discuss the matter later Thursday.Photo: The Canadian Press The tugboat Nathan E. Stewart is seen in the waters of the Seaforth Channel near Bella Bella, B.C., in an October 23, 2016.

The Transportation Safety Board says the second mate on a tug that ran aground off Vancouver Island missed a planned change of course because he fell asleep while he was alone on watch.

About 107,000 litres of diesel and more than 2,200 litres of lubricants, including gear and hydraulic oils, leaked into the Pacific Ocean after the Nathan E. Stewart ran aground in October 2016.

The board says the second mate had been working a schedule that didn't allow for sufficient rest while off duty.

The safety board is recommending that watchkeepers be trained to help identify and prevent the risks of fatigue, and that all vessel owners have fatigue-management plans tailored to individual operators.

The report also says spill response and recovery efforts were within prescribed time standards, but there was some confusion about who had authority over the operation.

The 30-metre tug hit rocks and partially sank near Bella Bella while it was towing an empty barge.

Chief Marilyn Slett of the nearby Heiltsuk First Nation has said the fuel spill forced the closure of prime seafood harvesting and fishing areas and has had devastating social, cultural and economic impacts on her people.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board released a report in November saying the tug's second mate told investigators he missed a change of course after falling asleep, which the board said was the probable cause of the vessel running aground.

The U.S. report said Houston-based Kirby Offshore Marine had ineffectively implemented safety management procedures, which contributed to the accident involving its tug.

It also said there was a lack of documentation on safety rounds and no evidence that safety management rules were implemented on board the Nathan E. Stewart.Photo: CTV

Despite efforts to locate a small capuchin monkey in the bush of southern Vancouver Island, the little primate is still loose almost a week after it escaped from a private facility.

Sgt. Scott Norris of the Conservation Officer Service says the male capuchin went missing Saturday from its enclosure at Primate Estates in Cowichan Lake.

The Rainforest Alliance website says capuchin moneys are native to south and Central America, weigh less than five kilograms and have brown or black bodies with cream fur around the face, neck and shoulders.

They are only known to descend from treetops to find water, making the search even more challenging because Norris says the bush around Lake Cowichan is dense.

He says anyone spotting the monkey should not approach it because it could bite, although the risk to the public is considered low.

Sightings can be reported to the conservation service's 24-hour hotline, which handles all calls related to wildlife-human interactions where public safety may be at risk.Chantelle Deacon

A scenic 166-kilometre bike ride will take place later this month, all in support of a good cause.

The ride used to be known as the GranFondo Vernon but a few years ago it was renamed to Dave's Ride.

David Regehr, who was a local dentist, took his own life in 2015.

Regehr was known as a man who loved anything and everything outdoors. Always appearing to be happy, his friends say you would never have known the struggles he was facing on the inside.

"Dave's Ride recognizes mental health and the stigma associated with it," said Gary Horsting, a close friend of Dave. "Three years ago he committed suicide and it was absolutely shocking."

"We all thought he was a wonderful guy who had everything together. It just shows you what the stigma of mental health can do when you don't seek help."

This will be the 12th year Horsting has organized the bike ride which has always been known as a fundraiser. Dave annually joined in on the ride until he passed away.

"It started initially with half a dozen of us challenging ourselves by riding around Okanagan Lake starting and finishing in Vernon."

Dave's Ride will support both the Canada Mental Health Association and Independent Living Vernon.

The ride takes place on Sunday, June 10 starting between 6 and 7 a.m.

The ride will start and finish at the People Place parking lot on 25 Avenue 27 Street.

Dave's Ride will cap at a limit of 200 riders at $50 per person.

If you would like to register for the ride please sign up online.



Whale Watching Centre

A baby bruin, found on top of its dead mother on Vancouver Island has been rescued and is being nursed back to health.

The bear was spotted Friday May 25th by Hot Springs Tour Boat Guides in Ross Pass.

A crew from the Whale Watching Centre and the Strawberry Isle Marine Research Society investigated and a black bear laying on a cliff not moving and a tiny cub laying on its mother's back. The mother bear had no visible signs of trauma or wounds and the baby was trying to nurse from the dead mother.

When they approached the bear it hid and then climbed a tree. Once they got back in the boat the bear came down by this time it was getting dark so they determined they would come back on Saturday.

Luckily it survived the night and after some coaxing, John Forde co-owner of the Whale Watching Centre managed to get the baby bruin to allow him to pick it up.

Jennifer Steven, co-owner of the Whale Watching Centre says, " It was screaming. My heart was breaking listening to its screams but I knew this was its only chance to survive."

The rescue team gave the bear some water and gave it the once-over and then placed it in a transportation crate and took it to the conservation office and the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre.

So far the cub appears to be doing well and the Whale Watching Centre is paying for the bear's expenses while she is in the centre.

"Eventually she will be released back here when she is ready to be on her own in the wild. We are elated that we could help make a difference. We make our living off of Bear Watching in Tofino so we will always give back to the bears.

Stevens says, "if you want to donate money to help the cub while it is at the North Island Wildlife Recovery Centre please reach out to them! We will also be donating to help fund the cub's recovery at the centre until it can be released back into the wild.Photo: Trevor Honigman Vernon RCMP are searching for a hit-and-run driver who smashed into two vehicles before taking off on foot.

Vernon RCMP are searching for a hit-and-run driver who smashed into two vehicles before taking off on foot.

The action began just after 2 p.m. Wednesday when the suspect driving a blue GMC pick-up truck rear-ended a white Honda Civic on Highway 97 near Stickle Road.

The driver of the pick-up failed to stop and continued to drive southbound on Highway 97 where the pick-up then collided with a Ministry of Transportation vehicle which was working on the highway at the time, said Const. Kelly Brett.

The driver of the pick-up exited the vehicle and fled the area on foot prior to police arrival and was not located.

The driver of the Honda Civic was transported to the hospital by the BC Ambulance Service with what are believed to be minor injuries.

RCMP are confident that the driver of the suspect vehicle will be identified and the investigation into this matter is on-going, said Brett. Although this particular incident ended with only minor property damage and injuries, it could have been fatal.Photo: NRIpress.com

The lawyer for Paramjit Bogarh says his client intends on vigorously fighting the charges brought before him.

Bogarh was recently extradited from the United States and is facing charges of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder in relation to the 1986 death of his then-wife Saminder Kaur Bogarh in Vernon.

Paramjit's brother, Narinder Bogarh, is facing the same charges, but is in India and has not been extradited.

"With respect to Paramjit ... they do not have a case," says Bogarh's lawyer Russ Chamberlain. "The case against him is entirely circumstantial, and to boot very weakly circumstantial. There is no forensic evidence tying him to this crime."

Chamberlain says they plan on seeking bail with the condition of house arrest in British Columbia.

"We will be able to put up substantial bail to secure his attendance," explains Chamberlain. "I am hopeful that by putting up large amounts of bail, he (Paramjit) might be released under house arrest, so the risk of flight will be significantly reduced."

Chamberlain says his client is very well respected by the business community and Sikh community in California.

"We'll be able to get all kinds of character letters forward to the kind of man he is, the kind of businessman he is," says Chamberlain.

Paramjit Bogarh, who goes by the name Paramjit Singh Bohgunh is a prominent businessman in California with a wife and 25-year-old son.

"They are aware of the circumstances," says Chamberlain. "Pending the extradition request from Canada being heard in California, he (Paramjit) was in custody and remained in custody until he was transported last Saturday to Kelowna."

Bogarh is still considered a permanent resident of British Columbia, however, he was just served by the Canadian Border Services with a notice to revoke his landed immigrant status due to the fact that Bogarh has not lived in B.C. for the required period of time to maintain his status. Bogarh has been a permanent resident in the United States since 1987.

Chamberlain says Bogarh has remained in contact with family in the Greater Vancouver area.

Chamberlain says he was the lawyer for Bogarh and his brother Narinder when second-degree murder charges were originally filed against the men. The charges were eventually dropped.

Bogarh appeared in Vernon Law Courts by video link this morning. Bogarh's case was adjourned until June 28.Shawn Smith is hoping someone will recognize whoever stole stuff from his Armstrong home, so he posted surveillance pictures of the suspect to Facebook.

Smith had items stolen from his property twice in less than a month.

The first time was about three weeks ago when someone walked onto his property and stole a portable battery booster pack, the second time was a couple of days ago when the bad guy stole a gas can and a leaf blower.

He said the crimes were committed by two different people, both of whom were caught on camera.

In the most recent theft, the suspect strolled onto his property at 4:43 a.m. and left carrying the items.

Smith said his home is just off Highway 97 and suspects the thefts were crimes of opportunity.

What the bad guys didn't know was Smith has surveillance cameras so the thefts were caught on video.

Smith's post has been shared almost 300 times so a lot of eyes are looking out for the suspect.

Some people say they recognize the guy, but no one who actually knows the guy, said Smith. I don't care if I get the stuff back, it's not like it's worth a lot, I would just like to catch the guy.

Smith has reported the thefts to the RCMP and has provided the surveillance footage.

Anyone with information on the crimes are urged to call police.Photo: Koral Moore-Klynchyk Over 1000 Kokanee Salmon have been found dead since May 25th.

The government is now investigating after over 1,000 kokanee salmon washed up on the northern shores of Okanagan Lake since May 25.

These kinds of die-offs have occurred in the past, but their causes have been generally unknown.

"There have been some new developments in the ability to test for fish diseases, especially the preservation of samples," said fisheries biologist Dr. Hillary Ward, with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.

Samples have been sent to the provincial animal health centre for disease testing.

"Kokanee populations in Okanagan Lake are threatened by several factors, including interactions with introduced species such as mysis shrimp, changes in weather patterns and habitat loss due to lakefront and stream water flow reduction," added Ward.

Okanagan Lake Kokanee spawn on both the shore and in streams in the fall.

Last year, biologists counted more than 180,000 spawning kokanee on the lake, which was considered equivalent to the average return over the past 10 years. The highest peak year was in 2015 with 300,000.

Kokanee are landlocked sockeye salmon and are second only to rainbow trout as the most popular game fish in B.C. For more information about BC freshwater fish click here.Photo: City of Vernon

Kal Tire Place in Vernon will not have power for part of the day on Monday.

With continued construction on Kal Tire Place North the requirement to connect to permanent power has arrived.

Work crews will turn off the main power supply to Kal Tire Place while they install and connect a breaker that will service the new facility.

A generator will run and supply some lighting but not all amenities or equipment will be operational.

The power outage will take place June 4, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.By Pam Hersh In honor of Valentines Day, I declare my love for something that has sustained and inspired me during the darkest days of...Deep Purple's Roger Glover and Metallica's Lars Ulrich at the 31st Annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony (Mike Coppola/ Getty Images)Metallica's rhythm section will be on hand when the metal legends are honored with Sweden's 2018 Polar Music Prize, also known as the "Nobel Prize of Music." Drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo will attend the ceremony, which takes place June 14 in Stockholm.

Additionally, several other rock artists will be in attendance to help Metallica celebrate their achievement. Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice and bassist Roger Glover will read an introductory speech, while members of Ghost and fellow Swedish band Candlemass will perform together. You may remember that Ulrich inducted Deep Purple into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.

Additionally, ex-Motorhead and current Scorpions drummer Mikkey Dee, a Swedish native, will perform a new song he wrote with Dennis Lyxzen of the Swedish punk band Refused.

In naming Metallica a recipient of the Polar Music Prize back in February, the award committee commented, "Through virtuoso ensemble playing and its use of extremely accelerated tempos, Metallica has taken rock music to places it had never been before."

As a Polar Music Prize winner, Metallica will be awarded one million Swedish kronor, which currently amounts to about $113,000. The band will donate their winnings to their All Within My Hands charitable foundation.

Previous Polar Music Prize winners include Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney, among others.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said Thursday that the Northwest Georgia region saw a drop in the unemployment rate and a decrease in initial unemployment claims in April.

However, Mr. Butler noted that the labor force and number of employed residents fell for the month, though all indicators for the year remain positive.

Even though we did see some fluctuations in the employment and workforce numbers across the state, job growth continues to be very strong, he said.

In April, the number of employed residents in the Northwest Georgia region fell to 406,945.

Northwest Georgia lost 231 employed residents for the month but remains up 11,811 over the last year. Only five of Georgias 12 regional commissions saw an increase in employed residents.

The Northwest Georgia labor force ended April at 422,108. That number is down 2,465 over the last month but up 8,359 over the last year.

The jobless rate fell to 3.6 percent, a drop of .5 percent over the past month. A year ago, the jobless rate was 4.5 percent. The rates in Georgias 12 regions vary from a low of 3.1 percent in the Georgia Mountains to 4.7 percent in the River Valley region.

In the Northwest Georgia region, initial claims for unemployment were down about 54 percent for the month and down almost 28 percent for the year.

The Northwest Georgia region includes Bartow, Chattooga, Catoosa, Dade, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Walker, and Whitfield.

Employ Georgia, the GDOLs online job listing service at employgeorgia.com showed 2,011 active job postings in metro Northwest region for April.Voice of the People Audio Article Native son Tom Smiths history of East Chesterton (Chesterton Tribune 9-30-21 Commentary) was interesting and a poignant tribute to his five-generations back ancestors, the Morgans, who traveled from West Virginia and Ohio to settle here in 1833  to raise a family, to farm and...

Voice of the People Audio Article This summer the Times of NW Indiana again suggested in an editorial that Dunes Action had been in opposition to the renovation of the State Park Pavilion. We never did. In fact, most of us had been waiting for it for decades. They did not...

Guest Commentary Audio Article This is a short history of the Morgan family farm before the possible development of the remaining 49 acres east of Chesterton. Jesse and Jane Morgan arrived in Northwest Indiana in 1833 after traveling through Ohio, northern Indiana, stopping off in LaPorte County for a...

Echoes of the Past Audio Article 10 Years Ago Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011  Bethlehem Lutheran Church will host a wellness screening event. . . CHS girls soccer team beats LaPorte 5-0 and clinches a share of the DAC title. Scoring goals are Rosie Biehl (2), Hannah Kollar (2), and Sam...Alan Gordon scored in his second straight game to pull Chicago within one in the 56th. Brandt Bronico ran past the defense for a through ball, dribbled alone along the right side and crossed it to Gordon for an easy tap-in.This is a key area of growth for businesses because the more information they can learn about where, when and why a sale occurs, the better they can capitalize on that in the future. Analytics are also behind marketing that provides customer benefits, such as a section on an e-commerce site that features recommended products or emails that are generated based on browsing history.The Equinox is one of Chevy's top sellers, but designers took some chances with the new model's interior. "You can tell they had fun with swooping lines on the door trim and oblong air condition vents," Murphy said. "And GM's infotainment system is great: fast and easy to use." The Equinox competes with vehicles like the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V in what's become America's top-selling segment.Fortunately, there is plenty of good art here, even some great, by artists both familiar and not. New to me were Ayanah Moor and Juliana Huxtable, both of whom use text to shake up, with wit and flair, the presumptions about gender and desire built into popular culture, be it back issues of Ebony magazine or 1980s video games. Artists recognizable from recent or current solo shows elsewhere in Chicago include Howardena Pindell at the MCA, Torkwase Dyson at the Graham Foundation, Jennie C. Jones at Patron Gallery and Candida Alvarez at the Cultural Center. Their presence in Out of Easy Reach feels like confirmation and contextualization rather than reiteration. Hopefully there will be another monographic show to come, somewhere, for showstopper Shinique Smith.There doesn't seem to have been much of a boundary between Talley's personal and professional lives, and his apparent lack of a serious romantic partner is brushed off with a few quick asides. "I have no love life," he says matter-of-factly, and Novack doesn't press. But perhaps she just understands when his silence speaks for itself. Though much of the 2016 footage sees Talley discussing the election, he doesn't mention Donald Trump directly; fast-forward to January, and Talley is live-blogging the inauguration in a living room with Maureen Dowd. He's almost defiant as he gives a glowing assessment of Melania's wardrobe for the occasion  chuckling at what a mess his Twitter and Instagram mentions are about to become  but when Trump takes the oath of office he goes quiet, and Novack's camera zeroes in on him as he watches, his face tracing a path from bemusement to disbelief to head-shaking sadness. Even for a man as voluble and eloquent as Talley, so many things still remain unsaid.Meanwhile back at the cabin, the others grow wary of Talbot's behavior. Under duress, he tells them of a zombie-like viral contagion that has turned his loved ones (and will turn Brie) into undead predators. This gets him dismissed as a nutcase, then chased into the woods at the point of his own shotgun. Alas, it turns out he was telling the truth, as becomes obvious once night descends, the infected deteriorate, and the "ferals'" (drooling, snarling baldies played by Mark Musashi and Levi Ashlyn) turn up hungry for living flesh once more.The logical question then is: Why exactly is Post Malone so popular? Those the Tribune spoke with each had their own theory, but the consensus was that his sparse, chilly and pop-hook laden music is at its core a more palatable version of current trends in hip-hop. (Per his representatives, Malone was unavailable for comment). At its core, Malones sound is a more pop-friendly spin on the trap sound first popularized by Southern rappers like Gucci Mane that recently exploded in the mainstream thanks to the likes of Migos and Rae Sremmurd and is being perpetually reinvented in new and thrilling ways by SoundCloud rappers including XXXTentacion and Smokepurpp. Hes packaging something thats a little bit more controversial and confrontational in a friendlier pop package, Zoladz says.It appears Drake might have contributed to Kanye's upcoming album: "What do you really think of the (expletive) that's makin' your beats? / I've done things for him I thought that he never would need / Father had to stretch his hands out and get it from me/ I pop style for 30 hours, then let him repeat." (Kanye publicly thanked Drake in 2016 for helping him out on "Father Stretch My Hands, Pt. 1 and "30 Hours," both from "The Life of Pablo.")A signed Hirschfeld drawing of the cast of "Frasier." A Dale Chihuly vase  once a fixture on the set of the NBC sitcom  signed by the renowned artist. Autographed scripts for "Frasier," including the very first episode. An Irish Belleek mug stamped "Himself." A signed limited edition of James Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake." And a set of Calphalon cookware with one of the lids signed by John Mahoney.After the hostage incident at Delnor, nurses from around the country rallied in Kane County, calling for change. The Kane County jail inmate was left unshackled and got ahold of the gun of a corrections officer, before he took two nurses hostage, according to a lawsuit filed after the incident. One of the nurses was sexually assaulted before police fatally shot the inmate. Less than a month later, a convicted murderer used a makeshift weapon to hold a corrections officer and nursing assistant hostage at the Presence St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet.There have been strides. In April, Sen. Tammy Duckworth became the first sitting U.S. senator to give birth. She inspired a rule change in the Senate to allow infants in the chamber, so she could effectively fill her role as an elected official during her maternity leave, because senators must be physically present to vote. Just after the historic change, Duckworth voted as she cradled 10-day-old Maile Pearl Bowlsbey on the Senate floor.The Illinois House voted 72-45 to ratify the ERA, following an April vote in the Senate, which makes way for Illinois to become the 37th state to ratify the measure  more than 45 years after it was approved by Congress. It needs backing from 38 states to be included in the U.S. Constitution, and legal experts are debating whether that can even happen at this point, since those 38 votes were supposed to take place by a 1982 deadline.The message has been out on drunk driving for 40 years now, and people have paid attention, Hedlund said. Theres a real social change that says its not acceptable to have two six-packs and go out and drive. The slogan years ago was: Lets have one for road. Now its: Whos the designated driver? Id like to see the same thing for drugs.It was amazing to be in the office and watch how the community flocked to him, said Pitts, who worked for Myers after graduating from law school in 2005. He was kind of like a superhero in lawyer form. He would take all types of cases despite the persons means of being able to pay him. It was always about the cause and doing the right thing.In this time in our lives where we need to build better (relations) between the community and the police, Officer Feliciano and Sgt. Lopez represent everything thats good, the report quoted Martin as saying. I have seen both Officer Feliciano and Sgt. Lopez in situations ranging from shootings to holding a grandmothers hand who just needed someone to talk to. Those are God-given gifts. We try to teach those in the academy. We do the best we can. But you can only teach and model so much.It wasnt until the next morning, when OConnor saw the photo again, that he thought to look for the man who had saved him. All OConnor had was the picture and his rescuers first name. So he took what he had and posted it to Twitter on Tuesday."Earlier this afternoon, we were notified of a social media posting resembling a potential threat to our school," it read. "Please note that the posting did not contain an explicit threat. The Chicago Police Department and CPS Office of Safety and Security were immediately notified to investigate this situation. Upon completion of their assessment, CPD deemed that there was no threat to the school and at no time was there ever any safety risk to students or staff."For the first time, Herbert said Van Dyke may take the witness stand at the trial to testify in his own defense. He is expected to argue self-defense  that he feared for the lives of himself and other officers from McDonald, who held a knife in his hand and was high on PCP.Police are searching for a person of interest who was seen in the area during the incidents, according to the alert."I can go back to my district and I can say that we have done our job for the first time in many years," House Republican Leader Jim Durkin of Western Springs said. "People in the state of Illinois continue to say, 'Can you please just work it out, get together, figure it out and get the job done? And that's what we've done today."While the lawmakers whod worked on negotiating the plan sold it to rank-and-file lawmakers as one that spends only what the state is expected to bring in during the budget year that begins July 1, it achieves that goal by making several assumptions. The state would need to raise $300 million by selling the James R. Thompson Center in the Loop, though that idea hasnt moved forward in recent years. Pensioners would have to take a new buyout offer and cash out their benefits upfront at a discount. And pay raises due to state workers would have to be paid through some other means in the future.Douglas began unpacking his life in the letter to his father. He linked his drug use to his father's exit, though he did not blame his problem on the disappearance. "[A]t a very young age, I lost a person that I thought loved me," Douglas wrote, according to People. "I had a very low self-esteem, and that affected my drug use even more. I used drugs to get my confidence, since at times I felt less than I really was.""Our goal is to bring back Midwest Express  the brand and all the brand elements that made it so popular the first time around," said Christine Williams, spokeswoman for the company's three officers. "This is just the first step in a series of steps we need to take."An affidavit says Pitts bludgeoned 77-year-old Alice "Anita" Oswald after she shot him during a burglary at her home. The affidavit says investigators believe Oswald came home Nov. 9, 2017, to find Pitts and two others in her basement. The affidavit says she shot Pitts in the face.Dinesh D'Souza attends the premiere of Lionsgate Films' "America: Imagine the World Without Her" in Los Angeles in 2014. (Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images)Cooper, a former press secretary to Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and now a partner with Rise Strategy Group, said she was one of those Tate mentored. I think her life can definitely be defined as mentoring and supporting women in politics, not only in Chicago but across the country. She had the unique ability to really build bridges and connect people, Cooper said.Despite more than two dozen arrests in his life, DiFronzo  known in the media as No Nose for having part of his nose shot off by police in 1949 during an attempted robbery  mostly avoided prison and shunned the spotlight, living inconspicuously for decades in the near western suburb.Now Blagojevich wants us all to know he is being singled out unfairly. Im in Prison for Practicing Politics, bleats the headline of an opinion piece he wrote for Tuesdays Wall Street Journal. The six years he has served  with eight to go, now that the Supreme Court has turned down his last-ditch appeal  is a miscarriage of justice, he wants us to know.Presidents do have broad constitutional authority to commute sentences for federal crimes, and Blagojevich committed a lot of them. Trumps off-the-cuff commentary Thursday about a possible commutation had the math wrong  18 years in jail for being stupid and saying things that every other politician, you know that many other politicians say. The accurate numbers: Blagojevich has served six years of a 14-year sentence and is likely to be released after another six, in 2024. But remember, even after federal appellate judges vacated on technicalities five of his 18 felony convictions, the defrocked governor remained eligible for a sentence of 30 years to life. As a prosecutor noted of Blagojevichs six-year crime spree, He was corrupt when he took the oath of office. He was corrupt until the day he was arrested.Ed Yohnka, the ACLUs director of communications and public policy, said the strongest momentum he sees carrying transgender rights forward comes from young people: I was amazed, and it was really gratifying when we filed the Maday case last November, really quick we heard from a couple dozen students at Novas high school who just thought it was silly and said, This isnt an issue for us. We want Nova or anyone else to be who they are. Thats a really powerful thing for me. In large measure, it was these high school students taking it upon themselves to define the way they wanted the world to work for them.Illinois should be next to eliminate the misuse of antibiotics on industrial farms within the state. Each law that controls antibiotics in our food system will help ensure that these life-saving drugs continue to work when we get sick.Rod Blagojevich, Trump said, bringing up the name unbidden during the on-the-record portion of a conversation with reporters aboard Air Force One, according to a transcript. Eighteen (sic) years in jail for being stupid and saying things that every other politician, you know that many other politicians say  Eighteen years is I think really unfair  I am seriously thinking about  not pardoning  but I am seriously thinking of a curtailment of Blagojevich.At its shops in River North, Lincoln Park and Oak Park and at the roaming Billy the Truck, Firecakes will host The Great Donut Giveaway. Anyone who makes a purchase on Friday can enter, and prizes range in value from one free buttermilk old fashioned to four dozen donuts and can be redeemed June 2-30.The winning piece will hang in the U.S. Capitol for one year, the second- place winners work will be placed in U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgrens Campton Hills district office and the third-place winners piece will hang in the McHenry district office of Hultgren (R-Plano).At least one shot was fired by one of the robbers, but it did not hit anyone, police said. The pair drove off in a black vehicle similar to a Ford Fusion. They were last seen northbound on Orchard Road, police said.What I look forward to is for my children, young women and older women to step on our shoulders and reach their full potential, Chapa LaVia said. The vote Wednesday for me was more about the recognition of human rights and the dignity we bestow in this country on women in making sure that when we say equality is equality that it is read into our Constitution."When we see peak numbers this high, we know that this is going to be an event that will cause flash flooding, she said. The rain falls so fast that it overwhelms the drainage systems. The stormwater has nowhere to go.Chicago nonprofits got $1 million in unrestricted funding. Heres how some used it.

Chicago nonprofits got $1 million in unrestricted funding. Heres how some used it.Mills said the man made the comments to his co-workers about 8 a.m. at a building in the 1200 block of Barclay Boulevard. He left the building, and the workers soon heard a gunshot. When they went outside, they found the man lying in a grassy area and wounded, Mills said.Webber could be held in a state hospital for the rest of her life, though she is allowed to petition the court system for release on grounds that she has been cured. At the end of the hearing last November, Bakalis said he was not convinced, but was willing to revisit the case in six months. Webber will be back to court on June 29 for an update.Due process safeguards the rights of employees and serves to assist the Administration and the Board to make the best decision based on accurate information which is presented in an appropriate manner, the district said Thursday in a statement that asked for patience from community members who have publicly demanded the recission of Eriksens job offer. In an employment context, for example, due process includes both adequate notice to the employee and an opportunity to respond.The reality is weve got to invest in our assets on a smart basis, on an ongoing basis to make sure they're well-maintained, Peoria Public Radio quoted Rauner as saying during the unveiling. And, that actually saves money in the long run, and we get longer effective lives out of our roads and bridges.I signed a petition this past Memorial Day to ask the Department of Defense to honor a veteran who suffered from PTSD and committed suicide after giving more than 10 years of his life to the service of his country. Although the DOD doesn't recognize suicide as a death suffered in the line of duty, I do. Honor them all.The 2nd District State Appellate Court sent the case back to Booras for a local ruling on the issue of Melodie Gliniewiczs phone, and now the case moves back to the appellate court for an overall ruling on what evidence may be allowed or excluded at trial based on marital privilege statutes.Huang was taken into custody Wednesday night at OHare International Airport after exiting a plane that arrived from China, according to the release. He was charged with one count of conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, a controlled substance. Prosecutors say he used the company to sell controlled substances, including a fentanyl precursor.Aloha Poke announced a year ago it was opening a Naperville location at 215 S. Washington St. While the name of the restaurant has been painted on the windows for months, paper covers the windows, and the restaurant has not yet opened. Crews could be seen working on the buildings interior this week.Griffin was sentenced to 41 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release, according to the release.Purdue University Northwest (PNW) and the Michigan City Public Library are co-sponsoring the seventh annual SlamCamp for middle-school students from June 18-22 at the Library, 100 E. Fourth St. The camp will offer writing, art, theater performances and games for students entering grades six through nine in fall 2018. Camps will meet from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday, June 18 -21, and from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Friday, June 22. At 6 p.m. on June 22, camp participants will host a showcase event, performing original creative pieces and competing for prizes. Parents, friends, and family members are invited to attend. The showcase is free and open to the public. Faculty from PNWs English department develop all of the curriculum and train and coordinate volunteers made up of PNW faculty, students and alumni, as well as community members. A $5 registration fee covers all activities, supplies, lunches and includes a camp T-shirt. Register at https://www.facebook.com/SlamCampNWI/ or at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/slamcamp-2018-tickets-46126380245?aff=erelexpmlt. More information is with Dr. Lee at btlee@pnw.edu or 219-785-5229.Argentas classroom was full of toys shes accumulated over the school year to hand out to her second-, third-, and fourth-grade art students on the last day of school on June 1. She said she scours garage sales and asks for donations so each child can receive something.The Trump administration has also made asylum claims more difficult to prove, chipped away at the definition of "unaccompanied-minor" status so kids' legal rights can be diminished, and limited who qualifies for Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, which is used to protect abused children. Most recently, the Trump administration also made the separation of children from parents at the border official policy (this also happened during past presidents' administrations, even though it wasn't formally codified in policy).How does this Trump person cry foul every time he doesn't get everything said, or compared to him? He lives in a glass house, and has double standards. One standard for him, and completely different ones for everyone else. I never saw in my life, someone who can manipulate, and turn things around faster than lightning, just to make himself look good. What he doesn't know is, every time he opens his mouth, he he puts his foot in it just a little deeper!Effective at the start of the 2018-2019 school year, the job description for After School Detention Supervisor shall be re-written to reflect that the employee in this position will serve as a behavioral interventionist, according to text of the settlement.The latest issue of China Briefing Magazine, titled How to Manage Transfer Pricing in China, is out now and currently available to subscribers as a complimentary download from the Asia Briefing Publication Store.

In this issue:

The Scope of Contemporaneous Documentation

Best Practices for Year-end Transfer Pricing Adjustments

Intro-group Service Fee Treatment

Key Components of Hong Kongs BEPS Bill

Countries across Asia have been amending their transfer pricing legislation to come into alignment with the OECD/G20 Action Plan for Tax Base Erosion and Profit Transfer Projects  or the BEPS Action Plan  since it was unveiled in 2015. China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are no exceptions to this trend.

In this issue of China Briefing magazine, we offer foreign investors a practical guide to navigating the new transfer pricing regime in China as well as an introduction to major changes happening in Hong Kong.

We begin by examining the scope of contemporaneous documentation needed when preparing related party tax files in China. New transfer pricing document disclosure requirements have increased compliance demands on enterprises, opening the door for more documentation mistakes to be made in the process.

Next, we consider some best practices for making year-end transfer pricing adjustments, before analyzing the regulatory treatment of intra-group service fees. China has more stringent requirements in certain areas of transfer pricing compared to OECD countries, making a deep understanding of shareholder activities and strong internal controls all the more important.

Finally, we introduce the key provisions of Hong Kongs new BEPS Bill, which is set to be enacted in the coming months. The new bill is a milestone in the development of Hong Kongs transfer pricing enforcement regime, and is more comprehensive than most observers anticipated.Actress Zhao Tao and actor Liao Fan star in Jia Zhangke's latest film, Ash Is Purest White.[Photo provided to China Daily]

With complex characters and a small-town setting, Jia Zhangke's new gangland flick, Ash Is Purest White, is an epic nostalgic tale told over nearly two decades. Xu Fan reports.

Over the past 16 years, Jia Zhangke has seen five of his directorial movies nominated for the Palme d'Or, one of the movie world's most prestigious awards.

Again, his latest effort, Ash Is Purest White, was nominated for the honor at the recently held 71st Cannes Film Festival, as well as being selected to compete in a further six categories: best actress, best actor, best director, best screenplay, the Jury Prize and the Grand Prix.

However, while Jia's film failed to topple Japanese rival Hirokazu Kore-eda's Shoplifters for the top prize, the 48-year-old auteur is optimistic about the future.China will roll out more foreign investor-friendly measures to further boost opening-up and economic upgrading, the State Council decided at an executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday.





It was decided at the meeting that market access will be widened. Commitments already made to cancel or ease the restrictions on foreign investment in such manufacturing sectors as automobiles, shipping vessels, and aircraft will be promptly implemented.





The mechanism regarding qualified overseas investors will be expanded to encourage overseas investors to participate in the futures trading of crude oil and iron ore and give more support to foreign-invested financial institutions in underwriting local government bonds.





"We must strive to preserve China's status as a major destination for foreign investment. Opening-up has driven China's reform endeavors in the past 40 years. Foreign-invested enterprises have been a significant contributor to Chinese exports. More importantly, they have brought to China industrial and value chains, and spurred corporate reform and innovation," Li said.





According to the Ministry of Commerce, foreign investment in China hit a new high of 877.56 billion yuan (about 136.72 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017, up by 7.9 percent year on year.





It was also decided at the meeting that investment facilitation will be enhanced based on international standards. The negative list on the market access of foreign investors will be revised and released before July 1.





Provincial governments will be delegated the authority over the setting up or business alteration of foreign-invested enterprises with total investment of 1 billion dollars or less.





The filing requirements in the pilot program will be relaxed for eligible multinational companies to have greater flexibility in managing their foreign currency capital in China.





The permitting procedures for foreign talent to work in China will be simplified, and eligible foreign employees hired by enterprises registered in China will be able to get their visas to work in China within two workdays.





Premier Li called for a sense of urgency in attracting foreign investment. He underlined the need for bigger steps in this respect as part of the effort to expand opening up and tackle trade protectionism.





It was also decided at the meeting that legitimate interests of foreign investors will be better protected. All infringements, counterfeiting, commercial secret violations and trademark squatting will be severely dealt with. The ceiling of compensation for intellectual property infringements will be significantly raised.





Development zones at national levels will be encouraged to serve as an important platform to lead efforts in better absorbing foreign investment. Greater policy support regarding credit lines, land use, and social security will be rolled out to help reduce business costs.





Foreign investors will be encouraged to invest more in the central and western regions and in such sectors as modern agriculture, ecological preservation, advanced manufacturing, and modern services.





"We need to aim for a higher bar in attracting foreign investment. We should raise our innovation capacity in the new round of opening up and see that all intellectual property be fully protected. No forced technology transfer will ever be imposed on foreign-invested enterprises and IPR infringements will be penalized to the full extent of the law," Li said.



Chinese engineers soon will have a world-record-holding product to offer to express delivery companies: the largest civilian drone.



Engineers at Beihang Unmanned Aircraft System Technology, a part of Beihang University in Beijing, are designing a drone that will be able to fly 1,500 kilometers carrying 1 metric ton of cargo.

They plan to finalize their design before year's end and construct a prototype in 2019 for test flights scheduled to start in 2020. Mass production will begin if test flights are successful, and a drone-based delivery network is expected to take shape around 2025, said Zhang Shuo, chief designer at the Beihang technology company, in an exclusive interview with China Daily.

The yet to be named drone will be so big that if it were to carry people, it easily would hold nine passengers, according to the company.

It will be 11.9 meters long, with a wingspan of 19.6 m, and have a maximum takeoff weight of 3.6 tons. The craft will be powered by two engines and have 16 cubic meters of cargo space.

The company expects to sign a strategic partnership agreement on Thursday with logistics company Cainiao, which is controlled by Chinese e-retailing giant Alibaba Group, to jointly develop and market cargo drones, Zhang said.

"We're targeting express delivery enterprises as major users of our drone because they are projected to be the largest users of commercial drones. We believe that Chinese couriers will like a powerful craft suitable for cross-province cargo delivery, especially in remote or mountainous regions or islands," he said.

The Beihang drone will incorporate lots of artificial intelligence, enabling it to not only control itself during entire flights but also autonomously determine and cope with malfunctions, Zhang said. It will cruise at a high speed, 360 km/h, and be able to take off and land on short, rough runways.

Typical delivery drones are small models used on a small, experimental scale by a handful of technology-savvy firms like Amazon.com, DHL Express and Chinese online retail giant JD.com.

No other mass-produced civilian drone is as big or powerful as the Beihang model. Several unmanned, solar-powered planes have a longer wingspan but weigh much less and were designed for technological demonstrations.

The world's largest drone is the United States' Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, a military surveillance craft that is 14.5 m long and with a wingspan of 39.9 m and a maximum takeoff weight of nearly 15 tons.

China has been the world's largest express service market for four years. Couriers delivered more than 40 billion packages in the country in 2017, earning total revenue of nearly 500 billion yuan (US$78 billion), according to the National Bureau of Statistics.Economic cooperation between Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states has been fruitful since the SCO was established 17 years ago, with remarkable progress in trade, investment and inter-connectivity projects, a Chinese official said Thursday.

In the first quarter of 2018, trade volume between China and other SCO members jumped 20.7 percent year on year, picking up from 19-percent annual growth last year, Gao Feng, spokesman with the Ministry of Commerce, said at a press conference.

In 2017, trade between China and other SCO member countries totaled 217.6 billion U.S. dollars, he said, noting that trade structure has been improving, with mechanical equipment and mechanical and electrical products taking up a larger share.

Chinese investment to SCO member countries reached 84 billion dollars as of the end of March this year, and many large energy, mining and industrial projects are progressing smoothly, Gao said.

With the signing of an SCO agreement on international road transportation facilitation and an infrastructure network covering roads, railways, energy and telecommunications taking shape, SCO members are enjoying stronger ties, he said.

The 18th SCO Summit is scheduled for June 9-10 in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. It will be the first SCO summit since its expansion in 2017, when India and Pakistan were accepted as full members at the Astana summit in Kazakhstan.

At the upcoming summit, China will join other SCO members to advocate for the Shanghai Spirit to seek common development, push forward a trade facilitation process and inject new impetus into SCO cooperation, Gao said.

He said he expects consensus to be reached at the summit on cooperation among micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, and development of service trade, e-commerce and economic think tanks.A villager was injured by a wild Asian elephant while picking mushrooms in southwest China's Yunnan Province, local authorities said Wednesday.

The 52-year-old victim, surnamed He, called police after the incident on Sunday afternoon in the mountains four kilometers from Nanmanhe Village, in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, according to the local forest police.

The adult elephant was about two meters tall, according to the bureau. Wild adult asian elephants weigh about 2,000 kg on average.

"I was heading home after collecting mushrooms in the mountains when I met the elephant," He said.

According to He, the elephant was also surprised to see him.

"It rushed towards me, knocked me down with its tusk, and walked over my body before disappearing into the forest," he said.

He was sent to hospital and doctors said he suffered several injuries to his knees, legs, and arms.

The local forestry bureau has strengthened monitoring of elephants in the vicinity.

In China, wild Asian elephants mainly live in three prefectures in Yunnan, with Xishuangbanna home to the biggest population.

The species is under Class A protection in China and is listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

Enhanced protection has seen the elephant's population rise in recent years, but cases of interactions with humans have also increased, according to the local government.

It is estimated that about 300 Asian elephants currently live in China, up from about 170 in the 1990s. In April, an wild elephant walked through the city of Pu'er for about six hours before heading back into the forest, while a man was trampled to death by another wild elephant in Xishuangbanna.

Since 2014, Yunnan has purchased commercial insurance for residents of the province. The government pays the premiums, and the insurance companies

compensate the residents if wild animals attack them.



May 31 marks the 31st World "No Tobacco Day". It also marks three years since Beijing's city government put into effect China's strictest anti-smoking rules.

On June 1, 2015, Beijing rolled out strict new rules that prohibit smoking in indoor public places, workplaces, and public transportation.

Three years of efforts have yielded positive results, with many locals becoming aware of the progress of the smoking ban.

Beijing resident Dong Jing said she has noticed the government's efforts to promote the anti-smoking rules. She points to her husband as an example of a smoker who knows he is not allowed to smoke in many public places.

"I can always see signs banning smoking in noticeable places in restaurants. Some restaurants put aside specific areas for smokers. This is very considerate. And in well-managed office buildings, the smoking ban is thoroughly implemented," said Dong.

Zhang Jianshu, the chairman of the Beijing Tobacco Control Association, said the new achievements are connected with the wide engagement of the public.

"We have mobilized 15 thousand volunteers. Each Wednesday, we organize these volunteers to publicize the harm of smoking, and persuade people who smoke in the public to abide by the regulations, said Zhang, furthermore, we also coordinated with other departments to introduce a mini program on our WeChat account where people can report instances of smoking rules being violated on the spot by taking a photo and sharing their location."

Since the "Smoke Control Map" was introduced in its WeChat account last year, the Tobacco Control Association has received more than 30 thousand reports from the public.

Wang Zhixin, a volunteer team leader in Fengtai District, said that after receiving a report from their district, they will send the closest volunteer to the location, talk to the smoker, and check whether the management or owner of the building at that location have fulfilled their obligations to supervise and stop smoking.

"We will check whether there is a person in charge of smoking control in the work unit, and whether there are no-smoking logos in noticeable places. If violation of the smoking rules is hard to control in the work unit, we will suggest that they set aside an area for smokers in the building. And we will re-visit the place the following week to see whether there is an improvement."

If a work unit is reported five times for smoking violations, sanitation departments will intervene and the work unit will be fined.

Zhang Jianshu said that although residents are satisfied with the implementation of the current smoking ban, there is still a long way to go before the campaign goes nationwide, as most areas do not ban smoking in public areas.

"We call on legislators to set up a regulation at the national level to promote the campaign to ban smoking. Currently only 18 cities have introduced rules, and the rules differ in the different cities. An interim period is necessary during its implementation, but a regulation at the nation level is urgently needed."

Zhang added a recent survey shows about one-fifth of the two million smokers in Beijing have given up the habit since the implementation of the smoking ban in 2015.



You are here: China

Two Chinese universities have been placed in the top 20 of this year's Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, according to data released on Thursday.

Tsinghua University and Peking University are ranked in 14th and 17th place respectively - the same positions they held in last year's rankings.

The top 20 comprises 13 US universities, four British and three others.

Harvard topped the league table, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University. The list has four British universities, which are Cambridge, Oxford and London's University College and Imperial College. The University of Tokyo is also included in top 20.

Traditionally Chinese universities scored less well in international ranking tables compared to US and European incumbents in levels of teaching and research.

This changed two years ago, though, when Tsinghua University broke into the top 20 for the first time, ranking 18th in 2016.

Last year, Peking University joined it in the top 20.

Phil Baty, editor of the rankings, said: it seems that Chinas relentless march up the global league tables has stalled, after making major gains in recent years.

This new data shows just how hard it is for emerging powers to break into the traditional global elite, he said.

However, Baty said the stabilization of Chinese universities rankings is no cause for alarm. Continued investment built on decades of spending, and increased internationalization in Chinese higher education will no doubt ensure Chinas universities continue to strengthen, he said.

In addition, another seven Chinese universities appeared on the league tables top 100 schools.

They are: University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Zhejiang University, Fudan University, University of Science and Technology of China, and Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

The rankings give an overall score to universities based on a wide-ranging survey of scholars. The latest rankings are based on 10,000 responses received between January and March 2018.

The Times list is one of the worlds most respected university ranking league tables, alongside the QS World University Rankings.

The latest QS World University Rankings placed Tsinghua University and Peking University in 25th and 38th places respectively.

China has its own Academic Ranking of World Universities, launched in 2003. In 2017, Tsinghua University was ranked 48th, its first ever placing in the top 50.



 Flash

China on Wednesday urged the U.S. side to keep its promise on bilateral trade issues, and act in accordance with the spirit of recent joint statement.









Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks when commenting on the latest statement by the White House on Tuesday saying that the United States will impose a 25 percent tariff on 50 billion U.S. dollars of goods imported from China which contain industrially significant technology. The final list will be revealed by June 15, according to the statement.





Hua said that the relevant U.S. statement is obviously contrary to the consensus reached between the two sides in Washington not long ago.





She said that in international relations, going back on one's word is a loss and squandering of the credibility of one's country.





"If the United States persists in its willfulness, the Chinese side will take resolute and effective measures to safeguard its own legitimate interests," said Hua, reiterating that the Chinese side did not want to fight, but it was not afraid to fight a trade war.





She said that China has consistently advocated handling and settling economic and trade differences in a constructive manner through talks, which is in the fundamental long-term interests of the two countries and the two peoples, and the common aspiration of the international community.



 Flash

The U.S. plan to trim the length of visas issued to certain Chinese students has drawn criticism from the Chinese government and college campuses.





The Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that the U.S. and China should both take active measures to facilitate personnel exchanges, which is the basis for Sino-U.S. cooperation.





Visa facilitation between the two countries is reciprocal and mutually beneficial, ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a news briefing.





"Both countries should create more favorable conditions to facilitate personnel exchanges, rather than the opposite," she said.





The comments came after the U.S. government announced plans to tighten visas issued to some Chinese students starting on June 11, several media outlets in the United States reported on Tuesday.





Under the new policy, Chinese graduate students studying high-tech manufacturing, robotics or aviation will receive one-year visas, while other Chinese citizens will have to get clearance from "multiple U.S. agencies" if they are employed by certain companies listed by the U.S. Commerce Department, the Associated Press reported, citing an unnamed U.S. official.





Chu Zhaohui, a senior researcher at the National Institute of Education Sciences, said the new move shows that the U.S. is seeking to impede the development of cutting-edge industries that have high-priority goals for the manufacturing sector set by the Chinese government.





A graduate student at Cornell University who gave only her surname, Yan, said the new policy will be inconvenient and cost her more time and money.





"I'll have to renew my visa application every year under the new policy," said Yan, who is majoring in electrical and computer engineering.





A U.S. policy change in 2014 allowed Chinese students to renew visas once every five years instead of annually.





Shi Yan, of the Chivast Education International consultancy in Beijing, said limiting student visas would also likely hurt U.S. universities.





"International students have become a big source of cash for U.S. colleges, since they generally pay full tuition, with no discounts," Shi said, adding that they often pay two or three times what local U.S. students pay at many public colleges.





Rudolf Podgornik, a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, said there are so many Chinese students studying in those sectors in U.S. universities. "If they limit visas, they may not get enough students."





China sends more students to the U.S. than any other nation, accounting for roughly one-third of the 1.1 million international students enrolled at U.S. universities in the 2016-17 academic year, according to the Institute of International Education, a nonprofit based in New York. Flash

President Emmerson Mnangagwa announced Wednesday that Zimbabwe will hold general elections on July 30.

He made the announcement in a government gazette where he also set June 14 as the date for the sitting of the nomination court for prospective candidates to register.





He set Sept. 8, 2018 as the date for the election runoff in the event that no presidential candidate gets an outright win of 50 percent plus one vote.





In the notice, Mnangagwa said he had fixed "Monday, the 30th day of July, 2018, as the day of the election to the office of President, the election of members of the National Assembly and election of councilors."





The elections will be the first without former President Robert Mugabe and his fierce opponent for 20 years, Morgan Tsvangirai who died in February this year from cancer.





Mugabe resigned in November last year after a military intervention, ending his 37-year stay in power.

The proclamation of the election date comes a day after Mnangagwa signed the Electoral Amendment Bill into law.





The enactment was published in an extraordinary government gazette on Monday night.





The election date also follows the closure of the 11-day provisional voter's roll inspection on Tuesday.





The new Electoral Act gives effect to the Statutory Instrument on the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) that was undertaken by the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) through the Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) Act, which had a lifespan of six months.





The law amends some sections of the Electoral Act of 2004 to complete the alignment of certain provisions of that Act with the new Constitution and enhance ZEC's independence.





It also gives ZEC more control over the accreditation of election observers, authority to allow accredited observers to monitor all electoral processes, and to provide more clearly for polling station voters rolls.





The new Act also makes voters' rolls more accessible, removes ZEC's monopoly on the provision of voter education, and obliges ZEC to enact codes of conduct to be observed by traditional leaders, members of the security services and civil servants, among other things.





Mnangagwa has promised to deliver free, fair and credible elections and his government has since invited 46 countries from across the world to observe the general elections.





The observer countries include some from the West that had not observed Zimbabwe's elections since 2002 when relations with Harare soured.





Since the beginning of the year, several regional groupings in Africa and the European Union, among others, have sent pre-election observer missions to Zimbabwe.





Mnangagwa, 75, will face the 40-year-old leader of the opposition MDC-Alliance Nelson Chamisa in the presidential poll.You are here: World

 Flash

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov arrived here Thursday for a one-day visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) at the invitation of his counterpart Ri Yong Ho, said the official Korean Central News Agency.





The visit's schedule has not been revealed by the DPRK side. But DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un is expected to meet Lavrov.





According to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov and Ri will discuss the two countries' ties, the situation on the Korean Peninsula as well as other international and regional issues.





Both countries are marking the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations this year.By Anna Pruchnicka, Reuters | May 30, 2018

Russia's biggest airline Aeroflot reported a first-quarter net loss of 11.54 billion rubles (US$184.49 million) on Wednesday as fuel and staff costs outweighed revenue growth.

In its first ever publication of quarterly results, Aeroflot said the net loss more than doubled from the 5.34 billion rubles reported a year ago.

Aeroflot's fuel costs surged 24.1 percent due to rising crude oil prices. Staff costs climbed 15.1 percent, contributing to a 14.3 percent increase in operating costs to 123.54 billion rubles.

"An increase in leasing expenses due to significant fleet expansion, as well as our initiatives to improve working conditions and increase salaries for cabin crew, led to a decrease in the overall financial result compared to the same period last year," Aeroflot's Deputy CEO for Commerce and Finance Shamil Kurmashov said.

Aeroflot (AFLT) has been buying its fuel at spot prices, after poor hedging in 2015 when it reported a hedging loss of 23.75 billion rubles.

"The unhedged oil (AFLT admits that is too late to hedge this at current levels) is a clear drag and here AFLT fares worse than its peers who customarily hedge 50 percent or more of their oil exposure," Renaissance Capital analysts said in a note last week.

Aeroflot's shares, though, were up 5 percent to 138.40 roubles as of 0906 GMT, after the company recommended on Tuesday a larger than expected dividend for 2017.

They are still well below a high of 225 rubles in mid-2017, having lost 41 percent since.

"Aeroflot's results were expectedly weak and priced in by the market before the publication and now the primary focus is on the news flow, dividend recommendation, new strategy and the share buyback", VTB Capital analyst Olga Boltrukevich said.

The 95-year-old carrier said on Tuesday it would set "more ambitious strategic goals", having achieved its long-term 2025 targets to become a top-20 airline globally and top-5 European airline ahead of schedule.

Aeroflot sees transit passengers between Europe and Asia, as well as its low-cost subsidiary Pobeda, as key growth drivers.By Ren Qi, China Daily | May 31, 2018

Russia on Tuesday rejected Dutch representations at the United Nations that it was responsible for the downing of Flight MH17 over Ukraine, after it was accused in an investigation saying that a Russian army missile was used in the attack.

At a Security Council meeting, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok called on Moscow to accept the findings that the airliner was shot down by a Russian-made BUK missile provided by a brigade based in the Russian city of Kursk.

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the meeting that his country does not accept the conclusions of the Dutch-led Joint Investigation Team, Xinhua reported.

"The language of ultimatums is not something that anyone will be allowed to use when speaking to Russia," Nebenzia said. "We cannot accept the unfounded conclusion of the JIT."

Responding to Nebenzia, the Dutch foreign minister said his arguments were "nothing new" and again urged Russia to work with the Netherlands and Australia to identify the perpetrators.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley voiced strong support for the Dutch and Australian call and help bring to account those responsible for the shooting down.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said Russia's rejection of the findings "did not surprise me at all".

Ukraine will present documents to the International Court of Justice next month, he said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday that it was inappropriate for Australia and the Netherlands to issue Moscow with ultimatums over compensation for relatives of people killed in the downing of flight MH17.

Russia has repeatedly provided international investigators with documentary evidence regarding the crash of MH17 in Ukraine, but they have been ignored, Lavrov said.

Dutch columnist Joost Niemoller said so far, the investigation team has come up with speculation, rather than evidence.

"They can't come up with the evidence, because there isn't any evidence, ... I haven't seen any real evidence so far. I only have seen speculation. What else can they do? The Dutch and Ukrainians can't do anything else than come up with these videos from the internet, giving names, ... just giving impressions," he said.

The Russian Defense Ministry last week refuted the accusation, saying that no new antiaircraft missiles crossed the border to Ukraine since 1991.

Flight MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine on July 17, 2014, en route from the Dutch capital of Amsterdam to Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur. All 298 people aboard were killed, including 196 citizens of the Netherlands.President calls for joint efforts to benefit both countries

President Xi Jinping called for joint efforts with Laos to build a community of a shared future for China and Laos to bring more benefits to the people of both nations.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, made the remark while meeting with his Laotian counterpart Bounnhang Vorachit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.In response to the Taiwan ruling party's rejection of a request by high-ranking Kuomintang party representatives to attend a nongovernmental forum on the mainland, a Chinese mainland official characterized the move as "unpopular with the people".

An Fengshan, spokesman for the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remark at a regular news conference on Wednesday.

According to media reports, the island's travel department turned down a request by KMT Vice-Chairman Tseng Yung-chuan, together with Lin Join-sane, former chairman of Taiwan-based Straits Exchange Foundation and a former KMT leader, to go to the mainland for the Straits Forum, an annual nonpolitical platform designed to enhance people-to-people interaction, economic exchanges and cultural integration. The forum has been held for 10 years in Fujian province. This year's weeklong event is set for June.Z-Park to build fintech zone

( chinadaily.com.cn )

Updated: 2018-05-30

Yin Hejun (M), deputy mayor of Beijing municipality, at the launching ceremony in Beijing, on May 29.

Zhongguancun Science Park (Z-Park), commonly known as China's Silicon Valley, will contribute to a fintech zone in Beijing's Xicheng district.

During the 2018 Annual Conference of Financial Street Forum on May 29, the administrative committee of Z-Park and the government of Beijing's Xicheng district inked a deal to build a pilot zone featuring fintech regulations and innovative services.

"Financial technology is already part and parcel of a country's financial security," Yin Hejun, deputy head of Beijing municipality, noted in his keynote speech. "Not only can fintech add new momentum to innovation-oriented development, but it will pave the way for a stable economic system."

According to Yin, the municipal government will formulate a detailed plan to shape an industrial cluster centering on innovative financial technologies and services.

Via five innovative mechanisms and 16 supportive projects, Zhongguancun Science Park and Xicheng district will make a global center for fintech innovation, financial services and risk containment.

Resorting to big data, artificial intelligence and cloud computing, the pilot zone will offer high-quality services concerning technology innovation, investment financing, intellectual property, credit evaluation, human resources, legal protection, professional training and beyond.

The pilot zone, in the future, will be the first choice for finance-related companies and talents, said the deputy mayor.Tortured Christian, Rights Defender Arrives in Taiwan Contact: ChinaAid,

432-689-6985 office,

432-553-1080 media,

media@chinaaid.org



TAIPEI, Taiwan, May 31, 2018 /Christian Newswire/ -- A Christian human rights defender who suffered multiple miscarriages and medical malpractice on account of her work just received three months of legal stay in Taiwan.



Click here for high resolution image of appeal letter from ChinaAid issued to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees



Huang Yan, who fled China last year after her doctors were pressured to abruptly cancel critical surgery for her ovarian cancer on account of her human rights defense. She settled with her husband in a Southeast Asian country, and ChinaAid successfully raised money for her treatment. Since then, she has been scrambling to attain legal status in a free country and has lived in Thailand and Indonesia.



Yesterday, Huang boarded a plane for Taiwan, where the government granted her three months of legal stay, and she arrived at Taoyuan International Airport that night. Huang was held in the airport until the next day.



According to a ChinaAid appeal (pictured) issued to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on May 29, the branch of the United Nations responsible for safeguarding refugees, Taiwan originally planned on deporting Huang to China, where she would have faced "imprisonment and severe torture as she experienced before." The appeal urged the UNHCR to intervene, since Huang previously suffered repeated house arrests, imprisonment, beatings while pregnant and subsequent miscarriages, and a lack of medical treatment while in police custody, and obtained status as a UNHCR refugee in 2016.



"To deport an international renown[ed] human rights defender with UNHCR status back to [the] country of persecution, China, will send the worst possible precedent to human rights defenders in China and the world," the statement, which was signed by ChinaAid's president and founder, Bob Fu, read.



Afterwards, Taiwan granted her three months of stay within the country, and she was released from the airport today.



The Taiwan Association for China Human Rights (TACHR), learned of Huang's imminent arrival when she was in the air, and provided immediate assistance in securing her ability to stay within the country. TACHR's president, Yang Sen-hong, and his wife met Huang at the airport.



"So thankful for the Taiwanese government's timely and humane treatment and decision on behalf of the persecuted Christian human rights defender, Ms. Huang Yan, who they granted three months' stay in Taiwan, where she can wait peacefully for a resettlement country as a UNHCR protected refugee," Fu said today. "Thanks to our partner organization, the Taiwan Association for China Human Rights, for their immediate support. God bless you all."



Huang's rights defense work included advocacy on behalf of Gao Zhisheng, an internationally recognized Christian human rights lawyer who has suffered repeated imprisonment and torture for legally defending Christians and practitioners of the peaceful spiritual Falun Gong who were targeted by the government for their faiths.



ChinaAid seeks resettlement opportunities for refugees such as Huang in order to encourage and support them in their activism and defend human rights, religious freedom, and rule of law.



Contact ChinaAid

Office: (432) 689-6985

Media: (432) 553-1080

Media e-mail: media@chinaaid.org



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Go to formWe attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message.A reception dedicated to the 100tha anniversary of the First Republic of Armenia took place at Tbilisi City Hall organized by the Armenian Embassy in Georgia. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Margvelashvili and diplomats accredited in Georgia participated in the reception.

May 31, 2018, 09:37 Reception dedicated to 100th anniversary of First Armenian Republic takes place in Tbilisi attended by PM Pashinyan

STEPANAKERT, MAY 31, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS:Armenian PM Pashinyan gave a speech during the event. He emphasized that the Georgian capital Tbilisi is really a city full of energy of joint history of the Armenian and Georgian peoples with deep rooted links.

Pashinyan mentioned that todays Republic of Armenia is first of all a republic of love and solidarity. Our peoples must achieve new and new victories and establish joint happiness in the peaceful, free and happy region. This region has to become such, PM Pashinyan said.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Georgia Ruben Sadoyan reminded in his speech that 100 years ago the foundations of the independence of Armenia were laid by the decision of the Armenian National Council in Tbilisi. The Armenian people that passed through the atrocities of genocide restored independent statehood. What was impossible for many became possible for Armenians. It became possible at the cost of the blood of many Armenian patriots who sacrificed the most valuable thing, their lives for the sake of the freedom of the Motherland during the May heroic battles. The May heroic battles once again proved that the will of our people is unshakable, the Ambassador said.The investigation on the participants in a commemoration event that was held in Istanbul on April 24, and which was devoted to the memory of the Armenian Genocide victims, has been terminated by a court decision.

May 31, 2018, 09:44 Turkey court rules that saying Armenian Genocide could be freedom of speech

STEPANAKERT, MAY 31, ARTSAKHPRESS:A Turkish court has made a decision to terminate the investigation on the detained activists and to release them, according to T24 Internet newspaper of Turkey.

The court based its decision on the possibility of using the expression Armenian Genocide within the framework of freedom of speech.

The prosecutors office had filed charges against them on the count of disseminating resentment and hatred toward another part of the people.The Knesset (Parliament) of Israel should recognize the Armenian Genocide not based on political or diplomatic interests, but because its a right and moral step, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein said in a letter addressed to the Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem, Archbishop Nourhan Manougian.

May 31, 2018, 17:26 Israels Knesset should recognize Armenian Genocide: Speaker sends letter to Armenian Patriarch of Jerusalem

STEPANAKERT, MAY 31, ARTSAKHPRESS-ARMENPRESS:The text of the letter has been released by Chancellor of the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem Hovnan Baghdasaryan on Facebook.

The issue of the recognition of the Armenian Genocide was not scheduled to be included in the Knesset agenda this week, therefore this issue has never been rejected. Moreover, I want to state I have not hindered to include the issue in the agenda, neither with my activity nor a hint. I do not refuse from any word I have said on the Armenian Genocide. Today as well I am committed to my stance on this issue which I have proved constantly during the passing years and my stance is that the Israeli Knesset should recognize the Armenian Genocide as it is a right and moral step, and it should not recognize it [the Genocide] based on political or diplomatic interests. I ask Your Beatitude to calm your mind. At a moment when we are convinced that there is a majority in the Knesset for this historic recognition, we will include the issue [the recognition of the Armenian Genocide] to the plenary session agenda, the letter says.

The Knesset Speaker said he should do everything within his capacities for this purpose. He hopes his efforts will lead to a positive result.

By our victory our Armenian friends will also win. I am not afraid of a long path, the Knesset Speaker said.Some 45 Buddhist temples are being investigated for financial improprieties. About a dozen monks forced to leave their monasteries are now in prison. In an unprecedented move, three members of the Supreme Council are also behind bars, as are some government officials. Never before has a Thai government tried to clean up the Sangha as current one has done in the past few weeks.

Bangkok (AsiaNews/EdA)  An unprecedented crackdown has been taking place since early May against Thailand high-ranking Buddhist monks, with many arrested on charges of embezzlement.

The countrys ruling junta appears to be bent on cleaning up monasteries whose credibility in the eyes of the faithful has been eroded by years of scandal.

Indeed, never before has a Thai government tried to wiped the slate clean in the Sangha, the country's Buddhist religious community of 300,000 monks in 37,000 temples.

So far, 45 monasteries have seen arrests. A dozen monks forced to leave their community are now in prison.

Dozens of officials in the National Buddhist Bureau, the government agency responsible for running the Sangha, have been caught up in the scandal, with misappropriated money running in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Three members of the 20-member Sangha Supreme Council, the highest religious authority in the kingdom, are also involved. Never in Thai history has a member of the council been arrested. Now two are already in prison and a third one was arrested yesterday, after absconding for six days.

Three nationally important temples with royal patronage have come under investigation, including the famous Golden Mountain Temple or Wat Saket in Bangkok.

The financial irregularities touch US$ 130 million in public funds given to monasteries to maintain existing facilities and build new ones, develop religious education, promote Buddhism and pay the salaries of some 40,000 monks employed in the administration of monasteries.

The main focus of the inquiry into misappropriation is centred on the National Buddhist Bureau (NBB). The scheme was simple. The NBB sent money to the abbots in charge of the various temples. The latter, instead of using the money for various construction or educational purposes, deposited it in the personal accounts of NBB officials.

This went on for many years, but the new head of the NBB, Lieutenant Colonel of Police Pongporn Pramsaneh now wants to put an end to it.

By and large, most Thais back the police in its attempt see how funds were managed. At US$ 3.7 billion, personal donations to the temples far outstrip public funds.

However, under the Sangha Act, which regulates monasteries, abbots administer donations as they see fit. In principle, the abbots should set up a management committee and file annual financial reports to the NBB.

In reality, committee members are not necessarily picked on the basis of their abilities but rather on their ties to abbots. Furthermore, civil authorities are not allowed order independent audits and reports cannot be made public.

This lack of transparency has led some observers to demand that independent audits be systematically conducted on all financial transactions by Buddhist temples.

However, for the country's military leaders the clean-up operation is something delicate, since some believe that they do not have the moral authority (barami, in Thai) to intervene so thoroughly in monastic affairs.

In fact, the ruling generals are far from blameless themselves. Every time one of them is accused of corruption, the junta tens to sweep the case under the carpet without imposing any sanctions.And in 2011, someone parked outside of the White House and shot at it, to which the Secret Service responded by ... assuming it was a backfiring car. It took four days for a housekeeper to discover broken glass, at which point two and two were very slowly determined to maybe be four.

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And all of that was only in Obama's first term! In 2013, an agent forgot a bullet in a woman's hotel room (every guy's been there, right?) and tried to force his way back in to retrieve it. In the course of investigating exactly what the hell this guy was thinking, they found the man had also been sending "sexually suggestive" emails to a subordinate, which got him the boot.

But the worst came in 2014, when a man with a knife hopped the White House fence and made it deep inside the building. How did he manage to get so far without tripping any alarms? Well, he did trip the alarm ... which was promptly disabled because the staff found it too loud.

Bill Perry/Adobe Stock We were a candlestick and a crazed colonel away from this turning into the Clue mansion.

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And only a few days before that, a security contractor with an assault record got on the same elevator as the president and filmed Obama with his phone, even after agents told him to stop. He was fired on the spot ... at which point they discovered that he was carrying a gun. How Obama survived this comedy of errors for eight straight years is anyone's guess.Shanghai (Gasgoo)- A local media outlet recently acquired the information about Chery Jetour's first MPV, the V70. The new model features a size between the Buick GL6 and GL8, and is slated to hit the market in 2020.

The V70 maintains Jetour's iconic U-shaped intake grille, which is connected with headlights. A large air inlet and a spoiler kit accentuate its sporty sense. The model features three-dimensional side waistlines and hidden-designed C-pillar. In addition, the Jetour V70 boasts abundant high-tech amenities, including fog lights, EPB, 8-inch screen and tire pressure monitoring system.

The Jetour V70 measures about 4900mm in length, around 1800mm in width and about 1710mm in height. What's more, its wheelbase is expected to be more than 2900mm, which is longer than that of the Baojun 730 and the BYD Song MAX. The new model is expected to be powered by Chery's third-gen 1.6L turbocharged engine with a maximum output of 140kW and a peak torque of 275Nm, mated with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

On January 22, Chery Auto launched a new sub-brand, dubbed Jetour, under Chery Commercial Vehicle. On May 29, the first smart showroom of Jetour brand rolled in Chengdu. The showroom optimizes the mode of traditional 4S stores, in order to improve customers' experience.Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., Ltd (Changan Auto) released an announcement on May 31, saying that the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council has approved China South Industries Group Co., Ltd. (CSGC) to take 1,035,312,673 A-shares, or 21.56% of Changan Auto's total shares gratis, which previously were held by China Changan Automobile Group (China Changan).

According to the announcement, Changan Auto stated as early as on March 16 that the company's free stakes transfer aims to enhance and optimize its automobile businesses, helping promote the development of Changan Auto. Meanwhile, CSGC is willing to accept the 21.56% of Changan's total shares. However, the stakes transfer should be reported to and be approved by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council.

On May 30, CSGC received the approval from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council on Changan's free stakes transfer. After the implementation of stakes transfer, CSGC still rein in Changan Auto, because China Changan is the wholly-owned subsidiary of CSGC. Specifically, China Changan is still the controlling shareholder with a total of 1,035,312,674 shares, or 21.56% of Changan Auto's total shares. CSGC also hold 21.56% of Changan Auto's total shares, or 1,035,312,673 shares, which is only one share less than that of China Changan.Fay-West Calendar

Church bazaar Connellsville Church of God, 126 Breakneck Ave., Connellsville is seeking vendors for a holiday bazaar scheduled for Nov. 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call Jane Ottenberg...

FAY-WEST CALENDAR

Pancake breakfast The Holy Name Society at St. Rita Church in Connellsville will hold a pancake, buckwheat and sausagebreakfast7am.tonoon Oct. 17 at Bucci Hall on South First Street. Cost is...

FAY-WEST CALENDAR

Fish club meets General Braddock Fish Club will meet 7 p.m. Monday at the Connellsville VFW, located on Arch Street. New 2022 memberships for $20 are available. Toastmasters to meet...

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

The Christian Church of Connellsville doesnt just open its doors on Sundays. Its a welcoming location seven days a week with various programs, services and even free community lunches. A...

From the Pastors Desk

I have been sharing with you a very important passage regarding this issue of Salvation, which is Romans 10:1-4. Paul speaks of his burning desire to see his fellow Jewish...Quick, pass me the spyglass! Who is that handsome devil emerging from the foaming waves without blame, without shame but, most importantly, without his shirt?

Be still my beating heart. For it is none other than Captain Poldark, back to thrill us all afresh with his tin-mining skills, his swashbuckling bravura, but most of all his pleasing willingness to pose topless around the Cornish countryside  whether the plot demands it or not.

The topless scything scene in the first series implanted a thousand farming fantasies in a million minds, as did the unforgettable naked swimming scene. Later, Poldark was sponged in the bath in front of a roaring fire by his wife Demelza  what a tease.

And now we have this. The return of the delicious Aidan Turner, the chest hair on his tanned torso rippling in the wind for the forthcoming fourth series. And those flesh-coloured, barely-there breeches! They demand a second glance at least.

Captain Poldark (pictured, Aidan Turner in the role) is back to thrill us all afresh with his tin-mining skills, his swashbuckling bravura, but most of all his pleasing willingness to pose topless around the Cornish countryside

All I can say is hurrah for Ross and hurrah for us girls, who've been gripped by Aidan's portrayal of Poldark since the new adaptation of Winston Graham's novels was brought back to our screens by the BBC in 2015.

Whether storming around the Cornish cliffs in his frock coat (lovely), his big boots (crikey) and his tricorn hat (tremble), this new Ross has been a hit with the ladies since day one.

With his boyband hair and perma-scowl, he is an irresistible blend of Rhett Butler and Mr Rochester  and now by emerging from the water like a damp god, he has thrown in a dash of Mr Darcy in for good measure.

In the Pride And Prejudice miniseries from 1995, there is an unforgettable scene where Mr Darcy, played by Colin Firth, strides out of a lake in a dripping wet shirt.

In the first series, Poldark was sponged in the bath in front of a roaring fire by his wife Demelza  what a tease

That was the sexy moment that started it all, the one that launched the double standard  so prevalent today  which makes it acceptable for women to gently perve aloud over the finely muscled, tortured heroes of period drama (and elsewhere), while men risk being sent to feminist jail should they dare to speak of women in the same way.

Imagine the fuss if any male commentator were to suggest that an actress playing Elizabeth Bennet in Austen's Pride And Prejudice or, for that matter dear Demelza, would look pretty damn cute in a wet T-shirt? The Twittersphere would explode in horror.

Yes, we women can ogle, but men can't. Is that entirely fair? No. But it is entirely wonderful.

One could argue  and I do  that women have centuries of female oppression to get even with. We'll never be able to punish boys enough for all that cavemen nonsense and then holding out on letting us vote.

Then there are the decades of endless novels, films and television series where female characters were little more than a cleavage or a skirt or an empty receptacle for male sexual needs.

So, don't even start on us for getting innocently excited about our beloved Poldark.

Also, there is a world of difference between the simple admiration of beauty for its own sake  and objectifying, commercialising and demeaning one sex for the cheap titillation of the other. A topless model in a nudie mag exists purely for the sexual gratification of leering men, whereas there is nothing reductive about a topless Aidan Turner. That is merely the icing on the beefcake.

The Irish actor's good looks are only part of the reason he got the Poldark role  his winning performance as the brooding hero speaks to the sensitive side of the female psyche. Honest, m'lud!

In a recent article for the Radio Times, broadcaster Mariella Frostrup addressed this double standard while describing her own not inconsiderable Poldark lust as 'harmless lasciviousness'.

She was honest enough to admit that what really gets her 'adrenal glands pumping' is not the latest Poldark plot turn, but the prospect of 'shirtless, sea-soaked Aidan Turner emerging from the white-capped waves of the Atlantic.'

Stating that she didn't want to live in a world where she couldn't give a voice to 'my carnal impulses' without controversy ensuing, Mariella worries that we are losing our sense of humour along with our sense of proportion. And she has a point.

Meanwhile, back on the beach, Ross is still the boss. His Poldark is so much more nuanced than a mere pin-up, a seafaring hunk, a simple bodice-ripper.

However, if there are bodices and if they must be ripped, then what better man to do it than him? I mean that in an impeccably feminist, non-sexist way, of course.A bridal expert has predicted what Princess Eugenie will choose to wear for her wedding to Jack Brooksbank- and she says it's going to be a big break in tradition.

Clare Szabo, the head designer at River Elliot Bridal, believes Eugenie, 28, will wear a sleeveless and form-fitting gown for her big day and break royal dress codes.

Speaking to OK! Online, Szabo said she expects the dress to be very different to the demure wedding gown worn by Meghan Markle earlier this month.

Eugenie is set to marry former bar manager Jack Brooksbank this October at St George's Chapel in Windsor.

Clare Szabo, the head designer at River Elliot Bridal, predicted that Princess Eugenie will wear an Erdem wedding gown when she marries Jack Brooksbank

While royal brides don't usually show their arms on their wedding day, Szabo suggested Eugenie might break the mold.

She said: 'Royal dress code typically insists on long sleeves, but with Eugenie's history of going against the grain, we may well see these sleeves being more ornate, or even the first Royal bride to show her arms.'

For her engagement portraits Eugenie recycled an old favourite Erdem dress, and Szabo suggested the royal might choose the designer for her big day.

She continued: 'The label's strikingly bold feminine style very much suits Eugenie and what we are used to seeing her wear. She most often looks fabulous in a full skirt with cinched waist, so I expect a definite contrast to Meghan's slim, tailored look.

The bridal expert believes Eugenie's dress will very different to Meghan's demure wedding gown

Szabo believes Eugenie will want to show off her slim figure in her wedding dress

'I also anticipate a long, full skirt with a defined pleated waist, paired carefully with a fitted bodice and lower neckline to emphasise the Princess' beautiful shape.'

Eugenie was at the centre of an awkward blunder during the BBC's coverage of the royal wedding earlier this month.

The One Show's Alex Jones said the big day might be the 'last royal wedding for a long time', completing forgetting about Eugenie's impending nuptials.

The gaffe was pointed out by several viewers, with one commenting: 'Guess Princess Eugenie doesn't count.'

Eugenie is set to marry former bar manager Jack (pictured with Eugenie and the Duchess of York) this October at St George's Chapel in Windsor

Jack proposed while they were on holiday in Nicaragua last year and they announced the news in January

Eugenie announced her engagement to long term partner Jack in January this year.

Jack popped the question when the couple were on holiday in Nicaragua with an unusual ring; a padparadscha sapphire surrounded by diamonds.

The wedding will take place on October 12, in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, where Harry and Meghan tied the knot.

The date falls on a Friday, breaking with royal tradition of holding weddings on the weekend.One dog is stealing the spotlight when it comes to yearbook photos. Yes, that's right a friendly, fluffy canine.

On May 29, Twitter user @elle91, who is thought to be a teacher at the Illinois school, shared a yearbook photo of tis therapy dog, Miss Peanut, with the caption: 'They put our school's therapy dog in the yearbook.'

Naturally, Twitter was thrilled to see a school have a therapy dog for stressed out students and include the adorable pup in its yearbook.

Smile: A therapy dog, Miss Peanut, was featured in an Illinois school's yearbook

Viral: The tweet has since gotten more than 37,000 retweets, 186,000 likes and hundreds of comments

Dog-lover: The photo was shared by teacher and Twitter user @elle91 (pictured)

The tweet has since gotten more than 37,000 retweets, 186,000 likes and hundreds of comments from people who shared their support for the photogenic dog.

One person wrote: 'Miss peanut does great work' while another person simply said: 'Miss Peanut' to which @elle91 replied: 'she is the goodest girl.'

Others were also quick to chime in with their love for the cute canine with one tweet that said: 'Have her sign it with her paw' and another tweet that said: 'Miss peanut for president.'

And one person used the social media platform to point how a therapy dog was the 'coolest' occupation ever in a tweet that said: 'Therapy dog? That's like the coolest anyone can ever have! Good doggo.'

Doing good: People have taken to Twitter to show their support for the photogenic dog

The best: One person wrote on Twitter that Miss Peanut 'is the goodest girl'

Autograph: Another person suggested that Miss Peanut sign the yearbook with her paw

Miss Peanut 2020: One fan of Miss Peanut said that the dog should run for president

But even though it being a therapy dog may be the coolest occupation known to canine, it's still a very important job that requires extensive training in order to help relieve kids, adults and students.

According to a Twitter user, Miss Peanut is part of Canine Companions, a non-profit organization that trains assistance dogs for children and adults with disabilities, according to its Twitter page.

The tweet said: 'She's an amazing dog from an amazing group. @ccicanine provides service dogs and facility dogs to the handicapped and to those who work in facility settings. Kids and dogs go together! Peanut has helped many a crying child feel better about school and life in general.'

And judging from her yearbook photo, it's 100 per cent believable that Miss Peanut has helped children feel better.

Best job ever: Another person said that a therapy dog was the coolest occupation anyone could have

Support: One Twitter user said that Miss Peanut has helped many kids feel better about school and life in general

Cute canine: Other people have taken to Twitter to share other dogs that have been featured in a yearbook

Regular student: One dog owner even shared a picture of her canine's school ID

People have even shared photos of other dogs that have been featured in a school's yearbook or better yet, a pup with its own personalized school ID.

It's reassuring to know that school's are taking the mental health of its students into consideration because it's scientifically proven that interaction with pets has significant benefits for humans and the animal.

According to a recent study in academic journal Applied Animal Behavior Science, of the 50,000 therapy dogs currently working in the United States, most are not 'stressed by their work' and in fact seem to enjoy it.

And what's not to love when you get cuddles, endless attention and your own yearbook photo.A baby born weighing less than a tub of butter, so small her hand could fit through her mother's ring, has been dubbed a miracle after defying the odds to survive.

Abigail, who was born three months premature, is now getting ready to go home for the first time after a staggering six months in hospital.

She had been given less than a 50 per cent chance of survival.

Parents Taryn Meijers and Owen Peters said the journey had been tough.

Ms Meijers gave birth to Abigail via emergency Caesarean section at just under 27 weeks.

Scroll down for video

At just under 27 weeks, Ms Meijers gave birth to Abigail via emergency Caesarean section. The tiny baby weighed just 422 grams

Within moments of Abigail's birth, the tiny baby was placed on life support

The newborn had a condition known as fetal growth restriction and weighed just 422 grams.

The condition affects about 20 babies in Australia each year, and doctors say the odds of survival are low.

The bub was so tiny her hand could fit through her mother's ring.

'She was 422 grams, less than a can of corn, a tub of butter,' Mr Peters told 9NEWS.

Within moments of her birth, the baby girl was placed on life support.

Neonatologist Dr Atul Malhotra, who was at Abigail's delivery, said it was difficult getting a breathing tube into her tiny body and described the situation a 'pretty touch and go'.

Mr Peters said that the family spent the next 179 days by Abigail's bedside - taking her situation day-by-day - knowing there was only a 50 per cent chance or less of her survival.

Abigail's parents Taryn Meijers (pictured right) and Owen Peters (pictured left) are getting ready to take their six-month-old daughter home

What is fetal growth restriction? * A condition in which a baby doesn't grow to normal weight during pregnancy * Babies with this condition are born weighing less than 90 per cent of other babies at the same gestational age * Causes of fetal growth restriction vary but include placenta abnormalities, high blood pressure in the mother, infections and smoking or alcohol abuse Source: Mayo Clinic Advertisement

There were a lot of things stacked against her,' Mr Peters said.

The first-time parents are now able to take their six-month old daughter home, thanks to the work of staff and researchers at Monash Children's Hospital.

'One of the things that is great about Abby is that she's not only going home and she survived, but she's going home with a pretty bright future,' Dr Malhotra said.

Although little Abigail is still at risk of cerebral palsy and development issues, ongoing medical advancements mean those health risks can be detected earlier.

'Basically, she is a miracle,' Mr Peters said.If you've ever wondered what it was like for Tom Hanks' character Chuck to live on an island in the movie Cast Away, now's your chance - but with a little more of life's luxuries.

Airbnb has released four listings around the world that promise to stun you and a host of your friends - some for as little as $377 a night.

Picnic Island in Tasmania houses 10 people comfortably, with its owner Clem pointing out they're only 800m offshore from the world famous Wineglass Bay.

Picnic Island in Tasmania houses 10 people comfortably with its owner Clem pointing out they're only 800m offshore from the world famous Wineglass Bay

The communal "Birdhouse" is the place to congregate for a meal and to relax on the deck or by the suspended open fire place behind a wall of glass cantilevered over the high water mark

'Fully copper clad this stunning lodge is designed by Tasmanian architect John Latham,' he explained.

'The communal "Birdhouse" is the place to congregate for a meal and to relax on the deck or by the suspended open fire place behind a wall of glass cantilevered over the high water mark.

'This is a wild nature experience so expect the unexpected.'

When the sun goes down, penguins and shearwaters come in, Airbnb states.

'If sea life is more your thing you may well spot a whale, dolphin or seal just off the island,' it said.

'[If you fish, flathead and squid are abundant as well as mussels you can pick off the rocks and abalone and sea urchins under the water.

When the sun goes down the penguins and shearwaters come in, the Airbnb states

Guests must stay a minimum of three nights at $1,475 per night, but it's so luxurious you won't want to go home

'Our artist in residence over the off season is globally renowned Australian artist, Patricia Piccinini. If you are lucky there may be some of her works on display when you visit.'

Guests must stay a minimum of three nights at $1,475 per night, but it's so luxurious you won't want to go home.

Meanwhile over on the north-east side of Tasmania, Swan Island houses a six-bedder estate among a set of pristine beaches for just $391 a night.

Meanwhile over on the north-east side of Tasmania, Swan Island houses a six-bedder estate amongst a set of pristine beaches for just $391 a night

You have to arrange a chartered flight out to the island with the host, Rachel, and there is a working landline on the island should you need her help again

You have to arrange a chartered flight out to the island with the host, Rachel, and there is a working landline on the island should you need her help again.

'The island is a perfect spot for photographers, lighthouse enthusiasts, bush walkers and nature lovers, families and anyone seeking a secluded holiday,' the listing reads.

The coastal walk around the island is nothing but spectacular and there are many private beaches to experience along the way.'

In the Philippines you can stay on Brother Island for $546 a night (pictured)

Brother Island is a private island in the Sulu Sea, the host Alfred Lee explained

In the Philippines you can stay on Brother Island for $546 a night.

Brother Island is a private island in the Sulu Sea, the host Alfred Lee explained.

'Discover our perfect white beach exclusively for your honeymoon, wedding, or quality time with your family and friends. Also ideal for any type of photo or video shoot,' he said.

'Ideal for groups of 12 guests and upon inquiry we also accept big groups (weddings) of up to 40 guests.'

Ideal for groups of 12 guests and upon inquiry it also accepts big groups (weddings) of up to 40 guests

Brother Island is fully staffed with a caretaker, housekeeper, cook, boatmen and helper and three meals a day will be prepared for you

Brother Island is fully staffed with a caretaker, housekeeper, cook, boatmen and helper and three meals a day will be prepared for you.

Finally, over in Belize, a couple can enjoy the pint-sized surrounds of Hideaway Caye for $377 a night.

Hideaway Caye is a beautiful secluded mangrove island. It has been kept in it's natural state with boardwalks winding throughout.

In Belize, a couple can enjoy the pint-sized surrounds of Hideaway Caye for $377 a night

The cabana is like a tree house nestled in the mangroves with a breezy veranda and floor to ceiling windows

The cabana is like a tree house nestled in the mangroves with a breezy veranda and floor to ceiling windows. Fall asleep while listening to the water lap against the shoreline.

The cabana is equipped with a nice queen size bed and a futon for any extra guests. The veranda is furnished with a large hammock and mahogany chairs to relax and enjoy the Caribbean breeze.

Guests have access to kayaks, snorkeling gear and fishing gear while staying on the island. Your host Kim cooks all of your meals using fresh ingredients.A mother-of-two has revealed she was left almost blind after failing to remove her mascara for 25 years - leaving her with solid black lumps embedded beneath her eyelids.

Theresa Lynch, 50, from Sydney, sought medical advice after suffering from eye irritation, discharge and an uncomfortable sensation beneath her eyelids that lubricating gels and eyedrops would not alleviate.

The housekeeper, who is originally from Maryland in the US but now lives in Australia, was shocked when doctors discovered she had hard calcified bumps, known as concretions, under her eyelids.

The lumps posed a serious risk to her vision and it took general anaesthetic and a 90-minute procedure to remove them.

Theresa Lynch, 50, from Sydney, has revealed how she was nearly left blind after not removing her mascara for 25 years

Her doctor found that solid black lumps had been embedded in her eyelids due to her bad habit of not washing her make-up off

Theresa and Dr Dana Robaei have now released the gruesome images to show the dangers of leaving mascara on overnight.

Describing the effect of the mascara build-up, Theresa said she started feeling a strange sensation as if something was lodged under her eyelids.

'[The lumps] were embedded so deep that particles were building up on top of each other', she explained.

'I was so uncomfortable. My eyelids were swollen and heavy because I left it for so long.

Theresa described how her eyelids were left feeling swollen and heavy because she hadn't been taking her mascara off for so many years

After seeking medical advice, her doctor found hard calcified bumps, known as concretions, under her eyelids

Theresa and Dr Dana Robaei have now released the images to warn other women of the dangers of not taking off mascara overnight

'When Dr Robaei pulled my eyelid back, she said: "Oh my god.. In my whole career I have seen anything this".

'She could see the whites of my eyes were glassy and bloodshot.'

How to properly remove eye makeup The secret to properly removing eye makeup is double cleansing. Step 1: Remove first layer of makeup Firstly, soak a cotton pad in makeup remover such as Garnier's Micellar Cleansing Water which costs $8.39. Dab the pad on your eyelids and also press your eyelashes between two cotton pads until mo further colour comes off. Now that you have removed the first layer of makeup, it's time to clean up the residue. Step 2: Remove residue with second cleanse Apply a cleanser to your face and lather with water. Using a warm wash cloth, press against the skin to pick up remaining flakes of makeup. Then rinse your whole face with a splash of water. Advertisement

Theresa said she was left shocked by Dr Robaei's discovery, and was worried she had done 'permanent damage' to her eyelid.

'I had fallen into a bad habit of wearing a lot of makeup and not washing it off. I should never have let it get this far,' she explained.

'It's so important to properly take your makeup off every single night. You can't miss a single day.'

Dr Robaei, who has published a study on Theresa's injuries, said she had never seen anything like it - and she could have risked going blind.

She said the case was an important platform to raise awareness about the hidden dangers of the everyday beauty product.

Dr Robaei, who is Consultant Ophthalmologist at Forest Eye Surgery, found multiple dark spots, which were caused by an accumulation of small fragments of mascara that had lodged under both eyelids.

The study, published by the American Academy of Opthamology, the spots were darkly pigmented 'subconjunctivital concretions' which were linked to a form of conjunctivitis.

These were consistent with years of mascara use, with fragments of unwashed mascara depositing under her eyelids over the years.

Dr Robaei said: 'Every time Theresa was blinking these bumps were rubbing on the surface of the eye and they pose a risk to her vision.

'If the scratch on the surface of the eye got infected, there is a risk this could be a potentially blinding but that would be rare.

Dr Robaei found multiple dark spots, which were caused by an accumulation of small fragments of mascara that had lodged under both eyelids

The lumps posed a serious risk to her vision and it took general anaesthetic and a 90-minute procedure to remove them

'It was certainly disabling. She has suffered permanent scarring on her eyelid and the surface of her cornea.

'The symptoms are like somebody throwing a handful of sand in your eye, it's constantly irritating.'

She added: 'Not many women are treating the removal of their mascara seriously.. You must be meticulous.

'This was an amazing case, I'd never seen anything like it. But this is a risk not many people are aware of.'

A biopsy (pictured is a microscopic view of the woman's eyelid tissue) found that over the years, tiny pieces of mascara had become lodged in her eyelids

Dr Robaei, who is Consultant Ophthalmologist at Forest Eye Surgery, said she had never seen anything like itTiming your nutrition around a workout is just as important as the exercise itself.

But if you don't want to fill up on protein shakes and powders, what real foods can you eat before and after a workout to enhance your performance and help you recover?

Nutritionist and TV chef Zoe Bingley-Pullin recently took a look at this issue, highlighting the snacks you should look to before and after a gym session.

She also revealed why timing your carbohydrates is the key to a toned, lean body.

Nutritionist and TV chef Zoe Bingley-Pullin (pictured) highlights what foods you should eat before and after a workout

She said that before a workout is the best time to get in your carbohydrates and recommends a fruit or vegetable juice (stock image)

Zoe's (pictured) other good examples of foods to include in your diet are wholegrain crackers or rice cakes spread with nut butter or ricotta

BEFORE EXERCISE

Best snacks before exercise * 1-2 x fruit, nut and seed bliss balls. *  cup trail mix using fresh dates, coconut, berries and pumpkin seeds. * 1 x piece of fresh fruit. * 1 x fresh vegetable and fruit juice (eg beetroot, ginger, celery, lemon and carrot). * 1-2 wholegrain crackers or rice cakes spread with nut butter or ricotta. Advertisement

How you eat before you exercise of course depends on what you're doing.

But if you're planning on hitting up the gym, it is worth fuelling your stomach a little as it can help us 'to work harder and see results faster'.

Zoe explained in a blog post that carbohydrates are the best pre-workout fuel, as they give you the energy you need for a workout class.

Her best examples are one or two pieces of fruit, nut and seed bliss balls, a quarter of a cup of trail mix or a cup of fresh vegetable or fruit juice.

'One to two wholegrain crackers or rice cakes spread with nut butter or ricotta also works great if you're planning on lifting weights,' Zoe said.

Eating carbs before a workout means your body is given the fuel and power it needs to perform in that workout. It will also help you burn them off.

After exercise, ideally you should eat within 30 to 60 minutes - Zoe recommends leftover roasted root vegetables to help to fuel muscle repair (stock image)

Best snacks before exercise * Homemade nut/muesli bar  using oats, banana, nuts and seeds. * Smoothie using plant-based milk, fruit and hemp seeds or powder. * High protein Greek yoghurt with berries and nuts/seeds. * Handful of raw nuts/seeds and a piece of fruit. * Left-over roasted root vegetables (carrot, beetroot, sweet potato) topped with hummus or ricotta. * Boiled egg and spread of hummus on 1-2 wholegrain crackers or rice cakes. Advertisement

AFTER EXERCISE

Eating straight after you've finished working out is key to helping your muscles repair.

And the experts consistently advise you re-fuel between 30 and 60 minutes after exercise.

'To help your body recover and to stabilise appetite post workout, it's important to eat a snack or meal which contains some complex carbohydrates and protein,' Zoe wrote.

'If you can't make it to a meal within approximately 60 minutes, some quick ideas include homemade nut or muesli bar, a smoothie using plant-based milk, fruit and help seeds or powder or high protein Greek yoghurt with berries and nuts and seeds.'

Surprisingly, Zoe also said leftover roasted root vegetables such as carrot, beetroot, and sweet potato topped with hummus or ricotta or a boiled egg and spread of hummus on crackers or rice cakes also works well.

If you can't eat a meal within an hour of working out, Zoe said a handful of raw nuts/seeds and a piece of fruit are great ideas (stock image)

Speaking about what she recommends to clients, nutritionist Jessica Sepel said that runners should consider 'a banana, lightly steamed veggies and nuts or coconut water' an hour before.

'After a run, drink some H2O or coconut water, get settled and within an hour enjoy a mixture of protein and carbs,' she wrote.

Before a weights class, Jessica recommends a portion of fish or meat with a handful of nuts 'for sustained energy'.

'But if you've only got a few minutes, consider a small espresso (your coffee hit for the day), iced green tea or half a protein shake.

'Afterwards is the best time to eat carbs. You glycogen stores are depleted and your muscles are looking for energy to grow strong,' she added.

'Protein will help repair muscle damage, so this is important too. Try brown rice cakes with banana and almond butter, eggs and smoked salmon, or a protein smoothie with blended cacao for muscle recovery.'A brave schoolgirl has penned a heartbreaking song for her mother who is dying from cancer and is now selling it on CD to help fly her aunt home from Australia.

Kiera Walsh, 11, of Neath, south Wales, wrote the song in her bedroom after her mother Ceri Griffiths, 35, was told she had incurable cervical cancer.

Recorded in the Sonic One Studios in Llangennech, the emotional lyrics read: 'I'm sitting here in my room, trying not to cry, I keep telling myself to wipe those tears and stand up straight, and build yourself up again, build yourself.

'I can see it in your eyes, every day is a battle inside, and you just can't escape it.'

The youngster unveiled her song in front of her drama group, leaving her classmates and teachers in tears, prompting the suggestion that she record it to help raise funds for mother-of-three Ceri.

The song is called Build Yourself and is being sold on CD for 3 from next week, with 170 pre-orders already bought in just four days.

Kiera Walsh, 11, of Neath, south Wales, wrote the song in her bedroom after her mother Ceri Griffiths, 35, was told she had incurable cervical cancer

Speaking about how she decided to write the heart-wrenching song, Kiara said: 'I was quite upset about my mother because she's ill and I was just bored so I started writing a song.

'I sang it in front of my drama group and they loved it,' the brave school girl added.

Andrew Bowen, who runs the Kite Academy of Performing Arts, has been helping Kiera to raise awareness.

He said: 'When I first heard the song I said to myself there and then that I had to do something with this.

The youngster unveiled her song in front of her drama group, leaving her classmates and teachers in tears, who suggested she record it to help raise funds for mum Ceri

Funds raised will fly Kiera's aunt, Ceri's sister, from Brisbane, Australia, to the UK for their first reunion in seven years

'It's so good. So I got a backing track together. I then spoke to her mother Ceri and we both agreed to get it recorded.'

Funds raised will fly Ceri's sister from Brisbane, Australia, to the UK for their first reunion in seven years.

Ceri, who is mother to Kiera and her two siblings aged three and nine, was told the devastating news she has cervical cancer back in October, however seeing Kiera record her a song has helped her stay strong.

She said: 'Watching her do this has been such a big highlight, and I know this isn't the end of it all.

'I've never seen my daughter's face light up like this and I'm so excited for her. I'm so grateful.'

The CD can be ordered on Kiera's official Facebook page.A model with a striking unibrow who has recently shot to viral fame says she delights in people's 'shock reactions' to her unusual look.

Sophia Hadjipanteli, 21, appeared on ITV daytime show Good Morning Britain to discuss her unique look and how she loves to embrace her look because she grew up a 'stubborn rebel'.

The University of Maryland marketing graduate grew up in Cyprus before emigrating to the US, and explained that her bushy brow - which she has nicknamed Veronica - is down to her Cypriot genes.

She added that her ancestors and cultural heritage inspired her to grow her brows out to achieve the hirsute unibrow she's sporting today.

'Ive always been known to change my look and do whatever I really wanted,' she explained. 'And I guess that sort of stubbornness and rebelliousness has made me do literally whatever I want.'

Sophie, who is in the UK to visit family and for modelling work, told presenters Richard Madeley and Ranvir Singh that she loves the reaction to her signature look.

'I think for me its about being able to walk outside on a busy street in London with something that I know people will have negative, shocking, positive, cringeworthy, uncomfortable reactions to, and still be able to be strong with who I am, and just walk down the street,' she explained.

Sophia Hadjipanteli, 21, appeared on ITV daytime show Good Morning Britain to discuss her unique look

The university graduate used to shape her brows, pictured here in 2016, but then after accidentally tinting them too dark decided to embrace the bushiness

Sophia has won lots of modelling work thanks to her unibrow and says it's because not many other people look like her

'At the end of the day I left my house loving the way I looked and try to be true to who I am.'

Sophia first hit headlines when photographs of her showing off her bushy brows went viral, but has had to defend herself against accusations of cultural appropriation and even death threats.

Hadjipanteli has amassed more than 160,000 Instagram followers since hitting the headlines last year.

The natural blonde, who used to shape her thick brows, said that the striking appearance of her brows was enhanced when she tried tinting them and accidentally dyed them black.

Sophia, whose parents are from Cyprus and London, first hit headlines when photographs of her showing off her bushy brows went viral

Sophia appeared on GMB to talk about encouraging others to accept their natural beauty. The model is in the UK for work and to visit her family

The natural blonde has grown a following thanks to her body positive attitude and her quirky streak

Sophia Hadjipanteli, a model and marketing student at the University of Maryland, is bringing back the unibrow

But she was glad she was able to find a way to stand out: 'Ever since I was little Ive always been quite different, just either my style or the way I acted.

'I was always on my own in terms of school and growing up. I was very quirky and with all of that I just wanted to push some sort of boundary.

I did this before anyone really knew who I was really and it was nothing to do with getting attention or anything like that.'

Sophia admits she loves to see people's shocked reactions but says once their initial surprise wears off they are used to her brows

The Greek Cypriot beauty proudly shows off her jet-black brows on her Instagram page

Sophia recently shared photos of herself dressed as Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who was also known for her unibrow

And despite being told by trolls to pluck her brows by online trolls who labelled her 'disgusting' and 'ugly', she refuses to bow down to any sort of pressure to pluck them, even applying castor oil to help them grow.

With every post on her Instagram, Sophia adds the hashtag #UnibrowMovement to encourage others to accept it.

'This unibrow movement is really not about just letting everything go, if you want to that is totally what you can do, for me its about doing what really makes you happy.'

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV from 6amAn exquisite collection of Royal dresses which belonged to the Queen, Princess Margaret and Diana is set to go on auction for as much as 3,000 a piece.

The outfits which span seven decades include understated dresses worn by Elizabeth and Margaret in their early years which would not look out of place on young Princess Charlotte today.

The sale also features exotic dresses worn by the Queen's sister in the 1960s and 1970s, notably several ensembles made by famous French designer Christian Dior.

And there is a selection of fashion sketches of iconic Diana dresses by Victor Edelstein as well as a letter of thanks to him.

A Catherine Walker blue-grey Taroni silk cocktail dress which is similar to the one worn by Diana to a gala preview for her dress auction at Kensignton Palace in London on June 2, 1997, is tipped to sell for 3,000.

Elizabeth and Margaret's childhood clothes were gifted to the Royal nanny Clara Knight who looked after them both and many of these feature in the sale.

A selection of exquisite royal dresses worn by Princess Diana, Margaret and the Queen are set to go on auction next month

They were auctioned off by Clara' family last year and acquired by an anonymous private collector who has put them up for sale again.

The marquee lot in the sale is a pink silk coat worn by Elizabeth as a baby in 1927 which is valued at 3,000.

A pair of matching Liberty print floral cotton dresses worn by Elizabeth and Margaret around 1936 also carry an estimate of 3,000.

The sale also boasts 10 dresses and other accessories that Margaret gave her Italian maid Maria Roattino who worked for her for several decades.

A pair of knitted wool nightdresses belonging to Elizabeth and Margaret in 1935 are tipped to sell for 1,500, while matching knitted sweaters from 1932 are valued at 600.

Maragaret's bright ensembles are set to go on sale including a Drsicoll silk kaftan from 1965 (left) and an orange wool dress worn to the Opera Sadlers wells in 1971

Owner Kerry Taylor says Margaret's dresses really show her glamorous and rebellious side, with the African prints and the kaftans which became a signature look

Margaret was known for her adventurous sartorial choices and regularly broke the Royal protocol of the time by wearing outfits which were not British.

She was particularly fond of kaftans which could be worn with ease at a gala dinner on the island of Mustique where she loved to holiday.

Margaret's evening dress, which was fashioned by Thea Porter in 1978, is valued at 2,500.

A pair of matching Liberty print floral cotton dresses worn by Elizabeth and Margaret around 1936 also carry an estimate of 3,000

The two young princesses (pictured in February 1939) were often dressed in identical outfits

A bright orange Japanese style dress she wore in 1971 is tipped to sell for 1,000.

Her psychedelic palazzo pants jumpsuit from her late 1960s wardrobe carries an estimate of 600.

A silk kaftan dress from the same period is expected to fetch 600.

Her traditionally embroidered Filipino evening gown dating from 1980 is set to sell for 600.

A Catherine Walker blue-grey cocktail dress (right) which is similar to the one worn by Diana to a gala preview for her dress auction at Kensington Palace (left) is tipped to sell for 3,000

The marquee lot in the sale is a pink silk coat worn by Elizabeth as a baby in 1927 which is valued at 3,000

Royal Nanny Clara Knight with Queen Elizabeth wearing the pink silk baby coat from 1927

A pair of knitted wool nightdresses belonging to Elizabeth and Margaret in 1935 are tipped to sell for 1,500

Margaret's 1970 Christian Dior cocktail dress is valued at 1,000, while her silk personalised Christian Dior scarf carries an estimate of 600.

Margaret made regular visits to Dior in Paris and also attended Dior fashion shows at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxon, in 1952, 1954 and 1958.

They had a mutual admiration and he described her as a 'real fairy-tale princess, delicate, graceful and exquisite'.

There are seven sketches of Diana dresses by Edelstein in the collection.

They include a sketch of Diana's ivory and gold Hurel beaded satin ball gown dated Autumn 1988, which is valued at 600.

A Catherine Walker blue-grey Taroni silk cocktail dress which is similar to the one worn by Diana to a gala preview for her dress auction at Kensignton Palace in London on June 2, 1997, is tipped to sell for 3,000.

The original dress Diana wore for the event held months before her death would cost 100,000.

The collection, which has an overall estimate of 25,000, will be sold in individual lots by London-based Kerry Taylor auctions.

Princess Margaret's 1960's Psychedelic palazzo jumpsuit (left) is estimated to fetch 600 while her 1970 Christian Dior silk cocktail dress is marked at 1,000

Margaret's Christian Dior dress worn to open the 1975 Ideal Home Exhibition is likely to sell for around 600

Her exquisite 1978 Thea Porter chiffon evening dress is predicted to fetch 2,500

Owner Kerry Taylor said: 'It is interesting to see royalty through the generations.

'When you look at the little dresses of the Queen and Princess Margaret and compare them to what Princess Charlotte wears today, they are not too dissimilar.

'Charlotte has her little dresses and Prince George has his Peter Pan collars. It is sweet how the Royal tradition has carried on.

'I think Margaret's dresses really show her glamorous and rebellious side, with the African prints and the kaftans which became a signature look.

A hand written thank you note sent by Princess Diana to Victor Edelstein in February 1993 will also go under the hammer

Victor Edelstein's designs sent for approval to Princess Diana in 1986 will also feature in the sale

The sketches from one of her favourite designers, were sent to her ahead of their production

'After the sartorial restraint of her childhood, and the privations and restrictions of the war, she was keen to explore the world of fashion which included romantic creations by Christian Dior.

'It was against Royal protocol at the time to wear fashions that were not made in Britain or by British designers, but she broke this rule straight away, choosing to wear a beautiful Dior white ballgown for her 21st birthday.

'These are unique, rare and historically important royalty related pieces.'

The auction takes place on June 18.She's used to endless royal functions and engagements with members of her adoring public.

So Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden was happy to take charge when she welcomed charity workers for lunch at Drottningholm Palace in Lovon on Thursday.

Alongside her father King Carl Gustaf, the 40-year-old led members of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) into the royal family's private residence for their annual lunch together.

Victoria, who is heir apparent to the Swedish throne, looked suitably business-like for the occasion in a smart green and blue patterned dress.

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden, 40 looked sensational in a blue and green dress on Thursday

Joined by her father King Carl Gustaf, Victoria lead members of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to lunch at Drottningholm Palace in Lovon

The dress was mid-lenth and made from a slightly sheer material, so Victoria wore it with what appeared to be a slip underneath.

She carried a large grey handbag presumably to keep some important notes for the meeting in.

On her feet she slipped on a brightly pair of blue stilettos and accessorised with some delicate silver bracelets on her wrist.

Victoria didn't have a hair out of place as she kept her brunette locks away from her face in a sleek ponytail - a departure from her usual swept back bun.

She carried a large grey handbag and wore a pair of bright blue stilettos on her feet for the event

Victoria seemed happy to mingle with members of the charity as they walked to the palace

Victoria, who is the heir apparent to the Swedish throne, kept her long brunette locks away from her face with a sleek ponytail

The royal looked confident as she made conversation with the charity workers as they walked into the palace.

King Carl-Gustaf seemed happy to let his eldest child lead the way, as he slipped back into the crowd behind her.

Last month the monarch celebrated his 71st birthday with an elaborate parade outside the Royal Palace.

King Carl Gustaf, who is the second-longest reigning monarch in Swedish history, took to the throne in 1973 and survived the country's landmark constitution the following year, and has an active role in public duties, albeit mainly ceremonial.

The King and his wife Silvia, nee Sommerlath, 74, a German-Brazilian former flight attendant, have been handing over increasing numbers of engagements to their eldest daughter Victoria in recent years, fuelling speculation that the monarch may abdicate, allowing the Crown Princess to take the throne.

King Carl-Gustaf seemed happy to let his eldest child lead the way, as he slipped back into the crowd behind herQueen Letizia could be seen catching up with one of her royal acquaintances in Geneva on Thursday.

The Queen of Spain could be seen sharing a tender moment with Princess Dina Mired of Jordan as she arrived for a global cancer meeting this morning.

The pair, who both act as ambassadors to cancer charities, have met on several occasions for the cause and an shared affectionate moment outside the headquarters.

Queen Letizia could be seen catching up with old friend and fellow royal Princess Dina Mired of Jordan in Geneva on Thursday

The Spanish royal, 45, could be seen placing an tentative arm on Dina's shoulder who was awaiting her arrival.

Letizia looked her typically glamorous self in a grey wool dress with purple accents from Carolina Herrera.

Thanks to a warm spell in Switzerland the mother-of-two did away with a jacket showcasing her slender arms today.

Flanked by a team of security the Queen of Spain looked her glamorous best in a grey wool Carolina Herrera dress

She opted for very minimal accessories, choosing not to carry a bag and completing her look with a pair of snakeskin heels.

Her brunette locks were tousled to perfection, bouncing in the breeze framing her blush coloured make up palette.

Flanked by a team of bodyguards, the former journalist appeared to be in high spirits, flashing a smile to the camera upon her arrival today.

Letizia, 45, is attending a meeting at the Geneva headquarters of global cancer organization Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC)

Queen Letizia is honorary president of the Spanish Cancer Association AECC while Princess Dina has acted as President Elect for the charity since 2010

She and Princess Dina took their seats for a meeting at the Geneva headquarters of global cancer organization Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC).

The UICC is a membership organisation that exists to help the global health community accelerate the fight against cancer.

Queen Letizia is honorary president of the Spanish Cancer Association AECC while Princess Dina has acted as President Elect for the charity since 2010.Queen Rania looked chic in a folk-inspired dress as she visited a kindergarten with husband King Abdullah II in Jordan Valley.

The 47-year-old went for a stylish frock featuring colourful crochet panels for the engagement in Ghor Fifa.

The mother-of-four looked in good spirits as she and Abdullah II met the children at the kindergarten.

Abdullah, 56, also appeared relaxed, opting for a casual look for the visit.

Queen Rania looked chic in a folk-inspired dress as she visited a kindergarten in Ghor Fifa with husband King Abdullah II (far left)

The royal couple were visiting Ghor Fifa on Wednesday in order to check on development projects taking place in the community, according to the Jordan Times.

The kindergarten they visited is supported by the Friends of Jordan Society, and has 42 pupils in total.

During their tour, the couple also found out more about activities offered to children in the area.

Later on in the day, they visited a project for wool manufacturing, learning more about how the process works.

Rania, 47, opted for a stylish frock featuring colourful crochet panels for the engagement

Both Rania and Abdullah, 56, looked in high spirits as they met children at the kindergarten

The visit today comes after Rania celebrated her daughter Princess Salmas high school graduation last week.

Rania shared several pictures from the big day after Salma, 17, graduated from the International Academy in Amman.

Salma was flanked not only by her mother but father King Abdullah II, and brothers Hussein, Crown Prince of Jordan and Prince Hashem.

Rania also shared four touching portraits of her helping Salma to get ready ahead of her graduation.They're one of the world's most glamorous families.

And the Swedish royals certainly didn't disappoint when they attended a formal dinner on Thursday evening.

King Carl XVI Gustaf, 72, was joined by his wife Queen Silvia, 74, for the lavish event at Stockholm's Royal Palace.

Also in attendance was their daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, 39, and son Prince Carl Philip, 39, who arrived with their respective spouses, Prince Daniel, 44, and Princess Sofia, 33.

Queen Silvia of Sweden, 74, looked sensational in a floor-sweeping floral gown for a formal dinner with King Carl Gustaf tonight

Joining them for the occasion was Crown Princess Victoria and her husband Prince Daniel

Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia were also at the event at the Royal Palace in Stockholm

The Swedish queen looked resplendent in a floor-length ballgown with a delicate floral grey pattern.

The gown boasted a sweetheart neckline and revealed a tasteful hint of the queen consort's decolletage.

It was ruched over the bust and waist, flattering Silvia's already trim physique.

She was wearing The Connaught Tiara, which she wore on the night before her wedding and was the first she wore in public.

Silvia's showstopping dress featured a delicate grey flower pattern and a sweetheart neckline

The family were hosting several high profile guests for the very formal occasion tonight

While she has worn it several times in the past is usually worn by other royals, including her daughter Princess Madeleine.

On her wrists Silvia wore several suitably glitzy silver bracelets and donned a triple chain pearl necklace around her neck.

She wore a glamorous pair of pearl earrings and showed just a flash of her grey stilettos under her floor-sweeping gown.

Princess Victoria and Princess Sofia both looked sensational in their glittering tiaras

Victoria donned a stylish champagne coloured dress that featured both pleats and ruffles

Both Silvia and Carl Gustaf wore regal blue sashes for the formal occasion, while the king wore several medals pinned to his suit.

Meanwhile Crown Princess Victoria wore a champagne-coloured maxi dress that featured both pleats and unusual ruffle detailing.

She carried a stylish golden clutch bag and flashed a coat of bright pink polish on her nails.

Princess Sofia cut a stylish figure in a floor length floral dress with sheer sleeves and chest

Queen Silvia wore The Connaught Tiara, which she wore on the night before her wedding and was the first she wore in public

Her sister-in-law Princess Sofia showcased a stunning purple gown with a pretty floral pattern.

The dress was also floor-length for the formal occasion but featured a slightly daring sheer material on the arms and chest.

Earlier today the monarch stepped out with his daughter and heir apparent Crown Princess Victoria.

This was the second engagement of the day for the monarch and his heir, who attended a charity lunch together

The family seemed in high spirits as they ventured into the event on Thursday evening

The royals led members of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) into the royal family's private residence Drottningholm Palace for their annual lunch together.

King Carl Gustaf, who is the second-longest reigning monarch in Swedish history, took to the throne in 1973 and survived the country's landmark constitution the following year, and has an active role in public duties, albeit mainly ceremonial.

The King and his wife Silvia, nee Sommerlat, have been handing over increasing numbers of engagements to their eldest daughter Victoria in recent years, fuelling speculation that the monarch may abdicate, allowing the Crown Princess to take the throne.Lara Trump's baby boy Luke may be well-traveled, but today is the first day the mother-of-one is flying with her eight-month-old son all by herself.

The 35-year-old wife of Eric Trump took to Instagram Stories on Thursday to share a video of herself holding little Luke while sitting down in front of her gate at LaGuardia Airport.

'First solo flight w [baby emoji],' she captioned the footage, adding a prayer hands emoji to show that she is hoping everything goes well.

Leaving town! Lara Trump took to Instagram Stories on Thursday to share a video of herself at LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, with her baby boy Luke

Mommy milestone: The 35-year-old, who used a flower crown filter while filming the clip, revealed it was her 'first solo flight' with her eight-month-old son

In the short clip, Lara has Luke sitting on her lap, and they have flower crowns on their heads thanks to the filter she is using.

While Luke has his signature kerchief wrapped around his neck, Lara is dressed casually in a camouflage jacket. Her long blonde hair is down and worn in natural waves.

Other people can be seen in the background as she waits to board her flight, although it is unclear where she is flying to or why Eric isn't' with her.

She could be visiting her parents in her hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, meeting her husband at his father's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, or flying somewhere else entirely.

'Roomba Wars': Earlier in the week, Lara's husband, Eric, 34, shared a cute video of Luke cornering their vacuum in his baby walker

A few days before her flight, her husband, Eric, 34, posted an equally adorable video of Luke in his baby walker, facing off with their Roomba vacuum.

The clip starts with Luke walking towards the Roomba in his walker. The tot stops right in front of the vacuum and stares at it, clearly memorized by the spinning contraption.

'Look he cant get back home because you are in the way,' Lara explains in the background. 'He's trying to get home. He's not going to get home.'

Luke continues to move forward until the Roomba is pressed against the wall.

Support: Lara traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to speak at a rally for her father-in-law, President Donald Trump, on Tuesday

Added touch: She showed off her trim figure in a red A-line dress, which she belted at the waist

'He's stuck now. Let's give him some room. Back it up,' Lara says as she directs her son out of the way.

'Little Luke is not backing down! #RoombaWars,' Eric captioned the cute video.

On Tuesday, Lara gave a speech at President Donald Trump's rally in Nashville, Tennessee. She showed off her trim figure in a red A-line dress, which she belted at the waist.

The mother-of-one proudly shares photos of herself at the podium that night, writing: 'THANK YOU, #NASHVILLE!'

Fun visit: Lara spent Memorial Day weekend in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with baby Luke, who got to spend some quality time with his grandfather Robert (pictured)

Look of love: Lara also posted snapshots of Luke being held by her brother Kyle

Family day: 'Hangin with the boys #Grandpa #UncleKyle,' she captioned images

Lara spent Memorial Day weekend in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with baby Luke, who got to spend some quality time with his grandfather Robert and his uncle Kyle.

'Hangin with the boys #Grandpa #UncleKyle,' she captioned images of son being held by her father and brother.

Ahead of the holiday weekend, Lara posted a throwback photo of herself modeling a MAGA one-piece at her father-in-law's Mar-a-Lago estate in March.

'In honor of the holiday weekend: #flashback to double mirrored sunglasses,' she captioned the image, which shows her holding Luke on her hip.

Reminiscing: On Friday, Lara shared a throwback photos of herself modeling a 'Make America Great Again' swimsuit while holding her son

Different holiday: Lara first debuted the swimsuit on her Instagram Stories (pictured) while staying at her father-in-law's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, over Easter weekend

Big day: Lara celebrated her first Mother's Day with Eric, Luke, and their dogs this month

Lara has a bright smile on her face while sporting the red, white, and blue one-piece and a pair of white eyelet lace shorts.

The picture appears to have been taken over Easter weekend when Lara first debuted the suit on her Instagram Stories.

'Coming soon,' Lara captioned the original photo, which shows her wearing the same swimsuit and shorts.

The swimsuit, which retails for $39.95 at AAFNation.com, is a red, white, and blue take on President Donald Trump's signature red MAGA hats, which he wore throughout his presidential campaign.If you're a pho fan then there's some good news on the horizon.

In a world's first, pho pizza is now a thing thanks to Stretched Pizza in Coburg, Melbourne.

Taking social media by storm, husband and wife duo Dario D'Agostino and Ly Nguyen alongside pizza maker, Joe Codespoti, have made a name for themselves by introducing some weird and wacky pizza flavours to the market.

Featuring all the traditional pho ingredients such as sliced sirloin steak, Sriracha sauce and Vietnamese basil to name a few, this unconventional flavour is proving to be a hit among residents.

Scroll down for video

In a world's first, pho pizza (pictured) is now a thing thanks to Stretched Pizza in Coburg, Melbourne

The special sauce is infused with pho broth and each pizza is stretched by hand resulting in a lightweight, fluffy base all for only $18.

While the flavours available may be unconventional, they are not compromised when it comes to taste.

With long lines outside the store, Stretched Pizza has proven to not be a one-hit-wonder.

With names such as 'Un-Pho-Gettable' and 'Ma-Gik Mushroom' the place is known for its quirks (stock image)

The Melbourne pizza place also has gluten-free options at no extra charge alongside five vegan options so there is something for everyone

The Melbourne pizza place also has gluten-free options at no extra charge alongside five vegan options so there is something for everyone.

With names such as 'Un-Pho-Gettable' and 'Ma-Gik Mushroom' the takeaway store is known for its quirks.

The ingredients, which are locally sourced ensures that whatever you decide to order will be of premium quality.

With long lines outside the store (pictured) Stretched Pizza has proven to not be a one-hit-wonder

Most popular pizzas in Australia Margherita

Hawaiian

Supreme

Pepperoni

Meat lovers Source: Lifestyle Advertisement

The pizza joint has accumulated a 4.8 star rating out of five on Facebook with customers raving about the taste and selections available.

'These pizzas are just too good. Delicious toppings and divine bases. Great service too. I am looking forward to working my way through the menu,' says Facebook user Felicity Worthington.

Stretched Pizza will also be giving away free pizzas on June 11 in honour of the Queen's birthday.Gone are the days of vanilla and cinnamon scented candles because A.1., the company behind incredibly popular steak sauce, has just released a line of meat scented candles.

The limited-edition nine ounce candles retail for $14.99 each and are available in the three delicious scents: original meat, backyard barbecue and classic burger.

The candles burn for 50-70 hours and are available starting May 30 exclusively at A1MeatScents.

Yum: A.1. released imited-edition nine ounce meat scented candles that retail for $14.99 each

And if you're not sold on the idea of a candle that smells line meat (rightfully so) then maybe your dad will be because according to the company, the candles would make the perfect Father's Day gift.

'They are a truly unique gift that will celebrate dad with an added bonus,' A.1. said in a press release. 'They will evoke memories of dad's cooking and grilling using A.1. sauce and they smell amazing.'

'We know our saucey tang resonates with dad, the website said. 'So bring it home to him in a different way. A candle that will light the way to his heart. Isn't that original?'

The idea with A.1. candles 'was to evoke memories of dads grilling and cooking during the summer and special occasions,' A.1. marketing head Ryan Nolan told the Daily News.

Interesting smells: The candles are available in the three delicious scents: original meat, backyard barbecue and classic burger

Long-lasting: The candles, which were released in honor of Father's Day, burn for 50-70 hours

'We have been working on getting the candles perfect for the past few months. It's the first time we have expanded out of pantry for A.1.,' Ryan added.

There's no arguing that A.1. doesn't get props for originality and steering clear from the 'boring norm' that is a tie, book, a bottle of cologne or a mug saying world's greatest dad.

And there's no doubt your father will be surprised come June 17 when he opens present and is greeted with a meat scented candle but for those interested in getting their dad a more conventional gift, then perhaps you can make your dad a nice steak dinner sans candles.

But for those who are sold on the candle concept, there are surprisingly other oddly scented candles (that don't smell like meat) that range in smells from frat house basement party to nacho cheese, according to Buzzfeed.E-cigarettes could spark a major health crisis in decades to come, world-leading experts warn today.

They say there is growing evidence that using e-cigarettes  commonly known as 'vaping'  damages health and is highly addictive.

In one of the most significant interventions to date, they add that vaping is a 'one-way bridge' to smoking tobacco for people lured in by the attractive flavours of e-cigarettes.

However manufacturers are still marketing the gadgets as 'healthier' than real smoking, they say.

E-Cigarettes could be just as dangerous as cigarettes and could lead people to smoking, according to experts. File image uesd

The panel of lung experts  from the Forum of International Respiratory Societies  wants flavourings banned as part of tougher restrictions on vaping products.

They also want parks and areas outside schools to become 'vape-free zones'.

The international group of researchers, who come from six continents, carried out a major review of evidence before reaching their conclusions.

Dr Tom Ferkol, a co-author of the report from Washington University in St Louis, said the growth of e-cigarettes risked normalising smoking again and undoing years of progress in public health.

He said: 'These products are normalising smoking and leading to new generations addicted to nicotine.

'It's not merely the risk of the e-cigarettes, it's possible these products are introducing the next generations to tobacco, something that we've tried to avoid and with some success over the years.'

Almost 3million people in Britain use e-cigarettes, with health officials promoting them as a safer alternative to tobacco.

The battery powered devices convert a liquid containing nicotine into vapour, which is then inhaled.

E-cigarette manufacturers are still marketing the gadgets as 'healthier' than real smoking

Rising numbers of adolecents are also vaping, with around one in ten secondary school pupils in the UK admitting they have tried it.

But experts say little is known about the long-term effects, with previous studies linking it to cancer, heart disease and lung conditions. There are also fears over the synthetic flavourings.

Professor Ferkol added: 'If you look at the evidence on why teenagers and children use e-cigarettes, there are three common reasons  curiosity, flavouring and low-perceived harm.

'With all the flavourings, such as strawberries and cream, you can easily see why children are attracted to them.

'And when you look at the advertising on some products, it doesn't look like it's targeted at a 55-year-old gentleman from Liverpool to help him quit.'

Dr Aneesa Vanker, a lung specialist at the University of Cape Town, said legislation on a minimum age for buying e-cigarettes is often not enforced.

'There is growing evidence that nicotine has many acute and long-term adverse effects, including addiction. Young people are at particular risk for this,' she said.

But experts claim there is growing evidence that using e-cigarettes  commonly known as 'vaping'  damages health and is highly addictive

'We want local, national, and regional decision-makers to recognise the growing public health threat that e-cigarettes pose to children and adolescents.

Inhaling something other than air is never good for a child's lungs.'

Rosanna O'Connor, from Public Heath England, said UK regulation of e-cigarettes is among the strictest in the world, with safety standards, packaging and labelling requirements, a ban on almost all forms of advertising and a minimum age of sale.

Professor Peter Hajek, from the tobacco research unit at Queen Mary University of London, said: 'If regulators acted on the recommendations made here and banned e-cig flavourings, they would risk pushing some of the millions of vapers from the much safer alternative back to smoking, emphysema and lung cancer.'

The e-cigarettes warning is published in the European Respiratory Journal.As Americans - especially baby boomers - age, their savings and mobility are dwindling even as the cost of health care goes up.

For the nearly 50 million members of this population, health care that is more accessible both physically and financially is a high priority.

Telemedicine that uses video chats and data sharing to help doctors monitor patients remotely might be the solution.

Now, the vast majority of older Americans and their caregivers are ready to give virtual health care a try, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Sidney Kramer, 92, of Bethesda, Maryland is one of the 90 percent of older Americans ready to embrace telemedicine to help their doctors monitor their vitals remotely, a new poll reveals

Nearly nine in 10 adults ages 40 and over would be comfortable using at least one type of telemedicine for themselves or an aging loved one, the poll found.

Sidney Kramer, 92, and his daughter are among them.

Every morning, Kramer wraps a blood pressure cuff around his arm and steps on a scale, and readings of his heart health beam to a team of nurses - and to his daughter's smartphone - miles from his Maryland home.

Red flags? A nurse immediately calls, a form of telemedicine that is helping Kramer live independently by keeping his congestive heart failure under tight control.

'It's reassuring both psychologically and physically. The way he's put it to me, it's like having a doctor appointment every morning,' said Miriam Dubin, Kramer's daughter.

But they want to make sure that an e-visit or other remote care is just as good as they'd get in person, and that their health information stays private, according to the survey released Thursday.

Long considered an option mainly for improving access to health care in rural areas with few doctors, telemedicine is gaining ground with tech-savvy younger consumers - they text their physician with questions or Skype with a mild complaint.

For seniors with chronic illnesses or mobility problems that make simply reaching a doctor's office an ordeal, telehealth could be more than a convenience. The graying population is raising serious questions about how the nation will provide enough quality long-term care.

But while private insurance increasingly covers certain services such as a video visit, seniors have had a harder time because Medicare tightly restricts what it will pay for.

That's starting to change, with a law Congress passed last winter that expands Medicare coverage for such options as video visits to diagnose stroke symptoms or check on home dialysis patients. Also, Medicare Advantage programs used by a third of beneficiaries can start offering additional telehealth options.

Kramer points to his notebook he uses to help him keep track of vital signs after using a remote medical monitoring system at his home in Maryland (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

In this May 29, 2018, photo, Sidney Kramer, 92, talks with his daughter Miriam Dubin, at his home in Bethesda, Md. A new poll shows older Americans and their caregivers want to give virtual health care a try, even though Medicare has been slow to pay. Nearly 9 in 10 would be comfortable using at least one type of telemedicine for themselves or an aging loved one. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

'While the interest is huge, one of the big barriers remains reimbursement,' said Johns Hopkins University telemedicine chief Dr. Ingrid Zimmer-Galler, who has turned to grants to help fund such services as telepsychiatry for dementia patients.

The new law 'is really a huge step in the right direction. It certainly doesn't cover everything.'

Costs are a major issue for people who need ongoing living assistance. Less than a third of adults age 40 and over have set aside any money for their future long term care needs, the AP-NORC survey shows, and more than half mistakenly think they'll be able to rely on Medicare to help cover nursing care or home health aides.

Telemedicine will have to replace in-person care, not add to it, to help with those costs, cautioned Zimmer-Galler.

As access for seniors promises to grow, the AP-NORC Center poll shows widespread interest in telehealth. More than half of adults of all ages would be comfortable with a video visit via Skype or FaceTime to discuss medications, for ongoing care of a chronic illness or even for an urgent health concern.

In this May 29, 2018, photo, Sidney Kramer, 92, checks his weight while using a remote medical monitoring system to check his vital signs at his home in Bethesda, Md. A new poll shows older Americans and their caregivers want to give virtual health care a try, even though Medicare has been slow to pay. Nearly 9 in 10 would be comfortable using at least one type of telemedicine for themselves or an aging loved one. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Nurse Melissa Lantz-Garnish (left) from Johns Hopkins Medicine, talks with Kramer (right) about using the remote medical monitoring system to check his vital signs

In fact, adults 40 and older are just as open to at least some forms of telemedicine as those under 40, with one exception: The older crowd is slightly less comfortable discussing health care by text.

Among caregivers, 87 percent say they'd be interested in using at least one form of telemedicine for that person's medical needs.

'I think the parents would be happier at home instead of being in the doctor's office waiting an hour to see a doctor for 15 minutes,' said Don Withey of Cortland, New York, who helps his 92-year-old father and 89-year-old mother get to their appointments. But, 'we don't know much more about it other than the fact you can talk to a doctor over the computer or smartphone.'

Just 12 percent of adults say they wouldn't use any form of telemedicine.

There are concerns. More than 30 percent of people worry about privacy or the security or health information. About half fear that telemedicine could lead to lower-quality care, the poll found.

'It's not about having a video screen or Skype in the home or even a blood pressure cuff in the home. It's about the team that's behind it and the clinicians who are supporting the care of that patient,' said Rachel DeSantis, chief of staff at Johns Hopkins Home Care Group, which provides the 92-year-old Kramer's remote monitoring.

The Hopkins program provides no-cost monitoring for a month or two to select high-risk patients after a hospitalization because research found it reduces their chances of readmission.

When the monitor recorded Kramer's weight creeping up one week, nurses immediately knew it was fluid build-up, a heart failure symptom that needed quick treatment. The machine is programmed for some educational feedback, too.

Dubin says her dad learned quickly when to cut back. 'If he enjoys a pastrami sandwich one day, he can see his numbers may be higher the next day.'

Dubin says the reassurance was worth privately paying, about $250 a month, to keep the monitoring once Kramer's initial time in the program ended.A record 40 per cent of GPs are considering quitting within the next five years, research has found.

More than half are planning to at least reduce their hours during this time as the demands of the job are so stressful.

The UK is already in the grip of a GP recruitment crisis and academics said the results would have worrying implications for patients.

A record 40 per cent of GPs consider quitting within the next five years, research has found

Record breaking numbers plan to leave

Research by the University of Manchester involving 1,134 GPs found that 39 per cent had a considerable intention to leave their jobs within five years.

This is the highest percentage since the survey began in 2005 and twice as many as that year when just 19 per cent were contemplating quitting.

The research also found that 14 per cent of GPs under 50 were considering leaving, up from just 6 per cent in 2005.

Another 57 per cent of doctors hope to reduce their working hours in the next five years with only 7 per cent wanting to increase them.

Figures only yesterday revealed how 1.3 million patients had been affected by surgery closures in the last five years due to GPs retiring or quitting.

A total of 445 practices have shut or merged since 2013 including 130 during the course of 2017.

GPs say they are overworked

Experts say GPs are struggling to cope with their increasingly intense workload.

Although they are working a similar number of hours compared to 2005, they claim their working days are far busier.

They have fewer breaks in between appointments and patients are sicker - as they are older - making consultations harder.

A total of 39 per cent of those GPs who want to leave their jobs hope to continue working in healthcare but not with patients.

Another 36 per cent intend to quit medical work altogether and 9 per cent want to move abroad. The remainder did not specify.

Academics said that so many GPs quitting could have worrying implications for patients

Professor Kath Checkland, who led the study said: The all-time high figure of 39 per cent of GPs who say they intend to quit within 5 years is particularly worrying in terms of the possible implications it might have on recruitment, retention and patient care.

Dr Richard Vautrey, chair of the British Medical Associations GP committee said: While these figures are concerning, they are certainly not surprising. In the face of rising patient demand and increasing administrative burden, GP workload has reached a point where doctors feel they can no longer provide safe high-quality care.

As more GPs decide to leave the profession it will be patients who suffer, which is why we have been clear that practices must be able to set safe working limits.

This report provides yet more evidence to support the need for the government to urgently invest in general practice.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: GPs are a vital part of the NHS and we recognise the everyday pressures they face - thats why were increasing investment by 2.4bn a year by 2021 and recruiting 5,000 new doctors into general practice.Arthritis and asthma medication reduces the risk of Parkinson's disease by up to one-third and could pave the way for a new treatment, research suggests.

People who take corticosteroids, which are commonly prescribed for asthma, psoriasis and ulcerative colitis, are 20 percent less at risk of suffering tremors, a study found today.

IMDH inhibitors, which are used to treat arthritis, Crohn's and organ transplant rejection, reduce people's risk of developing Parkinson's by around a third, the research adds.

Lead author Dr Brad Racette, from the University of Washington, said: 'We've found that taking certain classes of immunosuppressant drugs reduces the risk of developing Parkinson's.

'Our next step is to conduct a study with people newly diagnosed with Parkinson's to see whether these drugs have the effect on the immune system we'd expect.'

Although unclear, Parkinson's may be caused by an overactive immune system, which the drugs work to reduce.

Around 60,000 people living in the US are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease every year.

Arthritis and asthma patients may be up to one-third less likely to develop Parkinson's (stock)

DOES CALCIUM CAUSE PARKINSON'S? Research released in February 2018 provided fresh hope for a Parkinson's disease cure. Scientists discovered excessive calcium levels in the brain may be behind the condition that has previously left experts baffled. Although the mineral plays a vital role in linking nerve endings with a protein, known as alpha-synuclein, which is critical for brain cell communication, excessive levels can trigger nerve cell death, a study found. Study author Dr Amberley Stephens, from Cambridge University, said: 'There's a fine balance of calcium and alpha-synuclein in the cell, and when there is too much of one or the other, the balance is tipped and aggregation begins, leading to Parkinson's disease.' Parkinson's disease is caused by these proteins folding into the wrong shape and sticking together to form filament-like structures, however, it was previously unclear why this occurs. The researchers hope their findings could lead to the development of new treatments, such as calcium blockers, to combat the incurable condition. They add eating calcium-rich foods, such as cheese, is not linked to the disorder. Senior author Dr Gabriele Kaminski Schierle added: 'The study relates to the control of calcium levels which will be the same in any human being independent of its dietary intake.' Around 60,000 people living in the US are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease every year. It affects one in every 350 in the UK. The researchers analysed synaptic vesicles, which are part of nerve cells that store the neurotransmitters that send signals from one cell to another. Calcium, which is found in dairy, as well as kale and sesame seeds, plays a role in the release of these neurotransmitters. The scientists observed that when calcium levels in the nerve cells increase, the alpha-synuclein binds to synaptic vesicles at multiple points. This causes the vesicles to come together, which indicates the role of alpha-synuclein is to help the chemical transmission of information across nerve cells. Advertisement

Scientists aim to slow disease progression

Despite their findings, the researchers do not recommend immune-system suppressing drugs are prescribed to prevent Parkinson's onset due to the medications' risk of infections and cancer.

They add there is no accurate method to determine who is on track to develop the disease.

Due to corticosteroids having a lot of side effects, such as high blood pressure and weight gain, the scientists plan to investigate IMDH inhibitors' effects in Parkinson's.

Dr Racette added: 'It's too early to be thinking about clinical trials to see whether it modifies the disease, but the potential is intriguing.

'What we really need is a drug for people who are newly diagnosed, to prevent the disease from worsening.

'It's a reasonable assumption that if a drug reduces the risk of getting Parkinson's, it also will slow disease progression, and we're exploring that now.'

How the research was carried out

The researchers analysed the drug prescriptions of 48,295 people diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2009 and 52,324 people without the condition.

They assessed which patients were prescribed immune-system suppressing drugs a year or more before their diagnosis.

The findings were published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Medicine.

Obese people are nearly 20% less likely to develop Parkinson's

This comes after research released last June suggested obese people are nearly 20 percent less likely to develop Parkinson's.

People who have an obese BMI throughout their lives are 18 percent less at risk of the condition, a study review found.

This may be be due to the weight disorder sharing genetic variants with factors that protect against the neurological condition, according to researchers.

Yet, the researchers warn the health risks of carrying excessive weight will likely outweigh any reduced susceptibility to Parkinson's.

They said: 'Although our results suggest that higher BMI is potentially protective against PD, the negative health impacts of raising BMI are likely to be significant, and should be taken into account.'The human body has a 'second brain' located in its bowel, and scientists now understand the intricate way it works.

The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) has a collection of millions of neurons that control movement in our intestines. But the exact mechanism it uses has eluded scientists - until now.

A team from Flinders University in Australia has investigated it and discovered how electrical charges in our gut work to pass waste through our lower guts and out of our bodies.

It transpires that the 'second brain' works by pulsing electrical waves down through the gut, which are synchronised to help the bowel pass waste.

The human body has a second brain in its bowel and scientists now know how it works

How it works

The way the ENS worked had previously mystified scientists.

'One of the great mysteries of the gastrointestinal tract is how such a large populations of enteric neurons (that lie within the gut wall) enable propulsion of colonic content,' study author and neurophysiologist Nick Spencer explained to ScienceAlert.

In order to understand its mechanisms, the team from Flinders University examined the large intestines of euthanised mice, which hold 400,000 individual neurons.

By using high resolution neuroimaging technology, and electrodes to measure electrical impulses, the researchers discovered a rhythmic electric pulsing in the mice intestines.

The intestines of the mice synchronise these pulses to produce contractions in the gut, which help pass material down through the intestines and out of the body.

This is unlike how the rest of the mammalian nervous system operates.

'This represents a major pattern of neuronal activity in the mammalian peripheral nervous system that has not previously been identified,' the authors wrote in the study, which was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

'The synchronised ENS activity involved simultaneous activation of large populations of excitatory and inhibitory neurons, as well as putative intrinsic sensory neurons.'

The 'second brain' works by pulsing electrical waves down to help the bowel pass waste

Gut feeling

This process is known as a colonic migrating motor complex (CMMC).

CMMCs occur when we're not eating, and help to move indigestible material (like bone or fiber) through our body, as well as to transport bacterial populations around our bowels.

They are also responsible for 'tummy rumbling': the loud noises our body's make when we're hungry.

'It is really a brain of its own,' Professor Spencer said.

'The unique feature of the GI tract is that it is the only internal organ with its own complete nervous system that can operate totally independently of the brain and/or spinal cord.'

Spencer says that knowledge of how this second brain works could help in future treatments of bowel-related illness, like bowel cancer.

'Too often in medicine there is a demand to cure disease, without understanding how the organ in question actually works,' Professor Spencer said.

'Until this new study no one had any idea exactly how large populations of neurons in the ENS lead to contraction of the intestine.

'Now that we know how the ENS is activated under healthy conditions... we can use this as a blueprint to understand how dysfunctional neurogenic motor patterns may arise along the colon.

'Chronic constipation affects a large proportion of the community worldwide, and often arises because of improper colonic transit.'A mother-of-three with incurable breast cancer has to raise 1,000 every month to pay for a life-extending medication not available on the NHS.

Lesley Kennedy, from Belfast, said she 'is not ready' to say goodbye to her children just yet - even though there is nothing more doctors can do for her.

Mrs Kennedy has instead chosen to try palbociclib, a drug hailed as the closest thing to a cure for women with incurable breast cancer.

But because the 35-year-old has previously undergone hormone treatments for her cancer, she isn't eligible for NHS funding to get the drug.

However the price tag of 980 every 28 days has not discouraged Mrs Kennedy, who was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer two years ago, from fundraising.

Lesley Kennedy, from Belfast, 'is not ready' to say goodbye to her children just yet - even though there is nothing more doctors can do for her (pictured with her husband Lee)

Mrs Kennedy told Belfast Live: 'I was told the original price of the treatment would be 3,100 every 28 days and it seems impossible.'

'Then it reduced to 2,500 and now I have signed a contract for the drugs which are costing 980 every 28 days.

'It's still hugely expensive but with all the help I am getting, it has so far been doable.

'I wasn't ready to say goodbye to my children a year ago and I'm still not ready. So I will keep taking the drugs, taking the help and doing my best.'

The drug palbociclib was rejected by Nice last February on the grounds that it was too expensive and offered only limited benefits.

But it announced in September it can approve it after negotiating discounts with Pfizer. Ribociclib, another breast cancer drug, was approved at the same time.

Mrs Kennedy has instead chosen to try palbociclib, a drug hailed as the closest thing to a cure for women with incurable breast cancer (pictured with husband Lee)

But because the 35-year-old has previously undergone hormone treatments for her cancer, she isn't eligible for NHS funding to get the drug (pictured with husband Lee)

WHY ISN'T SHE ELIGIBLE FOR PALBOCICLIB? Lesley Kennedy, from Belfast, isn't eligible for palbociclib because she has previously undergone hormone treatments for her cancer, according to her friends. The drug was rejected by Nice last February on the grounds that it was too expensive and offered only limited benefits. But it announced in September it can approve it after negotiating discounts with Pfizer. Ribociclib, another breast cancer drug, was approved at the same time. Taken as daily pills, they stop cancer cells dividing and spreading by blocking the action of two key proteins. They have been available to women in the US for nearly two years. Some British women have been paying up to 156,000 a year to buy them from America. Until that decision by the rationing body, there had been no effective treatments for women battling incurable breast cancer. They are usually offered chemotherapy to temporarily slow its spread but this has crippling side effects, and many feel it is not worth it. Advertisement

Taken as daily pills, they stop cancer cells dividing and spreading by blocking the action of two key proteins.

They have been available to women in the US for nearly two years. Some British women have been paying up to 156,000 a year to buy them from America.

Until that decision by the rationing body, there had been no effective treatments for women battling incurable breast cancer.

They are usually offered chemotherapy to temporarily slow its spread but this has crippling side effects, and many feel it is not worth it.

Trials have shown they extend the lives of patients with incurable breast cancer that has spread to other organs by an average of ten months.

But some women are still alive three years after receiving the drugs, working full time and travelling the world.

Mrs Kennedy, married to Lee, is hopeful palbociclib will have the same effect for her, as the disease has spread to her liver, lungs and bones.

She was diagnosed in 2015 with stage two breast cancer - but was told it had spread a year later - even after undergoing a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Doctors devastatingly told Mrs Kennedy 13 months ago there was no more medical care they could offer her, Belfast Live reports.

Mrs Kennedy was diagnosed in 2015 with stage two breast cancer - but was told it had spread a year later - even after undergoing a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy (pictured with Lee and their children Ben, 14, Jake, 11 and Corey, eight)

Mrs Kennedy has been on palbociclib for two weeks now - and has said she is 'feeling so well'

She told the newspaper: 'If I'd given up then and agreed that nothing else could help me, then we might be in a very different place.

'But we pushed on and I got treatment privately and the last year has been exceptional. Every day with my boys and my husband, every moment has been special.

'If I had listened to what I was being told in some areas I might not have had that time or those experiences - and they have been precious for all of us.'

Mrs Kennedy, mother to Ben, 14, Jake, 11 and Corey, eight, has been on palbociclib for two weeks now - and has said she is 'feeling so well'.

Up to 45,000 patients are diagnosed with breast cancer in England each year and one in eight women will develop it at some point in their lifetime.

If you would like to donate to Mrs Kennedy's fund go to her friend Jennifer Howell's GoFundMe page.

Ms Howell met Mrs Kennedy in a caravan park last year and they became friends. She is now helping to raise funds to keep her on palbociclib.A cancer nurse who was forced to crowdfund a drug denied to her by the NHS claims the new treatment is working due to donations from strangers across the world.

Last March, mother-of-two Laura Harris, 43, who has advanced bowel cancer, was given just three months to live unless she could raise 21,000 to be treated with the drug Bevacizumab.

Within days of setting up a fundraising page, thousands of strangers donated 90,000 - enough for four rounds of treatment.

After completing her first Bevacizumab therapy session, Ms Harris, from Barnstaple, Devon, claims the drug has halted her cancer's growth and has even shrunk some of her tumours.

Ms Harris, who returned to work after her 'terminal' cancer diagnosis, said: 'This was a mass in my abdomen that was the size of a watermelon. It is now down to the size of a grapefruit.'

She was denied the drug after the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) said in 2010 Bevacizumab would not be funded by the NHS as the benefits 'did not justify the costs'.

Ms Harris is speaking out to raise money towards her next round of treatment in the hope she can continue to make memories with her children.

Cancer nurse Laura Harris who was forced to crowdfund a drug denied to her by the NHS claims the new treatment is working due to donations from strangers across the world

Ms Harris, who suffers from bowel cancer, says her tumour has shrunk from the size of a watermelon to a grapefruit. She was given just three months to live last March

Ms Harris wishes to raise enough money for another round of treatment so she can make memories with her children Noah Hanson, 16, and Molly Hanson, 13 (pictured)

WHAT IS BEVACIZUMAB? Bevacizumab, which costs roughly 42,000 for a year's supply, targets a cancer cell protein called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The drug blocks this protein and stops the cancer from growing blood vessels, so it is starved and can't grow. Patients usually have Bevacizumab (Avastin) every two to three weeks and treatment continues for as long as it controls your cancer. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) doesn't recommend the use of the drug on the NHS in England and Wales. Avastin, made by pharmaceutical firm Roche, was previously available on the Cancer Drugs Fund before it was cut in 2015. Advertisement

'I am thrilled to say it has been working'

Ms Harris, who is also taking a chemotherapy drug, said: 'I have now had my first cycle of the new combinations and I am thrilled to say it has been working.

'No regime comes without side effects and I can suffer nausea and sickness but I have felt better now than I have in a long time.

'My energy levels are up and my pain levels are under control.

'I have now had a CT scan which shows I am completely stable, nothing has grown and some things have actually shrunk.

'We know now that it is working.'

Image shows how chemotherapy caused Ms Harris to break out in painful looking rashes

Despite trying to stay positive throughout treatment, she struggles to accept her condition

While receiving treatment, she said she wishes she could come to terms with the diagnosis

Despite suffering nausea, Ms Harris said her energy levels are up and her pain is manageable

She adds the difference the treatment has made to her and her family's lives is remarkable

'I can take part in life and look after my family'

Speaking of her progression, Ms Harris said: 'Look at the difference just in the time I've had four cycles of chemotherapy and what that means to my family and children.

'I was away at the weekend at a show with my daughter and we were whooping and screaming all the way through until about 11 o'clock at night.

'I would never have been able to do that before.

'[My children] don't talk about time at the moment. We just don't know.

She added: 'I have had so much treatment and my cancer has been through so much we are taking it day by day and month by month.

'But I feel really positive about it and I feel so well. I can take part in life and look after my family more than I have been able to for a while.'

Ms Harris' husband Paul said any drug that can extend his wife' life is 'priceless'

They do not talk about how long Ms Harris has left and just take it day by day

'I am terrified of dying'

Although Ms Harris recognises the NHS is not a 'bottomless pit' of money she believes any treatment that could help her create more memories for her children through life should be supported.

She added: 'The hardest part of my diagnosis was the realisation I would not be around for much longer. I am terrified of dying.

'I wish I was someone who had come to peace with that fact but I have not come to peace with anything and am so scared of death.'

'I have had huge support from everyone and the family unit is strong.

'I am so hopeful now. I have read about people who have still been alive on it a year later.

She said: 'I would love all drugs to be available on the NHS but it is not a bottomless pit of money. NICE have a thankless task deciding what is worthy of funding.

'Of course I think it should be funded, for me and my family extending my life by weeks, months or years has no price tag.'

Ms Harris' husband Paul, who moved their wedding forward after his wife's diagnosis, added: 'This drug can extend her life. It might be weeks, it might be a few months but when you look at it in pounds versus time spent with family it is priceless.'

Ms Harris (pictured in Janurary last year) claims the drug let her stay up late with her daughter

Ms Harris and Paul moved their wedding up after she received her cancer diagnosis

Ms Harris (pictured with her mother) hopes to visit relatives in the US before she dies

Within days of creating a crowdfunding page, Ms Harris had enough to fund her treatment

'I am so so grateful'

Ms Harris has created a bucket list, with her number one wish being to take her family to meet their relatives in her native US.

She added: 'The big bucket list item is a visit to America to see my family and some friends I have not seen for a long time. Hopefully this can happen this summer and I want to strike while I am feeling well.

'I just want to spend time with family and friends making special memories which we would not have been able to do if it was not for this drug.

'I have absolutely no regrets about raising the money. I am so grateful; not only is it extending my life, it has made me feel so much better and that is worth so much.

'I want to tell everyone who raised money for me that it is working and I am so so grateful to every single one of them.'

Donate here.A woman born without a vagina has become the first in the world to undergo reconstructive surgery to have one built out of fish skin.

Jucilene Marinho, 23, from Ceara, Brazil, underwent a neovaginoplasty in April last year after being born with Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hause (MRKH) left her with no cervix, uterus or ovaries - meaning she will never have children.

The procedure, performed at the Federal University of Ceara involved creating an opening where Ms Marinho's vagina should have been before inserting a genital-shaped mould lined with the skin of the freshwater fish tilapia.

The fish skin was then absorbed into her body and transformed into tissue that lines the vaginal tract.

After spending three weeks in hospital, Ms Marinho - the first of four patients given the procedure - was discharged and is now thrilled with the results.

She said: 'My family and friends took me out to "toast" my new vagina!'

Ms Marinho, who spiraled into a deep depression when she thought she would never have an intimate relationship, has even been able to have sex for the first time with her boyfriend of over a year Marcus Santos, 24.

She added: 'It was a wonderful moment because everything worked perfectly. There was no pain just a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction.'

Scroll down for video

Jucilene Marinho, 23, who was born without a vagina, has become the first woman in the world to undergo reconstructive surgery to have one built out of fish skin

Due to the procedure, she can finally have sex with her boyfriend Marcus Santos (pictured)

The fish skin lined a vagina-shaped mould that was inserted where her genitals should be

'I thought my world had ended'

Despite being born with MRKH, Ms Marinho was not diagnosed until she was 15 years old.

She had a normal puberty and even experienced menstrual cramps despite never having a period.

Speaking of her diagnosis, Ms Marinho said: 'I cried a lot when I found out.

'I thought my world had ended.

'I'd always dreamed of having a baby of my own now I had to accept that wouldn't be possible.'

After having the operation, Ms Marinho experienced minor internal bleeding but was told she could have sex at the end of last year.

She said: 'At first I was very scared to do it because I thought it would hurt and I was worried it might damage the opening.

'I didn't feel any discomfort and there was no bleeding.

'Everything felt sensitive in what I'm told is the right and normal way. It was perfectly natural like the opening had always been there.

'It felt so good to have something the majority of women take for granted.'

WHY IS FISH SKIN USED IN VAGINAL-RECONSTRUCTION SURGERY? Surgeons at the Assis Chateaubriand Maternity School, Brazil, have performed vaginal reconstruction surgery using fish skin in women born without a cervix, uterus or ovaries. Before being used, the fish skin undergoes a special cleaning and sterilisation process followed by radiation exposure to kill any viruses. This removes all the skin's scales and odour, leaving behind a light-coloured gel dressing that can be stored for up to two years in refrigerated, sterile packaging. Tilapia fish skin is used in the surgery Why is the fish-skin method used? The 'fish-skin method' is considered less invasive than the traditional technique of creating a vaginal canal using skin grafts from patients' groins. Dr Leonardo Bezerra, from the Assis Chateaubriand Maternity School, said: 'This procedure can be time consuming and painful as the patient needs to recover from a large incision which leaves a scar that can be unsightly and stigmatising. 'There is also the possibility of discomfort with the reconstructed tissue.' The fish-skin surgery also has a faster recovery rate with no visible scars, or risks of rejection or infections. Patients are typically able to walk after around 12 days, with the mould being replaced with silicone or a sponge for comfort. Traditional surgery requires patients to spend weeks in hospital and essentially relearn how to walk. What does the procedure involve? Dr Bezerra said: 'To make the "new vagina" we insert a vagina shaped acrylic mould, lined with the skin of tilapia, into the space created between the bladder and the rectum. 'The device remains there for 10 days to prevent the walls from closing. 'During this period the skin of the tilapia is absorbed, and the cells and growth factors released by the membrane transforms, like stem cells, into the patient's tissue cells. 'Finally, the patient's body completely incorporates the tilapia skin becoming biocompatible with it. 'The fish skin stimulates cellular growth and the formation of blood vessels and creates a new canal equal to that of an actual vagina.' Why are tilapia fish used? Tilapia fish are readily available in Brazil's rivers and farms. Their skin, which is typically thrown away, contains large amounts of moisture and is rich in collagen, which promotes healing. It is also disease resistant and as strong as human skin. Tilapia skin has previously been used to heal more than 200 severe-burn victims without the use of gauzes that have to be changed regularly. Advertisement

Ms Marinho said having sex for the first time felt 'right' and 'perfectly normal'

Now full of confidence, Ms Marinho's friends and family took her out to 'toast' her new vagina

She spent three weeks in hospital and experienced just minor internal bleeding

The fish skin was first cleaned and sterilised to remove any viruses, scales and its odour

It then forms a gel-like dressing that can be stored for two years in sterile, refrigerated bags

Tilapia fish skin contains lots of moisture and collagen, which promotes healing

To create a 'new vagina', surgeons insert a genitalia-shaped acrylic mould, lined with the skin of tilapia, into the space created between the bladder and the rectumMen with higher levels of sex hormones are less likely to be religious, a new study has found.

This was particularly present in older men with high levels of testosterone, said the researchers at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Previous studies have shown that older people tend to be more religious and that being part of a religious community tends to have a positive effect on how people age.

However, this is the first study to show that there could be biological mechanisms at play behind the religious institutions people are a part of.

Men with higher levels of sex hormones, such as testosterone, are less likely to be religious, a new study has found

The research team studied data from the 2005-2006 and 2010-2011 waves of the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project.

The data collection project, conducted by the University of Chicago, examines how the physical health of older Americans is impacted by social and intimate relationships.

For this study, the team looked at data of more than 1,000 men between the ages of 57 and 85, which included information about their weights and heights as well as saliva and blood samples.

They also looked at the questionnaires the participants had answered, which asked questions such as how often they attended religious services and if they regularly interacted with a clergy member.

The analysis showed that men with higher levels of the sex hormones testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) did not have strong ties to religion.

Testosterone is primarily responsible for the development of male reproductive tissues such as the testes and prostate.

DHEA is involved in developing male characteristics, which include the production of oilier skin, changes in body odor and the growth of armpit and pubic hair.

Dr Aniruddha Das, lead researcher and an associate professor of sociology at McGill University, says he's not sure what the exact connection is between the high levels of hormones and lack of religion, but says it may come from the hormones creating 'antisocial' behavior.

'There is literature connecting men's testosterone levels with more "antisocial" activities, aggression, cheating in marriage, et cetera,' he told Daily Mail Online.

'So if you have those tendencies, you might want to avoid institutions of "social control" and, at least in the US, religion is pretty much the strongest of those.'

According to a 2017 Gallup poll, about 80 percent of Americans identify as religious. Three-quarters identify with a sect of Christianity, with 2.1 percent and 0.8 percent identifying as Jewish or Muslim, respectively.

The researchers say they hope future studies will look at how hormones shape religious patterns as we age.

'We assume that religious or political behavior are driven by culture, childhood socialization, et cetera,' Dr Das said.

'But many of these activities may in fact have neuroendocrine roots. So in fact, there could be biological reasons behind the particular personal networks and social affiliations that people form during the course of their lives.'The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has the 'potential for rapid expansion', an infectious disease expert fears.

At least 25 people are feared to have been killed by the deadly virus in the African nation, according to the World Health Organization.

Dr Derek Gatherer, a virologist from Lancaster University, warns the fresh outbreak is reminiscent of the 2014 Ebola pandemic.

The virus, considered one of the most lethal pathogens in existence, decimated West Africa and killed more than 11,000 people.

Officials in the DRC have already branded the fresh outbreak, which has seen 54 suspected cases, a public health emergency.

International help has poured in as aid workers battle round-the-clock to contain the outbreak.

A mass vaccination campaign has also begun and all neighbouring countries have been placed on high alert.

The current Ebola outbreak began in the poorly-connected region of Ikoko-Impenge and Bikoro. It has since travelled 80 miles (130km) north to Mbandaka. There is fears it will spread to Kinshasa 364 miles (586km) south on the river, where 12 million people live

The current Ebola outbreak began in the poorly-connected region of Ikoko-Impenge and Bikoro  in the north east of the DRC.

It has since travelled 80 miles (130km) north to Mbandaka, a port city on the river Congo  an essential waterway - with around 1.2 million inhabitants.

Dr Gatherer said there is a major concern it will spread to Kinshasa 364 miles (586km) south on the river, where 12 million people live.

The city, which is the capital of the DRC, has an international airport with regular flights to European cities Zurich, Frankfurt and Brussels.

In an editorial for a scientific journal, Dr Gatherer wrote: The current outbreak has the potential for rapid expansion in numbers.

He added: Mbandaka is a port on the River Congo, the main arterial transport link from DRCs capital Kinshasa to inland cities.

With poor to non-existent provision of running water, sewage and electricity, the similarities with the urban situation during the west African outbreak are obvious.

The risk of transmission to Kinshasa  central Africas main megacity  either by river or by air from Mbandakas regional airport, is a major concern.

Writing in the Journal of General Virology, he also warned the question of how to prevent future Ebola outbreaks remains depressingly open.

Dr Gatherer described the DRC basin as Ebolas heartland. The virus - endemic in the country - is named after the Ebola river.

The current outbreak of Ebola is caused by the Zaire strain.

There has been 54 suspected cases since the beginning of the outbreak in April but only 35 have been confirmed in lab tests.

Twelve deaths from Ebola have been confirmed so far, including two health care workers. Another two have been confirmed to have the virus.

In its last situation report, released Tuesday, the WHO said 906 contacts have been recorded and are being followed up actively.

At least 25 people are feared to have been killed by the deadly virus in the African nation, according to the World Health Organization (UNICEF workers pictured in DRC)

'Our country is facing another epidemic of the Ebola virus, which constitutes an international public health emergency,' the Congo Health Ministry said earlier this month.

DRC escaped the brutal Ebola pandemic, which was finally declared over in January 2016 - but it was struck by a smaller outbreak last year.

Four DRC residents died from the virus in 2017. The outbreak lasted just 42 days and international aid teams were praised for their prompt responses.

The new outbreak is the DRCs ninth since the discovery of Ebola in the country in 1976.

Health experts credit an awareness of the disease among the population and local medical staff's experience treating for past successes containing its spread.

DRCs vast, remote geography also gives it an advantage, as outbreaks are often localised and relatively easy to isolate.

Neighbouring countries have already been alerted about the new outbreak of Ebola, which can cause severe bleeding.

DRC borders Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi and the Republic of Congo

Kenya - which doesn't border the country  earlier this month issued warnings over the possible spread of Ebola.

Thermal guns to detect anyone with a fever have been put in place along its border with Uganda and at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Concerned health officials in Nigeria, which also doesn't border the DRC, have put similar measures in place to keep its population safe.

Ebola is often fatal if untreated - around 50 per cent of patients die. It is transmitted to people from wild animals and can be spread from human to human.

The outbreak comes after the World Bank stated last year that Earth isn't ready for an 'inevitable' pandemic, after stimulating four possible scenarios.

The research was done in an attempt to assess why the global response to the Ebola pandemic was so sloppy and to fill those gaps before another disaster strikes.

The 2014 international response to the Ebola pandemic drew criticism for moving too slowly and prompted an apology from the WHO.

But international aid teams have moved much quicker in response this time - with vaccination campaigns already underway in several regions.

Hundreds of locals and frontline health workers in Bikoro, Iboko and Mbandaka have already been given the experimental vaccine, known as rVSV-ZEBOV.

Currently, there are no proven Ebola vaccines - but the rVSV-ZEBOV has been shown to be effective in trials in Guinea during the pandemic.

However, a study by scientists at Kent University published earlier this month argued mass vaccination programmes wont stop Ebola outbreaks.

Writing in the Frontiers in Immunology, they revealed that controlling an outbreak of the virus depends entirely on surveillance and the isolation of cases.

Five other experimental drugs will be used as part of clinical trials to examine their effects in protecting against Ebola, the DRC's Health Ministry has said.Suicide rates among healthcare workers are surging, new research has shown.

At least one doctor commits suicide in the US every day with 300 to 400 dying per year, making it the highest rate of any profession, according to a review presented this month at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association.

Even more shocking is the rate of doctor suicides - 28 to 40 per 100,000 - which is more than twice that of the general population.

The fear of stigma is strong and, although many physicians admit struggling with mental health issues, including depression, they are unlikely to seek treatment due to fear of humiliation by those within the medical community.

Suicide rates among healthcare workers are surging with at least one doctor committing suicide in the US every day, new research has shown

Dr Deepika Tanwar of the psychiatric program at Harlem Hospital Center in New York, and study researcher told WebMD that 'it's very surprising' that the suicide rate among doctors is than those serving in the military, which is considered a very stressful occupation.

Among male doctors, the suicide rate is 1.41 times higher than the general population and, among female doctors, the rate is 2.27 times greater compared to the general population.

Experts themselves don't fully understand why the rates are so high, although the new review, touched on some risk factors.

Before their deaths, many of the physicians who committed suicide had been diagnosed with substance abuse problems, mood disorders or depression - but failed to seek treatment due to a strong stigma.

A 2017 study conducted by the Mayo Clinic found that 40 percent of physicians are opposed to seeking help for their mental health issues due to fear that it would endanger their medical license.

And a Facebook survey of 2,100 female doctors found that half reported fitting the criteria of a mental disorder but had not sought treatment.

Two-thirds of those 1,050 women said that the fear of stigma was the main reason they had kept quiet.

Lead researcher Dr Katherine Gold of the University of Michigan Medical School said many of the women believed they could manage without help, including writing their own prescriptions or paying cash during any visits to avoid having an insurance company record.

'To reduce the number of physicians taking their life, fear of stigma and other risk factors have to be addressed through more research aimed at effective and early intervention,' researchers in the May 2018 review wrote.

Additionally, doctors face incredible pressure due to stress from competition to get in the best residency programs, long hours, the prospect of malpractice lawsuits and potentiality crippling debt from years of education.

Dr Pamela Wible, a family medicine doctor in Eugene, Oregon, has become a lead advocate on providing more appropriate mental healthcare for doctors.

Wible says that physician suicide is so prevalent that most doctors know a colleague who has committed suicide, and that one million Americans lose their own doctor this way every year.

'I realized there was an epidemic when I had gone to my third memorial service in a year and a half,' Wible told Fast Company in 2016.

'A third doctor in my town had died of suicide in 18 months - a top-notch pediatrician shot himself in the head.

'I was at his memorial service, and started counting on my fingers how many suspicious deaths among doctors and potential suicides I knew, including men I dated in medical school. I was suicidal in medical school, too...and it was occupational induced.'

Wible says the epidemic is not unknown in the medical community, it's just unaddressed and, if more people can start talking about the subject, more of the stigma can be removed so that doctors can begin receiving the treatment they need.

If you or anyone you know is in need of confidential support, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or visit their website here.NEVER ANYONE BUT YOU by Rupert Thomson (Corsair 18.99)

NEVER ANYONE BUT YOU

by Rupert Thomson (Corsair 18.99)

Rupert Thomson, whose novel The Insult was a favourite of David Bowies, is one of those rare authors its impossible to pigeonhole.

Its little wonder, then, that for his evocative latest, hes drawn to the true-life story of two French artists intent on defying convention. Coming of age in the early 1900s, shy Suzanne is attracted to Lucie, the volatile daughter of a Jewish newspaper magnate.

Embarking on a secret affair, they move to Paris to pursue their careers, reinventing themselves as Marcel and Claude and rubbing shoulders with the stars of Surrealism. But theres no escaping the war and the books second act takes place in Jersey, where the two undertake increasingly perilous acts of resistance.

Its sensational stuff, undoubtedly, but Thomsons skill shows in his restraint  theres an authenticity to the dramatic ebb and flow and a slight detachment to Suzannes retrospective narrative gaze that becomes increasingly poignant with the passing years.

Sensitively realised, but hugely powerful, its a reminder of how, paradoxically, we need others to become ourselves.

THE PAPER LOVERS

THE PAPER LOVERS by Gerard Woodward ( Picador 16.99)

by Gerard Woodward (Picador 16.99)

The marriage of a poet and a paper-maker is the focus here. Its a metaphor-rich pairing that offers the Booker-shortlisted Woodward plenty of opportunities to highlight the ways we misread one another as he pursues his themes of art, faith and obsession.

The poet, Arnold Proctor, is rather a sad sack, although his marriage to Polly is happy until the advent of golden-haired Vera. (That its a sewing machine that brings Vera over the Proctors threshold, and which thus marks the start of the marital unravelling, is typical of this mordantly ironic novel.)

Vera and Arnold begin a passionate affair. There are just two impediments: Veras faith, which atheist Arnold finds hard to swallow, and a fragile young man whose poems Arnold dismissed, but who has inconveniently reappeared.

Paper, were reminded at one point, has an edge, and there are plenty of those to Woodwards discomforting tale, although its punchline is perhaps a tiny bit too neat.

THE NINE-CHAMBERED HEART

THE NINE-CHAMBERED HEART by Janice Pariat (The Borough Press 9.99)

by Janice Pariat (The Borough Press 9.99)

The woman at the heart of this brief novel-in-fragments is tantalisingly elusive, her story emerging only through the voices of those who have loved or been loved by her.

A school art teacher is the first, although his professional concern seems initially to inspire only loathing in his young charge. (Although we spend some 30-odd years in her company, Pariats protagonist is never named.)

We quickly gather that she has been scarred by often-absent parents and this damage persists into adolescence and adulthood as she drifts into a publishing career and a series of liaisons.

Its the artful pleating of this subtle, psychologically astute novel that sets it apart, each shard-like vignette deepening our concern for its central character as we see into her lovers hearts and minds. Boldly, however, Pariat preserves the puzzle of the womans identity and you leave her to her fate with a genuine pang.HISTORY

THE MURDERER OF WARREN STREET

by Marc Mulholland (Hutchinson 16.99)

On December 8, 1854, Emmanuel Barthelemy, a French exile in London, was walking through Fitzrovia wearing a voluminous blue overcoat.

In its pockets and lining were a dagger, two pistols, 24 cartridges and a boat ticket for the Continent. He was on his way to assassinate Napoleon III, the Emperor of the French.

For some reason never fully explained at his later trial, he took a detour via 73 Warren Street, the house of George Moore, his former employer and a manufacturer of fizzy drinks.

Moore invited his one-time workman in and opened a bottle of his own soda water and lemonade for him. But the meeting soon descended into argument.

Oxford historian Marc Mulholland examines the background of French exile Emmanuel Barthelemy in a new book (file image)

An infuriated Barthelemy hit Moore with a mallet. Then he took one of his pistols out of his overcoat and shot him in the face. Moore died instantly. Fleeing through the back of the house, the Frenchman was pursued by Moores neighbours, roused by the noise. A greengrocer named Charles Collard seized hold of Barthelemy. He, too, was shot. That is the man who shot me, the dying Collard told police. Oh, you cruel man! he added. Barthelemy remained unmoved.

But who exactly was Emmanuel Barthelemy? Oxford historian Marc Mulholland has set himself the task of answering that question in this remarkable book. Its an extraordinary story, full of incident, drama and dark comedy.

Born into a working-class family in 1823, Barthelemy lived his early life in Paris. By his teens, he was already a fledgling revolutionary, swearing an oath of eternal hatred to all kings.

At the age of 16, he was badly beaten up by police and took his revenge by shooting one of his tormentors during a street riot. The man survived, but Barthelemy was sentenced to forced labour on the galleys at Brest. His shoulder was branded with the letter P for perpetuite  he was supposed to be there for life.

Luckily, the 1848 Revolution in France brought some of his republican friends briefly into power. He was released and given an unlikely job in the Department of Forests and Waterways, although street fighting and revolutionary politics remained his real enthusiasms.

He once challenged a police chief to an improbable duel. Two pieces of paper, one white and one black, would be placed in a hat. Whoever drew the black would blow out his brains in front of the other. Unsurprisingly, the police chief declined the offer. When revolutionary violence broke out anew, Barthelemy was again imprisoned, but escaped and travelled to Belgium, disguised as a priest.

Eventually, he arrived in London, where he worked briefly as a corset-maker and made friends with fellow exile Karl Marx. The friendship didnt last, and then, as now, revolutionaries and republicans spent at least as much time quarrelling among themselves as they did confronting their political opponents.

Barthelemy soon made a formidable enemy in Frederic Cournet, a naval officer-turned-Left-wing firebrand, whom he accused of spreading malicious, untrue rumours about him.

THE MURDERER OF WARREN STREET by Marc Mulholland (Hutchinson 16.99)

Cournet had survived 15 duels. Never a coward, Barthelemy now challenged him to another one.

It was fought in the countryside near Windsor. Perhaps to his own surprise, Barthelemy emerged the victor. A wounded Cournet was carried to a local pub called the Barley Mow, where he died several hours later. It was the last fatal duel ever fought in Britain. The surviving duellist was brought to trial, but was found guilty of manslaughter, not murder. He was given a sentence of only a few months.

Barthelemy was not to be so lucky when he was tried three years later, in 1855, for the murder of Collard. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang.

Too poor to pay his lawyer, he asked what he could give him. The lawyer wanted his overcoat to sell to Madame Tussauds for the waxwork model they planned for the Chamber of Horrors.

Appalled, Barthelemy refused, but after he was executed, the overcoat did end up in Madame Tussauds.

It was a strange footnote to a strange life as revolutionary, conspirator, gaol-breaker, duellist and murderer.A profit warning wiped more than 151million off the value of Photo-Me.

The British firm, which operates photo kiosks and ID card booths, has been hit by flagging demand for its services in Japan.

There has been a boom in photo booths in Japan since its government rolled out an ID card scheme two years ago, which has put pressure on commissions.

But the scheme is not compulsory and has not gained the momentum photo booth operators initially anticipated, the company said in an update.

As a result Photo-Me has been forced to restructure its Japanese business, which will hit profits. The firm says that it will make a pre-tax profit of around 44million in the year to April 30, below analysts expectations.

Photo-Me has been forced to restructure its Japanese business, which will hit profits. The firm says that it will make a pre-tax profit of around 44m in the year to April 30

Shares nosedived 26.6 per cent, or 40.2p, to 111.2p.

The FTSE 100 rallied after Tuesdays global sell-off, which was prompted by political turmoil in Italy and Spain.

The blue-chip index rose 0.75 per cent, or 56.93 points, to 7689.57, while the FTSE 250 was up by 0.37 per cent,or 75.91 points, at 20,822.67p.

Bodycote raced to the top of the FTSE 250 after the heat treatment specialist revealed better-than-expected revenue for the first four months of the year.

It reported sales of 243million in the four months to April 30, up 7 per cent on the year before. Shares motored 7 per cent, or 64.5p, higher to 989.5p.

JP Morgan downgraded Dunelm to neutral following the soft-furnishing retailers shock profit warning last week.

Stock Watch - Falcon Media House Falcon Media House shares crashed after it announced plans to cancel its listing on Londons stock exchange. The digital media group, which specialises in streaming video, says its listing is stopping it from raising cash it desperately needs to invest in its technology. In a statement, it said: The continued listing of the shares incurs significant cost while presenting an obstacle to potential sources of funding. Shares tanked 44.4 per cent or 1.2p to 1.5p.

In a note to investors, JPM said: We believe that the UK consumer environment is uncertain and that big ticket spending in particular remains weak. Dunelm shares edged 0.4 per cent, or 2p, lower to 543p.

Go-Ahead shares fell after analysts at Liberum downgraded the owner of Southeastern railway to hold.

The broker said that disruption at its GTR rail franchise following recent timetable changes mean caution is warranted. Shares slid 5.3 per cent, or 98p, to 1741p.

Phoenix Group shares rose 1.5 per cent, or 11.5p, to 783.5p after it raised 950million from shareholders to pay for the insurance arm of Standard Life Aberdeen.

Shares in Pressure Technologies dived after the specialist engineering firm issued a profit warning.

It says full-year results are likely to fall substantially below market expectations as it struggles to sign up new clients to its alternative energy division. Its shares plunged 22.6 per cent, or 42p, to 144p.

Clontarf Energy painted a bleak picture for small oil companies as it posted a 2.8million loss for 2017.

In a gloomy update, it said: The shares of listed oil exploration companies are generally friendless.

Their share prices have almost all fallen and remain in, many cases, more than 90 per cent below their peak. It is virtually impossible to raise serious money.

However, it added that the rising price of oil means there are huge returns on offer to successful explorers. Shares plummeted 29.4 per cent, or 0.1p, to 0.24p.

The board of Fishing Republic insisted turnaround plans were under way as the fishing supplies firm swung to a 2.3million loss in 2017 from a 402,000 profit the year before. Shares dropped 16.7 per cent or 2.05p to 10.2p.

Keywords Studios has bought the London-based creative games agency Fire Without Smoke in a deal worth up to 5.2million.

Fire Without Smoke makes video game trailers and marketing art for major publishers such as Sony, Riot Games, Sega, Capcom, and Ubisoft. Analysts at Peel Hunt raised Aim-listed Keywords target price by 50p to 1900p on the back of the announcement.

Keywords edged 1.1 per cent, or 18p, lower to 1700p.British supercar maker McLaren has been handed the keys to its new 50million factory in Yorkshire.

The plant, built on the site of an old coal mine, will manufacture the carbon fibre tubs  or chassis  for its cars, such as the 570S.

The firm is shifting manufacturing of this vital component from Austria to Sheffield, home of the University of Sheffields advanced manufacturing research centre which helps develop McLaren cars.

Lightweight: The new McLaren plant, built on the site of an old Sheffield coal mine, will manufacture the carbon fibre tubs  or chassis  for its cars

More than 200 highly skilled jobs will be created by the opening of the McLaren Composites Technology Centre.

The finished tubs will be sent to the main factory in Woking, Surrey, where vehicles have been hand assembled since 2011.

The building will be fitted out over the next few months, and new equipment will be installed. This will include a giant press that will be imported from Germany this summer.

The goal is that by 2020 the factory will churn out around 3,000 tubs every year.

McLaren hopes the new factory will give it more control over the manufacturing process, and more insulation from tariffs if they are introduced as and when Britain leaves the EUs customs union.

Once the factory is up and running it will mean almost 60 per cent, by value, of McLarens cars will be made in England, up from around half.

This means it imports fewer parts, making it less vulnerable to tariffs.Furious shareholders attacked branch closures at bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland as its finance chief quit.

RBS was criticised by investors at its annual meeting for axing more than 420 branches this year alone  a move campaigners claim is ripping the heart out of isolated towns and villages.

It came as finance director Ewen Stevenson stands down to take up another job elsewhere.

RBS was attacked by investors at its annual meeting for axing more than 420 branches this year alone - a move which critics claims is ripping the heart out of isolated towns and villages

The 52-year-old has been at RBS for four years and will not leave until a successor has been found.

Seen as a possible successor to boss Ross McEwan, Stevenson would not say where he is going but it is thought to be another top role at a big bank.

Share Sale Warning Falling stock markets across Europe could delay a long-awaited sale of taxpayers stake in the Royal Bank of Scotland, bosses have warned. Finance director Ewen Stevenson said that now is not the best time for a sale of the states 70.5 per cent holding. Markets have been struck by political turmoil in Italy, with bank shares particularly under pressure due to fears of a fresh crisis in the eurozone. Stevenson said: I would be surprised if now is an optimum time to sell stocks. The Government hopes to sell 15billion of shares by 2023, around two-thirds of its stake. However, it is facing a near-26.2billion loss as the lenders shares are now well below the average 502p price paid.

It came as shareholders blasted closures. RBS has shut more, more than 40 per cent of its branches  1,000  in the past decade.

Investor James Caldwell, an accountant, told the meeting in Edinburgh he had encouraged clients to switch to RBS after their nearby Clydesdale and Lloyds branches shut.

But RBS then axed its own final outlet in his part of rural Scotland. Theres a lack of consideration on behalf of the bank when it doesnt engage with customers and staff regarding potential closures, he said.

Shareholder Mary Alexander said: Its not clear that RBS fully appreciates the damage closures will do to those communities and businesses which rely on branches. In Scotland, RBS has pledged to reconsider plans to shut ten branches after pressure from MPs, and vowed not to announce any new Scottish closures.

But McEwan insisted that there could be no change of course overall at RBS, which is still 70.5 per cent-owned by the state.

It will this year axe more than 420 branches across the UK, around a third of its remaining network, leaving 850. RBS claims customers are flocking to the internet, abandoning branches.

But campaigners argue the lender is driving users online by cutting faster than necessary and spending millions of pounds promoting its internet services.

McEwan said: We realise this is difficult for our customers, it is difficult for our colleagues and for the communities who have grown up with these branches. But we must respond to changing customer trends.

Trade union Unite protested outside, with Scottish secretary Pat Rafferty saying: Communities are built around things like banks, and when you start taking these fundamental parts of the community away then the communities themselves are taken away.

RBS shares fell 1.4 per cent, or 3.9p, to 276.1p yesterday.Some Trent 1000 engines powering Boeing 787s started deteriorating

Rolls-Royce is ramping up efforts to fix aircraft engines, to stave off growing frustration from airlines.

It has trebled the amount of engines it can fix at any one time to 20 and is racing to complete checks on hundreds of planes around the world ahead of a June 9 deadline.

The engineer is under huge pressure after some Trent 1000 engines powering Boeing 787s started deteriorating.

Some airlines changed routes to keep planes closer to airports, while around 34 are on the ground waiting to be fixed.

Around 200 engineers have been redeployed to work on the problems, which could cost Rolls 750million.The UKs accountancy watchdog has filed formal complaints against former bosses and auditors at software company Autonomy, just weeks after the firms former finance chief was convicted of fraud in the US.

The Financial Reporting Council said it had delivered formal complaints in connection with the conduct of the Autonomy's former vice president of finance Stephen Chamberlain and ex finance chief Sushovan Hussain as well as auditors Deloitte.

Hussain was convicted of 16 counts of fraud separately brought against him by American prosecutors earlier this month, and he faces up to 25 years in jail.

Autonomy saga: HP has been accusing Autonomy's former bosses of cooking the books

He is alleged to have acted dishonestly or recklessly when preparing and approving Autonomy's annual report and accounts for 2009 and 2010  before the company was sold to Hewlett Packard for $11billion (7.4billion) in 2011.

After the deal, HP said it found accounting irregularities and was forced to write off three-quarters of its value. The US computer giant has accused Autonomy's former bosses of cooking the books.

The FRC, which has been accused of 'outrageous ineptness' in its investigation into the accounts of Autonomy, has also filed a formal complaint against Deloitte relating to its audit of the software firm.

It said two of Deloitte's auditors - Richard Knights and Nigel Mercer - failed to adequately challenge Autonomy's accounting.

Knights is also alleged to have breached the fundamental principle of integrity in that he recklessly failed to correct a misleading statement made by Hussain.

Their conduct is alleged to have fallen significantly short of the standards reasonably to be expected of a member or member firm of the ICAEW, the FRC said.

A spokesman for Deloitte said: 'Deloitte acknowledges today's announcement from the FRC and has fully cooperated with the investigation to date.

'We are disappointed that these complaints have been brought and we will defend ourselves against them at Tribunal.'A New York socialite has been accused of giving herpes and HPV to her ex-lover, according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday and obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

Filing as John Doe to protect his anonymity on this 'deeply personal and sensitive subject matter,' he claims that Caren Brooks, 29, who runs a family foundation devoted to help underprivileged youth supported by many celebrities, was 'aware she was infected and did not disclose her conditions' and instead encouraged him to engage unprotected sex.

The couple began a 'romantic relationship', according to the filing, around August 6, 2017. Around six weeks later, began to 'experience painful red bumps and blisters' on his penis, the suit reads.

In a text message exchange filed as evidence, Doe reaches out to Brooks to let her know about his problem.

'Don't worry babe,' she responds. 'Most likely masterbating [sic] I heard that happens all the time and ur really strong I've hurt myself from it too lol.'

'LOL,' he replies.

'I'd still f*** u,' she continues. 'Just lemme know when.'

'Ok maybe tomorrow,' he replies.

New York socialite Caren Brooks, 29, has been accused of giving Herpes and HPV to her anonymous ex-lover after she allegedly encouraged him to have unprotected sex

The man, who filed as John Doe, claims Brooks failed to disclose her STDs to him and developed painful blisters on his genitals about a month after they had sex

Doe claims that between August 6 and December 28, 2017 he did not have any sexual partners other than Brooks.

'Prior to the commencement of this relationship, the Plaintiff had never tested positive for a sexually transmitted disease, nor had he ever experience any symptoms indicating that he might be infected,' court documents read.

'On or about August 6, 2017, prior to the commencement of any sexual contact, the Plaintiff and the Defendant had a conversation in which the Defendant made explicit representation that she had no sexually transmitted diseases.'

A few days later, after Doe told Brooks that he had tested positive for Herpes, she tried to convince him via text message that his diagnosis was incorrect because 'Doctors in Nyc [sic] are hugely untrustworthy as well.'

'They want the money and to get you out the office fast They're the worst. That's doctors everywhere but here so especially,' text messages show.

Results of a blood test revealed he was infected with HSV 1 and HSV 2  two strains of the Herpes virus. A blood test ten days later gave the same results. He was given prescriptions to treat 'oral or genital herpes', the filing states.

A text message exchange submitted as evidence shows the man, who is anonymous in the lawsuit, reached out to Brooks to tell her he had a problem. She allegedly dismisses the STD symptoms as a result of 'masterbating' [sic] and says 'I'd still f*** u'

Brooks allegedly told Doe to 'try to ignore' his symptoms and called them a 'battle wound'

'They won't lose their license here like in a smaller city.. For making an incorrect diagnosis,' Brooks allegedly said in the exchange.

'Google fake positive it seems like a huge thing Bc [sic] chickenpox and many things are in the exact same family'

'Honestly a lot of ppl [sic] behind these operations are who knows what people. Did u get results on paper printed out or they just told u

'Bc [sic] they also make money per prescription which is why they fake diagnose'

John Doe responds: 'I saw the results online in the patient portal for mount Sinai'.

Brooks goes on: 'What's that mean though.. that's not good enough cuz [sic] if they're making it up u don't have it printed from their office.'

He replied: 'I saw the actual test results.'

She writes: 'It isn't Herpes. That's my opinion.'

He responds: 'Hopefully your [sic] right.'

Doe filed the lawsuit on May 24 at New York Supreme Court and is being represented by powerhouse attorney Jeffrey Lichtman.

The 29-year-old University of Miami graduate, is president and CEO of the Brooks Family Foundation, a registered charitable organization 'that helps underprivileged youth through education and medical funding.' She poses here with Alec Baldwin one of the foundation's events, one of many celebrities who helped the cause

The brunette socialite often attends fundraisers with celebrities, according to her social media profiles. She is pictured above with Leonardo DiCaprio and Katy Perry

The criminal defense attorney's high-profile roster of clients currently includes Mexican cartel boss, Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman, and he has also represented John Gotti Jr.

The civil lawsuit alleges that Brooks' assertions that she was STD-free was used to 'pressure the Plaintiff into having unprotected intercourse'.

Doe's lawyer argues that Brooks 'never indicated any intention to get tested herself, or expressed any concern that a recent sexual partner had tested positive for genital herpes'.

Doe also claimed that months later, on December 28, 2017, he developed 'painful' warts on his penis. A doctor's appointment revealed that he had genital warts caused by contracting Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

In a response to DailyMail.com, Brooks (pictured with Colin Farrell and John Mayer ) denied the allegations and said she has 'zero diseases' and is in 'outstanding health'

The suit claims that socialite did not disclose during their romantic relationship that she had genital herpes or genital warts.

'Throughout their relationship, the Plaintiff relied on the Defendant's representations that she did not have any diseases that could be transferred through sexual contact and, as a result, consented to engage in unprotected sex with the defendant, despite the defendant's knowledge that she was infected with contagious incurable viruses.'

Lichtman also filed a motion to retain his client's anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the case.

The action is being brought against Brooks for fraud, negligence, emotional distress, battery and future medical expenses.

Brooks is a 29-year-old University of Miami graduate and president and CEO of the Brooks Family Foundation, a registered charitable organization 'that helps underprivileged youth through education and medical funding', according to their Twitter account.

After receiving his positive STD test results, Brooks attempted to convince her lover that his diagnosis was incorrect because 'Doctors in Nyc [sic] are hugely untrustworthy as well'

Messages show Brooks continued to try to convince Doe that he did not have Herpes

Brooks urged that his results had been fabricated for doctors to 'make money'

In a heated exchange, Brooks accuses Doe of contracting the disease from other people since he is 'a lot older' and 'had more partners and contact probably'

Through her family foundation, Brooks presented an award to movie director Oliver Stone in 2013 and is a regular on the society circuit, being pictured on the red carpet at galas and at luncheons with celebrities such as John Mayer, Colin Farrell, Alec Baldwin and Katy Perry.

In text messages to DailyMail.com, Caren Brooks wrote: 'The guy is wasting everyone's time making up false lies to try to scare me some how to give him money. He is a fraud and a horrible person. I appreciate if you would please stop contacting me. Thanks.

'I have zero diseases and am in outstanding health.'

When asked the identity of her accuser, Brooks declined to reveal who he is.

'I never dated him and ultimately I don't know,' she wrote to DailyMail.com.

'No one else has accused me of anything of the sort. Seems like he has some sort of mental problem though I don't know a thing about him.

'It's all lies I have zero diseases.

'I also filed a police report about him so this is some pretty serious stuff he's falsely accusing. I appreciate if you leave me alone as this is fraud and unimportant. Thanks.'

The Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information told DailyMail.com that they have no record of any police report filed under the name Caren Brooks.

Brooks also claimed that she could not reveal her accuser's identity because it was 'evidence of defamation', adding: 'It's no one important.

'He also sued other people of the same thing.

'He's trying to sue multiple people he is trying to get money and it's fraud.'

Attorney Lichtman would not reveal any details about the identity of John Doe nor reveal what financial damages he was seeking but said only that his client would need medical treatment for the rest of his life.

Doe is a resident of New York county and according to Brooks's text messages, is older than she is.

In a statement to DailyMail.com, Lichtman said: 'He is going to be suffering from this affliction for the rest of his life.

'The lawsuit speaks for itself as do the text messages she sent to him. They are not a normal reaction.'

Brooks has 20 days to respond to the complaint.The failure to launch millennial, who gained international notoriety when his parents took him to court last week to evict him, has finally done what many say he should have done years ago. He has started to move out.

Michael Rotondo, 30, has until noon on Friday to leave his parents' four-bedroom home in Camillus, New York, a quiet commuter town just west of Syracuse.

Now on the eve of his court ordered departure he has told DailyMail.com that he has bagged up most of the belongings he has accumulated over his eight-year, rent-free, tenure in his parents' home.

At around 6.45pm Thursday a grey Ram truck pulled into the driveway and backed up to the property's double garage doors.

Scroll down for video

Michael Rotondo, 30, was spotted packing boxes at his parents' home in Camillus, New York on Thursday after a judge ordered him to move out by Friday

Rotondo's cousin Anthony Mastropool pulled up in his grey Ram truck on Thursday evening to help the 30-year-old cart off his belongings

While Rotondo secured boxes with packing tape his cousin Anthony Mastropool began loading them into the back of his truck.

Rotondo's father Mark moved between the house and his own car which he had driven onto the lawn to allow Mastropool access to the garage, but the men neither looked at each other nor exchanged words.

Rotondo and Mastropool trudged silently between garage and truck. They heaved bags of clothes, speakers, a lacrosse stick, pictures, books, a pair of loose boots, a shoe rack, work tools and, suprisingly, a sewing machine into the truck's flatbed.

Most notable though were all the toys - boxes loaded high, brimmed with toy trucks, LEGOs and puzzles. These all belonged to his eight-year-old son, Rotondo explained.

Earlier in the day Rotondo spoke exclusively with DailyMail.com and blamed his parents' 'refusal' to support his bid for custody of his eight-year-old son for the downward spiral in their relationship that ended with the court order for his eviction.

He said, 'This all started when I had to fight for visitation of my son.

'I needed help and instead they started making demands. It wasn't so much a catalyst as an axe falling between us.'

On the eve of his court ordered departure Michael said he had bagged up most of the belongings he has accumulated over his eight-year, rent-free, tenure in his parents' home

Rotondo's father Mark was also spotted moving between the house and his own car (above), but the men neither looked at each other nor exchanged words

Rotondo's mother, Christina, was also spotted at the home while her son was packing up his belongings

He went onto say that he and his parents are no longer speaking despite living under the same roof until the final moment of his eviction and described the atmosphere in the build up to his departure as 'intense' and 'difficult.'

A day earlier he had claimed to Syracuse.com that his parents were 'harassing' him with small talk.

Now according to Rotondo he wants no further contact or relationship with his parents once he quits the family home.

He said, 'That's it. That's the end of my relationship with them other than court proceedings. There's nothing more to say.'

With less than 24 hours to go Rotondo admitted to being anxious at how much packing he had left to do by mid-afternoon Thursday.

He said, 'I thought I would have packed up everything by now but it's daunting, it's difficult. I have more than I thought.

'My son's toys all need to be boxed up. There's more of them that's accumulated than I thought.'

The 30-year-old was given until noon on Friday to leave his parents' four-bedroom home in Camillus, New York - a quiet commuter town just west of Syracuse

Among the items he packed were boxes loaded high with toy trucks, LEGOs and puzzles. These all belonged to his eight-year-old son, Rotondo explained

They heaved bags of clothes, speakers, a lacrosse stick, pictures, books, a pair of loose boots, a shoe rack, work tools and, suprisingly, a sewing machine into the truck's flatbed

Rotondo claims that he lost custody rights to his son back in September and the last time he saw the child was September 26.

He maintains that his efforts to file an appeal as a 'poor person' in a bid to waive legal fees moving forward were derailed by his parents' insistence that he get a job and health insurance if he was to continue living with them.

When they offered to pay for his health insurance he said that compromised his 'poor person' filing.

After that, he says they stopped providing food for him, cut off his cell phone and said that he couldn't use the laundry machines in the house.

Moments later, after Rotondo left 'to run some errands,' his father, Mark, emerged from the clapboard house to unload some things from his car. He appeared weary as he rebuffed requests for any comment.

Rotondo's mother Christina also declined to comment.

It was Mark and Christina's decision to take their 30-year-old son to court and have him evicted after nearly a decade of living under their roof that saw the family propelled into the public spotlight.

Rotondo and Mastropool trudged silently between garage and truck as they packed up his belongings

Rotondo said he and his parents are no longer speaking despite living under the same roof until the final moment of his eviction

Rotondo claims that he lost custody rights to his son back in September and the last time he saw the child was September 26

In the immediate aftermath of the court's decision last week Rotondo claimed to be too poor to afford boxes in a futile last ditch bid to push back the court appointed eviction deadline of June 1 at noon.

But on Wednesday evening, after a trip to Lowe's to buy $30 worth of boxes, he loaded his first batch of belongings into Mastropool's truck.

He says that he will keep the bulk of his possessions in a storage facility and that he has booked an Airbnb for one week as a stepping-stone to a more permanent home.

Speaking to Syracuse.com he said that after that point, 'There's no more urgency. Everything else is just finding a long-term place.'

He said he was looking for 'someplace inexpensive, with internet.'

It is unclear what Rotondo plans to do for income. He said he wanted to 'offload' his Volkswagen car that currently sits, defunct, in his parents' driveway but he is unsure what it is worth.

Evicted millennial, Michael Rotondo, 30, of New York, who was evicted from his parents' home has finally started to move out. Rotondo spent the weekend packing his belongings in boxes

Rotondo was ordered to move out of his parents' home on Friday. Rotondo says he spent the weekend getting ready to move by going to Lowe's to buy boxes for packing

Rotondo says he'll move everything into a self-storage unit, and then look for a place

Rotondo's case has gained worldwide attention after his parents Mark and Christina Rotondo (sitting together) took him to court last week to have him evicted from their four-bedroom house in Camillus, New York, a quiet commuter town just west of Syracuse

In a previous interview with DailyMail.com on the driveway of the family home, Rotondo said his problems with his parents really began when he lost contact with his son (pictured)

He referred vaguely to a business he is establishing but has also claimed that his 'full time job at the moment' is getting his son back.

FAILURE TO LAUNCH SYNDROME According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one in three millennials are living with their parents - a situation that has coined it's own term, 'failure to launch' Failure to launch isn't a diagnosable mental health illness, but it describes a commonaility among millenials who find it hard to start their adult lives. There are many reasons why this happens, from economic reasons to poor work ethic and low self-esteem. Failure to launch appears to impact men more than women, many of whom are not taught the sort of skills needed to live alone - such as cooking, cleaning and laundry. In extreme cases, children can become depressed and start abusing drugs and alcohol if they find a lack of job prospects and continue to have to live at home. This can make it even harder for them to fly the coop in the end. Dr. Michael Ascher, a clinical associate in psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania, wrote an article about the issue for the Huffington Post in 2015. Dr. Ascher said parents can help their failure to launch children by giving them responsibilities, hiring a life coach to help them with achieve their goals, getting them a therapist and buying medications to help with any anxiety or depression they might have. Advertisement

But the child's mother has disputed Rotondo's assertion that he was barred from seeing his son. She spoke exclusively to DailyMail.com earlier this week on condition of anonymity.

The woman who works in the beauty business claimed that Rotondo had been granted visitation provided it was supervised by a medical professional but that he never exercised that right.

In a revelation that put cast a troubling light on the extraordinarily public family spat, the mother of his son said that she had discovered her ex had a history of mental problems during the protracted custody battle.

Rotondo admitted to DailyMail.com that he had struggled with mental health issues in the past.

He was diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic - a diagnosis he rejects and insists has been brought up purely to victimize him as he fights for his son.

Rotondo also tried to dismiss an arrest in 2009 when he was charged with stalking and menacing a woman in New Hartford, New York. He ended up pleading guilty to lesser charges of trespass and harassment and was fined a total of $1,375. At the time he gave an address in Syracuse.

He called the charges, 'trumped upfrom a small town court', adding that text messages from the woman would 'shed some light on the situation'.

But the mother of Rotondo's son said that she's 'scared' of him living on his own.

She said, 'He's not going to be able to live by himself. His parents are throwing him out there basically saying they don't care if he is a danger to himself.'

Rotondo has admitted to Syracuse.com that he has a lever action 30.30 rifle that he says he keeps for protection and a compound bow for hunting.

He said, 'Any responsible American should own a firearm.'

The mother of his child said that she had pleaded with police to take the rifle from him, but they have told her there is no cause.

Rotondo said he intends to spend Thursday night under his parents' roof and that he will not be moving out for good until the strike of noon.Singapore Airlines transported a shipment of dried shark fins including some from endangered species to Hong Kong despite the airline banning such cargo.

In total 989kg (2,180lbs) of fins were transported from Colombo in Sri Lanka to Hong Kong via Singapore and arrived earlier this month, environmental campaigners said.

The cargo included fins from endangered whale sharks hidden among legal fins in order to avoid detection. Endangered fins require a special permit to transport.

Singapore Airlines transported 989kg (2,180lbs) of dried shark fins from Sri Lanka to Hong Kong earlier this month despite a ban by the carrier

Campaigners say fins from endangered sharks were mixed in with legal fins in order to avoid having to obtain special permits

Hong Kong is one of the world's biggest shark fin trading hubs and the food remains readily available in seafood stores and restaurants, despite pressure from conservationists and bans by some airlines and food outlets.

Gary Stokes, Asia director for US environmental group Sea Shepherd, said: 'Singapore Airlines are yet another victim of these shark fin smugglers, who deceived the airline by declaring the shipment as "dried seafood" to skirt the airline's internal booking checks.'

Singapore Airlines is reminding staff to check all cargo labeled 'dried seafood' to see if it contains shark fin

Singapore Airlines, which banned the shipment of shark fin in 2014, said it had blacklisted the shipper.

The airline added it had 'sent out a reminder to all our stations' to conduct sampling checks on shipments made under the label 'dried seafood' to ensure they did not contain shark fin.

Sea Shepherd called for the Hong Kong government to tighten rules to combat wildlife crime and close loopholes which allow endangered shark fins to slip past inspections.

Hong Kong has an unenviable reputation for trading in several controversial, banned or endangered commodities including ivory, shark fin, rhino horn and tiger parts.

Critics accuse the territory of failing to do enough to stamp out such practices.

More than 70 million sharks are killed every year, according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Huge quantities of fins are exported annually to Hong Kong and most are then sent on to mainland China.

Hong Kong's consumption of sharks' fin soup has dropped over the years as activists campaign against the trade.

The government in 2013 said it would stop serving sharks' fin soup at official functions as 'a good example'.

Flag carrier Cathay Pacific banned the carriage of shark fins on all its flights in 2016.While the ABC ax fell swiftly on Roseanne following an offensive tweet posted by the show's namesake, DailyMail.com has learned the TV network is being a little more forgiving towards another of its under-fire series.

It's understood network execs have decided to save controversial cooking series The Great American Baking Show (TGABS), even though last year's show was axed following a high profile sex abuse scandal.

Furious TV bosses pulled 2017's prime time holiday show from the air, deciding never to broadcast remaining episodes after one of the judges, New York pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini, was caught up in allegations of sexual misconduct.

Across the industry it was expected the show, a cooking competition adapted from the Great British Bake Off in the UK, would never see the light of day again.

However, DailyMail.com has learned ABC is pushing ahead with casting a new series despite the fall out from the scandal.

The news comes after the network abruptly ditched two other shows due to controversy in the past week.

The Great American Baking Show was abruptly pulled from the air last year after claims judge Johnny Iuzzini (center) used kitchen utensils to suggestively touch female staffers

Chef Iuzzini, who was axed after an independent ABC probe into the allegations of abuse against him, is not returning to the series

Sitcom Roseanne was axed on Tuesday after Roseanne Barr, 65, referred to a former adviser to President Barack Obama as an 'ape' in an offensive tweet.

The station also dumped daytime talk/cooking show The Chew, after firing host Mario Batali, a celebrity chef and restaurateur, over sexual misconduct allegations in December.

An ABC insider has confirmed that TGABS is coming back and staffers are currently casting new contestants for a run around Christmas.

Chef Iuzzini, who was axed after an independent ABC probe into the allegations of abuse against him, is not returning to the series.

It's understood that British baker Paul Hollywood could make a surprise return on the judges' team however, but the situation is still unclear as ABC execs consider 'a full makeover.'

Production company Love Productions is keen to get Hollywood back on screen as 'viewers have connected with him' - and he was labeled by some US audiences as 'the British George Clooney'.

The insider told DailyMail.com: 'It has come as a shock to many, but ABC are recasting for The Great American Baking Show. After all the scandal of last year surrounding Iuzzini, the network acted like they were pulling the show off air seemingly forever.

'It was not mentioned in the media in upfront previews as a returning series, but word has come down from the top that it is back. Just a month ago, it was thought the show was done for good. But it has been given a last second reprieve.

The network abruptly ditched two of their other shows, The Chew and Roseanne in the past week

ABC dumped daytime talk/cooking show The Chew, after firing host Mario Batali, a celebrity chef and restaurateur, over sexual misconduct allegations in December

'One of the show's key executives informed us that the casting process is in full progress, but no air date has been set yet - although it's likely to be Thanksgiving or Christmas time.

'Obviously Iuzzini, who had appeared in all three seasons, is not involved.

'ABC's recasting process involves reviewing their team of judges. There is a suggestion of changing the show name and hiring an entirely new judging panel, leaving Paul Hollywood out in the cold.

'However the show makers Love Productions are fighting for the British star, who has a strong appeal to that demographic audience thanks to his home grown hit The Great British Bake Off. Nothing is set in stone yet.

'Filming of the actual contest is not until late summer at the earliest, so there is still time to deal with those matters.'

Last December ABC pulled TGABS when they found Iuzzini 'violated standards of conduct' following an investigation.

The network issued a statement, which read: 'In light of allegations that recently came to our attention, ABC has ended its relationship with Johnny Iuzzini and will not be airing the remainder of The Great American Baking Show episodes.

'ABC takes matters such as those described in the allegations very seriously and has come to the conclusion that they violate our standards of conduct. This season's winner will be announced at a later date.'

On Tuesday, the network pulled the plug on its reboot of Roseanne after the actress made offensive comments on Twitter

Barr, 65, referred to a former adviser to President Barack Obama as an 'ape' in an offensive tweet

ABC released a statement on Tuesday announcing the show's cancellation

The remaining specials were scrapped.

The axe fell after four former employees of Iuzzini came forward in November describing allegations of sexual harassment and abuse while working under the pastry chef at a New York restaurant between 2009 and 2011.

One of the women, who chose to remain anonymous, claimed that Iuzzini stuck his tongue in her ear 'three or four times' on separate occasions. The women also reported that the chef liked to use kitchen utensils to suggestively touch female staffers on the buttocks.

It was also claimed he would routinely 'stand behind you really closely and breathe on your neck.'

Then in December, 2017 four more women came forward with new allegations. Two of his accusers said management was aware of the allegations as early as 2004, and the other two claimed that Iuzzini abused his power and influence over female subordinates and associates.

New Yorker Iuzzini, 43, denies the charges.A crane toppled on two houses in a Florida neighborhood, smashing through the roof of one of the homes and injuring at least two people Wednesday, authorities said.

The crane was being used to put up Florida Power & Light electric poles when it fell on the houses, Lauderhill Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Levy said at a news conference at the scene.

'There's significant roof and structural damage to the one house and some roof damage to the second house,' Levy said.

A crane toppled on two houses in a Florida neighborhood, smashing through the roof of one of the homes and injuring at least two people Wednesday, authorities said

Aerial photos showed the entire scene of the crane smashing over the roof of one home

The crane was being used to put up Florida Power & Light electric poles when it fell on the houses, Lauderhill Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Levy said at a news conference at the scene

Power also was knocked out in the surrounding area.

No fatalities or serious injuries were reported.

The crane's operator was treated for minor injuries at the scene, Levy said, while a man who had been inside the home with the collapsed roof was taken to a nearby hospital.

Authorities said the resident had been alert and walking around before his trip to the hospital.

Power also was knocked out in the surrounding area. No fatalities or serious injuries were reported. Authorities said the injured resident (pictured) had been alert and walking around before he was taken to the hospital

The crane's operator was treated for minor injuries at the scene

The Lauderhill Fire Rescue Department tweeted photos showing its emergency crews on the scene amid views of the crane toppled atop a house and a fence

'He's lucky to be alive,' Levy said.

A Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue dog searched area homes for other victims, but none were found, Levy added.

The Lauderhill Fire Rescue Department tweeted photos showing its emergency crews on the scene amid views of the crane toppled atop a house and a fence.

Aerial photos showed the entire scene of the crane smashing one corner of a home, while the rest of it laid across two other homes.

'Simply incredible that nobody was seriously injured today,' the fire department said on Twitter.

Another photo showed debris scattered across the area where the home's roof collapsed.

Another photo showed debris scattered across the area where the home's roof collapsed

'Simply incredible that nobody was seriously injured today,' the fire department said on Twitter

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the collapse, Levy said. It remains under investigation.

FPL spokesman Richard Beltran confirmed the crane was being operated by a contractor when it tipped over, but he couldn't provide additional information.

Lauderhill is located northwest of Fort Lauderdale in South Florida.

It wasn't immediately clear what caused the collapse, Levy said. It remains under investigation

FPL spokesman Richard Beltran confirmed the crane was being operated by a contractor when it tipped over, but he couldn't provide additional informationA mother-of-three has been bound to a wheelchair after the flu shot left her paralysed.

Kathy Jones was struck down with an extremely rare viral reaction after being given the flu vaccine three years ago.

The 48-year-old was left unable to move after suffering from a reaction so rare, she does not qualify for the disability pension.

'I thought I was dying, it was just slowly taking over my whole body. I couldn't move, i couldn't take, I couldn't swallow, I couldn't close my eyes. It affected me head to toe in two weeks,' Ms Jones said.

Scroll down for video

Kathy Jones (centre with her daughters - Shannon, Jamie and Zoe) was struck down with an extremely rare viral reaction after having the flu shot three years ago and was left paralysed

Not long after taking the routine medical procedure, Ms Jones was hospitalised for six months before she was deemed fit enough to return home.

The mother to three girls contracted the rare viral condition - something that affects one in one million people - and was left unable to care for her daughters.

'Going from being an energetic single mum, working, and running kids around to sports, to being taken away from them for six months was a horrible, horrible thing to have to live through. I wouldnt wish it on anyone,' Ms Jones said.

The Melbourne woman does not qualify for the disability pension because her condition is considered non-permanent as it is a viral infection.

Instead, Ms Jones has struggled with affording to live where she relies on Newstart payments and the help of St Vincent de Paul.

A Vinnie's spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia they began helping the 48-year-old with home visits two years ago.

'During a home visit, Vinnies volunteers give people a gentle hand up during times of crisis, face to face, and provide the basics to empower them to get back on their feet. It is a localised, personalised and compassionate service,' she said.

'Vinnies Victoria has indicated that demand for this service has risen by over 40% in the past three years.'

The Melbourne mother's (pictured) reaction was so rare, she does not qualify for the disability pension and relies on the support from St Vincent de Paul to live

While the Melbourne woman contracted the infection three years ago, last year's flu season was one of the worst in recent years with 1100 influenza-associated deaths recorded - 90 per cent were elderly patients.

The charity supports people like Ms Jones when no other company body will, raising money with fundraisers like The Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

Hundreds of business owners, CEOs, government leaders and community members take part in the annual sleepout to raise money to help the charity to 'provide essential services to the people who need them'.An alleged gunman accused of taking two rifles into the heart of a major Queensland city and shooting into the air will front court after sparking a three-hour lockdown.

Police made an emergency declaration just after 5pm on Wednesday after reports a man had opened fire in Mackay's CBD.

Businesses and offices in several streets were placed in lockdown, with workers and customers unable to leave until the man surrendered to police about 8pm.

An alleged gunman accused of taking two rifles into the heart of a major Queensland city and shooting into the air will front court on Thursday

A rifle is seen on the ground beside a car with a smashed window at the scene on Wednesday

Mackay resident Les Mole told the ABC he was in a building nearby when he heard what police allege were gunshots.

'It went ''boom'', it was going off and it was pretty scary there for a while because you didn't know what they were but obviously the police reacted,' he said.

'We were pretty lucky none of the [hotel] guests were out in the street or it would've been on for young and old.'

Detectives spent the night trawling the area for evidence while the alleged shooter underwent an assessment in hospital.

The alleged gunman surrendered himself to police after a three-hour standoff in Mackay

A man who was in a shop on nearby Victoria Street said he saw the man carrying two rifles

The 29-year-old has been charged with a string of offences, including going armed to cause fear, dangerous conduct with a weapon and common assault.

He is due to face the Mackay Magistrates Court on Thursday and police said further charges are likely.

Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said the man was carrying at least two guns and fired the shots 'to draw attention to himself'.

Police haven't said what motivated the man to allegedly open fire.

Police haven't said what motivated the man to allegedly open fire on Wednesday eveningPub baron Justin Hemmes is offering half price drinks at his venues across Sydney in a bid to bring some vibrancy back to the city.

The 45-year-old father-of-two will be slashing drink prices across 37 of his hospitality bars across Sydney including trendy hotspot The Ivy and the famed Coogee Pavilion.

Each day in June at 5pm sharp, specially selected tracks will play at the bars marking the start of an extended happy hour and significant drink savings across all cocktails, spirits, beer, wine and champagne.

Fancy a $3.50 beer? Pub baron Justin Hemmes is offering half price drinks at his 37 bars across Sydney all of June including Coogee Pavilion

Selected tracks will play marking the start of an extended happy hour at 5pm both weekends and weekdays

For two hours drinks will be 49 per cent off - the maximum discount allowed

Dolly Parton's 'Nine to Five' will ring out across establishments on weekdays and James Brown's 'I Feel Good' will play to patrons on weekends.

For two hours drinks will be 49 per cent off - the maximum discount allowed by regulators for alcohol.

The Merivale website says the initiative is aimed at 'bringing some vibrancy back to the city' with the hotel group asserting the percentage is as generous as they are legally allowed to be.

Justin Hemmes, CEO of the group said he wants to give back to the place he loves so dearly.

'I truly believe that Sydney is the greatest city in the world; it is at the heart of everything we do and the reason why we continue to invest so much in our portfolio of venues.

'This is our small way of saying thank you to Sydney; we want to celebrate it and give our guests even more of a reason to get out, socialise and experience everything the city has to offer'.

In late 2016 Hemmes spoke out against the lockout laws, the Herald reported.

Sydney pub baron Justin Hemmes (pictured with partner Kate Fowler) publicly slammed lock out laws in 2016

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'There's too many restrictions on what we can and can't do,' Hemmes says. 'Something needed to be done but I think what's occurred is an overreaction, a serious overreaction.

'Obviously there were two deaths that triggered this, terrible things to happen and the guys who did it should rot in hell  however neither of them were in venues  they were walking around the streets looking for trouble.'

The lock-out laws were introduced by then Premier Barry O'Farrell's government following a number of incidents.

His offer will include $7.65 margaritas at Il Loco, cheap craft beers at the Queens Hotel and The Paddington and cheap wines by the glass at The Newport and Fred's.

A bottle of $198 Laurent-Perrier Rose champagne be slashed to $100.98 at The Newport and will include a bottle of $200 NV Ruinart Blanc de Blancs cut down to $102 at Hemmesphere.

The 45-year-old father-of-two will be slashing prices of wines, beers and cocktails across 37 of his bars including Establishment

The Merivale website says the initiative is aimed at 'bringing some vibrancy back to the city' (pictured is El Loco)

The offer will apply to items priced at $200 or less with those upwards of $201 selling at RRP.

Hemmes has amassed a $951million fortune via his 70 venues across Sydney, earning himself a spot on the 2018 Rich List.

He will debut in 78th position in the Australian Financial Review's list of the wealthiest people in the country, to be published on Friday.

The business magnate just missed out on joining a record 76 billionaires on this year's list.

His net worth three years ago was estimated at around $200million.Police in a New Jersey beach town have released body camera footage showing the violent arrest of a Philadelphia woman accused of underage drinking over the Memorial Day weekend.

A bystander posted video online showing a Wildwood police officer punching Emily Weinman in the head during the Saturday arrest.

The 20-year-old woman faces several charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer.

The body camera footage released on Wednesday shows an officer as he confronts and argues with Weinman over the discovery of alcoholic iced tea drinks in her possession.

Police in a New Jersey beach town have released body camera footage showing the violent arrest of a Philadelphia woman accused of underage drinking over the Memorial Day weekend

The 20-year-old woman, Emily Weinman, faces several charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer

The body camera footage released on Wednesday shows an officer as he confronts and argues with Weinman over the discovery of alcoholic iced tea drinks in her possession

Weinman is seen above taking a breathalyzer test, which she passed

Wildwood officials say the videos show Weinman assaulting the officers first.

Officials said that the video does not show Weinman kicking one of the officers in the groin, which precipitated the violent arrest.

Police have identified the officers involved as Thomas Cannon, John Hillman and Robert Jordan.

Weinman's lawyer say the videos show police overreacted.

Wildwood police released three videos on Tuesday of the incident.

After Weinman refused to give the officers her last name, they indicated they would arrest her

This prompted Weinman to react angrily and walk away as the officers pursued her

Weinman then yells at the officers as they approach her and she begins to confront them

Weinman is seen above lunging at one of the officers, resulting in the bodycam being turned off momentarily

The first video shows one of the officers approaching Weinman and a friend who are suspected of underage drinking.

The officers then ask Weinman to take a breathalyzer test

An officer confronts Weinman and a friend about underage drinking and makes her take a breathalyzer test.

After Weinman blows her breath into the breathalyzer machine, she grows agitated.

'Is there a problem?' she says to the officers. 'Mind your business.'

Weinman then tells the officers: 'I know that didn't come out positive. I didn't take a drink of anything.'

One of the officers then asks the friend to take a breathalyzer. At the same time, Weinman is seen dialing a phone number and making a telephone call, presumably to her aunt.

When the breathalyzer comes back negative for both Weinman and the friend, one of the officers says that he will ask the two women to empty their alcoholic beverages on the beach.

In the next video, Weinman and the officers begin to argue over whether there were any laws broken.

In New Jersey, anyone under the age of 21 is not allowed to 'purchase, consume or possess' an alcoholic beverage in a 'place of public assembly, public place or public conveyance.'

When the camera comes back on, the officer is seen holding Weinman's head against the sand

Weinman is resisting arrest and yelling epithets at the officers

At one point, as the officers handcuff Weinman, she turns around and spits at one of them

The officers have claimed that Weinman was the first to attack them by kicking one of them in the groin, which is not seen in the video

Weinman argues that because the beverages were unopened, that means she wasn't breaking the law.

But the officers responded that the beverages were 'in open display' and could be seen.

One of the officers is seen taking down the information of Weinman's friend.

At this point, things begin to escalate between Weinman and the other officer, who accuses her of 'not cooperating.'

'I didn't disrespect you, I didn't do anything to get written up, did I?' Weinman tells the officer.

She then asks the officer if he intends on arresting her for obstruction even though she was at the beach with her 18-month-old daughter.

The officer tells Weinman she is 'causing a scene' after she refuses to give her last name and identify herself.

'I'll give you one more chance to give me your last name,' the officer tells Weinman.

Weinman is seen above screaming and crying as she is being led away in handcuffs to a waiting police car

'My daughter is right there seeing this,' Weinman screams. 'I didn't do anything wrong!'

Weinman continues to profess her innocence as she is being led away by officers

'You can't lock me up,' she responds. 'I didn't disrespect you.

'And I don't need to give you my name... You're mad because you thought we were drinking. You're breathalyzer came up negative.'

The officers then ask Weinman where her aunt is, to which she replies: 'She's on her way.'

'You could wait here,' she tells the officer. 'Just like you wasted your time coming over here, you could wait here for her.'

The officer then asks: 'OK, what's your last name?'

'You don't need my last name,' Weinman says.

'OK, that's it,' the officer says. 'I'm done with you.'

When the officer asks his partner if he has handcuffs on him, Weinman reacts angrily and begins to walk away.

'Get over here,' the officer says.

'Don't f*****g cuff me,' Weinman replies as she steps away from the pursuing officer.

'You're about to get dropped,' the officer says.

As the officer walks toward her, Weinman puts her hands up and appears to touch the camera.

The video then turns off.

Weinman 'forcibly struck' the officer in the torso, causing the camera to turn off, Police Chief Robert Regalbuto told NJ Advance Media.

The officers would later claim that it was at this point that Weinman kicked one of them in the groin, which ignited the more violent confrontation that was seen right afterward in the 30-second clip uploaded to social media.

The third body-cam video begins at this point.

One of the officers is seen grabbing Weinman's hair.

The officer then forces her to the ground while she screams and physically resists.

Weinman then yells profanity at the officer while screaming at him to let her go.

This is when a fist is seen hitting Weinman three times.

'You're not allowed to beat me like that,' she yells. 'I'm a woman it doesn't matter!'

The officers then begin to handcuff her.

Witness video shows the incident from the moment the officers held Weinman to the ground and one of them punched her

Weinman claims officers hit first, while cops say it as Weinman who threw the first kick

'My daughter is right there seeing this,' Weinman screams. 'I didn't do anything wrong!'

Weinman then spits again at one of the officers as they place her in handcuffs and take her into a police vehicle.

The video ends with the officers reporting what happened to another officer.

'She kicked him and I just hit her a couple times,' one of the officers says.

'And I put her in cuffs and locked her up.'

On Facebook, Weinman posted a message that she later deleted, saying that she was underage and in possession of alcohol.

She wrote that the passed the breathalyzer and that the alcoholic beverages she had were not opened.

'Therefore I asked them dont they have something better to do as cops than to stop people for underage drinking on the beach, saying to that theres so much more serious stuff going on,' Weinman wrote.

'The cop said, "I was gonna let you go but now Ill write you up" and he asked my name.'

Weinman, who has an 18-month-old daughter (both pictured), said she shared the video because the 'situation was handled wrongly and blew out of proportion'

Weinman said she refused to give her last name because she 'didnt do anything wrong.'

'I tripped and fell and the cop tackled me to the ground and smashed my head into the sand,' Weinman wrote.

'At that point I blacked out and fought any way possible trying to get up and push him off me.'

Weinman does not mention anything about the police allegation that she kicked one of the officers in the groin.

'Like I said I didnt do anything wrong and anything couldve been written on that paper, the whole situation was iffy and I didnt trust it,' she wrote.

'Especially being aware of the fact of how grimy law enforcement can be now a days.'

Weinman's attorney, Stephen Dicht, said that the video doesn't change the fact that police acted improperly.

'My perception is the same,' Dicht told NBC 10 TV.

'My reaction is the same. It's an overreaction to the situation and an excessive use of force.'

The officers were placed on administrative duty pending the results of an internal investigation.

Nonetheless, law enforcement officials voiced support for their actions.

'From what I see on the video and only on the video, from not even talking to the officers, I think they did a decent job,' Regalbuto said.

'I think we could have done a better job at trying to explain to her, but it didn't appear Ms. Weinman wanted to hear what we had to say.

'She tried to tell us it was okay for her to possess alcohol and that doesn't make any sense.'

In the video, the officer says 'That's it' before he approached Weinman, but Regalbuto insists that this does not mean there was intent to injure her.

'It appears to me like he was trying to use a pressure point strike to be able to bend her arm, but the [internal affairs unit] hasn't done the interview yet so we will find out from the officers themselves,' Regalbuto said.

Underage drinking is a common occurrence during the spring and summer months, when typically quiet towns along the Jersey Shore are inundated with beachgoers, especially on weekends.

Wildwood Mayor Ernie Troiano Jr. called the incident unfortunate.

'It's just a shame that all she had to do was comply,' Troiano said.

'She probably would have just gotten a citation. Once the officer says "you're under arrest", he has to continue with that arrest.'

Authorities also noted that Weinman has a criminal record.

Court records indicate that the Philadelphia resident was once brought up on simple assault charges for breaking into the home of a woman she suspected was involved with her boyfriend.Russia has been pumping out thousands of negative news stories about Britain in a sign it is 'preparing for a conflict', a report has claimed.

A staggering 2,270 damaging television clips about the UK have been broadcast over a three-year period as part of a wider disinformation campaign by Russian media to discredit Europe.

Research shows that 84 per cent of all coverage about Britain on three of Russia's state-backed TV stations has been negative, according to a report by the Ukraine Crisis Media Center, which works with the UK's Foreign Office to counter Russian disinformation.

Experts said one of the stations even 'exploited' the death of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in June 2016, to suggest 'life in the UK is very dangerous'.

A report has found 2,270 damaging Russian TV clips about the UK over a three-year period. Pictured: The Kremlin and St Basil's Cathedral, Moscow

Nataliya Popovych, who co-authored the report, said: 'These channels now are totally state controlled and the mouthpiece of the Kremlin.

'The negative output doubled in 2017 and it is increasing. It is dangerous as it looks like they are preparing themselves for some sort of conflict.'

According to the figures, there were 22,711 negative mentions of European countries during the three-year period.

A total of 10 per cent of these were about the UK  the third highest  while 17 per cent targeted France and 12 per cent covered Germany.

Europe was mentioned negatively on average 18 times a day on the channels which were being monitored.

Research shows that 84 per cent of all coverage about Britain on three of Russia's state-backed TV stations has been negative. Pictured: Russian leader Vladimir Putin

The report said: 'According to the Russian media, life in Europe is very difficult  a rhetoric that is constantly enforced through the countless passing of myths as facts.'

Miss Popovych said one station broadcast a historical perspective of the UK, highlighting how it had 'betrayed the Russian interests'.

This covered the time of Queen Victoria to Theresa May's handling of the Skripal nerve agent poisoning in Salisbury.

She said: 'The entire show blasted Theresa May. They admit nothing and deny anything and make accusations. The coverage is both made up of opinions and misinformation.'

Two dozen different narratives surrounding the Skripal poisoning appeared in the Russian media as the state attempted to muddy the waters.Millions face paying 100 a month for heating and lighting after the last of the Big Six energy firms hiked tariffs.

SSE, Britain's second biggest supplier, is raising its standard variable tariff and removing a discount for online bills  meaning 2.4million customers will pay an extra 87 a year.

This will take the annual cost of the company's SVT up to 1,196.

The firm is the last of the Big Six suppliers to announce price rises in recent weeks with the result that all will now be charging around 1,200 a year for a typical household.

Millions face paying 100 a month for heating and lighting after the last of the Big Six energy firms hiked tariffs

SSE, Britain's second biggest supplier, is raising its standard variable tariff and removing a discount for online bills  meaning 2.4million customers will pay an extra 87 a year

The combined effect of the increases will take some 570million a year out of the pockets of more than nine million customers, according to industry analysts.

Energy minister Claire Perry has described the round of price hikes as 'unjustified'.

And yesterday, consumer experts said anyone on a Big Six standard tariff was 'ripping themselves off'.

They advised families to hit back by switching away to smaller energy firms that are around 400 a year cheaper.

SSE suggested the main reason for the increase was a rise in the wholesale cost of gas and electricity. But, it also blamed the Government and the fact that customers are carrying the cost of subsidies for wind farms, supporting vulnerable households with insulation and bills, and installing smart meters.

The company argues these costs should be paid for through general taxation.

Martin Lewis (pictured) accused the energy firms of acting like sheep by raising prices at the same time

The Government is currently putting a Bill through Parliament that will introduce a cap on SVTs  which are charged to more than 60 per cent of households  that will come into effect before winter. It is unclear if this will reverse any or all of the latest increases.

Gillian Guy of Citizens Advice said the SSE rise was 'extremely disheartening'.

'Today's price hike risks hitting those who can least afford it  customers who are unhappy with their current energy supplier or tariff should consider switching now,' she added.

Alex Neill of Which? said the rise was 'another slap in the face for customers already feeling the pinch', adding: 'We would urge the nine million customers affected by the Big Six price hikes to take back the power by switching to a better deal, as they could save up to 400 a year.'

Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, accused the energy firms of acting like sheep by raising prices at the same time.

He said: 'Anyone on a Big Six standard tariff is ripping themselves off  do-nothings pay massively more than the do-somethings. Switch firm and you could cut bills to almost 800 a year, even with the same usage.'

Claire Osborne, of the website uSwitch.com, added: 'SSE may be the last of the Big Six to increase its most expensive deal, but it certainly hasn't been shy about it, hiking prices by nearly 90. This is more than all the other big energy suppliers  nearly 2.4million who are already paying over the odds on SVTs will be paying even more.'

The SSE increases mean the cost of the SVT for a dual fuel bill will rise by an average of 6.7 per cent  adding 75 a year to bills. It is also removing a 6-per-fuel discount for paying online, rather than receiving a paper bill in the post. This adds another 12.

The combined effect of the increases will take some 570million a year out of the pockets of more than nine million customers, according to industry analysts

E.on was the first of the Big Six to announce a price rise with its SVT going up by 2.7 per cent in April.

It was followed by British Gas, which increased its SVT by 5.4 per cent this week. A 5.6 per cent rise from Scottish Power comes into effect on Friday, with a 1.4 per cent increase at EDF next week.

Npower is putting up its SVT by 5.5 per cent on June 17 and the SSE hike will take effect on July 11. The increase by Npower, which is involved in merger talks with SSE, would take its annual bill to 1,230.

SSE's Stephen Forbes said: 'We deeply regret having to raise prices.'

The firm added: 'Sustained increases in the cost of supplying energy, principally from higher wholesale energy prices and the cost of delivering government policy initiatives designed to modernise and decarbonise  must eventually be reflected in prices.'An Australian paedophile jailed for 40 years in Texas for sexually abusing children at a summer camp is requesting to be transferred back to Western Australia.

Scott Zirus was jailed in the US in 2010 after accepting a plea deal that resulted in him being sentenced to at least 20 years behind bars before parole for allegedly assaulting three boys while working at a camp in Texas.

Zirus, who was in the US on an exchange program to work at the camp, has now applied to Australia's n Attorney-General's Department and US authorities for an international prison transfer.

Scott Zirus was jailed in the US in 2010 after accepting a plea deal that resulted in him being sentenced to at least 20 years behind bars before parole for allegedly assaulting three boys while working at a camp in Texas

He claims the main reason is so he can face 10 criminal charges in Western Australia over allegations he molested four boys at camps he ran in the state between 2006 and 2008.

'Not only does the passage of time hinder my defence, but it is extremely unfair on the children and their families to wait so long for any type of closure on the matter,' Zirus wrote in his application for transfer.

Child welfare campaigner Hetty Johnston told the West Australian: 'This would be all about him he just doesn't like where he is and I think that's fabulous'.

'Once he's finished his sentence there, then extradite him back to Australia to face the charges here.'

Australian authorities have not confirmed whether they are considering the request.

He claims the main reason is so that he can face 10 criminal charges in Western Australia over allegations he molested four boys at camps he ran in the State between 2006 and 2008 (file picture)



Lady Colin Campbell, who shocked viewers of I'm A Celebrity with her bullying behaviour and caustic put-downs, claims she turned down the chance to be Diana's 'authorised' biographer because she didn't agree with her 'posture of victimhood'.

The author went on to write an unauthorised book, Diana In Private, which made shocking claims that later proved to be true, including her struggle with bulimia and affair with James Hewitt.

The Princess, who felt trapped in her desperately unhappy marriage to Prince Charles, co-operated with Andrew Morton on his international bestseller, Diana: Her True Story, which was published several months after Lady Colin's book in 1992.

Lady Colin Campbell (right) claims she turned down the chance to be Diana's (left) 'authorised' biographer because she didn't agree with her 'posture of victimhood'

'Diana In Private started out as the official biography,' claims Georgia, who still uses the title bestowed during her one-year marriage to Lord Colin Campbell, the Duke of Argyll's younger son, in 1973.

'Diana and I agreed that I'd do an official biography of her  an anodyne biography. Then she saw it was what she called her 'get out of jail card'.

'And she decided to turn it from an official biography to an unofficial biography, detailing her dissatisfaction with her life as a member of the Royal Family.

'I took some convincing, but she convinced me that it was in both our interests to do this.

'Diana was advised by friends that she should play the victim.

'I did not agree with her posture of victimhood. I sensed it was not going to do her or her children or her family or the Royal Family any good in the long run, so I walked away.'

This weekend, Lady Colin is staging her debut play, Bid For Freedom, at her Sussex stately home, Castle Goring.

It is based on conversations she claims to have had with Diana.

Georgia, 68, adds: 'She wanted me to effectively tell lies like propaganda. I'm not criticising Andrew Morton  he wrote what she told him.

'He chose to believe all that she said and accepted it undiluted, while I was not prepared to do so.'

Meghan's page boys cash in!

Meghan and Harry's pageboys, Brian and John Mulroney, nearly stole the show with their awestruck faces and gap-toothed smiles.

Now their mother, Jessica, is making the most of their fame.

The stylist, 38, reveals her seven-year-old twins are selling their beloved Pokemon cards to raise money for her charity.

Sharing this snap online, she writes: 'Let's make a killing boys!'

Meghan and Harry's seven-year-old pageboys, Brian and John Mulroney, nearly stole the show with their awestruck faces and gap-toothed smiles

Their mother Jessica Mulroney reveals her twins are selling their beloved Pokemon cards to raise money for her charity. Sharing this snap online, she writes: 'Let's make a killing boys!'

Matt and Lily are pout and about...

Cinderella star Lily James is used to fairytale romance on screen, but her real-life relationship with The Crown's Matt Smith runs the whole gamut of emotions in just one lunchtime.

Lily, 29, wearing a pretty pink lace dress, was spotted sharing a meal at a Greek restaurant, Lemonia, with 35-year-old Matt, near their home in North London.

After pouting at each other like schoolchildren, Matt gave Lily a kiss.

Who could resist?

Lily, 29, wearing a pretty pink lace dress, was spotted sharing a meal at a Greek restaurant, Lemonia, with 35-year-old Matt, near their home in North London

After pouting at each other like schoolchildren, Matt gave Lily a kiss. Who could resist?

That's not Moira, it's me! Newsreaders' big mix-up!

Line Of Duty star Thandie Newton revealed last week that Victoria Beckham once mistook her for American actress Zoe Saldana.

Now, broadcaster Zeinab Badawi, 58, tells me that people often confuse her for the BBC's Moira Stuart, 68, who was the first Afro-Caribbean female newsreader on British television.

'I get it all the time,' she says at a party in London's Fitzrovia.

'It's probably because we're both black and work as newsreaders.'

Broadcaster Zeinab Badawi (left) says people often confuse her for the BBC's Moira Stuart (right), who was the first Afro-Caribbean female newsreader on British television

Could Bridget Jones's Diary have been made in the #MeToo era?

Bridget, played by Renee Zellweger, tells her potential employer (Neil Pearson) she left her last job 'because I shagged the boss'.

Pearson's character replies: 'You can start tomorrow.' Does he think the line would have been included these days?

'No chance,' he tells me, 'but that's the line most of my fans quote when they meet me.' The film, incidentally, was produced by Harvey Weinstein.

A wizard 1million a year for Rupert

Seven years after he last appeared in a film about the boy wizard, Harry Potter star Rupert Grint is still enjoying a magical effect on his finances.

The actor, 29, who played Harry's best friend Ron in the films, has just disclosed 14.6 million in shareholders' funds at Clay 10, the business through which he channels his earnings.

The company, managed by his father, held 13.6 million in 2016, which means he made 1 million profit over the past year.

Yet Grint's millions are small change compared with those accumulated by his co-star Daniel Radcliffe in his company Gilmore Jacobs  a staggering 72.7 million, according to its latest accounts.President Barack Obama went through multiple emotional stages after Donald Trump's election - sometimes angry, sometimes resigned - as he talked to aides about the 'cartoon' figure who cared more about crowd size than policy, as he referred to the president-elect who would follow him into the Oval Office.

Obama also expressed rare self-doubt, wondering whether he had misjudged his own influence on the country.

The revelations on the former president's inner thinking came to light in a new memoir - 'The World as It Is' - by his longtime adviser Benjamin J. Rhodes that is scheduled to be published next week but was previewed inThe New York Times.

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President Obama wondered whether he had misjudged his own influence on the country after voters picked Donald Trump to follow him into the Oval Office.

New book reveals President Obama did not know the FBI was investigating possible ties between the Trump campaign and Russia.

He described Obama as heavily shaken at the thought of being replaced by a man who had questioned his birth. Trump repeatedly asked to see Obama's birth certificate for proof his was born in America - a requirement to be the president.

'Sometimes I wonder whether I was 10 or 20 years too early,' he quoted Obama as saying.

Rhodes claims neither he nor Obama knew at the time that there was an FBI investigation into contacts between Trump's campaign and Russia. The former Obama aide said he did not learn of the investigation until after he left the White House.

However, the White House was worried about possible Russian influence on the election.

Obama had authorized a statement from intelligence agency leaders a month before the election warning of Russian interference, but the then-president was thwarted from doing more because Republican Senator Mitch McConnell refused to go along with a bipartisan statement on the issue.

The book also reveals Obama didn't want to speak too much of possible Russian tampering because he was convinced Hillary Clinton would win and that Trump would say the election was manipulated.

'If I speak out more, he'll just say it's rigged,' Obama said.

Rhodes also revealed the Obama White House was confident Clinton would win and was in shock when she did not.

'I couldn't shake the feeling that I should have seen it coming,' he wrote. 'Because when you distilled it, stripped out the racism and misogyny, we'd run against Hillary eight years ago with the same message Trump had used: She's part of a corrupt establishment that can't be trusted to bring change.'

After the election, Obama focused on cheering up his staff.

'I don't know,' he told aides. 'Maybe this is what people want. I've got the economy set up well for him. No facts. No consequences. They can just have a cartoon.'

And during Obama and Trump's post-election meeting, the president-elect repeatedly bragged about the size of his campaign rallies compared to Clinton's.

In the aftermath of Trump's victory, Obama urged Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to take on a more vocal role defending the values they shared on the world stage.

The Obama White House was confident Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 election and was in shock when she did not.

During Barack Obama and Donald Trump's post-election meeting, the president-elect repeatedly bragged about the size of his campaign rallies compared to Hillary Clinton's.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Obama she felt more obliged to run for another term because of Trump's election. When they parted for the final time, Merkel had a single tear in her eye. Obama said of her: 'She's all alone.'

Rhodes served as Obama's deputy national security adviser through some of the most consequential points of his presidency, including decisions to authorize the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, the escalation of troops in Afghanistan, and the refusal to intervene militarily in Syria.Tim Page stepped down as chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale on Wednesday following a row over supporting lager

The head of Britain's biggest beer campaign quit last night  just weeks after members rejected controversial plans to promote lager as well as ale and cider.

Tim Page stepped down as chief executive of the Campaign for Real Ale following a row over whether the group should seek to attract younger members by supporting lager.

The 'revitalisation project' aimed to end the image of Camra  which has championed traditional cask beer for almost 50 years  as an organisation for 'old men with beards and beer bellies'.

It also proposed to widen the definition of a 'pub' to include cafe-style establishments and microbreweries that don't have a bar.

Mr Page spent the past two years championing the project, which he hoped would modernise an organisation founded in 1971 by four ale aficionados.

But members rejected the plans at the group's annual meeting at Warwick University last month.

The 'revitalisation project' aimed to end the image of Camra  which has championed traditional cask beer for almost 50 years  as an organisation for 'old men with beards and beer bellies'. Pictured: Pints of Camra being pulled in London

The project risked causing a major chasm in Camra, with many older members threatening to set up a rival organisation rather than support lager drinkers.

Mr Page, formerly national director of homelessness charity Emmaus UK and chief executive of the East Anglian Air Ambulance, is said to favour a return to the charitable sector.

He said last night: 'I am very grateful for having had the opportunity to be part of Camra, which is a truly remarkable organisation.

'I am grateful for the friendship and support that I have enjoyed from people across the sector.'

Mr Page spent the past two years championing the project, which he hoped would modernise an organisation founded in 1971 by four ale aficionados

Camra's national chairman, Jackie Parker, said Mr Page had made a 'considerable impact' in his role and thanked him for his contribution to the campaign.

Last week it was announced that Camra would offer alcohol-free ales at Britain's biggest beer festival for the first time.

The Dutch beers will be on sale at the Great British Beer Festival in London in August.The son of an Austin jeweler and the teenager's girlfriend have been arrested for hiring someone to murder his father so he could get his hands on a lucrative multi-million dollar life insurance payout.

Nicolas Shaughnessy and Jaclyn Edison, both 19, were charged on Tuesday over the violent home invasion that saw his father Theodore Shaughnessy shot dead.

Police say Shaughnessy had approached multiple people in the months before the shooting asking if they were willing to kill his parents for payment.

Shaughnessy had estimated that he would receive some $8 million from the life insurance policies for both his parents, from the sale of the couple's home and sale of his father's prominent jewelry store.

Nicolas Shaughnessy and Jaclyn Edison, both 19, were charged on Tuesday over the violent Austin home invasion that saw his father Theodore Shaughnessy shot dead.

Jeweler Theodore Shaughnessy was found shot dead inside his Austin home on March 2 when police responded to a 911 call about a home invasion

Video Courtesy KBTX:

The teen's mother, Corey Shaughnessy, had called 911 in the early morning hours of March 2 to report an intruder inside their Austin home.

When police arrived, they found Theodore dead of multiple gunshot wounds. One of the family's Rottweilers Bart was also shot dead.

Police said the murder-for-hire plot also called for Corey to be killed but she emerged unscathed.

Theodore had heard their dogs barking and went to check out the house. His wife heard gunshots a few minutes later before the gunman also started firing at her. She managed to return fire with her handgun until she ran out of ammunition and then called 911.

Police said they found ammunition in Shaughnessy's home in College Station that matched casings found at the crime scene.

The person hired to carry out the murder has not yet been caught but investigators say they are following new leads.

Theodore was the owner of Gallerie Jewelers in Austin.

The teen's mother, Corey Shaughnessy, had called 911 in the early morning hours of March 2 to report an intruder inside their Austin home

One of the family's Rottweilers Bart was also shot dead during the home invasion

Police said they found ammunition in Shaughnessy and Edison's home in College Station that matched casings found at the crime scene

The company had posted on its Facebook page in late April, following his death, that: 'We are happy to announce that Nicolas, Ted's son, will be carrying on his legacy here at Gallerie'.

An obituary for the elder Shaughnessy published on Legacy.com said he was 'a proud father to his son, Nicolas'.

'One of his most cherished memories was of racing against his son at the Karting track. He took great satisfaction in having taught his son well enough to beat his dad to the finish line,' the obit read.

The obituary went on to say that Theodore had saved his wife's life by giving her just a few critical seconds to fight back.

'Ted and Corey celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary this past January. It is a long time, but not nearly long enough,' the obit said.

'There was so much more to experience and live through together. They were true partners in every sense, the best of friends, and now one half of the whole is gone.'

Shaughnessy and his girlfriend, who live together in College Station, were both charged with criminal solicitation to commit capital murder.

They remained in jail on Wednesday with Shaughnessy's bond set at a $3 million and Edison's at $1 million.

Shaughnessy had estimated that he would receive some $8 million from the life insurance policies for both his parents, from the sale of the couple's home and sale of his father's jewelry storeThe Arctic fox lies listless in a cramped wire cage, its blank, red eyes sunk deep into the fleshy folds of its face, and its body distorted by the huge rolls of fat under its glossy fur.

Its hard to imagine a more pitiful contrast to its life in the wild where these sleek, beautiful creatures roam free across many miles of frozen tundra each day in search of prey.

Footage of a playful cub, diving repeatedly into the snowdrifts as it learned to catch lemmings, memorably charmed TV viewers when it was featured in the Sir David Attenborough nature series, Life Story. It is an existence that this poor specimen  and the millions of other foxes kept on Finlands fur farms  will never know.

Shocking eyewitness photographs and video shot on fur farms in western Finland by an animal rights group reveal that arctic foxes are being selectively bred to grow to be enormous

Shocking pictures show monster fur farm foxes bred to a dangerously unhealthy size, all so that their pelts will be larger and fetch more money when sold after the animals are killed

At more than five times their normal weight the horrifying pictures of Arctic Foxes from a Finnish animal rights group show the animals confined in tiny cages

They spend their entire life in cages, some afflicted by painful health problems, before being slaughtered and then skinned so their prized pelts can be turned into expensive coats and fashion accessories.

More than 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year. And while the UK banned fur farming 15 years ago, blinkered shoppers are still able to buy imported pelts.

Indeed, next week, MPs will debate a petition signed by a number of academics and conservationists, including Chris Packham, that calls on Parliament to ban sales outright. Currently, some two million pelts are imported into the UK every year.

Over the past five years more than 2.5 million of fur items have been imported into the UK from Finland, according to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), while luxury labels  including Louis Vuitton and Prada  are reported to use, or have used, fox fur in their clothing and accessories.

At the less expensive end of the market, fox fur may be spotted in the smarter High Street outlets in the form of fluffy keyrings or pom-pom charms for handbags which can cost around 50.

Campaigners have been calling for fur farming to be banned in Finland, as it has been in many other European countries, including the UK, Austria, the Netherlands, and in the Czech Republic from 2019 onwards.

But these super-size foxes  which reach 40lb, five times their weight in the wild  are so big they can barely move and, according to the Finnish animal rights group, Justice for Animals, represent a sickening new low in an abhorrent industry.

The group has released the images taken last year by its undercover investigators on five farms in the remote Ostrobothnia region in western Finland, where the majority of the countrys 900 fur farms are located.

It claims they are evidence of intense breeding by genetic selection to produce a strain of monster foxes which grow bigger pelts.

Some of the biggest males are being kept as breeding stock, with their sperm used to artificially inseminate the bigger females which have produced litters, the group says. The farmer makes more money from larger pelts, but the animals pay the price in suffering, says Kristo Muurimaa, of Justice for Animals.

One of the team that filmed the foxes said: The farms are depressing places. Some foxes howl, bark and scream. Their claws chink against the mesh floors and walls as they pace round and round in their cages. Some hunch, still and silent.

I felt helplessness, pity and grief when I looked in their eyes. I see a fox that is unable to be a fox. The only thing these foxes can do is to wait for death.

The farmed Arctic fox cubs are born in May, in litters usually of five or six, and kept with their mother for the summer in a cage with a nest box before being weaned  and fattened. In the wild, Arctic foxes add 50 per cent to their natural weight of about 8lb each autumn, building up layers of fat when food is plentiful, to sustain them through winter when their prey, including rodents and birds, is harder to find.

In captivity, however, they are fed on a gloopy feed made of pulped fish and offal that is high in fat.

The foxes are kept in rows of cages in long sheds exposed to the elements  but that is the least of the problems as winter arrives. Their coat is highly insulating and allows them to survive temperatures as low as -50c in their native environment in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Russia and Scandinavia.

They grow two versions during the year, with the summer coat  thinner and dark grey or brown  replaced by the luxurious, thicker white winter coat that camouflages them in snow from predators such as wolves.

But while it helps them survive in the wild, that glorious fur is also the animals curse, coveted by furriers.

Fashion brands including Louis Vuitton and Prada are reported to use, or have used, fox fur in their clothing and accessories

By December, the farmed foxes winter coat has developed and their lives are brought to a premature end. Steel tongs are used to grab them by the neck, then one electric probe is placed in the animals mouth and another in its anus.

Under European legislation, the lethal shock must be a minimum of 110 volts, and last for at least three seconds to ensure swift death. The slaughtered foxes are stripped of their fur by skinning machines.

Most fur produced in Finland is sent to Saga Furs, a marketing brand and auction house in Vantaa, near the capital Helsinki. In an auction last August, the largest pelts sold for 90 compared with 48 for the smallest.

According to the Finnish Animal Welfare Act, animal breeding, or use of breeding methods which may cause distress or significant damage to the health or welfare of the animal, is prohibited.

There are regular random inspections of farms, and those which fail to comply with regulations face losing their licence. But the new evidence suggests the system is failing.

After seeing the photographs, Kati Pulli, a vet and a director of the Finnish Federation for Animal Welfare Associations, told the Mail: Sadly, it doesnt surprise me as I have visited fur farms and we saw some [foxes] as big as these.

Typical health problems include bent legs, which may be the result of being overweight and lack of exercise. Little research has been done into this, but it makes it difficult and possibly painful for them to move.

The folds of skin on their body might cause skin inflammation and their eyelids may become loose. They may have red or pink eyes because of infections, which are contagious.

Under Finnish regulations, the minimum cage size is less than 0.8 square metres, so movement is very limited. There is nothing in the cages apart from a stick for the foxes to bite on, and a wire mesh shelf, Ms Pulli adds.

These are wild, predatory animals and its very unnatural for them. Digging is a need for them, and if they were given an area with sand it would improve their welfare and they may show some of their natural jumping and play behaviour.

She says some foxes show abnormal behaviour, repeating the same movement such as walking back and forth.

They do it because it releases endorphins [stress-relieving brain chemicals]. It is distressing to see, Ms Pulli says.

Despite a successful campaign in the Nineties led by PETA and fronted by supermodels, including Naomi Campbell, with the slogan Id Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur, the fur industry today is booming.

According to the International Fur Federation, it was worth 29 billion in 2015, up from 11.6 billion in 2011. It remains particularly popular in Italy where it featured prominently at the recent Milan Fashion Week.

In Finland, around 2.4 million foxes (all species) were produced for fur on its farms in 2016. Only China, where animal welfare legislation is all but non-existent, produces more fox fur. Whats more, China has recently been buying most of Finlands fur, followed by Russia.

Too fat to walk for fear of breaking their legs the obese animals sit lifeless in their cages waiting to be harvested

The animals are farmed to make garments with their prized pelts that help them stay warm in the wild

According to Finnish organisation Justice for Animals, the skins of the animals produced by Saga Furs are sold to high end fashion brands

Fur farming in Finland was worth 350 million from exports in 2016, according to Pro Fur, the Finnish Fur Breeders Association, which claims its pelts are the best in the world.

Finnish fur products are also sold in flagship boutiques of companies such as Louis Vuitton, which lists a variety of fox fur clothes on its website, including an Arctic fox gilet for 4,500.

Louis Vuitton is among dozens of brands, including Prada and Miu Miu, listed as customers on Saga Furs website.

None responded to the Mails request for comments.

Burberry declined to comment on the record when asked if it bought from Saga Furs, or if a jacket with an Arctic fox fur collar advertised on its website uses Finnish Arctic fox.

But a source said: Burberry will not use fur or exotic leathers if there is any concern that they have been produced using unacceptable treatment of animals. There was no real fur in the September 2017 collection.

The company says it has a responsible sourcing policy which places limitations on the type and origin of furs used in Burberrys collections. British designer Pam Hogg was once listed along with photos of an eye-catching design (basically a big hat and three blobs of fur covering the models decency) from her The Emperors New Clothes collection at London Fashion Week in 2013.

When contacted by the Mail, Miss Hogg said she would be asking Saga Furs to remove her name and photos of her work from its site as she has never bought any fur from them.

Saga gave me the fur a long time ago. I wasnt aware that they were using my work as an example. I have to say that I am upset about that. I have never bought from them and I no longer use fur.

I havent done so since the collection five years ago. Any fur used after that would be faux fur.

Pro Fur and Saga Furs both said they dont condone the breeding of oversized or sick animals.

Marja Tiura, managing director of Pro Fur, said: In August [2017], five farms who had overweight foxes were reported to the authorities.

We checked the farms, and no overweight animals were found and the facilities were well maintained. We take this very seriously.

Tia Matthews, Saga Furs fashion business director, claimed the vast majority of farmers take good care of their animals.

For 12 years, Saga Furs have had a certification scheme in place. The farm certification system requires higher animal welfare standards above those recommended by the EU. We reserve the right to abstain from selling pelts that do not comply with current legislation, she says.

Since the publication of the distressing images of the Arctic foxes last year, Saga Furs says it has engaged additional vets and agreed to re-double its efforts to inspect all farms and practices, with any non-compliant farm losing its certification.

These words, however, ring hollow with anti-fur campaigners.

Animals arent prize marrows that you can blithely grow to huge sizes for gain  and these foxes are suffering mightily, said PETA director Elisa Allen. Its no shock that its now breeding obese animals to squeeze more fur and more money out of its victims.

Meanwhile, Justice for Animals claims the industrys response amounts to little more than a self-serving PR exercise and continues to call on luxury companies to stop using real fur and switch to the cruelty-free alternatives.

At the very least, it hopes anyone who has seen its disturbing pictures of supersize Arctic foxes will think twice if theyre tempted to buy a fox fur coat.Charlotte Mitchell, 13, who died of a brain tumour this month, will transform up to 15 lives through organ and tissue donations

A girl of 13 who died of a brain tumour will transform up to 15 lives through organ and tissue donations, her mother has said.

Charlotte Mitchell had the aggressive disease known as glioblastoma and died earlier this month  just six weeks after her diagnosis.

Her grieving mother has now urged parents to discuss donating with their children from an early age.

She said it could help save more lives because the law in England still requires donors to 'opt in' before they die.

Charlotte had the same type of tumour that killed Labour peer Tessa Jowell.

The teenager died before she could undergo treatment at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

Her mother Karen, 49, said last night: 'We don't know why it has taken so long that you still have to opt in, the law needs to change quicker.'

The teenager died before she could undergo treatment at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children. Pictured: More than 1,000 students and staff from a school lined the road to pay their final respects to Charlotte

She continued: 'It means it's important for parents to talk about why it's important to opt in. It was something we had talked about.

'Charlotte just said she understood and said 'it will give someone else a chance at life'.'

Miss Mitchell, from Torquay, Devon, added: 'Without a doubt it has given us solace knowing how many people her organs might help. It's one of the only things that keeps me going.'

Everyone who attended the funeral had written a message to Charlotte on paper that was infused with flower seeds.These were tied to biodegradable balloons that were released

In February, MPs backed a bill in Parliament which would change the law to 'opt out', meaning people would automatically be donors unless they say otherwise. However, the bill has not yet come into force.

Miss Mitchell, a paramedic for South Western Ambulance Service, was told by a nurse that her only child could help up to 15 recipients.

The teenager can donate up to nine organs such as the heart, pancreas and kidneys along with tissues including the corneas, skin and bone.BBC2 should broaden its appeal and not just talk to 'posh people in the South', the TV channel's controller has admitted.

Patrick Holland says he will be 'striding down a path of reinvigoration' to extend its audience.

The BBC has warned repeatedly that young people are deserting its channels to watch online streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon.

The communications watchdog Ofcom said this year that youngsters were more familiar with YouTube than with the BBC.

But Mr Holland insisted he would not stop at trying to extend BBC2's his reach to a younger audience.

BBC2 controller Patrick Holland (pictured) says he will be 'striding down a path of reinvigoration' to extend audiences to beyond 'just posh people in the south'

He added: 'The more modern we make the channel, the more we serve the whole audience rather than just posh people in the South.'

He promised to produce 'challenging' content 'unashamed of complexity'.

Ofcom also warned that the BBC and other public-service broadcasters were neglecting older women and audiences outside London.

In a report, it said: 'Older women, young people, people living outside London and people from ethnic minority backgrounds feel less satisfied with public service broadcasters than do other audiences.'

Mr Holland's comments in Broadcast magazine come after he announced last month that BBC2 would run a five-part series on Margaret Thatcher charting the 'seismic social history of modern Britain'.

The series would also explore the 'controversial figure's rise and fall', he said.

At the other end of the scale, the channel has also been home to the drama Versailles, which is to be axed after three series following a slump in viewers amid criticism that the show was too sexually explicit.

Regarded as one of the BBC's raunchiest, it portrayed group sex sessions as well as substantial nudity.

Of his pledge to keep viewers interested, Mr Holland told Broadcast: 'You misread BBC2 if you think it has to be like eating muesli. It doesn't.'

Pictured: Stars of BBC Two's new series of Love in the Countryside

Launched in 1964, three years later the channel became the first station in Europe to broadcast in colour.

In the past the channel has been home to the likes of Fawlty Towers and Delia Smith's cookery shows.

Offerings now include the current affairs programme Newsnight, the wildlife show Springwatch and the comedy series Detectorists.

Only last month, Mr Holland spoke of his disbelief that some regarded BBC2 as 'stuffy, comfortable or complacent'.

Instead, he said he saw it as the 'first TV outsider, the first to question the mainstream, the first with a mission to be unorthodox'.

Mr Holland, who took over as controller last year and is thought to earn 215,000, also pledged to focus on its 'unorthodox DNA'.

The documentary Hospital, one of the first commissioned by Mr Holland when he took the role, offered a previously unseen view into life inside the NHS. He described the show as 'shocking but life-affirming' and 'difficult  but honest'.Twitter has been condemned for deleting accounts of female users because they said that men could not become women.

Feminist group Fair Play for Women claimed that the social media giant was aiding an attack on free speech by removing the comments for being transphobic.

The group said womens accounts were being suspended simply for stating biological and legal facts.

Fair Play for Women published an open letter to Martha Lane Fox, who sits on Twitter's board, to back their right to 'not be silenced'

The women claim Twitter accounts are being deleted for 'simply stating basic, incontrovertible biological facts', such as 'women give birth'

The feminist group claims by banning them from the site after such statements, Twitter is carrying out 'a concerted attack on women's free speech'

Twitter has previously been criticised for its failure to remove posts from jihadis and the far-Right, as well as those giving details of sex assault victims.

In a letter to Martha Lane Fox, a cross-bench peer who is on Twitters board, the group said: Women are being silenced.

We ask you today to use your voice to speak out against this new wave of misogyny and to stand up for women when we are being deprived of a platform from which to speak the truth.

The letter was signed by more than 50 women, who describe themselves as doctors, lawyers and members of the Armed Forces, among others.

The group claims Twitter has taken down accounts where women have made statements such as: The penis is a male sexual organ.

Its letter added: Online, women are threatened with violence for saying things that should not be controversial, but have become so. For saying that males cannot become females. For saying that women do not have penises.

For saying that womens spaces such as refuges should be safe havens for women only.

Yesterday on Radio 4s Today programme, transgender campaigner Owl Fisher claimed that the groups actions had amounted to abuse.

The writer and filmmaker said: Theyre being banned because theyre harassing people online and theyve been targeting people and have been repeatedly calling trans women men with malicious intent.

This isnt any sort of reasonable debate about trans rights or about the Gender Recognition Act, or about girl guides, this is about targeted harassment where people have been engaging in unacceptable behaviour and I dont think its right that people are actually targeting people in this way. Nicola Williams, from Fair Play for Women, said: The main point is, really, all people are actually saying are biological or legal facts and they are being considered hateful by Twitter.

They hope Ms Fox (pictured), who is also a member of the House of Lords, will help 'stop allowing men to police our language, threaten us and abuse us'

Dr Williams, a scientist, said that the sites policies meant it was impossible to have a proper debate about the issue. Silencing one side of the debate is wrong, she added.

While Dr Williams said hateful comments should not be allowed on Twitter, she said the firms rules had got it wrong.

One of the banned users was told that their post, which read, All rapists are men, amounted to hateful conduct and was in violation of Twitters rules. Within hours of the Radio 4 broadcast yesterday, for which Dr Williams was also interviewed, many users on Twitter also attacked the BBC for supporting transphobia.

Twitter has been one of the preferred means of communication for jihadis, including gloating posts after last years Manchester attack. Pages belonging to Britain First and ex-English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson were also banned only recently, while names of victims of sexual abuse have also been plastered across the network. Twitter said its rules are enforced equally for every user, regardless of the commentary they engage in.The author of the Mary Poppins books has been commemorated with a blue plaque to mark London History Day.

P.L. Travers lived at 50 Smith Street in Chelsea from 1946 to 1962.

It was during this time that Walt Disney aproached her about his plan to turn her creation into a movie.

The former home in Chelsea, London of author P. L. Travers, whose Mary Poppins books inspired the Disney film, that has been honoured by English Heritage with a blue plaque

The house was used as a model for the one lived in by the Banks family in the 1964 film. Mary Poppins  played by Julie Andrews  moves into their home as a nanny for the familys children.

Howard Spencer, English Heritage blue plaque historian, said the house was in her minds eye when she told Disney how the home should look.

Travers, who died at 96 in 1996, published Mary Poppins in 1934  the first of a series of eight books.Luigi di Maio, leader of the Five Star Movement, said fresh elections are inevitable

The leader of Italys biggest party yesterday insisted the country should hold another election if an anti-establishment government is not imminently formed.

The last-ditch attempt at choosing a ruling coalition emerged as politicians sought to drag the country out of its political crisis.

Luigi di Maio, leader of the Five Star Movement, said fresh elections are inevitable unless his choice of prime minister is given the green light.

After toppling Italys establishment parties at the March election, Five Star formed a partnership with far-Right group League, which would have seen its leader Giuseppe Conte become prime minister.

But the prospect of Europes first openly Eurosceptic government imploded on Sunday when Italys president Sergio Mattarella blocked the plans over Mr Contes choice of an economics minister who opposes the euro. This led the PM-designate to quit his new role.

An opinion poll yesterday suggested that the Eurosceptic parties could increase their vote share, with League up eight per cent to 25.4 percent compared to its result at the March elections. Support for Five Star Movement appeared to hold steady at about 32.6 per cent.

Mr Di Maio said: There are two paths ahead: either we launch the Conte government with a reasonable solution or we vote right away.A woman who arranged to prostitute her 10-year-old granddaughter even swapped naked pictures of the child in exchange for phone credit, a court has heard.

The New Zealand woman, who cannot be identified to protect the child, started exchanging text messages with Andrew Davie in May 2017, the Wellington District Court heard on Friday.

The woman, who works as a prostitute, agreed to introduce Davie, a client, to her granddaughter so he could touch and possibly have sex with the 10-year-old.

The New Zealand woman, who cannot be identified to protect the child, started exchanging text messages with Andrew Davie in May 2017, the Wellington District Court (pictured) heard

The woman, from Lower Hutt in Wellington, sent photos of the little girl naked in the bath in exchange for phone credit, the court heard.

Both the girl's grandmother and Davie pleaded guilty to entering into a deal to sexually exploit a child. But both denied they ever intended to follow through, theNZ Herald reported.

Davie told the court he had no sexual interest in children despite having sent graphic text messages describing what he would do to children aged eight to 16, the court heard.

Davie argued he was only trying to fuel on a sexual fantasy. He said he liked to escalate fantasies.

'If somebody had said 'I've been with a four-year-old', I'd say 'I've been with a three-year-old',' Davie said.

Text messages seen by police show the pair negotiating how much Davie would pay in exchange for the girl.

Both the girl's grandmother and Andrew Davie pleaded guilty in court on Friday to entering into a deal to sexually exploit a child (stock)

The woman, from Lower Hutt in Wellington (region pictured), sent photos of the little girl naked in the bath in exchange for phone credit, the court heard

Davie first offered $1,000 but it was rejected by the girl's grandmother who instead asked for a cheap but reliable car.

The pair even discussed how the arrangement would play out.

They agreed Davie would take the girl lingerie shopping so he could see her in underwear, and gain her trust before sexually exploiting her.

'If somebody had said 'I've been with a four-year-old', I'd say 'I've been with a three-year-old',' Davie told the court

Davie also planned for a transgender person to train the young girl, the publication reported.

Davie told the court he never wanted to follow through with the arrangement and was only 'talking rubbish'.

The grandmother's defence solicitor argued the woman was only playing a part in the man's fantasy.

He said the alleged fantasy was all part of her job as a prostitute.

The court heard bestiality images were found in the grandmother's possession, but her lawyer claimed they were used to pleasure her clients, not herself.

Bestiality material was also found in Davie's possession.

They agreed Davie would take the girl lingerie shopping so he could see her in underwear, and gain her trust before sexually exploiting her (stock pictured)

A bestiality video and even self-written stories about incest with children were discovered at his home, the court heard.

Judge Jan Kelly reserved her decision when the case was heard in the Wellington District Court on Friday.

The sickening plan was only uncovered when Davie allegedly tried to groom another young girl.

He allegedly approached a teenage girl, 14, at a library and told her he was a scout for a modelling agency.

He arranged to take photos of the girl wearing only lingerie.

When the girl arrived at their arranged meeting, she took her mother with her.

At that meeting, Davie allegedly told the girl he wanted to meet her in private the following day.

At their next meeting, the police intercepted.

When officers searched the man, it led to the discovery of the sordid text message exchange with the prostitute grandmother.Diners at a popular restaurant in a Malaysian tourist hotspot were horrified to discover their dishes were washed in a puddle on the street.

A video which surfaced online showed staff from Raj's Banana Leaf restaurant squatting over a pothole on the street, scrubbing and rinsing food trays with the dirty water.

The restaurant in Kuala Lumpur's affluent neighbourhood of Bangsar, issued an apology, blaming the incident on new staff but has since been shut down.

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Diners at a popular restaurant in a Malaysian tourist hotspot were horrified to discover their dishes were washed in a puddle on the street (pictured)

The restaurant assured customers that the incident was not common practice and that the employees were 'newly recruited staff'.

'Hygiene and cleanliness are are top priority,' the restaurant maintained over a Facebook post.

However, health authorities were forced to shut the restaurant indefinitely after finding there were no adequate washing facilities, Coconuts.co reported.

'We will take action to close down the restaurant until further notice,' Deputy director of the Environmental Health Department, Chandrakant Patel said.

Health authorities shut the restaurant down

Mr Patel declined to reveal the name of the restaurant owner, but said a representative from the restaurant had admitted to mistakes in handling the its operations.

'They do not have proper washing facilities behind the kitchen,' he said.

However, the restaurant passed health checks with an A- rating and 'cleanliness checks showed that the restaurant was in good condition' Mr Patel confirmed.

Raj's Banana Leaf offered a free buka puasa dinner on Thursday evening to apologise to guests, but it is now unclear whether the restaurant will be able to follow through with the offer.

It remains unclear how the popular restaurant passed cleanliness checks without proper washing facilities in the kitchen.Four respected London universities have slipped down a global league table following rows over executive pay, sub-par teaching and safe space censorship.

This years World Reputation Rankings, seen as the definitive guide to universities international standing, has just nine UK institutions in the top 100  down from ten last year, with Durham falling out.

Cambridge was the top UK university, retaining its position at number four. Oxford, which had been joint-fourth last year, slipped to fifth.

Kings College London (41st) and Edinburgh (34th) slipped by one place, while the London School of Economics fell five places to 25th.

University College London fell two places to 18th and Imperial College also fell by two, to 20th.

Four respected London universities including King's College London in the global league table

The rankings, compiled by Times Higher Education from a survey of 10,000 academics across the world, follow a difficult year for Britains elite universities.

A number of prestigious colleges scored poorly in the Governments new Teaching Excellence Framework, which assesses the quality of teaching.

Many campuses have also been dogged by rows over excessive pay for vice chancellors and other senior staff.

Many universities have also drawn criticism over so-called snowflake students clamping down on free speech and demanding safe spaces in lectures, where controversial subjects are censored.

Alan Smithers, professor of education at the University of Buckingham, said: This hasnt been a good year for the reputation of the UKs universities, with rows about pay, safe spaces and freedom of speech.

We need to up our game to ensure that the falls this year are not the beginning of a trend.

Cambridge is the top UK university but number four in the world rankings

The other UK universities ranked in the top 100 were Manchester, in joint 51st, and Warwick in joint 81st.

Oxford and Cambridge were the only non-US universities to make the top ten. The list was topped by Harvard.Almost 3,000 patients have been waiting a year or more for operations and treatment, a report reveals today.

The figure is the highest since 2012 when ministers vowed to eliminate 'exceptionally long waits'.

Many patients are in extreme pain awaiting hip or knee replacements, hernia repair or gall-bladder removal.

The number who have been waiting at least 12 months has increased 75 per cent since this time last year.

Experts say this is because the NHS is struggling to cope with rising demand on such constrained funds.

Almost 3,000 patients have been waiting at least a year for operations and treatment, a report revealed. The figure is the highest since 2012 when ministers vowed to eliminate 'long waits'

4 in 10 GPs want out Almost 40 per cent of GPs are considering quitting within the next five years, a study has found. Research by the University of Manchester involving 1,134 GPs found that a record 39 per cent had a 'considerable intention' to leave their jobs within half a decade. This is the highest percentage since the survey began in 2005. Of those who want to quit, 36 per cent intend to leave medical work entirely. The research also found that 14 per cent of GPs under 50 were considering leaving, up from just 6 per cent in 2005, while 57 per cent of all doctors want to reduce their working hours in the next five years. Professor Kath Checkland, who led the study, said the 39 per cent figure was 'particularly worrying in terms of the possible implications it might have on recruitment ... and patient care'. Advertisement

Today's report by the NHS's financial watchdog also reveals hospitals have overspent budgets by 960million this year. This is significantly worse than last year's 791million  and well above their target of a 496million maximum.

NHS Improvement, which compiled the report, said this was partly because overwhelmed hospitals had been forced to send patients for private treatment. Many have contracts with nearby private hospitals that carry out operations and treatment, paid for by the NHS, when they are very busy.

The report highlights just five of the 137 A&E units met the target of treating 95 per cent of patients within four hours.

Two of these were at specialised children's hospitals, in Sheffield and Birmingham, which saw far fewer patients.

At the worst-performing A&Es a third of patients who showed up between January and March waited longer than four hours. They included the Princess Alexandra in Harlow, Essex, and the Norfolk and Norwich Hospitals in East Anglia.

The findings will re-ignite the debate over NHS funding. Theresa May is expected to announce a cash injection to coincide with health service's 70th anniversary on July 5.

Siva Anandaciva, chief of the King's Fund healthcare think-tank, said: 'Unless the long-term funding settlement promised by the Prime Minister provides the stability the service desperately needs, it is clear that standards of care will continue to deteriorate and patients will wait longer to access NHS services.'

Experts say this is because the NHS is struggling to cope with rising demand on such constrained funds

Phillippa Hentsch, of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said it was unacceptable more patients faced long delays, but trusts were struggling to meet increased demand for emergency services due to 'financial and workforce pressures'.

The Royal College of Surgeons said the worst-affected procedures were trauma and orthopaedics, which includes hip and knee replacements, and general surgery, such as hernia and gall-bladder repair.

Ian Eardley, of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: 'These patients will be waiting in significant pain and discomfort, possibly unable to work or carry out day-to-day tasks. A year is too long to be left waiting in this condition.'

The figures show 2,647 patients had been waiting at least a year in March  the highest since July 2012  compared with 1,513 in March last year.

But six trusts do not supply figures for waiting times, and estimates suggest the real total could be more than 3,000. Ian Dalton, of NHS Improvement, said staff had seen more patients than ever within four hours.

Half of 999 patients in London are to be treated at the scene and not taken to hospital in a bid to speed up treatment and slash costs. The London Ambulance Service said staff would also use iPads to share pictures and hold 'video consultations'.A former fashion assistant at Vogue has been charged with stealing more than $50,000 from her creative director boss.

Yvonne Bannigan, 25, was employed as an assistant to US Vogue creative director-at-large Grace Coddington in New York prior to her arrest in April.

Bannigan, who is from Dublin, Ireland, is charged with second and third degree grand larceny.

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Yvonne Bannigan, 25, was employed as an assistant to US Vogue creative director-at-large Grace Coddington in New York prior to her arrest in April

The young assistant is accused of making $53,564 worth of unauthorized purchases on Coddington's credit card, sources told the New York Post.

Bannigan also allegedly sold some of Coddington's property on TheRealReal - an online consignment store.

She is accused of keeping $9,000 in commission for herself.

According to her LinkedIn page, Bannigan had worked for the 77-year-old Vogue legend since February 2016.

She was a freelance assistant at Vogue for a year before that.

The young assistant is accused of spending $53,564 in unauthorized purchases on Coddington's credit card

Coddington was Vogue's legendary creative director for 30 years before she announced she was stepping down in 2016. She took on her current role as creative director-at-large

Bannigan also held intern roles at Elle Magazine and Zac Posen prior to working at Vogue.

Her attorney Michael Cornacchia said the incident was believed to be a misunderstanding that he hoped would be sorted out.

'She didn't do anything wrong,' he said.

Coddington was Vogue's legendary creative director for 30 years before she announced she was stepping down in 2016.

After taking a step back from her day-to-day position at Vogue, Coddinhton took on her current role as creative director-at-large, while working on other projects outside the publication.Jeremy Corbyn has been accused of holding 'anti-Semitic views' by one of Britain's senior Jewish leaders.

Jonathan Arkush, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the Labour leader's election as PM could drive Jewish people out of the UK.

He said that, after Mr Corbyn failed to stamp out anti-Semitism in his party, Jewish people had been left asking each other: 'Do we have a future here?'

In his final interview before stepping down, Mr Arkush  one of two Jewish leaders who met Mr Corbyn in March  said he believed the Labour leader 'has views which are anti-Semitic, and he has problematic views'.

Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has been accused of holding 'anti-Semitic views' by one of Britain's senior Jewish leaders

He added: 'With the election of Jeremy Corbyn, it seemed people who had a habit of participating in anti-Semitic discourse thought some sort of space had opened up for them.'

Mr Arkush said he had asked the Labour leader: 'Why is there nothing good you can say about Israel?' But he said Mr Corbyn could not give him an answer.

Mr Arkush told The Daily Telegraph: 'Delegitimising the state of Israel is anti-Semitic. He was a chairman of Stop The War, which is responsible for some of the worst anti-Israel discourse. He has never disavowed that sentiment.

Jonathan Arkush (second from left), president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said the Labour leader's election as PM could drive Jewish people out of the UK

'Is this double speak? What are we supposed to think? If he shares the prevalent discourse about Israel, then that view is unquestionably anti-Semitic.'

On what would happen if Mr Corbyn became PM, he said: 'Will it become worse? Yes, it will be bound to. Unless he took steps that were very clear that firmly, clearly and effectively addressed all forms of racism.'

A spokesman for Mr Corbyn said: 'These are unfounded and outrageous personal attacks without any evidence to support them.

'Jonathan Arkush's attempt to conflate strong criticism of Israeli state policies with anti-Semitism is wrong and undermines the fight both against anti-Semitism and for justice for the Palestinians. It should be rejected outright.'Victoria's acting police chief has admitted hundreds of officers may have been involved in fake roadside alcohol breath tests.

Wendy Steendam said it was possible drug tests were also affected, and quotas could be to blame for the falsified tests.

Professional Standards Command Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett said no fraud or criminality was involved, and motorists were not affected.

Former Victorian police chief commissioner Neil Comrie will lead an investigation into why over a quarter of a million tests were faked over the past five years.

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Wendy Steendam (pictured) said it was possible drug tests were also affected, and quotas could be to blame for the falsified tests

Officers simulated tests by either placing a finger over the straw entry hole or blowing into the straw themselves to 'for a productivity gain'.

'It's possible,' said Ms Steendam when asked if hundreds of officers could be involved by Neil Mitchell on 3AW.

'If you can fake a breath test, couldn't you fake drug tests, too?' asked Mitchell.

'Anything's possible, Neil,' Ms Steendam replied.

'We don't shy away from the fact that there are requirements for us to do 1.5million breath tests per year, and up to 3.5million for next year.'

Mitchell also grilled Police Union boss Wayne Gatt, who said 'Oh, I reckon there are,' when asked if breath test quotas exist.

An audit of more than five years of tests by the force's Professional Standards Command found 258,463 out of 17.7 million, or 1.5 per cent, had been falsified.

'It's very disappointing that I have to stand before you today and announce some incredibly poor behaviour by members of Victoria police,' Mr Barrett told reporters on Thursday.

'Our reputation is tarnished in the eyes of the TAC and the Victorian community. We can't walk away from that.

'It's very disappointing that I have to stand before you today and announce some incredibly poor behaviour by members of Victoria police,' Professional Standards Command Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett told reporters on Thursday (pictured)

'The TAC has suspended funding of our operations at the current time and we are currently working through that with them.'

Victoria Police receives about $4 million each year for the TAC, Mr Barrett said.

He added the main culprits behind the falsified breath tests were general duties and highway patrol officers, with some rural areas over-represented.

'There was no criminality, no fraud, in our view,' Mr Barrett said, adding tests administered to motorists were not affected.

When asked about quotas, Mr Barrett said quotas were not set by Victoria Police at a local level, but left to local area commands.

'This conduct will not be tolerated, any member found engaging in this practice from today has been put on notice they will be investigated,' Mr Barrett said on Wednesday.

'I had not heard of our members engaging in such a practice, we let ourselves down, we've let the community down. It stops now.'

'It's possible,' said Ms Steendam (pictured with former prime minister Julia Gillard) when asked if hundreds of officers could be involved

The audit considered complex algorithms together with considerations on the length of time it would take to administer one test and a succession of tests to reach its conclusion.

The audit did not find evidence of the practice at supervised drug and alcohol bus test sites.

'I don't think we can move away from the fact that it would enhance productivity of certain individuals, it would enhance their reputation if they were seen to be more productive,' Mr Barrett said on Thursday.

Victoria's Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission is overseeing the investigation into the scandal, to be led by Mr Comrie.

'Give the widespread nature of the behaviour, we need ensure no conflicts of interest can be levelled at Victoria Police in its investigation of itself,' Mr Barrett said.

All police officers will receive workplace guidance while the investigation considers what underlying cultural and behavioural issues, and supervision and management practices, let the fake tests go unchecked.Cambridge economist Dr Graham Gudgin has dismissed HMRC's claim that post-Brexit red tape could cost firms 20bn

A Cambridge economist has dismissed HMRCs claims that post-Brexit customs red tape could cost firms up to 20billion a year.

Dr Graham Gudgin, from the universitys Judge Business School, said the figure was based on shoddy calculations  and that the final cost is more likely to be around 2billion.

The so-called Max Fac  or maximum facilitation  option is favoured by Brexiteers as it would ensure that Britain does leave the EUs customs union. It would involve using technology and trusted trader arrangements to keep customs checks to an absolute minimum.

Last week Jon Thompson, the chief executive of HMRC, told MPs that Max Fac would cost between 17billion and 20billion and take up to three years to bring in. He also told the Treasury committee yesterday that under the plan, customs declarations would cost businesses an average of 13billion a year, with billions more to be added for EU rules of origin checks.

But last night Dr Gudgin, a member of the 50-strong group of pro-Leave academics Briefings for Brexit, said the figure was hugely inflated. Along with John Mills, chairman of retailer JML and chairman of Labour Leave, he warned that no Government policy decisions should be made on the basis of the HMRCs shoddy calculations.

They said: The Treasury and HMRC have taken to presenting hugely negative calculations of the economic impact of Brexit without formal analyses that can be checked for accuracy. This must stop. We fully expect that HMRCs wild forecasts will also be confounded by reality.

The pair highlighted the real experiences of Mr Millss firm as evidence of how apocalyptic claims about post-Brexit customs practices are unfounded. They said: The retail company JML judges that customs administration costs amount to around 1 per cent of the value of consignments.

JML does close to 100million of trade per annum with 85 countries and ships roughly 2,000 containers a year from one place to another in the world. About 80 per cent of these movements are on World Trade Organisation terms outside customs unions or free trade areas.

Jon Thompson, the chief executive of HMRC, told MPs that Max Fac would cost between 17billion and 20billion

The only additional paperwork requirements for business from being outside rather than inside the customs union are the production of certificates of origin and any necessary compliance certification. This cant possibly cost 7billion a year or anything like it for firms trading with the EU after Brexit.

As things stand at the moment inside the customs union all shipments from the UK to the EU27 involve invoices and dealing with VAT. If this sort of paperwork is a manageable burden, why should the addition of certificates of origin and compliance documentation be such a huge additional cost?

Last night, major European business leaders met with Theresa May and said they needed clarity and certainty.

The European Round Table of Industrialists, comprised of around 50 firms including energy giant E.On, warned that uncertainty causes less investment following a meeting with her at No 10.

The group said in a statement: The uninterrupted flow of goods is essential to both the EU and UK economies. This must be frictionless as with a customs union. We need clarity and certainty, because time is running out.

Downing Street said the meeting had been open and productive.France is obstructing Britains bid to remain in an EU security network that helps members catch foreign criminals.

The UK government wants continued access to a shared database that helped French and Belgian authorities identify the terrorists responsible for the Paris attacks in November 2015.

Ministers have said Britains ability to access and share vital DNA, fingerprint and vehicle data under the so-called Prum convention is clearly in the national interest.

But France led the resistance against Britains efforts to join a Prum 2 at a recent meeting to discuss security after Brexit.

France is obstructing Britains bid to remain in an EU security network that helps members catch foreign criminals

A Government source told The Times: Normally France is quite helpful when it comes to security co-operation but on this they are being awkward.

The EU is digging in on sticking to rules that limit the sharing of sensitive information with third-party countries.

The Government had been confident that its own strength in law enforcement and intelligence would overcome ideological objections to a deal.

Meanwhile, Britains economy will fare better than expected over the next two years, a leading global economic watchdog says.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said it expects the UK economy to grow by 1.4 per cent this year and 1.3 per cent next year, having forecast 1.3 per cent followed by 1.1 per cent in March.

It downgraded forecasts for Germany, France and Italy.Radio 4 broadcaster Eddie Mair is resisting a salary cut to help balance the BBC's gender pay gap, it was reported last night.

The 52-year-old, host of the evening news programme PM, is thought to be the last of the corporation's highest-paid male broadcasters to finalise a cut.

Mair has reportedly angered managers by resisting moves to reduce his salary, which stands at between 300,000 and 350,000.

Radio 4 broadcaster Eddie Mair (pictured) is resisting a salary cut to help balance the BBC's gender pay gap

Other BBC news heavyweights Huw Edwards and Nick Robinson have accepted cuts, while Jeremy Vine described taking one as a 'no-brainer'.

John Humphrys has agreed to three wage cuts.

Mair's supposed obstinance is complicating the corporation's attempts to address the gender pay gap exposed by the publication of salaries last year, The Times reported.

Other BBC news heavyweights Huw Edwards (pictured) and Nick Robinson have accepted cuts,

The BBC insisted last night Mair had 'expressed his willingness to have a pay reduction' and said negotiations were ongoing.

'We're still consulting with the joint unions and our staff,' a spokesman said. 'The process is progressing well and we'll report back soon.'

The BBC faced a revolt by its female journalists and was embarrassed by the resignation of Carrie Gracie, the China editor, last January.

Veteran Radio 4 Today presenter John Humphrys (pictured) has agreed to three wage cuts

A BBC spokeswoman said: 'It is wrong to suggest Eddie is resisting a pay reduction - we are in ongoing discussions with Eddie and he has expressed his willingness to take a pay reduction.'

On the pay row at the company, she added: 'Were still consulting with the joint unions and our staff.

'The process is progressing well and well report back soon.

'It would never be the case that one individuals pay or circumstances would delay a BBC-wide review process such as this.'Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has tweeted photos of his working dinner with a top aide of North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un in a historic meeting in New York on Wednesday.

Kim Yong Chol met with Pompeo in Manhattan, where the two dined on 'steak, corn, and cheese,' according to the secretary of state.

The meeting took place as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Pyongyang for talks with his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong Ho.

He is the most senior North Korean official to visit the United States since 2000, when Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok traveled to Washington to meet with then-President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office.

The North Korean official is in the U.S. conducting one of three sets of parallel talks aimed at salvaging a summit between his boss, Kim Jong-un, and President Donald Trump.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (right) has tweeted photos of his working dinner with Kim Yong Chol (left), a top aide of North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un in a historic meeting in New York on Wednesday

Kim Yong Chol met with Pompeo in Manhattan, where the two dined on 'steak, corn, and cheese,' according to the secretary of state

Kim Yong Chol met with Pompeo to finalize plans for the summit, while lower-level officials have been meeting at the inter-Korean border and in Singapore for other pre-summit negotiations

Kim Yong Chol appeared relaxed as he sat across from Pompeo at the New York apartment where the meeting took place

Pompeo (center) points toward the Manhattan skyline as Kim Yong Chol (left) and an unidentified North Korean official look on

This handout photograph obtained courtesy of the US Department of State shows the menu and table set for the dinner meeting

The above handout image shows the menu signed by Pompeo and his North Korean guest, Kim Yong Chol

The dinner was held at The Corinthian, a 57-story residential apartment building located in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan

Kim Yong Chol met with Pompeo to finalize plans for the summit, while lower-level officials have been meeting at the inter-Korean border and in Singapore for other pre-summit negotiations.

Kim Yong Chol likely conveyed to Pompeo that Kim Jong-un is serious about the summit and also to discuss the contents of a joint statement to be issued at its end.

Some experts say major thorny issues are still unsettled between the two countries, and that is why a senior official like Kim Yong Chol has traveled to the United States to narrow the gap.

Trump abruptly canceled the summit last Thursday before quickly reversing course and announcing the meeting could happen.

His decision came amid widespread doubt in the United States that North Korea would be willing to actually scrap a nuclear program it has struggled for decades to build.

Meanwhile, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who met Kim Jong Un last Saturday, said the North Korean leader is uncertain whether he can trust Trump's promise to provide a security guarantee if North Korea abandons its nuclear weapons.

Given these basic concerns, Kim Yong Chol's talks with Pompeo are likely to focus on a possible compromise between Washington's push for a speedy nuclear disarmament and North Korea's preference for more gradual steps matched by corresponding benefits from the U.S.

Kim Young Chol, the Vice Chairman of North Korea, is seen above leaving the Millennium Hotel in New York on Wednesday before his dinner with Pompeo

Kim Yong Chol, 72, is the most senior North Korean official to visit the United States since 2000.

His official title is vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party.

He previously headed North Korea's military intelligence agency and was believed to be behind two attacks in 2010 that killed 50 South Koreans and a 2014 cyberattack on Sony Pictures.

U.S. and North Korean officials started talks on the North's side of a Korean border village on Sunday to set the agenda for the summit.

The village is inside the mine-strewn 2.5-mile-wide Demilitarized Zone, a buffer created at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The U.S. delegation is headed by Sung Kim, the U.S. ambassador to the Philippines who served as America's top negotiator to now-stalled six-nation talks on North Korean nuclear disarmament, and as its ambassador to Seoul.

In 2008, he witnessed North Korea's destruction of the cooling tower at its main nuclear complex in a show of good faith with the United States.

Pompeo (left) is seen above exiting the residential building in Manhattan where the meeting with Kim Yong Chol took place on Wednesday

Kim Yong Chol, 72, is the most senior North Korean official to visit the United States since 2000. His official title is vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party

In recent years, however, satellite photos have indicated that North Korea has restarted its plutonium reactor at the complex.

His North Korean counterpart is Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui, the North's highest-ranking female diplomat.

A recent statement by Choe threatening to scuttle the summit and warning Washington of a nuclear showdown led Trump to temporarily cancel the summit, citing 'open hostility' from the North.

The two sides are believed to have exchanged their countries' views on North Korea's denuclearization, America's security assurances and other issues.

South Korean media said they wrapped up their talks on Wednesday after Kim Yong Chol's departure for New York.

Choe served as an English-language interpreter during the six-party talks, while Sung Kim, a Korean American, is fluent in Korean.

The file photo above shows Koreans watching news footage on television of President Trump (left) and Kim Jong-un (right) at a train station in Seoul, South Korea

Analysts say that is likely to have smoothed their talks because they could understand each other even when they were speaking their own languages at the negotiating table.

This meeting is to plan protocol, security and other logistical issues and might also include determining when and where in Singapore the summit would be held.

The two countries originally planned to hold the summit in Singapore on June 12.

After putting the summit back on track, Trump tweeted Friday that it 'will likely remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th, and, if necessary, will be extended beyond that date.'

A delegation led by another of Kim Jong Un's trusted aides, Kim Chang Son, flew to Singapore on Monday night.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, front, and his delegation arriving ay Pyongyang Airport

The Russian Foreign Minister was in Pyongyang capital for talks with his North Korean counterpart

South Korean media reported that he began talks with Joe Hagin, the White House deputy chief of staff for operations, who is in Singapore with other U.S. officials.

No details have emerged about the talks.

Possible venues for the summit include Singapore's presidential palace, the Shangri-La hotel and the Marina Bay Sands hotel.

Kim Chang Son served as Kim Jong Un's chief of staff after the 34-year-old leader took power in late 2011.

His current official title is a departmental director at the State Affairs Commission, which is headed by Kim Jong Un.

North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho shakes hands Sergei Lavrov at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang

The two sides sit down to talks. Lavrov's visit comes ahead of a planned summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un

Sergei Lavrov addressing the media at the Mansudae Assembly Hall

Meanwhile, Sergei Lavrov met with his North Korean counterpart is seen as an attempt by Moscow to make its voice heard in its neighbor state's new push for diplomacy.

After his arrival, Lavrov met with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho and others at an assembly hall in the capital.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement earlier they would discuss bilateral issues as well as the overall situation on the Korean Peninsula. Details of Lavrov's schedule in Pyongyang were not disclosed.

Despite having a border with the North and relatively cordial relations that President Vladimir Putin has seemed to want to develop further, Russia has so far remained largely on the sidelines as Kim has emerged onto the world stage this year.



Parking in the city is difficult on a good day but one man truly struggled this morning after he rammed a $300,000 Porsche under a Subaru.

The Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet had just been dropped of at Sydney's Hyatt Regency Hotel when a valet tasked with safely parking the powerful German sports car drove it straight under a small four-wheel drive.

It is believed the valet thought the car was in a different gear and went forward instead of reversing, The Daily Telegraph reported.

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A valet at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Sydney rammed a Porsche under a Subaru (pictured)

The force of the crash sent the Subaru into anther car that was parked close

The Porsche went straight under the $33,000 orange Subaru XV SUV hatch, pushing it into a white Kia Cerato sedan.

Emergency services attended the scene and had to jack up the car and cut out the driver who was stuck under the mangled and very expensive wreckage.

The owner of the black Porsche convertible apparently remained calm and said: 'I'm just going to take a walk.'

The valet was unharmed in the incident but had to be cut out of the mangled car

Emergency crews attended the scene and eventually dislodged the Porsche to get it out from under the Subaru

Matthew Talbot, the hotel's director of sales and marketing, said the valet was unharmed in the crash.

'We've worked very quickly to secure the area. Obviously it's an interesting looking picture,' he told the ABC.

'We've got the fire brigade and the police on the scene as soon as we could and the vehicle was on the bottom on the other one.'

'They had to cut part of the car away and pull the staff member out.'

It's understood the valet believed the $300,000 Porsche was in reverse, not a forward gearAuthorities are warning Australians to hang up their phone immediately if they receive a phone call or voicemail in Mandarin after a spate of targeted scams.

One victim was swindled out of almost $2 million and is among dozens of people conned by the Chinese phone scam.

At least 50 people across New South Wales have reported they were scammed, however authorities believe more people have been tricked by the elaborate scam.

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A dangerous phone call is doing the rounds and could leave you penniless forcing authorities to warn people to hang up immediately (stock image)

Australians who have found voicemails left in Mandarin on their phones have been urged by police to hang up immediately (stock image)

Australians who have found voicemails left in Mandarin on their phones have been urged by police to hang up immediately.

NSW Police issued a public warning on Wednesday after 'thousands' of people reported receiving calls from someone speaking in Mandarin.

'I want to stress that the Chinese Embassy would never contact a victim to pay money over the phone,' Financial Crimes Squad Commander, Detective Superintendent Linda Howlett said.

The caller demands money and threatens violence or harm to the receiver, their family and friends if they don't pay up.

What to do if you get the scam phone call - Hang up immediately - Do not disclose personal details - Never provide banking details to caller - Never give out you financial PIN or account passwords - Do not make payments to the caller by phone, internet or cash - If you are suspicious of the caller, ask them questions about their credentials and if they avoid answering, hang up - Don't let scammers pressure you, they often follow scripts to put you under pressure - If you think you provided personal details to a scammer, contact bank immediately - Report it to police Source: NSW Police Advertisement

In some cases, Chinese expats in Australia without money were told to perform a kidnapping in order to retrieve money from family overseas.

Police say the scam has claimed dozens of NSW victims, including $1.9 million from one victim alone, The Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Detective Superintendent Howlett said police were aware of at least 50 scams across the state and fears many more have not yet been reported.

The scam has already successfully defrauded people of millions of dollars worldwide and has also claimed victims in New Zealand, the US, Canada and United Kingdom.

According to NSW Police, the call often starts with a recorded message in English or Mandarin, and transfers to a person claiming to be from the Chinese Embassy or Consulate.

Listeners are then told the call will be transferred to the 'investigators' or 'police', who demand bank accounts, PINs, passports, family information, and cash payments.

'The caller purports to be a government official and the essence of the scam is to convince the victim they are in trouble, but they can pay their way out of it,' Detective Superintendent Howlett said in a police statement.

Police also urge the community not to provide any personal information to callers such as these, and to report the call to police

The international scam has claimed victims in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and United Kingdom (stock image)

'The caller claims the victim has been implicated in a crime or their identity has been stolen, which could impact on their visa to stay in Australia or harm could come to their family back home.'

The scammers are also ringing random numbers with three calls reported to the police this week.

'One person in my office received a telephone call yesterday,' Detective Superintendent Howlett told The Sydney Morning Herald.

Police are working with the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese Consulate-General as part of the investigation.

The Chinese embassy posted a public alert last week, stating that two embassy phone numbers 'have been misappropriated by the frauds'.

NSW Police posted a warning (pictured) about the scam on its Facebook page on Wednesday

'They have advised they would never call citizens to convey the notice of Chinese police, financial institutions, or other organisations,' Det Supt Howlett said.

'Further, they do not request personal information over the phone, nor would they ever demand bank account information or payments. While we are working with our law enforcement colleagues to investigate the origins of the scam, we are urging the community to heed our warning not to respond to the caller's demands.'

Police urge the community not to provide any personal information to callers such as these, and to report the call to police.

'If you receive a threatening phone call (and demanding money), hang up immediately,' the NSW Police statement states.

'If you think you have provided your account details to a scammer, contact your bank or financial institution immediately.'

Scam victims are urged to report it to local police or to the ACCC online at the 'SCAMwatch report a scam' page or by calling 1300 795 995.Australian Muslims want to be recognised as indigenous and an Aboriginal Labor senator agrees with them.

Malay Muslims arrived and settled on the lush, tropical Cocos (Keeling) Islands during the 1820s when the British brought them over as coconut plantation slaves.

The residents of the small Indian Ocean islands, 2,500km from the Australian mainland, are fighting for the Australian government to recognise them as indigenous people so they can hunt and eat booby seabirds.

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Muslims on remote Australian islands want to be recognised as indigenous and an Aboriginal Labor senator agrees with them

The issue is controversial, considering their historic connection with the islands is less than 200 years old, compared with 60,000 years for Aboriginal people in Australia.

However Northern Territory Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy, an Aboriginal woman with Yanyuwa heritage, said she agreed with their call to be recognised as indigenous.

'Are they indigenous to the Cocos? And I think probably, you know, an obvious answer would be, "Well, yes",' the former ABC newsreader told the SBS documentary Australia's Forgotten Islands.

'It really does come down to perhaps the definition of indigenous and that's a question I think that will be debated for some time.'

Northern Territory Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy, an Aboriginal woman with Yanyuwa heritage, said she agreed with their call to be recognised as indigenous

Former Cocos shire president Balmut Pirus said the island locals were frustrated at how bureaucrats in Canberra had banned them from hunting booby birds so they could cook traditional meals.

'The locals think they should have access to some of the seabirds but that's not happening at the moment,' he said.

The Cocos islanders are receiving help, in their push to be recognised as indigenous, from John Clunies-Ross, whose ancestors ruled the previously uninhabited islands as a fiefdom from 1827 to 1978.

'I'm still here. I'm still fully integrated with the community,' he said.

'I love them, they love me.'

The Cocos islanders are receiving help, in their push to be recognised as indigenous, from John Clunies-Ross, whose ancestors ruled the previously uninhabited islands as a fiefdom from 1827 to 1978

The 27 coral islands of the Cocos became part of Australia in 1955 after being part of the British empire.

British sea captain William Keeling discovered the Cocos Islands in 1609 however they were not settled until the early 19th century.

Scottish merchant John Clunies-Ross was an early settler who brought Malay workers to work on the coconut plantations, with his family ruling over the locals for 150 years.Tom Arnold is not surprised that ex-wife Roseanne Barr got chopped from her ABC show revival and feels that it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose.

A day after ABC called quits on the Roseanne reboot following racist tweets from the titular actress, the 59-year-old Arnold shared that he wasn't surprised by the inevitable but was disgusted with the way President Donald Trump responded to the news.

'I was not surprised by what went down and that the show was cancelled,' Arnold said during a Wednesday appearance on AC360 with Anderson Cooper.

'I had a feeling this would happen when there was news of a reboot.'

On Wednesday, actor Tom Arnold appeared on AC360 to share that he wasn't surprised when ABC pulled the plug on the 'Roseanne' reboot

Arnold - who was a writer on the original Rosanne series - claimed that Barr's politics and social media showed that she was obsessed with the conspiracy theories that Donald Trump has been feeding to the masses

Arnold - who was a writer on the original Rosanne series - claimed that Barr's politics and social media showed that she was obsessed with the conspiracy theories that Donald Trump has been feeding to the masses.

Arnold wrote for the show in 1988 and married Barr in 1990 but would divorce in 1994

'This monkey thing is something that she tweeted before about black people, it's a meme that she and thousands of her alt-right fans do. They love to call black people monkeys, it's not a one time joke,' Arnold explained.

'They can do this because we have a white trash racist president. That's a fact!'

Arnold shared his disgust with how Trump was only concerned with how the media had treated him when news of Barr's tweets made their way to him.

But the comedian was sure to distance Barr from Trump, insinuating that the president didn't truly care for the actress.

Arnold shared details about his several decade long relationship with both Barr and Trump and told Cooper of how Trump reacted when meeting with Arnold at a 2005 Oscar dinner party.

'Oh my god, you've married up in the world,' Arnold claimed Trump said to him about his new wife at the time, Shelby Roos.

'Then he says to me, "Roseanne was disgusting".'

Arnold shared his disgust with how Trump was only concerned with how the media had treated him when news of Barr's tweets made their way to him

'Oh my god, you've married up in the world,' Arnold claimed Trump said to him at the 2005 Oscar dinner party. 'Then he says to me, 'Roseanne was disgusting''

Just earlier, Arnold made comments to The Hollywood Reporter, claiming that Barr wanted to have the show cancelled which he reiterated on CNN

'It had to happen,' Arnold said to THR. 'And I am going to tell you the truth, she wanted it to happen, if you saw how her tweets escalated this weekend. If it hadn't happened yesterday, this season would have been so awful for everyone every day because she would have felt like she was [being] taken advantage [of], just like when I left the show.'

The actor shared that if Barr's phone would have been taken away, the chances of something to this degree happening would have been reduced.

'ABC lost maybe $1 billion from this; this show was grinding out money hand over fist and they lost it all because somebody didn't say, 'Get that phone out of her hand,'' Arnold said. 'She's not going to go on TV and say these things. But you put that phone in her hand and she is a loose cannon'

'ABC lost maybe $1 billion from this; this show was grinding out money hand over fist and they lost it all because somebody didn't say, 'Get that phone out of her hand,'' Arnold said. 'She's not going to go on TV and say these things. But you put that phone in her hand and she is a loose cannon.'

Arnold wrote for the show in 1988 and married Barr in 1990. They divorced in 1994 with Barr claiming he abused her. Yet he received $50million in the settlement.

'I said look, someone has got to tell her that Donald Trump doesnt carry his own phone,' he added. 'He may say the tweet, but someone is typing it in.'

Arnold felt that Barr needed a 'shield' or 'someone to wrangle her in and take her phone.'

The 65-year-old actress was widely condemned after she tweeted that Valerie Jarrett, who is African-American and advised Barack and Michelle Obama, looked like the 'Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby'

Barr shared her disgust with the segment when someone tagged her in a post about it

He even wrote up a statement for the actress to post on her Twitter.

He said: 'I wrote a whole thing for her a month ago and sent it over [to the crew] that said, "I am going to take a step back, it was fun at first, but now I can see how much negativity there is out there and people are getting hurt and I am going to take a step back and I am hoping my fans will too," and then if her crazy tweets came out, she could point to that and say, "But I have taken a step back.'"

The 65-year-old actress was widely condemned after she tweeted that Valerie Jarrett, who is African-American and advised Barack and Michelle Obama, looked like the 'Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby.'

President Trump himself also weighed in on Wednesday, writing: 'Bob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that ABC does not tolerate comments like those made by Roseanne Barr. Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didnt get the call?'A heartbroken multi-millionaire has asked family and friends to 'bear with him' after declaring he plans to take a whole year off to mourn the death of his wife.

Reclusive property developer Isaac Wakil announced the death of his wife Susan, 84, with a public notice on page six of the Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday.

Once darlings of Sydney's social scene, the Wakils amassed a $200 million portfolio of rundown properties across the city - including the Terminus Hotel at Pyrmont.

After losing his wife of more than six decades, Mr Wakil laid bare his emotions with the notice telling the public how his wife had been 'his pillar and his icon'.

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Heartbroken multi-millionaire Isaac Wakil has announced he will take a year off to mourn the death of his wife Susan. The property developers turned philanthropists were married 62 years

Mrs Wakil (centre) and Mr Wakil (right) attend a gala night at the Sydney Opera House in 1973

'It's with great pain and shock that Isaac Wakil sadly announces the untimely passing of his devoted wife, a partner, friend, his pillar and icon of 62 years, Susan,' it read.

'My love for Susan will never fade. And to me she will always remain beautiful.

'Isaac requests friends and family bear with him as he has decided to take one year of mourning. In lieu of flowers, your kind thoughts stand.'

Observing a 12-month mourning period is common practice for those of Jewish faith.

During the 1980s and 1990s the couple - who have no children - were regular fixtures of the social pages of Sydney's newspapers.

Mrs Wakil, who escaped war-torn Europe following her mother's death in a Soviet concentration camp, was regarded as one of Australia's most fashionable women.

At the height of their time on the social scene she would regularly wear dresses by French designer Yves St Laurent, costing as much as $20,000 each.

The haute couture outfits were often purchased for Mrs Wakil by her Iraqi immigrant husband, for her wear to lavish charity dinners she threw for Sydney's society ladies.

Mr Wakil announced his wife's death with this notice (pictured) on page six of Wednesdays's Sydney Morning Herald

The couple amassed an enormous portfolio of empty properties and warehouses right across Sydney's CBD and inner suburbs, including the Terminus Hotel (pictured) at Pyrmont

Since closing in 1985 the pub has been covered in ivy, but that didn't stop the Wakil's fetching $5million when they sold it in 2016

The Griffiths Tea building (pictured) in Surry Hills is among other rundown buildings that were snapped up by the Wakils. In 2014 they sold it to developers for an eye watering $22 million

While the immaculately-dressed Mrs Wakil worked hard as a patron of the arts, her husband was off quietly buying up property to add to his portfolio.

Targeting Sydney's CBD and the inner city suburbs of Surry Hills and Pyrmont, they would often buy rundown holdings that are worth millions in the modern market.

Despite many of their properties appearing unattractive, the Wakil's property genius and wealth meant they could keep them untenanted - making them very valuable to developers.

The Terminus Hotel in Pyrmont and the Griffiths Tea building in Surry Hills are among the jewels in their derelict portfolio.

But at sometime during the 1990s the couple mysteriously vanished, ignoring invites to events and keeping largely to themselves.

After almost two decades living in private the couple agreed to an interview in 2016 where they explained their absence and plans to donate all of their massive fortune.

The derelict street frontage of 82 Sussex Street is among the rundown properties now worth millions that are owned by Mr and Mrs Wakil

This squat warehouse in the inner city Sydney suburb of Pyrmont is just another example of unlikely real estate the couple has added to their portfolio over the years

The couple began selling off their properties in 2014 to make philanthropic donations, such as $35 million for a 'Susan Wakil Health Building at the University of Sydney (artists impression)

'When Susan decided not to go out any more, I chose to stay at home with her,' Mr Wakil told the Wentworth Courier.

'We do not accept any invitations. My work and business is set up from my house.'

That year Mrs Wakil donated $35 million to the University of Sydney for a new health and medicine wing. It is the biggest philanthropic donation in the university's history.

The Susan Wakil Health Building is due to be completed by 2019.

Sydney Jewish Museum, Opera Australia and St Vincent's Private Hospital have also benefited from the couple's generosity.

'We felt it was a good thing to do as Australia is a great country and we wanted to give something back,' Mr Wakil said.A leading cybersecurity firm has shown how hackers can hijack smartwatches to expose passwords and PINs and track wearers' movements.

Russia-based Kaspersky Labs said 'Trojan watches' steal data by using a device's accelerometer and gyroscope to track the wearer's movements.

With the use of computer algorithms, a dedicated spy could then obtain ATM PINs, phone unlock codes and passwords entered into a computer.

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A leading cybersecurity firm has shown how hackers can hijack smartwatches to steal passwords and PINs and track wearers' movements (pictured is a demonstration of a hacked smartwatch)

The same technology used by fitness trackers can tell when wearers are sitting, walking running, or even changing subway lines,Kaspersky Lab reported.

An investigation conducted by the cybersecurity company found neural networks can be trained to recognise the typing patterns of an individual.

That information can then be used to obtain passwords and even PINs entered into ATMs.

'With neural networks, signals from the three axes of the accelerometer and gyroscope can be used to decipher the PIN code of a random person with a minimum accuracy of 80 per cent,' the report stated.

Russia-based Kaspersky Labs said 'Trojan watches' steal data by using a device's accelerometer and gyroscope to track the wearer's movements (pictured is a demonstration of a hacked smartwatch)

Kaspersky Lab said direct input data was not the main danger posed by smartwatches, however, but their ability to profile user behaviour.

'So an unassuming fitness app or a new watch face from the Google Play store can be used against you, right now in fact,' warned the report.

'Simply sending your geotag once and requesting the email address linked to your Google Play account is enough to determine, based on your movements, who you are, where you've been, your smartphone usage, and when you entered a PIN at an ATM.'

With the use of computer algorithms, a dedicated spy could then obtain ATM PINs, phone unlock codes, and passwords entered into a computer (pictured is a demonstration of a hacked smartwatch)

Kaspersky said the average person is unlikely to have their smartwatch targeted, however, as hacking wrist computers is too hard for the average cyber crook.

Those who are worried they may have been hacked can check if their battery is draining more quickly than usual due to the constant use of the accelerometer.

Users should also keep an eye on their app permissions, and install spyware detection software.A Southwest Airlines flight forced to make an emergency landing at San Jose International Ariport on Wednesday after a passenger was found smoking in the bathroom.

Flight 1250 left the San Francisco International Airport headed to LAX when an in-air emergency was called.

The flight was then diverted to Mineta San Jose International Airport where it landed safely at 4.10pm, KTVU reports.

Flight 1250 left the San Francisco International Airport headed to LAX when an in-air emergency was called on Wednesday and caused it to be diverted to San Jose (stock)

The plane was said to have experienced 'mechanical difficulties' before making the landing, according to officials with the airport.

There were no flight delays at Mineta San Jose Airport and no one was listed as being injured.

There were no flight delays at Mineta San Jose Airport and no one was listed as being injured

Local authorities detained the passenger, according to a statement the airline sent to Mercury News.

Southwest is working on getting the other 32 passengers to their destination.

Smoking on planes was banned in the U.S in 2000.The bomb squad has been called to a high school after a suspicious note was found in the girls' bathroom.

The message was found by a group of female students at Gladstone State High School in Queensland just after 11am on Thursday morning.

The note made threats involving 'explosive devices', police told the Gladstone Observer.

The bomb squad has been called after a suspicious note was found in the girls' bathroom at Gladstone State High School in Queensland

Students were immediately taken out of classes and have been evacuated to a secure location.

'It was a disconcerting note and they took it straight to the office,' Sergeant Wayne Butcher said.

Police cars and fire engines were seen outside the school early Thursday afternoon.

A large group of students were also seen talking to police at the front gates of the school earlier on Thursday.

A series of threats have been made on Queensland schools in recent days.

An online post made on Saturday warned students of a school in Brisbane's north, 'Don't come to school next week.'

'A school in North Lakes QLD is going to get professionally shot up with as many casualties as possible,' the post read.

A second threat was made on Monday night named a specific school in North Lakes.

The following morning a bomb threat was made against AB Paterson College on the Gold Coast prompting a complete shutdown of the school.

That afternoon a bomb threat was made against The Lakes College in North Lakes.

A total of three teenagers have been arrested over the threats which are not being treated as related incidents.Roseanne Barr has continued her sporadic Twitter tirade by saying the Democrats have spent the last 24 hours 'lynching a Jew' after the disgraced TV star earlier claimed Michelle Obama had ordered ABC to cancel her show.

The comedian has been widely condemned ever since she compared former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to an ape on Twitter.

She has spent the past two days repeatedly hitting out at accusations that she is racist after ABC swiftly canceled her 'Roseanne' show on Tuesday following the insulting tweet.

After sending out several apologetic tweets on Wednesday, Barr went back on the defensive by saying she had taken sleeping pills prior to tweeting the offensive message.

Roseanne Barr continued her Twitter tirade late Wednesday saying Democrats had spent the last 24 hours 'lynching a Jew' after she was condemned for comparing Valerie Jarrett to an ape

Roseanne has repeatedly hit out at accusations that she is racist ever since her show 'Roseanne' was canceled on Tuesday after she compared ex-Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to an ape on Twitter

Barr started retweeting a stream of abusive she was receiving and also responded to various individuals on Twitter who said she was in the wrong and racist.

In response to one, Barr tweeted: 'I think I spent the last 24 hours watching the party of inclusion, diversity, understanding, and acceptance, lynch a Jew'.

She was responding to a tweet that said the ordeal had 'very little to do with left vs right, and everything to do with it being wrong'.

Barr flat out denied being racist in a tweet posted earlier on Wednesday.

'I'm not a racist, I never was & I never will be. One stupid joke in a lifetime of fighting 4 civil rights 4 all minorities, against networks, studios, at the expense of my nervous system/family/wealth will NEVER b taken from me.'

That comment came hours after Barr retweeted an outlandish statement suggesting that Michelle Obama played a role in her firing.

She suggested Michelle Obama was behind her firing by retweeting two unsourced claims alleging that the former first lady conspired with Channing Dungey ahead of ABC's decision

'According to sources ABC President Channing Dungey had a long conversation via phone with former First Lady Michelle Obama before deciding to cancel the Roseanne show,' read the tweet.

'Michelle Obama was reportedly enraged and insisted an apology was inadequate.'

Barr also retweeted a post that further suggested this was an attempt by the Obamas to get revenge after she mocked the couple's Netflix deal with a hashtag last week that became a trending topic.

'Interesting. A few days after the popular #ObmasNetflixShows was all over the place making people giggle. Not surprised and I would not doubt it being very true,' read the post that Barr shared with her followers.

These were just two of the conspiracy theories retweeted by Barr in the wake of the show's cancellation.

ABC decided to cancel Roseanne Barr's television show 'Roseanne' on Tuesday just hours after the comedian posted a racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett

Valerie Jarrett has spoken out on the controversy surrounding Roseanne Barr's racist tweets, saying the ABC made the right decision to cancel her show

Roseanne caused outrage when she compared ex-Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to an ape on Twitter

Keeping above the fray: Barr also retweeted an individual who suggested the Obamas, who employed and are close friends with Valerie Jarrett, did this as revenge because Barr mocked their $50 million Netflix deal (l to r: Jarrett, Michelle and Barack in 2014)

It comes after her ex-husband Tom Arnold told CNN's Anderson Cooper that he wasn't surprised and it was only a matter of time before all hell broke loose.

Arnold - who was a writer on the original Rosanne series - claimed that Barr's politics and social media showed that she was obsessed with the conspiracy theories that Donald Trump has been feeding to the masses.

'This monkey thing is something that she tweeted before about black people, its a meme that she and thousands of her alt-right fans do. They love to call black people monkeys, it's not a one time joke,' Arnold said.

'They can do this because we have a white trash racist president. That's a fact!'

Arnold shared his disgust with how Trump was only concerned with how the media had treated him when news of Barr's tweets made their way to him.

Meanwhile, Barr's son Jake shared text exchanges with his mother on Wednesday to seemingly prove she was not racist.

'Her and her dad, I thought they were white,' Barr wrote in a text message she purportedly sent her son.

She followed that up by saying: 'I would never have called a black woman an ape I'm not stupid!'

That is a lie however, with Barr having called former national security advisor Susan Rice just that in a 2014 tweet.

The third text stated: 'I thought she was Jewish of Iranian.'

Her son captioned the image by writing: 'Mom and I are too dumb for the internet lol.

On Wednesday, actor Tom Arnold appeared on AC360 to share that he wasn't surprised when ABC pulled the plug on the 'Roseanne' reboot

Contextual: Her son also shared text messages that he and his mother purportedly exchanged in which Barr writes that she thought Jarrett was 'white' and 'Iranian,' posted eight hours after the show was cancelled

Commander-in-chief: President Trump complained that ABC president Bob Iger 'never ... apologized for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC'

Barr had previously blasted two of her co-stars for speaking out against her in tweets posted around midnight.

Hours after claiming she was quitting Twitter, Barr began to rail against her critics while also posting an occasional apology.

Michael Fishman, who played D.J. Conner on the show and started working with Barr when he was just six, was the first to feel the wrath of the show's creator after he released a statement criticizing her racist tweet saying Jarrett looks like the lovechild of the 'Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes'.

'I condemn these statements vehemently,' wrote Fishman, who is the father of a black daughter in the reboot.

'They are reprehensible and intolerable, contradicting my beliefs and outlook on life and society. I have always lived and taught my children to be inclusive. I believe our show strived to embrace different backgrounds and opinions, through open dialogue.'

Barr was none too happy with that statement and fired back on Twitter. 'I created the platform for that inclusivity and you know it. ME. You throw me under the bus. nice!', she wrote.

Fishman responded, stating: 'You fought, built, and designed Roseanne for inclusiveness. That is why yesterday was so out of character with the last 30 years. It was in your hands from the beginning to the end. No one can deny that.'

Barr fired back: 'Please leave me alone, thanks.'

Michael Fishman, who played D.J. Conner on the show, released a statement criticizing Barr's racist tweet

Weighing in: Gilbert, who is a producer on the reboot, let her disgust be known on Tuesday

But Fishman was not the only original cast member to take a stand, with Sara Gilbert, who played Roseanne's daughter Darlene, also releasing a statement that very much echoed the one released shortly after by ABC cancelling the show.

'Roseannes recent comments about Valerie Jarrett, and so much more, are abhorrent and do not reflect the beliefs of our cast and crew or anyone associated with our show. I am disappointed in her actions to say the least,' wrote Gilbert, who was a producer on the reboot and largely responsible for reuniting the cast.

'This is incredibly sad and difficult for all of us, as weve created a show that we believe in, are proud of, and that audiences love one that is separate and apart from the opinions and words of one cast member.'

'Wow! unreal,' wrote Barr, who had confessed in earlier interviews to the difficult job Gilbert had of trying to rein in her impulse to tweet offensive comments.

However, she later followed up, tweeting: 'No, I understand her position and why she said what she said. i forgive her. It just shocked me a bit, but I indeed f***ed up.'

She reiterated this soon after when a follower criticized Gilbert, saying: 'She's distancing herself from me and my tweet-she has to.'

A downcast Gilbert was photographed on her phone outside an LA restaurant yesterday as John Goodman, who played Barr's husband Dan on the show, looked similarly bereft as he walked his dog in New Orleans.London's murder toll hit 69 for the year last night after a delivery driver in his 40s was stabbed to death in an upmarket area of the capital.

The man was pronounced dead at the scene on a road in Chelsea, west London, where actor Hugh Grant once lived, which has an average home value of 1.6million.

He is believed to have been a father-of-three and spoken of his children in his dying moments.

Local resident Mika Simmons, an actress who has been in the BBC's Casualty and ITV's Unforgotten, said the man 'refused to give some other youths some money'.

Police officers at the scene in Chelsea, West London, today after a man was found stabbed

Simmons, 42, who has also appeared in ITV's Frenchman's Creek, tweeted: 'A young black man has just been stabbed to death outside my flat.

'I've been told he was working as a delivery driver and refused to give some other youths some money.'

Neighbour Angus Hulme, 45, told MailOnline: 'A woman was on the street when it happened.

'A girl who'd been looking after him as he lay there said that he's tried to get up but she told him to stay where he was and stay still.

'She tried to get him talking while waiting for an ambulance. That's when he said he had three kids.'

The attack left a trail of blood as the victim fled to escape or get help and a black SUV was disovered with traces of blood inside it which may have been his car.

It also happened near the home of model Liz Hurley, who has spoken about making London's streets safer after her nephew Miles was stabbed in Wandsworth in March.

Actress Mika Simmons told how the stabbing happened outside her flat in West London

The victim was found seriously injured and died 40 minutes later at the scene, which is a short walk away from Chelsea FC's ground Stamford Bridge.

Another local delivery driver, Aji Ali, 29, told MailOnline: 'A police officer and a neighbour told me that this poor guy was stabbed and ran through a tall building and out of the other side.

'I don't know whether he was escaping or running for help. It's definitely really scary for me as I'm a delivery driver myself, particularly with all the stabbings going on in London now.'

Neighbours Ellen Maatta and Saga Granberg, both 19, told MailOnline how they walked past what they think might have been the murder victim's abandoned car and saw 'loads of blood'.

Ms Maatta said: 'We walked past a black SUV car at just after 10.30pm. The driver's door was left open and there was loads of blood on the driver's side inside. Someone else was looking inside at the same time and ran to get the emergency services.'

Ms Granberg added: 'We saw armed police officers and went back indoors. It was so scary. We were really shocked. We couldn't believe it.'

Another man, who did not want to be identified, told MailOnline: 'I was smoking out of my window nearby at about 10.30pm last night when I saw a few people helping someone lying in the street. I knew something bad was going on.

'I went down and I saw a black man aged 30 to 40, clean shaven with short hair, wearing dark jeans and drenched in blood on the road. He'd been stabbed in his chest and in the top of his leg. He was unconscious but still breathing.

'He was obviously in shock as his leg was kicking out. Two men and two women had put a tourniquet around his leg but there was loads of blood coming out. I asked how I could help. The guys told me to check for any further wounds.

'But they're weren't any cuts in his clothing. I dialled 999 and was told the emergency services were already on their way. Within a matter of I don't know how many minutes they'd arrived.

A body is removed from the scene in Chelsea this morning following the incident last night

'But by the time they got to us this man's eyes were rolling back. They tried to treat him in some way right there in the street. I couldn't sleep last night. I'm really shocked after seeing something like that.'

Witness Khaled Ahmed, 26, was driving his Audi RS7 when he came across the scene as emergency services were arriving.

The business management undergraduate at Westminster University said: 'I saw him on the floor, I saw a dead body on the floor so I parked up.

'I was with my girlfriend and we were just driving past. First I saw blood on the floor and followed the blood all the way around a corner.

'I recorded it on my phone all the way to the scene and there was armed police, ambulance and I stood by. The blood was on the pavement - he must have been running on it.

'There was an Indian Deliveroo driver and a few neighbours there. I'm in front of the police and I could hear them speaking to police.

'They were saying how the folks got out of the car and chased him down the road and that's when the stabbing happened and he turned to the corner of the Cathcart Road and he stood still and then collapsed.

'There was one proper witness - a man in Army shorts, he was from the Army too. He said they barged the man into him and saw everything. The ambulance they operated - they opened his chest and put hands to the heart to pump it.

'Your body changes when you see something like that, especially when there's so much blood. I've never seen someone die.'

Mr Ahmed, of St John's Wood, north west London, said the abandoned car was a large black-family sized car. He saw a man of south Asian appearance carrying a large Deliveroo carrier bag filming the scene and trail of blood on his mobile phone.

Forensic officers stand today at the scene of the stabbing in the upmarket area of West London

Other witnesses claimed the victim was a delivery driver himself and left a 'trail of blood' before pronounced dead.

Kerem Sozugecur, 39, spoke to police this morning. He said: 'They told me that there was a trail of blood going up. The body was dragged up to here - I think so, he wasn't originally there.'

Adrian Jae, 58, a chauffeur who lives near the murder scene, added: 'There's an alleyway and a similar alleyway at the far end of the building. They both go around the back to gain access.

'Forensics were down there till 4am. I saw two guys in white suits.'

Ferne Arfin said forensics searched a black hatchback car which was 'pulled over to the kerb and the doors were open' at about 1am at the scene. She said: 'It was right outside my window, it was not a delivery car.'

Police officers carry out their investigation today at the scene of the stabbing last night

A 24-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, told how she saw the victim laying on his back in the street at just after 11pm yesterday.

'Our whole front room was lighting up and we wondered what it was,' she said. 'He was just laid in the middle of the road on his back. He wasn't moving.

'The guy was just laid diagonally across the street. All the police were really quick, it was really good, they were all running down the street.'

The witness said she did not hear any arguments, adding: 'It was just really quiet and I came out and everyone was already there. No one heard anything or saw anything.'

Scotland Yard has now launched a murder investigation. No arrests have been made and a crime scene remains in place at the scene of the stabbing.

The victim's next of kin have been informed, but formal identification is yet to take place. Police were called to the scene at 10.21pm yesterday.

Police at the scene in Chelsea, West London, today where a man was stabbed to death

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: 'I was deeply saddened to learn of the fatal stabbing of a man in Kensington last night and my thoughts are with his friends and family.

'The police are doing everything in their power to bring those responsible to justice. If you carry a knife, be prepared to face the full force of the law. I remain in close contact with the Met Police and I am meeting the Deputy Commissioner later today.

'We must all work together to bring an end to senseless violent crime, which affects the whole country. I am continuing to do all I can to tackle this dreadful scourge, including investing millions in the Met's new Violent Crime Task Force.

'Last week I saw their work for myself, accompanying them on a raid which led to a number of arrests.'

Anyone who saw the incident or has any information should call 101 or the incident room on 0208 358 0200, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Scotland Yard has launched a murder investigation following the stabbing in West London

Earlier this week, it was claimed that gang members suspected of inciting violent feuds on social media are to be treated like terror suspects.

Police will use new powers to target gangsters who promote violence in videos shared on websites such as YouTube.

Scotland Yard has blamed social media for the rising murder rate in London, singling out the 'drill' genre of rap music for glamorising violent crime.

Commander Jim Stokley, who leads the Met's response to gang crime, told The Times new measures would make it easier for detectives to pursue suspects.

Currently, officers have to prove that videos and social media posts are directly linked to individual acts of violence to secure a conviction for incitement.

Scotland Yard is investigating 69 homicides across the capital since the start of the year

But the Terrorism Act allows suspects to be convicted even if videos or posts are not linked to specific violent acts.

Mr Stokley said that for gangs 'there isn't specific legislation and clearly we can't use terror legislation (but) in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, we have found some existing legislation which we are going to use.'

Mr Stokley stressed that the new measures, set out in the Serious Crime Act, would require the judiciary to agree with their reading of the law.

If this does not go to plan, the Met plans to seek the new legislation in consultation with the Home Office.

YouTube users can easily watch drill videos that feature masked gangs threatening each other with aggressive lyrics and gestures, some attracting millions of views.

Scotland Yard Commander Jim Stockley, pictured, said gang members are inciting violent feuds on social media using videos posted on sites such as YouTube

The Met Police believe these violent videos are behind an increase in gangland murders

The Met has built up a database of more than 1,400 videos to identify those involved and monitor tensions among rival gangs.

In the past two years, police have asked YouTube to take down up to 60 videos but are forced to prove the clips are harmful first. Yesterday it was revealed the Google-owned site has only removed just over 30.

Has knife crime surged in Britain? A knife crime epidemic in London and England's big cities has seen the number of offences involving blades soar by more than a fifth in the last year. Police in England and Wales recorded 39,598 offences involving blades in the year ending December 2017, a 22% increase compared with the previous year. London saw a 44% increase in the number of killings, with more than 150 victims, while the number knife offences in the capital rose by more than 20 per cent to 14,680, separate stats showed. Offences involving firearms were also up, by 11% to 6,604 recorded crimes. Knife and gun crimes tend to be disproportionately concentrated in London and other metropolitan areas, the Office for National Statistics said, but it added that the majority of police force areas saw rises in these types of violent crime. Advertisement

Met Commissioner Cressida Dick has linked drill videos, which she said describe stabbings with 'great joy and excitement', to at least one attack. She said web giants had a 'social responsibility' to remove content that incites violence.

YouTube said most of the videos flagged by the Met are no longer available and that it has developed policies to tackle clips related to knife crime.

It comes after new Home Secretary Sajid Javid backed increased uses of stop and search powers and endorsed spit guards being rolled out to forces across the country.

Mr Javid said he is 'absolutely determined' to put an end to violence that is 'terminating young lives far too soon'.

Referring to stop and search, he told the Police Federation of England and Wales' annual conference in Birmingham: 'Some of you don't feel comfortable using it - and that's not how it should be.

'I have confidence in your professional judgment. So let me be clear - I support the use of stop and search.

'You have to do your job and that means protecting everyone.'

The Home Secretary said it is 'ridiculous' that spit guards are available in some force areas but not others.

The hoods are made of mesh and can be placed over suspects' heads to protect officers from being bitten or spat at.

The Home Secretary used his first speech to the Police Federation to support an increased use of stop and search powers and the rollout of spit guards across the UK

Mr Javid used his speech to pledge to officers he would provide 'tools, the powers and the back-up that you need to get the job done'.

He said: 'For those of you who stand on the front line, be in no doubt that I will be standing with you.

'I'm not arrogant enough to turn up here after three weeks in the job and tell you how to do yours.

'What I will say is that I am listening and I get it. I get that there's increased demand.'

Mr Javid claimed that, including funds raised through council tax, more than 1 billion extra cash is being invested in policing now than three years ago.A British woman has survived a horrific plunge down a rocky mountain after trying to traverse an icy crossing.

The 30-year-old woman fell 100 metres down the ice-covered cliff edge while she was hiking with an Austrian woman.

The British national slipped on ice at the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, at New Zealand's North Island, and suffered a knock to the head, bruises and cuts, New Zealand Herald reported.

A British woman has survived a horrific plunge down a rocky mountain after trying to cross an icy summit. Pictured: A rescue volunteer at the scene

The hiker, who had been living and working in New Zealand, was air lifted to hospital Thursday morning.

The women had only been trekking the area for about three-and-a-half hours before rescuers found the 30-year-old at 7.30am after suffering the terrifying fall.

Senior Constable Barry Shepherd of Taupo Police told the publication the woman was 'pretty beaten up'.

'It's icy up there, that whole Red Crater summit was icy,' he said.

'It'll thaw and soften around later morning but freezes overnight and will be frozen in the mornings and if you get a bit of cloud and it stays under cloud, it won't thaw out at all.'

The British woman is recovering in Rotorua Hospital, about two hours north of the incident.A paedophile who exchanged perverted messages with disgraced former A Current Affair reporter Ben McCormack has been jailed for ten months after a judge expressed his revulsion.

Last year, Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed former bank and hotel worker Leon Mario Berger, 36, was one of two Perth men the TV reporter spoke with about his child sex fantasies.

Western Australia District Court Judge Patrick Brian O'Neal on Thursday sentenced Berger after he pleaded guilty to possessing child exploitation material, including photos and video.

The court heard Berger was charged as a result of a police investigation into the 'boy lover' Nine Network journalist. They were arrested on the same day in April 2017.

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Leon Mario Berger (pictured), 36, was jailed for ten months in the Western Australia District Court on Thursday. He exchanged vile text messages with A Current Affair journalist Ben McCormack

The former bank and hotel worker was arrested in April 2017, on the same day as McCormack. He also shared messages with Matthew Paul Reale, who he told: 'I would do it with babies if I could'

Berger sent perverted messages to the journalist and Catholic primary school teacher Mathew Paul Reale. He received vile images from the latter, who he had a 'crush' on, and also had a video in his possession.

'I would do it with babies if I could', Berger said, according to depraved messages that were read to the court in February.

One photograph he received included a picture of a six-year-old boy being abused by an adult.

Berger reportedly also expressed his fantasies about drugging and raping a young male relative, the material facts said.

Berger's defence lawyer, Dr Neville Barber, told Judge O'Neal that his client had told sentencing report writers: 'I cry every day.

'I cry about the situation I have put everyone in - friends, family, those children (depicted in the pornography)'.

Dr Barber said Berger was less likely to reoffend after being publicly shamed  labelling him a lower risk.

He revealed Berger had been sacked and had little paid employment following media reports and had been sexually abused as a young boy in India. His family was shocked, his partner 'doubly' so, the court heard.

But state prosecutor Katie Kemm told court: 'He's deliberately sought out a tribe of people with paedophilic interests, where he met his co-offender (Reale) who sent him that material.'

Berger, 36, was one of two Perth men that McCormack (pictured) spoke with about his child sex fantasies. The TV reporter was last year sentenced to a three-year good behaviour bond

At the top of his game: NSW police raided the offices of A Current Affair last year on the day Mc Cormack (pictured reporting for the TV show) was arrested

Fall from grace: Ben McCormack (reporting for bail at Redfern Police Station last year) had vile conversations with Mathew Paul Reale for more than 18 months

Pictured: Some of the vile text messages exchanged between McCormack and another Perth man, Matthew Paul Reale

Berger first met Reale - who is awaiting sentencing on a long list of offences - by using the paedophile Tribe website. The pair later met up and had a sexual relationship.

Judge O'Neal said the material found in Berger's possession was 'especially graphic and disturbing (and) particularly depraved'.

He said it was 'difficult to avoid a sensation of revulsion' at how he characterised his child sex offending.

'It is confronting in the extreme,' he said. 'I don't accept the excuse you have offered. I don't accept you were a passive recipient'.

Handing down his jail sentence, the judge said he accepted Berger had remorse, but 'a great part of that is about feeling sorry for yourself.

'I give you credit for remorse but it is not coequal with your distress at being caught'.

The judge did not suspend the jail sentence, pointing out he had declined to treat his paedophilic disorder.

'You have not begun to address the most obvious underlying causes,' he said.

Reale (pictured), then a 27-year-old Perth teacher, shared messages with McCormack and Berger. The court heard in February that Berger had a 'crush' on Reale

'Sometimes you've just got to roll with it': Reale, now aged 31, described himself as 'fun, energetic, motivated' on social media. He sent vile images to Berger

Months before he was charged with child exploitation offences, McCormack said: 'I love chatting to pedos'

Berger sobbed and hugged loved ones before entering the court, wiping away tears and drawing heavy breaths prior to his sentencing. He was expressionless when the sentence was finally handed down.

Berger will be eligible for parole in five months.

The punishment is more severe than that faced by McCormack in a separate court. The reporter was charged for possessing child pornography text messages, but no photographs or video.

His career in tatters, McCormack was given a three year, $1000 good behaviour bond by NSW District Court Judge Paul Conlon last December.

McCormack described himself as a 'proud b (boy) lover' in messages, which were mostly exchanged with Reale. He has since moved and is trying to move on with his life, sources said.A handbag on a side chair at Buckingham Palace could be a good omen for Australia's relations with the Queen.

Australia's new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom George Brandis appeared to impress Her Majesty during his first visit to the Audience Room in London's grandest landmark.

As the Turnbull Government's former attorney-general met with the Queen, she placed her trademark, black Launer handbag on a side chair.

A handbag (circled) on a side chair at Buckingham Palace could be a good omen for Australia's relations with the Queen

Royal historian Hugo Vickers has previously spoken of how the monarch uses her bag to send secret signals to her staff to indicate when she's ready to move on from a conversation.

However, a bag placed on a chair indicates she is happy to be left alone to chat with a dignatory.

Luckily too for Mr Brandis the Queen didn't leave her handbag on the floor, which is usually a sign she wants to keep her meeting to just five minutes.

Australia's new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom George Brandis appeared to impress her Majesty during his first visit to the Audience Room in London

To the left of Mr Brandis was a previously unseen framed picture of Prince Harry with his new wife Meghan Markle

It also may have helped that Alexander Downer's new replacement as Australia's High Commissioner to the UK. was an avowed monarchist during his time as a Queensland Liberal National Party senator, unlike his republican boss Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Brandis, a 60-year-old former Queen's Counsel barrister, was dressed in a morning suit as he greeted Queen Elizabeth II, 92, who was wearing a floral dress.

When the Queen met New Zealand's Labour Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern in the same room in April, no handbag had been placed on a side chair.

Also to the left of Mr Brandis was a previously unseen framed picture of Prince Harry with his new wife Meghan Markle.

The Queen's grandson, who married earlier this month, was dressed in a blue suit as the new Duchess of Sussex wore a fitting dress.

Australia's head of state had previously displayed in that same spot a military photograph of her only daughter Princess Anne and her husband Timothy Laurence.

SECRETS OF THE QUEEN'S BAG The monarch has each of her Launer handbags customised with longer handles so they don't get in the way when shaking hands. The Queen wants ease of opening, so that means no shoulder bag or zips. Her bespoke bags always come with a mirror, a matching purse and a glasses case. The Queen's love affair with Launer began when she was sent a bag in 1968 by Sam Launer, and the company was given the Royal Warrant. Although the black patent model is her favourite, the royal has been experimenting with more bold colours in recent years. It's been said her handbag always contains practical essentials like mints, a handkerchief, and a fountain pen. According to Sally Bedell Smith, who wrote Elizabeth the Queen: The Woman Behind the Throne, the royal handbag also contains a portable hook which is used to hang it beneath tables. AdvertisementA man who bought his dream home six years ago has been shocked to find out he is not the owner due to a bizarre administrative error involving the council and his neighbour.

In a strange case of 'House Swap', Nigel Rothsay's has been told he in fact owns his neighbour's property while his neighbour owns his.

In a further blow for the unsuspecting buyer, he could end up losing the home he actually owns as it could be seized under proceeds of crime.

The unusual chain of events began in 2012 when the adjacent lots north-east of Wellington in New Zealand, were on the market at the same time.

The lot numbers were mysteriously mixed up due to an administrative error when the sales were processed.

Nigel Rothsay (pictured) purchased a home to realise his actual property was the home next door

It was only when police knocked on Mr Rothhsay's door after seizing the neighbouring home under the Criminal Proceeds (Recovery) Act that the mix up was realised.

Not only had he been living in a home he doesn't technically own from 2012, but that home is now allegedly a target for police seizure, Stuff.co.nz reported.

A local council worker confirmed the news, and the ordeal has turned his life upside down.

'A guy from council turned up (at my home) and gave me a real fright. The police were right, I didn't own my house,' he said.

'It's crazy. I still can't believe it. My life has been on hold for months.'

'It's been a huge stress. I'm a builder, but too stressed to work consistently trying to sort it out. I'd like to get back on track,' Rothsay said.

The residence (pictured) was seized by police under the Criminal Proceeds Recovery Act

NZ Law Society property expert Duncan Terris said property mix-ups like this were uncommon.

He explained that it is the responsibility of the lawyer who waslooking after the electronic sign off to ensure it's accurate.

The relevant background documents are also necessary to support the statutory certification.

Detective Sergeant Aidan Neville said police were still working to fix the situation but say it is difficult with numerous parties involved.The giant threatened to cut production to Australia if the new GST was passed

The Australian government has inflicted a GST on the international seller

Customers will be unable to buy Amazon goods from overseas from July 1

Amazon has announced that it will block Australian buyers from buying goods from overseas as it blocks its main website.

The shock move comes in response to the government's international GST amendments.

Amazon's primary site, Amazon.com, will be inaccessible in Australia, with buyers diverted to the local store, which has been heavily criticised for its higher prices and lesser variety.

Amazon will stop selling to Australia from it's primary site

The GST amendment lowers the current minimum spend for GST inclusion from $1000 to $1 in response to backlash from local retailers.

The move, which attempts to level the playing field between local and international retailers, has posed issues to Amazon's worldwide selling scheme.

The 10 per cent GST will be imposed from the July 1 onwards.

The major concern with this move is the lack of options that this will result in for Australian buyers.

The online giant offers up to 500 million products on it's primary site currently, in contrast to the measly 60 million that the Australian site offers.

A spokesman for Amazon said customers would be able to use a new derivative of its brand, Amazon Global.

'Amazon Global Store will allow Australian customers to shop on Amazon.com.au for over four million items that were previously only accessible on Amazon.com.'

With over 500 million products, it's a sharp contrast to the 60 million on offer on the Australian site

He said the company 'had to assess the workability of the legislation as a global business with multiple international sites.'

Whilst considered a win for local retailers, the loss of a great portion of consumer choice may prove to be costly.

Similarly, online platform eBay also threatened to change its guidelines if the new law was passed, however it has yet to comment on their stance.A 24-year-old single mother quickly became viral after she posted photos of her graduation from Harvard Law School.

Briana Williams took to Instagram to share how while in labor in April 2017, she finished a final exam before going to the hospital to give birth.

'I immediately requested an epidural so that my contractions wouldn't interfere with my Family Law grade,' she said in the Thursday post that has more than 18,000 likes. 'And, with tears in my eyes, I finished it.

Briana Williams took to Instagram to share how while in labor in April 2017, she finished a final exam before going to the hospital to give birth

'I immediately requested an epidural so that my contractions wouldn't interfere with my Family Law grade,' she said in the Thursday post

In the post, Williams can be seen posing with her daughter - Evelyn - who was is wearing a cap and gown similar to her mother.

The road finishing law school wasn't easy for Williams, however, who said that it would be an 'understatement' to call being a single mother at the time a challenge.

'Some days I was so mentally and emotionally fatigued that I did not leave my bed. I struggled with reliable childcare,' she said.

In the post, Williams can be seen posing with her daughter - Evelyn - who was is wearing a cap and gown similar to her mother

Williams shared that she often had to take her daughter Evelyn with her to class

'It was not atypical to see me rushing through Wasserstein to the Dean of Students' office with Evelyn in her carriage, asking DOS can they keep her for a few until class was over.

'If not, she'd just have to come with me to class. Evie attended classes often.'

Williams shared that on her special day, tears were 'streaming down my face' as she received her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School.

'At first, I was the anomaly of my [marginalized] community,' she said. 'Then, as a single mother, I became a statistic. Next, I pray that- for the sake of my baby, I will be an example.'

The grad shared that on her special day, tears were 'streaming down my face' as she received her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School

Williams is clear to share that it was Evelyn who motivated her to continue on with her studies and eventually secure her degree.

She added: 'Evelyn- they said that because of you I wouldn't be able to do this. Just know that I did this BECAUSE OF YOU. Thank you for giving me the strength and courage to be invincible. Let's keep beating all their odds, baby.'

The mother shared with Yahoo Lifestyle that she plans on moving back to California and will to practice at a law firm in Los Angeles.

She plans on moving back to California and will practice at a law firm in Los Angeles

She'll be taking pro bono cases along with focusing on litigation.

Williams thanks her roots and family for being so supportive during her time in law school.

'I went to college with one suitcase and one pair of shoes, holding on to a bible that my older sister had tucked away in my bag. I'd worked full-time as a waitress and bartender in New York to get by,' she stated.

'I found ways that I could appreciate coming from a disenfranchised background. I could look at the law through the lens of a black woman and (eventually), a financially independent single mother. I used this to my advantage.'A man has been convicted of animal cruelty after he threw his ex-girlfriend's chihuahua to the ground after she rejected him.

Raymond Lyle Roberts, 49, appeared in Lismore Local Court this week following the incident at his ex-girlfriend Linda Roberts' home in Nimbin, New South Wales, in January.

Prosecutor Jodie Millar told the court Mr Roberts threw his former lover's dog Lilly-Rose to the ground in a rage after his proposal to get back together was rejected by Ms Roberts, The Northern Star reported.

A chihuahua (stock image) was severely injured during an altercation between two former lovers in northern NSW earlier this year

Defence solicitor Tom Saunders told the court the claims contradicted Ms Roberts' account to police, which was recorded on video on the day they were called to the property.

In the video played in court, Ms Roberts tells police the accused 'dropped' the dog and claimed the accused said 'you love this f***ing dog more than your grandchildren' before Lilly-Rose fell to the ground.

Mr Saunders argued his client never meant to hurt the dog, the publication reported.

'There was no intention to hurt the animal,' he said.

Raymond Lyle Roberts was convicted of animal cruelty and given a 12 month good behaviour bons when he appeared in Lismore Local Court (pictured) this week

The court also heard from the dog's vet, who said Lilly Rose suffered a ruptured eardrum and 'damage to balance centre of the brain'.

Ms Roberts told the court that Lilly-Rose has since recovered from the ordeal but has 'not the same' since, The Northern Star reported.

Roberts was given a 12-month good behaviour bond and had a two-year apprehended violence order placed on him.Myer has been savaged online by angry customers after a leaked executive memo to staff slamming them for their abysmal service.

Furious shoppers left a swathe of scathing comments on the department store giant's Facebook page following the leak.

Executive General Manager of Stores and Experiences Tony Sutton's letter scolded staff for refusing to serve customers and having an 'I don't work for Myer' attitude.

Myer has been savaged online by angry customers after a leaked executive memo to staff slamming them for their abysmal service

Furious shoppers left a swathe of scathing comments on the department store giant's Facebook page following the leak

A leaked memo from a senior manager to Myer staff has revealed a culture of dismal customer service (stock image)

Customers responded by sharing stories of unsatisfactory customer service, with one shopper writing 'MYER yes your service is shocking'

Customers responded by sharing stories of unsatisfactory customer service, with one shopper writing 'MYER yes your service is shocking'.

'You have been putting off your staff for years and leaving it to the concession workers to do YOUR job,' he wrote.

'They are purely there for the brand they work for not to ring up sales from other counters. Working there is hideous you get about as much respect as a toad.'

Some shoppers complained about being put on hold for too long, while others complained about the store layout.

The memo comes as Myer (left, right) slashes its prices by up to 70 per cent in a desperate attempt to reverse declining sales

Customers were being left frustrated at being ignored by these staff members unless their enquiry related to the company they worked for

'What used to be a premium department store has turned into a disorganized store,' said an irate Facebook user

Customer service seemed to be the main complaint, whether it be on the phone or in person

'Haha I stomp around Myer asking if it's self service now! That's if I bother to shop there,' said one customer.

'Avoid it like the plague. Its depressing shop fit makes it very easy to choose to shop in smaller stores.'

Poll How would you rate Myer's customer service? Excellent Good Average Poor Terrible How would you rate Myer's customer service? Excellent 24 votes

Good 20 votes

Average 72 votes

Poor 147 votes

Terrible 253 votes Now share your opinion





Customer service seemed to be the main complaint, whether it be on the phone or in person.

'What used to be a premium department store has turned into a disorganized store,' said an irate Facebook user.

'With unexperienced employees, store managers that think they are above the law and a customer service team that does everything but service the customer.'

The May 14 memo focused on what Myer calls 'brand partners' - staff who work in Myer stores but are actually employees of other companies.

Customers have been left frustrated after being ignored by these staff members, unless their enquiry related to the company they worked for.

'An "I don't work for Myer" attitude, where brand partner team members refuse to assist customers in Myer stores is unacceptable,' the memo read, according toNews.com.au.

'We expect Myer and brand partner team members to work in partnership in store, operating as one team.'

Mr Sutton said that prices will be splashed in all departments but particular discounts including winter apparel, lingerie, men's suits, cookware and bed linen

The memo comes as the struggling retail giant slashes prices for a mid-season sale

'Unfortunately, feedback indicates that customers continue to experience this poor level of service.'

Mr Sutton said anyone failing to meet the standards risked losing their job.

Executive Chairman Garry Hounsell said in March the company would have a 'renewed focus on product, price and customer service'.

Myer has slashed its prices by up to 70 per cent in a desperate attempt to reverse declining sales.

Last month, Myer's CEO Richard Umbers stepped down from the top job after shares plummeted 69 per cent during the three years he was in charge.

A Daily Mail Australia investigation found deserted cash registers, disinterested staff and a lack of help at the stores during a surprise visit.

FEMAIL entered the women's general fashion section of Myer in Sydney's Westfield store at 11.20am on May 25 to find hordes of shoppers and dismal service.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Myer for comment.Krispy Kreme is gearing up for a massive 50,000 free doughnut giveaway in celebration of National Doughnut Day across its 23 Australian stores on Friday.

Simply walk into any Krispy Kreme store tomorrow and you'll walk away with a free Original Glazed Doughnut.

After the success of last year's 30,000 doughnut giveaway, Krispy Kreme has decided to show a hole-lot more loving and up the ante to 50,000 free doughnuts.

Krispy Kreme is gearing up for a massive 50,000 FREE doughnut giveaway in celebration of National Doughnut Day across Australia

Krispy Kreme Australia's Head of Marketing and e-Commerce Russell Schulman described National Doughnut Day as 'the most wonderful day of the year'.

Mr Schulman said: 'It's great to join in the celebrations and bring smiles to Aussies once again.'

'There's nothing quite like the taste of our iconic Original Glazed doughnut so we invite Australians to visit one of our 23 stores  including four brand new stores that have opened this year  to kick off their weekends with a smile and celebrate National Doughnut Day.'

Simply walk into any Krispy Kreme store tomorrow and you'll walk away with a free Original Glazed Doughnut - doughnut miss out!

National Doughnut Day was first celebrated in 1938 and has been happily celebrated ever since.

Australian's have 23 stores across the nation to choose from to get their freebie.

It's actually happening but beware - There's only one free doughnut per customer while stocks last so you better be quick.

Find your nearest store HEREA Victorian farmer who accidentally shot dead a man after tripping on an eggplant should be spared a long jail sentence because he never pulled the trigger, his lawyer says.

Angelo Russo, 55, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of David Calandro, 43, who was shot in front of his two young sons while sitting in his ute in 2017.

Russo says he tripped on an eggplant while holding his loaded double-barrel shotgun at his Tatura farm in the Goulburn Valley on February 18 last year.

Angelo Russo, 55, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of David Calandro (pictured), 43, who was shot in front of his two young sons while sitting in his ute in 2017

Russo (pictured) says he tripped on an eggplant while holding his loaded double-barrel shotgun at his Tatura farm in the Goulburn Valley on February 18 last year

The defence says a police ballistics expert has confirmed the gun had a faulty safety switch and would have been capable of firing a shot without the trigger being activated.

'He tripped,' defence barrister Patrick Tehan QC told a Victorian Supreme Court pre-sentence hearing on Thursday.

'It was an accidental discharge of the weapon without pressing the trigger.'

Justice Michael Croucher said Mr Calandro was killed in tragic circumstances.

'Whichever way you look at it, a man has been killed in front of his children,' he told the court.

'There's no getting around that.'

But Mr Tehan said Russo's crime was not as serious as other manslaughter cases.

'If it's anywhere on the scale, it's going to be on the lower end of the scale for manslaughter by criminal negligence,' the barrister said.

Defence says a police ballistics expert has confirmed the gun had a faulty safety switch and would have been capable of firing a shot without the trigger being activated

'He tripped,' defence barrister Patrick Tehan QC told a Victorian Supreme Court pre-sentence hearing on Thursday

Russo had no intention of shooting Mr Calandro and was holding his gun after moments earlier putting down his dog Harry, Mr Tehan said.

The spaniel had been run over by Mr Calandro while he was driving out of Russo's property.

The 43-year-old drove back to Russo's farm after Russo rang a mutual friend and said: 'Tell him (Mr Calandro) to come back and look at what he's done to my f***ing dog.'

Mr Calandro was shot as Russo walked towards him with the gun in his hands.

In his police interview, Russo told investigators: 'There was an eggplant on the ground there and my foot must have rolled on it.'

The farmer pleaded guilty to manslaughter last week, days after his murder trial began before a jury.

Russo entered the plea after the prosecution agreed to withdraw the murder charge and other charges linked to Mr Calandro's two young sons.

The farmer pleaded guilty to manslaughter last week, days after his murder trial began before a jury



Wednesday evening's Manhattanhenge viewing was not as lackluster as Tuesday's prompting the masses to block the flow of traffic for a chance shot at the sunset.

Cloudy skies provided for hazy visuals as people conglomerated in various parts of Manhattan to snap the enchanting view.

The sunset occurred approximately at 8.12PM but crowds were positioned well before then.

And when the sun finally came through, it only graced the Manhattan streets with a few seconds of light.

The second day of Manhattanhenge was sub par at best with only a few seconds of sun offering a dazzling view for revelers on Wednesday

The sunset occurred approximately at 8.12PM but crowds were positioned well before then

Crowds of people rushed for prime locations to snap the visual phenomenon when the street grid in Manhattan perfectly lines up with the sunset on two days in the spring and the summer

Cars, SUVs and other vehicles could be seen stuck in the road as revelers contorted their bodies for the perfect snap.

While the best locations to grab photos were said to be along 14th, 34th, 57th and 79th street locations, folks could be seen blocking traffic all along Times Square.

Police at various spots had to get rid of the presence of foot traffic as vehicles were forced to be at a stand still during prime moments in the sunset.

As the evening wore on, traffic jams sprung up where people conglomerated to take pictures of Manhattanhenge

And as people flocked to see Manhattanhenge, many hoping to drive to their destinations found themselves stuck in massive traffic

While the best locations to grab photos were said to be along 14th, 34th, 57th and 79th street locations, folks could be seen blocking traffic all along 42nd Street and Times Square

Manhattanhenge is when the street grid in Manhattan perfectly lines up with the sunset on two days in the spring and the summer.

The term 'Manhattanhenge' was popularized by noted astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson.

It's the city's version of Stonehenge, where the sun aligns with prehistoric stones.

The summer days for Manhattanhenge fall on July 12 and July 13 around 8.20pm on both nights.

Police at various spots had to get rid of the presence of foot traffic as vehicles were forced to be at a stand still during prime moments in the sunset

Folks hoping to grab a nice snap of the view didn't mind risking their safety

Those hoping to see Manhattanhenge in its full glory will have to waitA model whose abusive boyfriend blinded her in one eye has told hos a secret selfie saved her life.

Martha Dolak from south London was held hostage and beaten by vicious Michael Goodwin.

The 31-year-old secretly took a picture of her injuries and sent the snap to a friend during her 21-hour ordeal.

Her face and skull were fractured during the attack, which left her bleeding on the brain and with permanent damage to her optical nerves.

Her face and skull were fractured during the attack, which left her bleeding on the brain and with permanent damage to her optical nerves

The model was beaten as her violent boyfriend held her hostage during a 21-hour ordeal in which she sent the selfie

Michael Goodwin (pictured) is now in jail after his hostage sent a secret selfie that sparked a police response

Martha Dolak (pictured before the attack), 31, from south London, secretly took a picture of her injuries and sent it to a friend during the 21-hour ordeal at the hands of her now-ex Michael Goodwin

Goodwin, 30, has now been jailed for four years and three months and Ms Dolak has spoken out and revealed how she escaped.

She told The Sun: 'I went to the window to see if I could jump out safely but suddenly I felt an excruciating pain and remember nothing else.

'I could have died if left without medical attention for much longer.'

Goodwin locked his partner of 18 months in his flat in Tooting after finding a text from her friend which told her to leave him.

After being knocked out, Ms Dolak woke up in severe pain and wasn't able to move.

She took the selfie with her violent boyfriend still in the flat, but it was enough to spark a police response.

Goodwin locked his partner (pictured in happier times, before the attack) of 18 months in his flat in Tooting after finding a text from her friend which told her to leave him

Goodwin took Ms Dolak to hospital and told her to tell doctors that she had fallen down the stairs.

But the victim later told police the truth and Goodwin was jailed at Kingston Crown Court.A young mum is suing BP for discrimination in the Federal Court after her shifts were allegedly reduced when she raised concerns about the effects of her service station duties could have on her unborn child.

Queensland mum Kirsty Rother, 23, allegedly claims her shifts were cut from five days to one after she told her manager that she felt uncomfortable performing fuel tank dips while pregnant, Yahoo 7 reports.

A BP spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia it 'denies any discrimination occurred' and said the company identifies potential risks at its work sites and take measures to control those risks so people can remain safe.

BP (stock image) is being sued by former employee Kirsty Rother in the Federal Court for discrimination against her gender and pregnancy

Ms Rother discovered she was pregnant with her third child in February last year, several months after she began working at BP Highfields in Toowoomba.

She raised concerns after she was warned by her GP about the risks associated with inhaling petrol fumes while pregnant.

'I also found on a BP safety data sheet that there were warnings about risks to unborn children if they were exposed to petrol fumes,' Ms Rother told Yahoo 7.

Court documents state the manager 'did not respond favourably' and told Ms Rother other pregnant staff had previously performed the task.

Colleagues offered to do the petrol dips for her, which manager did not agree to, according to Ms Rother's statement of claim.

Kirsty Rother allegedly claims her hours at a BP service station were cut from five days to one after she told her manager that she felt uncomfortable performing fuel tank dips while pregnant (stock image)

'She said if I couldn't do the jobs everyone else could and was on work restrictions I shouldn't really be working at all because it made things difficult for her,' Ms Rother told The Courier Mail.

Ms Rother claims in court documents colleagues 'harassed her' in 'retaliation for making a complaint'.

She said she's taking legal action so other mums don't encounter a similar experience in the workplace.

'I feel like big companies like BP have the responsibility to treat employees with respect,' Ms Rother told Yahoo7.

Kirsty Rother allegedly claims she was discriminated while working at BP Highfields (pictured) in Toowoomba while pregnant in early 2017

The BP spokeswoman said staff with concerns about their employment can express them in easy to access mechanisms.

'Given this matter is before the courts we cannot comment on the specifics of the case except to say that BP denies that discrimination occurred,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'Our people are always able to discuss their individual circumstances and, where appropriate, we will put in place modifications to support them. Safety is our first priority and BP is committed to providing staff with a supportive and safe work environment.'Pepsi is allowing its staff in Australia to switch public holidays so they can take a day off during religious events.

The American soft drink giant's Sydney-based senior human resources manager Shiona Watson said it wanted to let employees take days off that were 'culturally relevant' to them.

The radical policy change for example gives Muslim staff the privilege of replacing the Queen's Birthday long weekend with a day off to mark Eid, the end of Ramadan.

Pepsi is allowing its Muslim staff in Australia to switch public holidays so they can take a day off during religious events

The radical policy change for example gives Muslims the privilege of replacing the Queen's Birthday long weekend with a day off to mark Eid, the end of Ramadan (Lakemba in western Sydney pictured in 2017)

With both of these holidays occurring in June, PepsiCo said it wanted to cater to different minority groups.

'As part of PepsiCos ongoing initiative to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we introduced a concept last year called "floating cultural holidays",' a company spokeswoman Simone Rayner told Daily Mail Australia today.

'This allows employees to swap out some public holidays, for other days in the year that may be more culturally relevant for them.'

Pepsi added most of Australia's public holidays were based on 'a Christian Anglo-Saxon calendar'.

With both of these holidays occurring in June, PepsiCo said it wanted to cater to different minority groups

Despite acknowledging the Christian roots of Australia's major public holidays, Pepsi's Muslim workers won't, at this stage, have the option of swapping out of Christmas or Easter

Despite acknowledging the Christian roots of Australia's major public holidays, Pepsi's Muslim workers won't, at this stage, have the option of swapping out of Christmas or Easter.

Anzac Day will also remain off limits to a shift swap however they will have the option of working on a state Labour Day or Melbourne Cup Day in Victoria for a religious holiday.

Chinese staff have also been given the option of swapping one of those days for Chinese New Year in February.

'For example, we have employees who have swapped Labour Day or the Melbourne Cup public holiday for Eid or Chinese New Year,' the company spokeswoman said.

'We have kept some days in the calendar that cant be swapped out such as Christmas, Easter and ANZAC Day.'A body that has been lying inside a home decomposing for almost a year has finally been found.

The last occupant of the home in Greenwich, Sydney, died close to a year ago and was described as a 'hoarder'.

The owners of the house, which is on Greendale Street, had organised for the property to be cleaned this week. The cleaning crew discovered the mummified corpse.

The body has not been identified and police are treating the death as suspicious.

Greendale Street, in Greenwich, where the body was found after almost a year

The owners of the house, which is on Greendale Street, had organised for the property to be cleaned this week. The cleaning crew discovered the mummified corpse

A post mortem is being conducted this afternoon to establish the cause of death and gender.

After the cleaners discovered the grim find they called authorities to the home.

Officers from North Shore Police Area Command established a crime scene which is continuing to be forensically examined.

An investigation has been launched in an attempt to identify the circumstances surrounding the death.

Officers from North Shore Police Area Command (pictured) established a crime scene which is continuing to be forensically examined

Local police are being assisted by detectives from the State Crime Commands Homicide Squad

Local police are being assisted by detectives from the State Crime Commands Homicide Squad.

The occupant of the home died close to a year ago and the owners organised for the property to be cleaned this week.

Police are urging anyone who may know the identity of the deceased, or who has information that may assist, to come forward.

Police are urging anyone with information in relation to this incident to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the Israeli military to be ready to attack Iran within 15 days back in 2011, according to the former head of the country's spy agency.

Tamir Pardo, who served as Mossad chief from 2011 to 2016, told Israeli TV that he and then-chief of staff Benny Gantz had been told to bolster Israel's defences in preparation for a response to the attack.

Pardo added that the order was not a drill and he was convinced at the time that it would result in open war.

The former spy chief spoke out as tensions between Israel and Iran run high amid a shadow-war between the nations being fought in Syria.

Tamir Pardo, the former head of Israel's spy agency, said that in 2011 he was ordered to bolster Israel's defences so the country could attack Iran within 15 days

Pardo said Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defense minister Ehud Barak were planning direct strikes on Iran for fear the country was about to develop nuclear weapons

In an interview due to be broadcast on Keshet TV on Thursday, Pardo said: 'Such a plan is not something that you just order for practice.

'If this is ordered, it is done for one of two reasons: either because you really intend for such a thing to take place or because you want to send a signal to someone.'

Netanyahu gave the order at a time when then-defence minister Ehud Barak was convinced that Iran was close to producing a nuclear weapon, theTimes of Israel reports.

The military was convinced that the opportunity to strike Iran's nuclear bases was slipping away and they would soon be so well protected any bombing campaign would be ineffective.

Mossad was thought to have been behind two blasts at an Iranian nuclear site and missile base that year which killed at least 17 Revolutionary Guards and several high-ranking missile experts.

The order was called off after Pardo and Gantz opposed it, J-Post says.

Barak, who later served as prime minister, has previously claimed Netanyahu sought to bomb Iran in 2010 and 2011, but was opposed by senior Israeli officials.

Pardo said that upon receiving the command, he sought 'clarifications about everything I could, I checked with legal advisers, I consulted with everyone I could to understand who is authorized to give the order concerning launching a war.'

According to the excerpts, Pardo said he wanted 'to be certain that if, heaven forbid, something incorrect happened, even if the mission failed, that there won't be a situation where I carried out an illegal operation.'

There was no immediate comment from Netanyahu's office on Pardo's claim.

Pardo spoke out as Israel and Iran fight a shadow-conflict in Syria. Pictured are Israeli missiles in Syrian airspace, which the Jewish state said were fired at Iranian targets

Multiple missile strikes have hit the Israel-occupied Golan Heights (pictured) in recent weeks, which Netanyahu has blamed on Iranian forces inside Syria

The interview, which will be broadcast in full on Thursday night, comes as tensions between Israel and Iran threaten to boil over into war.

The arch-rivals have been fighting a shadow conflict inside Syria with Israel carrying out frequent bombing runs against what it says are Iranian military bases.

Israel also claims that rocket attacks on its positions in the Golan Heights are being carried out by Iran.

The Jewish state has also accused Iran of building missile factories and moving medium-range ICBMs capable of striking the country into Syria.

Both Iran and Syria have refused to acknowledge Tehran's presence in the country.

In February, Israel shot down what it said was an armed Iranian drone that entered Israeli airspace.

Israel responded by attacking anti-aircraft positions in Syria, and an Israeli warplane was shot down during the battle.

Israel has increasingly warned that it sees Iranian influence in Syria as a threat, pointing to Iran's military presence inside the country as well as that of Iranian-backed militiamen.

On Wednesday, Netanyahu said Israel 'will not allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons.

'We will continue to act against its intentions to establish itself militarily in Syria besides us, not just opposite the Golan Heights, but any place in Syria.'

Netanyahu has long been a strident critic of Iran and has accused Tehran of attempting to develop nuclear weapons and long range ballistic missiles.

Netanyahu has recently intensified his criticism of the nuclear agreement reached between world powers and Iran in 2015. President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from that deal earlier this month.

There is also a concerted effort by Netanyahu's administration to convince Russia to pressure Iran to withdraw its forces from war-torn Syria.Judge Karen Holt has presided over some of the most high-profile criminal cases in the capital. She yesterday appeared at Southwark Crown Court accused of accessing data about a paedophile's case

A crown court judge has herself appeared in the dock accused of illegally accessing details of a case in which she had a personal interest.

Judge Karen Holt is alleged to have browsed documents concerning music teacher Cecil McCready, who was then on trial at Guildford Crown Court for child sex crimes.

McCready was subsequently jailed in March last year.

Yesterday, Mrs Smith, 55, appeared at Southwark Crown Court under the name Karen Smith, charged with an offence under the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

Mrs Smith, who presides over criminal trials at Isleworth Crown Court in West London, alleged to have committed the offences on September 30 2016.

The charge states she 'used a computer to perform a function to secure access to a program or data held in any computer, namely the case file for Cecil McCready held on the digital case system,' reports The Times.

The charge adds she did so 'intending to secure unauthorised access to that programme and data, knowing at the time that such access was unauthorised.'

The judge could be seen wiping away tears at one point during yesterday's hearing.

Mr Justice Davis instructed Mrs Smith to stand trial for three days at Southwark Crown Court on July 9.

Judge Karen Holt is alleged to have browsed documents concerning music teacher Cecil McCready, who was then on trial at Guildford Crown Court (pictured) for child sex crimes

The charge adds she did so 'intending to secure unauthorised access to that programme and data, knowing at the time that such access was unauthorised'. Pictured: Cecil McCready

He added: 'Mrs Smith, I have no doubt you have said this to people so it will come as no surprise to you that if you don't come on July 9 you will be tried in your absence.'

Judge Holt was appointed to the circuit bench in March 2014, having been called to the Bar in 1987 and subsequently a recorder in 2009.

She has presided over some of the most high-profile criminal cases during her time on the Crown Court bench.

In 2015 she sat on the trial of a finance director who was convicted of the date-rape of an airline stewardess.

A year before Judge Holt heard the appeal case of another judge, former immigration Michael Shrimpton.

Shrimpton had been convicted of a hoax after contacting the Ministry of Defence to warn about a supposed attempt to detonate a dirty nuclear bomb at the London 2012 Olympics.

Judge Holt's former chambers at 23 Essex Street in London is one of the biggest criminal law sets in the Inns of Court in London.

Barristers there routinely prosecute and defend allegations of serious violent criminal offences.

In 2004, acting as a barrister, Judge Holt successfully prosecutred a mother who left her son scarred for life with repeated whippings.

The mother was jailed for 12 months.Huge swathes of Europeans believe Islam is 'incompatible' with their views and culture, a survey has shown.

Across 15 western European countries, researchers found that 42 per cent of the general population agreed with statement 'Islam is fundamentally incompatible with our values and culture'.

Meanwhile, 17 per cent of Europeans said they would not be willing to accept a Jewish person as a family member.

Researchers looked at political attitudes of Europeans broken down into practicing Christians, non-practicing and the non-religious. They found that 42 per cent of all Europeans feel Islam is fundamentally incompatible with their views and culture

Across 15 European countries, researchers found high levels of anti-Muslim feeling. Here are the percentages of people in four nations who would not want a Muslim in their family

The study was carried out by the Pew Research Center and examined differing political attitudes between practicing Christians, non-practising Christians and the non-religious across Europe.

In total 25,000 people were polled between April and August in 2017. Practising Christian was defined as someone who attends church at least once a month.

While the research showed a majority of all groups were accepting of other cultures and religions, it also revealed that Christians - whether practising or non-practising - were less likely to be tolerant.

They also are more inclined to think their country's culture and values are superior.

In Britain, researchers found that 45 percent of churchgoing Christians, 47 percent of non-practising Christians and 30 per cent of the non-religious agreed that 'Islam is fundamentally incompatible with our values and culture'.

In France, nearly three-quarters of Christians who attend church, or 72 percent, agreed it was important to have French ancestry to be 'truly French.'

Among non-practising Christians, 52 percent took this position, compared to 43 percent of those without religious affiliations.

'On balance, more respondents say immigrants are honest and hardworking than say the opposite,' the study's authors wrote.

'But a clear pattern emerges: Both church-attending and non-practicing Christians are more likely than religiously unaffiliated adults in Western Europe to voice anti-immigrant and anti-minority views.'

Anti-Jewish sentiment was also relatively high in Europe. Here are the percentages of each country, both religious and non-religious, who would not want a Jew joining their family

The survey also found a strong undercurrent of antisemitism in Europe, although anti-Muslim sentiment was higher in every one of the 15 countries surveyed (file image)

The survey was conducted after more than 2.3million migrants and refugees had entered Europe, according to the European border control agency Frontex.

Some European countries, including Germany and Italy, have seen an anti-immigration backlash and nationalist political parties gaining support.

The survey found that Swedes were the least likely to express anti-migrant and anti-minority views, while Italians were the most likely.

'Undercurrents of discomfort with multiculturalism are evident in Western European societies,' the researchers wrote in the report.

Although Muslim newcomers have been the focus of far-right candidates appealing for votes and activist campaigns to seal Europe's borders, the survey also asked about attitudes toward Jews in western Europe.

For example, 36 per cent of Italians, more than in any other country, agreed with the statement that, 'Jews always overstate how much they have suffered,' compared to the 11 percent of Swedes who did.

One-quarter of all the respondents in Italy - Christian and non-religious combined - said they would not be willing to accept a Jew as a family member.

The comparable figure in Britain was 23 percent, in Austria 21 percent and 29 percent in Germany.

However, anti-Muslim sentiment exceeded anti-Semitism in every country.

Asked if they would accept a Muslim as a family member, 43 per cent of all respondents in Italy, 36 per cent in Britain, 34 per cent in Austria and 33 per cent in Germany said they would not.

A hotly debated question in some parts of Europe is whether Muslim women should be prohibited from wearing concealing garments such as burkas.

Some 30 per cent of those surveyed in Italy, 28 per cent in Belgium and 24 per cent in both Germany and Austria agreed that Muslim women 'should not be allowed to wear any religious clothing.'

Across the 15 countries where people were surveyed, the median was 22 per cent, while half agreed Muslim women should be able to wear religious clothing as long as it does not cover their faces.

Pew said the survey had a margin of error of 2.7 to 3.3 percentage points depending on the number of people questioned in each country.A sacked Turnbull Government minister called for billionaires to get a GST exemption for bringing $100 million super yachts to Australia days after getting free tickets to a boat show.

Stuart Robert, a Gold Coast-based Liberal MP, made a passionate call in parliament for the 10 per cent tax to be scrapped on luxury cruiser charters - an hour after a female politician called for tampons to be GST free.

'So why don't we apply a modicum of common sense and get rid of this ridiculous rule of 10 per cent GST on charter boats?,' he said.

'It is something we can all agree on.'

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A former Turnbull Government minister called for billionaires to get a GST exemption for bringing super yachts to Australia after getting free tickets to a boat show (Dragonfly boat pictured)

Mr Robert, who was sacked as a minister in February 2016, made his speech 10 days after receiving two free tickets to the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show

Mr Robert, who was sacked as a minister in February 2016 for his links to Chinese businesses, made his Wednesday night speech to the House of Representatives only 10 days after receiving two free tickets to the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show in the exclusive millionaires' row gated suburb of Hope Island, which is home to former mining magnate Clive Palmer.

However, he angrily denied being influenced by the tickets when contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Thursday night.

'Don't be stupid or I'll just hang up. Don't be an idiot. I've been pushing this issue for years,' he said by phone.

'A 20-buck ticket to go to a Sanctuary Cove Boat Show that I've been to almost every year for 10 years, and I've opened many times, is completely irrelevant.'

He declared his gift on the pecuniary interest register on May 21, as required by law.

His call for the super yacht GST exemption was also made an hour after Labor backbencher Sharon Claydon moved a motion for tampons to be GST-free.

'This is an unfair and discriminatory tax on women,' she said.

'Tampons and pads are not luxury items but rather essential items.'

Like other Liberal MPs, Mr Robert is opposed to a GST exemption for women's period products.

The backbencher member for Fadden, believed he could win support from the Labor Party to have the GST scrapped on super yachts

The Turnbull Government is opposed to scrapping the GST on tampons, as the Labor Opposition and the Greens campaign to have the consumption tax exemption on fruit and vegetables extended to women's sanitary products.

However Mr Robert, the backbench member for Fadden, believed he could win support from the Labor Party to give a Goods and Services Tax exemption to super yacht owners.

'I also believe there is an opportunity - and I've been reaching out to the Labor Party on this - to deal with the issue of the 10 per cent impost of GST on any super yacht that comes to Australia and wishes to charter,' he said.

'Right now, we face the farcical situation where there are no registered super yachts in Australia. These large boats come to Australia.'

Stuart Robert, a Gold Coast-based Liberal National Party MP, made a passionate call in parliament for the 10 per cent tax to be scrapped on luxury cruiser charters

Sharon Claydon, the backbench member for Newcastle, said her Labor Party would be unlikely to even consider making super yachts GST free.

'I don't think it will find much track in the Labor Party,' she told Daily Mail Australia today.

'If you were to think about what was a luxury item and where the GST might legitimately apply, I think we would then consider that super yachts are pretty much a luxury item.'

Mr Robert mentioned the nine-year-old Dragonfly super yacht, built in Western Australia, which is believed to be owned by Google co-founder Sergey Brin

She described his call for super yacht charters to be GST-free as an example of a male politician with the wrong priorities.

'I mean, 50 per cent of the population are having to spend more than $30 million a year in GST on essential items like tampons and sanitary pads and these guys think somehow super yachts deserve the free kick,' she said.

'If men in the Liberal Party could stand up and say that, there's two things: one, they have very twisted priorities; two, they seriously need more women in the party room.'

Stuart Robert angrily denied being influenced by the Sanctuary Cove Boat Show tickets when contacted by Daily Mail Australia on Thursday night: 'Don't be stupid or I'll just hang up. Don't be an idiot. I've been pushing this issue for years.'

Mr Robert said a GST exemption could see a new boat charter industry on the Gold Coast

Mr Robert mentioned the nine-year-old Dragonfly super yacht, built in Western Australia, which is believed to be owned by Google co-founder Sergey Brin.

'These large boats come to Australia. There is a market for charter, but the current law in this place says that if the $100 million Dragonfly, a boat built in Western Australia but owned offshore, comes here and someone wants to charter it, they first of all must pay 10 per cent of the price of the yacht,' he said.

'The yacht owner must pay $10 million to the Commonwealth for the privilege of charter.'

The 73-metre Dragonfly, worth about $80 million, is not even available for charter and was spotted in Sydney last year.

However, Mr Robert said a GST exemption could see a new boat charter industry on the Gold Coast.

'Let us go forth and build a great boating industry, not just for the Gold Coast but for the entire country,' he said.Advertisement

Rail firms have warned of travel chaos for commuters as a 'danger to life' alert forces blanket speed restrictions across the train network and Britain braces for grim weather tonight.

A toxic cocktail of hail, torrential rain and 48 hours of thunder and lightning is set to take hold as forecasters also warn of fast flowing or deep floodwater.

The Met Office has activated weather warnings for rain in southern England, the Midlands and Wales for today, before most of the country is covered tomorrow, while there is also an alert for 'frequent lightning and large hail'.

Up to 3.1in (80mm) of rain in just two to three hours is expected in southern areas of the country today, followed by another 2.4in (60mm) in three hours tomorrow, which could hit almost anywhere across Britain.

Great Western Railway trains are running under a blanket speed restriction, around 50mph, between 4pm today and 6am tomorrow due to the severe forecast, which the operator warned would 'significantly impact' its services.

Passengers should travel 'as early as possible' and 'consider changing your travel plans, as the situation is likely to deteriorate quickly', with services towards Bristol, South Wales, Exeter and the Cotswolds all due to be affected.

And as the bad weather begins to roll in, airlines have started cancelling flights, much to the outcry of passengers who say they are being left stranded at airports and far-flung destinations.

Two people walk through the torrential rain with umbrellas and waterproof coats on Brighton seafront this morning

Visitors at the Bath and West Show in Somerset head for cover as torrential rain strikes the area today

A woman shelters under an umbrella while others use a poncho at the Bath and West Show in Somerset today

People try to make the best of a rainy day in Bournemouth, Dorset, today as the UK is hit by wet conditions

Deckchairs loungers and picnic tables lay empty on a rainy day on Bournemouth seafront in Dorset today

People shelter under umbrellas as they walk alongside puddles on Bournemouth beach in Dorset today

A family shelter under an umbrella at Bournemouth in Dorset today as they make the most of an empty beach

A group of people run for cover as day-trippers try to make the best of a rainy day today in Bournemouth, Dorset

Deckchairs stacked up on an empty Bournemouth beach in Dorset as parts of Britain are hit by heavy rain today

Hail stones the 'size of golf balls' fell in Daventry, leaving one resident with 5,000 worth of damage to his Audi cars

Garden furniture was broken by hail stones which fell in Northamptonshire as a freak storm damaged to cars and gardens

A London bus crosses Waterloo Bridge in a gloomy London this morning, with the financial district in the background

The bad weather follows a week of thunderstorms and flash floods across the UK that have seen half-term getaway plans trashed as dozens of flights were cancelled, rail services were disrupted, roads submerged and properties flooded.

In preparation for the storm, Network Rail said in a statement that due to the weather, track teams would be in key locations and there would be spare parts for signalling equipment available at strategic locations.

Network Rail encouraged customers to check alerts before they travelled in case of any major disruptions to service, as its teams would continue to check drains and culverts in areas prone to flooding.

Passengers flying in and out of Gatwick and Stansted airport have taken to Twitter to complain of long flight delays and sitting on the tarmac for hours on end, with no idea when they will be able to leave.

Ryanair announced on Thursday afternoon that there were a series of delays for flights, as well as a number of flights being cancelled.

In a statement to Mail Online, a Ryanair spokesperson said: 'Due to adverse weather conditions around London Stansted we regret we have been forced to cancel a small number of flights.

'All affected customers have been contacted by email and SMS text message and advised of their options of a full refund, rebooking on to the next available flight or transferring to an alternative flight.

'We apologise for any inconvenience caused by this weather disruption, which is entirely beyond our control, and we are working hard to minimise the disruption to our operations.'

Today, the Environment Agency has imposed 30 'be prepared' flood alerts for England - mostly in the South, including ten within the Greater London area - with its teams working to clear debris from rivers.

The average rainfall in the West Midlands for the entire month of May is 2.2in (55mm), while it is closer to 2.3in (59mm) in parts of the South East, but this could be well beaten both today and tomorrow.

The Met Office expects thunderstorms to affect southern parts of the UK from late this morning through the rest of the day, and has warned flooding of homes and businesses 'could happen quickly'.

There could also be damage to some buildings from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail or strong winds  and fast flowing or deep floodwater is possible, causing a 'danger to life', according to forecasters.

Weather experts have also said spray and sudden flooding could lead to difficult driving conditions and some road closures  and there is a chance of delays to train and bus services where flooding or lightning strikes occur.

The Met Office expects thunderstorms to affect southern parts of the UK from late this morning through the rest of the day

The Met Office has issued amber and yellow weather warnings for rain in parts of Britain today (left) and tomorrow (right)

The intense rainfall expected over parts of England and Wales this evening is shown in this Ventusky graphic

Both the pollen count (left) and ultraviolet radiation levels (right) are high for many parts of England and Wales today

Further rain and thunderstorms are expected tomorrow, although temperatures will hit 72F (22C) in the South East of England

Torrential rain and thunderstorms brought flash flooding to the Bedfordshire market town of Dunstable yesterday

Drivers faced difficult conditions on the M25 in Surrey yesterday as they travelled along the motorway in heavy rain

Lightning strikes over London last Sunday as the capital was hit by severe weather over the bank holiday weekend

Extreme weather in Britain so far this year Britain has faced a series of extreme weather events over the past few months, including: Storm Eleanor batters Britain with 100mph gusts, heavy rain, hail and thunder and lightning (January 3)

batters Britain with 100mph gusts, heavy rain, hail and thunder and lightning Storm Fionn hits western areas with 85mph gusts in the Republic of Ireland and snow (January 16)

hits western areas with 85mph gusts in the Republic of Ireland and snow Storm David brings 93mph wind gusts to North Wales with 100,000 properties without power and rail services disrupted (January 18)

brings 93mph wind gusts to North Wales with 100,000 properties without power and rail services disrupted Storm Georgina brings winds gusting close to 115mph across the Scottish mountains (January 24)

brings winds gusting close to 115mph across the Scottish mountains The Beast from the Eas t and Storm Emma keep daytime temperatures below freezing and leave drivers stranded overnight in heavy snow. Thousands of schools close and isolated communities get supplies via helicopter, in the most significant spell of snow and low temperatures for the UK since 2010 (February 28)

and keep daytime temperatures below freezing and leave drivers stranded overnight in heavy snow. Thousands of schools close and isolated communities get supplies via helicopter, in the most significant spell of snow and low temperatures for the UK since 2010 Britain has its warmest April day since 1949 as temperatures hit 84.4F (29.1C) in London, which is still 2018's warmest day so far (April 19)

as temperatures hit 84.4F (29.1C) in London, which is still 2018's warmest day so far High pressure in the near continent draws very warm air from the south for the hottest early May bank holiday Monday on record with 83.6F (28.7C) in London (May 7)

with 83.6F (28.7C) in London Parts of England are hit by a week of thunderstorms (May 26  June 1) Advertisement

There are even fears that power cuts might occur and other services to homes and businesses could be lost, while the Met Office is also warning that some communities might become cut off if roads flood.

Forecasters say there is the potential for 1.2in (30mm) to 1.6in (40mm) of rain to fall in an hour and perhaps as much as 2.4in (60mm) to 3.1in (80mm) in two to three hours over the warning area today.

Meanwhile there is a separate rain warning in place from midnight to 9pm tomorrow, with the Met Office warning that thunderstorms are likely to affect southern and western parts of the UK throughout the day.

Forecasters expect thunderstorms across southern England and Wales to move north-west towards Northern Ireland during Friday, which will be replaced by scattered thunderstorms persisting into the early evening.

These are likely to bring further torrential rain to some places tomorrow with the potential for 0.8in (20mm) to 1.2in (30mm) of rain to fall in an hour and perhaps as much as 2.4in (60mm) in a few hours.

Yesterday's highest and lowest UK temperatures were both in the Highlands, with 78.6F (25.9C) at Achnagart, and 39F (3.9C) in Kinbrace. The wettest place was Westonbirt in Gloucestershire with 1in (25.2mm) of rain.

It comes after a man in his 80s died on Monday after he became submerged in flood waters amid a deluge of rain across the West Midlands over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Parts of Birmingham were hit by a month's rainfall in just one hour on Sunday before almost a dozen people had to be rescued from flood-swamped cars in Milton Keynes. Meanwhile the emergency services received 200 calls from those caught in flash floods.

Kent County Council said some rounds had been left 'virtually impassable' with sections of highway drainage system 'overwhelmed' by downpours.

On the M2 drivers faced severe delays after heavy rain resulted in flooding, with Highways England warning the westbound carriageway was closed between Junction 5 and Junction 4. There were also problems on the A249.

And train travellers were handed plastic bags to wear over their feet and legs at Herne Bay station after the tunnel joining platforms 1 and 2 and the surrounding areas were submerged.

Twitter users told of their displeasure at the weather conditions in London this week, with some labelling them 'crazy'

Freak hail stones 'the size of golf balls' hammer down on town causing 5,000 worth of damage to Audi cars Residents were left terrified after hail stones 'the size of golf balls' hammered down with a deafening sound during a freak storm causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to properties. The extreme weather event battered cars and homes in Daventry, Northamptonshire, leaving one resident with more than 5,000 worth of damage to his Audi cars. Shocking video shows huge hail stones raining down in a garden. Edward George, 31, captured the drama in his conservatory, and said one of his Audis was left with 3,000 worth of damage and more than 200 dents to the bodywork. A second Audi received 120 dents and 2,500 worth of damage. He said the hail also punched holes through his garden furniture and dented neighbours' cars along his street. Mr George, who lives with his wife Radka and their two-month-old son, said he had never seen hail stones this big. The engineer said: 'My outdoor furniture has had holes punched through it. Every person's car parked outside has been dented. It was never strong enough to smash a windscreen but enough for a golf ball effect. 'It was torrential rainfall - then all of a sudden it went to heavy hail. It all happened so quickly. I ran into the conservatory to take the video. As soon as I sent it to my friend he asked 'what about the cars?'. They're the biggest hailstones I have seen.' Damage to residents' cars will be covered by insurance companies - but will cut their no claims bonuses. Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, added: 'It was pretty scary, it sounded like the roof was going to come in. 'They were about the size of golf balls and did a right number on my car. Its going to cost a fortune to get the bodywork fixed. You see these sort of things in Australia and places like that - but never here in Britain.' The Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (Torro), a privately supported research body, is investigating the storm and will present findings at its annual autumn conference in October at Oxford Brookes University. AdvertisementThree of Theresa May's ex-Cabinet ministers have returned to Downing Street to appeal to the Prime Minister to ignore hardliners and adopt a 'sensible Brexit'.

Justine Greening, sacked as Education Secretary, Amber Rudd, who resigned as Home Secretary, and Damian Green, who quit as Mrs May's deputy, met with the PM yesterday.

They urged Mrs May not to listen to the loudest voices on the Brexit and Remain wings of the Conservative Party but plot a middle path.

And they insisted most Tory MPs back delivering the referendum in full but in a way that maintained good economic ties with the EU.

Justine Greening (left), sacked as Education Secretary, Amber Rudd (centre), who resigned as Home Secretary, and Damian Green (right), who quit as Mrs May's deputy, met with the PM yesterday and were seen leaving Downing Street (pictured)

City's upbeat about EU deal Finance firms are growing in confidence about Brexit, the head of the City watchdog said yesterday. Remainers claimed Brexit could devastate the City, and the head of the London Stock Exchange warned last year that 230,000 jobs could go. But Andrew Bailey, of the Financial Conduct Authority, suggested claims of an exodus had been overstated. He said firms were less fearful of the impact of Brexit than immediately after the 2016 referendum. Mr Bailey, tipped as the next Bank of England governor, said: 'London is a global financial centre  a lot of business will stay here. Most firms' estimates of the likely day-one impact are lower than they were two years ago.' He said there was 'all to play for' in terms of securing a good Brexit deal for the City, and it was in both the UK and the EU's interests to keep their markets open to each other. But Mr Bailey warned that ministers could not accept a deal which left the UK as an 'automatic rule-taker'. Advertisement

Following the talks Ms Rudd told The Times: 'That's where the vast majority of the party is.

'We just haven't been as shouty. We wanted to tell the prime minister what lots of MPs are telling us: sensible Brexit please.'

Ms Rudd ruled out remaining in the customs union but said: 'Whatever customs union alternative we go for we have to give ourselves sufficient time to deliver it.

'What is practical must be the guiding principle while protecting the Good Friday agreement.'

Downing Street sources suggested the meeting reached no firm conclusions. The Prime Minister routinely meets groups of backbenchers to gauge the mood.

Mrs May has postponed reams of legislation necessary to implement Britain's departure from the European Union for fear of defeat in the Commons.

The main EU Withdrawal Bill is unfinished while an Immigration Bill, Customs Bill, Trade Bill, Agriculture Bill and Fisheries Bill have not even been started.

Remain backers inflicted an embarrassing defeat on whether there should be a 'meaningful vote' on the Brexit deal before Christmas.

Brexiteers have warned they could also revolt against new laws they see as too soft.

They urged Mrs May (pictured in Maidenhead on Sunday) not to listen to the loudest voices on the Brexit and Remain wings of the Conservative Party but plot a middle path.

Uniting a majority Conservative MPs with a deal that is also endorsed by Labour's front bench would isolate both the hard Brexiteers and Remainers who want to reverse the referendum.

One Conservative MP said the three former ministers had been increasingly active in recent weeks to build support for their agenda.

'Justine has been having endless cups of tea with the Brexiteers trying to broker a compromise,' they said.

'All three of them have the advantage of having been in government until recently and they understand the complexities of what the government is trying to do.

'The more voices arguing for compromise the better.'

No 10 said Mrs May sees MPs from across the party often and yesterday's talks with the trio of ex-ministers was planned 'some time ago'.This is the astonishing moment a great white shark created a 'sharknado' effect as it flapped around in the ocean.

The predator left a miniature vortex in its wake as it wiggled its tail around in the waters near a diver.

William Drumm, 32, captured the unusual moment on film in the Guadalupe Island - a volcanic island off the coast of Mexico's Baja California.

A great white shark created a 'sharknado' effect as it flapped its tail around in the Pacific Ocean

The animal can be seen swimming to the surface of the ocean before spinning round and smashing its tail against the water.

It creates a thin miniature tornado which continues to swirl as the shark swims out of camera.

The photographer said: 'My footage shows a large male great white shark at Guadalupe Island is making a sharknado underwater.

William Drumm, 32, captured the unusual moment on film in the Guadalupe Island - a volcanic island off the coast of Mexico's Baja California

The predator swims to the surface of the ocean before spinning round and smashing its tail against the water (left). It creates a thin miniature tornado which continues to swirl as the shark swims out of camera (right)

Great whites use their tails to propel themselves through the water. They'll smash it in the ocean to launch themselves in the direction they're travelling

'I had never seen this before, but a vortex was formed when this large male great white's tail hit the water.

'This is in Guadalupe Island, where the sharks come to feed on elephant seals and other pinnipeds.

'It really was amazing to see.'Hungary has put forward controversial proposals to hand out jail sentences to citizens caught assisting illegal migrants.

The new legislation has been called the 'Stop Soros' bill by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - a name derived from George Soros, an Hungarian-American philanthropist who pledges thousands each year to help migrants.

The bill suggests that individuals or organizations that help migrants submit requests for asylum when they are not entitled to protection be punished with up to a year in prison.

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George Soros's Open Society Foundations (OSF) recently said it is moving to Germany, leaving what it called 'an increasingly repressive political and legal environment' in Hungary

Prime Minister Orban, who won a landslide election victory last month, has repeatedly accused Soros and his organisation of encouraging migrants to try and gain entry to the country.

Soros's Open Society Foundations (OSF) recently announced it would be moving to Germany, leaving behind what it called 'an increasingly repressive political and legal environment' in Hungary.

'The government of Hungary has denigrated and misrepresented our work and repressed civil society for the sake of political gain, using tactics unprecedented in the history of the European Union,' OSF president Patrick Gaspard said in a statement last month.

The text of the 'Stop Soros' bill and posted on parliament's website, said: 'Those who provide financial means ... or conduct this organisational activity (for illegal immigration) on a regular basis will be punishable with up to one year in prison.'

'We need an action plan to defend Hungary and this is the STOP Soros package of bills,' the interior ministry said in a comment accompanying the legislation.

Not a fan: Right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called his new NGO crackdowns the 'Stop Soros' bill

It said there were international and also Hungarian organisations helping the entry of illegal migrants to Hungary, adding: 'Sanctioning these is justified.' It did not name any groups.

The new 'Stop Soros' bill no longer contains a 25 percent tax that its previous version in February wanted to impose on foreign donations to non-governmental organisations that back migration.

The government has said the bill intends to deter illegal immigration Orban says is eroding European stability, and risks undermining Hungary's Christian culture.

While more than one million mainly Muslim migrants have entered the EU since 2015, few have sought to settle in Hungary.

Official data show that in 2017 a total of 1,291 migrants obtained some form of international protection in Hungary, mostly Afghans, Syrians and Iraqis recognised as refugees.Meghan Markle's outspoken sister has demanded the release of Tommy Robinson and called him a political prisoner - sparking derision online.

Samantha Markle, who lives in America, accused the UK of being in the 'dark ages' and shared a petition demanding the EDL founder is freed as well as a video of right-wing European leader Geert Wilders protesting outside the British embassy in Holland.

Robinson, 35, was jailed for 13 months last Friday for contempt of court after broadcasting onFacebook Live outside Leeds Crown Court, putting a major trial at risk of collapse.

Right-wing activists in America have rushed to support Robinson, after restrictions ordered by a judge initially prevented his court case and jail term being reported. A host of conspiracy theories in the US then began claiming that he was imprisoned as part of a plot to silence the right.

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Meghan Markle's outspoken sister has demanded the release of Tommy Robinson and called him a political prisoner - sparking derision online

Samantha Markle accused the UK of being in the 'dark ages' and shared a petition demanding the EDL founder is freed as well as a video of right-wing European leader Geert Wilders protesting outside the British embassy in Holland

The EDL founder was held by police and taken up to a courtroom where he pleaded guilty to contempt of court.

He also pleaded guilty to breaching a suspended sentence from a previous court case.

Judge Geoffrey Marson QC blasted Robinson for his 'highly prejudicial actions'.

Referring to separate court proceedings that Robinson was in danger of derailing Judge Marson QC said: 'No one could possibly conclude that it would be anything other than highly prejudicial to the defendants in the trial.'

'I respect everyone's right to free speech. That's one of the most important rights that we have.'With those rights come responsibilities. The responsibility to exercise that freedom of speech within the law. I am not sure you appreciate the potential consequence of what you have done.

Despite the reasons for his conviction and sentencing being clearly outlined Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, has found an unlikely supporter in Samantha Markle, the half-sister of newlywed Meghan Markle - who described him as a political prisoner.

Yesterday Samantha waded in on the argument by sharing a petition on Twitter calling for Robinson's release, which has collected more than 500,000 signatures.

Social media users were quick to criticise Samantha's comments with some saying she was ignorant of contempt laws and of freedom of speech.

On Friday Robinson, 35, was jailed for 13 months for contempt of court after broadcasting on Facebook Live outside Leeds Crown Court, putting a major trial at risk of collapse

One said: 'Maybe you should pay attention to the mess in your country before you trying to change another country you have no deep understanding of or even live in.'

Another critic tweeted: Not true. Some forms of expression - e.g. child pornography - are never covered by 1A. The Tommy Robinson case is not one of free speech. It is to do with his (again) violating a gag order imposed to preserve the integrity of a criminal trial. The US allows the same restriction.

A third social media user wrote 'Silly woman. Robinson broke his suspended sentence and was in contempt of court. Read the judge's statement'.

Social media users were quick to criticise the Samantha's comments with some blasting her as ignorant of contempt laws and of freedom of speech. One said: 'Maybe you should pay attention to the mess in your country before you trying to change another country you have no deep understanding of or even live in'

Their words echo Judge Marson QC's remarks on Friday, where, unusually, Robinson was arrested, charged and sentenced within the space of five hours.

Right-wing activists in America have rushed to support Robinson, after restrictions ordered by a judge initially prevented the reason for his arrest being reported

A host of conspiracy theories in the US then began claiming that he was imprisoned as part of a plot to silence the right

Right-wing publication Breitbart threw its full support behind right-wing nationalist Robinson

Their words echo Judge Marson QC's remarks on Friday, where, unusually, Robinson was arrested, charged and sentenced within the space of five hours - leading to supporters protesting in Whitehall last weekend demanding his release

The Judge said on Friday: 'If the jurors in my present trial get to know of this video I will no doubt be faced with an application to discharge the jury.

'If I have to do that it will mean a re-trial, costing hundreds and hundreds and thousands of pounds.'

A re-trial would also mean witnesses in the case would have to face the ordeal of giving evidence again before a jury.

Referring to the original postponement order that delayed publication of the details of Robinson's case, the Judge added: 'You have to understand we are not preventing publication. We are postponing publication to ensure that the trial is fair.

'It is a serious feature that you were encouraging others to share what you were streaming live on social media.'

Jailing the married father-of-three, the judge said: 'People have to understand that if they breach court orders there will be very real consequences.'Advertisement

War hero: RAF bomber pilot Wing Commander Guy Gibson led the the famous 1943 "Dambusters" raid

For a successful raid on the property market look no further than this 2 million apartment - which was once home to a Dambusters hero.

A blue plaque placed on the front of the house in St John's Wood, North London, confirms the property once belonged to Wing Commander Guy Gibson, who led the most famous British air raid of World War Two.

The flying ace was Commanding Officer of the RAF's No. 617 Squadron, which was selected for the extremely difficult mission to blow up German dams in the Ruhr region in June 1943.

The success of the raid, which destroyed two dams, and his bravery in a total of 170 operations saw him awarded the Victoria Cross as he became the most highly decorated serviceman in the country at the time.

He flew his final mission in September 1944 and was killed at the age of just 26 when his plane mysteriously crashed at Steenbergen in the Netherlands, sending the nation into mourning.

Although no official reason was ever given for the fatal crash, a tape emerged years later which allegedly contained the confession of a soldier who claimed he accidentally shot him down.

It was his death that led the apartment's current owner, gynaecological surgeon Richard Smith, to discover he had owned what was then a three-bedroomed flat.

Richard, a keen amateur historian, heard that Guy Gibson had lived in one of the properties in Aberdeen Place when he bought the flat in 2000.

Flying high: Guy Gibson (centre) with the air crews who took part in a raid on Cologne in 1942. Gibson won the Victoria Cross for his bravery in the Dambusters raid and became the most decorated officer in the RAF at that time

Growing closer: Guy Gibson with his devoted dog and fellow pilots tending their beloved garden as their plane waits in the background, ever ready for the pilots to depart on more deadly missions during World War Two

Wing Commander Guy Gibson with his wife Eve, a show dancer and actress, who he lived with at the north London residence which is now for sale

L-R: Richard Smith, who uncovered the house's historic heritage pictured with Air marshall Sir Clive Loader, RAF, and Lloyd Grossman, Chairman of Blue Plaque Panel for English Heritage when the house received the famous blue plaque

The English Heritage plaque now has pride of place outside the house and attracts tourists and history buffs to the area

The elegant period property is an end-of-terrace home in St John's Wood, North London, and it has been extended twice since the decorated war hero lived there

But once its current owner, gynaecological surgeon and amateur historian Richard Smith discovered that Gibson once owned the property on Aberdeen Place, he honoured the war hero by decorating it with war memorabilia including framed photos

The lavish apartment has been modernised and extended twice since Gibson lived there and the opulent kitchen stretches straight out into the back garden

Sleep tight: The property includes this large master bedroom with adjoining en suite bathroom

The property features a large bathroom with a marble top sink area, tiled floor and walls, a large bath and in-built storage

Room to grow: A spacious patio sits outside the property, ideal for sunny Sunday lunches, gardening and storage

A view of the 2m property's back yard area which is surrounded by high stone walls and trees from neighbouring properties

Richard wrote to Churchill College, Cambridge, to ask if there was a letter from the former Prime Minister Winston Churchill to Gibson' wife Eve Moore which confirmed his death to her.

A copy of the letter, which now hangs in the home's hallway, was duly sent and the address shows that Gibson in fact lived in the property.

The apartment, which also comes with a tiny three-person chapel, is currently on the market with estate agents Chesterton's for 2,000,000.

Dambusters Raid - how it changed the war The Dambusters raid (or Operation Chastise as it was formally known) is widely credited with changing the course of WWII. The raids targeted German industry by blowing up dams - and the vital power they generated. 19 aircraft from the 617 Squadron set out to destroy the Mohne, Eder and Sorpe dams in the Ruhr Valley in May 1943. The Mohne and Edersee Dams were destroyed, unleashing catastrophic flooding of the Ruhr valley and of villages in the Eder valley. The Sorpe Dam sustained minor damage. Factories and mines were also damaged and destroyed in the fateful flights. Approximately 1,600 civilians - including about 600 Germans and 1,000 mainly Russian forced labourers died. Before they left, the British pilots knew just how deadly the mission would be as it involved skimming open water in the murky dark at 240mph in a 30-ton plane. Half of the pilots did not return from the deadly mission. The mission gave Britain a much needed morale boost following the seemingly relentless bombings of the blitz. The destruction of the dams stalled German industry at a critical point in the war with production seriously reduced until September that year. Advertisement

Richard, 58, said: 'When I was buying the house the chap who owned it knew I had an interest in modern history so he told me about the connect to Guy Gibson.

'It took me six months to start looking into it properly, but then I asked Churchill College if there was any correspondence from Winston Churchill with Aberdeen Place.

'They sent me a copy of the letter to Gibson's wife, which is now in the hallway. It confirmed he actually lived in this apartment.

'We've made it a bit bigger now with two extensions, but we have quite a lot of memorabilia from his time.

'We have pictures and letters that people sent to him as well as bits of the Lancaster Bomber.

'From my point of view it was cracking to find out that connection. Living in the house of a real hero like that is quite something.

'A lot of the things written about him show he was the real deal.'

Once he had found out the building's connection to Guy Gibson, Richard applied to have a blue plaque placed on the building.

He says he heard nothing for six years, but eventually he was contacted to say the home should have one.

On the day it was put up, Richard said he threw a party on the street and the then head of the RAF, Air Chief Marshal Sir Glenn Torpy, came to unveil the plaque.

Richard now has plenty of tourists come by the house to take pictures and appreciates the stories he hears from people.

Richard said: 'I've had hundreds of people come by to see the plaque and take photographs. I think it's nice that a hero is honoured like that.

'Once I met a German couple outside the house who had come to see it. They told me their parents had been flooded out of their homes in the Ruhr when the dams burst.

'I was able to show them the Luftwaffe almost made Gibson homeless. They dropped bombs on Aberdeen Place and missed his house by 10ft.'

The home was built in 1820 and converted into flats a century later following the First World War.

Gibson's three-bed apartment is now on the market for a cool 2million, having recently been refurbished when a fire damaged the ground floor 15 months ago.

The 1,588 sq ft is spread over a ground and lower floor, with two bathrooms, two reception rooms, three patios, a conservatory, a sitting room and a tiny chapel in the basement.A young woman has revealed the physical and emotional torment she has suffered since her boyfriend set her on fire.

Brae Lewis, 19, was found guilty to dousing his girlfriend Kyesha Finemore in petrol before setting her alight in Marsden, south of Brisbane, in May 2016.

With burns covering almost her entire body, Ms Finemore, then aged 17, was left in a coma, fighting for her life after the attack.

Ms Finemore spoke out about her suffering this week after Lewis pleaded guilty, Seven News reported.

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A young woman has revealed the physical and emotional torment she has suffered since her boyfriend set her on fire

Brae Lewis has pleaded guilty to dousing his girlfriend Kyesha Finemore in petrol before setting her alight in Marsden, south of Brisbane in May 2016

Ms Finemore, then aged 17, was left in a coma and fighting for her life after the attack

Burns covered almost her entire body, and after Lewis pleaded guilty Ms Finemore spoke out about her suffering

'I remember being in scorching pain,' she said.

'There's days that I walk out of my house and I have to walk straight back in because I don't want to be stared at.'

The couple were arguing before Lewis threw petrol on Ms Finemore and set her on fire.

'I don't see that you could do something so horrific to someone that you love.'

Her mother Melissa Cooke said the ordeal has been 'stressful'.

Ms Finemore has used a Facebook page to post updates on her recovery.

At the time of the horrific attack, neighbours rushed to the house after hearing screams coming from the property.

The incident stemmed from an argument, before Lewis threw petrol on Ms Finemore and set her on fire

Her mother Melissa Cooke said the ordeal has been 'stressful'. Ms Finemore has used a Facebook page to post updates on her recovery

Her mother Melissa Cooke said the ordeal has been 'stressful'. Ms Finemore has used a Facebook page to post updates on her recovery

Ms Finemore suffered severe burns to her arms, legs and upper body.

She was immediately taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital for treatment.

Lewis' defence claimed he thought the can of petrol was closed when he threw it at Ms Finemore, and that he didn't intend to set her on fire.

A jury took less than two hours to convict Lewis.

Lewis will return to the Beenleigh Courthouse on Friday for sentencing.

Ms Finemore suffered severe burns to her arms, legs and upper body'Oh piss right off' he wrote, and said Freeman's actions were simply 'flirtatious'

He uploaded rant with article about accusations made against Morgan Freeman

Tinder lothario Gable Tostee has labeled the #MeToo campaign 'bullsh**' and accused women who make allegations against men of pushing alternative agendas.

The Gold Coast man, listed as Eric Thomas on Facebook, made his opinions clear when he uploaded an article about sexual assault accusations made against Morgan Freeman.

He directed an angry tirade at women who spoke up about allegedly being assaulted by the movie megastar in a charged post to Facebook on Friday.

Tinder lothario Gable Tostee (pictured) has labeled the #MeToo campaign 'bullsh**' and accused women who make allegations against men of pushing alternative agendas

'Oh piss right off. If you're so precious you can't handle a flirtatious remark or an awkward approach, don't complain when you 'can't find any decent men' anymore,' Tostee wrote.

'When so many men are already terrified to talk to women, this #Metoo BS is yet another nail in the coffin of masculinity. Is that really what women want?'

In the article, women detailed ways in which the 80-year-old star had allegedly behaved inappropriately towards them while working on movie sets.

One woman said she endured several months of harassment at the hands of Freeman, who allegedly tried to lift up her skirt during the production of the 2015 movie Going In Style.

The Gold Coast man, listed as Eric Thomas on Facebook, made his opinions clear when he uploaded an article about sexual assault accusations made against Morgan Freeman (pictured)

He directed an angry tirade at women who spoke up about allegedly being assaulted by the movie megastar in a charged post (pictured) to Facebook on Friday

Another recalled inappropriate behaviour from Freeman during the making of 'Now You See Me' in 2012, saying 'he did comment on our bodies...We knew that if he was coming by...not to wear any top that would show our breasts'.

In response to a comment left below Tostee's post, the 31-year-old accused the alleged victims of being motivated by factors other than justice.

'Thing is I don't think any of these complainants are genuinely bothered by it. I think they are pushing other agendas,' he said.

It wasn't the first time Tosdee made controversial comments about feminists, with him claiming sex would 'cure' them in a post to Facebook two weeks ago.

In response to a comment left below Tostee's post, the 31-year-old (pictured) accused the alleged victims of being motivated by factors other than justice

'The best cure for feminism is a good root,' he said in a post shared with his 4,000 followers.

Tostee stood trial for the death of New Zealand tourist Warriena Wright, 26, after she fell 14 storeys from his Gold Coast apartment in 2014.

The pair were on a first date after they met through dating app Tinder.

Shortly after he was acquitted over the death, Tostee created another Tinder profile.

'Shhh don't tell Channel 9,' his profile read, referring to the media attention surrounding the death of Ms Wright and his subsequent trial.The heartbroken widow of entrepreneur and Queen's envoy Barry Dodd CBE has paid tribute to her 'wonderful' husband who died in a helicopter crash yesterday.

Frances Dodd, described him as 'a wonderful man' who 'lived his life according to his values of honesty and integrity'.

Mr Dodd was piloting the helicopter alone when it came down after midday in Aldborough, a village in Boroughbridge, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire.

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Barry Dodd, Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, died when the helicopter he was piloting came down after midday in Aldborough, a village in Boroughbridge, in Harrogate, North Yorkshire

The serial entrepreneur, 70, was appointed Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire in 2014 and was often known to accompany the Queen during her visits to the area

The serial entrepreneur, 70, whose company is thought to be worth more than 50 million, was appointed Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire in 2014 and was often known to accompany the Queen during her visits to the area.

He was awarded an OBE in 2006 for services to business and the economy in Yorkshire, and in 2014 was awarded a CBE by the Prince of Wales for services to the UK economy.

Today Mrs Dodd paid touching tribute to her late husband, writing: 'Barry was a wonderful man. He lived his life according to his values of honesty and integrity.'

She called him intelligent, compassionate and a visionary who enjoyed channelling his business successes into the public services and the community.

She continued: 'He was particularly proud to serve as Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire. More than anything however, he was a loving family man and I will miss him enormously.'

Mr Dodd, who founded GSM Graphic Arts in 1974 - which became a global graphic manufacturing firm - created jobs in neglected parts of North Yorkshire, including offering employment opportunities to ex-offenders in the area

Mr Dodd, who founded GSM Graphic Arts in 1974 - which would grow into a global manufacturing organisation - created jobs in neglected parts of North Yorkshire, including offering employment opportunities to ex-offenders seeking a fresh start.

The 70-year-old was also Chairman of the York and North Yorkshire with East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership, as well as being Pro-Chancellor for the University of Hull.

Despite having a firm valued at more than 50 million, with a workforce of some 400 over nine locations, the Queen's envoy dedicated himself to voluntary service, where, for more than a decade, he would work in unpaid roles around the borough.

He lived with his wife Frances near Carlton-in-Cleveland, about 25 miles from the crash site at a sweeping country manor that had been listed for sale previously.

A spokesperson for North Yorkshire Police said: 'Sadly, the pilot of the private aircraft was pronounced dead at the scene following the helicopter near Aldborough yesterday.

The 70-year-old was also Chairman of the York and North Yorkshire with East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership, as well as being Pro-Chancellor for the University of Hull

'Whilst we await formal identification, we believe he is Her Majesty's Lord-Lieutenant for North Yorkshire, Mr Barry Dodd CBE.'

Adding that his family had been informed and were now in contact with specially trained officers to help them cope.

Leading figures from the North Yorkshire community have paid tribute to Mr Dodds.

Richard Flinton, North Yorkshire County Council's Chief Executive said: 'There are many businesses in North Yorkshire that are enjoying success and doing better through the work that Barry did with them.'

Mr Flinton added that Mr Dodds had touched the lives of many through his passionate public service commitment, and would be missed by many in the county.

Despite having a firm valued at more than 50 million, with a workforce of some 400 over nine locations, the Queen's envoy dedicated himself to voluntary service, where, for more than a decade, he would work in unpaid roles around the borough

Scarborough and Whitby MP Robert Goodwill, who was friends with Mr Dodd, said: 'I am absolutely devastated to hear the terrible news about Barry. Not only was he a phenomenally successful businessman but he had an amazing commitment to public service in Yorkshire.'

The MP added he was proud to know him as a friend and fellow classic car enthusiast, before sending his condolences to his wife.

Meanwhile, tributes have poured in on social media with people sending thoughts to his family and appraising his achievements.

Speaking of the news on social media, Paul Grimwood wrote: 'So sad. A lovely man who did a lot for the area. RIP Barry.'

Caroline Pounder said: 'So sad, he was a lovely gentleman,' and Richard Musgrave added: 'Such desperately sad news this morning, my thoughts are with Barry's family.'

Gillian Anne Warrior said: 'Oh my goodness how terribly sad; he is the husband of one of my dear school friends.'

Along with his partner Geoff Collier, he founded GSM Graphic Arts above a shop in Guisborough in 1974.

In the 40 years since then his company expanded into a number of industries, including automotive and product barcoding, and a multinational firm employing more than 500 people in Britain, Germany and the US.A photograph of a particularly nasty looking spider was posted to social media on Thursday.

The frightening photo was posted to Reddit on Thursday, along with the caption 'just another trip to the beach in Australia.'

The post attracted a number of comments, with many users believing the creepy crawly to be a Sydney funnel-web spider.

The post attracted a number of comments, with many users believing the creepy crawly to be a Sydney funnel-web spider

'Sydney funnel web I think,' said one person.

'If it is, it's one of the only spiders with venom has evolved to specifically kill primates.'

Another said: 'Enjoy your stay in Straya'.

Sydney funnel-web spiders are typically a large bulky spider with females reaching over 35mm in body length and males around 25mm.

They are one of the world's deadliest spiders and are found from Newcastle to the north and Illawarra to the south.Denmark has passed legislation banning full-face veils, such as the burqa and niqab, being worn without a 'recognisable purpose'

Denmark has voted to ban the niqab and burqa, becoming the fifth European country to pass such a law.

Lawmakers voted 75-30 in favour of the legislation which had been put forward by the governing centre-right coalition.

Technically the law bans any full-face garment where there is no 'recognisable purpose' for wearing it, such as cold weather or complying with laws such as wearing helmets on motorcycles.

Politicians insist the law does not target any religion, but it has become known colloquially as the 'burqa ban'.

Headscarves, turbans and Jewish skull caps will not be affected by the law.

Justice Minister Soeren Pape Poulsen said that it will be up to police to use their 'common sense' when enforcing the law, which will apply from August 1.

First-time offenders risk a fine of 1,000 kroner (118). Repeat offenses could trigger fines of up to 10,000 kroner (1,180) or a jail sentence of up to six months.

Anyone forcing a person to wear garments covering the face using violence or threats can be fined or face up to two years in prison.

There are around 310,000 Muslims in Denmark, according to the Pew Research Center, and most do no wear a veil.

Denmark joins Austria, France, Belgium and Bulgaria which already have similar nationwide laws.

At least half of Germany's 16 states have bans on teachers and public servants wearing full-face veils.

In 2016 Angela Merkel proposed banning full-face veils 'wherever it is legally possible', though no national legislation has yet been passed.

The Netherlands and Italy also have partial burqa bans, though they are confined to specific towns, public places, or jobs.

Gauri van Gulik, Amnesty International's Europe Director, said: 'All women should be free to dress as they please and to wear clothing that expresses their identity or beliefs.

Denmark is the fourth European country to pass such a law, after similar bans in Austria, Belgium and France (pictured, protesters oppose the French law)

'This ban will have a particularly negative impact on Muslim women who choose to wear the niqab or burqa.

'Whilst some specific restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils for the purposes of public safety may be legitimate, this blanket ban is neither necessary nor proportionate and violates the rights to freedom of expression and religion.

'If the intention of this law was to protect women's rights it fails abjectly. Instead, the law criminalises women for their choice of clothing and in so doing flies in the face of those freedoms Denmark purports to uphold.'

Supporters argue the ban enables better integration of Muslim immigrants into Danish society, claiming the garment is used to oppress women.

Martin Henriksen, spokesman for the anti-immigration Danish People's Party, said: 'Some people use (the full-face veil) to promote an ideology which, if successful, would mean many others would lose their right to freedom. It's a matter of balance.'

But Ayesha Haleem, a Pakistani woman who has been wearing the niqab for the past six years while in Denmark, said no one, including her husband, forced her to wear it.

'Many people believe that men force us to wear the niqab or burqa. That's completely wrong,' she told Danish public broadcaster DR.

'If I didn't want to wear the niqab then I wouldn't, even before meeting my husband,' Haleem said. 'I'd rather leave the country than take my veil off.'Russia's Foreign Minister has called for sanctions on North Korea to be lifted and invited Kim Jong-un for a meeting in Moscow as he met with the dictator in Pyongyang on Thursday.

Sergei Lavrov was welcomed with open arms by Kim as he flew into the hermit kingdom in an apparent bid to curry favour ahead of a potential summit between North Korea and the US.

'It is absolutely obvious that, as we start discussions on how to resolve the nuclear problem on the Korean Peninsula, it is understood that the solution cannot be comprehensive without the lifting of sanctions,' Lavrov said in a press conference.

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The meeting was the first time Kim Jong-un had ever received a Russian official in Pyongyang

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (front) steps off a plane at Pyongyang on Thursday

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov bows after laying flowers at the statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il

He also urged the state to hold off on relinquishing their nuclear weapons until tangible action had been taken to lift the economic stranglehold.

'This cannot be achieved at one go', he added. 'There can be no immediate denuclearisation, this should be done step by step and all sides should go half-way during every single phase of this process'.

The meeting was the first ever between the North Korean leader and a Russian official - and Lavrov used the opportunity to invite Kim for a return fixture in Moscow.

'Come to Russia, we'll be very happy to see you,' Lavrov told Kim in remarks released by the Russian foreign ministry.

Last month North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho held rare talks with Lavrov in Moscow as Pyongyang moves to improve strained ties with global powers.

Foreign Minister Lavrov walking with several members of the North Korean delegation at the flower-laying ceremony

Diplomatic teams from North Korea and Russia in discussions on Thursday at the Mansudae Assembly Hall in Pyongyang

Lavrov passed greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim, saying he wished him success in the 'major undertakings that have been initiated on the Korean peninsula', the ministry said in a statement.

The meeting between Lavrov and Kim lays bare Russia's desire to involve itself in diplomatic relations between North Korea and the US ahead of a potential summit.

President Trump and Kim had planned to meet in Singapore for a meeting on June 12 to discuss the potential for denationalization and greater cooperation between North and South Korea.

Efforts are currently underway to restore the plans after Trump dramatically announced he was pulling out of the summit in a letter to Kim in May.

Kim's right hand man General Kim Yong Chol flew into New York on Wednesday to try and salvage the assembly.

Kim Jong-un poses for photos standing next to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his team of diplomats

Sergei Lavrov shakes hands with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho on Thursday morning

Lavrov addresses the assembled horde of international media in a press conference at the Mansudae Assembly Hall

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted photos of his working dinner with Kim's right-hand man in New York on Wednesday.

Kim Yong Chol met with Pompeo in Manhattan, where the two dined on 'steak, corn, and cheese,' according to the secretary of state.

He is the most senior North Korean official to visit the United States since 2000, when Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok traveled to Washington to meet with then-President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office.

Pompeo's talks with Kim Yong Chol - the most critical of three tracks of negotiations currently taking place between the two governments in the U.S., in the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone, and in Singapore - are aimed at determining whether a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un can be restored.

Lavrov laying a wreath at the foot of two gigantic statues in the centre of Pyongyang of Kim Jong-il and Kim Il-Sung

A dinner between Kim's right hand man Kim Yong Chol and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was held at The Corinthian, a 57-story residential apartment building located in the Murray Hill section of Manhattan, on ThursdayBrussels should copy the Swiss border in Ireland to make Brexit work and unlock trade talks, Jacob Rees-Mogg demanded today.

The Brexiteer ringleader said Switzerland had 'extremely effective' borders with a series of EU countries while being outside the single market and customs union.

Mr Rees-Mogg claimed the EU was being deliberately obstructive by refusing to implement such a solution for the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

The Brexit talks have been bogged down for months as the UK and Brussels try to find a solution that avoids the creation of a hard border in Ireland.

Brussels should copy the Swiss border in Ireland to make Brexit work and unlock trade talks, Jacob Rees-Mogg (pictured on the BBC on Sunday) demanded today

The Brexit talks have been bogged down for months as the UK and Brussels try to find a solution that avoids the creation of a hard border in Ireland (file image)

Mr Rees-Mogg told the Express: 'The Swiss border is extremely effective. The system has been running for years so it would be possible to have something even more efficient between the UK and the EU.

'There is no need for a hard border in Northern Ireland, or for controls to be at the border, they can all be arranged remotely.

How does the Swiss border work? Switzerland has never been a member of the European Union but shares a border with four members of the Brussels club. Hundreds of millions of pounds worth of goods crosses the frontier every year, while each day 2.1 million people, 1.1 million cars and 24,000 lorries pass the border. The Swiss border includes check points and infrastructure to allow spot checks and intelligence-led customs enforcement. Switzerland also voluntarily follows many EU standards and rules on goods. The country is also a member of the Schengen free movement zone, meaning no passport checks are needed on the border But the level of traffic moving freely and unhinderdd means the border is seen by some as the closest comparable model to the Irish border. Advertisement

'The Swiss model is an example of what can be achieved if the political will is there.'

Switzerland has never been a member of the European Union but shares a border with four members of the Brussels club.

Hundreds of millions of pounds worth of goods crosses the frontier every year, while each day 2.1 million people, 1.1 million cars and 24,000 lorries pass the border.

Switzerland is also inside EU free movement rules, meaning no passport checks are required at the border.

The level of traffic means the border is seen by some as the closest comparable model to the Irish border.

Some Brexiteers have rejected the idea because it requires Switzerland to have around 120 bilateral agreements with the EU.

Brexit supporters would also reject Britain re-joining EU free movement rules - but insist Irish citizens have always been allowed to travel freely to Britain, regardless of EU membership.

And Unionists warn the Swiss border includes check points and infrastructure to allow spot checks and intelligence-led customs enforcement.

This means it falls foul of the negotiating goal of no hard border.

Negotiations between David Davis and Michel Barnier have been centred on how to resolve the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic (file image)

A Government spokesman told the Express: "We have set out two viable future customs arrangements with the EU.

'A new customs partnership without the need for any customs checks and a highly streamlined arrangement in which EU goods would be subject to customs checks but in away that minimises disruption through technology.

'Both would meet our commitments to ensuring trade is as frictionless as possible, avoiding a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland, and enabling us to establish an independent international trade policy.'Alexandra Kunicki has appeared at the Central London Employment Tribunal claiming race and sex discrimination against the Met Police

A female police officer is suing London's Metropolitan Police after she was sent a naked picture of her colleague, a tribunal heard.

PC Alexandra Kunicki is suing Scotland Yard for sex discrimination as well as race discrimination, saying she was subjected to a campaign of bullying because she is Swedish.

The officer claims she was forced to turn down the sexual advances of a man named only as 'PC P' and was left so distressed she began drinking 112 units of alcohol a week, the equivalent of eight pints a day.

Miss Kunicki, from Sweden told the Central London Employment Tribunal she was left 'utterly disgusted' by another constable who made at least four advances.

She said: 'PC P started flirting with me and sent me naked pictures of himself in his lounge with an erect penis.

'He had then on several occasions approached me as we were in a patrol car to which I declined four times as I was not interested.

'He then clearly became humiliated and made four malicious complaints about me behind my back.

'PC P snubbed me and incited hatred of me.'

She added: 'Once PC P saw me alone hiding whilst I was typing up an email, flirted with me again and said he had had a wet dream about me.

'I was utterly disgusted.

'PC P was later on bail for sexual harassment but cleared whilst he was in Hendon.'

She claims non-British officers are treated differently in the Metropolitan Police.

Giving evidence she said: 'I was the only non-British officer for about seven years. It was a contributing factor that I stuck out, people thought I was different.

'It has affected my whole career on the basis that I am Swedish.

'I express myself differently and I act different to my British colleagues.

'Other officers who were not British were pin pointed and bullied as well.

Miss Kunicki, from Sweden, is suing Scotland Yard for sex discrimination as well as race discrimination, saying she was subjected to a campaign of bullying because she was Swedish

'I was the only non-British officer in my class in Hendon in 2006, the only non British officer on my street duties and my Response Team until 2010.

'No other officers were from any ethnic minority apart from PC Hyatt, no-one was black, no-one was Asian or Balkan for example.

'I was constantly misunderstood, I was constantly told or perceived as a loser and it really upset me.

'I was bullied purely for the reason I was not British, because I was different and misunderstood.

'Even today I can still hear 'well you've been in Britain for some years now, you should know by now' or 'don't be so sensitive'.

'I think the organisation as a whole is institutionally racist.'

Miss Kunicki also claims a female colleague once 'charged' at her, challenging her to a fight in a disagreement as she and colleagues were writing up reports.

She also mentioned another incident, saying a chair was taken away so she could not sit with the other officers.

She said: 'I was labelled as a target to make fun and to humiliate on a daily basis.'

Miss Kunicki began as a trainee officer in 2006 and was moved between teams in Hendon, Ealing and Islington, where she is currently based.

An earlier hearing was told Miss Kunicki was drinking alcohol to a hazardous level and in 2009 her GP referred her to an alcohol worker as she was drinking around 112 units a week.

She later reported to health professionals feelings of suicide, but she declined counselling as she could not attend regularly.

A preliminary hearing judgement said: 'For a number of years she has drunk alcohol to excess.

Miss Kunicki said she was sent a naked image and was subjected to sexual advances at work on at least four occasions and also says she was bullied

'In 2009 she saw her general practitioner and was referred to an alcohol worker when it became clear she was drinking around 112 units per week.

'The doctor's impression was an acute stress reaction with underlying emotionally unstable personality trait.

'She was drinking alcohol 'at a hazardous level' drinking at least a bottle (of wine) at night on her own, and was still doing so in October 2011.'

A health report on her in 2017 concluded: 'Her feelings of depression and symptoms of anxiety were direct reactions to the interpersonal difficulties and problems in the job.

'Such states have been there to some extent throughout her life. She used alcohol to deal with her stress.'

Scotland Yard disagree that Miss Kunicki was bullied or sexually discriminated against.

Carol Willingham, a human resources case manager who has worked closely with Miss Kunicki said: 'I do not believe that the claimant was discriminated against because of her sex or Swedish nationality, on occasion she was treated differently to others but this was always in her favour.

'I did my best to support the claimant and get her the help she needed.'

The tribunal continues.A former monk and a Ukrainian arms dealer were today revealed to be the two men who allegedly plotted the murder of the Russian journalist whose death was faked in an elaborate sting by the Ukrainian secret service.

Putin critic Arkady Babchenko, 41, shocked the world yesterday when he turned up at a press conference about his own 'murder', revealing that it had been part of a plan to catch two hitmen allegedly hired by the Russian secret service to kill him.

He revealed he posed for pictures lying in pigs' blood to make it look like he had been shot in his home in the capital Kiev and travelled to the morgue in an ambulance before watching coverage of his death on TV.

Today, Ukrainian authorities said they have charged one of the two 'hitmen' they caught in the wake of the outlandish scheme, which was likened to a Sherlock Holmes plot.

Arms-maker Boris German, 50, was identified as the man detained by the Ukrainian SBU secret service accused of arranging the hit on behalf of Russia's FSB security service. He has been charged with plotting terrorism and could face up to 12 years in jail if found guilty. A video of his arrest in a Kiev street on Wednesday has also been seen.

He is the executive director of a Ukrainian-German arms manufacturer called Schmeisser, which has supplied sniper rifles to Ukrainians fighting pro-Putin rebels in the war-ravaged east.

Oleksiy Tsymbalyuk - a former monk ordained as a deacon - confessed on Facebook that he had been hired to murder Babchenko

A fresh video released in Ukraine today purportedly shows a $30,000 payment from German to the hired gun, a former monk ordained as a deacon.

German's lawyer, who revealed his client's identity to the Ukrainian public today, dismissed the accusations as lacking any evidence and said he was being framed.

According to Ukrainian media reports, the man receiving the money is Oleksiy Tsymbalyuk. He revealed on Facebook that he was the man chosen to murder Babchenko and had told all to the Ukrainian authorities.

Tsymbalyuk, from Odessa, was detained by the SBU before the hit could take place. Authorities say he has co-operated. He has implicated Moscow and is now being treated as a witness not a suspect.

His capture led to the fake announcement that Babchenko had been killed.

The journalist claimed the operation was the only way to gain proof of the guilt of Vladimir Putin's secret service in an attempt to have him bumped off.

Moscow has dismissed the affair as a crass provocation by Kiev aimed at embarrassing Putin as he prepares to host the World Cup.

But Tsymbalyuk said in a social media posting: 'For the first time the SBU has worked forestall against FSB.'

He claimed 'talented' investigators had worked on the case and prevented a killing.

He is a former fighter against pro-Putin rebels and Russian forces in eastern Ukraine. He said: 'For the first time we overcame them (the FSB)and this is beautiful. People really work hard to make life in Ukraine safer. The SBU did not cheat me.'

Arkady Babchenko, 41, who helped the Ukrainian secret service fake his own death, speaks during a news conference with foreign media in Kiev on Thursday

Tsymbalyuk revealed on Facebook that he was the man chosen to murder Babchenko and had told all to the Ukrainian authorities

After a video appeared of him being paid $30,000 allegedly by German - as an 'advance for the murder' - he decided to out himself, he said.

'I do not see any sense in hiding,' he said.

Earlier reports in the Ukrainian media claimed a Chechen assassin nicknamed Validol - aka Valid Lurakhmanov- could be behind the case.

Like Tsymbalyuk, he resembled an identikit published when Babchenko's death was faked.

Boris German (pictured) is the executive director of a Ukrainian-German arms manufacturer called Schmeisser, which has supplied sniper rifles to Ukrainians fighting pro-Putin rebels in the war-ravaged east

German's lawyer, Evgeny Solodko, said social media messages between his client and the would-be assassin did not mention murder. He claimed the SBU had made no effort to seek the real organiser.

'They didn't even look for them,' he said.

German - or Herman in Ukrainian - has been accused of organising a terrorist plot.

He has not been accused of espionage despite claims from the SBU that he was acting on behalf of the Russian FSB.

The lawyer claimed a decision has been taken by Ukrainian prosecutors 'to prove something that doesn't exist'.

Prosecutors called on Shevchenkivskyi District Court in Kiev to refuse bail. But Solodko claimed there was no reason to detain his client.

Tsimbalyuk is a former hierodeacon of the Orthodox Church who switched to the Ukrainian church. In 2006, he became a monk under the name of Aristarkh.

German's lawyer Evgeny Solodko (pictured) strongly disputed the evidence against his client, accusing the Ukrainian secret service (SBU) of framing him

Disillusioned with both, he had a spell as a hermit monk in the Carpathian Mountains and when the conflict erupted in eastern Ukraine, he went as as volunteer for the Ukrainians to fight in the so-called Anti-terrorist Operation against pro-Moscow rebels and undercover Russian forces.

Meanwhile, Babchenko has explained further how he carried out the subterfuge, revealing how agents used pig's blood and make-up to pull off the stunt.

He also compared his situation to poisoned ex-spy Sergei Skripal, saying he 'had nowhere to hide'. He has previously said he feared for his life after fleeing Russia.

He said he was then taken away in an ambulance to a morgue, where he changed clothes and began watching the TV news about his own murder.

Babchenko earlier said that British journalists who had criticised the sting could 'go f*** yourselves.'

Speaking at today's press gathering, Babchenko said his first reaction was to refuse when Ukrainian officials approached him about a month ago to tell him there was a plot to kill him.

'My first reaction was: 'To hell with you, I want to pack a bag and disappear to the North Pole.' But then I realised, where do you hide? Skripal also tried to hide.'

Russian ex-spy Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were poisoned with nerve agent Novichok at his home in Salisbury, Wiltshire, where he lived after leaving Russia in a spy swap. Britain says Russia is culpable for the poisoning, an allegation Moscow denies.

Babchenko, who fled Russia in February 2017 because of what he described as death threats, said the Ukrainian agents told him the Russian security services had placed an order for his killing four weeks earlier.

'I said 'great, why have you been waiting for a month?',' he recounted.

Babchenko also disclosed for the first time details of how the deception involving his fake death had been carried out.

On the night selected for the event, he said a make-up artist had come to his apartment to give him the appearance of a shooting victim, that he was given a T-shirt with bullet holes in it to wear, and that pig's blood was poured over him.

He said he played dead while medical teams - who were in on the ruse - transported him to hospital in an ambulance and then certified him as dead and sent him to a morgue.

Babchenko has been criticised for going along with the stunt, but has hit back saying they don't have the right to 'teach me how I should save myself and my family'

'Once the gates of the morgue closed behind me, I was resurrected,' Babchenko said. He said he then washed off the fake blood and dressed himself in a sheet.

'Then I watched the news and saw what a great guy I had been,' he said, referring to tributes that were paid to him in the media after his death was widely reported.

Asked about his next steps now, he said: 'I plan to get some decent sleep, maybe get drunk, and then wake up in two or three days.'

Babchenko added that he had agreed to fake his death of his own volition, and dismissed media criticism over his cooperation.

'My goal was to stay alive and ensure the safety of my family. That is the first thing I am thinking about. Journalist standards are the last thing I am thinking about now,' the Russian said today.

'Everyone who says this undermines trusts in journalists: what would you do in my place, if they came to you and said there is a hit out on you?'

After Babchenko's murder was revealed as a fake, several British and international journalists criticized the stunt, saying it would to lead to accusations of 'fake news'.

Not dead yet: Russian journalist Arkady Babchenko, who had been reported shot and killed in the Ukrainian capital Tuesday, turns up at news conference on Wednesday - alive and well

Babchenko is seen meeting Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko along with head of Ukraine's security service Vasyl Grytsak and Prosecutor General Yuri Lutsenko last night

Babchenko met the President on Wednesday afternoon, following the revelation that his death had been faked by Ukrainian authorities

This saw Babchenko's launch an attack on the British media on his Facebook page.

He said: 'The British media is questioning whether there is really more harm than good that came from what I did? Dear British press, would you please go and f*** yourselves?

'If you want to do something useful however, you can give me a British passport and British protection. Then you will have the right to teach me how I should save myself and my family. F***ing smart-a***s!'

Media watchdog slams the operation as a 'pathetic stunt' Reporters Without Borders condemned Wednesday the staging of a murder of an anti-Kremlin journalist in Ukraine as a 'pathetic stunt'. Christophe Deloire, the head of the Paris-based media watchdog, told AFP that while he was relieved that Arkady Babchenko was alive, 'it is pathetic and regrettable that the Ukrainian police have played with the truth, whatever their motive... for the stunt'. Deloire insisted the fake set-up 'would not help the cause of press freedom. All it takes is one case like this to cast doubt on all the other political assassinations,' he said, referring to the killings of a number of the Kremlin's critics in Ukraine in recent years. 'It is the state lying, even if it was brief,' he added. Advertisement

Before Babchenko published his angry Facebook retort, several international commentators and reporters said it would be difficult to trust official statements about similar incidents again - in particular from the Ukraine.

Lindsey Hilsum, the international editor for Channel 4 News, tweeted: 'So now every time a journalist is murdered, those responsible will unleash their bots and propagandists to say it's fake news.

'Thanks, Ukrainian security services. That's really helpful to all who care about journalists' safety.'

Leonid Ragozin, a former BBC and Russian Newsweek journalist, tweeted: 'Babchenko's death turns out to be fake news of the century.

'A mindless and tragic mistreatment of public empathy that discredits so many things at once - Ukraine, Russian liberals, journalists. Only Kremlin wins.'

The Russian media's response to the story of Babchenko's 'death' and resurrection has been one of disdain and glee, saying it proves that media in Western nations have an anti-Putin agenda.

Putin-funded news channel RT mocked Western outlets for reporting on Babchenko's 'death' as fact when the information had come from a Russian adversary nation, saying the likes of CNN and the BBC 'should do a lot of soul-searching.'

Others attacked Babchenko for going along with the Ukrainian secret service's stunt, including one of his former colleagues who said that while he was glad that Babchenko was still alive, he had 'undermined the credibility of journalists'.

Earlier Ukrainian media reports claimed a Chechen assassin nicknamed Validol, aka Valid Lurakhmanov, could be behind the case before it was revealed to be Oleksiy Tsymbalyuk. Reports claim the drawing, left, of the man hired to kill Babchenko looks eerily like Validol

A video released yesterday shows the arrest of the Ukrainian man, later identified as arms dealer Boris German, who was allegedly hired by the Russians to find a hitman to carry out the killing

German (above, during his arrest) has been charged with plotting terrorism and could face up to 12 years in jail if found guilty

Babchenko's outburst is the latest twist in the quagmire of misinformation and changing details surrounding his faked murder.

After launching their plan of Babchenko's fake death, which included images of his body in a pool of blood, the Ukrainians also released an identikit of his 'killer' which shows a bearded man in a cap.

Today, Ukrainian media claims to have spotted a likeness between the identikit drawing and a notorious 'Chechen hitman' named Valid Lurakhmanov.

They say that that Lurakhmanov is known to be in the country and that he is using false Ukrainian documents under the name Alexander Smirnov.

Police Chief Andrii Kryschenko did neither confirm nor deny that the man they have in custody is Lurakhmanov, and told reporters: 'We will verify this information.'

Officials did not comment any further on the charges of the man accused of hiring the would-be assassin, Citizen G, who faces up to 12 years in jail if convicted of terrorism charges.

Yesterday Ukrainian secret service released a video purporting to show the arrest of Citizen G in Kiev. At the time, they said it showed the arrest of a Russian security service operative, but Kiev officials have today clarified that the man seen in the clip is Citizen G.

Emotional: Babchenko breaks down in tears during his press conference after admitting that his murder had been staged

Fake news: This image began circulating after Babchenko's 'death' was made public

The incredible tale began on Tuesday, when 41-year-old Kremlin-critical journalist Arkady Babchenko was reported dead, having supposedly been shot in the back several times in his apartment building in Kiev, Ukraine.

Images circulated of Babchenko, a father-of-six, lying on his front, with holes in the back of his shirt, and a pool of blood underneath him.

Tributes were paid by colleagues and friends online, and his wife was reported to be inconsolable to the point where police were unable to speak to her.

However, on Wednesday, he emerged alive at a press conference as the Ukrainian secret service admitted to staging his death to investigate a Russian plot to kill him.

Babchenko has since vowed: 'They will never get me,' saying he aims to 'die at 96 having danced on Putin's grave'.

Babchenko's public apology to his wife Olga during the press conference was interpreted as her having been led to believe that he was really dead.

Large family: Babchenko and his wife have six daughters, some of whom are adopted

In on it: It was reported yesterday that Babchenko's wife Olga, right, had not known about the plot, but friends say today that she did

However this has today been rubbished by Babchenko's friend Yury Matsarsky, who has insisted the wife was fully aware of everything.

'Babchenko's wife knew that his death was staged,' he said.

'I tried to calm her down until 4 am (after the death)

'In other words, Babchenko's wife was sitting next to the fake blood pool on the floor, knew everything and controlled herself aiming to tell us nothing.

'What's more, she tried to help us cope with it too.

'As a result, she did not confess that she knew it and simply could not say it even to close friends in order not to ruin the special operation.'

A number of Kremlin critics have been killed in Ukraine in recent years, with one gunned down on a Kiev street in broad daylight and another whose car exploded.

Babchenko fought in Russia's two Chechen campaigns in the 1990s and early 2000s before becoming a war correspondent and author.

He has contributed to a number of media outlets including top opposition newspaper Novaya Gazeta and is an avid blogger, accusing Russian authorities of killing Kremlin critics and unleashing wars in Ukraine, Syria and elsewhere.

Babchenko left Russia in February 2017 after receiving threats, living first in the Czech Republic, then in Israel, before moving to Kiev.

In recent years his increasingly bombastic posts pushed the boundaries of good taste and some of his colleagues and followers stopped reading him on Facebook.China's carrier group led by the country's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, has reached 'initial' combat readiness, the defence ministry said today.

Also today, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson called the U.S. assertions of China militarising the South China Sea 'ridiculous'.

The statements were made by China's defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang and China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying during separate press briefings.

Beijing claims that its carrier group led by aircraft carrier Liaoning has reached 'initial' combat readiness. Pictured, Liaoning is berthed at the Victoria bay in Hong Kong on July 7, 2017

The statement was made by China's defence ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang (pictured in a file photo) during a press briefing today

Liaoning, a Soviet-era carrier China bought from Ukraine, is the nation's first aircraft carrier. Pictured, a flotilla including Liaoning arrived in Hong Kong for a visit on July 7, 2017

The news came after the U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Washington would confront Beijing's actions in the disputed waterways.

Mattis said on Tuesday the United States would push back against what it sees as China's militarisation of islands in the South China Sea despite China's condemnation of a voyage through the region on the weekend by two U.S. Navy ships.

Little is known about the aircraft carrier programme, which China regards as a state secret.

But Senior Colonel Ren's statement has signalled another significant step in Beijing's ambitious military modernisation programme.

The programme is a part of President Xi Jinping's sweeping plan to refurbish the armed forces - by developing everything from stealth jets to anti-satellite missiles - as China ramps up its presence in the disputed South China Sea and around self-ruled Taiwan.

Recent events point to the growing stresses between U.S and China over South China Sea

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis (pictured responding to a question on May 25) has said that Washington would confront Beijing's actions in the disputed South China Sea

Territorial disputes over the South China Sea have been brewing for years and China, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia have also made competing claims to waters believed to have significant oil and natural gas deposits

China bought the Soviet-era Liaoning secondhand from Ukraine in 1998, before refitting mainly for training use as it honed the ability to operate fighter jets at sea and with other warships.

But the Liaoning has gone on increasingly high-profile missions recently, such as sailing around Taiwan, which China claims, and into the South China Sea.

The Liaoning and its accompanying carrier group had successfully been carrying out training missions, Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told at the monthly news briefing.

'The carrier group's exercises have been deepened to include combat operations in the open seas. It has initially formed a system combat capability,' Ren said, without elaborating.

Little is known about the aircraft carrier programme, which China regards as a state secret. Pictured is China's second aircraft carrier, which is unnamed and solely developed by Beijing

China's second aircraft carrier is transferred from dry dock into the water on April 26, 2017

China's second carrier began sea trials earlier in May. It is China's first domestically developed carrier and is yet to be named.

Chinese military experts have told state media the new carrier is not expected to enter service until 2020 - once it has been fully fitted out and armed.

The carrier was built in the port city of Dalian in north-east China's Liaoning Province.

Unlike the U.S. Navy's longer-range nuclear carriers, both of China's feature Soviet-design ski-jump bows, intended to provide sufficient take-off lift for fighter jets. They lack the powerful catapult launch technology that U.S. carriers have.

Beijing said it has claimed the S. China Sea region enclosed by the 'nine-dash line' for centuries

Two U.S. Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China on Sunday, prompting anger in Beijing (pictured is Woody Island in the South China Sea)

China's state media have quoted experts as saying the country needs at least six carriers. The United States operates 10 and plans to build two more.

Most experts agree that developing such a force will be a decades-long task for China, but progress on a home-built carrier boosts prestige for Beijing, seen by many analysts as keen to eventually erode U.S. military prominence in the region.

Ren said he had no details to provide on whether China was building any other carriers.A toddler has been taken to hospital with facial injuries after she was attacked by the family's staffy cross.

Paramedics were called to a home in Elizabeth East in Adelaide's north about 11.15am on Thursday.

The 20-month-old toddler was reportedly playing with her older brother at the time when he let their pet dog indoors, which latched onto the little girl's face.

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The little girl is now recovering in hospital after a terrifying ordeal on Thursday

Family members say the staffy cross (pictured) had never shown any signs of aggression until Thursday morning when he bit his owners' toddler

'My partner has just come over to me and said the poor little girl next door has been bitten by the family dog, which was really horrific,' neighbour Emma Burton told reporters.

'Dogs are very unpredictable and you just don't know what's going to happen.'

Family members told 7 News it was the first time the pet had shown any signs of aggression and that the children's distraught father had looked away from his children for just seconds.

The toddler (pictured) suffered facial injuries in the attack

The family bought the dog through Facebook six months ago, 10 News reported.

The staffy cross was seized by council officers and was put down on Thursday afternoon.

'If a pet attacks a child, it has to be destroyed because it's just not on,' shocked neighbour Gavan Van Dyke told 7 News.

The little girl was taken to the Womens and Childrens Hospital, where she received stitches for the bite wounds and is in a stable condition.Thomas Markle has dismissed claims that he asked his daughter for money in the weeks running up to the Royal Wedding.

The 73-year-old, who lives in Mexico, was unable to attend Meghan's wedding to Prince Harry because he needed major heart surgery.

He told TMZ reports that he contacted her on at least two occasions but she refused to help him out are wrong, dismissing them as 'just plain b*****t'.

Thomas Markle has dismissed reports that he asked his daughter for money in the run up to the Royal Wedding

The claim was made on RadarOnline in the run up to the wedding.

Mr Markle, a former award-winning Hollywood lighting director, told TMZ, he lives frugally on a decent retirement fund.

Money has never been a topic of conversation between them but he said Meghan, 36, would help him out if he was in difficulty, he explained.

Since his heart surgery he has been resting and will be going to his two-week follow-up appointment next week, he told TMZ.

Mr Markle has said heart attack was triggered by an open letter his son, Thomas Jr, wrote trying to convince Prince Harry not to marry Meghan.

Mr Markle, pictured here with Meghan, said he has a pension and has lives frugally

Meghan's mother Gloria Ragland was the only member of her family to attend the wedding

Prince Harry and Meghan leaving St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle after their wedding

In the run up to the wedding, whether or not he would attend to walk his daughter up the aisle of St George's Chapel, Windsor, took several twists.

After he was caught staging paparazzi photographs for a fee, he eventually decided to stay away, citing health reasons.

He reportedly watched the royal wedding from a $30-a-night Airbnb in Mexico and said the ceremony filled him with 'joy and emotion'.

The only member of Meghan's family who was visible at her wedding was her mother, Doria Ragland.

Markle Sr is still to meet his new son-in-law Prince Harry but is thought to have spoken to the him over the phone.

Meghan's half siblings Samantha and Thomas Jr. did not score an invite and this week she has continued her social media tirade against the Duchess of Sussex.

After ranting about Meghan's coat of arms on Sunday, claiming the design 'looks like it was drawn by someone in a kindergarten classroom', she turned her attention back to wedding invitations - or lack thereof.

During a tweet storm on Monday, Samantha revealed it had been 10 years since she had communicated at all with her half sister.Detectives investigating the death of a three-year-old boy from Croydon have charged his 23-year-old mother in relation to the incident.

Alfie Lamb was found unresponsive by paramedics on February 1 and went into cardiac arrest before dying three days later in hospital.

Three people were arrested on February 28 including Alfie's mother Adrian Hoare, of Croydon, south London.

Alfie Lamb was found unresponsive in cardiac arrest at a property on Adams Way in Croydon, south London, on February 1

Scotland Yard said Hoare had appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court charged with ill-treatment of a child.

An 18-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man were also charged with perverting the court of justice. They will appear at Croydon Magistrates' Court on June 25 and June 12 respectively.

A post-mortem examination into Alfie's death commenced on February 7 at St Thomas' Hospital. Officers are awaiting the final report.

The death is being treated as suspicious and a post-mortem examination began on February 7 at St Thomas' Hospital.

Alfie's Aunt Ashleigh Jefferey, 23, from Northfleet, near Gravesend, Kent has set up a go fund me page to raise money after organising his funeral.

The page reads: 'Sadly on the 4th of February this year, my darling nephew Alfie grew his wings and left us.

'Alfie was 3 years old and was a very cheeky, loving little boy! He had an incredible imagination and a smile we will never forget!

'Unfortunately the cause of death is yet to be known and undescribed pending an investigation!

'His body was released a week ago and I would love to give him a day to remember, just as he deserves.

'Due to unforeseen circumstances money has been a struggle to find and I need to raise 500! All donations will be appreciated.'

He was taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service but died three days later, sparking police to launch a murder investigation. Pictured is Adams Way in Croydon

Speaking to the Croydon Advertiser today, she said: 'He was very cheeky, his eyes told a story that no-one else could.

'The imagination on him was unbelievable, it was amazing. He was a beautiful boy and he was always so happy.'

The mother-of-one said she organised Alfie's funeral, which took place last Friday and tried to give him the best send-off she could. Alfie's mother

Ashleigh explained she tried to raise money to fund his funeral through a GoFundMe page, but at present Alfie's ashes are 'in a bag, in a box' as she hasn't so far raised enough to buy something fitting to keep his ashes in.

She said: 'We've had quite a long time to try and deal with things, but it's been quite difficult because I have been trying to deal with things myself.

'I had his funeral last Friday and we tried to give him a beautiful send off. His favourite colour was orange so everything was orange for him and we all carried him in.

She hopes to raise money so she can buy something special to keep his ashes in.

Ashleigh said: 'I brought him here so I could see him every day and try and spend time with him. I've tried to do what I can for him.'

She added: 'He just had love for everyone and he was just so caring. His ashes are just in a bag in a box at the moment. I would love to get something that mirrors what he was, which was beautiful.'

Ashleigh explained how the gofundme page she has set up following her nephew's death hasn't so far raised enough to cover all the costs of the funeral.

She said: 'I have a boy myself and he's just like his big cousin, he has the same eyes. I'm just so gutted this has happened.'

Ashleigh hopes anyone with information will make themselves known.

Anyone with information that may assist police should call detectives on 020 8721 4205.

Two Bull Arab dogs killed 17 animals after making their way into a school's enclosed Agricultural Science plot on Thursday.

Staff and students at Livingstone Christian College in Queensland said they were shocked to find the slaughtered animals among only four survivors.

Principal Dr Mark Laraghy took to Facebook to inform parents and the community about what happened.

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Staff and students at Livingstone Christian College in Queenland said they were shocked to find their animals had been injured or killed (pictured are some of the animals in the plot)

Two Bull Arab dogs made their way into a school's enclosed Agricultural Science plot and killed 17 animals (pictured is a sheep the school had)

Vets were brought to the school to attend to the injured animals (pictured)

'This morning we arrived at school to find that some dogs have attacked our Agricultural Science plot & many of our animals have been killed or injured,' the post read.

'We are working with authorities to find out how this occurred.'

The Agricultural Science plot initially had about 20 animals, but following the attack they have been left with two sheep, a ram, and one goat.

Vets were brought to the school to attend to the injured animals.

The kids are being supported by the chaplains and teachers, particularly those who worked closely with the animals.

The Agricultural Science plot initially had about 20 animals and since the attack, they have been left with two sheep, a ram, and one goat

The kids are being supported by the chaplains and teachers, particularly those who worked closely with the animals

'It's an incredibly sad day not just for the students, teachers, and parents but for the the wider community'

'We understand that two Bull Arab crosses entered the school grounds and about 17 animals killed, Deputy Mayor, Donna Gates told Seven News.

'It's an incredibly sad day not just for the students, teachers, and parents but for the the wider community.

The dogs are reportedly domestic dogs and the council has since impounded them.

The owners of the dogs have also reached out to the school community in support.

In another Facebook post, the principal updated the incident and said students have been engaging with chaplains and staff.

In another Facebook post, the principal updated the incident and said students have been engaging with chaplains and staff



American colleges have dominated again in the latest global university rankings with eight U.S. institutions coming in the top 10.

Forty-four of the world's 100 best-regarded universities were American, according to a reputation survey, including 28 of the top 50.

Harvard came top of the Times Higher Education league table for the eighth year in a row, with MIT second and Stanford University third.

Pennsylvania State University jumped more than 10 places to make the top 50 alongside other prestigious institutions as Duke and Columbia.

Harvard University (pictured) came top of the Times Higher Education league table for the eighth year in a row, with MIT second and Stanford University third

Princeton, Yale and the University of California, Berkeley, were also in the top ten along with UCLA and the University of Chicago who were tied for ninth place.

UCLA made the top ten for the first time since 2014 after jumping four places in the standings.

Phil Baty, the magazine's editorial director of global rankings, said America had improved its position with more top 100 institutions than last year, University World News reports.

He said: 'What is particularly striking is that the U.S. has actually strengthened its position in the world... despite fears that the U.S. is suffering a "Trump slump" in terms of its global reputation.

Pennsylvania State University (pictured) jumped more than 10 places to make the top 50 alongside other prestigious institutions as Duke and Columbia

'While we have seen evidence that some international students are seeing the U.S. as a less attractive option, with declining applications, this data from the global academic community suggests the top U.S. universities remain the most highly regarded in the world by a mile.'

Oxford and Cambridge in the UK were the only non-American entries in the top 10, while the University of Tokyo was the highest-ranked Asian college in 13th place.

Top American colleges 'earned their reputations over the whole 20th century and beyond and have not slipped in standard, so they are difficult to displace,' said analyst Simon Marginson.

Universities in South Korea and Singapore 'only really showed themselves as strong in the 1990s, and China's rise is essentially post-2000,' he said.

Other U.S. schools in the top 20 were the California Institute of Technology, Columbia, the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell.

Johns Hopkins and New York University also ranked in the top 25.

The University of Washington was among those to improve its position, climbing from tied 34th to 28th.

The rankings look at each institution's reputation for research and teaching, based on a survey of more than 10,000 academics in 138 countries.Romania and Lithuania violated EU anti-torture rules by allowing the CIA to interrogate terror suspects (Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri) pictured at secret black sites, a court ruled

Romania and Lithuania violated EU anti-torture rules by allowing the CIA to interrogate terror suspects at secret black sites, a court ruled.

Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri were captured after the September 11 attacks and sent to the sites for 'enhanced interrogation' in 2004-06.

There they suffered 'inhuman treatment' and 'an extremely harsh detention regime', the European Court of Human Rights ruled on Thursday.

Lithuania and Romania were ordered to pay each man 100,000 (87,660).

The two al-Qaeda suspects, now locked up in Guantanamo Bay, lodged their cases in 2011 and 2012 saying they were illegally detained.

The court found Romanian authorities knew Saudi national Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri would risk torture and the death penalty when it allowed the CIA to detain him.

He suffered 'inhuman treatment... which Romania had enabled by co-operating with the CIA' from April 2004 to November 2005, the ruling stated.

Lithuania was found complicit in hosting a secret CIA prison from February 2005 to March 2006 when it illegally held top Palestinian al-Qaeda operative Abu Zubaydah (pictured)

Judges referred to CIA files documenting suspects being subjected to blindfolding or hooding, solitary confinement, the continuous use of leg shackles, and excessive exposure to noise and light.

They were also waterboarded, put in stress positions, stripped naked and humiliated, deprived of sleep, and beaten. Tapes of their interrogations were destroyed.

Nashiri was in one instance subjected to a mock execution where an interrogator coked a pistol behind his head, and then revved a power drill next to it.

Zubaydah was waterboarded 83 times and lost his left eye while in CIA custody in unexplained circumstances that he himself doesn't even know.

Nashiri was accused of orchestrating a 2002 attack on the MV Limburg, a French oil tanker, and the 2000 attack against the USS Cole in Yemen that left 17 dead.

The accused terrorist faces a military trial in Guantanamo on war crimes charges over the attacks, which has been delayed for years by legal wrangling.

Lithuania was found complicit in hosting a secret CIA prison from February 2005 to March 2006

Lithuania was found complicit in hosting a secret CIA prison from February 2005 to March 2006 when it illegally held Zubaydah, a top Palestinian al-Qaeda operative.

He was believed to be al-Qaeda's chief recruiter in the 1990s then becoming an organiser and conduit between Osama Bin Laden to other al-Qaeda cells.

A 2014 U.S. Senate report found that both Zubaydah and Nashiri were subject to 'enhanced interrogation techniques' in CIA detention, including waterboarding.

The court found that in both cases, the suspects were effectively within the national jurisdictions of Lithuania and Romania

The court found Romanian authorities knew Saudi national Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri would risk torture and the death penalty when it allowed the CIA to detain him

The countries were therefore were 'responsible for the violation' of their rights under the European Convention on Human Rights, which explicitly forbids torture and the death penalty.

Both suspects were also interrogated at black sites in Poland in 2002-03 and the ECHR made a similar ruling against the country in 2015.

Poland was ordered to pay each man 100,000 (87,660) and Zubaydah a further 30,000 (26,300) for his legal fees.Muslim Council of Britain general secretary Harun Khan has written to party chairman Brandon Lewis, highlighting a string of incidents by Tory candidates and other representatives

The Conservative Party has been urged to launch an independent inquiry into Islamophobia to make sure 'racists and bigots have no place in the party'.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has written to party chairman Brandon Lewis, highlighting a string of incidents by Tory candidates and other representatives.

It highlighted allegations Harrow MP Bob Blackman was a member of Facebook groups containing Islamophobia and said the party was suspending members weekly.

The letter also accuses the Harrow MP of hosting Hindu nationalist Tapan Ghosh, who has been accused Islamophobia, in Parliament, and of retweeting far-right activist Tommy Robinson.

Mr Blackman denies the claims against him.

In the letter, MCB general secretary Harun Khan said they were 'more than weekly occurrences of Islamophobia' in April.

They ranged from allegedly offensive tweets to accusations of links to far-right figures.

Recent cases included the Wokingham town mayor Peter Lucey who stood down last month after it was revealed he had 'liked' social media pages linked to Tommy Robinson and right-wing Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

He also shared Islamophobic content online. Mr Lucey apologised for posts which he said were 'not appropriate'.

Newcastle council candidate Nick Sundin was suspended last month over a series of tweets including one from 2012 in which he described the prophet Mohammed as a 'f***ing paedophile'.

Karen Sunderland was suspended as a Conservative council candidate in Lewisham, south London earlier this month over tweets in which she mocked the hijab and called Islam 'the new Nazism'.

In the letter (pictured) Mr Khan said they were 'more than weekly occurrences of Islamophobia' in April

Tory chairman Brandon Lewis (file image) was urged to call an independent inquiry into how Islamophobia complaints are handled by the party

David Boston was suspended as a council candidate in Enfield, north London, earlier this month after posting a picture of bacon hanging on a door handle as a way to 'protect your house from terrorism'.

Who are the Muslim Council of Britain? The Muslim Council of Britain is a nationwide organisation for 500 affiliated mosques, schools and associations. It has national, regional and local representatives and aims to speak for the different ethnic and sectarian groups within the British Muslim community - but faces claims from many Muslims it does not speak for them. The MCB has been mired in controversy on several occasions for statements issued on Holocaust Memorial Day and homosexuality. Despite criticism of its views, the MCB has received significant grants of public money from the Government. The MCB's first Secretary General, Sir Iqbal Sacranie, was knighted in 2005. Advertisement

Last week the Tories expelled North Lanarkshire councillor Stephen Goldsack after it emerged that he had formerly been a British National Party activist.

Mr Khan also highlighted the campaign run by Zac Goldsmith in his unsuccessful bid to beat Labour's Sadiq Khan to become Mayor of London in 2016, saying there had been no action taken against those responsible for 'shocking Islamophobia' during the campaign.

Mr Khan added: 'We want all political parties to ensure that they are firm in their commitment against all forms of bigotry and discrimination.

'Our democracy should not be overshadowed by a divisive culture within political parties that scapegoats minorities and alienates some who share similar political positions.'

Mr Khan's warnings of Islamophobia among some Conservatives comes after months of fury about alleged anti-Semitism by Labour figures and claims Jeremy Corbyn has been reluctant to act on them.

Warnings of Islamophobia among some Conservatives comes after months of fury about alleged anti-Semitism in Labour and claims Jeremy Corbyn (pictured last week in Northern Ireland) has been reluctant to act on them

Jewish community leaders including Members of the Board of Deputies (file image from left to right) Gillian Merron, Jonathan Arkush, Jonathan Goldstein, and Simon Johnson have condemned Mr Corbyn for failing to address anti-Semitism in his party

Former Tory cabinet minister Baroness Warsi told the Independent a review was 'long overdue'.

Lady Warsi, who earlier this year told MPs Islamophobia was widespread in the UK, said: 'I have raised my concerns about Islamophobic comments and campaigning for more than two years and have done so formally and informally including a letter to the Prime Minister.

'The party has been aware of the issue at the highest level and has failed to take the issue seriously and at times even denied its very existence.

'A formal inquiry is now long overdue and I hope my party send a very clear message by establishing this inquiry that bigotry will not be tolerated in a modern Conservative party.'

Former Tory chairwoman Sayeeda Warsi endorsed calls for an inquiry. She has previously warned the Conservatives have an Islamophobia problem among some members

Mr Blackman has denied allegations of Islamophobia levelled against him, including that he chose to join any Facebook groups containing Islamophobia.

He told Sky News: 'I utterly refute this allegation. I was added to Facebook groups without my knowledge or permission and immediately removed myself from them when I became aware I had been added.

'I did not host Tapan Ghosh in parliament. He was invited by an organisation without my knowledge.

'In the past I shared a social media post in error which I apologised for at the time. I will continue working will all communities in my constituency and I condemn Islamophobia.'

A Conservative Party spokesman said: 'We take all such incidents seriously, which is why we have suspended all those who have behaved inappropriately and launched immediate investigations.'

Conservative MP Bob Blackman denies allegations against made by the Muslim Council of BritainBritain's most senior doctors have today warned the UK needs an extra 7billion of funding every year just to stop the service from getting worse.

The stark warning comes as new figures show Britain's hospitals are 1billion in the red while waiting times have soared.

The chiefs of professional bodies representing doctors and surgeons warned the NHS desperately needs a massive funding boost.

Professor Carrie MacEwen, chairwoman of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges, called for extra money for the NHS ahead of its 70th birthday later this year.

In a letter to The Times, she said: 'We urgently need a settlement for the NHS and social care that goes beyond managing short-term crises, acknowledges the financial deficits and recognises the need to invest in transformation and recruitment.'

Britain's most senior doctors have today warned the UK needs an extra 7billion of funding every year just to stop the service from getting worse (file pic)

Chancellor Philip Hammond has reportedly privately said the health service budget should rise by 2.5 per cent, while Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt wants 3 per cent

The letter, signed by two dozen other heads of medical royal colleges and faculties, adds: Medical royal colleges have consistently called for increased funding for the NHS, public health and social care.

Half of Britain's best performing A&Es fail waiting times targets There has been a sharp rise in the number of patients who have waited more than a year for NHS care in England, according to a new report. More than 2,600 people have waited more than a year for treatment. And half of the nation's 'best performing' accident and emergency departments failed to meet waiting time standards. The gloomy numbers are revealed in the latest quarterly performance figures from NHS Improvement. The document covers 'most challenging winter periods that the NHS has had'. It shows that at the end of March 2018, 2,647 patients were waiting over a year for treatment compared to 1,513 the previous year. During the final quarter of the year, 83.5 per cent of A&E patients treated by NHS providers across England were admitted, transferred or treated within the allotted four-hour time frame - a fall from 86.5 per cent on the previous year. The NHS Mandate states that 95 per cent of patients attending A&E should be seen within four hours. But only five A&E departments managed to meet the 95% target during January, February and March. And half of the 10 'best performing' units didn't even manage to meet the four hour target. Advertisement

'Increases of about 4 per cent a year will be needed if the government wishes to improve NHS services, including meeting waiting-time targets and addressing under-provision in mental health.'

Their intervention piles further pressure on Theresa May to announce a big increase in funding for the service ahead of is 70th anniversary this summer.

NHS bosses say they need a 4 per cent rise in funding while Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt ha called for a 3 per cent hike.

The PM has promised a 'multiyear' funding deal for the health service but is facing resistance from Chancellor Philip Hammond who has warned that extra funding will leave little cash for other departments.

Many leading MPs from Tory and Labour ranks have called for an NHS hypothecated tax - a new levy on Britons to raise funds specifically for the health service.

And health chiefs have also called for a multi-year longer financial settlement - to avoid the service lurching one one funding crisis to another.'

The Prime Minister is expected to announce her plans for boosting NHS funding at the beginning of July.

It remains unclear if she will agree to create a new tax or how much funding she will agree to.

Many senior Tories have rallied behind the call for the PM to use this year's anniversary to announce new cash and shoot down Labour claims that a Tory Government means less funding for the NHS.

Boris Johnson has spoken out in Cabinet to urge the PM to announce that money coming backt o britain from the EU after Brexit will go to the NHS.

And Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson threw her support behind higher funding earlier this week - saying more money for hospitals should be prioritised over future tax cuts.A British pensioner couple who want their son to be deported after he fleeced them of tens of thousands of dollars have received a lifeline from their bank.

Jill and Tony Lewis said they did not want to want to see their son Russell ever again after he betrayed their trust, broke into their home, stole their credit card information, and drained all bank accounts.

'Please deport my son, because I've had enoughI never want to see him again,' Mr Lewis pleaded on A Current Affair.

Commonwealth Bank initially refused to cancel the outstanding debt, despite their son being convicted of fraud - saying they believed the elderly couple were in on the scam.

Days after the pensioners' plight came to light, Commonwealth Bank made a 'goodwill payment' to help the couple.

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'Please deport my son, because I've had enough I never want to see him again,' Mr Lewis pleaded on air

Mrs Lewis broke down pleading for the government to deport her son saying she could not believe he would do something like that

Russell (pictured) robbed his parents's home and drained their bank accounts while they were away

'We are sorry for the difficult situation Mr and Mrs Lewis have faced as victims of a crime. It is our intent to help Mr and Mrs Lewis by making a goodwill payment in relation to the fraudulent transactions.'

Mr Lewis said the payment was 'mindblowing', and it will allow the couple to finish building their house.

Mrs Lewis broke down as she recalled the moment the couple realised Russell had left them penniless and had also stolen televisions, a four-wheeler, and a portable air conditioner from their house.

'Please deport Russell because I don't want to see him again.'

Tony and Jill Lewis moved to Australia from England in 1985 with their 10-year-old-son Russell, Nine News reported.

Mr and Ms Lewis, who expected to be retired by now, are now borrowing money to pay their rent while looking after Russell's six-year-old daughter.

Russell was convicted of fraud. Firearms were also found in his house when police investigated the break in and account draining.

He was sentenced to 3.5 years' jail in Sydney's Long Bay prison, and will remain behind bars until 2020.

Mr and Mrs Lewis said they were forced to sell their home and their business after the theft five years ago.

The couple told A Current Affair in 2013 they were headed back to their native Britain for a holiday and had informed the Commonwealth Bank their accounts would remain idle.

Before they had even reached the UK, the pair said Russell broke into and robbed their home.

Commonwealth Bank had initially refused to cancel the outstanding debt despite their son being convicted of fraud

Mr and Mrs Lewis did not know they had been robbed by their son until they came back from their holiday and a bank teller alerted them.

The couple claim the Commonwealth Bank initially accused Mr Lewis of being a part of the scam in collusion with Russell.

Pete Steel, executive general manger of digital at the Commonwealth Bank, told Daily Mail Australia they were sorry for the situation and they have commenced a review to fully understand the problem.

'We are very sorry for the situation involving Mr and Mrs Lewis. We know that events involving fraud can be complex and very difficult for customers,' he said.

'We want to remind all our customers to never keep a record of a PIN, password or other code in a location where, if a thief finds a card or code, they will also find the record of the PIN or password.'Members of Cambridge University's elite drinking societies have been accused of sexual harassment, binge-drinking and bullying on an anonymous Facebook page.

The so-called 'Grudgebridge' page allows students to anonymously post about incidents they've experienced on-campus which they consider problematic - including bikini wrestling, binge-drinking and boorish behaviour towards women.

Drinking society exploits, which have been known to involve crass behaviour among students, have come under threat from student unions trying to curb their appeal.

The so-called 'Grudgebridge' page allows students to anonymously post about incidents they've experienced on-campus which they consider problematic - including bikini wrestling, binge-drinking and boorish behaviour towards women

CUSU student president, Daisy Eyre, criticised the drinking societies, calling them 'problematic' and 'explicitly homophobic and racist' in their membership selection.

She told The Guardian: 'Personally, I think [drinking societies] are incredibly problematic and disruptive.

'If you go out to the clubs on a Friday night you will see multiple people wearing drinking society blazers and shirts, making it very clear that they are members of these societies and you are not.

'And [freshers] can feel really left out if they're not chosen. And the politics of who is in drinking societies is implicitly and sometimes explicitly homophobic, racist and classist.'

Some of the claims on the Grudgebridge page include male members of drinking societies sexually harassing 'attractive fresher girls' and a tales of state school pupils being banned from joining.

However, the page has also been criticised for a lack of scrutiny having had to delete posts found to be untrue.

Some of the claims on the page include male members of drinking societies sexually harassing 'attractive fresher girls' and a tales of state school pupils being banned from joining

The original founder of the page told the Guardian he began the campaign to end all drinking societies because they reinforced old boys' networks and created a further divide between working class and middle class students

The original founder of the page told the Guardian he began the campaign to end all drinking societies because they reinforced old boys' networks and created a further divide between working class and middle class students.

However, the page has been accused of having a lack of scrutiny in the posts it chooses to publish online.

Andreas Bedorf who sits on the CUSU council said Grudgebridge 'reminds me of a witch hunt or inquisition'.

He said he had tested the system with fake submissions to the Facebook page - one of which had been published.

Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee, Dr Mark Wormald, said: 'Staff and students across Cambridge's Colleges are meeting currently to discuss how best to promote a culture of zero tolerance to harassment, particularly in regard to drink-related activities of certain groups'

Responding to MailOnline's request for comment, Secretary of the Senior Tutors' Committee, Dr Mark Wormald, said: 'Staff and students across Cambridge's Colleges are meeting currently to discuss how best to promote a culture of zero tolerance to harassment, particularly in regard to drink-related activities of certain groups.

'A common theme of our discussions is the importance of college leadership and student representatives working together towards culture change.

'Our immediate concern is to get support for any student who has experienced unacceptable behaviour. We would urge any student who has experienced misconduct in any form to ask for help from their College's pastoral team, or their student social welfare officers.'Two 12-year-old migrants have been seriously wounded after Croatian police opened fire on a van they were travelling in which refused to stop.

The children, from Iraq and Afghanistan, were among nine people injured when officers opened fire on the vehicle as it tried to crash through a roadblock overnight, near the southeastern town of Zadar, the police said on Thursday.

The van was attempting to enter the EU illegally from Bosnia carrying 29 mainly Afghan and Iraqi migrants.

The driver, believed to be Bosnian, fled the scene and a search was under way.

Croatian police officers managed to stop the speeding van as it sped towards the border on Thursday

'The driver did not stop after several warnings. He finally passed through a roadblock and drove towards the police. The police reaction was justified. They were forced to open fire because their lives were in danger,' said Ranko Drazina, the Zadar police chief.

The main Balkan route that saw more than a million migrants enter the European Union in 2015 was shut in 2016 by an agreement between the EU and Turkey.

But thousands have entered this years through a new route opened by smugglers, running from Greece via Albania, Montenegro, Serbia and Bosnia to Croatia.

Croatia is the youngest member of the EU, which it joined in 2013. Bosnia has applied to join.

Bosnian and Croatian police have arrested dozens of smugglers in several operations in recent months.

Officials in Bosnia said this week that about 5,000 migrants had entered the country this year. Border police have stepped up controls along the 600 mile border.Grandparents have a legal right to see their grandchildren and divorced parents can't deny them access, the EU's top court has ruled.

The European Court of Justice said that EU law does not limit access rights solely to parents, it also included grandparents.

'The notion of rights of access refers... also to the rights of access of other persons with whom it is important for the child to maintain a personal relationship, among others, the child's grandparents,' the court ruled.

Grandparents have a legal right to see their grandchildren and divorced parents can't deny them access, the EU's top court ruled

The finding came in a case of a Bulgarian woman who struggled to maintain contact with her grandson, who lives in Greece with his father, after his parents divorced.

Neli Valcheva wanted to see the boy one weekend a month and for two to three weeks a year during school holidays.

Dame Esther Rantzen, who campaigns for grandparents' rights, said any new legal right in Britain would be 'wonderful news for grandchildren'

After getting little help from the Greek authorities, Valcheva turned to the Bulgarian courts, but they ruled the case was outside their jurisdiction and should be dealt with in Greece.

The ECJ said that 'as a general rule, the court of the child's habitual residence', in this case Greece, should rule on access rights.

A similar move in Britain to guarantee grandparents' right has cross-party support. Proposed laws were being discussed by ministers earlier this month.

The change to the Children's Act 1989 would establish a 'presumption' that grandparents, uncles and aunts should have access to their grandchildren, nephews and nieces after the children's parents split up.

MPs supporting it said some grandparents were being accused of harassment for 'trying to send birthday cards or Christmas gifts to their grandchildren'.

Recent figures revealed almost 2,000 grandparents were forced to go to court to win the right to see their grandchildren in 2016 - up 25 per cent.

They currently must apply to a court for access rights, then for a child arrangement order, which takes months and costs thousands in legal fees.Shirley Denson (pictured) says her husband Squadron Leader Eric Denson flew through a nuclear cloud over Christmas Island in 1958

Pilots were ordered to fly through deadly radiation clouds caused by British Hydrogen bombs, new documents have revealed.

Servicemen were exposed to massive doses of radiation during Cold War experiments which left their families blighted by genetic defects.

Newly uncovered files reveal how the Ministry of Defence used British pilots as 'guinea pigs' in tests exploring ways to measure radiation.

It comes after 60 years of official denial that the servicemen were tested on.

The sensational new files were discovered by Shirley Denson, 83, the widow of a pilot who flew in one MoD experiment in 1958.

Shirley, who lives in Morden, south London, obtained the papers afters years of research into her husband Eric's service.

She said: 'It killed a lot of men this business - young men. They weren't told of any danger, otherwise they wouldn't have gone.'

'He was a walking dead man', said Shirley, 'anything over 11R means you can die.'

She continued: 'Eric didn't tell me too much about it.

'When he left the air force he felt more confident telling me things but it just wasn't something you talked about back then. He told me the aircraft was so hot. When they landed they were not allowed to leave the aircraft for 15 minutes.

The truth of whether British pilots were used in nuclear tests has been suppressed for 60 years. Pictured: Mechanics work on a Douglas Dakota aircraft of the RAF Transport Command on Christmas Island in reparation for Operation Grapple

The newly-released documents show that the aircrew were test subjects to assess the effectiveness of experimental radiation dosage measuring equipment

'No-one was allowed near it. It was too hot. When they got out they were told do not touch the outside fabric of the aircraft.

'And then they showered until their levels of radiation got to an acceptable level - although I'm not sure what they would class as an acceptable level at this point.'

Asked what happened to the other two crew members, Shirley said: 'They won't tell me what happened to the rest of the crew.

She believes radiation is the cause of the birth defects like extra teeth in her family. One young relative was recently born with an extra urinary tract.

And her daughter Nicola, born just after the flight, died unexpectedly in 2016 aged 58.

Shirley believes her sudden passing may be related to radiation exposure but added: 'We don't know what the effects of radiation really are yet. I just have my suspicions.'

Documents reveal how Eric Denson took part in a flight through the mushroom cloud left in the wake of Operation Grapple Y, the detonation of a British Hydrogen bomb on Christmas Island

Shirley Denson with Grate granddaughter Ella Denson outside SHirley's home in Morden, south London. Three generations of Densons have experienced birth defects and unexplained health problems in the wake of Operation Grapple Y

Shirley said: 'This is the third generation in my family and the first generation that has experienced the effect of radiation, and this was a deliberate experiment.

'We got no information as a country. These are not the first lot of documents I got, but I asked for more information and this is what they gave me.

'I sent them to a law firm in relation to a court case. It's only a couple of years ago I asked them to send it back. Nobody had read it.

'We were all sitting on it and didn't realise.'

Her husband had suffered such a high dose of radiation to his head he went on to have chronic headaches which led him to killed himself in 1976.

Eric Denson flew through a H-bomb radiation cloud above Christmas Island. Pictured: One of the first Hydrogen detonation on the island

And the effects of the sick experiment did not end with Eric's passing.

Eric and Shirley had already had one daughter together before he was involved in the experiment. She was born healthy.

However, 37 per cent of their descendants from children born after Eric passed through the radiation cloud were born with defects or unexplained medical conditions.

These included skull deformities, missing or extra teeth and spinal problems.

Two of his four children with Shirley were born with abnormalities, as were some of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

RAF hero Eric was involved in early tests into the radiation caused by atomic and hydrogen bombs.

In 1958 he was stationed in the Pacific Ocean on Malden Island and Christmas Island - the site of Operation Grapples, which saw the UK carry out some of its earliest nuclear weapons tests.

Eric was ordered to fly his Canberra B6 bomber through a cloud left in the wake of a 2.8 megaton nuclear explosion on April 28, 1958, documents reveal.

X-ray badges were stuck to his seat to measure the barrage of radiation as he and two others entered the cloud.

They were placed behind his head, on both armrests and by his groin.

The documents reveal 'care was taken to ensure as little shielding effect as possible' was given to the X-ray badges. Of course, this meant Eric and his crew became vulnerable to the deadly radiation.

Shirley (pictured holding a photo of Eric) claims many other young men were killed by the tests. 'They weren't told of any danger,' she said. 'Otherwise they wouldn't have gone'

Squadron Leader Eric Denson (pictured) suffered chronic headaches and eventually killed himself in the wake of the Cold War experiment

The descendants of Shirley and Eric (pictured) have suffered from skull deformities, missing or extra teeth and spinal problems

The document was an Atomic Weapons Establishment paper looking at ways of testing the badges to make sure they were accurate.

They detail the exact amount of radiation absorbed by the head, arms and groin and the bomber's pilot, navigator and wireless operator.

They also note the time spent inside the cloud, the height of the plane and the time the bomber entered the cloud after the bomb detonated.

The MoD continues to deny that Eric and his crew was subjects of an experiment, despite the emergence of new papers

The documents goes on to set out the pros and cons of the badges in measuring radiation. They also suggest re-running the experiment with more badges.

When Eric's bomber touched down after the test he began to experience vomiting and developed a rash - common symptoms of radiation poisoning.

The documents, written by scientists running the experiments, show that Eric, who was 24 at the time, had his head exposed to 65 years' worth of normal background radiation.

This amounted to 17,500 dental X-rays worth of radiation during just six minutes of flight.

The badge placed near Eric's groin recorded a dose of 8.8 Roentgens - about 30 years' worth of background radiation.

In total he received 18.8Rs, the worst of the three-man crew which flew that day.

Shirley is seeking an apology from the Ministry of Defence, who have insisted veterans were not used as guinea pigs during nuclear tests.

She said: 'I want medals for my fellow veteran, and an apology and an acceptance of responsibility and I want compensation for us all because we lost our husbands. We lost our incomes.

'I was left with four children, with nothing.

The documents admitted the pilot was in the most exposed position to radiation

The documents detailed the exact amount of radiation absorbed by the head, arms and groin and the bomber's pilot, navigator and wireless operator. Pictured: Scientists prepare for nuclear tests on Christmas Island

'The Americans have been marvellous with their nuclear veterans, the Russians put nuclear veterans right at the front of the parade.

'The British government - nothing. They ought to be deeply ashamed of themselves because they are disgraceful.

'They have no conscience, no recognition of responsibility or the onus of responsibility and they are not going to give the poor veterans a pension and I want a pension for the veterans.'

The scientific experiment was entitled: Determination of the whole body dose of Radiation acquired by Aircrew members while on cloud sampling detail with special reference to the use of Standard Film Badge and cassette.

The designers of the experiment admitted the pilot would have little or no shielding from the radiation from above the waist in comparison to other crew members

Prior to the test, scientists expected the pilot to receive a greater dose of radiation to the head. The crew also war testicular badges which recorded 'significantly lower levels' which 'are of interest and cheer in relation to the possibility of genetic damage'

One of the documents showed Flight Lieutenant Denson recorded a radiation reading of 13 Roentgens after carrying out the flight

A report, marked confidential said Mr Denson could not be exposed to further radiation without 'special authority' until April 28, 1961 at the earliest

The experiment involved Denson and his crew flying through the radiation cloud at a height of 51,000 feet, 49 minutes after the explosion. Despite spending only six minutes in the cloud, Denson was exposed to 18 Roentgens of radiation

The scientific justification was to outline the present methods of crew dosage assessment with special reference to the use of film badges and to suggest possible fallacies, discrepancies and improvements that might be made in future.

Cynically, the domestic justification was to attempt to minimise future crew wastage rate due to members being discarded on the evidence of doubtful dosage evaluation.

The crew were fitted to badges on their head, chest, arms and testicles.

When the testicle monitor revealed lower than expected radiation doses, the scientists admitted this was 'of interest and great cheer in relation to the possibility of genetic damage'.

However, the MoD denied Eric and his crew was subjects of an experiment, citing the tests as necessary steps in keeping the country safe.

'It is not true to say these men were subject to an experiment to look at the effects of radiation.

'The British nuclear testing programme contributed towards keeping our country secure during the Cold War and regular health checks were conducted throughout.

'The National Radiological Protection Board has carried out three studies of nuclear test veterans and found no valid evidence to link this programme to ill health.'Josue Amaya, a Roosevelt high student, went missing in 2016

A cadaver dog has located a murder victim linked to the brutal MS-13 gang  believed to be a missing teenage boy  buried in a nature reserve.

After the body of a male was recovered from the Roosevelt nature reserve on Wednesday, officials visited family members to obtain DNA samples to establish his identity.

One of those visited, a woman, speaking anonymously to NBC New York, said the police told her they believe it is the body of her younger brother, Josue Amaya, a 17-year-old Roosevelt high student, who vanished in 2016.

Im completely destroyed. I have an enormous heartache. And all I want is justice, she said.

A cadaver dog led officials to the burial place of the MS-13's latest alleged murder victim, whose body was found at the Roosevelt nature reserve

Police cordoned off the area as they investigated the scene, and the body was recovered from the reserve

NBC New York said the body was taken from the reserve in a white van, above, which was driven through a residential area

The discovery adds to MS-13s growing body count at Long Island, with at least 25 killings now attributed to the El Salvadorian gang in the vicinity over the last two years.

It comes days after Donald Trump called on the Congress to finally close deadly loopholes that have allowed MS-13 to break into our country.

Homeland Security Investigations agents and Nassau County Police swooped on the reserve in Roosevelt, after receiving a tip-off.

At a news conference, Nassar police said a suspect arrested in connection to a different case, the murder of another Long Island teenager last year, told them where to search for the Roosevelt student.

They told me they spoke with him, and this is where they buried my brother, his distraught sister told the NBC.

After the cadaver dog indicated the presence of a body, authorities dug at the reserve until they found the remains, believed to be male. But, police are not able to identify the remains until they receive DNA results.

However a police official said: It is no doubt an MS-13 murder.

The violent el-Salvadorian gang has been blamed for at least 25 killings on Long Island over the last two years.

The remains of Angel Soler, 15, above, were found in a wooded area of Roosevelt in October last year

Eighteen-year-old Josue Figueroa-Velasquez, above, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment on Wednesday on murder charges in relation to the death of 15-year-old Angel Soler

It comes after a suspected MS-13 member was arrested in the death of 15-year-old Angel Soler, who was found dead in a reserve in the town in October.

Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said the arrest of a suspected MS-13 member in relation to the death of 15-year-old Angel Soler, who was found dead in a reserve in the town last October, had led to the gravesite in Roosevelt on Wednesday. The New York teenager had been hacked to death with a machete.

Nassau County Police commissioner Patrick Ryder, center, said officers had been tipped off about the location of the body after a suspected MS-13 member was arrested

Madeline Singas, Nassau's District Attorney, said: These are brutal acts. We cannot reveal any other details of this investigation, but suffice it to say it is ongoing, and we will continue to leave no stone unturned as we try to figure out who is responsible for these crimes.

Police have stepped up patrols in the area, to help residents feel more secure, and have told Roosevelt residents there is no cause for concern.Bungling armed robbers left thousands of banknotes strewn across a motorway after using too much explosive to blow up an armoured truck.

The incompetent gang of 10 bandits got away with just a few bags of money after panicking and fleeing the scene in Brazil on Monday.

A video of the aftermath showed how the huge blast completely destroyed the truck, leaving security guards and military police scrambling to pick up the cash.

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Bungling armed robbers left thousands of banknotes strewn across a motorway after using too much explosive to blow up an armoured truck

The truck was ambushed on the BR-222 highway about 10.30am and the guards surrendered when they were overwhelmed in a shootout with the robbers.

Witnesses said gangsters in three cars and two trucks sped alongside the Prosegur armoured van and blocked it in between the cities of Umirim and San Luis de Curu.

A bus travelling behind the truck with a handful of passengers was also caught up in the shootout. The robbers wielded high-powered weapons.

The wreck was still smoking an hour after the explosion with pieces of the vehicle flung further down the road and notes mixed with cartridges from the gunfight.

A video of the aftermath showed the huge blast completely destroyed the truck, leaving security guards and military police scrambling to pick up the cash

Passing motorists who slammed on their brakes and jumped out of their cars to 'help' were stopped in their tracks by the agents, as were dozens of residents who tried to gather up some of the cash

The incompetent gang of 10 bandits got away with just a few bags of money after panicking and fleeing the scene in Brazil on Monday

Passing motorists who slammed on their brakes and jumped out of their cars to 'help' were stopped in their tracks by the agents, as were dozens of residents who tried to gather up some of the cash.

'The guards surrendered after being surrounded by the gang who were carrying high calibre weapons that were more powerful than they had,' police said.

'They were forced to get out of the truck at gunpoint and made to watch while the criminals planted the explosives in the vehicle then detonated it.

'It appears, however, that the gang underestimated the force of the explosives used to break into the vehicle and it seems the assault backfired in a way they didn't expect.'

The blast ripped through the strong car, wrecking it completely and sending loose notes, in high value denominations of 50 and 100 bills, flying all over the road.

The blast ripped through the strong car, wrecking it completely and sending loose notes, in high value denominations of 50 and 100 bills, flying all over the road

Detectives warned that anyone found with the cash would be prosecuted but those who returned it voluntarily would not face charges

Witnesses claimed the blundering criminals managed to stuff some of the cash into a few bags before giving up and speeding off, using back routes to getaway.

'We don't know how much the gang got away with and whether they were able to takes pouches filled with cash,' the officer said.

'But there was a lot of money left behind which was scattered all over the road.'

No one was reported injured in the shoot-out or in the explosion.

The assailants have not been identified but investigators said they were piecing together details of the crime and hunting for the culprits.

Detectives warned that anyone found with the cash would be prosecuted but those who returned it voluntarily would not face charges.France and Germany today led an angry response from EU nations to the Trump administration's decision to impose a 25 per cent tariff on steel and a 10 per cent tariff on aluminium imports from the EU, Mexico and Canada.

The French government said it was working with Germany and European authorities towards a 'firm and united response' to the new U.S. tariffs.

And the European Union's top trade official said it was 'a bad day for world trade' as markets around the world fell on the news.

Germany's DAX sank 1.7 per cent on reports that President Trump aimed to push German carmakers out of the United States, while France's CAC 40 dropped 0.7 per cent.

Germany's DAX fell sharply after the Trump administration hit the EU with steel tariffs

The CAC 40 in France also suffered a sharp drop in response to the new US tariffs

The Trump administration announced on Thursday it will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Europe, Mexico and Canada after failing to win concessions from its allies.

The tariffs represented the latest move in Trump's 'America First' agenda that has roiled financial markets and raised the spectre of a trade war involving the U.S., China and some of the globe's most dominant economies.

Europe and Mexico pledged to retaliate quickly, exacerbating trans-Atlantic and North American trade tensions.

German finance minister Olaf Scholz said: 'Our response should be clear, strong and smart.'

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the tariffs would be 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum, and go into effect on Friday, as the administration followed through on the penalties after earlier granting exemptions to buy time for negotiations.

President Donald Trump had announced the tariffs in March, citing national security concerns.

The European Commission's president, Jean-Claude Juncker, said Trump's decision amounted to trade protectionism and that Europe would respond with countermeasures. 'This is protectionism, pure and simple,' Juncker said.

Mexico said it would penalize U.S. imports including pork bellies, apples, grapes, cheeses and flat steel.

The trade actions have opened the U.S. to criticism that it is burning bridges at a time when Trump is seeking to rid North Korea of nuclear weapons and help stabilize the Middle East.

'We are alienating all of our friends and partners at a time when we could really use their support,' said Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator who is now vice president at the Asia Society Policy Institute.

President Donald Trump's administration will apply a 25 percent tariff on imported steel and a 10 percent tariff on imported aluminum, provoking anger in Europe

Ross told reporters that talks with Canada and Mexico over revising the North American Free Trade Agreement were 'taking longer than we had hoped.' Talks with Europe had 'made some progress' but not enough for additional exemptions, he said in a conference call from Paris.

'We continue to be quite willing and indeed eager to have further discussions,' Ross said. He said he planned to travel to China on Friday for trade talks between the world's two biggest economies.

European officials had braced for the tariffs and the EU has threatened to retaliate against U.S. orange juice, peanut butter and other goods in return. In terms of the NAFTA talks, the tariffs could hinder the negotiations among the North American neighbors.

On NAFTA, Ross said there was 'no longer a very precise date when they may be concluded and therefore [Canada and Mexico] were added into the list of those who will bear tariffs.'

Brazil, Argentina and Australia have agreed to limit steel shipments to the U.S. in exchange for being spared the tariffs, the Commerce Department said. Tariffs will remain on imports from Japan.

European officials argue that tit-for-tat tariffs will hurt growth on both sides of the Atlantic and Canada said before the announcement that it would respond in kind.

'Canada considers it frankly absurd that we would in any way be considered to be a national security threat to the United States,' Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland said before the tariffs were announced.

'The government is absolutely prepared to and will defend Canadian industries and Canadian jobs. We will respond appropriately.'

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed her opposition even before the U.S. announcement, saying the looming tariffs were incompatible with World Trade Organization rules. She said if there were no exemptions, 'We will respond in an intelligent, decisive and joint way.'

France's finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, called the U.S. tariffs 'unjustified, unjustifiable and dangerous.'

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured) has called Trump's move 'protectionism, pure and simple' and said the EU would take countermeasures

He said: 'This will only lead to the victory of those who want less growth, those who don't think we can develop our economies across the world.

'We think on the contrary that global trade must have rules in a context of multilateralism. We are ready to rebuild this multilateralism with our American friends.'

The EU trade commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom, said the EU 'did everything to avoid this outcome.' Noting her discussions with U.S. officials, she said. 'I have argued for the EU and the US to engage in a positive trans-Atlantic trade agenda, and for the EU to be fully, permanently and unconditionally exempted from these tariffs.'

French President Emmanuel Macron said on Wednesday: 'Unilateral responses and threats over trade war will solve nothing of the serious imbalances in world trade. Nothing.'

In a clear reference to Trump, Macron added: 'These solutions might bring symbolic satisfaction in the short term. One can think about making voters happy by saying, `I have a victory, I'll change the rules, you'll see.'

But Macron said those 'who waged bilateral trade wars ... saw an increase in prices and an increase in unemployment.'

Besides the U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs, the U.S. is also investigating possible limits on foreign cars in the name of national security.

Ross criticized the EU for its tough negotiating position. But German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier insisted Europe was ready to negotiate special trade arrangements, notably for liquefied natural gas and industrial goods, including cars.

 Michael Brown Exposes Double-Standard at Christ at the Checkpoint | Main | Wheres the Coverage? 14 Members of Congress Call to Halt PA Aid 

May 30, 2018

Some Real Self-Criticism at CATC

<

Activists attending the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference in the West Bank view anti-Trump graffiti on the security barrier near the checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Speakers at the conference, which began on Monday, May 28, 2018 and will last until Friday, June 1, 2018, have lamented the role American Evangelicals played in putting Donald Trump into the White House. They have been less vocal about the lack of democratic institutions in Palestinian society. (Photo: Dexter Van Zile)

The central problem with Palestinian Christian witness about life in the Holy Land is that its criticism is almost invariably directed at Israel and its supporters in the West. Very little is said about the misdeeds of Palestinian elites even though the decisions they have made have contributed greatly to the continued existence of the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The people who are most responsible for Palestinian suffering  Palestinian leaders  are not subjected to the type of prophetic criticism that Christians are called to provide.

This problem is clearly on display at the Christ at the Checkpoint Conference taking place this week in Beit Jala. At this conference, organized by Bethlehem Bible College, there has been very little criticism of the misdeeds of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip at the ongoing Christ at the Checkpoint Conference organized by the Bethlehem Bible College.

There is, however, a huge amount of criticism of Evangelicals in the U.S. for helping President Donald Trump get elected to the White House in the 2016 election. Trump's election and his decision to move of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is clearly a shock to CATC conference organizers and attendees. One conference organizer, Alex Awad (a Palestinian Christian who now lives in the United States) described Trump's election as a dark cloud brought about by White Evangelicals who put him into office.

They helped elect a president who dashed our hopes as Palestinians,? Awad said the first night of the CATC conference which began on Monday. He brought us a nightmare.? Awad went onto encourage Evangelicals in the audience to increase their efforts to put pressure on Israel to end the occupation and to change American foreign policy in the Middle East.

The irony is palpable. Christians who are not free to speak their mind in Palestinian society and haven't been able to vote in a presidential election since 2005 are effectively telling Christians in the U.S. how they should have voted in the 2016 election.

To a certain extent, the failure of Christians to speak truth to the powers that be in Palestinian society is understandable because neither the PA nor Hamas tolerate public criticism from anyone, Christian or Muslim, in the areas they control. To confirm just how dictatorial political life is in Palestinian society, in 2017 the PA just imposed laws regarding social media. These laws make criticizing the Palestinian Authority a criminal act.

One report indicates that these new laws gives the public prosecutor's office unlimited powers to surveil Palestinian citizens, intercept their online communications, and arrest them for airing their opinions and political views online.? People who are convicted of using the internet to undermine social harmony? can be sentenced to 15 years hard labor.

Such tyranny in Palestinian society is a huge obstacle to peace in the Holy Land because it allows both the PA and Hamas to put Palestinian young people into harm's way without being held accountable by their parents or by the young people themselves. Palestinian elites can effectively send young men into violent confrontations with the IDF without any real public debate over whether or not it's a good idea to do so  all because the people who hold power in Palestinian society will not tolerate the humiliation of being criticized in public.

Polling data indicates that many Palestinians support a two-state solution, but because democratic institutions are non-existent in the West Bank and Gaza, rank-and-file Palestinians have no mechanism to make it happen. All they can do is worry about who will replace the ailing Mahmoud Abbas and hope that the process to find his successor does not descend into civil war. These are not subjects being discussed at the current Christ at the Checkpoint conference even though they are the most crucial issues facing the Palestinian people.

Ironically enough, one institution in Palestinian society where leaders are willing to subject themselves to public criticism is its Evangelical community.

While most of the CATC conference has been devoted to condemning Israel and its Evangelical supporters in the U.S. one speaker did speak prophetically, calling on Palestinian and Israeli Evangelical churches to accord greater power and influence to women. Shireen Awwad Helal, the dean of students and an instructor at the Bethlehem Bible College which organizes the CATC conference used the story of Hagar in Genesis to highlight the suffering of women in society. The story of Hagar, Helal said, showed God's concern for the welfare of women even when the people in their lives disdain them. She spoke of some of the anti-women sayings that permeate Palestinian society such as Women are born with half a brain,? A woman's anxiety over her daughter goes to the grave,? and No matter what you do or where you go, you'll always end up in the kitchen.? These anti-woman ideas affect the life of churches in Palestinian society, Helal reported. Palestinian Christian schools have it written in their employee contracts that women teachers will be dismissed if they become pregnant, Helal reported. To confront the problem, Helal declared, it's time for Christian churches and to bring women into leadership positions. You can enforce our inferior status or you can help us overcome it by insisting that women should be equally represented among the speakers, theologians, and figures you meet when you come here,? she told the audience, which gave her a standing ovation after she gave her speech on Wednesday night. Helal's speech forcefully and courageously challenged the elites in the Palestinian Christian church, some of whom were in the audience in front of her. It was a gutsy act. Hopefully, Helal's example of courageous public speech and tolerance for public criticism on the part of elites will someday become the norm in Palestinian society and then maybe peace will have a chance. One can hope.

Posted by dvz at May 30, 2018 05:24 PM

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This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material.

Post a commentPolice are taking a hard line on drug dealers - by confiscating their expensive trainers and forcing them to walk home in black plimsolls worth 5.

Officers in Wiltshire are tackling the criminals using the Proceeds of Crime Act - meaning they can seize the designer footwear to strip suspected dealers of what they have worked for.

Police in Swindon are confiscating the trainers after criminals are brought into custody and then make them leave it in 'embarrassing' cheap footwear.

Officers say expensive trainer brands like Nike are status symbols to young dealers and want to send the message out that the county 'isn't a soft target' for criminals.

Officers now have a stash of more than 100 pairs of top trainers at the central police station.

Drug dealers are being forced to walk home wearing cheap black plimsolls.

Officers are confiscating expensive trainers like these Nike Air Maxs' and other designer brands.

The drug dealers who are having their trainers confiscated are any that are arrested on suspicion of being part of County Lines operations.

County Lines gangs are London based groups who use children or vulnerable addicts to peddle drugs and have cornered the heroin and crack cocaine market in Swindon and other Wiltshire towns.

DC George Booth, of Wiltshire Police's North Dedicated Crime Team, said suspected dealers are 'extremely unhappy' about being made to leave custody in black plimsolls.

He said: 'People seem to hate the fact that we've seized their trainers and they have to leave custody in a pair of black plimsolls.

'They're extremely unhappy about it, but we think that's a good thing.

'We want to get the message out that we're dealing robustly with people if we think they're buying their trainers with money from drugs.

'For some of these young people, these trainers or designer clothes can be seen as a status symbol, so losing that is pretty difficult for them to deal with.

'When we seize their expensive trainers under the Proceeds of Crime Act, we are essentially taking away what they have worked for and we hope it will have an impact.'

The detective, who has been a police officer for 13 years, said Wiltshire Police is determined the show drug gangs that Wiltshire is not a soft target.

New and expensive trainers can be one of the more visible signs that young people are involved in drug dealing controlled by so-called county lines gangs.

The gangs commonly use children and vulnerable addicts to help peddle their drugs.

Expensive trainers were some of the items seized from drug dealers by police in Wiltshire

And Sergeant Georgia Green, also of the North Dedicated Crime Team, urged parents to look out for the tell-tale signs that their children are being exploited by gangs.

These signs include new trainers, staying out later and suddenly coming into cash.

Sgt Green urged parents to: 'Ask questions and report any suspicions to police, as they could be being exploited.'

She continued: 'We have seen young people from all different backgrounds become involved in county lines and the first their parents know about it is when we turn up on their doorstep.

'From the first moment they are recruited into these gangs I don't think these children know quite what risks they will be facing, and by that time it is too late and they are trapped.

'If they knew what they were falling into they wouldn't do it, so I would encourage parents to try and have that chat with their children.

'It shouldn't be a chat we have with them at the time of their arrest.'

Some of the items which have been confiscated from drug dealers by Wiltshire Police

Sgt Green added: 'I'd also like to stress to young people, that you may well be offered 100 a day to work for these drugs gangs, but the risks just are not worth it.

'Carrying weapons, transporting class A drugs to vulnerable drug addicts who will do anything to feed their habit, being threatened with violence and expected to travel at unsociable hours.

'If found in possession of an offensive weapon you could face up to five years in prison so please think of the consequences.'

If the suspected drug dealers are not charged with an offence or found not guilty in court their expensive trainers are returned to them.Authorities have stood by their decision to arrest a man in relation to the alleged rape of a baby girl, even after they released him and charged a separate man for the crime.

The 24-year-old was released from police custody on Wednesday after being arrested in February, just days after the alleged incident in Tennant Creek, in the Northern Territory.

Police arrested a 25-year-old male on Monday and charged him with the rape of the two-year-old before dropping charges against the 24-year-old, NT News reported.

Authorities are standing by their decision to arrest a man in relation to the alleged rape of a baby girl in Tennant Creek. Pictured is the Barkly Highway near the Northern Territory town

Acting Assistant Commissioner Tony Fuller conceded the force may have to face a compensation claim from the wrongly accused individual.

He maintained the February arrest was made based on information available to police at the time of the alleged rape.

'We stand by the original arrest. The arrest was made on the evidence that we had at the time and goes to show we don't stop an investigation because a person is under arrest and we consider all the evidence,' he said.

Mr Fuller said the matter was still being investigated, with the second male now due to appear in court on July 26.Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being forced to return 7 million of unsolicited gifts they received in celebration of their Royal Wedding after being bombarded with presents from companies and celebrities in an attempt to gain free publicity.

The Duchess of Sussex, known for her prowess when it comes to style has already caused a shift in the fashion industry and has influenced many to buy certain products that she was worn, in what has been dubbed the Meghan Markle effect.

Due to this, many companies are hopeful that Meghan will wear what they have sent her during her honeymoon when she and her new husband will reportedly spend time at the Fairmont Jasper Lodge in Alberta, Canada.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being forced to return 7 million of unsolicited gifts

Why arent Prince Harry and Meghan Markle allowed to accept gifts from the public?

Ahead of the Royal Wedding, Harry and Meghan issued guidelines that revealed that cameras and hand luggage would be banned and mobile phones would have to be surrendered before the reception to avoid any image capture.

In addition to this, the guidance read: It should be noted that gifts cannot be brought to St Georges Chapel or the Reception that follows at Windsor Castle. Guests are advised to seek further guidance on delivery arrangements for any gifts to Kensington Palace.

According to Express, Kensington Palace also released a statement that read: 'When gifts are accepted, the consent of the Member of the Royal Family should be contingent upon the enterprise undertaking not to exploit the gift for commercial purposes.

Gifts offered by private individuals living in the UK not personally known to the Member of the Royal Family should be refused where there are concerns about the propriety or motives of the donor or the gift itself.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, leaving Windsor Castle

A panel decided whether or not the gifts should be returned or simply donated to charities. One company, Bags of Love, have reportedly sent Meghan swimwear in hopes that she will wear it on their honeymoon.

However, it was also revealed that Harry and Meghan set up a wedding registry for their closest families and friends with the members club Soho House, which reportedly contained a number of home items to help them furnish their 21-room Apartment 1.

How did Harry and Meghan ask wellwishers to honour their Royal Wedding?

Meghan and Harry instead asked their family and friends to donate to the seven charities that they had personally selected to honour their big day.

These charities were CHIVA (Childrens HIV Association), Crisis, Myna Mahila Foundation, Scottys Little Soldiers, StreetGames, Surfers Against Sewage and The Wilderness Foundation UK.

What will Prince Harry and Meghan Markle not be returning?

To mark their marriage, the Queen gave her grandson Prince Harry and his new wife Meghan Markle the titles of Duke and Duchess of Sussex as well as a stately home, which of course, they will not be returning.

Alongside this, French President Emmanuel Macron gifted them a James Bond themed cigar cutter set from the prestigious Paris-based brand S.T. Dupont. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also revealed that Canada will donate 29,000 to the youth charity named Jumpstart.

New Zealands Jacinda Ardern said that the country will be making a donation of 2,500 to Pillars, a charity that supports the families of prisoners.

Harry and Meghan pictured with page boys and bridesmaids, including George and Charlotte

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that a donation will be made to the Invictus Games charity, which will be hosted in Sydney this year.

In addition to this, two koalas have been named after Harry and Meghan at Taronga Zoo in New South Wales as well as donating 2,800. In India, a local Peta charity said that an adopted injured bull would be called Merry, a fusion of both of their names.

Lesothos Prince Seesio, a friend of Harrys who became close to the Prince during his time working for the charity Sentebale gave the new couple Wonderbags, portable, non-electric slow cookers that help African families cook despite fuel shortages.

Did Kate Middleton and Prince William return their wedding gifts?

Over the years, Kensington Palace has received a number of gifts and after their Royal Wedding back in 2011, Kate Middleton and Prince William were forced to turn away 30 million worth of presents.

They were also inundated with gifts after the births of Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.Authorities say a couple found dead on a boat on Lake Lanier in north Georgia appear to have suffered carbon monoxide poisoning.

Jenny Belafi with the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office said in a news release Tuesday that the bodies of 40-year-old Julie Wright and 39-year-old Andrew Maronge, both of Gainesville, were found around 8 p.m. Monday.

Family members called the Department of Natural Resources to conduct a welfare check on their 24-foot Bayliner cruiser when they had not heard form the two.

Engaged couple Andrew Morange, 39 (left), and Julie Wright, 40 (right), were found dead on their boat on Memorial Day

Authorities suspect carbon monoxide poisoning in their deaths. Above, a similar vessel to the one they were in

Lake Lanier, where the couple died, is pictured above after the tragedy

Authorities boarded the vessel, anchored off the Three Sisters Island chain, and found the couple's bodies inside the front cabin of the boat.

Belafi says no foul play is suspected. She says it appears the couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning, though that wont be definitive until autopsies are complete.

Major Stephen Adams with the DNR told Fox 5 of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in closed cabin boats. He said it's important to have an alarm installed since it's impossible to smell or feel carbon monoxide gas.

Authorities boarded the vessel, anchored off the Three Sisters Island chain, and found the couple's bodies inside the front cabin of the boat

The couple leave behind three children, Wright's two daughters (left, from left to right: Kylie, Julie and Alex) and Morange's 12-year-old son Riley (father and son pictured right)

'You dont even know that you are being overcome with the effects of it until possibly its too late,' Adams said.

Authorities wouldn't say whether the boat had a carbon monoxide alarm installed or if the engine was running when they found the dead bodies.

The couple leave behind three kids - Morange's 12-year-old son Riley and Wright's two daughters Alex and Kylie.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to benefit Morange's son.

'They will be missed but we are confident that they are both with Jesus now,' Maronge's brother wrote on the page.A jury has convicted a 34-year-old Mexican national of capital murder in the 2014 killing of an off-duty Border Patrol agent.

Gustavo Tijerina-Sandoval could face the death penalty in the killing of Javier Vega Jr, who was fatally shot during a family fishing trip in southeast Texas.

Sentencing is set for Thursday afternoon.

Tijerina-Sandoval was also convicted Wednesday of attempted capital murder for shooting and wounding Vega's father, Javier Vega Sr, according to the Brownsville Herald.

Gustavo Tijerina-Sandoval was convicted Wednesday for the 2014 killing of Javier Vega Jr

He was also convicted of shooting Vega's father and now faces the death penalty

The Vegas family embraced each other while the verdict was read Wednesday while the convicted murderer remained emotionless.

Prosecutors say the shooting happened as part of an attempted robbery.

However, Tijerina-Sandoval's attorney argued that his client was acting in self-defense.

According to court testimony, Tijerina-Sandoval owed $3,500 to someone and attempted to steal a car from the Vegas family when he fatally shot the agent.

A Border Patrol chiefs' panel initially rejected Vega's death as in the line of duty.

The 2014 shooting occurred while Javier Vega Jr (pictured) was fishing with his family in Santa Monica

The victim's father (center) was also shot and injured during the incident

The decision later was changed after authorities determined Vega pulled his gun trying to protect others.

Willacy County Assistant District Attorney Charles 'Chuck' Mattingly told the jury: 'The only true verdict, in this case, is a verdict of guilty on both counts. Justice demands it. The law requires it. And, most importantly, the evidence proves it.'

Mattingly said during closing arguments:'There can be no peace with out justice. Give the Vegas, their loved ones, their family, peace.'

Now the jury must decide if he will face life in prison or the death penalty.

Tijerina-Sandoval's co-defendant, Ismael Hernandez-Vallejo, of Weslaco, is being tried separately.Employees of the American Bible Society will be asked to sign a contract banning them from sex outside of biblical marriage, between a man and a woman, or to resign.

The new policy, which comes into effect in January 2019, has already sparked multiple resignations in protest, Religion News Service reported.

An Affirmation of Biblical Community, which outlines the new policy, was given to employees in December.

The policy outlines a list of values for employees of the centuries-old service, which distributes bibles around the world.

'I will seek to refrain from sexual activity outside of the marriage covenant prescribed and exemplified in the Bible: 'a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one,' symbolizing the relationship between Christ and His Church,' the offending statement reads.

A new Affirmation of Biblical Community, which sets out lifestyle guidelines for employees of the American Bible Society, has caused a stir and multiple resignations

Employees must sign a contract stating they will not engage in premarital sex or sex that falls outside the biblical definition of marriage - between a man and a woman

Under the statement guidelines, employees are also expected to 'become involved in a local Christian church', and it appears to warn against divorce.

'If married, I will seek to view my marriage as a human symbol of the relationship between Christ and His Church, and I choose to honor the covenant of marriage as a lifelong commitment, and I choose to pursue all reasonable avenues of reconciliation should my spouse and I have unresolved conflict,' the statement reads.

Former web services manager Jeremy Gimbel, a gay man, told Religion News Service he felt he had to resign a few months ago after seeing the new Affirmation.

He told RNS he was happy with his job and coworkers, and had been working for the American Bible Service for nearly a decade.

'It was hard to come to terms with the fact that I was being forced out after nearly 10 years of my life,' he said.

Gimbel wrote a moving letter to the board of directors about his difficult separation from the company, directly naming the new Affirmation as his reason for resigning.

The organization's former web services manager, who is gay, resigned shortly after receiving a copy of the affirmation and said he was hurt by the document

'I am hurt because this Affirmation specifically excludes me from the community it is supposed to foster,' he wrote.

'The Affirmation will, like much [of] the political climate we live in today, build walls along the lines of difference, pushing away diversity and leaving no room for unity. I truly believe the organization will suffer.'

Roy Peterson, President and CEO of the American Bible Society told The Inquirer the organization would help staff transitioning out of their jobs in response to the affirmation.

'We realize everyone must live by his or her own conscience and understanding of what God calls his people to do,' he said. '

If staff members disagree with the Affirmation of Biblical Community, thus choosing to seek employment elsewhere, we will support their decision and continue to treat them with respect and care in their transition.'President Donald Trump doubled down on his demand for an apology from ABC on Friday, claiming the network offended 'millions of people.'

Trump also criticized ABC for a story reporter Brian Ross did last year on the Russia investigation that the network later retracted.

It was his second demand in two days for an apology from Disney CEO Bob Iger. Disney owns ABC.

President Donald Trump doubled down on his demand for an apology from ABC on Friday.

ABC and Disney CEO Bob Iger have been silent in regards to President Trump's demand.

Trump weighed in on the Roseanne Barr controversy for the first time Wednesday with a complaint that he never got an apology from ABC for the 'for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC.'

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later said Trump was referring to bias in the media when he asked for the apology.

But on Friday the president mentioned a specific infraction from ABC and accused the network of a 'double standard' for not apologizing for Ross' gaffe.

In December of last year, Ross incorrectly reported that former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn would testify that Trump had instructed him to make contact with Russian officials during the presidential campaign.

He corrected his reporting more than seven hours later. At the time, Ross and ABC were widely criticized for mishandling the story.

Ross was suspended for four weeks without pay. In January he returned to ABC at its Lincoln Square Productions, a separate unit of the network to learn on 'long term projects.'

'We deeply regret and apologize for the serious error we made yesterday,' ABC News said in a statement at the time. 'The reporting conveyed by Brian Ross during the special report had not been fully vetted through our editorial standards process.'

Trump celebrated the suspension when it happened.

'People who lost money when the Stock Market went down 350 points based on the False and Dishonest reporting of Brian Ross of @ABC News (he has been suspended), should consider hiring a lawyer and suing ABC for the damages this bad reporting has caused  many millions of dollars!' Trump said in a tweet at the time.

Ross' defenders said the reporter, who was known for his in-depth investigative reporting, made an honest mistake.

ABC and Iger have been silent about the president's demands. Iger hasn't tweeted any response although he did tweet about Roseanne's firing earlier this week.

On Tuesday, ABC announced it was cancelling Barr's television show just hours after the comedian assaulted Obama White House adviser Valerie Jarrett on Twitter.

Barr was widely condemned after she tweeted that Jarrett looked like the 'Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby'.

Iger reportedly called Jarrett before the network announced the cancellation to apologize to her.

'He wanted me to know before he made it public that he was canceling the show,' Jarrett told MSNBC.

Trump has railed against Iger for the second day in a row now.

In June of last year, Iger quit Trump's business advisory council, protesting the president's withdraw from the Paris climate deal. Tesla CEO Elon Musk resigned at the same time.

Iger confirmed to Vogue magazine in April that he had thought of challenging Trump in 2020 with a presidential bid but decided instead to focus on his work at Disney, which had just purchased 21st Century Fox.

President Trump specifically criticized ABC for a story on the Russia investigation done by reporter Brian Ross that was later retracted.

President Trump has made his second demand in two days for an apology from ABC.

President Trump first weighed in on the Roseanne Barr scandal with a tweet on Wednesday.

Sanders said in her press briefing Wednesday that Trump's original complaint was directed at media bias.

'The president is merely calling out media bias. No one is defending what [Roseanne] said,' she said.

Sanders expanded on what the president was angry about, citing ESPN anchor Jemele Hill calling Trump a white supremacist, comments made on ABC's daytime talk show 'The View,' and ESPN's hiring of Keith Olbermann, who regularly tweets criticism of Trump.

ABC News and ESPN are owned by the same parent company, Disney.

'Where was the Bob Iger's apology to the White House staff for Jemele Hill calling the president and anyone associated with him a white supremacist? To Christians around the world for Joy Behar calling Christianity a mental illness? Where was the apology for Kathy Griffin going on a profane rant against the president on "The View" after a photo showed her holding President Trump's decapitated head?' Sanders asked.

'And where was the apology from Bob Iger for ESPN hiring Keith Olbermann after his numerous explicative laced tweets attacking the president, calling him a Nazi, and even expanding Olbermann's role after that attack against the president's family. This is a double standard is speaking about. No one is defending her comments. They're inappropriate but was the point he was making.'

Hill voluntarily left her role as a co-anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter, to work on ESPN's Undefeated, an online vertical focused on race, sports, and culture. ESPN disavowed her tweets on the president.

Behar publicly apologized in May for mocking Vice President Mike Pence's Christian faith and suggesting that his religious views made him mentally ill. She had said of Pence: 'It's one thing to talk to Jesus. It's another thing when Jesus talks to you. That's called mental illness.'

Griffin also apologized for her photo shown on 'The View' holding a bloody, decapitated head of the president. She later took the apology back. Asked if she took the photo too far, she said: 'No, not now. Not when I see his policies.'

Olbermann is known for his liberal views. Last week ESPN announced he was returning to the airwaves for his sixth stint at the network. He regularly refers to Trump as a Nazi in his tweets.Three men were forced out of a Mercedes Benz on Thursday by police targeting bikie gangs.

The Mercedes was pulled over by armed officers on O'riordan Street in Sydney in the afternoon, Nine News reported.

Police officers had to fire tear gas into the vehicle to get the men out.

Scroll down for video

Three men have dragged from a Mercedes Benz in an undercover police operation targeting Sydney bikie gangs

Police officers had to fire tear gas into the vehicle to get the men out

'There were a couple of boys in their Mercedes, they were obviously up to no good,' one witness said.

'They (police) got the job done and everything was done in 30 seconds, bang bang bang'

All three men were handcuffed. Two were later released.

One man allegedly resisted arrest and was eventually taken by officers for questioning.

He is believed to be the target of an undercover police operation Strike Force Raptor targeting outlaw motorcycle gangs.Advertisement

Two people have died after a home collapsed in western North Carolina after a landslide triggered a gas explosion.

Storm Alberto saw heavy rains batter the state on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing local flooding and landslides. Incredible aerial images, captured by a drone, shows streets turned to rivers and cars submerged under food waters in the flood-hit state.

The storm has claimed four lives since Monday, when two journalists from South Carolina-based CNN affiliate WYFF were killed in Polk County when a tree fell on their SUV while they reported on the dangerous weather.

On Wednesday, another two victims were found dead in the rubble of a home in Boone, North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, said Jeff Virginia, spokesman for Watauga County Emergency Management.

Two people have died after a home collapsed in western North Carolina after a landslide triggered a gas explosion (pictured is the rubble)

Last night, fire crews arrived at the scene of the explosion to find two inhabitants had been killed in the blast

Video images posted to Twitter by the Boone Police Department showed an apparently charred home reduced to rubble.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency Wednesday for the western part of the state amid the treacherous weather conditions.

'This storm isn't yet over. I'm urging people to keep a close eye on forecasts and flood watches, and asking drivers to use caution especially when traveling in our western counties,' Cooper said in a statement.

North Carolina has received up to seven inches of rain in the past 24 hours - on the already water logged ground after weeks of rain.

The rain has triggered evacuations, flattened homes and caused mudslides and flooding on interstates, highways and local roads. About 2,000 people were evacuated after emergency managers said the Lake Tahoma dam was in danger of 'imminent failure'. However, officials have since stated that the dam appears to be holding.

Drone footage shows flooding in Biltmore Village, along the Swannanoa River in Asheville, North Carolina on Wednesday

The incredible aerial images show streets turned into rivers of muddy waters by storm Alberto

Cars and vans are almost totally submerged under the waters in Biltmore Village, Asheville, North Carolina

The small town has been all but shut down by the flooding - as the residents are bracing for more flooding to come

Hundreds have been left without power in towns dotted all over western North Carolina, while Asheville has been forced to close its city schools and roads amid the heavy rains.

Flash flooding alerts will be issued if the rain continues.

Alberto was downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone with diminished rainfall by the U.S. National Hurricane Center on Thursday.

Alberto has becomes a post-tropical cyclone as it attempts to exit northeastern lower Michigan, and a heavy rainfall threat is fading near its center, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory.

The system is located about 20 miles west south-west of Alpena, Michigan with maximum sustained winds of 30 miles per hour, the weather forecaster said.

'Flash flood watches remain in effect for the western Carolinas, northwest Virginia, and far eastern west Virginia,' the NHC added.

Storm Alberto saw heavy rains batter the state on Tuesday and Wednesday, causing local flooding and landslides

Floodwaters pushed a 33,000-pound North Carolina Department of Transport truck into the Catawba River

A trailer park in western North Carolina was flooded after rivers burst their bank and floodwaters flowed over the area

Flood waters reached more than a foot high in some areas as rain continues to batter the state

Drivers move past blocked off lanes of I-40 near Old Fort, N.C., Wednesday, after heavy rains from the fringes of Subtropical Storm Alberto caused a mudslide

A mudslide on May 30, 2018, caused damage to Chimney Rock Road in Rutherford County

In central Virginia, a swift water rescue team was searching for two people who were seen being swept away by a flash flood's torrent of muddy water Wednesday night, according to a news release from the city of Charlottesville. By early Thursday, there was no sign of the missing couple.

Elsewhere, four North Carolina dams being closely watched by a state team of special engineers were holding up, Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday.

Alberto, while still spinning like a classic tropical storm, has managed to make its way since a Memorial Day landfall in the Florida Panhandle to just outside of Chicago. Forecasters said it would still bring rain and gusty winds to the Great Lakes this week.

Alberto's heavy rains have been widespread. Scattered flooding was reported in several states from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and Virginia and West Virginia.

In Hopkinsville, Kentucky, high winds and heavy rains gave Sherry Key a fitful night's sleep.

Photos showed Biltmore Avenue in Asheville completely flooded on Wednesday after heavy rains

A North Carolina dam that forced evacuations of more than 2,000 people after it was hit by a landslide is no longer in danger of collapsing

Asheville police have shut down portions of Biltmore Avenue in Biltmore Village due to rising floodwaters. Authorities warned locals to stay away from the area

'I have dogs and they're terribly afraid of storms, so they were on top on top me all night,' said Key, an airport office manager.

The worst of the flooding was in the Appalachian Mountains. Up to 7 inches of rain caused flooding in Helen, a mountain town in Georgia, the National Weather Service said.

Atlanta station WAGA-TV reported that several roads near the downtown area of that German-styled tourist destination were shut down because of the rising water. No injuries were reported.

Authorities in Cuba say Alberto left four people dead there as the storm drenched the island in heavy rain. Interior Minister Julio Cesar Gandarilla said late Tuesday they died as a result of 'recklessness' during the storm. He gave no details. The deaths occurred as authorities worked to contain an oil spill in central Cuba's Cienfuegos Bay that followed the flooding of nearby oil refinery.Failed asylum seeker Karam Majdi, 19 (pictured), was found guilty of the rape of a 14-year-old schoolgirl

A failed asylum seeker who claimed he fled fighting in Aleppo has been jailed for seven years after attacking and raping a 14-year-old schoolgirl he met online.

Karam Majdi, 19, of Hove, who said he was an unaccompanied child from Syria when he arrived in 2016, was told he will spend at least half his sentence in a young offenders unit before he is deported.

The Home Office rejected his application for asylum after disputing his claims to be from Syria.

Following a language assessment, immigration authorities said they believe Majdi lied about being from Syria when he arrived in the UK.

Authorities now believe he is Egyptian.

He claimed his family had paid for his passage to the UK and for a solicitor to represent his asylum claim.

Despite nearly three years of help from social workers, the court heard Majdi has been moved four times from housing placements after being unable to follow simple rules, the court heard.

His victim hugged a family member and wept as he was jailed for seven years at Lewes Crown Court in Brighton.

Majdi looked back at her as he was taken down.

Sentencing, Judge Shani Barnes said Majdi had had ample help to 'assist [him] into developing into a fully functioning, law-abiding member of the community'.

'Whatever you went through as a young man in your own country, you were offered a wonderful service.'

But the teenager continued to disobey 'the simplest rules of courtesy and conduct.'

She described his victim as 'a young woman that had been through a great deal of trauma for her young age'.

'What you did to her that night was opportunistic and vile. Despite her protestations, despite her trying to physically fight her off, you raped her.

'She was trapped there. Her inner and outer thighs black and blue. Feeling crushed

and helpless.'

Majdi (pictured) wept as he was jailed for seven years at Lewes Crown Court in Brighton by Judge Shani Barnes

In a victim impact statement said by the judge to be heartbreaking, his victim described Majdi as scum.

The girl from West Sussex, now aged 15, sat in the public gallery behind Majdi as Henrietta Paget for the Crown read her statement.

She said: 'Last year wasn't a good year for me. I lost my dad, leaving me feeling devastated and in a low place.

'I suffered another devastating incident last year. I was attacked and raped.

'No woman or person should ever have to got through what I did. I have three sisters and pray they never have to go through something like this.'

The trial left her mentally exhausted and anxious, the girl said.

'I hate him, he's a horrible person and disgusting. When I think about what he did to me, it makes me sick. I shout and scream in my sleep calling out and punching.'

The girl said she is worried about her future happiness.

'Will I be able to get married and have a happy future,' she wrote in her victim statement.

'I'm going to have to live with for the rest of my life,' she said.

Majdi used the name Mano Love online to lure two under age girls into meeting him.

Her Honour Judge Shani Barnes said his internet activity caused huge concern.

He raped one 14-year-old girl and admitted having sex with another during a five day trial at Brighton.

Sentencing at Lewes Crown Court (pictured), Judge Shani Barnes said: 'What you did to her that night was opportunistic and vile'

The jury took less than half an hour to convict him of raping one girl when she was only 14 and cleared him of the other girl who was also 14 at the time.

He broke down in the dock as an Arabic interpreter translated the jury foreman delivering their unanimous verdicts.

Majdi, who gave his age as 19, attacked the girl after an accidental meeting when she visited a friend.

Both girls, now 15, who did not know each other, met Majdi through social media.

The girl told police she was 14 when Mr Majdi raped her at a hostel for young people in Croydon.

She met him at least twice in person before the chance meeting led to rape.

In November last year, the girl went to visit a friend at the hostel.

A group of four people took drugs and watched a film, she told police.

'The defendant started to touch her,' Henrietta Paget for the Crown said.

'She said she didn't want to do this.

'She told him to stop and he forced himself on top of her.

'She told police she lay there feeling weak and later took pictures of the bruises on her legs and hips.'

HHJ Barnes said she was concerned about the danger Majdi posed to young girls.

'Your internet activity in 2017 is of huge concern.

'You appeared to be trying very hard to find young women online who would have sex with you.

'What you did to your victim that night was opportunistic and vile.

'She was vulnerable because of her age and because she was already suffering from severe psychological harm and this was a severe and prolonged incident.

'I hope you understand the gravity of what you've done.

'Had you been convicted of both these girls, I would be passing a very different sentence.'

Speaking directly to the victim sitting at the back of the court, the judge said: 'You are very strong and you are very brave and you are not going to let this affect you for the rest of your life.'

'Thank you,' the schoolgirl said.

Majdi was traced through his social media profiles and was arrested and interviewed on December 15, last year.

He told police both girls had pursued him for consensual sex and had initiated the sexual activity.

The jury were told Majdi attacked another girl after arranging to meet her in Brighton.

Ms Paget them: 'She perhaps appears quite grown up, but she has learning difficulties and lives with her parents.'

They communicated over Instagram before arranging to meet in Brighton in September last year.

'They did not talk much as he was listening to music on his phone.

'They went back to his flat and she says he forced her to have sex with him.'

The girl remained in the flat and left in the morning after Mr Majdi told her there were no buses.

Her family were so worried they set up a fake Instagram account in order to contact the person who they thought the girl had been talking to online.

After his arrest, he told police somebody had tried to contact him and he denied being with the girl at her insistence, Ms Paget told the court.

The girl was found the following day distraught in Brighton, the court heard.

Over the series of police interviews specialist officers established she alleged Mr Majdi had anally raped her.

Detective Constable Stewart Cameron of the Brighton Safeguarding Investigations Unit said; 'As soon as we were told of this incident enquiries began and soon Majdi was identified through social media and other information.

'He had contrived a meeting with the girl and her friends, and took advantage of her youth and vulnerability to ruthlessly exploit her for his own sexual gratification.

'We have been able to ensure that the victim has access to support and counselling to help her through this ordeal, and she bravely gave evidence against Majdi at his trial.

'She has been very brave and shown immense courage to get through this and should feel very proud of what she has done.

'Young girls are now that much safer because Majid is off the streets.'A British woman has been rushed to hospital after being knocked out during a street fight in Majorcan party resort Magaluf.

Video footage of the incident has since emerged online, showing a large street brawl on Magaluf's infamous bar strip early Thursday morning.

The video sees the young woman being carried away from the brawl by her friends, seemingly unconscious after allegedly being hit by another combatant.

A female partygoer can be overheard yelling: 'She's out'. She also says: 'She's knocked out stone cold'. Worried friends and onlookers can be seen gathering round her.

The violent altercation, allegedly between British and French tourists, happened outside a tattoo parlour around 5.30am today.

Footage published by Majorcan newspaper Ultima Hora shows a bare chested youngster exchanging blows with another man.

The young man, thought to be British, lands the first punch before he ends up on the ground.

He has to be held back by other revellers as scores of young adults gather around them, including some who appears to be egging on the two men.

Video footage shows a large street brawl, allegedly between British and French tourists, on Magaluf's infamous bar strip early Thursday morning, during which a woman was knocked out

The video sees a young topless man get knocked to the ground, while the British woman, right, is seen being carried away from the brawl by her friends, seemingly unconscious

Seconds later another fight - thought to be linked to the first incident - kicks off a few feet away.

The video then shows the young British woman being picked up and taken to the side of the road. She appears to be unconscious, and her friends are trying to revive her.

It was not immediately clear how the unnamed woman had been hurt, and the footage does not show the moment she is hit. She is thought to have been with one of the groups involved in the fighting.

There footage does not show anyobvious police presence and Ultima Hora reported that local security guards had stepped in to separate the warring holidaymakers.

'500 metres of shame': The incident took place on the infamous Punta Ballena strip

Civil Guard officers have not yet been available to comment on the number of injured, or to say whether anyone had been arrested.

Council chiefs in charge of the Magaluf area have been battling for the past few years to try to improve the image of the party resort.

Magaluf's infamous party strip Punta Ballena was recently called '500 metres of shame' by a previous mayor.

June, when thousands of young Brits flock to Magaluf, is usually one of the worst months for the sort of badly-behaving drunken tourism council chiefs are fighting back against.Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos raised thousands of dollars for former President Barack Obama, who appointed Sarandos' wife, Nicole Avant, as ambassador to the Bahamas.

Former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama announced Monday they had entered a multi-year producing partnership with the online streaming service.

Sarandos and Avant bundled nearly $600,000 in contributions to Obama during the 2012 presidential campaign, the New York Post reported.

Sarandos helped broker the deal, the Post reported, which is said to worth up to $50 million to the former first couple.

The Netflix COO and his wife are longtime friends of the Obamas. Avant serve as ambassador to the Bahamas from 2009 to 2011. It's common for presidents of both parties to appoint big donors to ambassadorial positions.

Avant's father, Clarence, a music executive, also bundled nearly $450,000 for Obama's presidential campaigns, the newspaper reported.

The Obamas plan to deliver a 'diverse mix of content' that could range from scripted and unscripted series to documentaries and features as part of their package.

And their content will not be exclusive to American subscribers. Netflix has promised their projects will be available to all 125 million members in 190 countries.

Barack and Michelle Obama officially announced on Monday that they have entered a multi-year producing partnership with Netflix

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos and his wife Nicole Avant raised thousands for Barack Obama's presidential campaign and she served as ambassador to the Bahamas.

The Obamas have created Higher Ground Productions, the company under which they will produce content for Netflix.

Obama reportedly told associates he does not plan to use his new platform to attack Donald Trump or fight against Fox News, according to the New York Times.

Instead the former president plans to highlight those who are 'able to promote greater empathy and understanding between people'.

'One of the simple joys of our time in public service was getting to meet so many fascinating people from all walks of life, and to help them share their experiences with a wider audience,' Obama said in a statement.

'That's why Michelle and I are so excited to partner with Netflix.'

Barack and Michelle plan to deliver a 'diverse mix of content', that could range from scripted series to documentaries and features

'We hope to cultivate and curate the talented, inspiring, creative voices who are able to promote greater empathy and understanding between people, and help them share their stories with the entire world.'

Michelle also highlighted that she hopes she and Barack can use their new platform to help open minds and hearts.

Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, said the company was 'incredibly proud' to have the Obamas on board

'Barack and I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others,' she said.

'Netflix's unparalleled service is a natural fit for the kinds of stories we want to share, and we look forward to starting this exciting new partnership.'

Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, said the company was 'incredibly proud' to have the Obamas on board.

'Barack and Michelle Obama are among the world's most respected and highly-recognized public figures,' he said in a statement.

'[They] are uniquely positioned to discover and highlight stories of people who make a difference in their communities and strive to change the world for the better.'

News that the Obamas were in negotiations with Netflix first broke in March.

The Obamas signed a joint $65 million book deal with Penguin Random House in March for their respective memoirs.A dog owner from Utah has been cited with nearly 30 misdemeanor counts after police say her pet husky went on a killing spree in Tooele that left more than two dozen animals dead.

Trip Kiss, who runs a petting zoo, KissMade, out of his home catering to children with special needs, on Monday morning heard the motion sensors in his yard go off.

When he looked at the surveillance video, he saw a black-and-white dog running around his property and attacking his animals, including chickens, ducks and rabbits.

Scroll down for video

Four-legged bandit: Nikita, a four-year-old husky, went on a bloody rampage through a neighborhood in Tooele, Utah, which left nearly 30 animals dead

Caught red-pawed: A petting zoo owner's camera caught Nikita running around his yard and chewing his livestock (pictured)

Mackenzie Morton is pictured in this undated photo with her husky, Nikita

He was chewing our goose that was at the back end there, he dug out the rabbits in their enclosure, Kiss told Fox 13.

The footage captured the dog, a four-year-old husky named Nikita, fleeing the scene with a pair of rabbits in its maw.

When Kiss went to examine the animal enclosure, he learned that the four-legged bandit had slaughtered a pair of ducks, two bunnies, five chickens, a turkey and their pet goose, Rex.

The corpses of the dead animals were found scattered in the neighborhood around Kiss' home.

When the petting zoo owner contacted police to report the incident, he was told that his animals were not Nikita's only victims that night: the husky also had butchered 15 chickens on a nearby property.

Death toll: Trip Kiss lost 11 animals in the dog attack, including ducks, bunnies, chickens and a turkey (some pictured above)

Feathered friend: The Kiss family also lost their beloved pet goose, Rex, which was specially trained (pictured)

Trip and Kayley Kiss (left) run a petting zoo that caters to special-needs children (right)

Officers were dispatched to the community and captured the furry culprit following a two-hour search.

After taking Nikita to a local shelter, police contacted her owner, Mackenzie Morton, to tell her what had happened.

Sorry: Morton issued an apology to the owners who had animals killed and vowed to pay for the damage

In an interview with the station, Morton said her pooch had run away from her boyfriend's home on Sunday night and she was unable to locate her.

The woman explained that she did not alert the neighbors because she did not want to cause a disturbance in the middle of the night.

I didn't think she was going to go on a killing spree, Morton said, because that's not her, she doesn't do that kind of stuff.

Morton offered an emotional apology to the owners of the slain animals and vowed to pay for the damage inflicted by Nikita, which police estimated at $1,350.

On top of that, Morton was cited with 27 counts of misdemeanor attacking animals and one count of animal running at large.

Nikita currently remains in a quarantine at the city shelter. An administrative hearing will be held at a later time to determine the dog's fate.

If Nikita is designated as a potentially dangerous animal, she will be released back to her owner under a set of restrictions, including being kept on a leash at all times and confined to her owner's yard.

In limbo: Nikita currently remains in a quarantine pending an administrative hearing that will determine her fate

Morton also would have to register her pet as a potentially dangerous animal.

Trip Kiss wife, Kayley, on Monday shared photos of her slain livestock on Facebook, writing in an update: 'it was so hard today to go outside and feed the rest of the flock we have left after losing so many of my farm babies.'

In another post, she mourned the loss of her beloved pet goose, which was specially trained.

Rex was more than just a goose he was our pet, he was part of our family, she wrote. I know that sounds stupid but most people don't know how much care and effort you put into poultry and livestock.'President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will be granting a pardon to conservative filmmaker and author Dinesh D'Souza, who bashed President Obama and pleaded guilty to illegal campaign contributions.

'Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh DSouza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!' Trump wrote on Twitter.

Later Thursday, Trump said he was considering commuting the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojavich, who was jailed on corruption charges, as well as giving a pardon to Martha Stewart.

It will be his fifth pardon, having also granted pardons to conservative firebrand sheriff Joe Arpaio, former Bush administration official Scooter libby, and others.

D'Souza pleaded guilty in 2014 to funneling the campaign contributions to Wendy Long, his college classmate.

PARDON ME: Conservative filmmaker and author Dinesh D'Souza speaks during the final day of the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference on May 31, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Some of the biggest names in the Republican Party made appearances at the conference, which hosts 1,500 delegates from across the country through May 31. President Trump is giving him a full pardon

She was running against Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2012 for Hillary Clinton's old New York Senate seat.

The girlfriend, Denise Joseph, was engaged to D'Souza while they were both still married to other people.

He has argued that he got railroaded because of his vocal support for conservative causes and attacks on Democrats.

'Obama & his stooges tried to extinguish my American dream & destroy my faith in America. Thank you @RealDonaldTrump for fully restoring both,' he wrote on Twitter by way of thanks.

The Bombay-born 53-year-old author of 'The Roots of Obama's Rage' and the filmmaker behind the documentary '2016: Obama's America,' he admitted to Federal Judge Richard M. Berman that 'I knew that causing a campaign contribution to be made in the name of another was wrong and something the law forbids.

'I deeply regret my conduct,' he said.

Dinesh D'Souza arrives for the Los Angeles Premiere of, "Hillary's America," at TCL Chinese 6 Theatres on July 11, 2016 in Hollywood, California

CNN reported that the pardon did not go through the Justice Department's Office of Pardon Attorney.

The pardon came as Trump's longtime personal lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, is under criminal investigation for bank and wire fraud and possible campaign finance violations.

Trump's former campaign chair, Paul Manafort, is facing a series of tax and other fraud charges that could have him spend the rest of his life in jail if convicted.

The move comes as prosecutors work to obtain convictions and cooperation in the Russia probe, which Trump's legal team is fighting and branding a 'witch hunt.'

D'Souza had been sentenced in federal court in Manhattan to five years of probation, with eight months during the first year to be served in a community confinement center.

After maxing out his own contributions by himself and his wife, D'Souza had two straw donors make $20,000 in additional contributions, then reimbursed them in cash.

OFF THE HOOK: Conservative commentator and best-selling author, Dinesh D'Souza exits the Manhattan Federal Courthouse after pleading guilty in New York, May 20, 2014. He is getting a pardon from President Donald Trump

When confronted by Long, he 'initially misled the candidate before admitting what he had done,' according to the government's statement at sentencing.

It was issued by former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara prosecuted the case  who says Trump told him he would allow him to remain in his post at the start of the administration, though he did not.

HELP FROM HER FRIENDS: Wendy Long, Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. She and D'Souza were classmates at Dartmouth. But according to a sentencing statement he lied to her about $20,000 in contributions he secretly funded

The other woman: Denise Odie Joseph II was engaged to D'Souza while they were both still legally married to other people; she was one of the 'straw donors' who passed his money to the Long campaign

D'Souza during the straw donor scheme, D'Souza asked Joseph and her spouse, and another couple, to donate a total of $20,000 to Long, a New Yorker whom he met when they were classmates at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Anther of his films came out in 2016, when Trump ran for election, and is titled: 'Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party.'

'Who are these Democrats,' D'Souza asks in the trailer  as they are labeled the 'party of corruption' and hit Clinton for a 'legacy of scandal.'

'Imagine how much worse things could get if these two depraved crooks return to the White House,' he said.

The pardon by Trump, who himself branded Clinton 'crooked Hillary,' is certain to bring calls that he is using the pardon power to assist political allies.

His first pardon was to Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who had been convicted of contempt of court for violating court orders on treatment of illegal immigrants.

He also pardoned Scooter Libby and Kristian Mark Saucier, who had kept unauthorized defense information after snapping submarine photos.

Trump's most recent pardon was granted posthumously for boxer Jack Johnson, convicted of violating the 1910 Mann act by transporting a white woman across state lines.

D'Souza accused Obama of taking 'the cause of anti-colonialism' from his father, and claimed it shaped his worldview, although Obama wrote in his autobiography that he barely knew his father.

In a 2010 article in Forbes, D'Souza argued that Obama was a Hawaii-born other who was outside the American mainstream, in a line of argument that may have appealed to Trump, who helped launch his political career by calling on Obama to release his birth certificate.

'A good way to discern what motivates Obama is to ask a simple question: What is his dream? Is it the American dream? Is it Martin Luther Kings dream? Or something else?,' he wrote.President Donald Trump signaled on Thursday that he still expects to meet with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un on June 12 in Singapore, saying he's 'hopeful' that the summit will happen as scheduled.

He also confirmed that a North Korean delegation would 'probably' be coming to Washington on Friday to hand-deliver a letter from the North Korean dictator.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that former North Korean spy chief Kim Yong Chol would deliver the letter.

The president said he didn't know what was in the letter but 'it'll be very positive.' He said the delegation 'will probably be coming down' Friday to deliver it.

President Donald Trump said before boarding Air Force One that he might have to meet more than once with Kim Jong-un

Trump tweeted that his administration is having good meetings with reprresentatives of North Korea

Trump told Reuters: 'I'd like to see a total denuclearisation in as quick a period of time as is practicable.'

'You're talking about machinery, you're talking about things that can't necessarily happen immediately but they can happen in as rapid a fashion as they can happen. That's what I want to happen,' he said.

But he warned at the same time that just one sit-down with the communist country may not be enough to ensure it doesn't pose a nuclear threat.

The two leaders are expected to sit down to negotiate the terms of North Korea's withdrawal from an effort to build a nuclear weapon that could reach the United States.

Trump tweeted that the U.S. had been engaging in 'very good meetings with North Korea.'

He also said as he left Joint Base Andrews for Texas that he expects to receive a formal letter on Friday from Kim, carried by a delegation sent to Washington.

The president is expected to meet June 12 with dictator Kim Jong-un in Singapore, and he said Thursday that the summit will 'hopefully' happen as scheduled

Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews that he expects a delegation from the hermit kingdom to carry a letter from Kim Jong-un to him on Friday

'I look forward to seeing what's in the letter,' Trump said on the tarmac before boarding Air Force One.

'I think it will be very positive. The meetings have been very positive,' he said of talks that have proceeded in advance of the expected leader-to-leader discussion.

'Hopefully we will have a meeting on the 12th. That's going along very well,' he told reporters.

But the president cautioned against expecting too much from a single summit meeting with the hermit kingdom's despot.

North and South Korea on Friday resumed senior-level peace talks Seoul sees as an important step in building trust with Pyongyang amid the U.S.-led diplomatic push to persuade the North to give up its nuclear weapons

South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon shakes hands with his North Korean counterpart Ri Son Gwon during their meeting at the truce village of Panmunjom, South Korea, on Friday

Inter-Korea dialogue have increased since President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met on April 27

Head of the North Korean delegation Ri Son-Gwon (C) is pictured arriving at the DMZ for the meeting with South Korea on Friday

'I want it to be meaningful. It doesn't mean it gets all done at one meeting. Maybe a second and third and maybe we'll have none,' he said.

'It's in good hands. That I can tell you.'

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters on Air Force One on Thursday that Trump is expecting Kim Yong Chol to visit the White House Friday to deliver a sealed letter from Kim Jong-Un.

Gidley wasn't sure who else would be accompanying him and hasn't gotten any indication about what the letter might say.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had a working dinner on Wednesday in New York City with top North Korean aide Kim Yong-chol.

The pair dined on 'steak, corn, and cheese,' according to the secretary of state.

North Korea Vice-Chairman Kim Yong-chol met Thursday in New York City with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Trump has played his cards close to the vest as June 12 approaches but has seemed largely optimistic about pulling off a meeting that few thought was possible

The meeting took place as Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Pyongyang for talks with his North Korean counterpart Ri Yong-ho.

Kim Yong-chol is the most senior North Korean official to visit the United States since 2000, when Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok traveled to Washington to meet with then-President Bill Clinton in the Oval Office.

He is conducting one of three sets of parallel talks in the U.S. aimed at salvaging the nuclear summit.A 52-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after his out-of-control bus smashed into 25 vehicles, injuring 16 people yesterday.

The single-decker was not travelling on its normal route when it ploughed into parked vehicles and motorists waiting at traffic lights in Dartford, Kent.

Witnesses have said the driver, who is from Northfleet, near Gravesend, was in Arriva uniform at the time of the crash. He was taken to hospital and later questioned by police.

A 52-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving after his out-of-control bus smashed into 25 vehicles, injuring 16 people yesterday

A Kent Police statement said the man has been released pending further inquiries by the Serious Collision Investigation Unit. They have not named him as so far no charges have been applied.

While a spokesperson for the bus company Arriva refused to confirm whether the man was an employee of theirs, adding: 'Our priority continues to be those affected and in supporting the police in their investigations.'

Stunned shoppers told how cars flew 'like dominos' as a video showed the moment it sped along Hythe Street.

Passers-by watched in horror when the No.480 bus to Gravesend sped out of control, with some fearing they were witnessing a terror attack.

But Arriva claimed the bus was not in service at the time of the incident.

'Our bus was not in service during the time of the incident and was therefore not running to a specific route,' a spokesperson said. 'No passengers were on board.'

Sixteen people were injured as passers-by watched in horror when the No.480 bus to Gravesend sped out of control, with some fearing they were witnessing a terror attack

Pictured: Map of where the out-of-control bus smashed into 25 vehicles in Dartford, Kent

The 480 bus service to Gravesend crashed into at least 25 cars in Dartford town centre

The bus left behind a line of cars damaged with wheels and wings ripped off the vehicles

Shopkeepers on the street have been told the driver in question had more than 20 years' experience as a bus driver.

Shop worker Tharun Thayaparan, 20, raced outside when he heard a loud bang on Tuesday evening.

He said: 'It was manic. I saw the bus ploughing through cars. It was like dominos.

'I saw a woman jump out of the boot of the car as both sides were smashed and that was the only way to get out.

The bus damaged cars on both sides of the road smashing windscreens and body panels

It is understood the bus turned into a road which was not normally part of its route

'A little girl's lip was cut open. Everyone was screaming and shouting.

'The driver was in total shock. The car outside was pushed onto the pavement.

'I have never seen something like that. People we're arguing with the driver. Shouting at him, ''Look what you have done. You have hurt people.'''

'It was chaos.'

Several cars have suffered major damage with wheels ripped off from their axles

Traffic warden gives ticket to car smashed up in bus crash Cafe owner Gokhan Derici, 32, was stunned when he saw a traffic warden slap a parking ticket on a car that was badly damaged in Tuesday evenings pile-up. A black Audi A3 with its back wheel flattened and ripped open and the bus's paint scraped along its dented rear remained parked opposite Mr Derici's caff The Coffee Pot on Wednesday. He claims he saw a female traffic warden stick the parking ticket on the damaged car at around 7am on Wednesday morning. He said: 'I opened up at half six I was outside. I was going to go over to this lady. 'Before this car there was another car but he moved. Then she came and ticketed this one. 'I think it is wrong. He didn't ask for this to happen. He should not get a ticket. 'You can see his back wheel, he can't even move.' Dartford Borough Council confirmed one person had been issued a parking ticket after their car was involved in the crash. A council spokesman said: 'It seems that one of our officers properly issued a ticket to a car parked outside a cafe in Hythe St this morning and then ticketed another vehicle close by that was involved in last night's incident and had not been recovered from the scene. 'When it became clear that the car was involved in the incident the ticket was cancelled immediately.' Advertisement

Hairdresser Ramazan Sasmaz, 38, had his Mercedes slightly damaged during the incident.

He said: 'I was shocked. I saw a big bus running into cars.

'You think it is a terrorist arrack. It was scary. It was terrible. There were cars on the pavement.

'My car is scratched but some cars are written off.'

A black Audi parked along Hythe Street on Wednesday still bore the scars from the previous evening, with a flat rear tyre and a large dent in its rear.

Turquoise blue paint from where the bus had struck it was scraped along the car's rear.

Further along, a maroon Toyota's bumper hung off and one of its rear wheels had been ripped open by the first of the impact.

The bus reportedly finally came to a standstill near a Salvation Army building just before the traffic lights on Hythe Street.

Several tow trucks reportedly worked late into the night to remove damaged cars from the road.

Takeaway shop manager Mendis Arulappan, 55, saw his Toyota smashed onto the pavement as the bus scythed along Hythe Street.

One car almost ploughed into the Dartford Greek Taverna as it was shunted onto the pavement, he recalled

Mr Arulappan said: 'I was in the shop last night and a big noise came from outside.

'There were cars on the pavement. One car had hit the wall of the Greek Taverna.

'One car had gone inside the Salvation Army church.

'I was shocked. My car mounted the pavement . People were crying and dizzy.'

Brian Barnett tweeted: 'Serious accident in Dartford, my car smashed! About 20 cars involved, hit by bus. My back hurts!'

The bus continued to crash into cars until it came to stationary traffic at the top of the road

None of the injuries are thought to be serious.

A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: 'We were called, along with other emergency services, to a crash involving a bus and around 25 other vehicles.'

It added that a number of people suffered minor injuries and one person required oxygen following the crash.

The emergency services treated several 'walking wounded' at the scene of the incident

Police confirmed the driver of the bus has been arrested on suspicion of careless drivingThe Government today branded Donald Trump's decision to impose steep new steel tariffs 'deeply disappointing'.

British steel sent to America will be slapped with a 25 per cent premium from tomorrow after the White House refused to extend a waiver to EU countries.

Last ditch talks between US and European officials in Paris failed today in moves that could trigger a trans-Atlantic trade war.

The EU immediately signalled it would launch retaliatory measures and lodge a protest at the World Trade Organisation.

They could hit back by slapping tariffs on US orange juice, peanut butter and other goods in return.

Britain - which is negotiating as part of the EU and not independently - insisted today there was no justification for the US imposing the tariffs on national security grounds.

It will be seen as a blow to hopes for a post-Brexit trade deal between Britain and America.

Theresa May's (pictured in Downing Street last week) Government insisted today there was no justification for the US imposing the tariffs on national security grounds

Uk steel plants (including at Port Talbot, pictured) face a steep decline in exports when the new tariffs come into force

British steel sent to America will be slapped with a 25 per cent premium from tomorrow after the Donald Trump refused to extend a waiver to EU countries

A Government spokesman said: 'We are deeply disappointed that the US has decided to apply tariffs to steel and aluminium imports from the EU on national security grounds.

'The UK and other European Union countries are close allies of the US and should be permanently and fully exempted from the American measures on steel and aluminium.'

'We have made clear to the US Government at the highest levels the importance of UK steel and aluminium to its businesses and defence projects.

'We will continue to work closely with the EU and US Administration to achieve a permanent exemption, and to ensure that UK workers are protected and safeguarded.'

What are tariffs and why has Trump's plan to impose them been met with such criticism? Tariffs are charges which governments can slap on certain goods or products imported into the country. Taxing items coming into a country makes them more expensive  and people less likely to buy them as a result. Imposing such tariffs makes people more likely to turn to local products instead  theoretically protecting domestic jobs. However, Governments usually try to negotiate minimum tariffs so that goods can be traded freely around the world. This is because for many years most politicians have agreed that free trade leads to greater wealth and makes products cheaper to buy in the shops. The US says the balance had shifted because China has massively ramped up the amount of steel it has produced in recent years and dumped it cheaply on the market. This global steel glut has made it far harder for steel industries in other countries to compete - prompting plant closures and job losses. Donald Trump has responded to domestic anger by imposing his hefty tariffs in a bid to protect the American steel industry. But critics around the world have blasted the move - warning this will result in a tit for tat trade war which will only push up prices in the long term. Advertisement

Barry Gardiner, Labour's Shadow International Trade Secretary, also slammed the tariffs.

He said: 'These tariffs present a grave threat to our steel and aluminium industries and to thousands of UK jobs.

'President Trump is using national security as an excuse for these unjustified and protectionist tariffs. They fly in the face of WTO rules and risk a global trade war.

'Liam Fox needs to take urgent action to defend British industry from these unfair measures. If the Government had any doubt as to how 'special' our relationship with the US is to President Trump then these tariffs make it clear that even close allies will not be spared from his America First policies.

'Labour would coordinate a decisive set of countermeasures with the EU and challenge the USA at the WTO.'

A British Steel spokesman said: 'US sales represent a small percentage of our exports and while disappointed by the announcement, we look forward to continuing to supply unique and high quality products to our valued American customers and growing global customer base.

'Tariffs will impact on the world market, so we'll continue working directly with the UK Government and UK Steel on this matter, and to ensure Britain and Europe don't again become dumping grounds for cheap steel.'

Gareth Stace, director of trade body UK Steel, said: 'President Trump had already loaded the gun and today we now know that the US administration has unfortunately fired it and potentially started a damaging trade war.

'Since President Trump stated his plans to impose blanket tariffs on steel imports almost three months ago, the UK steel sector had hoped for the best, but still feared the worst.

'With the expiration of the EU exemption now confirmed to take effect tomorrow, unfortunately our pessimism was justified and we will now see damage not only to the UK steel sector, but also the US economy.'

Labour MP Nic Dakin, who represents the steel town of Scunthorpe, told MailOnline: 'The Conservative Government has failed to persuade President Trump that imposing steel tariffs is wrong.

'Last time the US did this in 2002 it resulted in a trade war and the loss of hundreds of thousands of US jobs. It is time for the UK Government to take tough action to support the UK steel industry.

'It is time for them to stand up for steel, stand up for the English and Welsh Towns that rely on manufacturing and voted Leave to get a better deal. If the Conservative Government won't stand up for steel it won't stand up for Britain.'

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was 'concerned' by the decision

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said he was 'concerned' by the decision.

'The EU believes these unilateral US tariffs are unjustified and at odds with World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules,' said Mr Juncker. 'This is protectionism, pure and simple.'

EU trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said it was 'a bad day for world trade'.

'We did everything to avoid this outcome,' said Ms Malmstrom.

'I have argued for the EU and the US to engage in a positive transatlantic trade agenda and for the EU to be fully, permanently and unconditionally exempted from these tariffs. This is also what EU leaders have asked for.

'Throughout these talks, the US has sought to use the threat of trade restrictions as leverage to obtain concessions from the EU. This is not the way we do business, and certainly not between long-standing partners, friends and allies.'

Ms Malmstrom said EU would make a protest at the World Trade Organisation and take retaliatory measures.

Following talks in Paris with US trade secretary Wilbur Ross today, France's finance minister Bruno Le Maire said: 'Global trade is not a gunfight at the OK Corral.

'It's not about who attacks whom, and then wait and see who is still standing at the end.'

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire (left) met US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in Paris today for last ditch talks on extending the waiver

Stephen Doughty, a Labour MP and supporter of anti-Brexit campaign the People's Vote, said: 'At a time when a global trade war looks like a very real possibility, the UK could be about to enter the brutal world of international trade with just Liam Fox wielding the equivalent of a plastic spoon for protection.

'The UK steel industry already faces significant challenges and now thousands of jobs could be put at risk directly or indirectly by diversionary dumping.

'The reckless actions of Donald Trump and his irresponsible approach to international politics means now is not the time for the UK to be crashing out of the world's largest trading bloc or pulling away from our European friends and allies.'

The CBI's international director Ben Digby said: 'The President's measures are deeply concerning for firms in the UK, for close trading partners and across supply chains.

'Overproduction can distort the global market and erode the level playing field that business depends on to stay competitive. But this is a shared challenge whose root causes should be tackled jointly by the EU and the US.

'There are no winners in a trade war, which will damage prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic. These tariffs could lead to a protectionist domino effect, damaging firms, employees and consumers in the US, UK and many other trading partners.'

UK steel workers have fought for many years to protect their jobs amid a global oversupply of steel (pictured are protesting workers in 2015)

The U.S. had a $150 billion trade deficit with the EU last year  a gap that Trump has slammed as 'unacceptable.'

The administration is planning to impose tariffs on European steel and aluminum imports after failing to win concessions from the European Union, a move that could provoke retaliatory tariffs and inflame trans-Atlantic trade tensions.

The move could invite immediate retaliation from those getting hit with the tariffs.

The EU has already threatened to slap retaliatory tariffs on U.S. orange juice, peanut butter and other goods.

Labour MP Stephen Doughty said Trump's decision met Brexit Britain would be trying to secure new deals with foreign partners during a trade war

Canada the top source of imported U.S. steel, also is expected to retaliate, although Canadian and U.S. officials are in talks intended to avert the crisis.

U.S. and European officials held last-ditch talks in Paris on Thursday to try to reach a deal, though hopes are low and fears of a trade war are mounting.

Trump blames the European governments rather than broader market forces.

He also has chafed at a 10 per cent tax the EU slaps on U.S.-made cars, the Washington Post reported. When European cars enter the U.S., they face only a 2.5 percent duty.

The push against Europe comes days after the White House announced the U.S. would go ahead with a separate plan to slap 25 per cent tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods.

The administration is also attempting to renegotiate NAFTA.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel stressed her opposition to the tariffs Thursday.

'We believe these tariffs aren't compatible with WTO rules,' she said in Lisbon. EU leaders want 'exceptions from these tariffs and have offered to hold talks on a certain basis.'

But if there are no exemptions, she said, 'We will respond in an intelligent, decisive and joint way.'Kathy Griffin took to Twitter on Thursday to mark the one-year anniversary of her infamous Trump beheading photo.

In a series of 52 tweets, the comedian rehashed her beef with the president, and went into more detail than ever before about how the backlash impacted her life.

She admitted, however, that the inflammatory image was not a well-planned joke, and that she would have done things differently in releasing it to the public.

However, she said her role as a comedian is to cross the line and she doesn't think she should have been attacked for questioning the president.

On the one-year anniversary of her Trump beheading scandal, Kathy Griffin took to Twitter to give more insight into how she came up with the idea and the backlash she has received

In 52 tweets, Griffin says she thinks Trump abused his power by publicly condemning her

'Did I know the photo would cause controversy? Of course..but I thought it would be a one or two day thing,' she said.

She continued: 'Our job is to shine a bright light on issues people are afraid to talk about, speak truth to power, push boundaries, take risks, and by being provocative...force people to pay attention to important issues. And yes..we often do that through humor but provocation is also a tool.

Griffin said the inspiration for the photo, which showed her holding a Trump mask covered in blood, was to call the president out for the misogynistic comments he made about Megyn Kelly during the 2016 campaign.

During the first Republican presidential debates, Trump spoke negatively about Kelly when she questioned him about the way he speaks about women.

He told CNN's Don Lemon that she had 'blood coming out her eyes, blood coming out of her whatever'.

Griffin said the photo was 'meant to be a plan on those sexist comments about Megyn'.

'Trump's sexism during the campaign and before he ran for office were no secret, but by May last year I was nervous that all of the Russia stuff and the chaos Trump was causing was taking the focus off what his misogyny. I felt it was important to make a big bold statement ,' she wrote.

While Griffin had been thinking of doing the photo, it was thrown together at the last minute on a day she was taking headshots for an upcoming tour. She said she sent her assistant out to buy a $10 dollar Halloween mask of Trump and ketchup for the shop.

'This wasn't some elaborate set up,' she said.

In a corresponding video, she is seen lifting the bloodied head while staring stone-faced into the camera.

In retrospect, she says she regrets two things about the shot and video and it's release.

First of all, since the joke was suppossed to be about Trump's comments about Kelly, she wouldn't have used a mask, which made it look as if she had beheaded the president. Instead, she says she probably should have used a 'blowup doll'.

Secondly, she says she would have released the photo in a different manner, and with more context. At the time, she says the photographer asked her when he should put it out, and Griffin said whenever he felt best.

In the end, TMZ was the first to report about the photo, something Griffin says she never intended and which 'allowed for my intended messaging to get lost in the mix'.

From there, Griffin says 's*** hit the fan' with death threats 'flowing in' and both Democrats and Republicans speaking out to criticize her.

The night that the story was posted, Griffin said she received an 'urgent call' from Rosie O'Donnell, who has history of her own with Trump, and she urged Griffin to take down the photo and issue an apology.

'First thing Rosie said to me was "what if Daniel Pearl's mother sees this?"' Griffin said, referencing the journalist who was beheaded in a live video by ISIS operatives.

'Call me naive, but I had not thought of that connection. Rosie told me I should delete the photo/video and apologize. For the first time in my career as a comic, that's what I did,' she said.

Griffin says after taking down it down and issuing a video apology, the negative reactions died down overnight. That was, until Trump tweeted about it the next morning.

In his first comment on the matter, Trump said that Griffin 'should be ashamed of herself' and that his 11-year-old son was 'having a hard time with this. Sick!'

After Trump responded to the photo, Griffin says the 'death threats started pouring in again' but this time 'more violent and serious'.

'I learned that day the power of the presidency and the power of the Trump machine,' Griffin tweeted.

She continued: 'The way I like to look at it is Trump is the most powerful news director and campaign director. A tweet from Obama was just a message..a tweet from Trump is an order to his millions of followers and the news media. And that day I was the target of that order.

'People will say to me "well you started it, he was just responding.." Ok...I was a comic/citizen responding to the President. I was punching up...he decided to punch down and use his following to go after me. Was that appropriate use of presidential power? I don't think so,' she said.

Griffin said it was her 'first amendment right to put out' the images' and that it was 'plain wrong for the President of the United States to use his power to come after me or anyone else he is offended by'.

'No other president in modern times has used his power this way and that's why I keep speaking out about this,' she wrote

Soon, the first lady weighed in on the photo herself, issuing a tweet that called the image 'disturbing' and questioned Griffin's mental health.

With both the president and first lady against her, Griffin said the 'death threats were coming it an at a rate we couldn't keep up with'.

She says the FBI came to her, saying some of the threats were credible.

'I had to hire security, people were calling my poor 97-year-old mom threatening her,' she said.

Then the scandal started impacting her professional life.

Griffin had several upcoming events which started receiving bomb threats. Venues started cancelling these shows due to the threats, which she said turned out to be 'robo calls'.

Griffin says she wants to set the record straight - her shows were cancelled because of 'fake bomb threats', not because her 'fans wanted their money back'.

'The shows were cancelled because the President of the United States and his family were offended by an image I released and decided to unleash an army on me. That's what's not right..that's what I object to,' she wrote.

'But no one should use their power to do this to another citizen, in particular no President should do this,' she wrote.

The situation devolved further when the president's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr, issued a statement of his own to Good Morning America, saying in part that Griffin 'deserves everything that's coming to her'.

Griffin says she remembers when Don Jr issued that statement because it's when 'everything got worse'.

After that, Griffin said she couldn't get a crisis manager or publicist to take her on, but high-profile attorney Lisa Bloom was willing to help.

Bloom wanted to do a press conference the next day, something Griffin said all of her friends urged her against. But by then, the press conference had been announced and Griffin thought cancelling it would 'only make things worse'.

'I was wrong,' she said.

During the presser, Griffin said that Trump 'broke me' - a statement she now regrets making.

'I want to be clear about something...he did...for two days,' she said.

After that, Griffin says she got back to work, doing a lot of writing and pitching. But she ran into roadblocks because no one wanted to book her in the U.S. So instead, she turned abroad, scheduling an international tour to 15 countries.

'Overseas, audiences accepted and understood what I was trying to do with that image,' she said.

Everytime she returned to the U.S. during the tour, she says she was detained at the airport and made to do through a second layer of vetting that no one else was.

'Again, the power of the presidency put into action. The words of the presiednt and the platform he has hold significant weight,' she wrote.

The Secret Service also investigated her for two months, which she thought was overkill.

'I'm a famous comic. No rational person can think that I pose a serious threat to the president.

'I would understand a call, but keeping an investigation open for two months and hauling me in (which they did) for an interview over a photo of me, 110 pound Kathy Griffin, holding a Halloween mask with ketchup is nothing less than an attempt to intimidate,' she wrote.

When she returned to the U.S. from her world tour, Griffin said she was 'still kryptonite' in the industry. But she decided not to cower at home and wait for acceptance again.

'I finally realized I just had to go back on tour myself. I couldn't wait for them or seek permission,' she said.

Griffin is pictured above in a photo posted to Instagram earlier this month

Griffin organized a few tour dates, including a performance at Carnegie Hall that sold out in a day. She said she was 'so touched and moved by the reaction from my fans'.

She continues to build on that success but feels like there's 'a cloud over everything because of Trump's actions.

Griffin says the reason why she is speaking out about all of this is because she wants to protect others from becoming another victim of the Trump machine.

'We can't let this happen again. We just can't.

'Trump didn't win in the long run. I won't let him. I have scraped my way back into touring and I will keep pushing and I won't give up. But i know I'm in a special position...Trump's abuse of power keeps getting worse and worse. What's next?' she said.

She continued: 'The only way to deal with a presidency that abuses power and is authoritarian in nature is to make sure that we back up those that the administration has tried to knock down. It's exhausting but so important if we have any hope of preserving our democracy.'Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is expected to be kicked out of office when a no-confidence vote takes place on Friday.

Pedro Sanchez, leader of the Socialist opposition, called the vote after Rajoy's conservative party was caught taking kickbacks in return for awarding public contracts.

A Basque nationalist party's decisive announcement on Thursday that it would vote in favour of the no-confidence motion has spelled the almost certain end of Prime Minister Rajoy's eight-year rule.

The Basque party's support gives Sanchez 180 votes in parliament to become prime minister, more than the absolute majority of 176 votes he needs to unseat Rajoy.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy looks set to lose a vote of no-confidence due to take place on Friday which would force him from power

Spanish Socialist Party leader Pedro Sanchez called the vote amid a corruption scandal engulfing Rajoy's party, and reportedly secured enough votes to win on Thursday

The nationalists' five ministers had been supporters of Rajoy, helping his budget to pass earlier this month, but the party has now abandoned him.

'We believe we are responding to what most Basques want and best complying with our responsibility by voting 'yes' (to the motion of no confidence),' said the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) spokesman Aitor Esteban in a speech to Spain's parliament.

Rajoy may now resign to save himself the humiliation of becoming the first Spanish Prime Minister ever to lose a no-confidence vote.

A spokesman for Rajoy had rejected any suggestion of a resignation on Wednesday, saying it would 'imply guilt' when the Prime Minister has 'done nothing wrong'.

If the vote goes ahead and Rajoy loses, Sanchez will immediately become Prime Minister in his place under a Spanish law that prevents a power vacuum.

He has pledged to call fresh elections within months.

If Rajoy resigns ahead of the vote then his People's Party (PP) will enter caretaker mode until a new leader can be selected. The process could take weeks or months.

In either case, Spain looks set to become the second southern European nation to fall victim to a political crisis amid Italy's repeated failures to form a government.

Sanchez demanded Rajoy step down last week, arguing he had lost credibility after one of PP's former treasurers was jailed for 33 years for fraud and money laundering.

The court case exposed of a vast system of bribes given to former PP officials in exchange for lucrative public contracts.

'Resign, Mr Rajoy, your time is up,' Sanchez said during the debate in parliament.

In a debate in parliament, Rajoy painted Sanchez as an opportunist trying to game his way into office and said his leadership would be economically disastrous for Spain

Rajoy has led Spain since 2011 and steered the country out of recession, but will go down in history as the first Prime Minister to lose a no confidence vote if predictions are accurate

'Staying on as prime minister is harmful and is a burden not only for Spain but also for your party.'

The Socialists hold 84 out of 350 seats in parliament and quickly secured the backing of anti-establishment party Podemos, which had 67 seats.

With the support of several small regional parties, including Catalonia's separatists, the Socialists had managed to secure a total of 175 votes - just one short of the strict 176 majority needed to topple Rajoy.

With the Basques on their side, the Socialists now appear to have 180 votes.

Rajoy had tried to head off the rebellion, admitting that there had been corrupt people in his party but arguing that the party itself is not corrupt.

He also painted Sanchez as an opportunist trying to game his way into power.

'Everybody knows that Pedro Sanchez is never going to win the elections and this is the reason for his motion, his urgency,' Rajoy said, reminding lawmakers that the Socialists have lost two elections under Sanchez.

He also played on fears that a Socialist government would bad for the economy, telling Sanchez: 'Every time you open your mouth, the risk premium goes up.'

Rajoy has been in power since December 2011 and has steered Spain out of its worst economic crisis in decades.

Buthis opponents complain that the recovery has come at the expense of austerity measures, high unemployment and rising inequality.Dramatic CCTV footage captured the moment a disgraced Coldstream Guard returns to his barracks less than 30 minutes after raping a young mother in the shadows of Windsor Castle.

Connor Brayley, a guardsman, set upon his 23-year-old victim by a secluded park just 50 yards from the route taken by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding procession.

He was today found guilty of two counts of rape which took place on December 14 last year after he had drunk nine pints of beer and snorted cocaine.

In the security camera footage obtained by MailOnline, the 24-year-old is seen casually walking back to Victoria Barracks, close to the Queen's Berkshire residence, at 3.47am  27 minutes after he had been spotted emerging from the park with his victim.

The Coldstream Guards soldier allegedly raped his victim in the shadows of Windsor Castle after offering to walk her home because 'she was not feeling well'

Wearing a brown t-shirt and jeans, he knocks on a side door by the barracks' main gate with a large Army recruiting poster visible on the adjacent wall.

He waits for a little over 30 seconds before someone opens the door and lets him in.

Footage taken from the same camera at 5.39am shows two plain clothed police officers wander up to the door, press the doorbell and show their warrant cards before being allowed in.

Forty minutes later, the side door opens again and an armed soldier steps out to greet three more police officers before ushering them inside.

At 6.38am, just under three hours after he returned to the barracks, Brayley is seen being marched out by the two plain clothed officers.

Dramatic CCTV footage captured the moment a disgraced Coldstream Guard Connor Brayley returns to his barracks (left) less than 30 minutes after raping a young mother near Windsor Castle - and is led away by police following his arrest hours later (right)

The soldier was today convicted of targeting his 23-year-old victim as she walked home alone just after 2am on December 14 last year

He had left the barracks at 6pm the previous day to meet up with some friends in a pub in Windsor but decided to stay out on his own before returning back to base.

After the attack, he locked himself in his room and refused to talk to anyone but his victim managed to raise the alarm and Thames Valley Police quickly traced him back to the barracks.

Military colleagues told the MailOnline of their horror after Brayley, form Barnstaple in Devon was found guilty following a four day trial at Reading Crown Court.

One source said: 'I think everyone within the battalion feels the same - absolutely disgusted.

'A lot of us like myself are married with kids. My children like many others play in that park where he did it.

Brayley took his victim down two alleyways to an area known as Batchelor's Acre, just 50 yards from the Royal Wedding procession route (pictured Harry and Meghan in that area)

But as the pair walked towards Bachelors Acre park through a dark alleyway, his mood changed and he dragged the woman into an alley to a bench where he raped her and threatening to kill her if she resisted

CCTV shows that for the 20 minutes before meeting the victim at 2am, the defendant had walked a circular loop by himself, along the alleyways to the spot at Bachelors Acre where the alleged offending against her was to take place

'He was actually really quiet. It really surprised everyone when he admitted to doing such a horrible thing.'

Recalling Brayley's movements, a source said: 'He came back and as you see by the video he was in a rush to get in.

'He went straight up to his room and locked the door behind him.'

Brayley, who studied at Pilton Community College, had only recently joined the Coldstream Guards as a Guardsman.

Victoria Barracks Windsor, home of the Coldstream Guards (right), is where guardsman Connor Brayley was based. He raped a young mother in Bachelors Acre Park (left)

He met his victim outside McDonalds opposite Windsor Castle at 2am, apparently mistaking her initially for a friend of his back home.

They began talking and Brayley gave her his jacket and offered to walk her home.

He took her down two alleyways to an area known as Bachelors Acre, a small park in the town centre which he frequently used as it was the quickest way back to his barracks.

The court was told that he had been seen walking a circular loop of the alleyways by himself 20 minutes before meeting his victim.

A jury heard how Conor Brayley had drunk eight or nine pints and had also taken cocaine that night in December when he went out with other soldiers based at Windsor's Victoria Barracks

Brayley said he has had a girlfriend for six years who he intends to marry but in the month before the rape, Brayley searched on Google for brothels and prostitutes local to the Windsor, Slough and Maidenhead areas and had been talking to other girls on the dating app, Tinder

Having walked her through the Royal Shopping Centre up to the first alleyway his mood darkened and nearby CCTV managed to capture him pinning her to the floor and forcing his crotch into her face.

After two minutes he pulled her to her feet and dragged her into the second alleyway to a seating area by Bachelors Acre where he threatened to kill her if she resisted.

Brayley then pulled off her dress and underwear and raped her.

The pair were seen leaving the park at 3.20am with him still gripping her arm. They stopped outside the Scotch Bar and the victim recognised a bouncer who had stepped out for a cigarette.

Mixed DNA of a male and female were found heavily on the bra and knickers and on the vaginal area of the alleged victim

The soldier said he has a girlfriend and he only uses Tinder for 'banter with the lads'

The soldier raped his victim in Bachelors Acre park (pictured, the park's Windsor Lady) in the Royal Borough of Windsor

She ran to him and was ushered inside while Brayley left to head back to his barracks.

In his police interview, Brayley denied he had raped the woman arguing he had a partner of over six years who he wanted to marry.

He blamed her for 'trying things on' accusing her of trying to fondle and kiss him as they sat on a bench after she had complained of feeling ill.

However, the jury was later told that in the month before the rape, Brayley had searched on Google for brothels and prostitutes local to the Windsor, Slough and Maidenhead areas and had been talking to other girls on the dating app, Tinder.

Brayley told the jury that he had consensual sex with the alleged victim for two minutes before he stopped and said he could not continue as he had a girlfriend

But after only two hours of deliberation a jury found him guilty on two charges of rape and one of sexual assault. They cleared him of a fourth charge of attempted rape

Forensic tests were also carried out on the woman's underwear and DNA matching that of Brayley's was found on the material.

Today, after only two hours of deliberation, a jury found him guilty on two charges of rape and one of sexual assault.

They cleared him of a fourth charge of attempted rape.

The disgraced soldier has been remanded in custody and he will be sentenced on July 6.

He showed no emotion as he was led away to the cells.The Santa Fe Independent School District near Houston will receive a $1 million federal grant to cope with the aftermath of a mass shooting that left ten educators and students dead earlier this month .

The grant will be financed through Project School Emergency Response to Violence, or SERV, which helps communities recover from significant, traumatic events. The district could use it to cover the cost of mental health and counseling services; overtime for teachers, counselors, and security staff; substitutes; and other expenses.

Project SERV grants have also been used in Newtown, Conn., after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, after unrest in Baltimore in 2015 following the death of Freddie Gray, and in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. Broward County schools received a similar grant to help Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., recover from another massacre in February that resulted in the deaths of 17 students and educators.

DeVos and her team have been in contact with school and district officials to assess their needs, according to the department.

No student, parent or educator should have to experience the trauma suffered by so many at Santa Fe High School and other schools throughout the country, said Secretary DeVos. This initial SERV grant will help to provide essential services that will aid in the healing and recovery process. Every day, the work of the Federal Commission on School Safety grows more urgent. We continue to focus on identifying proven ways to prevent violence and keep our students safe at school.

The commission, which was tasked with making recommendations in the wake of the massacre at Stoneman Douglas, had its first field hearing Thursday, which focused on school climate. Gun control and arming teachers, an idea backed by President Donald Trump, was not discussed.

Photo: David J. Phillip for the Associated Press

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .Federal minister Greg Hunt has admitted a second formal complaint has been made to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull about his behaviour.

The environment minister admitted to parliament on Thursday he had a 'strong discussion' with former health department secretary Martin Bowles, which led to the complaint, Herald Sun reported.

The 'strong discussion' reportedly led to Mr Bowles quitting his job last August, ending his 40-year career as a public servant, the publication said.

Federal minister Greg Hunt (pictured) has admitted a second formal complaint has been made to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull about his behaviour

Mr Hunt said he had a 'strong discussion' with former health department secretary Martin Bowles (pictured)

Labor questioned Mr Hunt and Malcolm Turnbull over the allegations, with Mr Turnbull twice refusing to confirm whether he knew about the complaints.

The prime minister reportedly told Mr Hunt to deal with the situation, which was described as a 'matter of life or death' regarding cervical cancer.

Mr Hunt says he takes full responsibility for his behaviour.

'While it was a strong discussion, it resulted in the right outcome  I have utmost respect for the public servant involved,' Mr Hunt told the Herald Sun.

The revelation comes after Mr Hunt was forced to apologise to the Mayor of Katherine, Fay Miller, on Wednesday.

Ms Miller said Mr Hunt told her to 'f**king get over' herself in a meeting in Canberra last December.

She described the apology as 'sincere and genuine.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Greg Hunt for comment.Alice Johnson has penned an emotional letter to Kim Kardashian, thanking the reality television star for meeting with Donald Trump to ask him to pardon her.

Kardashian met with Trump, Jared Kushner, and Ivanka Trump, to discuss prison reform and plead the great-grandmother's case at the White House on Wednesday.

Johnson, 63, is currently 21 years into her mandatory life sentence for a first-time drug offense.

But in her letter Johnson praised Kardashian and said there were 'no words' that could truly express her 'deep and heartfelt gratitude'.

Alice Johnson has penned an emotional letter to Kim Kardashian, thanking the reality television star for meeting with Donald Trump to ask for her pardon

Kardashian met with Trump, as well as Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, to discuss prison reform and plead the great-grandmother's case on Wednesday

Johnson's 45-year-old daughter Catina Johnson (left) told DailyMail.com that Kardashian has given her mother 'so much hope' as she fights to have her life sentence pardoned. Johnson (right) is now 21 years into her mandatory life sentence for a nonviolent drug crime

'Ms Kardashian you are literally helping to save my life and restore me to my family,' Johnson wrote in the letter, which Kardashian later posted on her Instagram story.

'I was drowning and you have thrown me a life jacket and given me hope that this Life jacket I'm serving may one day be taken off.

'I am so humbled by what you are doing and have already done on my behalf.'

Johnson first mentioned Rosa Parks' fight for civil rights before revealing she believed Kardashian would also one day make history.

'I believe that history will record that Kim Kardashian had the courage to take a stand against human warehousing,' she wrote.

The president said he had had a 'great meeting' with the reality star after they discussed a possible pardon for Johnson

Kardashian also tweeted her thanks to the president after they spoke at the White House

Roseanne Barr also tweeted her support for the reality star's work on Thursday morning

Johnson said she also believed that Kardashian would one day be remembered as a 'key figure' in making 'meaningful criminal justice reform' a reality.

'A million trillion thanks! May God's blessings rest upon you and yours. THE BATTLE IS ON,' she concluded.

Following her meeting with Trump, Kardashian thanked the president for 'his time'.

'It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms Alice Marie Johnson who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense,' she tweeted.

'We are optimistic about Ms Johnson's future and hopeful that she - and so many like her - will get a second chance at life.'

Earlier Kardashian had wished Johnson a happy birthday and said: 'Today is for you'.

Kardashian was later pictured arriving at Ivanka and Kushner's home in Kalorama Heights

The guests were seen through the window smiling at the house in Washington after Kardashian's meeting with President Trump

Kardashian is seen here standing alongside Jared Kushner (right) and Ivanka (center)

The First Daughter smiled as her guests left the Washington home on Wednesday night

President Trump posted a picture of the pair at their meeting, saying: 'Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing.'

Disgraced television star Roseanne Barr also threw in her support on Thursday morning, tweeting to Kardashian: 'Awesome work, Mrs West'.

Kardashian was later pictured at Ivanka and Kushner's home in Kalorama Heights.

She reportedly had been involved in private discussions with the pair about the meeting and prison reform for several months.

Johnson's daughter told DailyMail.com that Kardashian has been a 'godsend' for her mother.

'Kim has given my mom so much hope, she's has been a Godsend,' Catina Johnson said.

'God sends people into your life and for him to lead her into our lives, my mom's life, has been a Godsend.'

Johnson has been fighting for clemency for years. She's pictured above center with family members, including daughters Catina (second from left) and Tretessa (right)

ALICE JOHNSON'S EMOTIONAL LETTER TO KIM KARDASHIAN Dear Ms Kardashian, I am so humbled by what you are doing and have already done on my behalf. When I spoke with Attorney Shawn Holley and she disclosed the name of my benefactor, I had to take time to process and digest the news that you were the one she had been alluding to. There are no words strong enough to express my deep and heartfelt gratitude. Ms Kardashian you are literally helping to save my life and restore me to my family. I was drowning and you have thrown me a lifejacket and given me hope that this Life jacket Im serving may one day be taken off. There are defining moments in history that have shaped the destiny of this nation. I believe that we are a part of a defining moment. When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on that bus (the same year when I was born  1955)that was a defining moment. She was an ordinary woman whose courage ignited and united the heart of America to stand together against a very present evil that could no longer be tolerated. This is so much bigger than either one of us. I believe that history will record that Kim Kardashian had the courage to take a stand against human warehousing and was a key figure in meaningful criminal justice reform becoming a reality. A million trillion thanks! May Gods blessings rest upon you and yours. THE BATTLE IS ON. Sincerely, Alice Marie Johnson Advertisement

Catina, who lives in Memphis, Tennessee with her children and grandchildren, said that she had not heard from Kardashian personally nor had any contact with the Trump administration about her mother's case.

Former President Barack Obama denied Johnson's appeal for clemency during his second term.

Catina, 45, said her family was at a loss as to why Obama did not pardon her mother, when he did so many others with similar circumstances.

'We don't know, we still don't know. All we know is that she was denied, that's it. I have yet to get an explanation for that,' Catina said.

There are no parole hearings at a federal level, so pardoning is Johnson's only hope.

'There is no opportunity other than Trump,' Catina said.

The story about the great-grandmother's conviction and incarceration caught the eye of Kardashian on Twitter last year.

Ever since the reality star has been campaigning for her release, and was involved in months of talks with the White House.

Catina said that the public interest in her case had given her mother a great deal of hope.

Johnson, a mother-of-five, grandmother-of-six and great-grandmother of one, was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine and attempted possession of cocaine in 1996

Johnson became involved in a drug syndicate that imported cocaine into Memphis, Tennessee, after a devastating few years where she was divorced, lost her youngest son in a scooter accident, and filed for bankruptcy

Johnson is pictured above in her younger years. Left, she is pictured as a teen with her daughter Tretessa in her arms. Right she and her daughter are pictured years later

During her time in prison, Johnson (second from right with fellow inmates) has displayed exemplary behavior, become an ordained minister, a published writer and a prison tutor

'She is excited, she is hoping everything goes well. She is just praying,' Catina said.

Johnson, a mother-of-five, grandmother-of-six and great-grandmother of one, was convicted of conspiracy to possess cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine, and money laundering in 1996.

She was a first time offender, and sentenced to life behind bars.

Johnson grew up in Olive Branch, Mississippi, and was married and pregnant by age 15.

In her mid 30s in the early 1990s, Johnson divorced her husband, lost her job at FedEx due to a gambling addiction, and hit rock bottom when her youngest son, Cory, was killed in a scooter accident.

Johnson became involved in a drug syndicate that imported cocaine into Memphis, where she acted as a go-between and relayed messages to drug dealers.

She acted as a middle man for the drug traffickers, passing on the messages in code via telephone, but claims she never sold drugs.

Johnson was arrested along with 15 others in 1993 on charges including conspiracy to possess cocaine, attempted possession of cocaine, and money laundering.

Johnson's daughters Catina (left) and Tretessa (right) have long fought for their mother's conviction to be pardoned

Catina, pictured left with Tretessa at a White House event, said that her family has suffered from Johnson's absence for the past two decades

But ten of her alleged co-conspirators turned against her in exchange for reduced sentencing or dropped charges.

At the time of Johnson's February 1997 sentencing, federal laws mandated a life sentence, despite the fact that Johnson was a first-time, nonviolent offender.

US District Judge Julia Gibbons, who sentenced Johnson, called the then 42-year-old the 'quintessential entrepreneur' of the drug ring.

'And clearly the impact of 2,000 to 3,000 kilograms of cocaine in this community is very significant,' Gibbons said at the sentencing.

During her time in prison, Johnson has displayed exemplary behavior, become an ordained minister, a published writer and a prison tutor, a biography from Can Do Clemency reports.

Johnson is among hundreds of cases that the ACLU has taken on and she has gained the support of congressmen and women, prison advocacy groups, the African American Mayors Association, and clergy in Tennessee, Texas, and Mississippi.

Her daughter Catina said that the family has suffered from her absence for the past two decades.

'It's been hard because you have deaths, birthdays, births and everything and she's not there. She has missed all of those milestones.'

'My grandparents passed away a few years ago. Her dad passed away first and then a few years later, her mother, my grandmother, passed. She wasn't allowed to come to their funerals.'FBI agents are piecing together shredded documents found in its raid of President Donald Trump's personal attorney's office.

A 'not voluminous' amount of material was found in a shredder in Michael Cohen's office, it was revealed.

Prosecutors told a federal district judge Wednesday that agents are working to put the pieces back together.

About 3.7 million files - both digital and hard copies - were obtained in the April 9 raid of Cohen's office.

FBI agents are piecing together shredded documents found in its raid of the office of Michael Cohen, President Trump's longtime personal attorney.

The documents taken in the raid of Michael Cohen's office are being reviewed by teams for him and President Trump to see if any fall under attorney-client privilege.

Lawyers for Cohen, who is under criminal investigation for potential tax, banking, and campaign finance violations, have made their way through 1.3 million of them, they said at a federal court appearance Wednesday.

Judge Kimba Wood on Wednesday gave Cohen's team until June 15 to determine whether any of the nearly 4 million documents in question contain information that falls under attorney-client privilege.

The lawyers are relying on a special master, former U.S. District Judge Barbara Jordan, to comb through documents to identify those that might be covered.

Her first bill to the government came in Tuesday night, to the tune of $47,000, with the government and both sides splitting the cost. She is charging $700 per hour, which may well be a reduced rate for what she would normally command. That amount covered her first six days of work sorting through material.

Plus, lawyers must sort through a pair of Blackberries that may belong to Cohen's Ukraine-born wife, according to what was shared in court.

After the documents are reviewed by Cohen's lawyers, those involving Trump or his company, The Trump Organization, are turned over to their lawyers for review.

Cohen, who has not been charged with any crime, is under investigation by the U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan regarding his business dealings.

The investigation stems in part from a referral by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who is probing whether Trump's 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia. Trump has repeatedly said there was no collusion, and Russia has denied interfering in the U.S. presidential elections.

Cohen has worked for Trump for more than a decade, first as counsel at the Trump Organization and later as his personal lawyer.

In 2016, Cohen paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000. Daniels has said the payment was intended to buy her silence about a sexual encounter she says she had with Trump in 2006. The president has denied the allegation.

Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, said in a letter last week that he had reason to believe that Cohen had leaked audio recordings, which he said may relate to his client, to media outlets. He asked that Wood ask Cohen about the possible leaks.

Avenatti also has asked Wood to allow him to represent Daniels in the Cohen case. He has said he believes some of the seized materials could relate to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Cohen has asked Wood to deny Avenatti permission to appear before the federal court, saying he violated court rules by making what he characterized as false statements about Cohen in frequent news media appearances.

Stormy Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, said he has reason to believe that Micheal Cohen had leaked audio recordings, which he said may relate to his client, to media outlets.

In 2016, Trump attorney Michael Cohen paid porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000. Daniels has said the payment was intended to buy her silence about a sexual encounter she says she had with Donald Trump in 2006. The president has denied the allegation.

After the raids on Cohen's home and office, Cohen and Trump asked the judge to block prosecutors from reviewing the seized documents, citing attorney-client privilege.

Wood responded by appointing Jones as a so-called special master to review whether any of the documents were shielded by attorney-client privilege before turning them over to prosecutors.

In a court filing on Tuesday evening, Jones said she had already turned over to prosecutors more than 290,000 seized items that were not marked privileged by Cohen or Trump.

She said that more than a million items from three seized phones had also been designated as not privileged by Cohen and Trump, and would be turned over to prosecutors Wednesday after a final review.

Cohen and Trump have made at least 252 claims of privilege, according to the filing.

A number of Cohen's financial dealings since Trump's January 2017 inauguration have become public.

Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG has said it had paid Cohen nearly $1.2 million as a consultant; U.S. telecommunications company AT&T Inc said it made payments of $600,000; and South Korea's Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd said it hired him for $150,000.

Cohen also received $500,000 from Columbus Nova Llc, a New York company linked to Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg. The firm has said the transaction had nothing to do with Vekselberg.

Mueller's investigation, which began in May 2017, has yielded 17 indictments and five guilty pleas so far.Pennsylvania SPCA officials have rescued 15 dogs from the home of an unlicensed breeder, including three that were illegally 'debarked' without anesthesia.

Gillian Kocher, spokeswoman for the Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, says 10 puppies and five adult dogs were removed from the breeder in Quarryville on May 24.

According to Kocher, a female husky and two other adult dogs were devocalized by a pipe that was repeatedly rammed down their throats to damage their vocal chords.

Robbed of her voice: This female husky from Pennsylvania was illegally 'debarked' using a pipe that was rammed down her throat

Saved: Pennsylvania SPCA officials rescued 10 puppies, including these Doberman Pinschers, from the home of an unlicensed breeder on May 24

Debarking of dogs is banned under Pennsylvania law unless it is performed by a licensed veterinarian using anesthesia.

The PSPCAs Humane Law Enforcement officers went to the property after getting a tip reporting a possible debarking.

Officers seized three Doberman Pinschers, one German Shepherd, which was pregnant, and one husky, along with seven four-week old Doberman Pinschers, two six-week old Doberman Pinschers and one three-month old Siberian Husky puppy.

Looking for a loving home: This rescued Doberman Pinscher will eventually be put up for adoption

Mom-to-be: This pregnant German Shepherd was removed from the breeder's home by officers and taken into PSPCA custody

'The manner in which these dogs were devocalized is concerning on many levels, not the least of which is that it is illegal,' said Nicole Wilson, PSPCA director of Humane Law Enforcement. 'These animals were debarked because it was a nuisance, and the inhumane manner in which the act was carried out can carry a felony charge.'

The animals have been signed over to the custody of the PSPCA where they will be given medical care, and ultimately put up for adoption.

The investigation into the illegal breeder's conduct is ongoing and charges are pending.The Home Office routinely lost thousands of documents which could prove the right of immigrants to stay in the UK, a former official has claimed.

The department mislaid passports, letters and other correspondence leaving immigrants 'destitute' as they were unable to prove they were allowed to work.

The claims have renewed calls for the crisis-hit department to be fully overhauled in the wake of the Windrush scandal.

Up to 63 Windrush migrants may have been deported wrongfully in the fiasco - but the department has not been able to track most of them down, Home Secretary Sajid Javid revealed.

And thousands of landing cards which could have proved their right to stay in Britain were destroyed by officials in 2010, it emerged.

In the latest slew of damaging claims to hit the Home Office, a former senior immigration official told The Guardian that at its height the department was routinely mislaying vital documents.

The revelation that Windrush immigrants may have been deported because of a Home Office failure has sparked calls to overhaul the Government's immigration policy. Amber Rudd (pictured right) resigned after she wrongly claimed the department did not have immigration deportation targets. Her replacement, Sajid Javid (pictured left) has vowed to improve the department

Birth certificates, children's passports and education documents have all vanished, the newspaper reports.

A woman, 36, from a former Communist state, told how her passport was lost by the Home Office leaving her destitute for 10 years.

What is the Windrush scandal and how did the fiasco develop? June 22, 1948 - The Empire Windrush passenger ship docked at Tilbury from Jamaica. The 492 passengers were temporarily housed near Brixton in London. Over the following decades some 500,000 came to the UK. Many arrived on their parents' passports and were not formally naturalised as British citizens. 1973 - A new immigration Act comes into force putting the onus on individuals to prove they have previously been resident in the UK. 2010 - The Home Office destroyed thousands of landing card slips recording Windrush immigrants arrival dates in the UK. The move came despite staff warnings that the move would make it harder to check the records of older Caribbean-born residents experiencing residency difficulties, it was claimed 2014 - A protection that exempted Commonwealth residents from enforced removal was removed under a new law. Theresa May was Home Secretary at the time. Under a crackdown on illegals, Windrush immigrants are obliged to provide proof they were resident in the UK before 1973. July 2016 - Mrs May becomes Prime Minister. April 2018 - Allegations that Windrush immigrants are being threatened with deportation break. Theresa May issued a grovelling apology to Caribbean leaders after major backlash April 29 - Amber Rudd resigns after inadvertently misleading Parliament by wrongly claiming there were no deportation targets Advertisement

Another woman who has lived in the UK for 21 years had her application to stay turned down and the documents she sent were never returned - harming her ability to work and get paid.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper, the chairwoman of the influential Home Affairs Select Committee, said she the problem needs to be 'urgently' sorted out.

She said: 'This is a question of basic competence.

'Too often we have heard about lost documents and simple errors by the Home Office that can have deeply damaging consequences for people's lives.

'The Home Affairs committee and the independent inspectorate have warned the Home Office repeatedly to improve the competency and accuracy of the immigration system.'

She added: 'The immigration system is far too important a public service for these kinds of mistakes to be acceptable, or for repeated warnings from the inspectorate and the select committee to be ignored.'

Labour MP Stephen Doughty, who sits on the committee, raised the issue back in 2013, said he flagged the problem as early as 2013.

He said: 'In more recent times, increased delays in processing cases has also meant people often being without key documents for months or even years on end.'

The former borders and immigration inspector, John Vine, has previously told MPs the problem of lost documents features 'in every inspection'.

In one inspection, 150 boxes of post, including correspondence from applicants, MPs and their legal representatives, were discovered in a room in the immigration office in Liverpool.

Campaigners have warned that the new data protection bill risks making the problem even worse.

Under the legal change, the Home Office can turn down requests by immigrants for them to access information about their own application.

Satbir Singh, the chief executive of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) charity, said: 'We would have had hundreds of these cases. That's just us. We're one of the larger organisations, but we're still small compared to the vast ocean of people who require assistance.'

Mr Singh has experienced lost paperwork himself when applying for a spouse visa for his wife. 'We see it every other day. It's even happened to me.'

Theresa May (pictured heading to church in Maidenhead on Sunday with her husband Philip)) also faced stinging criticism over the Windrush scandal as she oversaw the 'hostile environment' policy towards illegal immigrants while Home Secretary

He added: 'That was pretty horrendous. A lot of those were original documents, we had no idea how we were going to get replacements for them.

'Things like proof of our income, original payslips, original share certificates, original marriage certificate, birth certificates, university certificates, all of that stuff.'

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The Home Office takes its data protection responsibilities extremely seriously and have robust safeguards in place to make sure we handle the millions of documents we receive in the appropriate way.

'When documentation goes missing we make every effort to locate it. Each case should be reported to Home Office Security who will assess whether the Information Commissioner's Office should be informed.'

But the ICO said this has never previously happened but a change in the law means self-reporting in certain cases will be compulsory.

An Information Commissioner's Office spokeswoman said: 'There is no formal obligation to report data breaches under current data protection law, but that will change under the new legislation where breaches will be notifiable if they affect the rights and freedoms of individuals.

'We have no self-reported incidents from the Home Office in relation to loss of documents.'A cow that escaped her Bulgarian farm and wandered across the border out of the EU is to be put down over safety fears.

Penka, a pregnant red cow who is due in around three months' time, wandered westwards away from her herd near the village of Kopilovtsi, straying over the border into non-EU Serbia.

Two weeks later she was returned to her owner Ivan Haralampiev by a farmer over the frontier.

However, Bulgarian officials said the animal must be put down because of strict EU rules.

Penka will now be executed because she didn't have the proper paperwork - despite being given a clean bill of health by Serbian vets.

Penka is Bulgarian red cow who is currently pregnant and due to give birth in just three weeks

'She had left the borders of the EU' and cannot be imported back into the European Union,' Haralampiev told public BNT television Thursday as he pleaded for his cow to be saved.

'A vet comes and orders it to be immediately culled!'

The farmer also lamented how the cow was able to saunter over the border unchecked in the first place.

'How come nobody attempted to stop it?' he said.

Although Serbian vets have written a statement saying Penka was in a perfect condition and fit to return home, Bulgarian authorities said she should be put down without delay.

Officials said it was not in their powers to save Penka from the EU regulations.

Although Serbian vets wrote a statement saying Penka was in a perfect condition and fit to return home, Bulgarian authorities said it should be put down

'It is not for us to decide. We are only implementing rules that come from Brussels,' vet expert Lyubomir Lyubomirov said.

According to the European Comission's guidelines for transporting bovine animals across borders, cows like Penka are required to be presented at border checkpoints with documentation verifying they are healthy.

Official EU guidelines state: 'Bovine animals being presented for entry into the EU must be accompanied by a veterinary health certificate.

'An official veterinarian in the authorised non-EU country must sign the certificate to attest that all the relevant conditions in the certificate have been met.

'The certification must accompany the animals en-route to the EU and when they are presented for entry into the EU at an approved EU Border Inspection Post.'

EU rules state that Penka is technically an illegal immigrant having failed to provide the correct documentation at the borderA transcontinental Delta flight had to be diverted when a passenger suddenly began singing loudly, and dancing and thrashing in his seat.

When the man allegedly raised a fist at an air marshal, pilots declared an emergency, and said that they needed to divert the flight because of an unruly passenger. They also requested law enforcement to be waiting for them at the gate.

Officials arrested a man on Wednesday after the transcontinental flight, Delta 1156, from Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta, Georgia, was diverted to Tulsa International Airport in Oklahoma following the pilots request.

Officials arrested a man after the transcontinental flight, Delta 1156, from Portland, Oregon, to Atlanta, Georgia, was diverted to Tulsa International Airport in Oklahoma

Upon the plane landing at Tulsa Airport, the FBI took custody of the man, and the US Attorney's Office said it was looking at possible charges

'The passenger-at-issue has been taken into custody. Law enforcement officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation will investigate this matter moving forward,' said attorney R. Trent Shores of the US Department of Justice

Passengers told Fox23 through Twitter that the man was singing loudly in his seat and violently thrashing and dancing to the music that he was listening to.

One of those on board, Lisa Zimmerman, told the broadcaster that a flight attendant asked the man to quiet down several times, and moved a woman seated next to him.

Sitting two rows from him, Ms Zimmerman said the man received warnings from the attendants to keep his voice down.

However, during the second time, the man allegedly threatened a flight attendant, saying touch me again and youre going to regret it.

Ms Zimmerman said that when an air marshal on the plane made herself known to the man, he allegedly raised his fist towards the official.

Upon the plane landing at Tulsa Airport, the FBI took custody of the man, and the US Attorney's Office said it was looking at possible charges, as threatening a member of a flight crew is a federal offense.

In a statement to Fox23, attorney R. Trent Shores, of the US Department of Justice, confirmed that a Delta flight travelling from Portland to Atlanta was diverted to Tulsa due to the alleged conduct of an unruly passenger.

Federal Air Marshals on the plane successfully de-escalated and controlled the situation, and the flight landed in Tulsa without further incident.

Tulsa International Airport, where the Delta flight was diverted to, in Oklahoma

Mr Shores commended the Federal Air Marshals who reacted decisively in this situation'

Delta Air Lines apologized to customers whose plans were delayed because of the diversion to Tulsa International Airport

The passenger-at-issue has been taken into custody. Law enforcement officials with the Federal Bureau of Investigation will investigate this matter moving forward.

He added that the attorneys office will review whether the alleged unruly conduct violated federal law.

I am thankful no one was hurt.

Mr Shores commended the Federal Air Marshals who reacted decisively in this situation.

'Their efforts  combined with the resulting joint investigation  remind us all that our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners are working together to ensure the safety and security of the traveling public.

Delta Air Lines apologized to customers whose plans were delayed due to what it described as an unruly passenger.

Delta spokesman Anthony Black said there were 172 passengers and six crew members on board the Boeing 737-900.Ivanka Trump shut down Melania Trump's worries about the inauguration parade down Pennsylvania Avenue because she wanted a 'princess moment', a new book claims.

President Donald Trump's daughter stood firm and told an organizer 'it's happening' as she overrode her step mother's concerns about security.

Ivanka supposedly felt that the Trumps were the American equivalent of Britain's Royal Family and her father entering the White House was their 'coronation'.

On the inauguration weekend she demanded to stay in the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House, the upstairs bedroom where Abraham Lincoln used to sleep.

In Born Trump, Vanity Fair writer Emily Jane Fox also claims that Ivanka's first draft of her own book, Women Who Work, was so lacking in emotion her publishers told her to make it 'seem like she had a pulse'.

Ivanka Trump overrode Melania Trump's concerns about security and decided the family's Inauguration Day parade would go down Pennsylvania Avenue

President Donald Trump's daughter stood firm and told an organizer 'it's happening', despite Melania's fears

Ivanka supposedly felt that the Trumps were the American equivalent of Britain's Royal Family (pictured) and her father entering the White House was their 'coronation'

Born Trump, which is out next month, is said to offer an in-depth picture of the Trump family and how the President shaped them in his own image.

In an extract in Vanity Fair, Fox is unsparing and quotes a September 1990 interview with Trump in which he says he wanted five children 'because with five, then I will know that one will be guaranteed to turn out like me'.

In reality, Trump's attributes ended up being evenly distributed across his children, Fox writes.

Don Jr, who was known as 'Diaper Don' at the University of Pennsylvania for wetting his pants when he was drunk, became his father's 'pit bull'.

Ivanka, whose named was trademarked at 15, became the 'showman addicted to the media game' and Eric would 'inherit his father's arcane lust for real-estate marketing'.

As Michael Cohen, Trump's former longtime lawyer, told Fox: 'They're like mini-super-bots, mini-Voltrons. Collectively, they make the whole.'

Fox writes of Trump's inauguration: 'The Trumps have somewhat fancied themselves as a modern version of the Kennedys, but the inauguration brought to mind the dynamic of another sort of American first family: the Kardashians.'

For his inauguration last January Trump appointed Tom Barrack, a billionaire longtime friend of his, to run the event, but dozens of stars like Elton John declined to take part.

On the inauguration weekend Ivanka demanded to stay in the Lincoln Bedroom in the White House, the upstairs bedroom where Abraham Lincoln used to sleep

Ivanka worked with a stylist and told friends that she wanted a 'princess moment' ahead of inauguration day

On her father's swearing in ceremony on Capitol Hill (pictured above), Ivanka wore a white asymmetrical jacket from Oscar de la Renta

Vanity Fair writer Emily Jane Fox writes that the Trumps have 'somewhat fancied themselves as a modern version of the Kennedys', but said the inauguration was more reminiscent of the Kardashian family (pictured above at Khloe's baby shower)

Barrack ended up with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Rockettes, although some of the dancers refused to participate because of Trump's policies.

It fell to the Trump family themselves to try and give the event some star power, Fox writes.

The book says: 'Ivanka Trump seemed particularly attuned to the stagecraft.

Fox also claims that Ivanka's first draft of her own book, Women Who Work, was so lacking in emotion her publishers told her to make it 'seem like she had a pulse'

'When Melania Trump opened the White House residence to all of her husband's children for the weekend following the inauguration, the president's elder daughter put in a request to stay in the Lincoln Bedroom. (Permission granted.)

'When Melania wavered over the idea of the customary parade down Pennsylvania Avenue after the swearing-in ceremony, citing security concerns, Ivanka dug in.

'It's happening,' she told an organizer. She worked with a stylist and told friends that she wanted a 'princess moment'.

'I told her it's an inauguration, not a coronation,' one friend recalled.

'The sentiment was that Americans wanted a royal family.'

Ivanka serves as an unpaid assistant to the President; her husband, Jared Kushner, has the title of senior adviser.

And Ivanka had more 'princess moments' over the next few days.

On her father's swearing in ceremony on Capitol Hill she wore a white asymmetrical jacket from Oscar de la Renta and for the inaugural balls she wore a $5,000 champagne-colored Carolina Herrera dress.

Fox writes that none of Trump's children thought that he would win the Republican primary, let alone the election.

Trump's attributes spread evenly across his children. Don Jr, pictured with Trump at the 1988 US Open, became his father's 'pit bull'

Ivanka, whose named was trademarked at 15, became the 'showman addicted to the media game' and Eric would 'inherit his father's arcane lust for real-estate marketing'. Ivanka and Eric are pictured above in 1993

In a 1990 interview, Trump (pictured above with Ivanka in the early 1990s), said that he wanted five children 'because with five, then I will know that one will be guaranteed to turn out like me'

The week before the election Ivanka was looking for a way to boost her clothing brand so she submitted the manuscript for Women Who Work, her book about how to succeed at business.

But executives at Portfolio, her publisher, were aghast and Fox writes that they 'solicited her to add personal, engaging details about her relationship with her parents'.

One person involved with the book said that they hoped to 'make her seem like she had a pulse. Like she was a human'.

Vanity Fair has previously claimed that White House aides mockingly refer to Ivanka as 'Princess Royal' because of her lack of specific portfolio in the White House.

Born Trump, written by Vanity Fair's Emily Jane Fox, will be released next month

She is said to have gotten the nickname after the G20 summit last July in Hamburg, Germany where at one point she sat in for her father, prompting a storm of criticism.

Historian Anne Applebaum said that Ivanka was 'an unelected, unqualified, unprepared New York socialite' being seen as 'the best person to represent American national interests'.

Amy Siskind, president and co-founder of women's rights group New Agenda, Tweeted: 'This kind of thing happens all the time. In dictatorships'.

Born Trump also features the withering comment from Kushner about Chris Christie, the former New Jersey governor who Trump wanted to head up his White House transition team.

Christie had jailed Kushner's father Charles when he was Attorney General of New Jersey, and Kushner had never forgiven him.

At a meeting with Trump and other top campaign aides, Kushner said: 'It's unfair. Christie took advantage of my family members for his own ambition.'

Christie got the job but was was later ousted and replaced by Vice President Mike Pence.Jacky Werner's worst nightmare came true on Sunday when she received the news her fiance had died on his way to their new home together.

Rennie D'Arcy suffered fatal injuries in a head-on collision during his journey from the couple's old home in Mt Compass, Adelaide, to Coleraine in Victoria.

The 58-year-old's car collided with a 26-year-old at the wheel in Struan, near Naracoorte, but the younger driver escaped with just minor injuries, Adelaide Now reported.

Jacky Werner's (left) worst nightmare came true on Sunday when shortly after arriving at her new home she received the news her fiance, Rennie D'Arcy (right), had died on his way there

Ms Werner, 57, arrived at the couple's new home armed with champagne and chocolate, and shared a celebratory post to Facebook saying, 'Made it'.

However, just 20 minutes earlier her soon-to-be husband was killed at the wheel.

He was accompanied by the pair's kittens and dogs, one of which first alerted Ms Werner something had not gone to plan.

She received a 'dreadful' call from a stranger telling her they'd found one of her dogs, Scout, wandering the Riddoch Hwy.

'My best day turned to my worst. I thought we've made it, we've got through, I thought I would actually succeed, now that has gone away,' Ms Werner said.

Mr D'Arcy (pictured) was accompanied by the pair's kittens and dogs, one of which first alerted Ms Werner something had not gone to plan

Her late partner had endured several health set-backs and was driving with two prosthetic legs at the time of the crash, having lost both legs to necrotising fasciitis ten years ago.

He also narrowly avoided death in 2014, when he plunged into a dam in the Adelaide Hills after swerving in an effort to avoid colliding with another motorist.

In the past two years, Mr D'Arcy lived through a bladder infection and a superbug in his kidneys that landed him in a coma for six days.

Ms Werner gave up her dog salon and become his full-time carer.

She said she met Mr D'Arcy four years ago and described him as an 'indomitable spirit'.

'He didn't take no for an answer  it takes a certain kind of person to take what had happened to him in his health journey.'

Mr D'Arcy (pictured) narrowly avoided death in 2014 when he plunged into a dam in the Adelaide Hills after swerving in an effort to not collide with another motorist

Ms Werner said her partner was a selfless man who would give the shirt of his back to anyone in need . They had been planning their move for four years.

The couple were looking forward to finally tying the knot once they were settled in their new home.

'That was our dream, there was finally a solution to an increasing stressful time so we bought the place to downsize.'

The widow still intends to change her last name and said she felt grateful she was able to enjoy what many people spend their life searching for - love.

Mr D'Arcy endeavoured to become a motivational speaker after moving to Victoria.

The community has set up a My Cause account to help Ms Werner.A topless waitress and her gym junkie boyfriend have pleaded guilty to masterminding a steroid empire.

Nateesha Barlin, 23, and her boyfriend Dylan Shaw, 24, ran a 'criminal enterprise' from their rented granny flat on the New South Wales Central Coast - before it all came crashing down after a two-year covert sting operation.

Barlin boasted that she 'pretty much supplied the whole Central Coast', the Central Coast Gosford Express Advocate reported.

Topless waitress Nateesha Barlin, 23, and her gym junkie boyfriend have pleaded guilty to masterminding a steroid empire

Her lawyer said Barlin had a difficult childhood and was bullied for being an 'ugly duckling', as shown in this photo from 2009

That was before they were raided by the Australian Border Force in November 2016.

They imported and distributed steroids, testosterone and human growth hormones, and were caught out when ABF officers intercepted 13,672 tablets, 11.2 litres of testosterone, 600ml of anabolic steroid, and 20 vials and 55 ampoules of human growth hormone.

During the raid, ABF officers found 100g of cannabis, 300 vials believed to contain human growth hormone and 12 litres of performance and image enhancing drugs.

Barlin pleaded guilty to one count each of importing testosterone and the deemed supply of anabolic steroids, while Shaw pleaded guilty to three charges including importing human growth hormone, anabolic steroids and the deemed supply of steroids.

During a sentencing hearing at Gosford District Court on Thursday, the court heard the pair expected to be 'getting lumps of money at a time', between $5,000 and $10,000.

Shaw told Barlin 'it will all be worth it' in a text message tendered as part of an agreed set of facts.

Barlin and her boyfriend Dylan Shaw, 24, ran a 'criminal enterprise' from their rented granny flat on the New South Wales Central Coast

Barlin boasted that she 'pretty much supplied the whole Central Coast'

How the gym junkie couple made thousands selling steroids - Barlin and Shaw imported testosterone, growth hormone and steroids from China and the Philippines - The couple imported a mixture of wholesale pre-mixed substances and raw ingredients - They had the substances shipped to their granny flat in Jilliby, north of Gosford on the New South Wales Central Coast - Barlin and Shaw would then repackage the substances into smaller bottles and sell them on to customers in their local area - The goods were labelled 'cleaner', 'labels', a 'gas flow valve and housing' or 'unreadable' - Posted to a relative, the substances were packaged in large unmarked bottles - Police found a device used to put lids and commercial labels on vials of performance and image enhancing drugs - They then sold the drugs using social media, including through a Facebook group called 'Swole Ninja Community' - The money then started to roll in, with messages from the couple sent at the outside speaking of lump sums of $5,000 and $10,000 - Police described Barlin and Shaw's 'criminal enterprise' as an 'independent commercial operation' Advertisement

The agreed facts also state the couple imported the growth hormone and steroids from China and the Philippines, and they were shipped to their granny flat or their parents' houses.

During the ABF raid, Shaw snapped his mobile phone, but it was to no avail. Police had already downloaded it three months earlier when the couple returned from a holiday to Phuket and were stopped at Customs.

The couple sold the drugs over Facebook, including through a group called 'Swole Ninja Community'.

In court, the prosecutor said the couple were driven by financial gain.

The couple sold the drugs over Facebook, including through a group called 'Swole Ninja Community'

However, Shaw's lawyer argued the drugs were for personal use, and said posting to the group on Facebook was not advertising.

Barlin's solicitor said she had been subjected to ridicule since details of the case went public, and had lost her job.

Her lawyer said Barlin had a difficult childhood and that she was bullied for being an 'ugly duckling'.

'What is particularly relevant in this particular offence is her perception of herself and the bullying she felt as a result of how she looked,' he said.

Barlin's solicitor said she fell into 'gym culture' which introduced her to steroids.

The couple will be sentenced on June 26.The Federal Commission on School Safety will have its first field hearing Thursdayand second meetingat a school in Anne Arundel County, Md., that has embraced Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, or PBIS. And advocates are already questioning whether U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, who chairs the panel, will come away with something new to share with the K-12 field.

DeVos told reporters in Grand Rapids, Mich., this week that the commissionwhich President Donald Trump set up in the wake of the deadly massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Februarywill find great ideas that this community might not know about. ... We need to make sure that schools and communities have all the tools available to them and ultimately the resources they need to address these issues appropriately.

But advocates note that PBIS, which was written into the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act , isnt exactly an under-the-radar strategy in need of the federal spotlight.

PBIS is a multi-tiered system of services and strategies aimed at helping to combat behavior problems. All students are taught certain behavioral expectations and rewarded for following them, and students with more needs are provided increasingly intensive interventions.

The formal system was in place in more than 21,000 schools in August of 2015, according to the National Center for Positive Behaviorial Interventions and Supports. Sixteen states are using it in 500 schools or more.

PBIS, been there, done that, said Myrna Mandlawitz, the director of government relations at the School Social Work Association of America. Shes a fan of the approach, but she said most school districts are well aware of it. PBIS is a great technique but certainly not something that we dont already know about. Most educators have had some exposure to PBIS. Theyre finally awakening to what the field has known for years,

Kelly Vaillancourt Strobach, the director of government relations for the National Association of School Psychologists, agreed.

I cannot imagine there is a district that is not aware of PBIS, she said in an email. It certainly has some merit in helping to improve school climate and address student behavior, but in my opinion there are far more interesting and innovative approaches to school safety that she could highlight.

On the other hand, a site visit focused on school climate may surprise some groups, whove criticized the Trump administration for focusing more on hardening schools, arming teachers, and beefing up physical security measures.

Trump signed a massive federal funding bill that included the STOP School Violence Act, a bill that funds school security and safety measures and threat assessment programs like violence tiplines.

But the funding for that program comes at the expense of another, created under the Obama administration to research violence prevention , school safety, and school climate in the wake of the 2012 school shooting in Newtown, Conn. That is a major concern for education researchers, who say there is an urgent need for more data about how to keep schools safe.

The spending bill redirects all $75 million from the Comprehensive School Safety Initiatives research program to the STOP School Violence Act, which does not emphasize research and evaluation and has a narrower list of acceptable funding uses.

Advocates have also questioned the school safety commissions transparency and the pace of its work . Mandalowitz noted there was little advance notice of this field hearing.

DeVos will be joined at the session by top officials from the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services. Officially, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, and Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen are members. So far, the commission has met only once, on March 28. But there have been seven school shootings since its inception.

The field hearing will take place at Frank Hebron-Harman Elementary School in Hanover, Md., which is part of the Anne Arundel County school district. DeVos will visit a classroom and have a panel discussion. Also on hand: Dr. George Sugai, the co-director of the Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports at the University of Connecticut.

Thursdays field hearing will be the first of several exploring possible school safety strategies in the wake of a spate of school shootings. The commission will also host different types of events including meetings and listening sessions.

Crime scene tape runs outside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 18. Authorities opened the streets around the school, which had been closed since a mass shooting on Feb. 14.

--Gerald Herbert/AP

Staff Writer Evie Blad contributed to this post.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .A Russian model was detained for two months today after allegations she offered sex to two policemen in return for not prosecuting her for driving without a licence.

Kira Mayer, 24, faces a criminal investigation for 'causing physical injury' to two officers after exploding with rage when they stopped her Mercedes in Moscow.

After her violent attack, the Instagram star offered them sex 'solo or duet' in an attempt to avoid charges, say sources cited by Komsomolskaya Pravda.

The policemen declined her offer and detained her, say reports.

Kira Mayer, 24, was detained for two months today after allegations she offered sex to two policemen in return for not prosecuting her for driving without a licence

She faces a criminal investigation for 'causing physical injury' to two officers in Moscow

The model declined to comment on the claim, said the newspaper.

In a metal court cage, she shielded her face before a custody hearing which went ahead behind closed doors because 'intimate details' were involved.

Mayer is under criminal investigation for 'an act of violence' against an officer who sought to stop her driving during a ban for a previous offence, said the Investigative Committee which examines

She tried to 'grab the officer's protocol' - his written report on her alleged offence - and in the process caused him injury.

She allegedly scratched and kicked them when they stopped her for driving her Mercedes without a licence

In a metal court cage, she shielded her face before a custody hearing which went ahead behind closed doors because 'intimate details' were involved. Pictured, at court

She tried to 'grab the officer's protocol' - his written report on her alleged offence - and in the process caused him injury

She 'scratched and kicked' officers after being told she could not drive further, according to one account.

The model had been banned from driving in November last year for 15 months after 'leaving the scene of an accident', reported Mash online news outlet which has close links to law enforcement.

'The traffic policemen informed her that she could not drive her car any longer and it was a trigger for Kira,' stated the Mash report.

'She began to shout, she tried to grab her documents from the road policemen.

The model had been banned from driving in November last year for 15 months after 'leaving the scene of an accident'

Mayer has 148,000 followers for her often provocative pictures and videos on Instagram, and is a frequent visitor to Dubai

'She scratched them, kicked them, swore at them even tried to drive away.

'Of course she failed to do so.'

A later report by Mash stated that the model then 'offered the traffic policemen sex - one by one or together - when she was caught driving without a licence.

'The policemen refusedand finally detained the woman.'

Mayer has 148,000 followers for her often provocative pictures and videos on Instagram, and is a frequent visitor to Dubai.

She stated on her account: 'When I get bored with my happy life, I will marry and suffer like all normal people.'A burglars lavish funeral set taxpayers back 45,000 after he was stabbed to death when he broke into a pensioners home.

The Met Police paid at least 44,643.39 after career criminal Henry Vincent was killed by 78-year-old Richard Osborn Brooks, MailOnline can reveal.

Vincent, 37, broke into the pensioners south-east London home in April, where he lived with his wife who suffers with dementia.

Flowers and other tributes left at the scene by Vincents family sparked outrage among locals at Hither Green  with residents ripping them from Mr Osborn-Brooks fence.

Henry Vincent, 37, right, broke into the south-east London home of Richard Osborn-Brooks, left, in April, where he lived with his wife who suffers from dementia

Black limousines with floral tributes on the top made their way through south-east London ahead of the funeral of Henry Vincent, the burglar who died after struggling with the pensioner during a botched break-in in April

One of the floral tributes was shaped like a white van with a caravan behind it. The registration is 'Henry Boy'

Vincents coffin was adorned with a white floral tribute spelling Daddy. A floral arrangement in the shape of a purple BMW sports car sat on top of the hearse

Another floral tribute in the shape of a boxing ring sat on top of one of the limos. The burglar once boxed with David Haye in 1995

Officers were deployed as the cortege slowly made its way to St Marys Church in Orpington

The career criminal's hearse moments before photographers were pelted with eggs

The burglars funeral last month saw hooded youths hurl rocks, eggs and bottles at bystanders as a stream of limousines adorned with garish floral arrangements snaked through Kent and south-east London

The burglars funeral last month saw hooded youths hurl rocks, eggs and bottles at bystanders as a stream of limousines adorned with garish floral arrangements snaked through Kent and south-east London.

A heavy police presence was in attendance, as the Met Police deployed 17 vans, four cars, nine motorcycles and two helicopters.

Six inspectors, 19 sergeants and 128 PCs also helped to police the funeral.

The real cost to the taxpayer is likely to be higher.

How much YOU paid for career criminal Henry Vincent's funeral Policing costs for Henry Vincent's funeral cost the taxpayer at least 44,643.39. But that figure does not take into account the expense on police helicopters. Costing around 850 an hour while in the air, the total cost may have added an extra 1,700 to the bill. Also in attendance at the career criminal's funeral were: Six inspectors

19 sergenats

128 police officers

Two other police staff

17 police vans

Four police cars

Nine police motorcycles Advertisement

Floral tributes piled up outside Richard Osborn-Brooks' home in Hither Green after burglar Henry Vincent was stabbed to death

Neighbour Iain Gordon was so incensed by the tributes to the criminal that he ripped them from Mr Osborn-Brooks' fence in front of photographers

The Met Police said: 'The police officer costs were 44,643.39 (this does not include other operational costs such as the National Police Air Service, vehicle costs).

Officers were also posted to South Park Crescent - where Mr Osborne-Brooks lived - for 24 hours a day, between April 4 and April 10.

One man living near the church where the funeral  thought to have cost up to 100,000  took place was struck with an egg, and a photographer was punched in the face.

The assailant was pinned to the ground by police and arrested on suspicion of assault.

Two mourners were pictured holding slingshots and a BBC News truck was attacked.

Journalists had to flee after a group of 40 menacing young men made a beeline for them.

Mourners dressed in black opened car windows to hurl obscenities and flick the V-sign as they celebrated the life of the serial burglar who was killed in a scuffle with a man whose home he was trying to rob.

From the front of the hearse Vincents father, Henry Snr, held aloft a photograph of his son and shouted: The King is Dead.A UN worker has called for the resignation of Michel Sidibe, the executive director of UNAIDS, following his handling of sexual harassment allegations.

UNAIDS employee Martina Brostrom said Sidibe had created a 'boys club' culture within the agency, and covered up an allegation of sexual assault she made against UN assistant general secretary Dr Luiz Loures.

She said: 'I would say that it's a sexist culture where women are more window dressing than recognised for their performance.

'There's a trade and expectation to trade sexual favours for promotions and other advancements. Women don't have or enjoy the same opportunities because of their gender.

'In terms of the executive director, his behaviour and mannerisms are in the boys club.'

UNAIDS employee Martina Brostrom (pictured main) called for the resignation of Michel Sidibe for 'covering up' an allegation of sexual assault she made against UN official Dr Luiz Loures

Alongside calls for Sidibe (pictured) to resign, the Aids Healthcare Foundation pleaded for Theresa May to table the resignation, along with meaningful reform of UN policies towards sexual harassment allegations, on the agenda for a board meeting in Geneva next month

Alongside calls for Sidibe to resign, the Aids Healthcare Foundation pleaded for Theresa May to table the resignation, along with meaningful reform of UN policies towards sexual harassment allegations, on the agenda for a board meeting in Geneva next month.

The UK's Department for International Development chairs the Programme Coordinating Board for UNAIDS.

Ms Brostrom said: 'We are calling for the UK government to act. We call for the Department for International Development (DFID) to act in its capacity as chair of the programme coordinating board (PCB) which oversees UNAIDS to place on the agenda on the upcoming PCB meeting which is to be held in June this year in Geneva two points.

'First the removal of Mr Sidibe and secondly the comprehensive reforms of programme policies and practices for sexual harassment.'

Ms Brostrom claims she was assaulted in a lift in 2015 by 61-year-old Dr Loures, who retired in April this year.

She said that she has recently been informed an investigation into the allegations has been re-opened for a second time. A previous investigation found her claims 'unsubstantiated'.

Ms Brostrom also claims the UNAIDS administration had disclosed her medical records without her consent to look into her diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, which has her signed off from work.

Ms Brostrom claims she was assaulted in a lift in 2015 by 61-year-old Dr Loures (pictured), who retired in April this year

Ms Brostrom (left and right) also claims the UNAIDS administration had disclosed her medical records without her consent to look into her diagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder, which has her signed off from work

Prashanti Tiwari, a former UN Population Fund sub-contractor in India, said that this was a standard response by UN agencies in the wake of sexual harassment allegations.

Ms Tiwari says that she faced 'aggressive retaliation' and 'character assassination' by the UN Population Fund after she made an allegation of assault against the Country Head in India, Diego Palacios.

She claims he would grope her at every opportunity and offered to give her a promotion if she slept with him.

The womens' rights advocate said senior officials enjoyed 'blatant misogyny' at the organisation.

She said: 'These cases are pervasive and epidemic yet there is a culture of silence about it.

'In the first quarter of 2018 almost around 54 young girls and women, many under-18, reported sexual assaults, misconduct and harassment at the hands of the UN - UN personnel and UN staff who actually claim to be the moralist, the principled and gender-friendly staff.

'I have no grudges against UN and the principles that it holds but the way the UN has been tackling these cases and the way sexual harassment cases are pervasive raises some serious questions into the entire organisation.

'Today the UN has become verily a medieval and feudalist structure drawing its strengths primarily from archaic and antiquated policies which need to be changed.

'When I confronted Diego Palacios the entire mind of the UN came crushing into me to completely silence me on the entire issue.

Ms Brostom said that she has recently been informed an investigation into the allegations has been re-opened for a second time. A previous investigation found her claims 'unsubstantiated'

'I faced aggressive retaliation at their hands. Before they could even start the investigation and before they set up any formal complaint or review committee they outrightly claimed that my allegations were baseless and false.

'Although I survived the sexual assault, when I raised my voice equally traumatising was the experience of raising my voice.

'Because then I was subject to aggressive retaliation, character assassination, they started questioning my chastity. They demeaned me they defamed me they libelled me.

'After they shattered me and broke me down completely I was ready for another emotional and mental breakdown at the hands of the UN and this happens to every woman who raises their voice against the UN.'

Ms Tiwari said that as a result of diplomatic immunity, national police forces are unable to carry out their own investigations into allegations of sexual offences.

It effectively places a 'gag rule' on witnesses, who may only give evidence as part of the internal UN investigations.

Ms Brostrom said member states of the UN needed to lobby for external oversight of the internal UN investigations, which are believed by workers to have a higher burden of proof in sexual harassment and assault cases than most judicial systems.

Pictured: Press conference where the AIDS Healthcare Foundation calls for UK government to act on UNAIDS sexual harassment cover-up scandal on Wednesday

She said: 'This means the UN wouldn't be able to influence processes and would allow for fair objective and hopefully more rapid investigations.'

Anna Zakowicz, deputy bureau chief of the Aids Healthcare Foundation said: 'We are here today to support these and other great women who came forward seeking justice from international agencies charged with safeguarding and saving the lives of individuals around the globe.

'The issue of reform of agency leadership in UNAIDS is so important - this is not simply about individual men and women involved in these particular cases this is about setting and honouring standards that are and can be readily understood as above reproach on the world stage.

'Comprehensive reform is needed in many agencies.'

South African feminist, activist and academic Vuyiseka Dubuka said: 'From our side as African women who have been leading the HIV response in Africa, we feel that the UNAIDS response especially in the recent complaints against sexual harassment not just the response but also leadership has been inadequate.

'It says a lot about Michel's leadership in his lack of protection of complainants and in ending the culture of impunity that is in question

'We are calling for reformed process and policy with protection of future and even current complainants. With Michel as the current executive director we have significant doubts that he won't be able to lead that form because he is already not able to lead that reform.

'We want a reformed UNAIDS and that means basically that we need leadership thats able to lead it in the direction we need it to. We don't want anyone restoring lack of legitimacy. There's a lot of error that Michel did in handling these cases and we don't want him to stay.'House of Commons Speaker John Bercow is facing a fresh row after another anti-Brexit sticker was spotted on the back of his Land Rover.

The blue sticker, which declares 'Don't blame me, I voted remain' has been stuck on the car which is parked in the MP's official space on the parliamentary estate.

It comes just two months after a 'boll****' to Brexit sticker was spotted on the bumper of his car.

Mr Bercow, who must remain politically neutral while in the chair overseeing parliamentary debates, has previously revealed he voted Remain the EU referendum.

The latest revelation fueled anger at Mr Bercow, who is facing calls to stand down form his role overseeing parliamentary debates amid claims he bullied his staff.

The blue sticker, which declares 'Don't blame me, I voted remain' has been stuck on the car which is parked in the MP's official space on the parliamentary estate

John Bercow (pictured in the Commons) who must remain politically neutral while in the chair overseeing parliamentary debates, has previously revealed he voted Remain the the EU referendum

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen told MailOnline: 'All pretense of political impartiality has disappeared, and so it is time for John Bercow to disappear.

What are the claims of bullying and bad behaviour made against John Bercow? John Bercow has been hit by a number of bullying claims, all of which he denies. Here are the allegations: Andrew Sinclair, the former Speaker's Secretary: Said he left his post in 2010 after he was subjected to angry outbursts, foul- mouthed tirades and mimicry by John Bercow. He said was 'gagged' and stopped from speaking out about his time in the role as part of an 86,000 early retirement payoff. David Leakey, former Black Rod: Mr Leakey, who retired last year, said staff were terrified of the Speaker. Kate Emms, John Bercow's former private secretary: She took a job as Mr Bercow's private secretary in May 2010 but left her role less than a year later in February 2011 amid claims she was bullied by the Speaker. Her colleagues alleged that this was because of the behaviour of Mr Bercow after she told staff that she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Colleagues told Newsnight that she was undermined by Mr Bercow in a range of ways  and he seemed to shout at her a lot. Advertisement

'It is time for a new Speaker.'

As Speaker of the Commons Mr Bercow is in charge of overseeing debates and imposing order on MPs in the Chamber.

But he has been rocked by damaging claims that he would bully and fly into 'explosive' rages at his staff. He denies the allegations.

Scotland Yard is 'assessing' a complaint that the Commons Speaker could have committed misconduct in public office.

A member of the public has now asked the Met Police to consider whether Mr Bercow's conduct could amount to 'abuse of the public's trust in the office holder'.

The complaint highlights allegations that have surfaced over recent months.

They include Angus Sinclair, who left his post as Speaker's Secretary in 2010 after receiving a payment of 86,250, saying he was the victim of angry outbursts, foul- mouthed tirades and mimicry.

Former Black Rod David Leakey, who retired last year, has said staff were 'terrified' of the Speaker.

MPs on the standards committee sparked anger last week by refusing a request from parliament's commissioner Kathryn Stone to investigate them.

An inquiry by a judge into the culture at Westminster will also not consider the specific accusations against the Speaker.

And Mr Bercow sparked fresh anger a fortnight ago when he allegedly called cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom a 'stupid woman' during a Commons debate.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen (pictured) told MailOnline John Bercow should step down as Speaker

The role of Speaker is meant to be politically impartial, with the holder giving up their party allegiance and traditionally standing unchallenged in their seat at general elections.

When he was installed in the job in 2009, Mr Bercow pledged he would only serve for nine years.

But after the election in June he declared that he would serve for another full parliament.A great-granddad was left fuming after he was booted out of a Tesco store - for refusing to take off his FLAT CAP.

Graham Cattermole, 64, was giving his marching orders by an overzealous security guard after he popped into the supermarket to pick up some shopping.

He had gone into the Tesco Express with his wife Chrstine, 61, and had not even started shopping when he was told to remove his beige cotton flat cap.

Graham Cattermole, 64, had been ordered to remove his flat cap after entering a Tesco Express store in Dudley, West Midlands by a security guard who was over zealously enforcing a rule prohibiting patrons from wearing hoodies and crash helmets

When the great-grand father, pictured, refused to take off his cotton cap, he was told to leave

The electrician, who is just a year off retirement, refused to do and was swiftly ejected from the store in Upper Gornal, Dudley, West Midlands, on Tuesday.

The supermarket giant has since apologised and admitted they had implemented their policy on hoodies or crash helmets incorrectly.

Mr Cattermole, who lives with Christine, a finance manager, in Dudley, said: 'We went into the Tesco Express - the wife was a couple of feet in front of me and I was just about to go down one of the aisles.

'Then a security guard came up to us and said 'sorry, you're going to have to take your hat off or you can't come in'. I thought 'how stupid can you be?'

'If I had a crash helmet on or I was wearing a hoody and looked like a hooligan, I could understand but I'm nearly 65 and I've got a walking stick - it's not like I'm going to hold the place up.

'I had been in many times wearing a hat - normally a trilby. It had never been a problem at all. He said they have a no-hat policy there, so we turned round and came out.

'A couple of customers who were by us just looked on in amazement.

'It was a bit embarrassing because there was no way he was going to let us shop in there unless I took my hat off.

'But there was no real reason for me to take the hat off. If it was a crash helmet, then yes.

'It was ridiculous. I said to the wife 'we'll go home.'

Mr Cattermole, who lives 10 minutes from the Tesco, said he had shopped their for many years.

He has three children aged 33 to 41, eight grandchildren aged four to 21 and one five-month-old great-grandchild.

He added: 'The family just thought it was ridiculous. It's totally stupid - just laughable.

'We'll never go there again now.'

Mr Cattermole phoned Tesco to complain, and was eventually passed to staff at the local store, who apologised and offered for him to come in for a face-to-face apology.

He said: 'According to the local store he was an overzealous door man who had not been there for long.

'He took their policy of no hoodies or crash helmets to mean no hats at all.'

A Tesco spokesman said the security guard, who was new to the store, had 'implemented our policy on no hoodies or crash helmets incorrectly'.

They added: 'We would like to apologise to our customer for the inconvenience caused and our store manager would be happy to welcome the customer into store to discuss the matter with them.'

The spokesman said the security guard had now been retrained.Germany's spy agency can monitor major internet hubs if Berlin deems it necessary for strategic security interests, a federal court has ruled.

In a ruling late on Wednesday, the Federal Administrative Court threw out a challenge by the world's largest internet hub, the De-Cix exchange, against the tapping of its data flows by the BND foreign intelligence service.

The operator had argued the agency was breaking the law by capturing German domestic communications along with international data.

However, the court in the eastern city of Leipzig ruled that internet hubs 'can be required by the federal interior ministry to assist with strategic communications surveillance by the BND'.

De-Cix says its Frankfurt hub is the world's biggest internet exchange, bundling data flows from as far as China, Russia, the Middle East and Africa, which handles more than six terabytes per second at peak traffic.

A federal court threw out a challenge by the world's largest internet hub, the De-Cix exchange (pictured), against the tapping of its data flows by the BND foreign intelligence service

An internet exchange is the physical infrastructure through which internet service providers (ISPs) and content delivery networks (CDNs) exchange Internet traffic between their networks.

De-Cix Management GmbH, which is owned by eco Association, the European internet industry body, had filed suit against the interior ministry, which oversees the BND and its strategic signals intelligence.

It said the BND, a partner of the US National Security Agency (NSA), has placed so-called Y-piece prisms into its data-carrying fibre optic cables that give it an unfiltered and complete copy of the data flow.

The surveillance sifts through digital communications such as emails using certain search terms, which are then reviewed based on relevance.

De-Cix said in a statement Thursday that it believed the ruling shielded it from criminal liability for violations of the law protecting German domestic communications against tapping by stating that the German government bore responsibility.

Germany had reacted with outrage when it was revealed in 2013 that US agents were carrying out widespread tapping worldwide, including of Chancellor Angela Merkel's (pictured) mobile phone

However it said it would review whether it would take its complaint to the Federal Constitutional Court.

Given the mass of daily phone calls, emails, chats, internet searches, streamed videos and other online communications, an effective fire-walling of purely German communications is unrealistic, activists argue.

Germany had reacted with outrage when information leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden revealed in 2013 that US agents were carrying out widespread tapping worldwide, including of Chancellor Angela Merkel's mobile phone.

Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany where state spying on citizens was rampant, declared repeatedly that 'spying among friends is not on' while acknowledging Germany's reliance on the US in security matters.

But to the great embarrassment of Germany, it later emerged that the BND helped the NSA spy on European allies.

Berlin in 2016 approved new measures, including greater oversight, to rein in the BND following the scandal.John Burford, who drove Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery during WW2

A fascination photo archive of a driver who ferried around some of the leading figures of the Second World War is to go under the hammer with his war medals for 6,000.

John Burford, of the Royal Army Service Corps, served as the driver for Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery, one of the most inspirational military commanders of the Second World War.

Mr Burford was his driver from October 1942 until Germany surrendered in May 1945.

He accompanied him through the legendary Alamein offensive in North Africa, the invasion of Sicily and the Normandy landings, with the pair becoming firm friends.

The collection of photographs of Mr Burford and his medals is being auctioned by London-based auctioneers Bonhams and it is the first time the collection has appeared on the market.

One of the photos shows Burford driving Sir Winston Churchill and receiving his Military Medal from George VI after displaying 'great gallantry' under heavy fire during the battle for Mount Etna in August 1943.

John Burford drove Winston Churchill and Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery on a tour of the beaches of Normandy in France following the D-Day landings in 1944

John Burford's medals: From left, Military Medal, awarded for bravery or battle on land, the 1939-1945 War Medal, an operation medal awarded to soldiers; Africa Star, for those serving in North Africa between June 10 1940 and May 12 1943, Italy Star, a campaign medal for those who served in the Italian Campaign from 1943 to 1945, France and German Star for those serving in France and Germany between June 6 1944 and May 8 1945; War Medal which is awarded to those who served in the army during the Second World War and Efficiency Medal, a long service award

Montgomery's love for his driver was so great that he presented Burford with a framed photo of himself accompanied by a heart-felt hand written dedication

It read: 'To Driver Burford M.M. who has marched with me from Alamein, across Africa to Tunisia, over to Sicily, halfway up Italy, and from Normandy to the Baltic, and who never failed to do his duty.

'With my best wishes. Montgomery of Alamein Field. Marshal.'

Burford received a Military Medal for driving officers on dangerous missions while being fired at by the enemy during the fighting around Mount Etna from August 1 to 6, 1943, during the Allied invasion of Sicily.

His citation in the London Gazette, dated December 23, 1943, read: 'Driver Burford is a Jeep Driver at Eighth Army Headquarters.

'During the fighting round Mount Etna between the 1st and 6th August, 1943, he displayed great gallantry and devotion to duty under fire, driving Liaison Officers on dangerous missions.

'He never once faltered or failed in his duty and his personal courage and example under fire was an example to all.'

The collection also includes his other campaign medals, his cap badge and a signed copy of Montgomery's book 'Normandy to the Baltic' with another dedication capturing their enduring friendship.

Montgomery (pictured centre) with his staff towards the end of the Second World War

John Burford shakes hands with Montgomery who he drove between 1942 and 1945

King George VI awarding John Burford the Military Medal, an operations award, in May 1944

The framed photograph Montgomery presented Burford with a hand written dedication

The message, dated March 31, 1947, said: 'Dear Burford I send you this book with my best wishes.

'It tells the story of our journey together from the beaches of Normandy to the German surrender on Luneberg Heath.

'Yrs. sincerely Montgomery of Alamein Field-Marshal.'

His medal group consists of the Military Medal, 1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, France and Germany Star, War Medal and Efficiency Medal.

John Burford driving Field Marshall Montgomery through a troop convoy

John Millensted, head of Bonhams' medals department, said: 'Despite the huge difference in rank Montgomery and Burford were good friends and it is telling that he was his driver for so long.

'Burford would have been seen by Montgomery as someone who did not have another agenda and was someone just doing his job.

'He was a trustworthy driver who was primarily assigned to Montgomery but when other dignitaries and officials visited him they would all jump in the back of his Jeep, Churchill included.

'His Military Medal was awarded for great gallantry and devotion of duty under fire which would have further endeared him to Montgomery.'

The auction takes place on June 13.While Prince William was the best man at Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Royal Wedding, he technically wasnt Harrys only sibling in attendance, after it was revealed his stepbrother and stepsister, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes, were also invited.

The step-siblings joined the extended Royal Family when their mother, Camilla Parker Bowles married Prince Charles in 2005.

Here is all you need to know about Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Lopes.

Prince Harry's step-siblings are food critic Tom Parker Bowles and gallery owner Laura Lopes

Who is Prince Harrys stepbrother Tom Parker Bowles?

Tom Parker Bowles is the oldest child of Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall and Andrew Parker Bowles. He was born on December 18, 1974 in London. Prince Charles was Parker Bowless godfather.

After attending Eton College, Parker Bowles went up to Worcester College, Oxford before working as a publicist and later at his cousins luxury concierge service, Quintessentially.

Parker Bowles previously discussed the experience of discovering the news about his mothers relationship with Prince Charles.

In 1993, when the Camilla-Charles affair scandal broke, Parker Bowles was at Oxford.

He recalled: 'I sort of remember not looking at the paper. Because, you know, Jesus, the things that we've all said to people that we love  that you wouldn't want the world reading.

'I just felt p***ed off. I wasn't going to read that sort of stuff about my mother, just as much as she wouldn't want to read it about me or my kids certainly wouldn't want to read it about me.'

In 2001, he embarked on a food writing career, becoming Tatlers food columnist. A year later he became Mail on Sundays food critic.

He also served as GQs Contributing Editor, before becoming the Food Editor at Esquire.

Parker Bowles also appeared on BBCs Masterchef: The Professionals and as a judge on Australias cooking show, Hot Seat.

In 2005, Parker Bowles married fashion editor Sara Buys in 2005, but split at the beginning of January 2018.

They have two children together, Lola and Freddy, 10 and seven respectively. The pair went together to Prince Harry and Meghan Markles Royal Wedding.

Who is Prince Harrys stepsister Laura Lopes?

Laura Lopes was born on New Years Day in 1978 and is the younger sister of Tom Parker Bowles. She attended a Catholic school before going to Oxford Brookes University, where she studied History of Art and Marketing.

After university, Laura pursued a career in gallery management and served as a motoring correspondent for Tatler in 2001.

In 2005, Laura co-founded the Eleven Gallery in Belgravia with Charlie Phillips.

In 2006, she married former Calvin Klein underwear model, Harry Lopes and the couple have three children, Eliza, 10, and non-identical twin boys Louis and Gus, 8.

Tom and Laura became Harry's step-siblings when their mother, Camilla, married Charles

Eliza actually served as a flower girl at William and Kate Middletons Royal Wedding in 2011.

While Lopes is now the step-sister of Royalty, her husband isnt too far down from them on the aristocratic ladder.

Lopess grandfathers were barons and the model turned chartered accountant will one day inherit Gnaton Hall, near Plymouth and the 3,000-acre Skelpick estate in the Scottish Highlands.A new conspiracy theory surrounding Melania Trump alleges the first lady didn't write that tweet announcing she was working hard and some postulate it was President Donald Trump who did.

It's been 21 days since Melania Trump has been seen in public. Her last sighting was on May 10, when she joined Trump at Andrews Air Force Base in welcoming home hostages from North Korea.

She went into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on May 14 for a kidney procedure and hasn't been seen since.

Melania Trump addressed speculation about her absence with a tweet but now conspiracy theories have developed around the wording in her announcement

The first lady was last seen on May 10, when she joined President Trump at Andrews Air Force Base in welcoming home hostages from North Korea. She underwent surgery four days later

Conspiracy theories have abound about her disappearance and the first lady addressed the speculation on Wednesday with a tweet saying she is at the White House and 'working hard.'

The first lady's longtime friend, Paolo Zampolli told the Associated Press she thinks Melania Trump 'wanted to spend some quality time with her family.'

The first lady's spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, told the DailyMail.com that Melania Trump has been meeting with her staff on the 'Be Best' initiative and working on upcoming projects like the annual White House congressional picnic and Fourth of July plans.

Grisham told the AP the first lady would like to be 'out and about promoting her initiatives' but 'her health comes first.'

A reporter for the Huffington Post compared Melania's tweet on Wednesday to previous tweets from the president and wondered: 'Where have we heard' this before?

The first lady wrote: 'I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am & what I'm doing. Rest assured, I'm here at the @WhiteHouse w my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people!'

Huffington Post notes 'working overtime' is a favorite idiom used by the president, particularly in regards to talking about the media.

'The Fake News is working overtime,' he wrote in a May 9 tweet.

Trump also likes to talk about how hard Republicans, his administration and he works.

In this February 16 tweet on immigration talks, he noted: 'Republicans are still working hard.'

And 'On behalf of the American people' is another favorite Trump phrase, which he used on May 10 to welcome home the hostages from North Korea, the last time Melania Trump was seen in public.

Some celebrities are having fun with the speculation on where the first lady's been hiding.

Comedian Sarah Silverman retweeted Melania's tweet with her own comment: 'Who is this? where's Melania?'

Holly Figueroa O'Reilly, who calls herself a Grammy losing songwriter, mom of five, and one of the national organizers of the 'March for Truth,' joined in the speculation about who wrote Melania's tweet.

'There is a 0.00000% chance Melania wrote this tweet. Weird grammar and syntax? Exclamation marks? Sounds familiar. I can't quite put my tiny orange finger on it,' she wrote on Twitter.

Some celebrities are having fun with the speculation on where the first lady's been hiding

Twitter has gotten in on the speculation on whether Melania wrote her tweet

Observers point to the grammar used in Melania's tweet compared to Trump's grammar

Author Brian Klass agreed, tweeting: 'Yeah, so I don't think Melania wrote that 'working overtime' tweet.'

There's also a notable lack of photos of the first lady with no pictures being posted of her meetings with staff or of her 'working hard.'

Melania Trump herself has posted videos on social media of her work, such as one posted about the White House holiday decorations in December and another on her preparations for the first state dinner in April.

But there has been nothing about her recently, leading to questions about why she spent a week in the hospital for an embolization procedure and her prolonged recovery at home.

First ladies are under no obligation to release updates on their health. But there have been questions about Melania's long absence for a procedure medical experts say involves a quick recovery.

A reporter for CNBC tweeted he saw the first lady in the West Wing on Tuesday walking with aides. No other details were given.

Politico reported Wednesday there are a variety of conspiracy theories being banded about given Melania's absence: She's moved back to New York City, she's cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller, she's living with the Obamas, working on a tell-all book or she had a secret nip and tuck that she's healing from.

The first lady's office said Melania Trump is meeting with her staff on her 'Be Best' campaign

President Trump said last week the first lady is 'doing great' after her kidney surgery.

'She's doing great. Right there. She's doing great,' he said on the White House lawn last Friday morning before he left to give the commencement address at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

'She's looking at us, right there,' he added and pointed to a window in the White House residence above him.

The first lady was not visible to reporters on the ground.WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES

A 'faith healer' smeared a 'natural remedy' across a woman's stomach that made her skin rot away, promising it would cure her cancer.

Helen Lawson suffered through months of agonsing pain as the black salve applied by Dennis Jensen turned her flesh into a charred mess, before she died anyway.

The quack doctor was banned by the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner from providing any health service for 12 weeks, and may face criminal charges.

Scroll down for video

Helen Lawson suffered through months of agonsing pain as the black salve applied by Dennis Jensen turned her flesh into a charred mess, before she died anyway

'I am satisfied that this was necessary in this case to avoid a serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of the public,' commissioner Karen Cusack said.

Mr Jensen said he would comply with the order but was prepared to go to jail, arguing the interim prohibition order was unlawful.

The 64-year-old claimed 'I don't need to be' when asked by 9 News if he was a qualified medical practitioner, and admitted he wasn't.

Ms Lawson, a 50-year-old emergency department nurse and keen cyclist, was diagnosed with cancer in October after doctors found a 17cm mass on her ovary.

Ms Lawson (right), a 50-year-old emergency department nurse and keen cyclist, was diagnosed with cancer in October after doctors found a 17cm mass on her ovary

A 'faith healer' smeared a 'natural remedy' across her stomach that made her skin rot away (injury pictured) promising it would cure her cancer

The day before she was to have surgery to remove the tumour, she visited Mr Jensen at his home on the outskirts of Melbourne.

Belinda Davies, her partner of 21 years, said she immediately cancelled the operation because Mr Jensen told her it wouldn't work.

'He told her the black salve will draw out the cancer and the black salve will do what the surgeons can't,' she told The Age.

The couple had a huge fight and Ms Davies tried to convince her to stick with modern medicine, but ended up driving her to regular visits.

'He put his hands on her stomach and would breathe out like he was trying to blow away the cancer, telling us that the cancer was gone, and there was only a tiny little bit still there,' she said.

Dennis Jensen (left) was banned by the Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner from providing any health service for 12 weeks after claiming black salve (right) cured cancer

Black salve is a widely discredited treatment containing plant bloodroot or zinc chloride that destroys the skin and tissue below leaving a black scar.

'The TGA is not aware of any credible, scientific evidence which shows that any black or red salve preparation is effective in treating cancer,' the Therapeutic Goods Administration said.

Mr Jensen claimed to have cured his own cancer and that of others, even a cat, using the 'treatment' - a claim he can't repeat while the ban is in place.

He said he didn't charge for his services and only did it out of 'genuine love and compassion' - though some patients gave him donations.

A man in Queensland sustained this injury after applying black salve to his head

Mr Jensen said black salve wasn't supported by mainstream medicine because drug companies couldn't make money from it.

Despite the intense pain and Ms Lawson getting sicker and sicker from cancer, she persisted with the treatment until she died in April.

Ms Davies believed the love of her life could have survived another few years if she got real treatment instead of turning to Mr Jensen.

Dr Douglas Grose, president of the Cosmetic Physicians College of Australasia, called black salve a 'ridiculous technique' that 'kills everything'.

'You can't control it. All you're doing is killing the full thickness of the skin and allowing it to scar up,' he said.

Victorian Health Complaints Commissioner Karen Cusack said: 'I am satisfied that this was necessary in this case to avoid a serious risk to the health, safety or welfare of the public'

'The only cancers that could possibly be cured by black salve are certain types of skin cancer but no one in their right mind would get a blow torch or a welding gun out to treat their skin cancers; using black salve is no different.

'The internet is a great source of information, some of which is very inaccurate. Don't risk disfigurement by using black salve when there are similar but safe, tested and proven medical treatments,' he added.

The Health Complaints Commissioner's investigation was expected to finish in August could ban Mr Jensen for life or press criminal charges.

He faces a huge fine and up to 10 years jail if he breaches the order.UPDATED

The U.S. Department of Education cant just ignore and fail to investigate civil-rights complaints from those who repeatedly file such complaints, says a lawsuit filed against the department from three advocacy organizations.

The Council for Parent Advocates and Attorneys, the NAACP, and the National Federation of the Blind filed the legal action in federal district court May 31, saying that the departments new approach to handling serial complaints strikes at the heart of the mission of its the office for civil rights. The office enforces laws such the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, both of which prohibit public entities from discriminating against individuals based on disability. It also enforces Title IX, which prohibits discrimination based on sex, and other laws that prohibit discrimination based on age, race, color, or national origin.

What theyve done is basically stripped complainants of their rights, said Denise Marshall, the executive director of COPAA. Theyre dismissing cases, whether or not they have merit.

Earlier this year, the Education Department made changes made to the case-processing manual used by its civil-rights office. The changes meant that the office reserved the right to dismiss complaints if they represented a continuation of a pattern of complaints previously filed with OCR by an individual or a group against multiple recipients. The civil rights office also said that it would dismiss single complaints filed for the first time against multiple recipients that, viewed as a whole, [place] an unreasonable burden on OCRs resources.

Those werent the only changes made to the case-processing manual. It also eliminated an appeals process that was available to complaint filers, and the lawsuit takes aim at that new policy, too. Such a change would have to be open for public comment, said Eve Hill, an attorney representing all three organizations. Hill was a former deputy assistant attorney general during the Obama administration.

To the extent theres a rationale for that, they havent stated one, Hill said, Its a substantive change to the rights of complainants.

After the department changed how it processed cases, it started dismissing hundreds of complaints filed by Marcie Lipsitt, a disability advocate in Michigan. Lipsitts complaints focused on website accessibility. She said that websites of various educational entities were inaccessible for those who are blind or visually impaired, or who cannot use a mouse to navigate a web page. Lipsitt has filed more than 2,000 complaints in the past two years.

In addition to having her complaints tossed out, Lipsitt also said shes getting notices that entities that had already settled their accessibility cases as far back as two years ago were now being given modified resolution agreements. The new agreements no longer have language that requires entities to meet certain technical accessibility standards, train staff annually on accessibility issues, or report on their progress based on a certain timeline.

Lipsitt was gratified to hear of the lawsuit.

My position hasnt changed from day one. You dont have be an attorney to know these revisions are unlawful. They go against the [office for civil rights] mission statement, Lipsitt said. These provisions strip every American of their civil rights and their ability to file civil rights complaints. And the beauty of civil rights complaints has been that everyone has been able to file one.

Liz Hill, a spokeswoman for the Education Department, said the agency could not comment on pending litigation. However, she said that the changes to the case-processing manual was made in consultation with staff investigators and managers. Dismissing complaints if theyre part of a pattern is intended to permit [the civil rights office] to remain active in every type of discrimination subject matter while retaining discretion to engage in technical assistance efforts where appropriate. The office continues to accept all complaints, including those from advocacy organizations, she said.

The Trump administrations proposed budget included a cut to the office for civil rights. But Congress rejected that request in its March budget agreement. The $117 million that Congress appropriated for the civil-rights office was $10 million more than requested, and $8.5 million more than it had been appropriated in fiscal 2017.

In the budget agreement, Congress said the money was intended to increase staffing so that it can effectively and timely investigate complaints, execute and report on the civil rights data. collection; thoroughly monitor corrective actions of institutions and meet other critical workloads. The bill also directs the office for civil rights to maintain its 12 regional offices.

Image by GettyThis is the moment a man who tried to request topless pictures of a 14-year-old girl and sent an explicit image was confronted by paedophile hunters on camera.

Martin Kirkwood began chatting to who he believed was an underage teen girl called Louise on social media website in May last year before arranging to meet.

He asked what he thought was a minor to touch his penis and called her 'sexy' after being told the person he was speaking to was at school.

The profile was in fact a decoy set up by Guardians of the North, who expose adults looking for sex with children.

Jolyn Perks, prosecuting, told Newcastle Crown Court how the chat did not turn sexual until Kirkwood contacted 'Louise' again in February this year.

Martin Kirkwood - pictured as hunters confronted him - carried on talking to what he believed was a schoolgirl despite the decoy telling him 'she' was 14

The decoy responded by telling Kirkwood: 'I'm back at school tomorrow, I hate being 14.'

Mr Perks said: 'The defendant began to refer to the witness as sexy, that he would like to be in bed with her and invited her to talk dirty with him.

'He said "have you felt a willy before?" with some kisses attached to it, "come and feel mine".'

Kirkwood sent this picture to the decoy as well as a picture of his penis and asked if she'd ever felt one before

Kirkwood requested topless pictures and sent a photograph of his penis, Mr Perks said.

'He asked her who had access to her phone and told her not to tell anyone. He made reference to the photograph he sent of his penis, asked if she liked it and if she wanted to see one in real life.'

Mr Perks said Kirkwood organised to meet her on March 4 this year, stating that when she met him she could touch his penis. But he then cancelled the meeting and told her they would have to rearrange.

Kirkwood said the two could have fun in bed and was confronted at his home by paedophile hunters afterwards

So Guardians of the North members attended his address on March 6 to confront him.

They contacted the police and Kirkwood was arrested by officers. Kirkwood, of Eden Terrace, Sunderland, admitted attempting to engage in sexual conversation with a child between February 23, 2018 and March 5, 2018.

Alec Burns, defending, told the court: 'He thought about his own daughter and how anyone meeting her would be and that's why he thought better of it.

'He has been unable to work as he felt it was wrong that his employer should be embarrassed by his offences. He went and resigned to save them the embarrassment.

'He has considerable difficulties. He has realised how appalling this could be for a child.'

Mr Burns said Kirkwood 'hasn't been idle in seeking help' and urged Mr Recorder James Wood to suspend the sentence.

Kirkwood backed out of the initial meeting he'd arranged but his attempts to obtain topless pictures were exposed

Mr Recorder Wood told Kirkwood: 'You again contacted Louise on the internet and she responded to you, reminded you, that she was a young person going back to school and at that stage your contact became criminal and was wholly and grossly inappropriate.

'Guardians of the North realised you were committing a sexual offence and they came around, as happens in these offences, to your home address.'

Kirkwood invited what he believed to be a young girl to feel his penis in messages exposed by paedophile hunters

He told Kirkwood 'great harm' could have been caused had there been no intervention. Mr Recorder Wood sentenced Kirkwood to six months in prison suspended for two years with rehabilitation.

Kirkwood was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register and abide by a sexual harm prevention order, both for seven years.Filmmaker Michael Moore has teased an explosive 'secret project' that will feature President Donald Trump and Roseanne Barr.

'I know Roseanne. And I know Trump. And they are about to rue the day they knew me...' Moore wrote in the caption of a video tweet on Wednesday.

The video shows Moore and Trump during their appearance on Barr's 1998 talk show.

In the clip, Trump praises Moore's 1989 documentary, Roger & Me, which reveals the regional economic impact of former General Motors CEO Roger Smith's action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, in 1992.

Filmmaker Michael Moore has teased an explosive 'secret project' that will featured President Donald Trump and Roseanne Barr. The video shows Moore and Trump on Barr's 1998 talk show (pictured)

In the clip, Trump praises Moore's 1989 documentary, Roger & Me, which reveals the regional economic impact of former General Motors CEO Roger Smith's action of closing several auto plants in Flint, Michigan, in 1992

'I know Roseanne. And I know Trump. And they are about to rue the day they knew me...' Moore wrote in the caption of the video tweet on Wednesday

'It was terrific, I tell ya. I loved what he did,' Trump tells Moore. 'If I was Roger I wouldn't have liked it. But I enjoyed it,' Trump added.

'I hope he never does one on me,' Trump says, as Barr and Moore laughed.

The Fahrenheit 9/11 director said on his website that he's been 'working on a secret project for the last few months'.

He was said to be working on Fahrenheit 11/9, an anti-Trump documentary and quasi-sequel to Fahrenheit 9/11.

But in the wake of sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein, Moore decided he no longer wanted the documentary to be associated The Weinstein Company, according to blog Slash Film.

The Weinstein Company had reportedly committed $6million to Moore's film.

Moore's tweet came just one day after ABC pulled the plug on Barr's show, Roseanne (cast pictured)

Barr (left) came under fire after she tweeted a racist message aimed at former White House adviser to Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett (right)

She tweeted: 'Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.' Barr was responding to a comment about Jarrett, and claimed she was joking

Moore's tweet came just one day after ABC pulled the plug on Barr's show, Roseanne.

Barr came under fire after she tweeted a racist message aimed at former White House adviser to Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett.

She tweeted: 'Muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.'

Barr was responding to a comment about Jarrett, and claimed she was joking.

Moore took to Facebook to address Barr's message, saying 'one down, one to go'

But then she deleted the tweet and issued an apology to Jarrett and 'all Americans'.

Moore also took to Facebook to address Barr's message.

'So Roseanne Barr woke up yesterday morning & posted hateful, slanderous tweets about me, Valerie Jarrett, George Soros & Chelsea Clinton  and within hours, ABC fired her.

'The same ABC who hired her after years of her posting other tweets saying Hillary was running a child sex abuse ring out of a pizza restaurant in DC, that the Clintons had murdered people, and anyone who criticized Benjamin Netanyahu was a Nazi,' Moore wrote.

'The same Roseanne who referred to black people (even back then) as apes, and Arabs as, well, every racist thing you can imagine. That Roseanne. Like Trump, went on a Wild White Racist tear during the Obama years,' he added.

The Oscar-winning director then issued a warning to Barr.

'Roseanne, the viscous slur at me you retweeted yesterday  if I had the time Id sue you and drain you of every dime you have. But Ive got a better idea. As they say in the movies: one down, one to go,' he wrote.A blind woman was found battered to death in her own home in South Wales after telling her friends: 'I'm living in fear'.

Michelle 'Denise' Rosser, 38, lost an eye and suffered horrific injuries in an attack nine years ago and battled to regain her health.

Friends said she was very lonely and spent her life hoping to find love.

Police discovered Denise dead at her home near Merthyr Tydfil just days after telling neighbours she was fearful for her safety.

Officials have since arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of murder.

Michelle 'Denise' Rosser was found dead at her home in South Wales on Tuesday. The 38-year-old had told her neighbours just days before her death that she was fearful for her safety

Denise was put through an horrific assault by three men at her previous home in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. She lost an eye and suffered horrific injuries in the attack nine years ago

Friends said she was very lonely and spent her life hoping to find love. Pictured: The scene outside Denise's home on Lewis Street, Bedlinog, Merthyr Tydfil

A friend of Denise's said: 'It is heartbreaking, she spent her whole life looking for love but all she found was pain.

'She was blind in one eye and had been on a life-support system after being attacked in 2009. She had made quite a good recovery and now this happened.

'Denise had taken up with a man but the whole village knew that he was no good for her.

'She told people she was living in fear and she would hang about in the street or the park rather than go home.'

Denise was put through an horrific assault by three men at her previous home in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales.

A court heard it was a 'punishment' for a comment she made about one of the men's dead father.

Denise was blinded in her right eye, suffered a fractured skull and serious facial injuries.

A friend of Denise's said: 'It is heartbreaking, she spent her whole life looking for love but all she found was pain'

Lee Glen, 24, James Dogget (left) and Jamie Leyshon (right), both 20 at the time were locked up for four years after admitting wounding with intent to cause actual bodily harm

Lee Glen, 24, Dean Dogget and Jamie Leyshon, both 20 at the time were locked up for four years after admitting wounding with intent to cause actual bodily harm.

Merthyr Tydfil Crown Court heard the trio told police they had given Denise 'a few good clouts'.

Denise moved to the village of Bedlinog, near Merthyr Tydfil, to start afresh and she became a well-known member of the community.

Her friend said: 'Everyone knew Denise and we all felt very sorry for her.

'It is dreadful to think she was out through two dreadful attacks, both in her own home. She had a dreadful life but she's at peace now.'

Denise was found dead in her terraced home at Lewis Street, Bedlinog, after a 999 call at 6.20am on Tuesday.

Denise moved to the village of Bedlinog, near Merthyr Tydfil, to start afresh and she became a well-known member of the community

Neighbours said she was seen alive the day before but had said she didn't want to go home.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: 'Officers arrived to discover the body of a 38-year-old woman after concerns were raised in an emergency call.

'The death is being treated as murder and an incident room has been set up.

'A scene at Lewis Street is being preserved for forensic examinations and house-to-house enquiries are under way in the area.

'We want to hear from anybody who was in the vicinity of Lewis Street, Bedlinog, who may have noticed anything suspicious between 8pm on Friday, 25th May, and 6.45am on Tuesday, 29th May, 2018.

Senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Stuart Wales said: 'This is an isolated incident and at this stage we believe those involved were known to one another.

'We would like to hear from anybody who was in the area over the bank holiday weekend between those times.

'However insignificant it may seem, what they have to say could be important to our investigation.'The baby girl of a fallen U.S. Army soldier who was killed in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber attacked the NATO convoy he was travelling in, has met her father's 'brothers' for the first time.

U.S. Army Specialist Chris Harris was killed last August but just one week earlier, he found out that his wife, Britt, was expecting their first child.

She broke the good news to her husband over FaceTime and created a handmade onesie that said 'Chris you're going to be a DAD!'

The baby girl of a fallen U.S. Army soldier who was killed in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber attacked the NATO convoy he was travelling in, has met her father's 'brothers' for the first time

Daughter of SPC Christopher M Harris, who was killed in action last August, held lovingly in her mother, Britt's arms and supported by members of the 82nd Airborne.

Powerful images of the soldiers cradling little Christian in their arms while the brave men and women who fought alongside her husband in Afghanistan lend a helping hand

Britt Harris's husband Chris was killed while on deployment in Afghanistan. Her husband's fellow soldiers have met baby Christian for the first time

Britt has been posting pictures of baby daughter, Christian Michelle Harris, on her Instagram

Specialist Harris (left), of Jackson Springs, North Carolina, had just moved into a new home with his wife Britt (right), with whom he was expecting his first child when he was killed

Specialist Christopher Michael Harris found out he was going to be a father just days before his death

Britt gave birth to the baby girl on March 17, 2018 and named her daughters after Chris: Christian Michelle Harris.

Spec. Harris considered his fellow soldiers to be a part of his extended family and his wife wanted them to share in some of her happiness.

Britt organised a special trip for her husband's fellow soldiers, who got back home on from Afghanistan on the day Christian was born.

A special photoshoot was then arranged for them to meet Britt's daughter for the first time.

Around 20 men from the 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82 Airborne Division, showed up to the shoot to celebrate Christian, dressed in their military uniforms.

Harris' widow, Britt, scheduled a photo shoot with the men and women her husband bravely fought beside

Britt gave birth to the baby girl on March 17, 2018. She named her after Chris: Christian Michelle Harris

Britt invited her husbands fellow soldiers, who were home from Afghanistan, to join her daughters photo shoot

Around 20 men from the 2nd Battalion, 504th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82 Airborne Division, showed up to the shoot to celebrate Christian, dressed in military uniform

Britt has spent time with her husbands 'brothers' at the 82nd Airborne Division

Brig. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla heads the 82nd Airborne Division and enjoyed meeting Christian

U.S. Army Spc. Christopher 'Chris Harris, 25, was killed August 2, by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan

'He was so happy to hear I was pregnant and I want our child to grow up knowing what an incredible force their father carried throughout life,' Britt Harris said of her heroic husband

'It's refreshing to see those blue eyes again,' Britt said of finally meeting her daugter Christian

Britt is seen at her husband's grave on Memorial Day

They held the tiny baby and posed for the photographer. Christian wore a special onesie for the occasion: 'My Daddy, my hero' it read.

In one beautiful photo, the men formed a circle with their palms in the center. Resting in the middle of their hands, Christian lay looking up at the camera.

'Sometimes all we need to soothe our soul and ease our burdens is the loving hand of a friend gently touching our heart and lifting us towards love,' the caption read.

The gesture is the latest in a number of acknowledgements Harris has paid to her husband's fellow servicemen.

'Everything I do, I do it to preserve Chris' memory and to show Christian how special she is,' Brittany Harris said of her daughter. 'I'm just the only one that can speak for them both right now. I do everything I can to make sure they both get the recognition they deserve. Him for sacrificing his life for his country and her for being the legacy of a hero.'

As fate would have it, the infant even bears a striking resemblance to her late father  her icy blue eyes, in particular.

'It's refreshing to see those blue eyes again,' Britt said.

When she first announced her pregnancy, she ended up having a gender reveal especially for his colleagues and sent a box of confetti poppers when she found out the sex of her baby.

When the troops popped them open, pink confetti flew out and her husband's 'brothers' were just as excited for her as her real family.

'They have been phenomenal and done everything they can to watch over me even from a distance,' she told WFMY.

Britt says she now has a mission of her own to make sure her 'little miracle princess' grows up knowing all about her dad. 'I want her to know that she's her dad's legacy,' she said.

Britt has said that she will make sure Christian's father is remembered hence the onesie, 'My daddy's my hero'

Harris' unit traveled to his hometown in Jackson Springs, North Carolina, on March 17 to help his wife commemorate the birth of their daughter

Harris's memory is remembered all over Britt's house with his boots and hat on display

Britt Harris, gave birth on March 17 and named her daughter after Chris: Christian Michelle Harris. His unit gathered to celebrate the birth

Britt looks to be coping well with the first few months of being a mother

In late January Harris hired Pinehurst Photography to do a maternity shoot along the French Broad River in Asheville, North Carolina and the results are simply stunning

In January of this year, determined to capture her pregnancy in all its glory, Britt decided to have a photo shoot that involved her dressing in a striking red dress while wandering among nature in the North Carolina countryside.

The pictures revealed a deep yearning while displaying a remarkable positivity that knowing that out of such terrible heartache, a new life was set to emerge.

Britt could be seen holding and stroking her baby bump as she pondered the life she shared with her husband

She said her husband's fellow the soldiers have been there for her every step of the way.Todd Parker Neuwirth was sentenced to 75 years in prison on Friday in Texas

A 41-year-old Texas man was sentenced to 75 years in prison on Friday for stealing from the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Todd Parker Neuwirth was arrested during a traffic stop on September 15, 2017.

Cops had seen him swerving, and when they looked through his vehicle they found a digital scale containing methamphetamine residue, three scanners, blank checks, employment applications, credit cards, and other documents that could be used to steal someone's identity.

They documents were mostly from individuals whose homes he burglarized after they had been flooded and abandoned in the hurricane two weeks before.

Neuwirth admitted getting some of the documents from crews that had been cleaning up the flooded houses.

The 41-year-old was found guilty of stealing credit cards, blank checks and other items from the flooded homes of Hurricane Harvey victims. Above, homes flooded by Harvey in August

Investigators discovered that Neuwirth was a career criminal, with no fewer than 12 felony convictions to his name, including time spent in federal prison for defrauding at least six banks of up to $171,000 in a check cashing scheme.

Neuwirth was charged with fraudulent possession of identifying information and tampering with a government record. The jury found him guilty on the charges and sentenced him to two sentences of 75 years in prison, to be served at the same time.

'This case once again underscores that juries in this community will not tolerate individuals like this defendant, who took advantage of and stole the identities from numerous innocent victims who were simply trying to repair their lives after the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey last year,' prosecutor Sara Corradi said.Children as young as nine have been found working in a New York soap factory packing products sold at Whole Foods, Target and Wal-Mart.

The factory is owned and operated by Twelve Tribes, a religious sect branded a 'cult' by many and whose alleged racist teachings and strict child-discipline policy has landed it in controversy in the past.

Former 'cult' member Sarah Williams, 34, agreed to go undercover to expose the child labor exploitation at the Cambridge, New York, commune for Inside Edition.

Children as young as nine have been found working in New York soap factory packing products sold at Whole Foods, Target and Wal-Mart

A nine-year-old boy and ten-year-old girl were seen working in other parts of the factory

Wearing a hidden camera, Williams - who was born at the commune - captured shocking footage of young children being forced to work in the soap packing factory.

An 11-year-old girl was recorded working on the assembly line, while a nine-year-old boy and ten-year-old girl were seen working in other parts of the factory.

Another video, filmed by an undercover Inside Edition producer, showed a six-year-old boy picking potatoes in a field at a farm run by Twelve Tribes.

Footage shows the youngster struggling with a wheelbarrow before falling over.

A Twelve Tribes adult member explained how they keep their children 'under control'

'If a child isn't under control they can't be taught. It takes training. It takes a rod of authority,' he told the undercover producer. 'It takes them being disciplined and spanked when they're not obedient.'

Another video, filmed by an undercover Inside Edition producer, showed a six-year-old boy picking potatoes in a field at a farm run by Twelve Tribes

Footage shows the youngster struggling with a wheelbarrow

Moments later he falls over, unable to carry the weight of the wheelbarrow

In other footage, the 'rods of authority' - bamboo canes - can be seen hanging in the communal bedroom. Former members have said that the canes are used on children for any disobedience - however small.

Former member Shuah Jones, 30, said: 'There are spankings and there are beatings.

'A beating is when you take all the force that is in your arms and you whip with that rod until your arm is literally tired.'

The factory produces soaps and skincare products for brands like Acure and Savannah Bee, which are sold at major retailers like Amazon, Whole Foods, Target, and Wal-Mart.

When questioned about their use of child labor, a Twelve Tribes leader denied using 'children in factories.'

'We don't have factories,' he told Inside Edition, despite being informed the outlet had video footage of the contrary. 'We don't use child labor.'

The factory is owned and operated by Twelve Tribes, a religious sect branded a 'cult' by many and whose alleged racist teachings and strict child-discipline policy has landed it in controversy in the past

When questioned about their use of child labor, a Twelve Tribes leader denied using 'children in factories'

The leader also denied allegations of child abuse.

'We don't hurt our children, we love our children.'

Acure called the conditions shown in the footage 'abhorrent' and says it has stopped doing all business with the upstate New York factory.

Savannah Bee says its manufacturer has confirmed it follows all labor regulations.

On the retail side, Target confirmed it was investigating as did Wal-Mart which also stated it had now blocked all Acure products from the website during the probe.

Amazon and Whole Foods declined to comment to Inside Edition.

This is not the first time the religious sect has been accused of illegally using underage children as workers in their factories.

They were fined just $2,000 in 2001 for breaching child labor laws, the New York Post reported.

The New York Labor Department found a 15-year-old child working at a Twelve Tribes-run candle manufacturing plant in Greene County; and another 15-year-old was discovered working in a a nearby furniture factory run by the sect.

Twelve Tribes members argued at the time that they were not running sweat shops but cottage industries where the kids help their parents.

Twelve Tribes, led by Elbert Eugene Spriggs, has chapters across the US and all over the world.

But it's had its fair share of controversy. In September 2013, German police raided two communities in Bavaria and removed 40 children after a documentary showed kids being abused.

Prospective members are expected to give up their job, home and all their possessions before entering the sect.

The full investigation airs on Inside Edition later this week.Evangelical leader and staunch Donald Trump supporter Jerry Falwell Jr has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit over a Miami Beach hostel, which he had invested in along with a young pool boy.

The civil complaint that was first filed in Miami-Dade County in 2015, then dismissed and refiled in August 2017, accuses Falwell, his wife Rebecca, their adult son Trey and their business associate Giancarlo Granda, of failing to share profits from the real estate venture with a father-and-son duo.

The lawsuit, which was first reported by BuzzFeed News on Thursday, was brought against Falwell, 55, and the others by Jesus Fernandez Sr and Jesus Fernandez Jr, who claimed that they helped start the Alton Hostel in Miami Beach in 2013, only to be excluded from the deal.

Liberty University President and Trump supporter Jerry Falwell Jr (pictured left) has been sued along with his pool boy friend Giancarlo Granda (right) over a Miami Beach hostel

The lawsuit revolves around Alton Hostel, which is run under the name Miami Hostel, which a company associated with Falwell purchased for $4.65million in 2013

The complaint, which was obtained by DailyMail.com, accused the defendants of breach of contract, two counts of fraud and one count of unjust enrichment.

The two most serious charges of fraud have since been dismissed.

The lawsuit recounts how in March 2012, Falwell and is wife, Rebecca, were staying at the high-end Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach where they met and befriended the 21-year-old Granda, who worked as a pool attendant.

'As the relationship evolved between Falwell Jr and Mrs Falwell, verbal offers were made to Granda to provide him with financial assistance,' the complaint reads.

Granda went to his then-friend Jesus Fernandez Jr, asking for his help in coming up with a profitable business idea that he could bring back to his powerful new benefactor.

According to the suit, the Falwells flew Granda around on their private jet and the evangelical leader told the pool boy that he wished to help him 'establish a new career and build a business.'

Since the hotel worker had no prior experience with business development, he went back to his friend Fernandez and asked him to consult with his father, Fernandez Sr, who 'was very experienced in real estate ventures,' according to the complaint.

Falwell was a crucial early supporter of Trumps. Pictured: Falwell and his family, including wife Rebecca and son Trey, pose up with the president in the Oval Office

The Falwells met Granda, a pool boy, at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach (pictured) in 2012 and befriended him

Benefactors: The lawsuit states the couple offered to help Granda start a new business

The father-and-son duo eventually came up with the idea of starting a hostel, which Falwell would finance.

The lawsuit alleges that as part of the initial arrangement, Granda offered to grant Jesus Jr and his father 50 per cent of his stake in the new hospitality business in return for the Fernandez familys active involvement in the development of the idea and the business proposal.

The court filing also claims that all three of them agreed that Granda would employ his friend Jesus Jr and his girlfriend to operate the hostel.

A representative for Falwell Jr told BuzzFeed that he had loaned a company the downpayment to purchase the property on Alton Road for $4.65million, but that Falwell Jr himself was not a partner in the hostel.

According to the complaint, when the deal was finalized, Trey Falwell was identified in the documents as the sole managing member of Alton Hostel.

Falwell reportedly loaned the company that owns the hostel (pictured inside) the downpayment to purchases the property on Alton Road

The no-frills Alton Hostel has 120 beds and a night's stay there costs just $20

When the father and son complained about being left out of the deal, Falwell Jr assured both Jesus Jr and Jesus Sr that nothing had changed and that they would be receiving the promised 50 per cent of Grandas ownership, the document states.

Falwell Jr allegedly promised the pair that he would be amending the articles of organization for the property to add Granda and Jesus Jr, but in the end, only Granda was added as a managing member.

The no-frills 120-bed Alton Hostel is located in the 800 block of Alton Road in Miami Beach and operates under the name Miami Hostel. A night's stay at the inn costs just $20.

An attorney for the Falwells said in a written statement to BuzzFeed that his clients deny the allegations in the lawsuit and any wrongdoing.

DailyMail.com reached out to the attorney for comment and was awaiting a reply.

In response to a motion filed by the defendants' lawyer, a judge last month dismissed Jesus Fernandez Srs claims and dropped the two fraud counts.

Falwell is president of Liberty University and is also a member of Trumps Evangelical Executive Advisory Board

Falwell was a crucial early supporter of Trumps and was instrumental in bringing evangelical Christians into his camp. Falwell endorsed Trump's candidacy before the Iowa caucuses and defended him during the campaign.

In January 2017, Falwell Jr, whose late father, evangelist and Moral Majority leader the Rev. Jerry Falwell, was a controversial pastor who preached against homosexuals and feminists, was tapped to leader a presidential task force on higher education reform. He is also a member of Trumps Evangelical Executive Advisory Board.

According to the BuzzFeed report, it was Trumps embattled personal lawyer Michael Cohen, of the Stormy Daniels hush money payout fame, who reached out to Falwell Jr in 2016 and urged him to throw his support behind the twice-divorced real estate mogul and reality TV star.

Falwell Jr was appointed president of Virginia's Liberty University in 2007, upon the death of his father, who founded the institution in 1971 with just 154 students.

It now has a total enrollment of more than 110,000 students, including its huge online education program. It says it is the largest Christian university in the world, and remains an influential hub for conservative politics, frequented by candidates courting evangelical voters.The son of the Earl of Suffolk has ended his marriage after almost seven years.

The Central Family Court in London heard the marriage between Alexander Howard, the Viscount Andover, and his wife Victoria Howard, the Viscountess Andover, has 'broken down irretrievably'.

In a hearing lasting less than a minute, Judge Ian Mulkis granted the couple a decree nisi, the first stage in their divorce, on Thursday.

The son of the Earl of Suffolk has ended his marriage after almost seven years. File photo shows the Central Family Court

The pair married at a ceremony in the parish of Charlton, in Wiltshire, in 2011.

Their marriage will be officially dissolved after six weeks, unless the court is shown 'sufficient cause' why the divorce should not go ahead.

The Viscount cited 'unreasonable behaviour' as his reason for requesting the dissolution of the marriage.London Victoria train station was evacuated after a fire alarm was was activated from steam pouring from the Flying Scotsman.

According to Network Rail the station was forced to close for 25 minutes while staff assessed the situation.

The BBC confirmed a member of staff failed to switch off a sensor before the locomotive's arrival which caused the false alarm.

This woman, left, refused to leave behind her portion of chips from Wetherspoons when Victoria station was evacuated earlier this evening

One commuter spotted the woman making sure she had supplies for the rest of her trip

Angry-looking commuters stood outside Victoria station as a result of the false alarm

The Flying Scotsman, pictured last year, pulled into London Victoria as part of its summer tour

However, one woman in Wetherspoons refused to leave behind her chips despite the evacuation call.

According to Network Rail: 'Earlier this evening a charter steam train upon arriving into London Victoria station had set off the pre-alarm on the fire panel. Although no fire was discovered and the issue was confirmed as a false alarm, the fire alarm system entered full evacuation mode and the correct process for a full alarm was carried out as per the safety standard.

'For 25 minutes no trains were able to arrive or depart from London Victoria whilst the alarm system was being reset. At 19:40, the station re-opened.'

The Gatwick Express as well as Southern and Southeastern services were temporarily halted by the false alarm.

According to Transport for London, Victoria underground station continued to operate normally during the drama.Former leadership contender Chuka Umunna is currently seeking a student to work for free for a year at his London office.

A Labour MP has been slammed for advertising for an unpaid intern while campaigning for fairer salaries.

Former leadership contender Chuka Umunna is currently seeking a student to work for free for a year at his London office.

According to the advert, the post only covers travel costs and 'maybe some additional expenses, but that's all.'

The advert, which was circulated to students at the University of Leeds, says: 'Chuka Umunna is seeking an enthusiastic placement student to join his London-based office.'

Work responsibilities include researching a wide variety of policy issues and constituent enquiries, preparing letters and briefings and assisting in management casework.

Mr Umunna has been a long-standing critic of low paid jobs and unfair work practices.

The former shadow business secretary tweeted in 2014: 'We have to reduce the incidence of low paid work in Britain and our plans to strengthen the minimum wage will help us do that.'

And in May this year, he wrote: 'The Tories pay lip service to investing in our young people, but they have made cuts at every stage of a child's development from infant to adult.'

Kane Emerson, a student who was sent the job ad by his university, said: 'I really admire Chuka Umunna so I was disappointed that a job opportunity I would have loved to apply to was only feasible for rich, London-based students.

'As a Labour member it was annoying as not only is it unfair that someone's not being paid for work but that it contradicts the labour manifesto on unpaid internships.

'Opportunities like this are only accessible for one type of student: rich.'

Kane added on Twitter: 'Who can afford an unpaid internship in London? Extremely disappointed @ChukaUmunna.'

Serge Valene responded: 'Someone living in London with their wealthy parents. Aside for that can't think who it'll be.'

George Bower demonstrated that not all internships have to be unpaid, tweeting: 'Ouch.

'That's not on. I had two interns working in my London office in 2009. I paid them 25k plus their monthly travel pass. When the office got bonuses so did they.'

Kane Emerson, a student who was sent the job ad by his university, said on Twitter: 'Who can afford an unpaid internship in London? Extremely disappointed @ChukaUmunna.'

Emerson added that he was disappointed that a job opportunity that he 'would have loved to apply to was only feasible for rich, London-based students'

The news come as the government steps up efforts to stamp out unpaid internships.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has written to more than 500 firms in recent months reminding them that interns classed as workers must be paid the minimum wage.

It isn't the first time Mr Umunna has faced criticism over the issue.

He was again branded a hypocrite in 2013 for campaigning for the living wage while advertising for an unpaid internship.

On Twitter, Mr Umunna, who is from Streatham, posted a statement defending the advert.

He said: 'The Leeds University placement is a structured part of politics sandwich-course degrees at the university, and takes place on the strict condition that students receive Student Finance throughout.

'The scheme, and others like it, are run collaboratively by MPs and universities, and gives students supported work experience as part of their university degree.

The advert, which was circulated to students at the University of Leeds (pictured) says: 'Chuka Umunna is seeking an enthusiastic placement student to join his London-based office'

On Twitter, Mr Umunna, who is from Streatham, posted a statement defending the advert saying that the Leeds University placement is a structured part of politics sandwich-course degrees at the university

'In addition to the Student Finance students receive while undertaking a placement, as detailed in the advert, my office will reimburse travel expenses for a student travel card to minimise expenses.

'I do not and would not offer a long-term placement where a student is not supported and left financially penalised.

'Unfortunately, IPSA do not provide additional resources for MPs to recruit interns on a paid basis, though the Parliamentary Labour Party has always argued strongly for them to do so.

'I strongly believe that interns should be paid and, for that reason, I do not have any unsupported interns working in the office despite the many requests received.

'For many years, my office has only accepted students undertaking work experience as part of supported university schemes, or short work experience placements from the schools in my constituency.'

Mr Umunna withdrew from the Labour party leadership contest in 2015, just days after entering the contest.

The rising star of the Labour said that he could not handle the level of pressure and scrutiny that came with being a leadership candidate.

Sir Peter Lampl, founder and chairman of the Sutton Trust, and chairman of the Education Endowment Foundation, said 'Around 40 per cent of young people who have carried out an internship have done so unpaid.

'All internships over four weeks should be paid at least the minimum wage of 7.50 per hour.

'Failure to do so prevents young people from low and moderate-income backgrounds from accessing jobs in some of the most desirable sectors such as journalism, fashion, the arts and politics.'This post is by Anya Dozier Enos, Curriculum/Professional Development Director at Santa Fe Indian School (@SFIS_Braves ).

Todays post is the practitioner perspective on Mondays post: What is the Role of Noncognitive Skills and School Environments in Students Transitions to High School?

In spite of recent increases, New Mexico has poor high school graduation rates compared to the U.S. average, with American Indian students and Hispanic students, in particular, struggling to graduate high school within four years . As a Santa Clara Pueblo Indian proud of New Mexicos many strengths and working at a tribally controlled school, I have long been personally invested in closing achievement gaps and supporting Native American students in their journeys through high school.

From 2013 to 2017, I had the opportunity to participate in REL Southwest s New Mexico Achievement Gap Research Alliance. With members including include staff from district, regional, state, university, and nonprofit groups, the alliance is addressing these concerns by working to identify obstacles to success and reduce achievement gaps among Hispanic and Native American students.

Mondays post outlined the outcomes and implications of the study conducted in response to our Alliances wonderings about students transitions to 9th grade. Study findings point to noncognitive skills and school environments related to study habits, a sense of belonging, and future orientation as being associated with better 9th grade outcomes. As the Curriculum/Professional Development Director at Santa Fe Indian School  a tribally controlled school that serves 7-12 grade Native American students using Bureau of Indian Education funds  I believe these findings validate our good work and give insight into our high graduation rate (in recent years, the 4-year cohort graduation rates fluctuate between 93% and 96%).

Research Findings Reflected In Practice

For example, Santa Fe Indian School places importance on creating a sense of belonging, with tribal leadership having intentionally set the foundation of Pueblo Indian core values into the very land and buildings through careful planning of school spaces and frequent visits. Also ensuring a sense of belonging, academic and dormitory staff offer on-going programing in conjunction with Pueblo community resources to address health and wellness. For example, every Thursday afternoon has activities for all students that address physical, mental and behavioral health, as well as tradition and culture. Often these activities are facilitated and taught by tribal members. Before- and after-school tutoring and study halls are designed to help students develop and improve study skills. Community-based education encourages students to directly apply their academic learning to solve community issues, such as using a simulation (sim) table to model how erosion resulting from recent fires will impact Pueblo communities, which speaks to a future orientation. As our school justifies funding for such initiatives, being able to cite this research, conducted in our own state, is invaluable.

Working Together

To look at the significance of the study from another lens, I also wish to highlight the importance of the process REL Southwest used to tap into the expertise within the Alliance and build further capacity. REL Southwest brought together educational leaders from state agencies, universities, schools, and educational programs from throughout New Mexico to form the New Mexico Achievement Gap Research Alliance, which gave input into how REL Southwests research might be designed give concrete insights into how to improve graduation rates. Many in the group were native New Mexicans like me whose families have been in the state for generations. With a deep love for and commitment to our state, families, children, and education, we know New Mexico has many strengths  bilingual/multicultural people, vast rural landscapes, deep cultural values.

Alliance discussions, facilitated by REL researchers, helped us explore questions around how to identify those strengths to help improve New Mexicos poor graduation rates. Talking through concepts such as capturing grit and developing a survey that was culturally sensitive to all the Native American, Hispanic, and other cultures in our state activated our researcher-selves. Additionally, technical support on survey development was offered not just to the Alliance members, but also to our school-based colleagues. As a state with a relatively small population, many Alliance members already knew each other and were grateful for the time and space that brought us together to inform the good work of REL Southwest. It was an amazing adventure in learning and knowledge sharing; I am excited to delve more deeply into other REL Southwest research findings.

Photo courtesy of REL SouthwestA recovering heroin addict who made international headlines after sharing photos of herself at rock bottom has revealed how her children gave her a new lease on life.

Melissa Lee Matos, 40, shocked the world with photos that showed her in the throes of addiction, her face covered in scabs and eyes rolling to the back of her head.

'I was so lost I couldn't imagine a life without using,' Matos wrote in a frank Facebook post at the time. 'I just wanted to die. I didn't realize I was hardly alive.'

But that all changed when Matos, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, realized she could lose her daughters, the two most important things in her world.

Recovering heroin addict Melissa Lee Matos, 40, has revealed how her children have given her a new lease on life after she shared shocking photos of herself at rock bottom

Matos, of Parkersburg, West Virginia, said she finally found sobriety when she realized she could lose her daughters, the two most important things in her world

There was once a time when it was Matos' daughters that were taking care of her.

Matos recalled her eldest daughter Katherine, now 11, bringing her food and rubbing her head to make her feel better when she was 'sick'.

What her daughter didn't know at the time was that Matos had locked herself away for hours, shooting up heroin or snorting Xanax.

'[She] would...stay by my side, like a mother would when her child was sick,' Matos told The Mirror.

'She would watch her little sister, help her with homework, help get her ready for school. All things a mom would do that, at the time, I was not capable of doing.'

As Katherine became the 'mommy of the house', Matos descended deeper into an addiction she said began after she was prescribed drugs for postnatal depression and pregnancy complications.

Matos had descended deeper into an addiction she said began after she was prescribed drugs for postnatal depression and pregnancy complications

Matos would lock herself away from her daughters in the bathroom or her bedroom for hours while she shot up heroin or snorted Xanax

'I spent most of my days either high or dopesick,' she recalled. 'The mixture of all of these drugs would turn me into a zombie.'

Matos would lock herself away from her daughters in the bathroom or her bedroom for hours while she used.

'What I recall the most was my bedroom,' she said. 'My walls had blood spatters from trying to unclog needles.'

'My bed sheets always had blood, and cigarette burn holes from falling asleep after using heroin or Xanax.'

Matos said her daughters never saw her doing drugs and that the needles were always 'immediately' put away in a lock box by her ex-husband.

But as the years went on, Matos' addiction began to spiral out of control and she soon began 'lying, robbing, and stealing' to get her fix.

Matos said the family house was in 'shambles' and her daughters 'constantly missed school' as she sunk deeper into her addiction

'If crack was around, I smoked it. If pills were around, I snorted them,' Matos said. 'It didn't matter. I hated myself, hated my life.'

Matos said the family house was in 'shambles' and her daughters 'constantly missed school'.

'I was careless, irresponsible, and cold,' she said. 'I was absent as a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend. I began to lose everything and everyone.'

Matos said her oldest daughter still talks about the pain she felt during those years.

'My oldest will talk about how it hurt her, because I was always locked away in my room and I ignored her,' she recalled. 'How it was scary seeing me high.'

Matos overdosed in 2015, her life saved by paramedics. Her daughters had been playing right next door from her bedroom.

Matos overdosed in 2015 and continued to use even after paramedics saved her life

After failing a urine test, Matos nearly lost her daughters. That's when she decided something needed to change

Matos became sober on March 1, 2016 and shared images of her in the throes of addiction to help others with their recovery

After she returned from the hospital, her daughters began living with her parents. But the near-death experience wasn't enough to scare Matos to sobrierty.

'It was one of the lowest moments of my life,' she said. 'Still, I was so sick in my addiction, that didn't stop me.'

'I got home and shot up the same fentanyl that had just almost taken my life.'

Matos would go on to lose two apartments and 'just about all' of her possessions as she sunk deeper and deeper into addiction.

She would cheat the urine tests of her Intensive Outpatient Program, but one day was so high that she forgot and failed.

It was the day she nearly lost everything.

Now Matos posts smiling photos of her and her daughters, aged nine and 11, to show just how far she and her family have come

Matos now works with Alcoholics Anonymous and helps fellow mothers who are addicts or in recovery for their addictions

'Child Protective Services were called. I was going to lose the only things I had left, the only things I loved,' she said.

'That was the day I found sobriety.'

Matos has been sober since March 1, 2016, and began sharing photos of her past - and all the details that come with it - to help others become clean.

She also works with Alcoholics Anonymous and helps mothers who are addicts or in recovery.

Now Matos posts smiling photos of her and her daughters, aged nine and 11, to show just how far she and her family have come.

'Share with me your darkness,' she told her Facebook followers. 'And I will lead you toward the light.'An Allegiant Airline flight was forced to make an emergency landing after the pilot suffered a seizure midflight.

Allegiant Air Flight 1304 left from the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport just before 7am and was headed to Punta Gorda, Florida, Thursday.

However, the airplane diverted and landed at Gainseville Regional Airport around 8.30am after the unidentified pilot suffered a seizure.

Allegiant said in a statement that the 'crew acted quickly' to divert and land the plane to Gainseville, Florida, where the pilot received immediate medical assistance.

Allegiant Air Flight 1304 left Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International airport Thursday morning heading to Punta Gorda, Florida

The pilot, who has not been named, 'walked off the aircraft upon landing' and is being treated at a local hospital.

He is in stable condition, according to the airline.

There were 155 passengers and six crew members on the Airbus A320, an Allegiant spokesperson said.

Gainesville Fire Rescue shared photos to Twitter showing first responders on the tarmac along with the aircraft.

'We provided lunch and compensation while the passengers waited through the delay, and we sincerely appreciate their patience and understanding,' an Allegiant Air spokesperson said.

Allegiant said it brought a new crew to Gainesville to continue the flight to Punta Gorda.When Tom Cruise shared the first picture from the upcoming Top Gun sequel, not everyone was thrilled about Maverick's return to the skies.

The 55-year-old confirmed with an Instagram post that production on the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the 80s fighter pilot classic was underway.

But real-life Mavericks were disappointed to see that the US Navy's new carrier - the F-35C - had been snubbed in favour of the F-18 Super Hornet, which first flew in 1995.

Feel the need: Tom Cruise has shared the first picture from the upcoming Top Gun sequel

Cruise was spotted jumping onto a motorbike on the set of the Top Gun sequel, earmarked for a 2019 release

The supersonic lightning stealth fighter jets - bought by the UK for 100m - will not appear in the sequel

Retired US Marine Corps Lt Col David Berke told Business Insider that he was less than impressed after the 100million aircraft was not chosen despite being hailed as a 'game-changer' this week.

Responding to the choice, he quipped: 'Damn shame. I guess it will be a movie about the past!'

Retired Lt Gen David Deptula branded the film's choice of 'last century's design' a 'missed opportunity'.

This F-18 is pictured at the Top Gun: Maverick shoot as Cruise reprises the iconic role for a follow-up to the classic

Tom Cruise starred in the 1986 action classic, in which his character flew an F-14 Tomcat

Maverick is set to take flight once again - but some aren't happy with his choice of jet this time around

Missed opportunity: The jets hailed as a 'gamechanger' have been snubbed in favour of the 1995 model

Living in the past? The F-18 Super Hornet first flew just nine years after the original Top Gun wowed Hollywood

And it wasn't just the choice of jet critics seized upon. Cruise's post shows him donning a flightsuit and carrying the exact same helmet he wore in the 1986 original along with his iconic aviators.

The Aviationist pointed out how unrealistic the outdated choice of helmet would be for modern fighters.

Day 1: The 55-year-old confirmed with an Instagram post that production on the eagerly anticipate follow-up to the '80s classic was underway

The 1986 action classic was credited with boosting US Navy recruitment by 500 per cent, which is why those in the service today are so passionate about the sequel's choice of plane.

The original film sees Cruise's character flying his beloved F-14 Tomcat, long since retired in Top Gun: Maverick.

Finally: The sequel  tiled Top Gun: Maverick  has been in the works since 2010, when paramount approached producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott

US jet specifications F-18 Super Hornet: First Flight: 1995 Top Speed: 1,915km/h Range: 3,330km Wingspan: 14m Engine: General Electric F414 F-35C Lightning II: First flight: 2009 Top speed: 1,960km/h Range: 1,667 km Wingspan: 10.7m Engine: Pratt & Whitney F135 turbofan Advertisement

But the sequel's producers aren't alone in their enthusiasm for the F-18. The F-35 community might be bitterly disappointed, but US President Donald Trump also favours their main competitor.

Yesterday the Republican leader bragged about their performance, crediting the aircraft with taking out between 100 and 300 Russian targets in Syria back in February.

Top Gun: Maverick  has been in the works since 2010, when paramount approached producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Tony Scott.

However when Tony  brother of fellow director Ridley Scott  committed suicide in 2012, the project's future was in question.

The plot will reporedly focus on the end of the dogfighting era, and the rise of drones.

Val Kilmer is also set to reprise his role as Iceman. Top Gun: Maverick is slated for release on July 12, 2019. It remains to be seen who will fill the second seat, with Goose now long gone.Italy's new prime minister was sworn into power as the head of a populist Eurosceptic coalition government this afternoon ending months of political chaos in the country.

New Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is the anti-establishment Five Star Movement's pick to lead the country and his government has promised to cut taxes, boost welfare spending and overhaul European Union rules on budgets.

Conte has appointed Matteo Salvini, the leader of the country's far-right party, as interior minister.

Salvini said on Friday his first order of business is to revamp the nation's immigration policies. He wants to reduce the number of migrants arriving, increase the number of expulsions and cut the funds Italy spends tending to migrants.

Scroll down for video:

Italy's new Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stands in front of President Sergio Mattarella during the ceremony to swear in a new government

Giuseppe Conte (right) shakes hands with Italy's President Sergio Mattarella during the swearing in ceremony

Italy's president Sergio Mattarella poses with newly appointed Ministers after the government was sworn-in

Salvini's League party has long taken a hard line against illegal migration, demanding the European Union do more to shoulder Italy's burden.

However, migrant arrivals to Italy have actually plunged in the last year under the center-left Democratic Party, which signed controversial deals with Libya to beef up coastal patrols and prevent migrants from setting out in smugglers' boats across the Mediterranean Sea.

The past week has also been marked by bad blood between Brussels and Rome over comments regarding the southern EU member.

And now there are fears that Italy's new populist government could run an obstructionist course within the 28-nation bloc, where many key decisions need unanimity.

However, European Council President Donald Tusk has congratulated Giuseppe Conte on his appointment as Italy's new prime minister and called for 'unity and solidarity more than ever.'

The new Prime Minister stands in front of President Mattarella during the swearing-in

New Italian Interior Minister and deputy-premier Matteo Salvini applauds during the ceremony. His party has promised to deport 500,000 illegal immigrants

Tusk said 'I strongly believe that our community will only flourish when based on respectful dialogue and loyal cooperation, which I will do my best to ensure.'

Despite the rhetoric, Italy also looks set to adopt a more pro-EU stance with the appointment of Giovanni Tria as minister for economic development - he advocates slashing taxes but supports keeping Italy in the euro.

Earlier coalition talks collapsed when the nation's president vetoed the appointment of a vehemently anti-EU economy minister. The new government's plan to increase welfare spending could clash with EU budget rules.

On Thursday EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker criticised Italy, saying its citizens should work more and be less corrupt.

Italy has faced political instability for three months after inconclusive March elections, rocking financial markets and spreading unease among its euro partners.

Matteo Salvini, right, stands beside Luigi Di Maio, leader of the Five-Star Movement

The Five-Star Movement's ministers arrive at the Quirinale Palace in Rome. From left to right Riccardo Fraccari (Relations with the Parliament), Alfonso Bonafede (Justice), deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio, Danilo Toninelli (Infrastructure) and Giulia Grillo (Health)

New Interior Minister Matteo Salvini arriving at the palace after the new government was announced

New Family Minister Lorenzo Fontana with his daughter in his arms flanked by his wife, arrive at Quirinale Palace

Minister for Foreign Affairs Enzo Moavero also arriving at the palace. He is seen as a figure who can negotiate with Brussels

Giuseppe Conte (pictured leaving his house today) has become prime minister after Italy's president gave him a second chance to form a government on Thursday evening

Italy's Prime Minister-designate Giuseppe Conte, centre, walks on his way to parliament in Rome today. He has been sworn in as the country's new head of government

Conte, a little known lawyer and political novice, announced his picks for the country's future cabinet after meeting with President Sergio Mattarella.

Right-wing League leader Matteo Salvini was named interior minister while Five Star Movement leader Luigi Di Maio is set to become minister for economic development.

Paolo Savona, a Eurosceptic originally picked for economy minister but rejected by Mattarella - a move which sank the two parties' first attempt at a coalition - is still part of the cabinet as European Affairs minister.

Salvini said at a rally: 'Without promising any miracles, I can say that, after the first months of this government of change, I would like us to have a country with a little less tax and a little more security, a few more jobs and a few less illegal immigrants.'

The role of economy minister was given to the less controversial Giovanni Tria, who advocates slashing taxes but supports keeping Italy in the euro.

Brussels-savvy Enzo Moavero Milanesi was appointed minister of foreign affairs.

According to Italian media the populist line-up will face a vote of confidence in both houses of parliament on Monday or Tuesday.

Who is in charge of Italy and what does it mean for the euro's future? Could Italy leave the euro? Despite outspoken criticism of the European Union from both parties and the presence in cabinet of arch eurosceptic Paolo Savona, the M5S-League government programme does not call for a unilateral exit from the eurozone. M5S has publicly abandoned the idea of a referendum on the euro, and while the League signed the programme and therefore has committed to staying in the single currency, in the past it has called the euro 'a failed economic and social experiment' but proposed reforms and an eventual coordinated exit along with a number of other countries in the long term. Recent polls suggest 60-70 percent of Italians oppose a pullout. How will markets respond? A tumultuous campaign, inconclusive election results, political deadlock and fears of fresh elections put the markets in a spin. The prospect of a M5S-League accord was initially met with some relief - until the coalition revealed their government programme. In reaction to the costly measures and eurosceptic tone, key financial indicators pointed to decreasing investor confidence in Italy. The spread or difference in yield between Italian and German 10-year government bonds, exceeded 300 points at the start of the week, compared to 130 three weeks ago. However it had soared to nearly 600 points in 2011 helping push out Berlusconi. Long-term partnership? Both Luigi Di Maio of the Five Star Movement and League leader Matteo Salvini insist they intend to stay the course for a full five-year mandate and implement their programme. But their parties only have a 32 vote majority in the Chamber of Deputies and it is wafer thin in the Senate. And they will have to keep a tight rein on their MPs - especially those who view the new alliance with scepticism - to go the distance. Who is really in charge? M5S holds more clout in the new coalition having won almost 33 percent in the March election, compared to the League's 17 percent. But Salvini is a rising star, who has seized pole in position and claims to represent the 37 percent who voted for the right-wing coalition in which he campaigned. Meanwhile the shadow of M5S founder Beppe Grillo, an outspoken former comedian, still looms large over Di Maio's party. A question mark also hangs over the fate of flamboyant former premier Silvio Berlusconi. Part of the right-wing alliance with Salvini, Berlusconi begrudgingly gave the green light for the League and M5s to make a deal without his Forza Italia party. But the ageing media tycoon disapproves of the new government programme. After a recent court ruling overturned a ban on him holding public office, he could once again be able to exert influence and has promised 'reasonable and critical opposition'. What can the president do? President Sergio Mattarella's refusal to accept Savona as economy minister forced the coalition to appoint a team that may offer greater reassurance to Brussels. Elected by a centre-left parliament, Mattarella has pointed out that not only does he have the power to veto ministers but he can also reject any law deemed financially non-viable. He is also the guarantor of Italy's international commitments and intends to keep a close eye on any move to alter Italy's role on the world stage, especially given Salvini's scathing comments on the EU and praise for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Advertisement

Giuseppe Conte leaves his house today on his way to Rome's Montecitorio Palace

Of 18 ministers in the cabinet, only five are women.

Salvini said at a rally: 'Without promising any miracles, I can say that, after the first months of this government of change, I would like us to have a country with a little less tax and a little more security, a few more jobs and a few less illegal immigrants.'

The country had looked to be on course for snap elections after coalition talks between the anti-establishment Five Star Movement and the far-right League collapsed over the weekend.

Mattarella vetoed the choice of Savona as economy minister, bringing a temporary halt to the populist parties' bid for power.

The president then asked pro-austerity economist Carlo Cottarelli to form a caretaker government, but when it became clear he would not win a confidence vote Five Star and the League frantically resumed talks to get their coalition back on track.

'All the conditions have been met for a M5S-League government,' said the party leaders in a joint statement sent by the Five Star Movement.

Italy's new far-right interior minister: League leader Matteo Salvini will crackdown on migrants With his 'Italians first' rallying cry and his tub-thumping against Islam and a 'migrant invasion' Matteo Salvini has rebranded himself and his party to become both interior minister and joint deputy prime minister and bring Italy touching distance from its first eurosceptic government. As leader of the far-right League, the 45-year-old has got his hands on national security and public order, allowing him to focus on some of the chief aspects of his rabble-rousing election campaigning - stopping illegal immigration and deporting those who have already arrived. Salvini was sworn in as interior minister after striking a last-gasp deal to resurrect a coalition with Five Star Movement head Luigi Di Maio, an agreement that has now brough Italy a populist government after nearly three months of post-electoral deadlock. Far-right League leader Matteo Salvini (pictured) was named interior minister He took control of the rightwing coalition that won the most votes in March's election when his League party surpassed ally Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia. Since taking over the old Northern League in 2013, Salvini has ridden a wave of public discontent, playing on anti-immigrant sentiment as he sought to shift the party's image from defender of the wealthy north against its 'parasite' south, to that of guardian of Italy's national sovereignty. Now he's heading into government with southerner Luigi Di Maio and the Five Star Movement, which picked up the vast majority of its seats in the south. Since Salvini took over the League, nearly 700,000 people have landed in Italy after crossing the Mediterranean sparking a sense of resentment among many Italians who feel Europe has abandoned them - a sentiment which he has successfully exploited. Salvini, who in 2009 was caught on video singing songs about 'stinking' Neapolitans and in 2012 said the south didn't deserve the euro, represents impoverished southern region Calabria in the Senate and has redirected his regional chauvinism to take the League nationwide. Born and raised in Milan in 1973, Salvini joined what was then the Northern League in 1990, aged just 17, rising quickly through the ranks. At the time, the Northern League was a regional party known for its separatist campaign to secede from Italy, with Salvini making his name while running its Radio Padania - the wealthier northern region they wanted to see independent. One of his shows was called 'Never Say Italy' and in 2011, he won notoriety for boycotting Italy's 150-year anniversary celebrations, putting his desk outside Milan city hall to show he was working. 'The Tricolore doesn't represent me,' Salvini said of the Italian flag in 2014. But by 2018, he was campaigning as far south as Matera in the impoverished Basilicata region, where he promised 'order, rules, cleanliness' and railed against 'out of control' immigration. In a recent video on his Facebook page, which has more than two million fans, Salvini said he would work to 'stop the landings' once in power. He opposes same-sex unions, wants to deport foreign criminals and to bulldoze Roma camps. And as talks were under way to form the new government, he posted a photo of himself standing next to a bulldozer on Twitter with the message: 'We're working for you.' Since taking over the League, Salvini has forged alliances with other far-right Europeans like France's National Front and Dutch anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders. Despite positive words for Russian President Vladimir Putin, Salvini in 2013 called the EU a 'gulag' like the 'Soviet Union' saying he would work to try and leave it. He has kept immigration high on the agenda, and has pointed the finger at 'an invasion' as responsible for the racist gun rampage in February in central Italy in which a self-proclaimed fascist shot six Africans. A savvy social media user, he has managed to successfully push his agenda online, updating his followers daily with constant updates, live videos, photos and even pictures of what he eats. Although happy to talk about his two children - 14-year-old Federico and Mirta, five - he is less happy to discuss his complicated love life. Currently living with glamorous model and TV presenter Elisa Isoardi, his children are from two previous relationships, one with ex-wife Fabrizia Ieluzzi, a political journalist, and the other with former girlfriend Giulia Martinelli. Advertisement

In light of the populists' successful talks, Cottarelli announced on Thursday that he was giving up his mandate to form a technocrat government.

'The formation of a political government is by far the best solution for the country, because it avoids the uncertainty that would arise with new elections,' said Cottarelli after meeting with Mattarella.

The programme proposed by the populists promises to revive Italy's sluggish economy by rejecting austerity and increasing spending.

Their ambitious economic proposals - which include a universal basic income for Italy's poorest, rolling back pension reform and a two tier flat tax - have worried Brussels and financial markets given the country's sizeable debt.

Italy's 2.3 trillion euros of debt is 132 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), the highest ratio in Europe apart from Greece and more than double the bloc's 60-percent ceiling.

The government programme includes plans to speed up expulsions of illegal immigrants and crack down on trafficking.

The eurosceptic coalition also promises a series of measures to reign in the EU including renegotiation of EU treaties and a review of the bloc's economic governance on issues such as the single currency.

But on Thursday EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned against blaming the EU for all of Italy's problems.

'I'm in deep love with Italy, Bella Italia. But I no longer accept that everything which is going wrong in South of Italy, in Mezzogiorno, is explained by the fact that the EU or the European Commission would not do enough,' he said after leaving a meeting in Brussels.

'Italians have to take care of the poor regions of Italy. That means more work, less corruption, seriousness.'

He urged Italy not to 'play this game' of holding the EU responsible, adding 'Nations first, Europe second.'

Political neophyte Conte skipped teaching a class at the University of Florence to return to Rome after he was summoned to meet Mattarella at the presidential palace on Thursday night.We all know about how our brave RAF saw off the Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain.

But as well as Spitfires against Messerschmitts, another struggle was going on in the skies around our coast during the Second World War, it was revealed yesterday.

British carrier pigeons ferrying messages back from Nazi-occupied Europe were falling foul of the Nazis specially trained killer hawks.

Ursula, a trained peregrine falcon, swoops on a pigeon in June 1945 (left) and Captain Caiger of the British Army Pigeon Service holds a carrier pigeon equipped with a 'back carrier' message capsule (right)

Our birds work was so vital that a special MI5 unit was set up to shoot dead anything that attacked them.

The Falcon Destruction Unit  the only MI5 squad in history with a licence to kill  was the 007s of the bird world.

The unit drove around in an open touring car, an American Packard, attached to a caravan in which the men slept at night.

The director-general of MI5 approved the creation of a falconry unit to dispose of enemy birds. They were trained for five weeks at a base in Pembrokeshire.

The existence of the unit is revealed in Secret Pigeon Service by Gordon Corera.

It tells how, under Operation Columba, thousands of homing pigeons were dropped behind enemy lines. But as they flew back to Britain with vital intelligence, many fell victim to the twin threat of Nazi hawks and native peregrine falcons.

Speaking at the Hay Festival, Corera  the BBCs security correspondent  told how in 1940 this prompted MI5 to create the Falcon Destruction Unit, five crack shots with licence to roam the British coast shooting dead any predatory birds.

Pigeons faced many enemies. One of them was that Germans became aware the pigeons were dropped and started punishing people with the death penalty if they didnt hand them in, he said. But the pigeon also had its own enemy  the hawk, the falcon. The Germans actually weaponised hawks and placed them on the coast to hunt those British pigeons and kill them.

In the slightly strange world of pigeon intelligence there were also wild hawks and peregrine falcons on the British coast that would kill some of these pigeons coming back from occupied Europe with messages.

Our carrier pigeons work was so vital that a special MI5 unit was set up to shoot dead anything that attacked them

MI5 was initially unsure how to respond, but soon decided to create a special kill squad.

This is the only MI5 team with a licence to kill they might have a secret team now with a licence to kill but they claim not, Corera said.

MI5 then began to suspect the Germans were also employing pigeons, so established its own counter-pigeon unit.

But the hawks and falcons trained to attack any German pigeons were a dismal failure, killing just seven birds  all of them British.

Between April 1941 and September 1944, more than 16,000 British pigeons were dropped in occupied Europe in fortified cages, with pleas for any information to be put in a tiny capsule on the birds leg.

Only one in ten returned alive, but some provided crucial information.

A message from a Belgian priest in 1941 was the basis of an intelligence report on troop positions, bombing raids and a chateau being used by Nazi high command  and proved to Winston Churchill that Europe was ready to fight the Nazis.A group of friends from Washington were seen dashing for cover as a dust devil threatened to ruin their picnic on Monday by sending steel benches, planks of wood and inflatable water toys flying.

Incredible footage of the short lived but powerful whirlwind shows wooden planks flying off a roof into the water one by one as picnic items and water toys swirl around them.

Peter Barnes had been boating at Lake Sammamish with friends and two dogs, and he was headed in for dinner when the wind picked up.

The dogs were already off the boat when the dust devil approached them, with one dog running off as the other avoided being hit by mere inches.

A dust devil on Lake Sammamish in Washington was filmed causing havoc on Monday

The whirlwind sent pool toys and boating gear flying (pictured) after it left the water and came on to land

After flinging steel benches into the water, ripping off the roof of a small shelter and sending Barnes' belongings flying, the dust devil disappeared just as quickly as it came.

Barnes told KPIC he and his friends spent about 45 minutes walking up and down the beach, and into the water, to get their stuff back.

In addition, two of them helped to carry in one of the benches that was flung into the water.

Though the event may have put a small dampener on his evening, Barnes said nothing too important was dragged off.

'We're pretty happy the dogs got away,' he said. 'It happened in a flash.'

Steel chairs (left) were seen being blown into the water, and Peter Barnes, who filmed the event, said it ripped one apart

Two dogs who were on the boat with Barnes and his friends were seen coming out to see what the fuss was about but only narrowly avoided being swept up themselves

Dust devils are similar to tornadoes, with both weather phenomenons being a swirling updraft under conditions during fair weather.

They form when hot air near the surface of the earth rises quickly through a small pocket of cooler, low-pressure air above it.

The column of hot air then begins to rotate if the conditions are right and stretches vertically as the air rapidly rises.

They are known as dust devils because in many countries around the world they were thought to be bad spirits.

Aborigines would warn their children a spirit will emerge from the cloud of hot air if they misbehave.

The Navajo Indians in North America also say a good spirit will spin clockwise and a bad spirit anti-clockwise.

Across the Middle East they are known as djin, genies or devils and they are even known to rise up on the surface of Mars.Google found itself in hot water on Thursday after a search listed 'Nazism' as California Republican Party's ideology.

The error was listed in the Knowledge Panel' section of the search, followed by other ideologies like Conservatism, Market liberalism, Fiscal conservatism and Green conservatism.

Political strategist Eric Wilson was the first person to spot the mistake and share a screenshot of the search on Twitter, which was picked up by Vice News.

Big mistake: A search listed 'Nazism' as California Republican Party's ideology on Thursday

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California, lashed out at Google in a tweet and called the error 'a disgrace'

Wilson later tweeted that 'Google should apologize for labeling Republicans nazis.'

Google's Knowledge Panel draws facts about any given subject from various sources, such as Wikipedia, which is crowd-sourced.

Google has since entirely removed the 'Ideology' category from the California Republican Party's Knowledge Panel.

But California Democratic Partys search page stills lists its ideologies, among them Social liberalism, Modern liberalism and Progressivism.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Republican from California who could soon replace outgoing House Speaker Paul Ryan, lashed out at Google in a tweet this afternoon, calling the snafu a 'disgrace.'

McCarthy (pictured with President Trump in January) said Thursday's incident was just the latest 'in a disturbing trend to slander conservatives'

All fixed: Google has now entirely removed the 'Ideology' category from the California Republican Party's Knowledge Panel

In a follow-up tweet, McCarthy wrote: 'Sadly, this is just the latest incident in a disturbing trend to slander conservatives. These damaging actions must be held to account. #StopTheBias

The embarrassing mistake comes just days before voters in California head to the polls to cast their ballots in state-wide primaries next Tuesday.

A Google representative told Fox News the inclusion of Nazism in the search page was likely caused by an act of cyber-vandalism on one of the information sources.

This was not the result of any manual change by anyone at Google, the spokesperson told the network. We don't bias our search results toward any political party. Sometimes people vandalize public information sources, like Wikipedia, which can impact the information that appears in search.

The representative went on to say that the tech giant has systems in place to spot and correct vandalism in search results, but sometimes errors do occur, which was allegedly the case with Nazism.Children are starting school unable to speak properly, dress themselves or even use the toilet, the head of Ofsted warns today.

In a damning verdict on the standard of some modern-day parenting, Amanda Spielman will highlight the rising number of pre-school children who are not taught basic speech or hygiene.

In a speech to nursery leaders in London today, Mrs Spielman will issue a plea to daycare staff to step in and help such children by teaching them basic skills.

She will say some infants are 'unlucky' in their 'family culture' because they do not have bedtime stories or nursery rhymes, and are not even taught the alphabet.

She will reveal research which shows some four- and five-year-olds know only a third of the words they should, meaning they cannot follow what is going on at school and quickly fall behind  a disadvantage that can stay with them for life.

While Mrs Spielman will not explicitly accuse families of feckless parenting, she will acknowledge that parents 'clearly have the most important role here' when it comes to solving the issues.

Children are starting school unable to speak properly, dress themselves or even use the toilet, claims the head of Ofsted. File image used

Ofsted's intervention as the official inspector of pre-schools is significant because it places an onus on nursery staff to act.

Mrs Spielman wants all children arriving at Reception  the first year of school  to be able to carry out simple tasks, such as using a pencil, kicking a ball, putting on their shoes and taking off their coat.

She also wants them to be able to understand the words 'no' and 'stop' and be trained to sit through 'the duration of a story'.

She will tell members of the Pre-School Learning Alliance: 'Some children are 'lucky'. And I'm talking here about family culture, not just money.

They get lots of help outside school from parents and family. Nursery rhymes, ABCs and settling down for a bedtime story are part and parcel of their daily lives.

'But 'unlucky' children certainly need more of the structured learning to replace what they don't necessarily get at home.

'We now have a situation where, aged four, some children have less than a third of the English vocabulary of their peers.

In a damning verdict on the standard of some modern-day parenting, Amanda Spielman (pictured) will highlight the rising number of pre-school children who are not taught basic speech or hygiene

Don't be afraid to let children run and climb Children should be encouraged to play on park equipment because 'risk is part of a proper childhood', Ofsted's Amanda Spielman will say. In her speech in London today, she will urge nursery staff not to obsess too much about health and safety because it inhibits play and a child's natural development. It follows reports of schools and nurseries removing equipment and even trees from playgrounds because they put pupils at risk of falling or slipping. Many nurseries fear they will lose marks in Ofsted inspections in the 'safeguarding' section if they do not eliminate even the tiniest of risks. Mrs Spielman will say: 'Of course we expect you to take risk seriously and to supervise children properly. 'But equally, don't take away the climbing frame in case someone falls or avoid journeys to the park for fear of crossing the road. 'Some level of risk is part of a proper childhood. And without it, we stifle children's natural inquisitiveness and their opportunities to learn.' Advertisement

'These children arrive at school without the words they need to communicate properly.

'Just imagine the disadvantage they face, right from the start. Unable to follow what's going on. Unable to keep up with their classmates. Unable to reach their potential.

'As a child, you will do worse at school. As a young adult, you may struggle to find work.

'And as a parent, you won't be able to help your own children learn. This is a vicious cycle.'

Mrs Spielman is expected to emphasise the importance of reading 'time-honoured classics' by 'Hans Christian Andersen, Dr Seuss, Judith Kerr, Maurice Sendak through to Julia Donaldson'.

She will stress that she does not expect nursery staff to become 'substitute parents', but she believes nurseries and childminders must 'play their part' because many pre-schoolers spend much of their daytime in childcare.

Nursery leaders in London will be told that children are not coming to school with the necessary life skills expected at four. File image used

'What you do to identify children who are struggling, work with parents and monitor progress, can make a world of difference,' she will say.

'We know that the best nurseries work closely with families, helping to establish simple routines, such as sleep time and potty training.'

On toilet training, she will say: 'It is alarming that more and more schools report children turning up on their first day of Reception unable to do this. Indeed, there have been recent news stories about children being sent to school in nappies!'

This week, a survey of teachers found that a fifth of them spend up to 30 minutes a week toilet-training children.

Mrs Spielman, a Cambridge graduate and mother of two, spent much of her life as an accountant and investment adviser for leading City firms.

In 2004, she became research and policy director for the Ark academy chain before becoming chairman of exams regulator Ofqual in 2011.

Mrs Spielman wants all children arriving at Reception  the first year of school  to be able to carry out simple tasks, such as using a pencil, kicking a ball, putting on their shoes and taking off their coat. File imageTwo boys drowned in County Clare when one of the teenagers got into difficulty while swimming and his friend swam out to help.

But the second youngster also found himself in difficulty and a rescue team was dispatched.

They have been named locally as Jack Kenneally and Shay Maloney - both aged 15 and from Ennis.

Emergency services attended an incident at a quarry lake at Knockanean in Ennis at 3.30pm today.

They have been named locally as Jack Kenneally (right) and Shay Maloney (left) - both aged 15 and from Ennis

Fire fighters at the scene where it's understood the two 15-year-olds were among a group of teenagers who had been swimming in an abandoned quarry

Two boys were pronounced dead after being airlifted from the water and taken to hospital in a critical condition

The two 15-year-old boys, believed to be from Ennis, were airlifted to University Hospital Limerick in a critical condition, but were later pronounced dead, Gardai said.

Police had been told that people were in difficulty in the water and assistance was required.

A rescue helicopter from Shannon was dispatched and the two boys were taken from the lake.

Photograph shows a Garda (who did not want the be identified) leaving the quarry where two boys drowned

One friend is thought to have been trying to save the other in the water when both got into difficulty

Ennis Community College, where Jack was a second-year student, said in a statement they were deeply saddened by his death.

The school has said offers of support have been pouring in, and that psychologists are supporting and advising teachers in their support of students and their families following the tragedy.

The White House is condemning a Democratic congressional candidate's ad that compares President Donald Trump to Osama bin Laden and concludes Trump is the greater threat to democracy.

Dan Helmer, the Army vet who is running against GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock in Virginia suburbs of Washington, tries to nationalize the race in his new ads, which includes shots of the Pentagon, a speeding passenger plane, bin Laden, and the rubble outside the World Trade Center.

'After 9/11, the greatest threat to our democracy lived in a cave," Helmer says. "Today, he lives in the White House. No one, even the President, is above the law."

Congressional candidate Dan Helmer compares President Trump to Osama bin Laden in a new ad, and has been slammed by the White House for it

The White House slammed the ad as 'reprehensible' and demanded leaders condemn it.

'The message sent in a campaign ad from a congressional candidate from Virginia is nothing short of reprehensible. Leaders from across the political spectrum  starting with Leader Pelosi  must swiftly condemn this abhorrent message,' White House deputy press secretary Raj Shah said in a statement.

The message sent in a campaign ad from a congressional candidate from Virginia is nothing short of reprehensible.' - deputy White House press secretary Raj Shah

house Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's office said she did not condone 'the end' of the ad.

'While the Leader does not condone the end of this ad, if the President wants to join in raising the level of civility in politics he should begin with himself,' Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill told CNN.

Helmer touts his military service, then compares Trump to Osama bin Laden

Rep. Barbara Comstock, R-Va., participates in the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force news conference on the release of the 2018 legislative agenda for the 115th Congress on Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2018

Helmer is running in a northern Virginian district

'Its an outrageous and offensive thing to say, and beyond the pale,' Comstock said in a statement she posted on Twitter.

Helmer got panned for an earlier ad  but this time for poor taste of the singing variety.

Helmer, who campaigns as a vet and a Rhodes scholar, did a take on 1980s Tom Cruise movie 'Top Gun,' sporting aviator glasses and a flight jacket.

Then he tried to recreate the famous scene, with somewhat less successful tavern karaoke.

The ad has Helmer mocking Comstock for refusing to hold town hall meetings.

'You never hold town halls anymore with constituents,' Helmer croons to the tune of the Righteous Brothers' 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling.'

'Planned Parenthood and Obamacare you voted against. You're trying hard not to show it, but Barbara, Barbara you know it!

'You've lost that centrist feeling, cause you've been right-wing appealing. We've lost that loving feeling, now it's gone, gone, gone. You've got to go.'

Fox News Channel anchor Bret Baier reacted in September when the ad went around the Internet: 'Is this as painful as I sense it is... or is it like a car crash that you can't turn away from.. I can't decide.'

Demorat Hillary Clinton carried the district by 10 points in 2016, making Comstock a top target.

'I approve of town halls, bad singing and this message,' Helmer says at the end of the ad

Helmer is a Rhodes Scholar and a U.S. Army veteranEarlier this year, I wrote a post about how teams of teachers can work together across subject areas to improve student reading . I received comments on the piece from two school librarians, pointing out that they have important contributions to make to the effort, and questioning why I had not included school librarians in my suggestions in the first place. Well, they are absolutely right about this, and their voices prompted my reflection on the topic.

Ive taught in four public schools in New York City and only ONE had a true functioning library with a certified librarian in it. Let me tell you, that one school library was small, but game changing, thanks to the wonderful work of the librarian, Leslie Gallager, and the wise choice to fund it by school leaders at Brooklyn Prospect.

When the school (which was new) created the library, I was not accustomed to having the resource of a school library or librarian, so it took me some time to figure out how to utilize it in my ELA class. Luckily, our librarian was quick to reach out to teachers, making it known she had resources and skills that could benefit our students and enrich our teaching, while at the same time making our work more manageable.

Skilled School Librarians Benefit Students & Teachers

Knowledge of Books: One major way Leslie helped my students and me was with her vast knowledge of books, both fiction and non-fiction, classic and current. In the past, I had prided myself on knowing a wide range of great YA books, but when our librarian started showing me exciting new titles, I realized that I had not been keeping up as much as I once did. I could have beat myself up over this, but the truth was, I was busy reading student writing from my large load of students, and keeping up with teacher blogs and articles on teaching practices and education policy. I had slipped on a key aspect of my discipline--finding new books to feed my students reading interests--and my schools librarian lifted me back up.

Over time, I got used to her being there to support my students and me to find books related to all kinds of interests. This aspect of my role as ELA teacher got easier and at the same time more exciting. Leslie opened the door to the reading world wider than I could do on my own.

Making Connections: Our school librarian helped students connect to reading and digital literacies in a variety of ways. She found out what students were learning about in history and science class and found interesting reading materials to connect to those topics. She helped us bring local authors to visit to talk to students about their work. She helped students and teachers access periodicals and other helpful programs online.

I had the chance to talk on the phone with Dorcas Hand, one of the school librarians who commented on my earlier blog post. Shes now retired and runs a grassroots advocacy group in Houston , where the public schools of HISD are now seeing a great rise in available positions for school librarians.

Dorcas told me about one of the wonderful ways she connected with students writing--through an annual school-wide project called History As Story. In collaboration with English and Social Studies teachers, the project involved students in writing literary non-fiction on topics students had previously researched in their classes. Each year, Dorcas brought a different non-fiction author to conduct master classes with the students. The students would write about their research topic novelistically, from the point of view of a person they had researched from the time period. By narrating an episode in that persons life, they would reveal the effect of the times on the person and the person on the times.

Dorcas explained that one of the amazing things about this was that students went through the process each year from fourth through eighth grade, each time with different topics and different authors guiding their work. It was phenomenal to see the quality of students writing in this genre by eighth grade, she said.

As a teacher, this example highlights one of the key benefits of having a highly skilled school librarian --they are in the position to influence and support the culture of reading and writing across a school. Can this project be done by an individual teacher? Yes. But its something different when one person with a vision and the time to implement it leads it consistently for the entire school, every year.

There is a cumulative benefit to students and teachers, both academic and cultural, when a school librarian becomes a literacy leader.

Can Classroom Libraries Replace School Libraries?

Maintaining a school library is another task that positions librarians as literacy leaders. Classroom libraries maintained by teachers are wonderful and essential--this is not an either/or argument. But when we cut school librarians and rely solely on teachers to curate classroom libraries we open the door to several problems I have experienced first hand, and close the door to other key benefits:



The first issue is manageability . It takes a tremendous amount of work to maintain a vibrant classroom library. Continually researching books, doing the advocacy and paperwork to get copies of new books ordered, keeping them organized and appealingly laid out, managing check out and return processes (even when students are in charge, this is still a responsibility for the teacher), and so forth is challenging. While some schools take measures to support teachers in doing this, most often it takes time we dont really have. That means we either dont do a great job, or we do it at the expense of something else we are supposed to do, or we work unsustainable hours (and as the data shows, eventually leave the classroom, along with that great classroom library).

. It takes a tremendous amount of work to maintain a vibrant classroom library. Continually researching books, doing the advocacy and paperwork to get copies of new books ordered, keeping them organized and appealingly laid out, managing check out and return processes (even when students are in charge, this is still a responsibility for the teacher), and so forth is challenging. While some schools take measures to support teachers in doing this, most often it takes time we dont really have. That means we either dont do a great job, or we do it at the expense of something else we are supposed to do, or we work unsustainable hours (and as the data shows, eventually leave the classroom, along with that great classroom library). The second issue is consistency and, consequently, equity . When we leave this work to individual teachers, the results will vary by classroom and grade level. Teachers will prioritize differently. Students will have years where the classroom library is amazing and other years where there may be virtually no classroom library. Some libraries may feature a range of books with diverse characters--others wont. Who ensures an equitable experience for students across a school? Maybe a literacy coach can effectively do this, but again, coaches are charged with a number of responsibilities and their focus will vary. A librarian can make access to books a priority every day.

and, consequently, . When we leave this work to individual teachers, the results will vary by classroom and grade level. Teachers will prioritize differently. Students will have years where the classroom library is amazing and other years where there may be virtually no classroom library. Some libraries may feature a range of books with diverse characters--others wont. Who ensures an equitable experience for students across a school? Maybe a literacy coach can effectively do this, but again, coaches are charged with a number of responsibilities and their focus will vary. A librarian can make access to books a priority every day. Another issue is space . Just as there are huge benefits to having classroom libraries, where teachers can facilitate students exploration of book choices in an immediate, hands on way, there are special benefits, too, of a designated library space . Dorcas explained that the library becomes a place where many students feel at home, especially when they might not elsewhere in the school. I remember seeing this happen for a number of my students, and I remember being one of those students myself. I spent study halls in middle school and high school in the school library, and it was a needed haven. For students who dont have internet or computer access at home, the library can be a crucial after school and summer support. (Check out this Middleweb article on how school libraries can slow down the summer reading slide .)

. Just as there are huge benefits to having classroom libraries, where teachers can facilitate students exploration of book choices in an immediate, hands on way, there are special benefits, too, of a . Dorcas explained that the library becomes a place where many students feel at home, especially when they might not elsewhere in the school. I remember seeing this happen for a number of my students, and I remember being one of those students myself. I spent study halls in middle school and high school in the school library, and it was a needed haven. For students who dont have internet or computer access at home, the library can be a crucial after school and summer support. (Check out this Middleweb article on how school libraries can slow down the summer reading slide .) Finally, having someone other than their teacher to recommend books to students is also valuable. Children and adolescents need multiple models and influencers when it comes to reading, and a school librarian has the added advantage of being able to cultivate those relationships with students over a number of years.

In New York City and across the country--but especially in urban schools--school libraries staffed with certified librarians have become harder and harder to find. I assume thats because cutting them can seem like a viable way to stretch a limited budget and maximize often crowded school facilities. If student achievement is the goal, though, then this option is neither positive nor pragmatic. Research shows a strong correlation between the presence of a certified school librarian and student achievement . Just because many of us havent had the privilege of working with a school librarian recently, lets not forget how important they are. Lets recognize vibrant school libraries as a key component of a quality education--one that benefits students and teachers alike.

[Photo by Redd Angelo on Unsplash ]Autotrader and State Farm have both pulled sponsorship of Samantha Bee's late-night comedy show following her controversial 'feckless c**t' slur against Ivanka Trump.

The comedian apologized to Ivanka and viewers on Thursday for using the obscenity to describe the president's daughter on her TBS show Full Frontal the previous night.

Bee used the slur towards the end of a segment about President Trump's immigration policies as she urged Ivanka to speak to her father about systems that separate children from their parents.

'You know, Ivanka, that's a beautiful photo of you and your child, but let me just say, one mother to another, do something about your dad's immigration practices, you feckless c***,' she said after showing a photo of Ivanka and her toddler son Theodore.

Comedian Samantha Bee used the slur to describe Ivanka Trump on her TBS show Full Frontal on Wednesday night

The incident quickly thrust Bee into the middle of the nation's political divide with the White House slamming the comments as 'vile and vicious'.

Online car marketplace Autotrader called Bee's comments 'unacceptable' as they announced they were withdrawing from advertising on her Full Frontal show.

'Thank you to those who reached out regarding our sponsorship of Full Frontal. The comments expressed by Samantha Bee were offensive and unacceptable and do not reflect the views of our company. As a result, we have suspended our sponsorship of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee,' a Twitter statement read.

Autotrader was the first known advertiser to cut ties with Bee as a result of her Ivanka comments.

It was closely followed by State Farm who also asked TBS to halt its advertising on the show.

'We have asked TBS to suspend our advertising in the program and are reviewing any future placements. We constantly review programs to ensure alignment to our programming guidelines and brand values,' the company said.

Bee, a former correspondent on 'The Daily Show' with Jon Stewart whose own show has been one of TBS' big successes since it started in 2016, said that her language was 'inappropriate and inexcusable'.

'I crossed a line, and I deeply regret it,' she said.

The comedian apologized to Ivanka and viewers on Thursday for using the obscenity to describe the president's daughter

Ivanka Trump shared a photo with her son Theodore on Instagram Sunday, which showed the mother affectionately holding her youngest child (above)

Before the apology, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders called Bee's language 'vile and vicious' and said executives at TBS and corporate parent Time Warner needed to demonstrate that such explicit profanity about female members of the administration would not be condoned.

TBS said Bee had taken the right step in apologizing.

'Samantha Bee has taken the right action in apologizing for the vile and inappropriate language she used about Ivanka Trump last night. Those words should not have been aired. It was our mistake too, and we regret it,' the network said in a statement.

The network made no mention of any disciplinary action.

Bee's show is being honored on Thursday by the Television Academy as one of the most 'meaningful and relevant' on the air; the academy said the controversy over her language won't change that.

Bee used the slur towards the end of a segment about President Trump 's immigration policies

The academy said its event is 'non-political' and that Bee's recognition is for 'her engagement in 2017 on the subject of sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement.'

Coming two days after ABC canceled 'Roseanne' following a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, Bee's remark was immediately seized upon by culture warriors.

Some conservatives upset about the 'Roseanne' cancellation suggested Bee should meet the same fate, while liberals wondered whether Bee's words were any worse than some used by President Trump, notably in the 'Access Hollywood' tape.

Megyn Kelly was among those to hit out at Bee as she dragged Roseanne Barr into the debate.

'This is disgusting. How is this acceptable? And how are we expected to take any of these publications seriously if they gleefully repost something like this at the same time they (rightfully) condemn @therealroseanne?' wrote Kelly.

'You know the saying Love is Love? Well Hate is Hate.'Experts have warned the crisis will not be solved until 'well into 2022' and will lead to gaps on the shelves throughout the festive period. The most popular toys, games consoles, smart phones, white goods as well as chocolate and even Christmas trees are predicted to be in short supply this December with one shipping boss declaring: 'I don't want to sound like a Grinch but there are going to be gaps on shelves this Christmas'. Britain's busiest container port, Felixstowe, has become severely congested to the point that Maersk, the world's largest container shipping company, is diverting its big vessels away from the UK to Rotterdam because the dockside is full and there are not enough truck drivers to pick up and deliver fully loaded containers and return the empty ones. Containers at the Suffolk port are taking up to ten days to be put on to trucks instead of the usual three days while big ships are having to wait up to a week after arriving off the UK coast to dock and unload. Peter Wilson, managing director at Cory Brothers shipping agency, said problems affecting shipping and transport is a global issue but added the UK has a 'significant pinch point around HGV drivers and the demand on them to move goods from the ports'. Mr Wilson said there is a potential that some items may not be available nearer to Christmas, and when asked what items are most at risk of that, he said: 'It's a real mix. We import so much into the UK by container on these shipping lines, so it's from white goods to your Christmas toys, and we include food goods with this as well, so it could be a real mixed bag of all items'.A 15-year-old Georgia boy who was suffering from several seizures a day was taken from his parents after they gave him cannabis.

Suzeanna and Matthew Brill of Macon, Georgia, began giving their son David weed in February and noted that his seizures stopped for 71 days.

'I smoke it first,' said stepfather Matthew to WMAZ. 'I know where it comes from, I know my people. Made sure the bag was good, packed the bowl in my bowl, which I know ain't been anywhere else, and I set it on the table and told him that it was his decision. I did not tell him he had to or not.'

Suzeanna and Matthew Brill of Macon, Georgia, began giving their son David weed in February and noted that his seizures stopped for 71 days

Upfront with doctors about their new practice, the Brills shared that they were giving David cannabis with his therapist. Soon officers would arrive at the family's home

Upfront with doctors about their new practice, the Brills shared that they were giving David cannabis with his therapist.

Hours later on April 19, deputies from the Twiggs County sheriff's office and Division of Family and Children Services were at their home and drug tested all three in the family - both Matthew and David tested positive while Suzeanna tested negative. They were told to stop immediately.

'We complied, and within 14 hours of complying we were rushing our son to the hospital,' Suzeanna said to the New York Times. 'And it was one of the most horrific seizures I've ever seen.'

'We complied, and within 14 hours of complying we were rushing our son to the hospital,' Suzeanna said. 'And it was one of the most horrific seizures I've ever seen'

The Division of Family and Children Services took the boy and placed him in a group home after he was in the hospital for a week

His parents were charged with reckless conduct and spent six days in jail

David was taken to a hospital where he stayed for a week before being taken to a group home, where he as been for more than 30 days.

His parents were arrested and spent six days in jail, causing problems for their everyday lives.

They were also charged with reckless conduct but the couple asserts that they saved their son's life.

'Had it not been for me and my husband, my son would probably have been long dead,' Suzeanna said.

The family has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for a lawyer. They have managed to raise just over $19,000 of their $30,000 goal.

The family has launched a GoFundMe to raise money for a lawyerRoseanne Barrs eldest son has once again defend his mother from charges she is racist.

Jake Pentland, 40, posted two videos to his Instagram account on Thursday - two days after The Walt Disney Company canceled his mothers highly rated ABC sitcom, Roseanne, after she posted racist tweets about a former Obama aide.

He angrily denounced Roseannes castmates and the media for their coverage of the controversy.

Pentland said Disney was wrong to cancel the show because its been proven that mom had no idea that Valerie [Jarrett] was African American.

Roseanne Barrs eldest son has once again defend his mother from charges she is racist. Jake Pentland, 40, posted two videos to his Instagram account on Thursday - two days after The Walt Disney Company canceled his mothers highly rated ABC sitcom, Roseanne

Pentland said Disney was wrong to cancel the show because its been proven that mom had no idea that Valerie [Jarrett] was African American

Roseanne lost her show after she posted an incendiary tweet which said Jarrett was the byproduct of Planet of the Apes and the Muslim Brotherhood.

It took ABC and its parent company Disney just a few hours to cancel the show.

Pentland repeated his mothers defense that she had no idea Jarrett was black and that Muslims are not a race.

Ive showed the tweets. Ive sent screen caps from my texts  which show that Muslims are not a race, Pentland said.

Thats what happened. That was the tweet she deleted.

Pentland said that the shows cancellation was an excessively harsh response to what he called an insensitive a**hole tweet.

Pentland is seen left with his mother (center) and her daughter, Brandi Brown, at an event in New York in 2015

New remarks: Roseanne Barr returned to twitter Wednesday after a five-hour hiatus and wrote: 'I am not a racist and never was. One stupid joke in a lifetime of fighting 4 civil rights 4 all minorities, against networks, studios' (above)

In another video, Pentland sarcastically suggested that he was anticipating phone calls from co-stars Michael Fishman and Sara Gilbert as well as consulting producer Wanda Sykes and the ABC network.

The phone call should be coming in any second now, Pentland says as he waits near a telephone.

Pentland demanded that Roseannes former colleagues apologize to her for calling her a racist.

Barr's son has made a number of posts on social media about Jarrett and former President Barack Obama.

'Remember kids, you can't say people that look like monkeys that they look like monkeys unless thy (sic) are Ron Perlman cuz he is white,' Pentland wrote in an Instagram post that included a photo of Obama and Jarrett.

In another Instagram post, Pentland writes that Jarrett 'looks like she has FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome).'

Pentland, like his mother, makes no secret of his admiration for President Donald Trump.

He is seen in one Instagram post wearing a red 'Make America Great Again' beanie.

Pentland also frequently takes jabs at 'libtards' - a slur used by conservatives to malign liberals.

Barr was seen for the first time on Thursday since her racist tweet about Jarrett led to the collapse of her multi-million dollar empire.

The disgraced television star was spotted out walking in her native Utah in photos obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com while engaged in an intense phone conversation.

When asked to comment on the recent controversy, Barr simply said: 'I believe in one law for all people, I love all people have a nice day.'

She was dressed down for the outing in a pair of white spandex shorts and a printed tee, with a pair of leopard-print flip flops rounding out the look.International Trade Secretary Liam Fox said the UK would not rule out counter-measures over the 'patently absurd' tariffs

Britain threatened retaliation last night as Donald Trump triggered a global trade war.

The US President's decision to hit the European Union with tariffs on steel and aluminium sparked fury as Brussels warned it would not back down under 'threat' from the US President.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, who spoke to the US commerce secretary yesterday, said the UK would not rule out counter-measures over the 'patently absurd' tariffs.

Meanwhile, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker called for the EU to respond by boosting ties with Russia  a move likely to cause discomfort in Downing Street.

Theresa May had led calls for Mr Trump to exclude the bloc from any measures in order to protect the resurgent British steel industry.

The President's decision to pursue his 'America First' programme will raise concerns about deteriorating transatlantic relations.

Under the measures, British and EU companies will be levied with duties of 25 per cent on steel imports to the US from today, as well as 10 per cent on aluminium.

Last night Dr Fox told Sky News the tariffs were 'very disappointing', adding: 'In the case of the United Kingdom, where we send steel to the United States that is vital for their businesses and their defence industry, it is patently absurd.

President Donald Trump's decision to hit the European Union with tariffs on steel and aluminium sparked fury as Brussels warned it would not back down under 'threat' from Trump

'We absolutely do not rule out counter-measures. And we do not rule out taking a dispute to the World Trade Organisation at Geneva. Obviously, we still hope the United States will think again about this. But it would be a great pity if we ended up in a tit-for-tat trade dispute with our closest allies.'

The tariffs were initially announced earlier this year but Brussels, which negotiates trade matters on the UK's behalf, won temporary exemptions that were due to expire today.

Yesterday Mr Juncker insisted the bloc would impose its own levies on the US, claiming: 'What they can do, we are able to do exactly the same.' But his comments about greater links to Russia in response will cause unease across the EU. He said: 'There are so many areas, so many domains where we can co-operate in a better way with Russia, not forgetting what our differences are. This Russia-bashing has to be brought to an end.'

Mr Juncker described the US decision as 'totally unacceptable', while insisting the EU 'will not negotiate under threat'.

He said the bloc had 'no choice' but to take retaliatory measures, including complaining to the World Trade Organisation.

Downing Street, which wants a comprehensive trade deal with the US after Brexit, expressed frustration at the American decision.

A spokesman said: 'We are deeply disappointed that the US has decided to apply tariffs to steel and aluminium imports from the EU on national security grounds. The UK and other European Union countries are close allies of the US and should be permanently and fully exempted from the American measures on steel and aluminium.'

Meanwhile, European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker (pictured) called for the EU to respond by boosting ties with Russia  a move likely to cause discomfort in Downing Street

The European Commission plans to target US products such as Jack Daniel's whiskey, Levi's jeans and Harley-Davidson motorbikes. The imports, worth 2.5billion a year, will be hit by levies of up to 25 per cent from June 20.

The US shrugged off the implications for its economy, despite Mexico promising similar measures.

The decision to hit the EU, Canada and Mexico with tariffs caused tremors across financial markets and led to warnings from the steel industry. Gareth Stace, of manufacturer UK Steel, said: 'President Trump had already loaded the gun and we now know that the US has unfortunately fired it, potentially starting a damaging trade war.

'Unfortunately our pessimism was justified and we will now see damage not only to the UK steel sector, but also the US economy.'

About 350,000 tons of steel worth approximately 360million was exported from the UK to the US last year, making up 7 per cent of the UK's output.

Trade expert Sam Lowe from the Centre for European Reform told The Times the UK is playing two games with the EU.

He says the government doesn't want to appear too critical of Trump in light of Brexit but the UK is still hiding behind the bloc in the hope of curbing the measures.

Ben Digby, from the CBI, said: 'There are no winners in a trade war, which will damage prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic.

'These tariffs could lead to a protectionist domino effect, damaging firms, employees and consumers in the US, UK and many other trading partners.' The British Chambers of Commerce said UK firms would become 'collateral damage' and a trade war would cause devastation in communities that rely on the steel industry.

The White House insisted the measures were needed to stop China, which is also subject to the tariffs, flooding its markets with cheap products. US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross, who will speak to Dr Fox again on Monday, said there was still room for compromise with the EU.

But he added: 'Unfortunately it is not a situation that lends itself to a silver bullet of simply imposing tariffs or quotas on China itself.'

The US has used the threat of tariffs to try to win concessions from the EU, pushing for a quota on steel and aluminium imports and lower duties on US cars. French president Emmanuel Macron likening the threats to having a 'gun pointed at our head'.

MEP Manfred Weber, an ally of Angel Merkel, last night promised a firm reaction from the EU.

There was also opposition in the US from Mr Trump's own party. Republican politician Kevin Brady said: 'These tariffs are hitting the wrong target.'Advertisement

Searching, manoeuvring and parallel parking a car on the busy streets of China might soon be a thing of the past.

A 26-storey smart garage with a fully automated parking system has recently been gaining popularity among drivers in Taiyuan city in north China.

The building, covered with glass panels, takes up only 624 square feet (58 square metres) and can fit 50 vehicles.

The building, situated in northern China and covered with glass panels, occupies 624 square feet and can fit 50 vehicles

The 26-storey garage with a fully automated parking system has recently gained popularity among drivers in Taiyuan city

The valet robot simply shuttles the vehicles to their assigned spot in the building with the push of a button

'With a little bit of creativity, we were able to utilise the limited land space,' founder of the Chinese company behind the project, Bo Xiaoming, told Mail Online.

'A small space that could originally only fit three cars can now fit 50,' he said, adding that all 20 parking spaces designated for SUVs have been taken up every day.

Video footage of the 177-foot-tall (54-metre-tall) garage in operation shows an SUV being lifted and transported in a large elevator after the driver parked the car on the ground floor entrance.

The system automatically shuttles the vehicles to their assigned spot in the building with the push of a button.

Upon retrieval, drivers would just need to scan a QR code with their phones to 'summon' their vehicle back to the same spot.

Upon retrieval, drivers would just need to scan a QR code with their phones to 'summon' their vehicle back to the same spot

Developed by local tech company Shanxi Huabo Technology, the garage has been open to the public since last December

Searching, manoeuvring and parallel parking a car on the busy streets of China might soon be a thing of the past

The system can identify the corresponding licence plate and deliver the vehicle back to the ground floor.

'Retrieving the car on the highest floor only takes 70 seconds,' Mr Bo said.

Developed by his transport tech company Shanxi Huabo Technology, the garage has been open to the public since last December.

The valet robot is available to the public for 5 yuan (0.59) per hour, or 50 yuan (5.9) per day.

'Not only does this facilitates and quickens the process of parking, it is also very environmentally friendly as it saves space and omits emissions,' Mr Bo added.

The car park in central Taiyuan city is available to the public for 5 yuan (0.59) per hour, or 50 yuan (5.9) per day

In the unlikely event of a power failure, the building is equipped with a dual-circuit power supply and a backup generator

All 20 parking spaces designated for SUVs in the parking building have been taken up every day, according to the founder

In the unlikely event of a power failure, the building is equipped with a dual-circuit power supply and a backup generator. On-site operators would then manually pick up the car for the owners.

The company has plans to expand the smart garage project to other cities in China.

UK drivers spend an average of 44 hours a year searching for parking, at a cost of 733 each in wasted time, fuel and emissions, according to traffic data company Inrix.

This makes up to a total of 23.3 billion wasted across the country, the research company added.Uber reportedly missed out on a cash infusion from a major investor earlier this year.

Billionaire Warren Buffett had proposed to invest $3 billion in Uber earlier in 2018, but the talks failed following disagreements over the deal's terms, Bloomberg reported, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway would have provided a convertible loan to Uber that would have protected Buffett's investment should the Silicon Valley ride-hailing company hit financial crisis, the report said.

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Billionaire Warren Buffett (pictured) had proposed to invest $3 billion in Uber earlier in 2018, but the talks failed following disagreements over the deal's terms, Bloomberg reported

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi proposed decreasing the size of the deal to $2 billion, giving Buffett a smaller share of the company.

The deal fell after the two sides could not agree on terms, according to Bloomberg.

Buffett told CNBC that 'some of the reported details are not correct' but confirmed that Berkshire did have talks with Uber.

Khosrowshahi also confirmed in an interview with CNBC that Uber did have discussions with Buffett, but added that he didn't think 'the reporting was entirely accurate.'

Asked about whether the talks could resume, Khosrowshahi said it was 'always possible' and he would welcome any kind of dialogue with Buffett.

A representative for Buffett did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An Uber spokesman declined to comment.

Buffett, who had long shunned the technology sector, has become a top shareholder of Apple , and expressed regret about not investing in Google and Amazon before they became huge.

Talks between Uber and Buffett reportedly ended after the parties couldn't agree on terms of the deal. Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi (pictured) tried and failed to reduce terms of the deal

Berkshire has $108.6 billion in cash and equivalents as of the end of March that it is eager to invest.

Berkshire said much of the $14.8 billion it invested in equities during the first quarter went to Apple, and said it owned 239.6 million shares worth more than $40 billion.

That said, Buffett may view Apple and Uber less as technology companies than strong brands with loyal customers.

Berkshire has more than 90 operating units including the BNSF railroad, Geico auto insurance, Dairy Queen ice cream, Fruit of the Loom underwear, See's Candies and a variety of industrial, utility and chemical operations.

The Uber board of directors has committed to a 2019 initial public offering, and Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has not strayed from that timeline

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has since his August appointment been trying to improve the image of Uber, which has been rocked by management turmoil and tarnished by revelations about an alleged sexist workplace culture tolerant of chauvinism

Larger stock investments are normally made by Buffett, but he has handed over more responsibility to his investment deputies Todd Combs and Ted Weschler in recent years.

Khosrowshahi has since his August appointment been trying to improve the image of Uber, which has been rocked by management turmoil and tarnished by revelations about an alleged sexist workplace culture tolerant of chauvinism.

The Uber board of directors has committed to a 2019 initial public offering, and Khosrowshahi has not strayed from that timeline.

An investment by Buffett would likely have been viewed as a stamp of approval.

In the last decade, Buffett has invested billions of Berkshire dollars to support companies seeking a pick-me-up, including investments in Goldman Sachs Group Inc, General Electric Co and Bank of America Corp during or in the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

Many of these have carried favorable terms for Berkshire, giving it a reputation as a lender of last resort to companies in need.

In February, Uber was valued at $72 billion.How early humans first got to the Americas has long been debated by scientists.

The conventional story goes that the earliest settlers came via Siberia, crossing the now-defunct Bering land bridge on foot and trekking through Canada.

However, some scientists believe the first Americans may have taken a coastal route along Alaska's Pacific border to enter the continent.

Now, a new study has come up with some of the first evidence to support this theory by looking at boulders and bedrock in the region.

Researchers say they have 'direct evidence' that part of a coastal migration route was ice-free and accessible to humans 17,000 years ago.

The area was also home to food sources such as ancient ringed seal that could support human life at the time that early settlers may have been passing through, the study found.

Researchers arent saying humans definitely travelled along this coastal route, but claim conditions would have been right for them to do so 17,000 years ago.

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The conventional story says that the earliest settlers came via Siberia, crossing the now-defunct Bering land bridge on foot and trekking through Canada. Scientists now believe the first Americans could have taken a coastal route along Alaska's Pacific border to enter the continent

By analysing boulders and bedrock (pictured), researchers say they have 'direct evidence' that part of a coastal migration route became accessible to humans 17,000 years ago

'Our study provides some of the first geologic evidence that a coastal migration route was available for early humans as they colonised the New World,' said University at Buffalo geology PhD candidate Alia Lesnek, the study's first author.

'There was a coastal route available, and the appearance of this newly ice-free terrain may have spurred early humans to migrate southward.'.

The findings, published in the journal Science Advances, suggest that Alaska's southern coast route into the Americas is viable.

'We're not definitively saying they took the coastal route,' Ms Lesnek told New York Times.

'We have some of the first direct evidence that that was something that could be done', she said.

Researchers had previously found bones of an ancient ringed seal in a nearby cave that were about 17,000 years old.

This indicates that the region was ecologically vibrant soon after the ice retreated, with resources including food becoming available.

Scientists now believe the first Americans took a coastal route along Alaska's Pacific border to enter the continent (pictured). Scientists travelled to four islands within Alexander Archipelago that lie about 200 miles (320km) south of Juneau

During this period, ancient glaciers receded, exposing islands of southern Alaska's Alexander (pictured). The area was home to food sources such as ancient ringed seal that could support human life at the time that early settlers may have been passing through, the study found

Humans first reached the Americas around 15,000 years ago before slowly migrating south The conventional story says that the earliest settlers came via Siberia, crossing the now-defunct Bering land bridge on foot and trekking through Canada. In recent years, evidence has mounted against the conventional thinking that humans populated North America by taking an inland route through Canada. To do so, they would have needed to walk through a narrow, ice-free ribbon of terrain that appeared when two major ice sheets started to separate. But recent research suggests that while this path may have opened up more than 14,000 years ago, it did not develop enough biological diversity to support human life until about 13,000 years ago. That clashes with archaeological findings that suggest humans were already living in Chile about 15,000 years ago or more and in Florida 14,500 years ago. Scientists now believe the first Americans could have taken a coastal route along Alaska's Pacific border to enter the continent. This theory provides an alternative narrative and could mark a step toward solving the mystery of how humans came to the Americas. By analysing boulders and bedrock, researchers from the University at Buffalo say they have 'direct evidence' that part of a coastal migration route along Alaska's Pacific became accessible to humans 17,000 years ago. During this period, ancient glaciers receded, exposing islands of southern Alaska's Alexander. The area was home to food sources such as ancient ringed seal that could support human life at the time that early settlers may have been passing through. Recent genetic and archaeological estimates suggest that settlers may have begun travelling deeper into the Americas some 16,000 years ago, soon after the coastal gateway opened up. Advertisement

'Our research contributes to the debate about how humans came to the Americas', said lead scientist Jason Briner, PhD, professor of geology in University at Buffalo's College of Arts and Sciences.

'It's potentially adding to what we know about our ancestry and how we colonised our planet', he said.

Scientists travelled to four islands within Alexander Archipelago that lie about 200 miles (320km) south of Juneau.

To pinpoint when the ice receded from the region, the team collected bits of rock from the surfaces of boulders and bedrock.

Later, they ran tests to figure out how long the samples - and thus the islands as a whole - had been free of ice.

Researchers had previously found bones of an ancient ringed seal in a nearby cave that were 17,000 years old. PhD candidate Alia Lesnek (pictured) works at Suemez Island

To pinpoint when the ice receded from the region, the team collected bits of rock from the surfaces of boulders and bedrock

Pictured is Dr Jason Briner collecting a rock sample on Suemez Island. Researchers ran tests to figure out how long the samples - and thus the islands as a whole - had been free of ice

They used a method called surface exposure dating.

When land is covered by a glacier, the bedrock in the area is hidden under ice.

As soon as the ice disappears, however, the bedrock is exposed to cosmic radiation from space, causing it to accumulate certain chemicals on their surface.

'The longer the surface has been exposed, the more of these chemicals you get', said Ms Lesnek.

'By testing for these chemicals, we were able to determine when our rock surfaces were exposed, which tells us when the ice retreated', she said.

Researchers used this method on huge boulders called erratics.

When land is covered by a glacier, the bedrock in the area is hidden under ice. As soon as the ice disappears, however, the bedrock is exposed to cosmic radiation from space, causing it to accumulate certain chemicals on their surface

Pictured are researchers at Baker Island. In recent years, evidence has mounted against the conventional thinking that humans populated North America by taking an inland route through Canada

'These are big rocks that are plucked from the Earth and carried to new locations by glaciers, which actually consist of moving ice', said Ms Lesnek.

'When glaciers melt and disappear from a specific region, they leave these erratics behind, and surface exposure dating can tell us when the ice retreated.'

For the region that was studied, this happened roughly 17,000 years ago.

In recent years, evidence has mounted against the conventional thinking that humans populated North America by taking an inland route through Canada.

To do so, they would have needed to walk through a narrow, ice-free ribbon of terrain that appeared when two major ice sheets started to separate.

To collect data, the research team travelled by helicopter to remote sites within the Alexander Archipelago in southeast Alaska

The coastal migration theory provides an alternative narrative, and the new study may mark a step toward solving the mystery of how humans came to the Americas

Researchers, including team members from the University at Buffalo and the US Forest Service (pictured), travelled by boat to Warren Island, one of the study sites

But recent research suggests that while this path may have opened up more than 14,000 years ago, it did not develop enough biological diversity to support human life until about 13,000 years ago.

That clashes with archaeological findings that suggest humans were already living in Chile about 15,000 years ago or more and in Florida 14,500 years ago.

The coastal migration theory provides an alternative narrative, and the new study may mark a step toward solving the mystery of how humans came to the Americas.

'Where we looked at it, the coastal route was not only open - it opened at just the right time,' said Dr Charlotte Lindqvist, an associate professor of biological sciences at University at Buffalo.

'The timing coincides almost exactly with the time in human history that the migration into the Americas is thought to have occurred', she said.DNA pioneer and Nobel Prize winner Dr James Watson has sparked outrage again with a deriding rant about his former colleagues.

The scientist, who uncovered the DNA structure that forms the basis of modern genetics, described those who aided him with the discovery as 'losers' and 'autistic'.

During a speech in Paris, the 90-year-old called his former supervisor at Cambridge a 'dinosaur' with a 'seductive wife', and claimed another eminent geneticist 'had probably always been half-insane'.

Watson, one of the founding fathers of modern genetics who revolutionised biology, is no stranger to comments that land him in hot water.

The researcher once argued Africans are inherently less intelligent than Europeans and that 'some anti-semitism is justified'.

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DNA pioneer and Nobel Prize winner Dr James Watson (left) has sparked outrage again with a deriding rant about his former colleagues. He called Francis Crick (centre) 'autistic' and Rosalind Franklin (right) a 'loser'. Both helped him discover the structure of DNA

His remarks about African IQ forced him to retire from the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and later auction off his Nobel Prize medal as he struggled to find work.

Watson's latest comments were primarily aimed at Rosalind Franklin and British scientist Francis Crick, with whom he uncovered the double-helix structure of DNA in 1958.

While Crick and Watson shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discovery in 1962, Franklin's contributions remained largely unrecognised for decades.

Her influence has since been acknowledged and the scientist, who died in 1958, is the subject of several biographies and an award-winning West End play.

During a speech at the Paris-based College de France on May 23, Watson seemed to retract previous comments that Franklin deserved a share of his accolades.

'There was no reason to give her the Nobel Prize,' he was quoted as saying in French news outlet Le Monde.

Watson's latest comments were primarily aimed at Francis Crick and Rosalind Franklin, with whom he uncovered the double-helix structure of DNA in 1958. Pictured is Watson in 1957 holding a model of the double-helix structure

WHAT OUTRAGEOUS COMMENTS HAS JAMES WATSON MADE? Dr James Watson (pictured) won the Nobel prize and has made controversial comments in recent years Dr James Watson received the Nobel prize in 1962 for co-discovering the structure of DNA. He published a book in 1968 that developed a reputation as a provocateur and an outspoken scientist, called 'The Double Helix'. In 2007, at the age of 79, he tainted his legacy and cast a dark shadow over his scientific success. In an interview with the Sunday Times, he made comments that have been labelled as racist and homophobic. Since then, he has also made besmirching comments about Rosalind Franklin, the female scientists who used X-ray crystallography to help discover the double-helix structure of DNA. The fallout from his comments has been significant, and he was forced to sell his Nobel medal in 2014 due to financial hardship. It went for $4.1m (2.6m) and was the first Nobel prize to ever be sold by a living recipient. Racist In the 2007 interview, he spoke about people wanting to think that all humans are born with the same level of intelligence. Dr Watson disagreed, and said: '[People] who have to deal with black employees find this not true'. He continued, saying that he was 'inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa. All our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours  whereas all the testing says not really'. Dr Watson added: 'There is no firm reason to anticipate that the intellectual capacities of peoples geographically separated in their evolution should prove to have evolved identically. 'Our wanting to reserve equal powers of reason as some universal heritage of humanity will not be enough to make it so.' Homophobic A decade before his derogatory comments on race pertaining to a person's skin colour, he did an interview with The Sunday Telegraph. Dr Watson reportedly said that a woman should have the right to abort her unborn child if tests could determine it would be homosexual. Sexist Dr Watson called his Cambridge supervisor a 'dinosaur' and said he also had a 'seductive wife'. In his 1968 memoir, he made an assessment of Rosalind Franklin based on her appearence. He said: 'Though her features were strong, she was not unattractive, and might have been quite stunning had she taken even a mild interest in clothes. This she did not.' Rosalind Franklin Dr Watson has been scathing in his opinion on Rosalind Franklin, the co-discoverer of DNA. In an interview with The Big Think, Watson says he thought she had Asperger's syndrome and was 'paranoid'. He continued: 'I don't think her name deserved to be on the paper... because of her failure to interact effectively, it was hard to know how bright she was.' He spoke to an audience at the College de France in Paris this month and said: 'There was no reason to give her the Nobel prize. She was a loser.' In private letters, Dr Watson often referred to Dr Franklin as 'Rosy the witch'. Linus Pauling Linus Pauling was a scientists who was also trying to discover the structure of DNA in the 1950s. His theory centred around a triple-helix. Dr Watson had a low opinion of his fellow scientist. He said: '[Pauling] had probably always been half-insane' and came up with a theory that was 'a load of crap'. Anti-semitic In an other interview from 2007, this time with Esquire Magazine, Dr Watson made comments appearing to condone anti-semitism. He said: 'Some anti-Semitism is justified. Just like some anti-Irish feeling is justified. Advertisement

'She was a loser.'

He suggested that Crick, who died aged 88 in 2004, may have been 'a bit autistic'.

The genticist also set his sights on Linus Pauling, one of only four scientists to have won Nobel Prizes in two separate disciplines.

Prior to Watson's double-helix work, Pauling had suggested that DNA was structured as a three-strand helix.

While Crick and Watson shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine for their discovery in 1962, Franklin's contributions remained largely unrecognised for decades. In this image Crick accepts his Nobel Prize medal from the hands of his majesty king Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden

Of his work, Watson said: 'I saw immediately that it was colossally wrong ... I have never understood how Pauling, who declared himself to be the world's best chemist, could have proposed such a load of cr*p ... He was probably always half-insane.'

The American molecular biologist is also said to have claimed that Catholics are more forgiving than Jews.

The claims made in Le Monde have not been independetly verified and Watson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

During his speech the Paris-based College de France on May 23, Watson suggested that Crick, who died aged 88 in 2004, may have been 'a bit autistic'. Pictured is Crick in 1993

WHO IS JAMES WATSON? Jame Watson is one half of the most iconic scientific double acts of all time, Watson and Crick. The scientists are revered for their role in the discovery of the structure of DNA. The American biologist was born in Chicago in 1928 and attended the University of Chicago for his undergraduate degree before getting his PhD from Indiana university in 1950. He worked at the University of Copenhagen and the University of Cambridge in the early stages of his career. Roles later on in life include the Biology department at Harvard University and helping to establish The Human Genome Project. It was during his work at the Cavendish laboratory in Cambridge where he met Dr Francis Crick, a British scientist originally from Northampton. This pair started work on understanding the structure of DNA, the molecule which contains the genetic information for every organism in the world. With help from Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins from UCL, the pair unearthed the double-helix structure of DNA - deoxyribosenucleic acid. They saw, using the famous, photograph 51 developed by Rosalind Franklin, that the four base pairs of DNA (Adenine, Guanine, Cytosine and Thymine) connect together. These are known scientifically as nucleic acids. Based on the structure and size of the chemical, each base can only bind with a specific, or complimentary, other base. Purines Adenine and Guanine bind with pyrimidines Thymine and Cytosine, respectively. A-T forms two hydrogen bonds, whilst C-G forms three, making the C-G a slightly stronger connection. The team found that this arrangement is supported by a 'backbone', formed primarily of phosphorous. The backbone alternates between a phosphorous group and a sugar, known as deoxyribose. This discovery revolutionised the understanding of genetics and biology. Dr James Watson married Elizabeth Lewis in 1968, and they have two sons together. Watson's eldest son, Rufus, has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and this has been something Dr Watson has spoke passionately about, trying to raise awareness of the condition. and hoping to find a cure. Advertisement

Watson published a book called The Double Helix in 1968 that developed his reputation as a provocateur and an outspoken scientist.

In 2007, at the age of 79, he tainted his legacy and cast a dark shadow over his scientific success.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, he made comments that were labelled as racist and homophobic.

Watson was commenting on people wanting to think that all humans are born with the same level of intelligence.

The scientist disagreed, arguing: '[People] who have to deal with black employees find this not true'.

He said that he was 'inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa.'

Waton is also said to have claimed that Catholics are more forgiving than Jews. This image shows Nobel Prize winners Francis Crick (left) and James Watson (right)

In the same interview, Watson said that a woman should have the right to abort her unborn child if tests could determine it would be homosexual.

Watson has also made number of besmirching comments about Franklin, whose painstaking X-ray crystallography helped him discover the structure of DNA.

In an interview with The Big Think, Watson said he thought she had Asperger's syndrome and was 'paranoid'.

He continued: 'I don't think her name deserved to be on the paper... because of her failure to interact effectively, it was hard to know how bright she was.'

The fallout from his comments has been significant, and he was forced to sell his Nobel medal in 2014 due to financial hardship.

It went for $4.1m (2.6m) and was the first Nobel prize to ever be sold by a living recipient.Google Assistant is now capable of firing a handgun.

The artificial intelligent (AI) assistant has been filmed pulling the trigger for the first time as part of a new video project from artist Alexander Reben.

Ok Google, activate gun, Reben can be heard off-screen telling the Google Home.

The 30-second 'disturbing' video shows the smart speaker process his command, and then pull the air pistol trigger  firing a round into an apple and knocking it from its perch next to the gun.

Google Assistant also responds, saying: Sure, turning on the gun.

Artist and roboticist Alexander Reben said creating the Google Home-activated weapon was easy.

An electromagnet taken from the change-dispensing mechanism in a laundromat was used to pull a string tied around the trigger and fire the pistol.

Reben used a voice-control enabled smart plug to control when the current passed through the electromagnet and set-up the Google Assistant to refer to the mains switch as the gun.

Although his demonstration uses a Google Home, Reben said he could have easily rigged-up the same remote-trigger mechanism with an Amazon Echo, or some other input device as well.

He hopes the video will start a debate around the boundaries of what AIs should be allowed to do.

Part of the message for me includes the unintended consequences of technology and the futility of considering every use case, Reben told technology blog Engadget.

Google likely never entertained the possibility that its Assistant would be used to shoot a weapon.

Artist Alexander Reben said building the Google Home-triggered weapon was easy' and was possible using only a few spare parts he found in his apartment

Reben uses the voice command 'Ok Google, activate gun' to remotely pull the air pistol trigger and fire into the apple

However, Reben was able to get the AI assistant to pull the trigger with parts from around his studio.

In this scenario, it is clearly Reben who issues the command, however, the artist, who is represented by the Charlie James Gallery in Los Angeles, California, has raised questions around responsibility.

In a world where machine learning has allowed smart assistants to increasingly anticipate our needs, its not a stretch to imagine a day in the near future when a virtual assistant would proactively pull the trigger in anticipation of a request to do so from its owner.

Who is responsible then?

The roboticist and artist, who is represented by the Charlie James Gallery in Los Angeles, hopes the video will spark a debate about the implications of AI and the 'unintended consequences of technology'

The video has sparked a reaction online, with some terrified by the footage, and others impossibly underwhelmed.

One YouTube viewer commented: 'Big whoop. Computers have been shooting simulated guns for years, and stalking players and making intelligent decisions, even, in thousands of video games.

'That AI that has been pulling in-game triggers all this time could easily have its output redirected to the real world, especially to do something as trivial as follow a command, like pulling a trigger or turning on a light.'

But another comment describes the video as proof that it is 'the end of the world as we know it.'Could not establish database connection.

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The administrator has been notified and will resolve the problem ASAP.An 'embarrassing' leak shows the European Union has fallen short of its own data protection laws.

The European Commission's website has published 700 records, including the names, addresses and mobile numbers of conference attendees, according to a report.

Officials in Brussels admitted the authority that designed the rules is not itself compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The Commission has previously warned that those who breach these rules, which came into force last week, could face millions in fines.

Following the leak, a spokesperson said the authority was exempt from GDPR laws for 'legal reasons'.

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An 'embarrassing' leak shows the European Union has fallen short of its own data protection laws. The European Commission's website has published 700 records, including the names, addresses and mobile numbers of its citizens, according to a report (stock image)

Officials in Brussels will follow a similar set of new laws that 'mirror' those laid out in GDPR.

These rules will not enter force until autumn, according to the Telegraph.

The spokesperson added that the Commission is 'taking and will continue to take all the necessary steps to comply'.

GDPR aims to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the EU, which means cracking down on how companies use and sell user data.

Under GDPR, companies are required to report data breaches within 72 hours, as well as allow customers to export their data and delete it.

Companies scrambled to comply with the rules before they were ratified on May 25 with the Commission threatening hefty fines for those who breached them.

The bureaucracy's website exposed 700 records that include people's names, professions, and even some postcodes and addresses.

Officials in Brussels admitted the authority that designed the rules is not itself compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation. GDPR aims to strengthen and unify data protection for all individuals within the EU (stock image)

The records, some of which featured the private information of Britons, were collected during EU meetings and conferences and stored on data spreadsheets.

Tech website Indivigital found the documents are among thousands hosted by the website Europa.eu that are freely accessible online.

Many of them could be found by simply searching for the document on Google.

This leak would constitute a breach of GDPR rules were the blunder committed by other organisations or businesses.

WHAT IS GDPR AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT CONSUMERS? The General Data Protection Regulation is an EU-wide law that cam into force on May 25 2018. It gives greater power to regulators to penalise companies who mishandle personal data or are not transparent about how their business uses it. For consumers, it brings new powers that require firms to obtain clear consent from users before processing their data. It also grants users a right to easily access the data collected from them and transparency on how it is being used. The General Data Protection Regulation is an EU-wide law that cam into force on May 25 2018. It gives greater power to regulators to penalise companies who mishandle personal data or are not transparent about how their business uses it (stock image) Everyday users have to do very little to comply with GDPR  its more targeted at big online businesses. Under the new rules, any company that controls or processes the data of EU citizens must adhere to the GDPR guidelines. This ends territorial-based accountability used by some firms not based in the EU to previously avoid sanction. The law also states that notification of a data breach must occur within 72 hours of being first discovered, increasing transparency around leaks. The weight of fines able to be issued has also increased under GDPR. Regulators will be able to issue penalties equivalent of up to four per cent of annual global turnover or 20 million euro (17.5 million)  whichever is greater. For tech giants such as Google and Facebook, this could mean the risk of fines running into the hundreds of millions. Advertisement

Fines for such a breach can reach up to 17.5 million ($23 million) or four per cent of global turnover - whichever is largest.

Jon Baines, a data protection expert at law firm Mishcon de Reya, described the 'irony' of the EU's admission.

'Although the information disclosed here does not appear to be particularly sensitive, it does raise questions about the general level of compliance, and whether any further inadvertent disclosures have been made,' he told the Telegraph.

Steve Gailey, security expert at database security firm Exabeam, added that the exposure 'is embarrassing for the EU, coming hot on the heels of GDPR'.Scientists have modelled the three possible fates for our planet as Earth's population grows and the effects of climate change worsen.

Mathematicians modelled how advanced civilisations on ancient exoplanets might have survived or perished when faced with a similar changing environment.

They showed that humanity could go through a soft landing, a gradual die off, or full blown collapse.

Experts said a die-off, in which as much as seven in ten of a planet's inhabitants were wiped out before stabilising, was by far the most common outcome.

A soft landing was the most positive outcome, and occurred when a civilisation adapted to its changing planet without a mass extinction.

During a full blown collapse, the planet was too sensitive to recover from damage caused by its inhabitants, leading to a rapid annihilation of all intelligent life.

There's bad news for Earth. Even when planets switched to renewable fuels to save themselves from extinction, the damage done was sometimes still enough to wipe out the inhabitants, according to the models.

Scientists said the simulations reveal 'a radical truth about the challenge we face as we push the Earth into its human-dominated era.'

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This graph shows a modelled population (x-axis) in balance with its use of resources, which affects the planetary environment (y-axis). The red dots show where the civilisation is stable with its environment. The green line shows how the population grew with its environment

The team, led by scientists at the University of Rochester in New York, used models for population growth on Earth to mark out how alien planets may have grown.

Using statistical models they mapped out possible histories of alien worlds, the civilisations they grew, and the climate change that followed.

They called these societies 'Exo-civilizations' and say that learning from their mistakes could help us prepare for the effects of climate change.

Writing in the Atlantic, coauthor Professor Adam Frank said: 'Given that more than 10 billion trillion planets likely exist in the cosmos, unless nature is perversely biased against civilisations like ours, we're not the first one to appear.

'That means each exo-civilization that evolved from its planet's biosphere had a history: A story of emergence, rising capacities, and then maybe a slow fade or rapid collapse.

'And just as most species that have ever lived on Earth are now extinct, so too most civilizations that emerged (if they emerged) may have long since ended.

This image shows a modelled population in which it uses its resources poorly leading to a highly unstable environment. As conditions on the planet collapse, the civilisations in these scenarios are quickly wiped out leading to a 'full-blown' collapse

WHAT DO SCIENTISTS THINK ARE THE THREE POSSIBLE FATES FOR OUR PLANET? To find out the possible fate for humanity, scientists have created a series of advanced computer models to simulate the interactions between energy-intensive civilisations  like ours  and their planets. Scientists ran a series of simulations to find how these civilisations fared. Unfortunately, of the three fates observed, none were positive. University of Rochester Professor of Physics and Astronomy Alan Frank, who co-authored the study, said the simulations revealed 'a radical truth about the challenge we face as we push the Earth into its human-dominated era.' Outcome 1: The Die Off This was by far the most common outcome observed by researchers. As the civilisation on the simulated planet used energy, its population grew. However, as the civilisation continued to burn through its resources, it pushed the planet away from the conditions the population had been accustomed to. Civilian numbers continued to grow, spiraling past the planet's limit. These worlds would then suffer a devastating drop in the number of people until a sustainable planetary civilisation was achieved once more. In many of the models, researchers observed as much as 70 per cent of the population perish before a steady state was reached again. Outcome 2: The Soft Landing This was the most positive outcome of the three observed. As before, the civilisation on the Earth-like planet used its resources and started to expand in numbers. But this time, the growing population and the planet maintained a smooth transition to a new, balanced equilibrium. Although the civilisation changed the planet, it did so without triggering a mass extinction, like those observed in the first outcome. Outcome 3: Full-Blown Collapse Like the simulations that ended in mass extinction, in this final outcome observed in the computer models, population numbers skyrocketed. However, these worlds were too sensitive to change and were unable to cope with a rapidly expanding, resource-hungry civilisation. The planets soon deteriorated, 'like a houseplant that withers when its moved,' Professor Frank explained. As conditions on the planet collapsed, the civilisations in these scenarios were quickly wiped out. Researchers programmed the civilisations to switch from high-impact energy sources to low-impact ones, to find out whether this would change their fate. Populations that relied solely on high-impact resources were immediately wiped-out, while those that made the switch to low-impact alternatives would fall, then stabilise. Albeit temporarily. Unfortunately, it was never enough to delay the inevitable, with the simulated civilisation always eventually rushing downward to extinction. Advertisement

'So we're exploring what may have happened to others to gain insights into what might happen to us.'

The team's calculations combined population statistics from Earth's species with generic physics and chemistry that make up climates on other planets.

They applied the laws of these climates to scenarios in which an industrial civilisation arrived on a planet and began consuming its resources.

As the society used up resources for energy, it grew because its capacity to feed more people expanded, allowing it consume more resources.

Eventually this loop had feedback effects on the planet that damaged it and began to make it uninhabitable.

This mirrors humanity's relationship with Earth following the industrial revolution, during which we began to burn fossil fuels for energy, Professor Frank said.

As part of the simulations, researchers imagined the civilisation had two types of energy source: One with a high impact on the planet, like fossil fuels, and one with a low impact, like solar power.

In some of the models the researchers allowed the civilisation to switch to low-impact resources as the health of the planet plummeted.

The models revealed three distinct types of civilisational histories that showed what could happen on Earth if population and climate trends continue.

Unfortunately, of the three fates observed, none were positive.

During a full blown collapse, the planet was too sensitive to recover from damage caused by its inhabitants, leading to a rapid annihilation of all intelligent life (stock image)

The most common outcome observed by the team was known as the die off.

As the civilisation on the simulated planets used energy, its population exploded, but its use of resources pushed the planet away from the conditions the society had become accustomed to.

As the population continued to expand the planet became uninhabitable, forcing a devastating drop in the number of civilians until a sustainable planetary civilisation was achieved once more.

In many of the models, researchers observed that as much as 70 per cent of the population perished before a steady state was reached again.

The second outcome viewed by the team was the soft landing - the most positive outcome of the three observed.

This time, the growing population and the planet maintained a smooth transition to a new, balanced equilibrium, partly through low-impact resources.

Although the civilisation changed the planet, it did so without triggering a mass extinction, like those observed in the first outcome.

Outcome number three was a full-blown collapse, which also started with a skyrocketing population.

However, these worlds were too sensitive to change and were unable to cope with a rapidly expanding, resource-hungry civilisation.

As conditions on the worlds collapsed around them, the civilisations in these scenarios were rapidly wiped out.

Even when planets switched to renewable fuels to save themselves from extinction, the damage done was sometimes still enough to wipe out the inhabitants (stock image)

Researchers programmed some civilisations to switch from high-impact energy sources to low-impact ones, to find out whether this would change their fate.

While populations that relied solely on high-impact resources were immediately wiped-out, those that made the switch to low-impact alternatives would fall, then stabilise.

Unfortunately, it was not always enough to stop an extinction event, with some simulated civilisations still rushing downward to extinction eventually.

Professor Frank said the models showed that switching to renewable sources may not help Earth if humanity irreparably damages it before shifting to green energy.

He said: 'The collapses that occurred even when the civilisation did the smart thing demonstrated an essential point about the modelling process.

'Because the equations capture some of the real worlds complexity, they can surprise you.

'In some of the delayed collapse histories, the planets own internal machinery was the culprit. Push a planet too hard, and it wont return to where it began.'

He added that the models revealed 'a radical truth about the challenge we face as we push the Earth into its human-dominated era.'No one likes a 'know-it-all' and now scientists have confirmed these people are actually much less informed about the world than their peers.

From endless opinions on politics, the environment, religion and relationships, scientists found people who are convinced they are always right are the most prone to overestimating their abilities.

This is because they are significantly more likely to choose information that supports their own beliefs and miss out on opportunities to improve their knowledge.

Individuals who behave like this have 'belief superiority' which means they think their views are superior to other people's.

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No one likes a 'know it all' and now scientists have confirmed these people are much less informed about the world than their peers (stock image)

Researchers from the University of Michigan found that even when people with belief superiority were told they didn't know as much as they thought, they still claimed their beliefs were more accurate than others.

'Know-it-alls' were found to be more likely to seek out new information in biased ways that confirmed their sense of superiority.

The first of two studies by the University of Michigan focused on people who professed 'belief superiority' about political issues.

Participants reported their beliefs and feelings of belief superiority about several political topics.

Researchers asked them how much they thought they knew about these topics and then had them complete quizzes to test their actual knowledge on the issues.

Across six studies and several political topics, researchers found that belief-superior people were consistently overestimating their own knowledge.

'Whereas more humble participants sometimes even underestimated their knowledge, the belief superior tended to think they knew a lot more than they actually did,' said Michael Hall, a psychology graduate student and the study's lead author.

In the second study, researchers presented participants with a slew of news articles about the same political topic, then asked them to select which ones they would like to read.

Half of the articles on offer supported the participants' own political point of view, while the other half challenged it.

Belief-superior people were more likely to choose information that supported their beliefs, according to the paper, which was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

These people were also aware they were seeking out biased information.

From endless opinions on politics, the environment, religion and relationships, scientists found people who are convinced they are always right are most prone to overestimating their abilities (stock image)

DO MEN THINK THEY'RE SMARTER THAN WOMEN? A new study has revealed men think they are smarter than their peers, even when compared to women whose grades prove they are just as smart. Researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) made the discovery after asking college students enrolled in a 250 strong biology course about their intelligence. Specifically, students were asked to estimate their own intelligence compared to everyone in the class as well as the student they worked most closely with. Experts were surprised to find that women were far more likely to underestimate their own intelligence than men. When comparing a female and a male student, both with a grade point average of 3.3, the male student is likely to say he is smarter than 66 percent of the class. A female student is likely to say she is smarter than only 54 percent of the class. In addition, when asked whether they are smarter than the person they worked most with in class, the pattern continued. Male students are 3.2 times more likely than females to say they are smarter than the person they are working with, regardless of whether their class partners are men or women. Advertisement

When the researchers asked them why they had chosen a particular article, the belief-superior people readily admitted they'd picked news outlets that supported their beliefs.

'We thought that if belief-superior people showed a tendency to seek out a balanced set of information, they might be able to claim that they arrived at their belief superiority through reasoned, critical thinking about both sides of the issue,' Mr Hall said.

Researchers suggest that while some people insist that they are always right, all of us feel good when the beliefs we think are important are confirmed.

In other words, when a belief is strongly held or is held with a sense of moral conviction, people are more likely to distance themselves from information and people that challenge their belief.

'Having your beliefs validated feels good, whereas having your beliefs challenged creates discomfort, and this discomfort generally increases when your beliefs are strongly held and important to you,' said Kaitlin Raimi, University of Michigan assistant professor of public policy and co-author of the study.A 2,000-year-old Roman skeleton with a hole in his foot is only the second physical remain of the type of 'torture that killed Jesus'.

Found during an excavation of a tomb in northern Italy, the skeleton showed signs of 'particular lesions' on the right heel that suggest the man was crucified.

Despite the Romans practicing crucifixions for nearly a millennium on tens of thousands of people, including Jesus, evidence of the technique is rare.

The only other example is a 19cm (7.5-inch) nail found in the body of a Jewish man discovered in a tomb in Jerusalem in 1968.

Evidence of crucifixions is so rare because the wooden crosses that the Romans used for the practice quickly disintegrated.

The nails were also believed to have magical properties, so they were often taken from a victim.

Roman orator Cicero noted that 'of all punishments, it is the most cruel and most terrifying'.

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The skeleton was found around 37 miles (60km) from Venice in the Po valley and had 'particular lesions' on the right heel (pictured). Ancient literature suggests tens of thousands of revolutionaries were crucified by the Roman empire yet until 1968 no victim had been found

The skeleton was found around 37 miles (60km) from Venice in the Po valley.

'The importance of the discovery lies in the fact that it is the second case documented in the world,' co-author Ursula Thun Hohenstein from the University of Ferrara told Italian paper Estense.

It was not possible to radiocarbon date the skeleton because the bones' surfaces have been poorly preserved.

However, the remains were found next to typical Roman bricks and tiles, which suggests it comes from the Roman period.

'Here we suggest crucifixion as a possible cause of the lesion, but this interpretation is complicated by the poor preservation of the bone surfaces and the damage and holes in other skeletal parts', researchers wrote in the paper published in the journal Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences.

The crucified man would have been between 30 to 34 years old, according to their findings.

A 2,000-year-old Roman skeleton with a hole in its foot could provide proof of the type of cruel capital punishment that may have killed Jesus. Pictured is The Crucified Christ painted between 1610 and 1611 by Flemish artist Rubens

WHAT WAS THE FIRST PROOF OF ROMAN CRUCIFIXION? Ancient literature suggests tens of thousands of people were crucified by the Roman empire yet until 1968 no victim had been found. The older male had an seven inch (18cm) nail on his heel In 1968 Vassilios Tzaferis, who received a Ph.D. from Hebrew University in Jerusalem, excavated the body of a Jewish man believed to be from a well-to-do family who was most likely convicted for a political crime. The man lived in Jerusalem sometime between the turn of the era and 780AD. The tombs were found in a massive Second Temple Jewish cemetery in the Giv'at HaMivtar neighbourhood. Researchers found the bones of two generations of males - one 20-24 years old and the other just three or four. The older male had an seven inch (18cm) nail on his heel. Attached to it was a piece of olive wood that would have been remnants of the cross he was pinned to. Dr Tzaferis claims that the Assyrians, Phoenicians and Persians all practised crucifixion at this time. Advertisement

Three-dimensional images of the hole in the heel were created using a hi-tech digital microscope, writes the Times of Israel.

They discovered the lesion passed through the 'entire width' of the heel bone.

'The perforation (length 24 mm) shows a regular round hole passing from the medial side (diameter 9 mm) to the lateral one (diameter 6.5 mm)', the authors wrote.

'The pattern of the cross-sectional lesion is linear in the first part, turning slightly downward in the last part'.

They say this is evidence the heel was nailed to a hard surface before the victim died.

The scientists suggest the upper limbs were 'fixed to the cross by nails through the wrist, as per ancient historical sources'.

He was found 'with the upper limbs at his side and the lower limbs outstretched', which was an unusual position.

They way the invididual is buried - alone and without goods - suggests that he was part of a marginalised population or in a condition of captivity.

The skeleton was found around 37 miles (60km) from Venice in the Po valley and had 'particular lesions' on the right heel

WHAT IS CRUCIFIXION AND WHY IS THERE SO LITTLE EVIDENCE OF IT? What is crucifixion? Crucifixion was a Roman method of punishment and literally means 'fixed to a cross'. A victim would eventually die from asphyxiation or exhaustion and it was long, drawn-out, and painful. The act was used to publicly humiliate slaves and criminals, as well as an execution method usually reserved for individuals of very low status or those whose crime was against the state. This is the reason given in the Gospels for Jesus' crucifixion As King of the Jews, Jesus challenged Roman imperial supremacy (Matt 27:37; Mark 15:26; Luke 23:38; John 19:1922). Crucifixion could be carried out in a number of ways. In Christian tradition, nailing the limbs to the wood of the cross is assumed, with debate centring on whether nails would pierce hands or the more structurally sound wrists. But Romans did not always nail crucifixion victims to their crosses, and instead sometimes tied them in place with rope. In fact, until recently the only archaeological evidence for the practice of nailing crucifixion victims is an ankle bone from the tomb of Jehohanan, a man executed in the first century CE. Why is there so little evidence of it? The victims were normally criminals and their bodies were often thrown into rubbish dumps meaning archaeologists never see their bones. Identification is made even more difficult by scratch marks from scavenging animals. The nails were widely believe to have magical properties. This meant they were rarely left in the victim's heel and the holes they left might be mistaken for puncture marks. Most of the damage was largely on soft-tissue so damage to the bone may have not been that significant. Finally, wooden crosses often don't survive as they degrade or end up being re-used. Advertisement

This also increases the likelihood that this damage relates to crucifixion.

The first evidence of crucifixion - which literally means 'fixed to a cross' - was found in 1968 by archaeologist Vassilios Tzaferis, who received a Ph.D. from Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

He excavated the body of a Jewish man believed to be from a well-to-do family who was most likely convicted for a political crime.

He lived in Jerusalem sometime between the turn of the era and 780AD.

The tombs were found in a massive Second Temple Jewish cemetery in the Giv'at HaMivtar neighborhood.

Researchers found the bones of two generations of males - one 20-24 years old and the other just three or four.

The older male had an seven inch (18cm) nail on his heel.

Attached to it was a piece of olive wood that would have been remnants of the cross he was pinned to, Dr Tzaferis claims.Apple has prevented the Telegram messaging service from updating globally ever since Russia ordered Apple to remove the service from its stores, Telegram's CEO and founder said on Thursday.

'Russia banned Telegram on its territory in April because we refused to provide decryption keys for all our users' communications to Russia's security agencies.

'We believe we did the only possible thing, preserving the right of our users to privacy in a troubled country', Pavel Durov, a pioneer of Russian social media, said in his official Telegram Channel.

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Russia has banned the Telegram messaging app because the company refuses to reveal its encryption key (file picture)

WHAT IS THE TELEGRAM APP? The free application, lets people exchange messages, photos and videos in groups of up to 5,000 people. Telegram is especially popular among political activists of all stripes, and is used by the Kremlin to communicate with journalists, but has also been used by jihadists. The app has proved to be incredible popular. In March, it announced within the last 30 days, Telegram was used by 200 million people. 'This is an insane number by any standards,' the firm said. 'If Telegram were a country, it would have been the sixth largest country in the world.' Advertisement

The ban came to light as apple released iOS11.4, the latest version of its operating system.

'Unfortunately, some Telegram features, such as stickers, don't work correctly under iOS 11.4 that was just released  even though we fixed this issue weeks ago,' said Durov.

'Apple has been preventing Telegram from updating its iOS apps globally ever since the Russian authorities ordered Apple to remove Telegram from the App Store.'

Russia banned Telegram on its territory in April because the firm refused to provide decryption keys for all our users' communications to Russia's security agencies.

'We believe we did the only possible thing, preserving the right of our users to privacy in a troubled country,' said Durov.

'Unfortunately, Apple didn't side with us.

'While Russia makes up only 7% of Telegram's userbase, Apple is restricting updates for all Telegram users around the world since mid-April.

'As a result, we've also been unable to fully comply with GDPR for our EU-users by the deadline of May 25, 2018.

The app has been available on iOS devices since 2013

'We are continuing our efforts to resolve the situation and will keep you updated.'

Earlier this year a court in Moscow ruled to block the popular app after the firm declined to give state security services access to private conversations.

It followed a long-running battle between authorities and Telegram, which has a reputation for secure communications, as Moscow pushes to increase surveillance of internet activities.

In response activists dumped a plastic sack with around 2,000 paper aeroplanes symbolising the logo of the messaging app outside the department of Roskomnadzor in St Petersburg (pictured)

The Roskomnadzor telecoms watchdog, which brought the case, had earlier demanded the service be blocked as soon as the verdict was announced.

In response activists dumped a plastic sack with around 2,000 paper aeroplanes symbolising the logo of the messaging app inside outside the department of Roskomnadzor in St Petersburg.

The app's creator Pavel Durov banned lawyers representing Telegram from attending the court hearing so as not to legitimise it.

But Pavel Chikov, who leads a group of human rights lawyers representing the app, said the case had proved the efficacy of the service.

That authorities had brought the case showed that 'Telegram is by far the safest messenger,' he said in comments published on the platform.

The authorities also pushed 'hundreds of thousands of Russian users to study proxies and VPNs' in an attempt to circumnavigate a potential ban, he said.

Both Chikov and app founder Durov have previously said any ban would be impossible to enforce.

'(The case) has shown again and again that the judicial system simply serves the interests of power and no longer cares about keeping up even the most basic of appearances,' the lawyer added.

Telegram's self-exiled Russian founder Durov has long said he will reject any attempt by the country security's services to gain backdoor access to the app.

The free application, which lets people exchange messages, photos and videos in groups of up to 5,000 people, has attracted more than 200 million users since its launch in 2013.

Telegram is especially popular among political activists of all stripes, and is used by the Kremlin to communicate with journalists, but has also been used by jihadists.

In September 2017 the FSB security service demanded encryption keys, Durov said, prompting a formal complaint when the request was rejected.

Durov wrote last year that the FSB's demands are 'technically impossible to carry out' and violate the Russian Constitution which entitles citizens to privacy of correspondence.

Roskomnadzor had threatened to ban the app in June last year for failing to join its official register, which requires companies to provide the FSB with information on user interactions.

Although Telegram later registered, it stopped short of agreeing to the regulator's data storage demands.

From this year, companies on the register must also store all the data of Russian users inside the country, according to controversial anti-terror legislation passed in 2016 which was decried by internet companies and the opposition.

In September 2017 the FSB security service demanded encryption keys, Durov said, prompting a formal complaint when the request was rejected (pictured: activists in St Petersburg)A new survey shows Africa's critically endangered mountain gorillas have exceeded 1,000 after conservation efforts, making them the only great ape in the world considered to be growing in number.

The WWF says mountain gorilla numbers have increased to 604 from an estimated 480 in 2010 in the Virunga Massif, a hilly area encompassing parts of Rwanda, Uganda and Congo.

Combined with the latest published figures from the gorillas' only other home, Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, the overall population is 1,004.

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A reason for joy: According to the latest census, more than 600 mountain gorillas live in the Virunga Volcanoes, more than twice as many as thirty years ago. The number of wild mountain gorillas worldwide exceeds 1,000 animals.

AN ONGOING BATTLE Despite the good news, the survey found that direct threats from wire or rope snares persist. During the surveys, the teams found and destroyed more than 380 snares, which were set for antelope but can also kill or harm gorillas. One of the snares discovered by the teams contained a dead mountain gorilla. There are also new threats looming large on the horizon, including climate change, infrastructure development and the ever-present spectre of disease, which has the potential to devastate the remaining populations, the WWF says. Advertisement

Ugandan officials say they expect a rise in the Bwindi population when the results of a recent, separate survey there are released.

'When I first visited the mountain gorillas in 1979, the situation was dire; the number of these remarkable animals was dreadfully small, said Fauna & Flora International vice-president and WWF-UK ambassador, Sir David Attenborough.

'It is incredibly heartening therefore to see how the efforts of so many different groups  communities, governments, NGOs  have paid off.

'The threats to mountain gorillas haven't disappeared entirely, of course, so now the challenge must be to ensure that these achievements are sustained long into the future.'

One of the most important conservation sites in the world, Virunga Park covers 7,800 square kilometres (3,000 miles) along a swathe of eastern DR Congo abutting the border with Uganda and Rwanda.

It also covers most of Lake Edward and the Ishasha river valley.

Established in 1925, Virunga is home to mountain gorillas, as well as to eastern lowland gorillas, chimpanzees, okapis, lions, elephants and hippos.

Mountain gorillas are popular with tourists.

The region's population, however, dropped sharply in the past century because of poaching, illness and human encroachment.

'This represents one of the rare success stories in conservation,' Martha Robbins, research scientist and gorilla expert at the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology.

TROUBLED PARK SUSPENDS TOURIST VISAS The management of DR Congo's Virunga Park announced earlier this month it had temporarily halted tourist activities after the murder of a guard and the kidnapping of two British holidaymakers. 'The Virunga National Park has decided to suspend tourist visits until Monday, June 4 because of the security incident that occurred on Friday, May 11, 2018,' a statement said. A Congolese park guard was killed in an attack before two British tourists - Robert Jesty and Bethan Davies - and their Congolese driver were kidnapped. One of the most important conservation sites in the world, Virunga Park covers 7,800 square kilometres (3,000 miles) along a swathe of eastern DR Congo abutting the border with Uganda and Rwanda. The three were freed after two days. The UK pair were unharmed, while the driver was injured. Joel Wengamulay, spokesman for the park, said: 'We are strengthening our security measures before resuming tourism activities on June 4, 2018.' The park is located in DR Congo's North Kivu province, where armed groups are fighting for control of territorial and natural resources, and poaching is a major threat. Eight eco-guards at Virunga Park have died in the line of duty since the beginning of the year. Advertisement

The population of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes has more than doubled in the past three decades, despite intensive threats of poaching, habitat degradation, and civil conflict,'

'This increase exemplifies the dedicated efforts of the governments of Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to conserve these critically endangered great apes, and notably, the hard work of park staff on the ground.

'This dramatic increase also shows that extreme conservation efforts including tourism, veterinary work, and community projects can have a positive impact on one of our closest living relatives.'

The census was a combination of intensive fieldwork in 2015 and 2016 and detailed genetic analysis.

A one year old baby mountain gorilla plays in the jungle of the Virunga National Park. The primate shares 98% of its DNA with the human being. Virunga park is home to about a third of the estimated 1000 mountain gorillas remaining on earth.

Field teams walked more than 2,000 kilometres to sweep intensively through the entire 440 square kilometres Virunga Volcanoes searching for trails and nest sites left by the gorillas.

Genetic analysis, taking more than 18 months to complete, was conducted on approximately 1,100 fecal samples to determine that there are a minimum of 186 unhabituated (not regularly contacted by humans) gorillas.

The remaining 70 percent of the population consists of 418 gorillas that are habituated for research and tourism.

The last census conducted in the Virunga Volcanoes was in 2010, when the population was estimated to be a minimum of 480 gorillas.

The current figure represents a 26 percent increase in the number of gorillas over a six-year-period, which is a 3.8 percent annual rate of increase.

This increase is due to improved methods used in this recent census as well as actual growth of the population.

The 604 gorillas were found in 41 social groups and 14 solitary males.

The Bageni family in the gorilla sector of Virunga National Park, on August 6, 2013 in Bukima, DR Congo.

Three members of the 'Nyakagezi' mountain gorillas group rest at the Mgahinga Gorilla National park in Kisoro on November 20, 2015. About 400 mountain gorillas live in Uganda.

Conducting the census was a large collaborative effort among the park services of the three countries where mountain gorillas live, namely Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, several non-governmental conservation organizations, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Leipzig, Germany.

Routine censusing such as this one is a crucial part of adaptive management strategies to help determine whether a population is increasing or decreasing in size and decide if conservation efforts are effective or should be modified.

Combined with the latest published figures from the gorillas' only other home, Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (pictured), the overall population is 1,004.

The population of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Volcanoes numbered only about 250 gorillas in the mid-1980's.

'Genetic analysis of DNA from fecal samples allows us to count gorillas without even observing them,' observes Linda Vigilant, head of the primatology genetics lab in Leipzig.

'Next we will be analyzing the detection history of individuals over time to get more insights into how groups form and group membership changes'.The startup that claims responsibility for the conception of 10,000 babies has raised $30million in Series B fundraising to expand into other aspects of female health.

The Ava bracelet is a $249 wearable device with an accompanying app that helps women track their fertility cycles.

Designed to be worn overnight, the technology measures nine physiological variables to monitor a woman's fertility or pregnancy.

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Ava, the startup that claims responsibility for the conception of 10,000 babies, has raised $30million in Series B fundraising to expand into other aspects of female health

The funding comes from previous unnamed investors as well as new European venture capital participants Btov and SVC.

In late 2016, Ava raised a Series A round of $9.7million in funding. The newest investments brings their total since 2014 to $42.3million.

A year-long study of 41 women, carried out at the University Hospital of Zurich in Switzerland, found Ava was 89 per cent accurate at predicting their most fertile five days of the month, as determined by hormone levels.

The device monitors nine variables which change slightly throughout the menstrual cycle. These include resting heart rate and skin temperature, which rise as the body prepares to release an egg.

It also measures breathing rate, the length of sleep, and movement during sleep.

Individually, each of these signals has limited value in determining if a woman is at her most fertile. But tracking them together means the wristband can identify this window with surprising accuracy.

The device monitors nine variables which change slightly throughout the menstrual cycle. These include resting heart rate and skin temperature, which rise as the body prepares to release an egg

'Everything we do is artificial intelligence,' CEO Lea von Bidder said to Tech Crunch.

'We are clearly an AI company in the end. It's just a fancy term for big data analytics and that is exactly what we do. When you think about what Ava does, we are measuring your body and understanding it, and the only way we could do that is with AI.'

Ava has mostly been focused on women who are trying to conceive a child but have not been immediately successful.

A large amount of the new funding will go to running clinical trials working to extend the kind of help it can offer to women trying to get pregnant, such as more research into fertility challenges and pregnancy complications.

However, the company is also looking to extend support to women who are looking to prevent conception.

'The overall vision of the app is to become a companion for all of a woman's different life stages, including trying to prevent pregnancy and menopause,' said Von Bidder.

The enhancement of Ava aims to also provide support for other phases of women's reproductive health, such as menopause and contraception.

'It's exciting to work with a company that is literally reshaping the way we think about menstrual cycles, hormones and women's health,' said Professor Brigitte Leeners, who is based at the University Hospital of Zurich and is overseeing the clinical trials.

'Combining the best in science, data insights and technology is not only helping to create families, but improving women's lives around the world.'Advertisement

A luxury yacht on which Grace Kelly honeymooned with Prince Rainier after their wedding in 1956 is being offered for private charter for the princely sum of $127,000 (95,326) a week.

The M/Y Grace, currently owned by Ecuador-based cruise company Quasar Expeditions, can accommodate up to 18 passengers with nine spacious cabins boasting colonial-style interiors and air conditioning.

Onboard features include an outdoor hot tub, a sun deck, a well-stocked wine cellar and large lounge area.

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A luxury yacht, on which Grace Kelly honeymooned with Prince Rainier after their wedding in 1956, is being offered for private charter for the princely sum of $127,000 a week

The M/Y Grace, currently owned by Ecuador-based cruise company Quasar Expeditions, can accommodate up to 18 passengers with nine spacious cabins boasting colonial-style interiors and air conditioning. Above, the Grace Kelly suite

The yacht became the property of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly (pictured on the boat) as a wedding gift from Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis

Moving to the bedrooms, the Grace Kelly suite is situated in the exact same place on the yacht where Grace Kelly's suite was located in 50's.

The airy room boasts an ensuite bathroom kitted out with a shower and hairdryer.

The M/Y Grace is currently available to hire in the Galapagos with itineraries tailored to meet guests' needs. Rates are inclusive of fuel, meals, an expert naturalist guide, port fees and dues.

For those who can't afford to shell out $127,000, travellers can also board the M/Y Grace on a shared excursion.

Quasar Expeditions currently runs eight-day trips around the Galapagos aboard the M/Y Grace with prices starting from $4,760.

Guests can opt to do various activities during the trip, such as kayaking, snorkelling and hiking around the stunning islands.

Onboard features include an outdoor hot tub, a sun deck, a well-stocked wine cellar and large lounge area

The M/Y Grace is currently available to hire in the Galapagos with itineraries tailored to meet guests' needs. Above, the communal lounge area complete with a television and small library

Rates are inclusive of fuel, meals, an expert naturalist guide, port fees and dues

Grace Kelly wearing a life jacket while on the boat, stops to have her photo taken with her pet poodle Oliver

Aristotle Onassis (second from left) sits onboard the boat with friends while cruising down the French Riviera

The historic vessel is also marketed to honeymooners keen on starting married life in the style of Grace Kelly - who was famed for films including High Society, Dial M For Murder and To Catch A Thief - and her spouse.

The M/Y Grace originally hit the water in 1928 after being crafted by Camper and Nicholsons in Southampton, England. She weighed 298 tons and was 147 feet long.

An Argentinean, named Santiago Soulas, was the one to commission her, naming her after his daughter Monica.

Soulas kept the yacht for four years before selling her to Zarch Couyoumbian, a Greek gentleman who named her Rion.

In 1938, Sir George Tilley, chairman of the Prudential Insurance Co., acquired and enjoyed her until 1939, when the British conscripted her for the war effort.

With the breakout of the Second World War in 1939, the yacht joined the Royal Navy with a crew of 20 and was renamed HMS Noir. She and 15 other vessels patrolled the entrances to the Solent and along the Isle of Wight.

On October 1945 she was decommissioned and 17 months later she arrived at her original builders - Southamptons Camper & Nicholson - for restoration. On September 16, 1947 she was returned to Sir George Tilley.

A shot of the bathroom attached to the Grace Kelly suite, which features a shower, hairdryer and marble-topped sink

For those who can't afford to shell out $127,000, travellers can also board the M/Y Grace on a shared excursion. Quasar Expeditions currently runs eight-day trips around the Galapagos aboard the M/Y Grace with prices starting from $4,760

The historic vessel is also marketed to honeymooners keen on starting married life in the style of Grace Kelly and her spouse. Above, a shot of one of the Carolina Deck Premium Staterooms

The M/Y Grace originally hit the water in 1928 after being crafted by Camper and Nicholsons in Southampton, England. She weighed 298 tons and was 147 feet long

An Argentinean, named Santiago Soulas, was the one to commission her, naming her after his daughter Monica. Soulas kept the yacht for four years before selling her to Zarch Couyoumbian, a Greek gentleman who named her Rion

Upon Sir Georges death in 1951, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis acquired HMS Noir and renamed her Arion.

The yacht went on to become property of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly (who became officially Princess Grace of Monaco) as a wedding gift from Onassis.

The royal couple honeymooned aboard the boat - which they christened Deo Juvente II - along the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia.

They kept her until 1958, when a Monaco-based businessman purchased her and renamed her Daska.

After changing hands several times more, Quasar Expeditions acquired the boat in 2007 and spent two years renovating her and decking her out with modern amenities.

The company decided to rechristen her the M/Y Grace: a name that would take her full circle.

A charming and smiling Grace Kelly stands looking towards the principality of Monaco with her hand on the engine room telegraph of the boat, before she married Prince Rainer (right), who wears a smile as he looks at his bride to be

The royal couple kept the boat until 1958, when a Monaco-based businessman purchased her and renamed her DaskaThe biggest events company in a Majorcan resort has published a cheeky guide on how easy it is to smuggle holiday romances back to hotels - as officials try to stamp out 'uncivic' behaviour.

The Magaluf Events Company posted a 'Magaluf Guide' online claiming it has 'the answers to everything you need to know'.

But the section on how easy it is to get other people back to your hotel room is the part that may raise eyebrows.

The biggest events company in a Majorcan resort has published a cheeky guide on how easy it is to smuggle holiday romances back to hotels. Pictured is Magaluf beach

Hotels are rated with a percentage score and the guide even picks out establishments where there are less or more security guards and the ones who are more friendly or likely to turn a blind eye.

Of the Martinque hotel, one of the largest for young holidaymakers in Magaluf for 2018, the guide says: 'Difficulty getting people back for a sleepover 50 per cent.

'There is only one security guard so it isn't difficult to get people back to the rooms.'

The Martinique Hotel in Magaluf. The guide says: 'Difficulty getting people back for a sleepover 50 per cent. There is only one security guard so it isn't difficult to get people back to the rooms'

The BH Mallorca, however, wins a 96 per cent rating for sleepover difficulty, with Magaluf Events saying: 'Very strict both day and night! Lots of security guards will mean that getting people who aren't guests back to the hotel near impossible. Maybe try and pull the people who stay in your hotel!

'That being said, a 20 euro tip will sometimes make the security guard turn a blind eye!'

And the guide adds that at the HSM Sandalo: 'Difficulty getting people back for a sleepover 70 per cent.

'The security guards are strict. You will need to be sneaky to get past them.'

The guide also rates the hotels for their liveliness, whether they have free all-inclusive bars, the level of the music, distance from the Magaluf strip, cost of alcoholic shots and excursions offered.

Despite the efforts of tourism chiefs to change the image of the party resort, Magaluf Events says it is not slowing down.

It does, however, warn about the new raft of local laws introduced by Calvia Council, which has jurisdiction over the resort. Fines can be imposed for 'uncivic behaviour' such as being drunk in the street, being naked or semi-nude in a public place.

The BH Mallorca hotel has a 96 per cent difficulty rating with the guide saying: 'Very strict both day and night! Lots of security guards will mean that getting people who aren't guests back to the hotel near impossible'

The HSM Sandalo, pictured, is described as being difficult for getting people back for a sleepover with a 70 per cent rating

The guide says young people should budget for around 100 euros a day spending money but of Magaluf's bars and clubs, it adds: 'Magaluf's nightlife is notorious!

'Nowhere and we mean nowhere has a party reputation like Magaluf - and we're proud of that! The Puenta Baena or the Strip as it is known is simply half a mile of carnage!'

Yesterday the Mayor Alfonso Rodriguez Badal called on the Balearic Government for help in dealing with various security issues, especially in the nightlife areas.

He said the council was still absolutely determined to change the image of the resort away from 'drunkenness and excesses' despite the efforts of some sectors of the business community to resist it.

It's not known what Calvia Council thinks of the guide.

MailOnline Travel has contacted BH Mallorca and Martinique for comment.An airplane full of tourists was forced to divert after a passenger's foul-smelling body odour reportedly caused those around him to vomit and faint.

The Transavia Boeing 737 took off from Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands for Gran Canaria, but instead it touched down in Faro, Portugal.

At one point, flight crew reportedly tried to quarantine the 'unwashed' man in a toilet before the pilots decided to divert the flight.

A plane full of tourists on a Transavia flight had to make an emergency landing after a passenger's foul-smelling body odour caused other holidaymakers to vomit and faint

Passengers reportedly became increasingly distressed by the stench of the male holidaymaker with some fainting and vomiting.

Due to the incident, the plane landed in Faro, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal, so the man could be removed.

A picture taken by one of the passengers show medical personnel taking the smelly man from the aeroplane into a bus.

Belgian passenger Piet van Haut was one of the passengers on board the plane and described the stench of the man in question as 'unbearable'.

A picture taken by one of the passengers shows medical personnel taking the smelly man from the aeroplane into a bus

Belgian passenger Piet van Haut was one of the passengers on board the plane and described the stench of the man in question as 'unbearable'

He said: 'It was like he hadn't washed himself for several weeks. Several passengers got sick and had to puke.'

Transavia confirmed the diversion to MailOnline Travel saying it was due to 'medical reasons'. The incident occurred on flight HV5666.

It is not known why the man smelt so foul or what medical issues he was suffering from.

A Transavia spokesman said: 'The aeroplane diverted because of medical reasons, but it is indeed right that he smelled quite a bit.'

Bizarrely, it was not the first smelly incident on a Transavia flight this year.

In February, a Transavia plane from Dubai to Amsterdam was forced to make an emergency landing in the Austrian capital of Vienna after a passenger could not stop farting, which caused a brawl between several passengers.It's been a big week for Norman Reedus.

Not only is the actor allegedly in talks to sign a $20 million deal to take Andrew Lincoln's spot on The Walking Dead, but he's also rumored to be expecting a child with girlfriend Diane Kruger.

Us Weekly claims to have confirmed the exciting news with multiple sources, noting that Diane appeared to be concealing a baby bump beneath oversized garments during Cannes Film Festival.

Norman Reedus is reportedly in talks to fill Andrew Lincoln's shoes on The Walking Dead after the actor's shocking exit from the show

Norman, 49, has not weighed in on whether or not he's to become a father again, though fans have been trying to get it out of him.

The actor recently posted a photo of two Pee Wee Herman dolls holding a photo of Diane, 41, which some fans seem to think was a clue.

'Does this mean you two are having twins,' one Instagram user wrote.

'Congrats to you and @dianekruger!! I know the baby will be beautiful and loved beyond measure and have two wonderful parents!!,' another commented.

Still, no reply from Norman.

Who is Norman Reedus?

Norman Mark Reedus, born January 6, 1969, is an actor. He comes from Hollywood, Florida.

He's known best for his work on AMC's The Walking Dead, though he's had other major roles in The Boondock Saints, Blade II and a guest spot on Charmed.

In addition to acting, Norman has done a bit of modeling in the past.

He dated Helena Christensen from 1998 to 2003. The pair were not married, though it's been reported that they were. They share a son called Mingus Lucien Reedus.

Norman is currently in a relationship with Diane Kruger who is rumored to be pregnant.

Norman Reedus net worth

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Norman Reedus's net worth is about $18 million (13.5m). Reedus's actress girlfriend Diane Kruger, has a similar net worth to the Walking Dead star.

How did Norman Reedus make his money?

Norman Reedus has made the majority of his money from acting, though he also had a career as a model.

He's said to be paid about $650,000 (489,645) per episode of The Walking Dead and that number could be going up following Andrew Lincoln's exit from the show.

Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger

Norman Reedus and Diane Kruger are rumored to be expecting their first child together. The couple have been dating for some time, but they've been friends for even longer.

The alleged expectant parents met on the set of Sky, which came out in 2015, according to People.

The Walking Dead star Norman Reedus is rumored to be having a child with girlfriend Diane Kruger

'I didn't know [Reedus] before the film,' Diane told the outlet at the time. 'We share a lot of intimate scenes. I was really nervous about meeting him and not being able to have a drink with him, or talk with him.'

She also said she was 'pleasantly surprised' to find that Norman was 'so relaxed'.

'He's really easygoing, very gentle,' she said.

In December 2016, Diane joined Norman in Paris, France, for a showcase of his photography work. Rumors began to swirl that the duo may be more than friends.

Not long after that, sneaky photographers caught Norman and Diane returning to New York City after what appeared to be a Valentine's Day get away.

Norman Reedus baby

Norman Reedus's girlfriend, Diane Kruger, is rumored to be pregnant with their first child together.

The pair have not confirmed anything at this time, but it's been reported that Diane was turning away alcohol and hiding a growing bump beneath baggy gowns during Cannes Film Festival.

Norman Reedus son

Norman Reedus has a teenage son called Mingus Lucien Reedus with Helena Christensen. Norman has shared a few photos of the boy, though he's much younger in the pictures.

Diane Kruger net worth

Diane Kruger's net worth is about $24 million (18m).Shia LaBeouf looked unrecognizable Wednesday in his first sighting in full costume as James Lort, a thinly-veiled version of his own father Jeffrey, for the indie Honey Boy.

The Daytime Emmy winner - turning 32 on June 11 - wore a receding hairline mullet wig with sideburns and glasses to play the 'law-breaking, alcohol-abusing' patriarch.

The troubled 'metamodernist' picked up trash on a street while clad in overalls, a jean jacket, boots, and a safety vest selected by costumer Natalie O'Brien.

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Double take: Shia LaBeouf looked unrecognizable Wednesday in his first sighting in full costume as James Lort, a thinly-veiled version of his own father Jeffrey, for the indie Honey Boy

Resemblance? The Daytime Emmy winner - turning 32 on June 11 - wore a receding hairline mullet wig with sideburns and glasses to play the 'law-breaking, alcohol-abusing' patriarch

LaBeouf wrote the screenplay about his life as a child actor and his shaky relationship with Jeffrey during his 10-week court-ordered rehab stint.

Honey Boy - which was what Jeffrey called Shia - is set over the course of a decade, and he really didn't want to make the movie a 'boo-hoo piece.'

'[Critics will say] "Oh, here he is not trying to own his s***. He's trying to put it on his father,"' the #TAKEMEANYWHERE director explained in the April edition of Esquire.

'My dad handed me a lot, and his legacy was an emotional one. And it wasn't scarring. He handed me texture. My dad blessed me that way.'

Action! The troubled 'metamodernist' picked up trash on a street while clad in overalls, a jean jacket, boots, and a safety vest selected by costumer Natalie O'Brien

Personal: LaBeouf wrote the screenplay about his life as a child actor and his shaky relationship with Jeffrey during his 10-week court-ordered rehab stint

Screenwriting debut: Honey Boy - which was what Jeffrey called Shia - is set over the course of a decade, and he really didn't want to make the movie a 'boo-hoo piece'

The #TAKEMEANYWHERE director told Esquire: '[Critics will say] "Oh, here he is not trying to own his s***. He's trying to put it on his father"'

Shia added: 'My dad handed me a lot, and his legacy was an emotional one. And it wasn't scarring. He handed me texture. My dad blessed me that way'

The former Disney Channel star - whose series Even Stevens aired from 2000-2003 - used to attend 12-step Alano Club meetings with his heroin-addicted dad.

'That was my daycare center. Then I'd go to work. That was my whole life,' LaBeouf recalled.

'A lot of my s*** has to do with my relationship with my dad. That dude is my gasoline...He's the whole reason I became an actor.'

Jeffrey originally trained as a commedia dell'arte clown, once opened for the Doobie Brothers, and he used to sell hot dogs and snow cones in Echo Park to make a living.

Soldier: Shia's brown vest (emblazoned with 'combat veteran, POW MIA, you are not forgotten') was a nod to Jeffrey's three tours of duty during the Vietnam War

Sprint: The Borg vs McEnroe actor later shot a pond scene where his character James Lort let loose, seemingly on break from trash duty

Nicodemon: The admitted plagiarist appeared blissed out while enjoying a cigarette on the sandy banks

'That was my daycare center': The former Disney Channel star - whose series Even Stevens aired from 2000-2003 - used to attend 12-step Alano Club meetings with his heroin-addicted dad

He said: 'A lot of my s*** has to do with my relationship with my dad. That dude is my gasoline...He's the whole reason I became an actor.'

Shia's brown vest (emblazoned with 'combat veteran, POW MIA, you are not forgotten') was a nod to Jeffrey's three tours of duty during the Vietnam War.

The Borg vs McEnroe actor later shot a pond scene where his character James Lort let loose, seemingly on break from trash duty.

The admitted plagiarist appeared blissed out while enjoying a cigarette on the sandy banks.

LaBeouf - who shaved his head for the role - also got to shoot a little bit of action on a motorcycle.

Nice hog: Jeffrey originally trained as a commedia dell'arte clown, once opened for the Doobie Brothers, and he used to sell hot dogs and snow cones in Echo Park to make a living

Vroom! LaBeouf - who shaved his head for the role - also got to shoot a little bit of action on a motorcycle

Easy rider: Shia famously rode motorcycles during his hey-day in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and Transformers

Shia famously rode motorcycles during his hey-day in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, and Transformers.

The American Honey star enlisted Alma Har'el to direct his quasi-biopic and he cast two actors to play Otis Lort (himself) - Noah Jupe and Lucas Hedges.

The 13-year-old A Quiet Place actor shared an artsy on-set snap on May 17 of himself chatting with the former child star in front of a window.

'Honey Boys': The American Honey star enlisted Alma Har'el (M) to direct his biopic and he cast two actors to play Otis Lort (himself) - Noah Jupe (L) and Lucas Hedges (pictured April 27)

'Diving in the Deep End': The 13-year-old A Quiet Place actor shared an artsy on-set snap on May 17 of himself chatting with the former child star in front of a window

Artsy: Alma directed LaBeouf in Sigur Ros' 2012 music video for Fjogur piano, in which he did full-frontal nudity and performed a dance choreographed by Ryan Heffington

Honey Boy: 'The meta miracle' movie marks the Bombay Beach helmer's first scripted feature and it also stars Natasha Lyonne, Laura San Giacomo, Maika Monroe, and Clifton Collins Jr.

Alma directed LaBeouf in Sigur Ros' artsy 2012 music video for Fjogur piano, in which he did full-frontal nudity and performed a dance choreographed by Ryan Heffington.

'The meta miracle' movie marks the Bombay Beach helmer's first scripted feature and it also stars Natasha Lyonne, Laura San Giacomo, Maika Monroe, and Clifton Collins Jr.

It's worth noting that most actors wouldn't have a career at all if they were Shia - who was arrested for the sixth time (for obstruction, disorderly conduct, and public drunkenness) in Savannah on July 8.When KIIS FM's Jackie 'O' Henderson was reduced to tears by a Hollywood agent, her co-host Kyle Sandilands was ready to 'kill them all there on the spot'.

On Thursday's The Kyle And Jackie O Show, the shock jock recalled the moment he threw an A-list star's publicist out of their studio after they spoke to Jackie 'like a dog'.

Kyle, 46, claimed that he told the powerful agent during the incident in 2013: 'Get out of here! You've got five seconds before I knock your teeth out!'

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Which Hollywood guest made Jackie O cry? Kyle Sandilands claims he 'threatened an A-list star's publicist after they labelled his female co-host stupid and spoke to her like a dog'

'I've thrown A-list celebrities and their entire entourage out, threatening to kill 'em all there on the spot,' Kyle explained.

He clarified that the celebrity guest, Will Ferrell, 'didn't do anything wrong (but) his publicist did.'

Kyle added: 'I said "I'll slap you around, b***h!" in front of everyone.'

'He soon realised he was in the wrong place': Kyle claimed he told the powerful agent during the incident in 2013: 'Get out of here! You've got five seconds before I knock your teeth out!'

'Yeah, you kicked them all out!' Jackie added, recalling the ordeal.

'Long story short, the guy made Jackie cry,' Kyle said. 'He thought he was some big, powerful publicist from America and that he could speak to Jackie like a dog.

'Well he soon realised he was in the wrong place... he was very nervous.'

Jackie then revealed the incident still affected her over four years later, saying: 'I still hate the thought of it, though.'

'I still hate the thought of it, though': Jackie revealed the incident still affected her over four years later, saying: 'I still hate the thought of it, though'

Ordeal: Kyle told The Daily Telegraph in 2013 that the incident began when a publicist for Will Ferrell's film Anchorman 2 called Jackie O 'stupid' after she mispronounced the actor's name

Kyle told The Daily Telegraph in 2013 that the incident began when a publicist for Will Ferrell's film Anchorman 2 called Jackie O 'stupid' after she mispronounced the actor's last name as 'feral'.

According to reports at the time, Jackie fled to the bathroom in tears and Kyle was absolutely furious at the publicist afterwards.

'I got right up into his face with that stupid Ned Kelly beard and told him that he and the entire crew had five minutes to vacate the premises because I will not have anyone talking to a member of our team like that,' Kyle recalled at the time.

'We got banned for 10 years for talking to any of those celebrities': On Thursday's KIIS 106.5 breakfast show, Kyle said there were consequences for him taking a stand against the publicist

On Thursday's radio program, Kyle insisted that he would always stand up for Jackie and his other KIIS FM colleagues.

'I did it because you were upset and you were crying and thought, "Who's this dog think he is? In our place?"' he said.

Kyle added that there were consequences for him taking a stand against the publicist, but he doesn't regret what he did.

He claimed: 'We got banned for 10 years for talking to any of those celebrities, because apparently he is one of the biggest publicists in the world.

'That really caused us some grief.. but I could care less.'Former Bachelor star Jen Hawke has admitted to playing cruel pranks on her co-stars during her reality television stint in 2017.

Revealing she was 'expected to be portrayed as a b*tch', the outspoken brunette said she played up to the 'villain' role.

Speaking to Marie Claire magazine, Jen confessed one of the nasty jokes she played on the girls in the mansion.

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'I was expected to be portrayed as a b*tch': Bachelor villain Jen Hawke reveals she 'put caster sugar in the other girls' protein powder' during her time in the Bachie mansion

'I pulled pranks on the girls, like putting caster sugar in their protein powder,' she confessed to the publication.

But the controversial star said her villainous on-screen character didn't accurately reflect her personality real-life.

While she was aware producers would portray her as the 'villain', Jen said she never imagined it would be as severe as it was.

Nasty move! Speaking to Marie Claire magazine, Jen confessed the nasty pranks she played on the girls in the mansion

'Australia thought I was really savage, but that's not what I'm like in real life,' she said.

Finding her experience with reality television confronting, Jen said she 'tried to have fun' with it, causing her to uncharacteristically 'run amok'.

Earlier this month, Woman's Day reported that a memorable Bachelor star from last year's season 'used sneaky tactics in a bid to get the other girls fat.'

Sweet touch: 'I pulled pranks on the girls, like putting caster sugar in their protein powder,' she told the publication

The publication's source claimed one of the girls would 'make brownies, scones and cakes and would plant them around all parts of the house.'

It was reported that the scheming contestant hoped that the girls 'would overindulge' and gain weight on the show.She rose to prominence on Made In Chelsea, and has since become a regular face on London's party scene.

And Ashley James was up to her usual tricks on Wednesday night, as she made a stylish appearance at a VIP Sweaty Betty dinner in the capital.

The 31-year-old stood out from the crowds in a vibrant pink ensemble, as she celebrated the launch of the new sportswear shop in Hemsley + Hemsley at Selfridges.

Think pink: Ashley James made a stylish appearance at a VIP Sweaty Betty dinner in London's Selfridges on Wednesday night

Ashley turned heads in her candy-coloured blazer, which matched her thigh-skimming PVC mini skirt.

Layering a striped bodysuit underneath, the blonde also gave a glimpse of her busty frame to all as she posed fiercely, with her hands on her hips.

Only elongating her leggy figure further, Ashley tied her look together with striking irridescent stilettos as she worked the cameras at the bash.

Eye-catching: Ashley turned heads in her candy-coloured blazer, which matched her thigh-skimming PVC mini skirt

Stealing the show: Layering a striped bodysuit underneath, the blonde also gave a glimpse of her busty frame to all as she posed fiercely for cameras

Ready for my close up: Ashley worked a number of fierce poses at the event

She swept her hair into a loose up-do to draw attention to her clear and glowing complexion - accentuated by a soft smoky eye and dark nude lip.

Clearly excited to be at the event, the reality star was spotted browsing the racks of sportswear, before she caught up with Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley - who were launching the fitness brand's store in their healthy eatery.

Ashley was the picture of confidence at the bash, after bravely battling body dysmorphia - a condition defined by the anxiety caused by a distorted image of the self.

Speaking in an interview with MailOnline, Ashley said: 'I'm definitely more confident in terms of like, I literally used to look at my body with disgust and I'd see myself bigger than I was and I've definitely got through the worse.

Au naturale: She swept her hair into a loose up-do to draw attention to her clear complexion as she posed with Nicki Shields, Sarah-Jane Mee, Susie Amy and best pal Charlotte de Carle (L-R)

Women of the hour: Ashley later caught up with Melissa and Jasmine Hemsley (L_R) - who were launching the fitness brand's store in their healthy eatery

'But of course, I have days where I feel insecure about things or I look at my body and see flaws.

'I have learned to embrace it, I think being more open and authentic and honest on social media helps that journey.

'I'd definitely being lying if I said that I didn't like have days where I felt insecure about things.'

Ashley has been laying low in recent weeks, following her stint on Celebrity Big Brother last year.

The blonde embarked on romance with rapper Ginuwine in the house, but things soon fizzled out when the show ended.Love Island's Charlie Taylor has been branded a 'self-obsessed dwarf' who 'constantly' talked about himself, by his ex-girlfriend.

The girl, known only as Scarlett, claimed the hunky former rugby league star, 22, would force her to take endless half-naked snaps of him so he could perfect his angles for modelling.

'He constantly talked about himself and constantly asked me to take shirtless photos of him because he wanted to practice his model poses,' she told the Kyle and Jackie O show on Thursday.

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She said what? Love Island's Charlie Taylor has been branded a 'self-obsessed dwarf' who 'constantly' talked about himself by his ex-girlfriend

She added: 'He would take mirror shots in my bathroom. He's self-obsessed.'

Shock jock Kyle asked: 'Does he have short legs? He's a muscly dude but with tiny legs.'

Charlie's ex laughed and replied: 'He's a bit little. Like a dwarf.'

She added that she was watching the sportsman on Love Island every night, confessing: 'I'm loving it. It's so bad, it's so good.'

Oh dear: The unnamed girl claimed the former rugby league star, 22, would force her to take endless half-naked snaps of him so he could work his modelling looks

Snap-happy? 'He constantly talked about himself and constantly asked me to take shirtless photos of him because he wanted to practice his model poses,' she told the Kyle and Jackie O show on Thursday

Charlie decided to ditch his successful rugby career for reality TV stardom - despite representing Australia in the Rugby Sevens just weeks ago.

He is signed to top modelling agency THE.mgmt and frequently features sponsored content on his Instagram account.

Despite his provocative persona on social media, however, Taylor has insisted that he signed up to Love Island for the right reasons.

Did you see the X-rated wardrobe malfunction? He hit the headlines earlier this week after sharing a little more than intended on Tuesday night's episode while larking about in a pair of perilously small boxers

'I am not going on the show just to sleep with someone,' he told The Sunday Telegraph before entering the villa.

'I am going on the show to have a ball and hopefully... potentially, find love.'

He hit the headlines earlier this week after sharing a little more than intended on Tuesday night's episode while larking about in a pair of perilously small boxers.

The athlete left viewers blushing when he accidentally exposed more than he bargained for while stretching out on his bed.She's come a long way since her Home And Away days, becoming a big name in Hollywood thanks to successful films such as The Great Gatsby and Wedding Crashers.

And Australian actress Isla Fisher exudes A-list glamour on the cover of this month's Marie Claire magazine.

The 42-year-old looks flawless as she works her angles for the sultry shoot while wearing a glamorous emerald green gown.

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Making them green with envy! Former Home And Away star Isla Fisher exudes elegance in a show-stopping emerald gown in sultry Marie Claire shoot

On the cover Isla smoulders, as her long fire engine red locks are tossed over her shoulder in loose tousled curls.

The mother-of-three also flaunts flawless wrinkle-free visage, wearing minimal makeup on her dreamy creamy complexion.

In a stunning inside shot, Isla twirls in her green frock, which features billowing sleeves and a waistband.

Flirty and fun! In a stunning inside shot, Isla twirls in her green frock, which features billowing sleeves and a waistband

The petite star adds height to her frame with a pair of gold heels.

In another beautiful image, Isla flaunts her slender figure in a hot pink dress, which features a one-shoulder design and thigh-split.

Her look is completed with a dark pink lip and oversized earrings.

Hot! Isla also flaunts her slender figure in a hot pink dress, which features a one-shoulder design and a thigh-split

Isla told the publication that she wants to move to Byron Bay with her clan, following in the footsteps of the likes of Chris Hemsworth.

She said raising a family in Los Angeles is challenging.

'I have this secret fantasy of slowing down, moving to Byron Bay, getting off the grid and sitting on the sand with a Vegemite sandwich,' she said.

Isla and her husband Sacha Baron Cohen are parents to Olive, 10, Elula, seven, and Montgomery, three.

The latest issue of Marie Claire is on stands now.Kim Hartnett has claimed fans shouldn't judge her for leaving her two-year-old son, Braxton, at home so she can film Love Island Australia overseas.

The 22-year-old hairdresser told OK! magazine on Thursday that Braxton will be in the capable hands of her ex-partner, Jamie White, in Brisbane while she spends up to six weeks in Mallorca, Spain.

'It's not their child or their life. It's my decision,' she said defiantly.

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'It's my decision': Love Island's single mother Kim Hartnett, 22, has said fans shouldn't judge her for leaving her two-year-old son Braxton at home so she can spend six weeks in Mallorca

Kim added: 'I know he's fine at home and with people that love him and he loves, so I know he's not missing out in any way. If anything, I'm missing out on watching him grow.'

Kim and Jamie were together for four years before the relationship broke down. However, they remain on amicable terms and co-parent Braxton.

Speaking to NW recently, she explained: As we grew up, we just grew into two different people and at the moment we're just at two different stages in our lives.

Single mother Kim is expected to spend the next few weeks basking in the sun with her fellow singletons in Mallorca.

Speaking out: She told OK! on Thursday, 'It's not their child or their life. It's my decision'

Mum's the word! Braxton will be in the capable hands of Kim's ex-partner, Jamie White, in Brisbane while she spends up to six weeks in Mallorca, Spain

The length of time Kim spends away from her son will depend, however, on how long she stays 'coupled up' on the show.

The bikini model previously said it would be 'really hard' to live apart from her son.

But the genetically-blessed blonde insisted that having a child has never stopped her from pursuing a new romance.

'I haven't really had that reaction yet': Kim has previously claimed she wouldn't want to date a man who didn't accept her son

She told the Daily Telegraph recently: 'I haven't really had that reaction yet, but if a guy is scared off then it is not someone I really want to be with anyway so that doesn't phase me at all.'

Kim shook things up when she entered the villa as an 'intruder' after the original 10 contestants arrived on Sunday.

She immediately set her sights on Josh, stealing him away from Tayla Damir.New Love Island star Kendall Rae-Knight has slammed series twos female contestants for developing a pack mentality towards friend Zara Holland following her one-night stand with Alex Bowen.

The retail manager, 26, was horrified after former Miss Great Britain Zara, with whom she developed a friendship while taking part in a beauty pageant, was condemned for sleeping with Bowen during an ultimately disastrous appearance on the show in 2016.

I know Zara because I was Miss North West when she was Miss Hull and we did Miss England together, she told MailOnline.

Defence: New Love Island star Kendall Rae-Knight has slammed series twos female contestants for developing a pack mentality towards friend Zara Holland

I watched her season and thought she was brill but she had a really tough time. I felt like I really knew her so when she got upset, I got upset.

Zaras passionate night with Bowen, ultimately resulted in tensions with a clutch of fellow islanders, predominantly Kady McDermott, Malin Andersson and his current girl, Olivia Buckland.

And Kendall admits she was disappointed by their decision to ultimately turn on one of their own.

Drama: Kendall was horrified after ex Miss Great Britain Zara, with whom she developed a friendship while taking part in a pageant, was condemned for sleeping with Alex Bowen

I felt the slut shaming was harsh because you could tell Zara just wanted to be happy with someone and when she got attention from an islander she was pleased with it, so she had a good time and the girls should have stuck by her more, she said.

Zara would suffer further embarrassment after her fling with Bowen, upon whom she performed a sex act, led Miss Great Britain organisers to strip her of her coveted crown  a decision Kendall believes was a huge mistake.

They say they want to move away from this whole stereotypical beauty pageant thing of walking in a swimsuit, she said. But they sort of drag themselves back into that, because nowadays people have sex?

Slut shaming: Kendall admits she was disappointed by their decision to ultimately turn on one of their own

While sex may or may not be on the cards when Kendall takes her own place in the remote Majorcan villa, she admits her primary concern is moving on from the sudden collapse of a five year relationship with her former boyfriend.

I was engaged last June and in October he woke up one morning and said he didnt want to be with me and wanted to spend time with the lads, so I thought now is about time I try to forget that and move on, she explained.

I was completely heartbroken because I hadnt expected it all, it came out of the blue but at Christmas time, when I was around my family, it made me realise I was ready for me. I moved out of the house we had together and moved in with my sister in the new year so that was a nice fresh start, she is also single so it was nice to live together.

Ready to mend her broken heart: Kendall was dumped by her fiance just three months after he proposed last year

The brunette will join five new boys in the Love Island villa, and she admits to being desperate to find someone to start a family with after her hopes of having children with her ex were brutally crushed.

She added: I do really want to find someone. Im not 20, going in and wanting to party with the girls. I am at an age now when I want to settle down, Ive been engaged, Ive had a house, I want to settle down.

'I was meant to be trying for kids so I do really want to settle down and I feel like I have got to start all of that again so I want to find someone and I dont want it to take another 5 years.They are rarely seen without each other as their romance continues to go from strength to strength.

And Charlotte Crosby looked closer than ever with beau Joshua Ritchie as they were seen leaving The Living Room, in Manchester holding hands on Wednesday.

The feisty lovebirds, 26 and 24, were glued to each other when they left the eatery together, flaunting their romance.

Only love! Charlotte Crosby held hands with Joshua Ritchie after the couple treated themselves to a cosy dinner date in Manchester at the Living Room on Wednesday

Showing romance isn't dead, Love Island's Josh was every inch the chivalrous gentleman when he toted his ladylove's handbag for her as they left the restaurant.

Geordie Shore beauty Charlotte covered her enviable curves with her baggy blue and red cardigan, worn with her white cut-offs and stylish sandals.

Ex On The Beach star Josh wore a pinstriped tracksuit with a pair of trainers as he sauntered out of the swanky eatery.

Inside the venue, the reality star hunk affectionately draped his arm around his ladylove's shoulder as they cuddled up for the photograph.

What love looks like: Inside the venue, the reality star hunk affectionately draped his arm around his ladylove's shoulder as they cuddled up for the photograph

Yet their romantic dinner date was crashed by a couple of their closest pals. Charlotte penned via Instagram stories: 'Feeling so soppy tonight. I am just so insanely happy this month is full of so many positive things, it's unbelievable!

'I actually can't believe how amazing 2018 has been from the very start! The odd bump along the road but the HIGHS far outway the lows.

'One more important thing I have learnt so far this year is DO NOT let life just pass you by! Grad it by the horns and embrace every inch of its amazing-ness.' (sic)

Boyfriend material! Showing romance isn't dead, Love Island's Josh was every inch the chivalrous gentleman when he toted his ladylove's handbag for her as they left the restaurant

The MMA event was where the Charlotte and Joshua love story really began, with the pair packing on the PDA in front of cameras to support their mutual pal in December.

Their love has really blossomed since the end of last year, with the duo even enjoying a sun-drenched couples holiday with pals Holly Hagan and Jacob Blyth.

However, their romance hasn't been plain sailing as the lovebirds' ferocious bust-up abroad was filmed by holidaymakers during one of their nights out.

Feeling coy? Charlotte was uncharacteristically shy when she covered her face with her hand following their dinner with pals

Seemingly putting their troubles behind them, the couple have remained inseparable since touching back down in the UK.

The Tattoo Of Us star revealed the chemistry between the pair was simmering while she was still attached to her ex Stephen Bear.

Charlotte had no qualms in confessing Josh was secretly messaging the starlet during her getaways with her former flame.

She recently admitted: 'When I was still kinda with Stephen, Josh actually slid into my DMs. He was like, ''are you in Ireland tonight?'' I was like, ''yeah, I'm Ireland' and he went, ''you wanna meet up?'' And I was actually thinking about it.'She went from a regular university student to Miss. Universe 2012 overnight.

And Olivia Culpo looked undeniably striking as she joined Georgia May Foote for a night at the Revolve Around The World event in London on Wednesday night.

The former pageantry star flaunted her perfect decolletage in a bardot red satin top, while the actress showed her bronzed physique in a clingy yellow mini-dress at the event sponsored by Ciroc.

Glamorous: Olivia Culpo looked undeniably striking as she joined Georgia May Foote for a night at the Revolve Around The World event in London on Wednesday night

American beauty Olivia flaunted her flair for fashion in her sexy get-up, which consisted of the off-the-shoulder red top.

Tucked neatly into a pair of casual roll-up denims, Olivia oozed body confidence as she strutted along in towering pointed red boots.

She kept in theme with a glossy deep red lip, which complemented her chiselled features and slicked back brunette locks.

Olivia has been enjoying life as a single lady after splitting from Danny Amendola, who she dated for more than two years.

Red hot: The former Miss.Universe flaunted her flair for fashion in her sexy get-up, which consisted of the off-the-shoulder red top for the event sponsored by Ciroc

Stunning: She kept in theme with a glossy deep red lip, which complemented her chiselled features and slicked back brunette locks

Casual chic: Tucked neatly into a pair of casual roll-up denims, Olivia oozed body confidence as she strutted along in towering pointed red boots

Beaming: Olivia has been enjoying life as a single lady after splitting from Danny Amendola, who she dated for more than two years

Meanwhile, Georgia also turned heads for the bash as she showcased her perfect pins in a thigh-skimming yellow dress and fishnet tights.

The vivid number boasted quirky monochrome button detailing down the middle and she completed the look with classic black heels.

Georgia sported glossy shoulder length brunette locks, as well as a scarlet pout and rosy blusher.

Standing out: Georgia also turned heads for the bash as she showcased her perfect pins in a thigh-skimming yellow dress and fishnet tights

All eyes on her: The brunette bombshell sported glossy shoulder length brunette locks, as well as a scarlet pout and rosy blusher

Funky: The vivid number boasted quirky monochrome button detailing down the middle

Standing tall: Georgia commanded attention as she added to her height in a pair of classic black heels

The soap star appeared to be in jovial spirits, despite having alluded to her recent split from George Alsford in an emotional post to her Instagram Story last week.

The text post read: 'You may not see it today or tomorrow, but you will look back in a few years and be absolutely perplexed and awed by how every little thing added up and brought you somewhere wonderful - or where you always wanted to be.

'You will be grateful that things didn't work out the way you once wanted them to.'

The stars were attending the bash in honour of premium clothing brand REVOLVE which has been worn by stars including Kim Kardashian and Emily Ratajkowski.

London is the world launch of #REVOLVEAroundTheWorld which encompasses six events.

Revolve has collaborated with ambassadors such as Alessandra Ambrosio, Olivia Culpo, Chrissy Teigen and Nicole Richie.

Moving on? The soap star appeared to be in jovial spirits, despite having alluded to her recent split from George Alsford in an emotional post to her Instagram Story last weekGeordie Shore has recruited a pack of sizzling hot Australians for the new series, which takes place on Queensland's Coast.

And newcomer Chrysten Zenoni revealed on Thursday that she has already ruffled some feathers, telling OK! magazine that Chloe Ferry warned her not to go near her boyfriend, Sam Gowland.

The 21-year-old bikini model recalled: 'Chloe was like, "I'll have to watch you around my man," but I was like, "I'm not interested in your man".'

'Stay away from my man!' Geordie Shore newcomer Chrysten Zenoni (pictured) has revealed her confrontation with Chloe Ferry over Sam Gowland

She added, however, the rest of the Geordie Shore gang had welcomed her into their group with open arms.

Although Chrysten insisted she does not have any interest in Sam, she did previously sleep with cast member Gary 'Gaz' Beadle while he was on a promotional tour.

Gaz, who quit Geordie Shore after welcoming a son with his girlfriend Emma McVey in January, was quite the ladies' man during his single days.

Standing by her man! Chrysten told OK! magazine on Thursday that Chloe (left) warned her not to go near her boyfriend Sam (right). Pictured in March 2018

Chrysten boasted that their passionate one-night stand left such an impression on Gaz, 30, that he couldn't tear himself away.

'He ended up postponing, like, four flights the next morning,' she told OK!

Chrysten added that the former flames have not been in contact since but said 'it's fine because I've got two shows out of him.'

Foxy lady! Geordie Shore has recruited a pack of sizzling hot Australians for the new series, which takes place on Queensland's Coast. Pictured: Chrysten

Former flame: Although Chrysten insisted she does not have any interest in Sam, she did once sleep with Gary 'Gaz' Beadle while he was on a promotional tour. Pictured: Gaz and his family

The Gold Coast local was referring, of course, to her appearance on Geordie Shore and her stint on the 2016 season of Ex on the Beach.

Two weeks ago, Chrysten raised eyebrows when she shared her saucy sex secrets on the The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

During a game of 'Never have I ever,' she admitted to having sexual encounters with both men and women, and taking part in orgies.She's usually turns heads while modelling underwear for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret.

But Kiwi supermodel Stella Maxwell stood out in a blindingly bright pink jumpsuit in New York City on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old was hard to miss in the neon ensemble.

You can't miss her! Victoria's Secret model Stella Maxwell stands out in a blindingly bright pink jumpsuit as she steps out without girlfriend Kristen Stewart in New York

The blonde beauty teamed the stylish all-in-one with star-spangled trainers and an edgy pair of rhinestone studded sunglasses.

She had minimal makeup on her flawless complexion and tied her hair back in a sweet braid.

This time Stella appeared to be solo during her outing, with girlfriend Kristen Stewart nowhere to be seen.

On trend: The blonde beauty teamed the stylish all-in-one with star-spangled trainers and an edgy pair of rhinestone studded sunglasses

Stella and her ladylove recently enjoyed an intimate dinner at the A-list hotspot Nobu, in Malibu, California.

The couple have gone from strength to strength since their romance was made public by pictures of the lovers smooching in the back of a cab in Milan.

Despite their blossoming romance only being public since early last year, they were first romantically linked to one another back in 2016.

Coffee break: The supermodel made the street her catwalk as she strolled around Manhattan with a cup of coffee

Flawless: She had minimal makeup on her flawless complexion and tied her hair back in a sweet braid

It is no wonder Stella caught the eye of the Twilight star as she is a well established lingerie model for Victoria Secret.

The golden-haired model has been walking the catwalk for the sexy brand since she was first given her wings in 2015.

In her very candid interview with Harper's Bazaar last year, Kristen didn't rule out dating men again if things finish with Stella.

Where's Kristen? This time Stella appeared to be solo during her outing, with girlfriend Kristen Stewart nowhere to be seen

Despite the fall-out of her highly-publicised romance with Robert Pattison, the actress confessed she wants to try 'everything' in the field of love.

She told the publication: 'Some people know they like grilled cheese and they'll eat it every day for the rest of their lives.

'I want to try everything. If I have grilled cheese once I'm like, "That was cool, what's next?"'She recently celebrated her first ever Logie nomination.

But it was back to work for Home And Away star Sophie Dillman on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old, who plays rebellious car mechanic Ziggy Astoni, was seen frolicking on Palm Beach in a bright purple bikini.

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Surfer girl! Home And Away's Sophie Dillman flaunts her stunning figure in a bright purple bikini while filming scenes for soap following her first Logie nomination

Braving the extremely chilly weather, Sophie showed off her killer figure in the fun two-piece.

After pretending to hit the waves, she picked up her yellow surfboard and headed off down the sand.

No doubt freezing with soaking wet hair, she managed to smile for the cameras.

After her scene she appeared to have an animated chat with a member of the crew.

Must be cold! Braving the extremely chilly weather, Sophie showed off her killer figure in the fun two-piece

Bikini babe: The 25-year-old looked incredible in her printed two-piece

There she goes! After pretending to hit the waves, she picked up her yellow surfboard and headed off down the sand

Nominated! Sophie was nominated for a Logie for her work on Home And Away, earlier this month. She is nominated in the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent category

Rebel belle: Sophie plays rebellious car mechanic Ziggy Astoni

Hard at work: She appeared focused and in character as they filmed the scene

Juggling act: The actress juggled her large surfboard and a tote bag

Breaking out: After filming, she broke out of character and cracked a gleaming smile

Rugged up: After her scene she had an animated chat with a member of the crew

In between takes Sophie kept warm in a cosy blue dressing gown.

Later she appeared to be rehearsing a tense scene with her on-screen father Ben, played by Rohan Nichol, who also carried a surfboard.

She needed it! In between takes Sophie kept warm in a cosy blue dressing gown

Practice, practice! Sophie appeared to be rehearsing a tense scene with her on-screen father Ben, played by Rohan Nichol

Hard times: Earlier in the year, Sophie revealed to The Daily Telegraph that she had previously been a victim of bullying

Earlier this year, Sophie revealed to The Daily Telegraph that she had previously been a victim of bullying.

She told the publication: 'It can be so nasty. I've experienced cyber bullying and it can be really isolating because it is targeted and cruel.'

The Channel Seven personality admitted that she now doesn't 'read anything that would potentially be hurtful.'

She told the publication: 'It can be so nasty. I've experienced cyber bullying and it can be really isolating because it is targeted and cruel'

Standing strong: The Channel Seven personality said: 'I am a firm believer in the fact there is no reason to be nasty or to pull anyone down'

'I made a decision that I wasn't going to read anything that could potentially be hurtful. I just don't accept it. I am a firm believer in the fact there is no reason to be nasty or to pull anyone down,' the actress continued.

When not appearing on long-running soap Home And Away, Sophie lends her profile to youth mental health organisation, Reach Out.

Sophie was nominated for a Logie for her work on Home And Away, earlier this month.

She is nominated in the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent category.She is known for her numerous charitable activities and her keen fashion sense.

And Sienna Miller displayed both of these qualities while attending the launch of UNICEF's Project Lion.

The 36-year-old actress dazzled in an elegant gold dress as she walked down the red carpet in New York.

Good people: Sienna Miller dazzled in an elegant gold dress as she walked down the red carpet in New York

Donning a singular, simple, pendant necklace, Sienna elevated her straightforward ensemble with her natural beauty.

She carried a peach clutch in one hand as her floor-length gown covered her shoes, as she spoke with the leaders of the new project and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.

Her blonde tresses were parted down the middle, framing her high cheekbones and her smile glistened underneath the lights.

Golden girl: The 36-year-old Golden Globe nominee later hit The Highline Hotel stage to present at the podium for the launch of UNICEF's Project Lion

Saucy slip dress: The British blonde will next star in The Catcher Was a Spy

New project: Donning a singular, simple, pendant necklace, Sienna elevated her straightforward ensemble with her natural beauty as she took photos with UNICEF USA CEO & President Caryl Stern (center) and Purvi Padia (right)

Presidential: UNICEF NextGen Founding Chair Jenna Bush Hager (left) was also in attendance for the event

UNICEF NextGen Founding Chair Jenna Bush Hager, 36, was also in attendance for the event.

She looked to be all business as she opted for a black pantsuit, but she matched the Alfie actress by also parting her blonde locks down the middle.

She finished offer her ensemble with a pair of stylish pink stilettos that added some fun to her professional look.

Pretty in pink: She opted for a black pantsuit, and also had her blonde locks parted down the middle

Pretty as a peach: She carried a peach clutch in one hand as her floor-length gown covered her shoes; pictured with Purvi

Sienna's attendance at the launch of the new undertaking makes sense in various ways, as she is a known supporter of variable children's charities, and the project was inspired by a true story that recently hit the sliver screen.

'Inspired by the true story of Saroo Brierley, who at the age of 5 became separated from his family, taken into an orphanage after surviving for weeks on the streets, and ultimately adopted by a family in Australia as captured in the film Lion - PROJECT LION developed by UNICEF USA is designed to help support children without family care who are living in residential institutions in India,' explains the UNICEF's website.

Purvi Padia - who attended the event - and her husband Harsh gave a generous grant to begin the process of implementing the program.Could Tim Robards be Hollywood's next action superstar?

The former Bachelor, 35, has revealed he decided to launch an acting career when a 'Turkish coffee reader' told him it was his 'destiny'.

The Bondi chiropractor told the Wentworth Courier on Thursday that he trusts signs the universe throws his way and likes to follow his instincts.

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'It's something I've always wanted to do': The Bachelor's Tim Robards has revealed he wants to launch a Hollywood acting career after a 'Turkish coffee reader told him it was his destiny'

'I listen to signs. I put things out there. It was like, the last little omen in a bunch of others. It tipped it over the edge,' Tim said.

The superstitious TV star added that there were similar 'little omens' that encouraged him sign up for The Bachelor in 2013.

Tim explained that he went for a reading from a Turkish coffee reader in Sydney and was told he was destined for the bright lights of Hollywood.

He was even offered a specific timeline for his ascent to stardom.

Superstitious: The Bondi chiropractor told the Wentworth Courier on Thursday that he trusts signs the universe throws his way and likes to follow his instincts

'He set some time frames and I was like, "Well then, I'd better start",' Tim explained.

'I'm going to make it happen. I don't want to have any regrets. I just needed someone to tell me something to make it my number one priority.'

Ever since his fateful Turkish coffee reading, Tim has been taking one-on-one acting classes and also participating in group sessions.

Tim added that he hopes to one day 'move someone emotionally' through his acting.

Practice makes perfect! Ever since his fateful Turkish coffee reading, Tim has been taking one-on-one acting classes and also participating in group sessions. Pictured with Anna Heinrich

Tim was previously a body double for Keanu Reeves in the Matrix franchise.

He told Today Extra last year he was '21 or 22' at the time and had to have his ears 'glued back' because they were apparently took big.

While Tim was not featured in the critically-acclaimed first firm, he worked on its two sequels, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions.

Body double: Tim was previously a body double for Keanu Reeves in the Matrix franchise



They called it quits as a couple last Fall.

But it didn't look like there were any hard feelings between Jennifer Lawrence and director Darren Aronofsky when the pair were pictured together at the BAM Gala in New York City on Wednesday.

The Academy Award winner, 27, looked white hot in a sexy creme Olivier Theyskens dress with structured bodice and body-hugging skirt as she posed with the Mother! auteur, who was one of the evening's honorees.

Ex factor: Jennifer Lawrence caught up with ex-boyfriend Darren Aronofsky at the BAM Gala in New York on Wednesday

All eyes were on the Hunger Games starlet as she sauntered into the affair for the Brooklyn Academy Of Music in the formfitting silk number.

The Red Sparrow starlet added strappy silver heels, David Yurman jewelry, and a delicate snap clutch for her accessories.

Adding another sexy touch to her look, Jennifer framed her eyes with lush smokey shadow and tucked her shoulder-length blonde behind her ears.

She looked thrilled to run into her ex-beau Darren, who was dressed in a navy Rag & Bone suit with black shirt and matching tie.

Getting along: It didn't look like there was any bad blood between the duo, who shared a few photos and chatted for a second

Special guest: The Mother! auteur, who was one of the evening's honorees

Creme de la creme: The Academy Award winner looked white hot in a sexy creme Olivier Theyskens dress with structured bodice and body-hugging skirt

Suited up: The Requiem For A Dream director was dressed in a navy Rag & Bone suit with black shirt and matching tie

He kept on his signature glasses while wearing his hair in a short crop and keeping a patch of prickly stubble across his jaw.

Both Jennifer and Darren looked happy to see each other, each smiling while they caught up over a quick chat.

Inside the event, the Kentucky-born talent took the stage to introduce the night's honored guests, which included Jeremy Irons, Nora Ann Wallace and Jack Nusbaum in addition to Aronofsky.

Any drama between Jennifer and Darren seemed to be behind them.

Grand introduction: Jennifer had the job of introducing the evening's honorees, which included Jeremy Irons and Nora Ann Wallace in addition to Darren

Smoke and mirrors! Jennifer framed her eyes with lush smokey shadow and tucked her shoulder-length blonde behind her ears

Extra credit: The Red Sparrow starlet added strappy silver heels, David Yurman earrings, and a delicate snap clutch for her accessories

In the past: Any drama between Jennifer and Darren seemed to be behind them, as the actress gave him a stirring introduction

Too much: Lawrence, who met the director while working on his film Mother!, revealed how the film took a toll on their relationship last November, saying 'Normally just kind of let [movie reviews] go' but 'dating the director was different'

Lawrence, who met the director while working on his film Mother!, revealed how the film took a toll on their relationship last November for an interview with Adam Sandler for Varietys Actors on Actors series.

'Normally, I promote a movie, ask people to go see it, and then it's just out of your hands. I normally just kind of let it go. Dating the director was different. We'd be on the [press] tour together, I'd come back to the hotel, and the last thing I want to talk about or think about is a movie.'

'He comes back from the tour, and that's all he wants to talk about and I get it,' she continued. 'It's his baby. He wrote it. He conceived it. He directed it. I was doing double duty trying to be a supportive partner, while also being like, "Can I please, for the love of God, not think about mother! for one second?"'

Bohemian: During his arrival guest of honor Jeremy Irons, 69, appeared eclectic in a drapey tunic worn over pants and styled with a red patterned scarf

Hairs to you: Irons' combed his hair to the side sleekly while also wearing a mustache

Simply chic: Isabella Rosselini, 65, also graced the event, looking sharp in a monochrome suit and a makeup-free glow

Making a difference: Jeremy Irons shared a photo with NY's Deputy Mayor for Housing and Economic Development Alicia Glen at the charity gala

On the guest list: Actor Liev Schreiber also was among the VIPs, looking dapper in a Rag & Bone suitHe's long been trolled by fans, who often poke fun at his Aussie larrikin persona in comments left under his social media posts.

And Shannon Noll was well and truly asking for it when he shared a snap of his perfectly 'moist' brownies on Thursday.

The 42-year-old Australian Idol star was subjected to some eyebrow-raising remarks when he captioned the innocent image: 'Finished product! Talk about moist! My goodness!!!! Yummo (sic).'

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'He's asking for it!' Shannon Noll reveals his perfectly 'moist' brownies... and gets instantly trolled by fans posting vile comments

'Bet that's not the only moist thing you've talked about cobber,' one fan commented underneath one of the pictures, which were shared to his Instagram and Facebook accounts.

Another added: 'Bet that's not the only thing baked out of this world Nollsy ya bloody lamb rack!'

Fans then went on to talk about how Shannon should give back a household item, a common joke among his fans.

Oh dear: The 42-year-old Australian Idol star was subjected to some eyebrow-raising remarks when he captioned the innocent image: 'Finished product! Talk about moist! My goodness!!!! Yummo (sic).'

Having a crack: 'Bet that's not the only moist thing you've talked about cobber,' one fan commented underneath one of the pictures

Going for it: Another added: 'Bet that's not the only thing baked out of this world Nollsy ya bloody lamb rack!'

Proud: Shannon boasted about his baking abilities online

'Hey while I've got you would you be able to wash up the Kmart 5-piece cook set I lent you, the missus has been roasting me like some McCain 'taters (sic) without our Teflon frying pans,' one wrote.

'I'm sure you understand cobber, cheers, hooroo.'

'Hooroo' is slang for goodbye, while 'cobber' is slang for friend.

Aussie boy: The trolling was rife earlier this month when Shannon posted a selfie of himself outside of his mural at a restaurant in Sydney's Cronulla

The trolling was also rife earlier this month when Shannon posted a selfie of himself outside of his mural at a restaurant in Sydney's Cronulla.

One fan commented underneath: 'Nollsy ya big fish finger, haven't seen ya round Cronulla since December '05!'

'Ease up cob just tannin (sic) ya skin, while I got ya reckon I can get back that 1973 grand final match ball I loaned ya, the ball and chain wants to take the tin lids out back to kick a pigskin around. Anyways no hurry mate they got plenty of growin (sic) up left to do, see ya next time I look at ya hoodoo dig.'

Another fan: One fan commented underneath: 'Nollsy ya big fish finger, haven't seen ya round Cronulla since December '05!'

Another fan called Shannon a 'bloody work of art.'

'That building just went up half a million bucks because of your bloody mug!' they wrote.

'Speaking of mugs mate, can I grab my "Don't ask me, I just work here!" coffee mug back? Wanna chuck some jager (sic) into my coffee on Monday, you know how much Mondays get don't ya, ya salty old dawg! (sic).'

This week, Shannon told Daily Mail Australia that he loves all the comments from his fans and that it's all just for laughs.

'Catch ya round like a rissole': Another fan called Shannon a 'bloody work of art'

'I think it's fantastic': This week, Shannon told Daily Mail Australia that he loves all the comments from his fans and that it's all just for laughs

'I gotta give them some stuff to talk about on the Facebook page,' he said of his selfie by his mural.

'I think it's fantastic.

'There is no malice involved, everyone is trying to have a laugh and crikey, some of them are so clever.'

'It's just everyone having a bit of a joke and that's the Aussie way,' he added.She earned her Victoria's Secret Angel wings thanks to her incredible physique and stunning natural beauty.

And Shanina Shaik, 27, flaunted her famous figure in another skimpy bikini during her dreamy Mexican getaway on Wednesday.

The raven-haired beauty slipped into a black mesh bikini to soak up the sun.

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She's sizzling! Victoria's Secret model Shanina Shaik flaunts her incredible figure in a skimpy mesh bikini as she leaves Mexico 'feeling crispy'

Posting an idyllic picture of herself by the pool on Instagram, she told her followers she was 'Leaving Mexico feeling crispy.'

Many of her 1.1 million followers were quick to comment on the sizzling snap.

'You're simply flawless,' one wrote.

Lucky her! Shanina has been holidaying in Mexico with her husband Gregory 'DJ Ruckus' Andrews

Another added: 'You are such a babe!'

The beach babe's bikini body doesn't come easily. The model puts her lithe physique down to doing crunches, lifting small weights and drinking plenty of water.

She told Coveteur: 'Adding leg weights while working on Pilates moves creates a harder and more intense workout.

'I challenge myself and try to do 100 Pilates ab crunches without any pauses. You really feel the burn! You always have to make sure youre not using your neck and allowing your core to do all the work.'

Shanina swears by drinking green juices as an energy booster, but admits that she has a sweet tooth and is a 'huge' fan of desert.

The Melbourne stunner, who has strutted her stuff down the runway for Chanel, Oscar de la Renta and Tom Ford, confessed her love for chocolate chip cookie dough.

How does she do it? The beach babe's bikini body doesn't come easily. The model puts her lithe figure down to doing crunches, lifting small weights and drinking plenty of water

The glamourpuss recently tied the knot to her musician boyfriend, Gregory 'DJ Ruckus' Andrews, in a dreamy oceanfront ceremony in the Bahamas.

The lovebirds said 'I Do' on the island of Eleuthera, the same spot where they got engaged in 2016.

After the wedding, the A-list couple jetted out to the world famous LIV nightclub in LA, where they partied the night away with the liked of Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin.Carly Bowyer and Troy Delmege fell in love after meeting on hit dating show Married at First Sight.

The fledgling couple have been at the centre of split rumours in recent months, but on Wednesday Carly confirmed they're still as strong - and as intimate - as ever.

The 32-year-old Carly even confirmed to fans that Troy is 'no longer a virgin'.

'He's no longer a virgin!' Married At First Sight star Carly Bowyer freaks out fans as she confirms she has taken her boyfriend Troy Delmege's virginity

In a very revealing Instagram post, she told her 108,000 followers about their bedroom antics.

The reality star wrote: 'Sure, we can drive each other crazy and we do fight but were totally in love (and Troy is no longer a virgin).

'We are in this for the long haul and are excited about planning for our future (TBC ) I mean, Ive seen him brush his teeth, eaten his cooking and witnessed his dance moves and were still together. So it must be love.'

Carly accompanied her declaration of love with a snap of the pair packing on the PDA in a park.

Telling porkies? Troy previously claimed he lost his virginity aged 19 while studying at university

Packing on the PDA: The enamored coupled often share their steamy antics on social media

The subject of Troy's virginity has come under much scrutiny since he made his television debut in January. The star's sister, Tanya Delmege, told NW magazine her brother had never been sexually intimate.

Tanya claimed her brother is 'very churchy' and added, 'As far as I know, hes on the V-plates.' She commented that he might be waiting until he is really married, as opposed to the commitment ceremony featured on MAFS.

However, the kooky IT manager hit back to the same publication, stating that he hadn't spoken to his estranged sister since he was 20-years-old - at which time, he may have still been a virgin.

Then and now: Troy Delmege with MAFS 'wife' Ashley Irwin (left) and current girlfriend Carly Bowyer (right)

'It was maybe a little later in life when I did discover the birds and the bees!' he admitted.'

But to counter Troy's comments, his MAFS 'wife' Ashley Irwin implied she had never been intimate with the zany reality TV star during the course of their relatationship.

'It explains a lot... I'd say that nails it,' the 28-year-old told OK! Magazine.

'If you look at how he is with women, how he tries to massage me (on MAFS), the clumsy kisses and dropping the 'L' bomb way too soon. It all fits.'

She added: 'He must be mortified, I would be if I was called a 35-year-old virgin ... it's embarrassing. I feel sorry for him.'She's one of the world's most in-demand models, having walked the runway for Victoria's Secret, Chanel and countless other fashion houses.

And Kelly Gale launched her most sizzling swimwear campaign to date on Wednesday, posing up a storm for Italian brand Yamamay's summer 2018 collection.

The 23-year-old catwalk queen, who is of Australian, Swedish and Indian descent, flaunted her incredible figure in a series of stylish bikinis at the beach.

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Wish you were here? Victoria's Secret model Kelly Gale flaunts her incredible figure at the beach in Puerto Rico for a sizzling new Yamamay swimwear campaign

Kelly looked simply flawless while modelling an array of swimsuits and two-pieces against the backdrop of stunning ocean views, palm trees and clear blue skies.

Shot in picturesque Puerto Rico, the sun-drenched Yamamay campaign also hopes to raise awareness of environmental issues.

It comes after Kelly, who is in a relationship with long-term boyfriend Johannes Jarl, told Body + Soul how she deals with the stress of being a globetrotting model.

Wow! The 23-year-old, who is of Australian, Swedish and Indian descent, flaunted her slender figure in a series of stylish bikinis from Yamamay's summer 2018 collection

Endless summer: Kelly looked simply flawless while modelling an array of swimsuits and two-pieces against the backdrop of stunning ocean views, palm trees and clear blue skies

'I'm probably impossible to get hold of when I'm stressed,' she said last month.

'The only thing that works for me when I'm stressed and need to get things done is to take time first to do my meditation and go on a long two- to three-hour power walk and clear my head. After that, I can deal with stress-related stuff.'

Kelly claimed she starts her day with 15 minutes of meditation and isn't afraid to take time away from her job if she needs a mental or physical break.

Beautiful views: Shot in picturesque Puerto Rico, the sun-drenched Yamamay campaign also hopes to raise awareness of environmental issues

Sensational career: Kelly is one of the world's most in-demand models, having walked the runway for Victoria's Secret, Chanel and countless other fashion houses

It's harder than it looks! It comes after Kelly, who is in a relationship with long-term boyfriend Johannes Jarl, told Body + Soul how she deals with the stress of being a globetrotting model

Earlier this year, the supermodel also told Daily Mail Australia how she remains body-positive in an age of social media influencers and internet trolls.

'I try to not take in any bad things that people say about me. I know I do the best that I can do,' she said.

'My number one top tip is to not compare yourself to anyone, and to not follow people on social media that don't make you feel good about yourself.'

Clearing her head: Kelly said last month, 'The only thing that works for me when I'm stressed is to take time first to do my meditation and go on a long two- to three-hour power walk'

Self-care: Kelly also told Body + Soul she starts her day with 15 minutes of meditation and isn't afraid to take time away from her job if she needs a mental or physical break

And for those wanting a 'Victoria's Secret body', Kelly's simple advice was: 'Eat healthy and don't deprive yourself of the things you really like.'

She added: 'I am a huge sucker for peanut butter chocolate. I let myself eat that, but I don't eat all of the other bad things.

'And I guess that's the other thing - do workouts you enjoy. That makes it easier to make it a lifestyle.'

'Do not compare yourself to anyone': Earlier this year, the supermodel told Daily Mail Australia how she remains body-positive in an age of social media influencers and internet trollsDubbed as the raunchiest show to hit Australian television, Love Island has continued to live up to the hype.

And it looks like the men are well and truly bonding.

During an outdoor workout on Wednesday, a male cast member was seen sitting on Eden while he did some strenuous push ups.

Well it IS Love Island! Male castmates get close during a workout session before a relaxing hands on massage

Holding the weight of a contestant on his back, Eden's biceps bulged as he worked up a sweat in the villa's outdoor area.

At one point, Eden was seen taking a breather as the two men swapped positions.

Keen to maintain their chiseled physiques on the Spanish island, the duo were certainly enjoying their makeshift gym.

Work out! During an outdoor workout on Wednesday, a male cast member was seen sitting on Eden while he did some strenuous push ups

That must hurt! Holding the weight of a contestant on his back, Eden's biceps bulged as he worked up a sweat in the villa's outdoor area

Meanwhile, John James Parton was seen offering newcomer Elias, 27, a shirtless massage.

The long-haired hunk looked relaxed as he sat on a grassy patch with his shirt off.

Massage anyone? Meanwhile, John James Parton was seen offering newcomer Elias, 27, a shirtless massage

Zen! The long-haired hunk looked relaxed as he sat on a grassy patch with his shirt off

In the zone! At one point, Elias was seen showcasing his washboard abs and sitting with his legs crossed in a yoga-type position

At one point, Elias was seen showcasing his washboard abs and sitting with his legs crossed in a yoga-type position.

He appeared to be meditating as he sat with his eyes closed.

Switching roles, Elias was later seen tending to his co-star.

Too strong? Switching roles, Elias was later seen tending to his co-star

Ripped! Showing off his ripped arms, he appeared to offer his roommate a relaxing massage

Showing off his ripped arms, he appeared to offer his roommate a relaxing massage.

Later, the two were snapped laughing as they fell to the ground.

Beaming ear-to-ear, the men appeared to be wrestling on the grass.

Having a laugh: Later, the two were snapped laughing as they fell to the groundNineties supermodel Cindy Crawford packed on the PDA with her second husband Rande Gerber outside Little Beach House near their Malibu home on Wednesday.

The 52-year-old mother-of-two passionately kissed the 56-year-old nightlife impresario before heading inside Soho House's British members-only club for dinner.

It reportedly costs a $1500 premium and a $2800 membership fee just to visit the 10K-square-foot venue on Carbon Beach.

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Lips aflame! Nineties supermodel Cindy Crawford packed on the PDA with her second husband Rande Gerber outside Little Beach House near their Malibu home on Wednesday

The Pepsi brand ambassador and the Casamigos tequila co-founder looked genuinely besotted with each other a day after ringing in 20 years of wedded bliss.

On Tuesday, Cindy (born Cynthia) and Rande celebrated their impressive marriage milestone at a Nashville bar while surrounded by celeb pals Kid Rock and Dennis Quaid.

Aside from their whirlwind trip to Tennessee, Gerber gifted Crawford 'anniversary roqs' aka diamond rings as well as a rose bouquet.

Careerwise, the Illinois-born beauty - who divorced Richard Gere in 1995 - currently covers the June edition of Harper's Bazaar Taiwan wearing Balenciaga.

Affectionate: The 52-year-old mother-of-two passionately kissed the 56-year-old nightlife impresario before heading inside Soho House's British members-only club for dinner

Exclusive restaurant: It reportedly costs a $1500 premium and a $2800 membership fee just to visit the 10K-square-foot venue on Carbon Beach

The look of love: The Pepsi brand ambassador and the Casamigos tequila co-founder looked genuinely besotted with each other a day after ringing in 20 years of wedded bliss

Meanwhile, the affectionate couple's daughter Kaia flaunted her waifish 5ft9in frame in a black Bondi Born string bikini.

The 16-year-old Malibu High School junior - who boasts 3.5M social media followers - also showcased her skills strumming a guitar over Insta-story.

The March For Our Lives demonstrator and her 18-year-old big brother Presley signed with IMG Models at the tender ages of 13 and 16, respectively.

'[My mother] has never given me a catwalk lesson,' Gerber told British Vogue on May 5.

Get a room! On Tuesday, Cindy (born Cynthia) and Rande celebrated their impressive marriage milestone at a Nashville bar while surrounded by celeb pals Kid Rock and Dennis Quaid

'20 years ago today, 2 amazing kids and this beautiful girl with her arms always holding on tight. Thank you for our life': Aside from their whirlwind trip to Tennessee, Gerber gifted Crawford 'anniversary roqs' aka diamond rings as well as a rose bouquet

'Brand new issue': Careerwise, the Illinois-born beauty - who divorced Richard Gere in 1995 - currently covers the June edition of Harper's Bazaar Taiwan wearing Balenciaga

'I've definitely watched her work, but we're not at home just walking down the hallways of our house together!'

Cindy - a new investor in The Coolhaus ice-cream - encourages both her children to indulge in fatty foods '20 percent of the time.'

'I never wanted to be the mom who was like, "Oh, no, I can't have [that]." I guess thats not the kind of example that I wanted to set,' Crawford told People on May 11.

'Especially for Kaia. I didn't want her to think, "Oh, in order to be [a model], you can't enjoy those things in life." Of course you can. You just have to enjoy them in moderation.'

'You talkin to me?' Meanwhile, the affectionate couple's daughter Kaia flaunted her waifish 5ft9in frame in a black Bondi Born string bikini

'[My mother] has never given me a catwalk lesson': The 16-year-old Malibu High School junior - who boasts 3.5M social media followers - also showcased her skills strumming a guitarShe recently traded in the Hollywood spotlight for Dubai skyscrapers.

And Lindsay Lohan appeared on the cover of Emirates Woman's June issue as she took part is a desert photoshoot as well as an interview for the magazine.

Blending in with the sun-drenched environment, the 31-year-old actress appeared in her element.

Photoshoot: Lindsay Lohan appeared on the cover of Emirates Woman 's June issue as she took part is a stunning shoot and interview for the magazine

The Mean Girls' actress looked windswept in the shoot, which took place on Sir Bani Yas Island off the coast of Abu Dhabi.

Lohan's freckle-dusted complexion glowed in the sunlight as she was pictured hanging out of a car window.

She wore her locks in a long braid, donning a billowy white top with intricately patterned bottoms for one striking image.

The star sported a large gold necklace close and stacks of gold bracelets on her wrists.

New Home: Blending in with her new sun-drenched environment, the 31-year-old actress looked to have found her natural element

Captured while taking photographs in a long black dress, she appeared to be reconnecting with nature on the island wildlife preserve, filled with gazelles, cheetahs, and giraffes.

Another image found the Freaky Friday star covering her head with a rainbow-colored garment.

Sir Bani Yas Island is the United Arab Emirates' largest wildlife preserve and thousands of animals roam freely across its planes.

In her interview with the fashionable publication, Lohan opened up about her upcoming film Frame, which is shooting in Saudi Arabia later this year.

Colorful: Another image found the Freaky Friday star covered in a rainbow-colored garment that curved around her head

'It's going to be an exciting role to play. It's OK that it's kind of similar to me, because then I've got my own experience to draw on,' said Lohan.

Adding, 'It's about women teaching other women about their culture, and standing by each other in a time when women are getting more rights and more opportunities.'

She also discussed her spirituality: 'My main base for spirituality is not living in a subconscious, but living with an awareness that there are more things that we can do to help other people,' she said.

'And that takes understanding of that person and their culture and their mentality first.'

Lohan told the magazine about how 'she practices a little Arabic in a Whatsapp group with a Syrian family she befriended while visiting a refugee camp in 2016.'

'I talk to them on a daily basis,' she explained.

'I don't do this [for publicity]. I talk to them about school, about their English.'Last weekend, Kylie Minogue celebrated her 50th birthday in London with her celebrity pals, including former Neighbours co-stars Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce.

But it appears Stefan Dennis was not on the guest list.

The veteran Neighbours star, who plays Paul Robinson on the long-running soap, revealed he failed to score an invite to the lavish event, despite playing her brother-in-law on the show.

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'I didn't get an invite... b***h': Stefan Dennis didn't get invited to former Neighbours co-star Kylie Minogue's 50th birthday bash in London... despite Jason Donovan and Guy Pearce attending

The 59-year-old actor jokingly told The Daily Telegraph: 'I didn't get an invite  b***h.'

He also joked that he's the 'outcast' in the group.

On the soap, Kylie's character Charlene married Jason's character Scott.

Stefan plays Scott's older brother Paul while Guy portrayed their neighbour Mike Young.

'My little bro, next door neighbour, they were all there. I missed out. I'm obviously outcast,' Stefan said.

Kylie's celebrated her birthday at the Chiltern Firehouse on Sunday, with other celebrity guests including Graham Norton, David Walliams, Mel C and Amanda Holden.

She also received a birthday kiss from handsome new beau Paul Solomons on the night.

Birthday girl: Kylie's celebrated her birthday at the Chiltern Firehouse on Sunday, with other celebrity guests including Graham Norton, David Walliams, Mel C and Amanda Holden

In April, Kylie told The Project she's was having a party - something which is 'out of character' for her.

'I am having a party, which is out of character a bit because I tend to try and wiggle out of those type of things and just have a few friends around,' she said.

Appearing incredibly upbeat, she confessed she was in a 'happy place' .

After a painful break-up from fiance Joshua Sasse at the end of 2016, the Locomotion songstress revealed how to get things back on track following a devastating life event.

'Get all the tears and all of that c**p out of the way and then be with people you love and people who make you feel great and strong,' she advised.They have been injecting some Hollywood glam onto the South of France shores.

And on Wednesday, Emma Stone led the pack alongside Sienna Miller, Justin Theroux, BlacKkKlansman actress Laura Harrier and TV host Derek Blasberg, as they flaunted their frames during a dip in the Mediterranean sea on Wednesday.

The red-haired Oscar winner, who stars opposite Justin in TV series Maniac, wore a tiny white two-piece with frilly edges showcasing her flawless figure while her fellow celebrities wore equally scanty numbers for the fun-filled frolic in the sea.

Flawless figure: On Wednesday Emma Stone,29, flaunted her bikini body once again as she continued her vacation in the South of France as she led the star-studded pack

Emma, 29, is spending time with Jennifer Aniston's ex-husband Justin and Laura, whose film directed by Spike Lee got a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.

The Easy A star looked stunning in her white bikini which showed off her alabaster complexion to perfection while standing boldly against her red hair.

While Emma hung out with Laura and Sienna, enjoying a hot tub together in an ocean-front jacuzzi, Leftovers star Justin played the action man.

Sienna who also showing off her bikini body as she enjoyed a swim with her gal pals in a stunning retro-inspired bikini.

Flaunting it: Sienna, 36, looked lovely in a blue and white zig-zag patterned two-piece

Tattoed: Justin, 46, wore only a pair of black shorts revealing his varied body tattoos and making the most of his incredibly ripped physique

She made the most of her cutting edge style as she wowed in the ensemble complete with high-waisted bottoms and a non-padded cup.

She showed off her dewy complexion by going totally make-up free while slicking her blonde tresses off her face after a dip in the ocean.

Justin, 46, wore only a pair of black shorts revealing his varied body tattoos and making the most of his incredibly ripped physique.

Stunner: Laura wore her hair in a bun at the nape of her neck and wore a simple gold chain with round pendant

Natural beauty: The red-haired Oscar winner was snapped enjoying a dip in the ocean with her red hair slicked back wet from her forehead

Bikini body: Emma wore a tiny white two-piece with frilly edges showcasing her flawless figure

Good times: She then relaxed with fellow actresses and pals Laura and Sienna , enjoying a hot tub in a Jacuzzi overlooking the ocean

He was photographed perched above the water wearing a gold medallion around his neck as the only accessory to his beach hunk look.

The actor made a big splash by jumping off a cliff into the ocean - proving extremely brave during his launch off the rocks.

Sienna, Justin and Emma had all been attending the Louis Vuitton 2019 Cruise Collection Show at Fondation Maeght on Monday in Saint-Paul-De-Vence, France.

Newly single: Joining the beauties was Jennifer Aniston's ex Justin Theroux who wore just a pair of black shorts and a gold medallion

Action man: Justin, 46, made a big splash by jumping off a cliff into the ocean.

Ready to mingle: The Leftovers actor split from his former friends star wife in February

Staying strong: Justin, who engages in regular gym sessions home in New York, flexed his muscles

Also joining in the fun was Derek, 36, who hosts CNN International's CNN Style.

He was seen chatting with Laura, 28, and Sienna, 36, who had wrapped themselves in big towels, and Emma who was wearing a pretty yellow sundress.

The group are all based in New York so it's not surprising they are friends and like to spend time together as a group.

Group holiday: Also joining in the fun was Derek Blasberg, 36, who hosts CNN International's CNN Style

Keeping cool: Oscar winner Emma changed out of her bikini into a pretty yellow patterned sun dress

One to watch: BlacKkKlansman actress Laura, 28, showed off her incredible physique in a tiny black bikini

Having fun: Emma and Laura shared a joke as they watched the action taking place in t =he water below them

Justin split from his former Friends star wife Jennifer in February and has since been spotted with Emma on a number of occasions.

His next role is in at least one episode of maniac, Netflix's 10-episode reboot of the the 2014 Norwegian series of the same name.

The series, which casts Emma in a lead role opposite Jonah Hill, streams later this year.Australian comedian Jimeoin has branded disgraced actress Roseanne Barr 'an absolute b***h' in the wake of her racist tweet.

The American TV star has been widely condemned since she tweeted that former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett looked like a cross between the 'Muslim brotherhood and Planet of the Apes'.

On Thursday, Jimeoin joined the slew of celebrities criticising Barr's comment, describing her as 'unhinged'.

'She's an absolute b***h': Australian comedian calls Roseanne 'unhinged' as he joins the slew of celebrities condemning her racist tweet

'She's an absolute b**h' Jimeoin declared in an interview with Confidential on Thursday.

'Unhinged is the word that comes to mind. Do you ever tweet when you've been drinking?' he said.

Jimeoin, 52, added that he doesn't feel sorry for Barr, who has been vehemently trying to defend herself on Twitter since the scandal broke.

'I think that is the price you pay': Jimeoin, 52, added that he doesn't feel sorry for Barr, who has been vehemently trying to defend herself on Twitter since the scandal broke

'I think that is the price you pay. I feel sorry for the people she offended more than her to be honest,' the Irish-Australian comic said.

ABC cancelled Barr's show on Tuesday. While she initially apologized for her comments, she then started retweeting several supporters who believe she was singled out for being a Trump supporter.

In an attempt to defend her comments, Roseanne tweeted early on Wednesday morning 'I mistakenly thought she [Jarrett] was white' and 'I honestly thought she was Jewish and Persian'.

Jarrett was born in Iran to African-American parents and her great-grandfather was the first credited African American architect.

Barr also hit back at criticism from her costars on Roseanne, telling Michael Fishman, who played D.J. Conner on the show and started working with Barr when he was just six, 'You throw me under the bus. nice!'

Backlash: The American TV star has been widely condemned since she tweeted that former Barack Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett (pictured) looked like a cross between the 'Muslim brotherhood and Planet of the Apes'

Her excuses followed a day of dramatic developments when her tweets shocked America, and she is set to lose millions of dollars after her show was cancelled.

Her costars were pictured looking downcast after her show was cancelled and Ms Jarrett spoke out to point the finger of blame at President Trump.

Whoopi Goldberg also had a strong message for Barr on Wednesday, after the disgraced actress retweeted a doctored photo of her.

Among the many tweets that she reposted was a message from a user named Jamie who shared a photo of Goldberg wearing a shirt at the Women's March, showing President Trump shooting himself in the head.

Fury: It comes after Whoopi Goldberg (left) lashed out at Roseanne Barr (right) on Wednesday, for retweeting a doctored photo of her

'Out of curiosity @ABC & @Disney this is okay with you? Hypocrisy on the Left is sickening. Your pathetic! #BoycottABC #IStandWithRoseanne,' Jamie wrote.

But the issue is - the photo was fake.

On The View on Wednesday, Goldberg explained that 'some bonehead photoshopped a horrific image on the shirt'. The shirt she actually wore had a much more PG-13 message on it, reading: 'And you thought I was a nasty woman before? Buckle up, Buttercup'. After explaining this, Goldberg said she had a message for Roseanne.

'Just because you were caught with your pants down, don't try to drag other people down with you. That's it, don't do that,' she wrote.She has been making the rounds at Netflix's various FYSee events.

And, finally, Alison Brie appeared at the streaming giant's panel for her own show, GLOW, on Wednesday.

The 35-year-old actress looked pretty in a pink floral dress as she walked the red carpet before joining her co-stars to take part in a panel.

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Turning up: Alison Brie appeared at the streaming giant's panel for her own show, GLOW, on Wednesday

The long fuchsia garment reached down to the Community actress' shins as she discussed the upcoming second season of her series.

She wore simple, light grey heels and pulled her chocolate brown tresses back into an elegant bun, letting a few scattered loose curls frame her face.

Wearing a silvery-blue eye shadow, her big blue eyes shined underneath the Hollywood lights and she added a touch of blush to bring attention to her naturally rosy cheeks.

Flowery: The 35-year-old actress looked pretty in a pink floral dress as she walked the red carpet before joining her co-stars to take part in a panel

Pretty in pink: The long fuchsia garment reached down to the Community actress' shins as she discussed the upcoming second season of her series

Glow-ing: She wore simple, light grey heels and pulled her chocolate brown tresses back into an elegant bun, letting a few scattered loose curls frame her face

Betty Gilpin was also in attendance for the event as she wore a matching pants and top combo.

Her long blonde locks fell onto her shoulders and she added a pair of seductive red heels.

Sydelle Noel glowed in a golden top and wore flow-y, wide-legged black pants below, along with stunning sliver heels that were tied around her ankles.

Striking a match: Betty Gilpin was also in attendance for the event as she wore a matching pants and top combo

Golden: Sydelle Noel glowed in a golden top and wore flow-y, wide-legged black pants below along with stunning sliver heels that were tied around her ankles

Britney Young was sparkling in a star covered dress with a high slit as she smiled for the cameras while donning a denim jacket.

Her dark tresses were in waves that cascaded down to her shoulders, and she added a couple inches with a pair of black heels.

Marc Maron took a casual approach to his outfit for the night, wearing blue jeans with a sage green button-down shirt.

Seeing stars: Britney Young was sparkling in a star covered dress with a high slit as she smiled for the cameras while donning a denim jacket

Keeping things casual: Marc Maron took a casual approach to his outfit for the night, wearing blue jeans with a sage green button-down shirt

Glow revolves around the characters and gimmicks of the 1980s syndicated women's professional wrestling circuit, the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.

Despite being a hit among critics, the show wasn't nominated for a single Emmy.

It is set to return for its second season on June 29.He's the Melbourne DJ who's already got both Millie and Tasha fighting for his attention on Love Island Australia.

But female contestants may want to think twice before getting involved with intruder John James, 32, after his ex-girlfriend Josie Gibson warned them to steer clear.

It comes after he made explosive sexting claims about her prior to entering the villa.

'It's not right for him to be lying!' John James' ex Josie Gibson warns Love Island Australia contestants to stay clear of 'fame hungry' DJ after he makes shocking claims about her

The 33-year-old popular British TV personality, who is six months pregnant and committed to partner Terry, told Daily Mail Australia this week she strongly denies his claims that she sexted him a month before he flew out to Majorca.

'I've got a baby on the way, what were those inappropriate pictures meant to be of? My big fat baby bump? It's not right for him to be lying and making out we were sexting,' she said.

'I know he's half way across the world away but I'm in a relationship.'

Shocked that John decided to discuss her at all while promoting the show, she added: 'We were together like 100 years ago and I wasn't even with him for that long!'

False: The 33-year-old popular British TV personality, who is six months pregnant and committed to partner Terry, told Daily Mail Australia this week she strongly denies his claims that she sexted him a month before he flew out to Majorca

Inappropriate: 'I've got a baby on the way, what were those inappropriate pictures meant to be of? My big fat baby bump? It's not right for him to be lying and making out we were sexting,' she said

Prior to flying out to the Spanish Island to take part in Love Island Australia, John branded Josie 'crazy' during an interview with Woman's Day  and implied she was sexting him just four weeks ago.

'She was sending me Snapchats about a month ago and they're the sort of pictures you wouldn't want out there,' John told the publication. 'She came back for round two!'

The couple met in the Big Brother UK house in 2010 and enjoyed a nine month whirlwind romance that was documented on spin-off show, There's Something About Josie.

Happier times: John James and Josie Gibson found love with each other when they met in the Big Brother UK house (pictured on Big Brother in 2010)

Passion: They enjoyed a nine month whirlwind romance that was documented on spin-off show, There's Something About Josie

The couple split after Josie accused John of cheating in 2011, which he previously denied, before they seemingly lost touch and John returned to Australia.

'The most contact we've had is when John got in touch the other year and said to me, 'I never loved you like I should have.' What the hell's that meant to mean?' Josie continued.

'As soon as we left the [Big Brother] house he completely changed.'

Giving her advice to the girls on Love Island, she said they: 'should stay clear.'

Former flames: The couple split after Josie accused John of cheating in 2011, which he previously denied, before they seemingly lost touch and John returned to Australia

Clearly uncomfortable! Josie and John recently reunited for Big Brother's Bit On The Side in 2016

'He doesn't want a girlfriend, he's just fame hungry. He's the most manipulative and calculated person I've ever met.'

'I thought we were in love but all he would ever talk about were the magazine deals and photoshoots.'

Josie, who famously lost 38KG in one year and released a best selling fitness DVD, Josie Gibson's 30-Second Slim, also claims her ex often shamed her about her weight.

'John knew my weight was one of my biggest insecurities and he'd refuse to have sex with me.'

'He knew my weight was one of my biggest insecurities:' Josie, who famously lost 38KG in one year, also claims her ex often shamed her about her weight

She added: 'he'd make snide little jokes about it and then ran off with a size 8 model.'

Referencing their romance during an interview with NW this week, John James said: 'I've been with bigger girls, skinny girls, girls that look like they're on heroin, girls that look like they've been to Hungry Jacks nine times a year  it doesn't really matter.'

'Ex-girlfriends would say I was manipulative, they felt insecure and that they couldn't trust me  even if I hadn't done anything.'Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich have touched down in Europe ahead of their 'lavish destination wedding in Italy.'

They recently posed in a cover shoot for Stellar magazine ahead of their big day.

The smitten pair are seen gazing adoringly at each other during an outdoor photo shoot.

The look of love! Bride-to-be Anna Heinrich gazes adoringly at Tim Robards as they cover Stellar magazine ahead of their lavish wedding

On the official Instagram account for Stellar magazine, it was revealed the engaged couple recently spoke about 'love and marriage.'

'Here is your sneak peek of our cover stars this week: Australia's original Bachelor Tim Robards and his bride-to-be Anna Heinrich,' the caption reads.

'Read their exclusive and revealing interview on love, marriage and what comes next in Stellar this Sunday.'

The countdown is on! Tim and Anna will tie the knot before family and friends in Italy in coming days

In the loved-up shoot, Tim whisks Anna up into the air as they press their noses against one another.

The blonde criminal lawyer, 31, looked every inch the blushing bride in a slinky white gown whereas her husband-to-be wore a dapper black suit.

The cover text reads: 'They met on reality television. Critics said it would never last. Now, Australia's first Bachelor and his bride are walking down the aisle.'

True love: The high-profile couple met on the 2013 season of reality series, The Bachelor Australia

Last month an insider close to the couple revealed the engaged Bachelor couple, 'will tie the knot in a lavish destination wedding over the Summer in Europe.'

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia in April, the source said the reality TV duo 'will tie the knot in Italy, sometime in June this year.'

Since the pair arrived in Italy earlier this week, they have been spotted enjoying the sights and surrounds of the popular wedding destination.

The high-profile couple met on the 2013 season of reality series, The Bachelor Australia.

Tim and Anna's Stellar cover is out on Sunday.Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) is known for being somewhat of a style chameleon.

And the 26-year-old looked to be channelling Lara Worthington in her latest Instagram posts on Wednesday.

The former beauty pageant queen showed off the iconic Bingle bob and haute couture fashion, that the fellow model is known for.

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Lara 2.0? Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) (L), 26, morphed into Worthington (R), 30, as she showed off her trademark bob and slender frame in haute couture looks

Wednesday saw Jesinta attend an exclusive event at the National Gallery of Victoria, for French wine company Moet & Chandon.

Taking to her Instagram Stories to share the glam process, the wife of Sydney Swans star Lance 'Buddy' Franklin drew attention to short cropped locks that Lara made famous back in 2014.

Jesinta's striking facial features were also enhanced with bold brows, a subtle smoky eye, lashings of mascara and a natural lip.

Mane appeal: Taking to her Instagram Story on Wednesday, Jesinta showed off her freshly blow-dried blonde cropped locks

Show-stopper: The model also drew attention to a haute couture black lace frock, similar to something Lara has previously worn

The former David Jones ambassador later drew attention to a custom-made haute couture black lace frock by J. Andreatta that revealed her slender frame, and was reminiscent of something Lara would wear at red carpet events.

Jesinta began the style transformation back in December, when she cut off her long dark locks in favour of a short peroxide blonde bob.

Later that day, the former Celebrity Apprentice star stepped out at a Tiffany & Co event in Sydney [of which Lara is a brand ambassador for], looking notably elegant in a black off-the-shoulder top, plaid wide-leg trousers and a layering of jewels.

Only time will tell whether Jesinta continues to follow Lara's lead, with the 30-year-old mother-of-two having recently dyed her cropped blonde bob to a vibrant red hue.

Iconic: Lara made the 'Bingle bob' famous back in 2014

Another look: Only time will tell whether Jesinta continues to follow Lara's lead, with the mother-of-two having recently dyed her cropped blonde bob to a vibrant red hue

Lara took to Instagram last month, proudly showing off her most recent hair transformation.

Both Lara and Jesinta have forged stellar careers as both reality stars-turned models.

As their notoriety increased, the slender beauties began landing countless endorsement deals with high-end brands.

They are also in high-profile relationships, with Lara having wed actor Sam Worthington, and Jesinta having married AFL star Lance 'Buddy' Franklin.He's enjoyed a diverse career as an advertising guru, television presenter and environmentalist.

And now Todd Sampson has been compared to a 'prostitute.'

Interrogated by acerbic funnyman Tom Gleeson during The Weekly's Hard Chat on Wednesday, the Gruen star was taken aback by the suggestion.

'Isn't that a bit like being a prostitute in a convent?' Gruen star Todd Sampson compared to a sex worker by Tom Gleeson on Hard Chat

Comparing Todd's previous profession in advertising with his work as a panelist on on the ABC series, Tom asked: 'Isn't that a bit like being a prostitute in a convent?''

Throwing his head back in laughter, Sampson, 47 replied: 'It is a bit like that! Gruen is the payment for my sins.'

During the brief two and a half minute segment, the host covered an astonishing range of topics - from Todd's citizenship to his involvement in Earth Hour, one of the largest environmental movements in history.

Brutal: Interrogated by acerbic funnyman Gleeson during Wednesday night's The Weekly, the Gruen star was taken aback by the suggestion.

But it was the Canadian's occasional guest hosting on The Project which delivered some serious laughs - with Gleeson playfully ribbing Channel Ten viewers.

'Now as well as appearing on Gruen, you appear on The Project,' Tom asked. 'Do you appear on there so you can be in front of viewers who are ''thick?'

Shocked at the suggestion, Todd's retorted with an emphatic 'no!'

It's like having my ego being cheese grated over and over again!' Sampson called the chat an attack before Gleeson called it a 'dose of reality!'

Unfazed by his subject's response, a deadpan Tom continued: 'I'm just saying it's like, you're on the ABC, so you have bright people to enjoy your work. And then you move over to Ten so the thick people can get their fill.'

In front of a chuckling studio audience, the presenter reminded the stand-up comedian he worked for Ten while hosting Big Brother's Big Mouth.

'Were you catering to the thick,' Todd asked.

'Yea I was,' Tom replies without hesitation.

Tough audience: During the brief two and a half minute segment for Gleeson's Hard Chat skit, the host covered an astonishing range of topics - from Todd's citizenship to his involvement in Earth Hour, one of the largest environmental movements in history.

After ordering him to move back to Canada and making light of Todd's series, Body Hack which was recently confirmed for a second season, the TV personality admitted he wasn't enjoying the interrogation.

'It's like having my ego being cheese-grated over and over again,' Sampson said before calling the chat 'an attack.'

Sharp as a tack, Tom responded, 'it's a dose of reality!'

Todd's savage grilling comes after Em Rusciano received similar brutal treatment at the hands of Gleeson earlier this month on Hard Chat.

Facing a similar barrage of abuse, the acerbic host compared the controversial radio personality's breakfast show to 'a dinner party that no one would organise.'

The funnyman then wasted no time in bringing up the dismal ratings stating: 'You're currently on breakfast radio with Grant Denyer and Ed Kavalee. There's three of you in the studio. Is that more than the number of listeners you have?'She portrays the role of Corporal Georgie Lane in military drama series Our Girl.

And Michelle Keegan took her impressive first-aid skills off-screen as she revealed she saved a woman who collapsed in a restaurant due to her low sugar levels.

According to Daily Star, the former Coronation Street actress, 30, insisted that the training she received from her time on the BBC show 'gave her confidence' to prevent the diner's condition from worsening.

Incredible: Michelle Keegan took her impressive first-aid skills off-screen as she revealed she saved a woman who collapsed in a restaurant due to her low sugar levels

While recalling the situation, the soap star revealed she told the waiter that the woman needed to increase her sugar levels.

Michelle detailed: 'They came over with a bottle [of Coke] and a straw...I knew it was quite dangerous because it could get trapped in her throat... so I threw the straw and put in a glass.'

Our Girl charts the story of army medic Corporal Georgia Lane, who frequently puts her life on the line during dangerous tasks on her humanitarian trips.

Attributing her skills to her TV role, the wife of Mark Wright said: 'Before Our Girl I would never have done that. I would have gone into a panic state.'

She knows what she's doing! The former Corrie star, 30, insisted that the training she received from her time on the BBC show 'gave her confidence'

Michelle's confession comes after she revealed she would never join her husband Mark, 31, by making a permanent move to Los Angeles.

Despite Mark making his mark on Hollywood after landing his lucrative job with Extra, the brunette beauty ruled out settling down in the states.

'I'd love to work in America but I couldn't see myself living out there full time,' she said. 'I'm a home bird.' She clarified. 'It won't be permanent. Definitely not.'

Candid: Michelle's confession comes after she revealed she would never join her husband Mark, 31, by making a permanent move to Los Angeles (pictured May 2016)

The actress, who hails from Stockport, explained the Los Angeles natives found it difficult to understand her thick accent  mistaking her for being Australian.

'When I've been out in Los Angeles, even if I'm ordering a coffee or something they think I'm Australian,' she explained. 'I have to slow down a lot and pronounce my words to make it a bit easier.'

Michelle and Mark, who were married in 2015, have stayed strong in the face of split rumours, despite living 9,000 miles apart as the actress filmed scenes for Our Girl.

The hunk recently appeared on ITV's Lorraine where he revealed the pair are keen to prove the naysayers wrong, who believe a long-distance union can't work.

He said: 'We're back and forward all the time. I just come to see her for a weekend and try and make sure it's three weeks maximum that we don't see each other.

'People are told and taught long distance relationships cant work. Why cant they work?

'As long as you see each other enough, it keeps things fresh. While we're young and we're still so in love and so happy, and shes travelling round the world with her work, why not?

Michelle and Mark met in Dubai in 2012, and married in a stunning ceremony at Hengrave Hall in Suffolk three years later.They're both former American reality TV stars - and the irony of their meeting at the White House hadn't escaped internet users on Wednesday.

Kim Kardashian was widely mocked for achieving a chat with President Donald Trump when he has been poring all his efforts into a serious political meeting with the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-Un.

The 37-year-old's invitation to discuss prison reform with Trump was dubbed a 'dystopian reality' when social media users woke up to a picture of the Kardashian standing in the Oval Office on Thursday morning.

The alternative reality: Donald Trump (centre) was mocked for nailing a meeting with Kim Kardashian on Wednesday, when he has spent many months trying to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (left), whose face was superimposed onto the official picture in a series of memes on Thursday

'There's at least a ten percent chance Donald Trump is meeting with Kim Kardashian because he thinks she's the leader of North Korea [Kim Jong-Un],' one user joked.

It was a joke shared by many Twitter users, who passed around a doctored image of the meeting where Kim's face had been replaced with the Korean leader's.

One user said: '"Kim Kardashian meets Trump to discuss prison reform"' is one of those headlines that reminds you we are living in truly dystopian times.'

Joking: Some found humour in the Trump's delight that he finally had a meeting with Kim... despite it being the wrong one

The original: Trump shared this photo with Kim during their meeting in the Oval Office on Wednesday night

Some suggested that the meeting was like an episode of Netflix series Black Mirror, in which dark and twisted alternative realities are explored in the future.

Social media users had Kim pegged for great things and even imagined the release of a new book entitled, 'Kim Kardashian Saves The World, After President Trump Nearly Ends It'

Though others questionned the suitability of Kim - who stars on E! reality show KUWTK - and Trump - who previously found fame on The Apprentice USA - to decide on prison reform.

One said: 'Kim Kardashian talking to Trump about prison reform is good because she is smarter than him and we need prison reform.'

A mock-up of Kim's phone screen was also shared by fans to imagine her searching for the terms that she might need to discuss in the meeting.

Dismay: Many believed they were waking up to a dystopian reality on Thursday morning

Black Mirror: Some suggested that the meeting was like an episode of Netflix series Black Mirror, in which dark and twisted alternative realities are explored in the future

Humorously, many recalled a scene from Keeping Up With The Kardashians in which selfie-obsessed Kim is told to stop taking photos of herself while they drove her sister Khloe to prison in October 2007.

Khloe was being sentenced for violating her probation on a DUI offence, and Kim was clearly not taking the arrest seriously.

'Kim, would you stop taking pictures of yourself? Your sisters is going to jail,' Kim was sternly told by mum Kris Jenner.

There was also the suggestion that Kim is trying to get back at frenemies Beyonce and Jay-Z by showing allegiance to Trump.

Making a joke: There was also a mock-up of Kim's phone screen that showed her 'Googling' the terms they might discuss in the meeting

'Honestly, I feel like Kanye and Kim Kardashian are riding Donald Trumps wave so hard only because The Obama's loved Beyonce and Jay so much and they were at EVERY event. Kim and Ye want to be Jay and Bey so bad! It's obvious.'

Kim's husband Kanye West famously fell out with former mentor Jay-Z when he failed to attend his wedding to Kim in 2014.

Jay-Z and Beyonce were strong supports of President Obama and campaigned tirelessly for Trump's rival Hilary Clinton to get into office in 2016.

Kim's husband Kanye previously met with Trump at Trump Tower in December 2016, though neither explained what the meeting was about.

Let the memes begin: Placed in front of a green screen, the duo were left open to a world of comment by one user

Humorous: Some drew on a funny memory from the reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians, when Kim refused to stop taking selfies while they drove Khloe Kardashian to be reprimanded for a DUI

What? Some viewers were in disbelief, choosing to share their reactions in visual form, like this picture of Daniel Radcliffe spitting out his water while he laughed

On Wednesday, Kim spent an hour at the White House in a meeting with the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner that also included a conversation with Trump about a first-time drug offender and great-grandmother Alice Johnson who is serving a life sentence in prison.

Johnson was imprisoned for life in 1996 for drug dealing and money laundering after her 15 accomplices all testified against her and had their own charges dropped - despite Johnson's minor role in the cocaine ring. It was her first offence.

After the meeting, Kardashian left the White House and headed for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump's DC home.

She later tweeted: 'I would like to thank President Trump for his time this afternoon. It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms. Alice Marie Johnson who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense.

'We are optimistic about Ms. Johnsons future and hopeful that she and so many like herwill get a second chance at life.'

Trying to save the world: Social media users imagined a new book entitled, Kim Kardashian saves the world, after President Trump Nearly Ends It'

My daughter could do a better job: Kim hasn't always been in support of Trump, previously saying that she though daughter North (pictured centre) could do a better job as president

Working her way in: Kim has previously spoken about how she would like to be more forthcoming with her political views

Kim has not always been so welcoming of Donald, making it clear in 2017 that she was not supporting his presidency.

In an interview with Harper's Bazaar Arabia, Kim hinted that her daughter North West, who was four at the time, would serve as a better US president.

'Anyone can run the US better,' she said in August 2017. 'My daughter would be better.'

At the time, the reality-TV queen admitted she was working on her courage to be more forward in her political views.

'Sometimes I feel like I want to speak out more about political issues,' the mother of three added.

'You have to be really careful about what you say, because a lot of things can be taken in the wrong context and I always want to be respectful; I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.'

Meeting of minds: Kim's husband Kanye West met with Trump in December 2016 (pictured). The details of their meeting were never disclosed

Supporters: Some suggested that Kim's meeting was a direct dig at Beyonce and Jay-Z who were firm Hillary Clinton supportersFormer high-class escort Samantha X has never been one to shy away from documenting her everyday life.

And on Thursday, the 44-year-old took to her Instagram Story, during a trip to a beauty salon in Melbourne.

The ex-girlfriend of Channel Seven's Ryan Phelan drew attention to freshly tattooed eyebrows in a before-and-after clip titled in part: 'Nice and subtle.'

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'Nice and subtle': Former high-class escort Samantha X, 44, showed off her VERY bold tattooed eyebrows, during a trip to the salon in Melbourne on Wednesday

One image saw Sam pulling a petrified expression, while seated in a beautician's chair with her blonde locks swept under a shower cap.

Brow artist Connie was seen applying a topical gel under Sam's eyebrows to reduce any pain experienced.

She then proceeded by using a hand tool, also known as a microblade, which is dipped in pigment and applied into the skin using small strokes, to resemble hair.

In the beauty chair: Sam drew attention to the tattooing process which involves having a topical gel applied, and a microblade dipped in pigment, making strokes similar to that of hair

The overall effect fills in patchy areas of brows, and the process takes around two hours.

Sam poked lighthearted fun at her bold brows throughout the process, writing: 'Nice and subtle..just how I like it.'

The former beauty editor later showed off the finished result, and was seen beaming in an image captioned 'Love them!!!!!'

Ecstatic: The former beauty editor was very pleased with the end result, captioning an image 'Love them!!!!!'

Whether it's a beauty salon or a police station, Sam keeps her legion of Instagram followers entertained.

On Monday, the busty blonde paid a visit to a local police station in Melbourne, returning a wallet she found.

'Anyone who knows me knows I love a hot cop so finding a wallet on the ground is a perfect excuse to drop by,' Sam cheekily captioned a photo of the wallet she found.

'I love a hot cop': On Monday, Sam paid a visit to local police station in Melbourne, as she returned a wallet she found

The media personality told fans she was hoping to have a flirty exchange with a handsome officer.

'Will he be hot..won't he...will he be hot....,' she pondered in another caption.

Sam later revealed: 'The cop was hot but my hair looks like bum fluff.'

Hopeful: Sam told fans she was hoping to have a flirty exchange with a handsome officer while returning a wallet she found

The posts come after Sam, whose real name is Amanda Goff, hit out at reports she 'regretted' giving-up her lucrative $1000 hour escorting job.

Taking to Instagram on Friday, she clarified the reports, saying: 'I never said... I miss sex work or regret giving up escorting.'

'I said the next relationship I have I won't rush into and I regretted making important life decisions so quickly.'Married At First Sight star Sarah Roza confirmed she is dating Melbourne man James Stephens after her heartbreaking split from TV 'husband' Telv Williams.

Now the 39-year-old buxom bombshell is looking to find her co-star Gabrielle Bartlett her very own prince charming.

On Thursday, the flame-haired star took to her Instagram story to enlist the help of fans to find a 'champion bloke for Gabs to date.'

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'Do you know a champion bloke for her to date?' MAFS' Sarah Roza turns to social media to help Gabrielle Bartlett find a man after finding her own Prince Charming

Over a number of clips, Sarah played matchmaker on behalf of her beloved blonde friend.

'Gab was saying to me...it's hard dating out there! I know it!' Sarah exclaimed in the first clip.

'There's tumbleweeds!' Gab joked.

'Australia we are going to find Gabrielle a new man tonight!' Sarah revealed at the end of the short video.

On the hunt: The 39-year-old buxom bombshell is helping Gabrielle find love following her split from Nasser Sultan

'Heart of gold, masculine bloke and a family man': Gabrielle's ideal man!

'Do you know a champion bloke for Gabs to date?' Sarah wrote in the caption.

In the next clip, Sarah quizzed Gabrielle about what qualities she's looking for in a man.

'Heart of gold, masculine bloke and a family man,' Gabrielle revealed in the Instagram story.

'No, Nasser Sultan's applying please!' Sarah quipped.

In the next clip, Sarah prompted fans to contact her if they know a man who fits Gabrielle's male suitor selection criteria.

Earlier this week, Gabrielle's 'ex TV husband' Nasser Sultan confirmed that his former MAFS flame and Sean Donnelly are dating.

Gabrielle addressed Nasser's aforementioned claims in the clip and confirmed she is not dating Sean.

'No I'm not (with Sean). Although I love him,' Gabrielle stated.

Sarah clarified Gabrielle's statement and asked:' Any sex, any kisses?'

To which Gabrielle said: 'No! Nothing like that! But, I adore the man! He's a beautiful friend.'

'She's NOT with Sean D,' Sarah reiterated in the caption of the clip.

'Lots to chat about!' The video's took place while the MAFS alumni enjoyed a swanky dinner in Sydney

The video's took place while the MAFS alumni enjoyed a swanky dinner in Sydney.

Just days ago, Nasser Sultan confirmed on KIIS FM'S Kyle and Jackie 'O' show that his former co-stars Gabrielle Bartlett and Sean Donnelly are dating.

'I can tell you that now that she's sleeping with Sean from Adelaide,' Nasser told a shocked Jackie 'O' Henderson and Kyle Sandilands.

He said the pair were spotted getting cosy after Ryan Gallagher's stand-up gig in the South Australian capital.

New beau: Earlier this week Sarah confirmed her romance with hunky Melbourne man, James Stephens, months after her heartbreaking split from TV 'husband' Telv Williams. James pictured (R)

Earlier this week Sarah confirmed her romance with hunky Melbourne man, James Stephens, months after her heartbreaking split from TV 'husband' Telv Williams.

'He's such a lovely and extremely handsome man. He's a true gentleman in every way possible and he treats me like an absolute queen', she told Daily Mail Australia.

Meanwhile, Telv Williams has split with his girlfriend Maddie Carolan after a brief romance, Daily Mail Australia can reveal.

Changes: Meanwhile, Telv Williams has split with his girlfriend Maddie Carolan after a brief romance, Daily Mail Australia can revealThey've been in a state of loved-up bliss since becoming engaged on the Bachelor In Paradise finale earlier this month.

And Tara Pavlovic and Sam Cochrane looked to be going strong, as they led the star arrivals at Uber and Red Cross' fashion charity event in Sydney on Thursday.

The lovebirds embraced for a series of snaps in front of the media wall, prior to walking down the runway with their second-hand donations.

Going strong! Newly-engaged Tara Pavlovic and Sam Cochrane packed on the PDA, as they led the star arrivals at Uber and Red Cross' fashion show in Sydney on Thursday

Tara wore an electric blue frock in a spandex-like fabric that skimmed over her curves and finished just above the knee.

The 27-year-old covered her petite upper frame in a grey marle bomber jacket and finished off the look with nude patent platform heels.

Tara styled her signature blonde locks sleek and straight, and opted for an elegant makeup palette, consisting of a flawless complexion, lashings of mascara and a pink lip.

Quirky style: The 27-year-old reality star sported a spandex-like electric blue frock, teamed with a grey marle bomber jacket and nude patent platform heels

Playful: In high spirits, Tara pulled a number of animated poses in front of the media wall

Smitten: Tara was accompanied by fiance Sam, 34, who planted a kiss on his ladylove's cheek

The reality star who failed to find love with Matty Johnson, cosied up to fiance Sam who kept things cool and casual.

The 34-year-old sported a blue red and white superhero-themed T-shirt, cropped indigo jeans, a black hooded jacket and black brogues.

In true Sam fashion, the Channel Ten personality swept his locks into a ponytail and added a cap worn backwards.

Cool and casual: The larrikin lad wore a superhero-themed T-shirt, cropped indigo jeans, black brogues, a hooded jacket and cap worn backwards

Tactile: Sam wrapped one arm around Tara's slender waist

Suave: Model Kris Smith, 39, donned a crisp white patterned shirt and a tailored navy suit

The pair looked every inch smitten, with Sam planting a kiss on his ladylove's cheek.

Model Kris Smith was next to follow, looking suave in a white patterned dress shirt, a tailored navy suit jacket, coordinating cropped trousers and grey suede loafers.

The 39-year-old father-of-one added a narrow navy tie and silver statement watch to the ensemble.

Contrasting: The Myer ambassador opted for grey suede loafers

Accessories: The father-of-one added a narrow navy tie and silver statement watch to the ensemble

Leggy lady: Tegan Martin, 25, turned heads in a thigh-skimming black frock with bell sleeves

Former beauty pageant queen Tegan Martin turned heads in a thigh-skimming black frock.

The 25-year-old's number featured a large cut-out at the back, while black buckled ankle boots elongated her frame.

Tegan finished off the glam look with wavy blonde locks and and a glossy lip.

Details: The former beauty pageant titleholder elongated her frame with black buckled ankle boots

Glam: Tegan finished off the look with wavy blonde locks and a gloss on her pout

Familiar face: MC for the evening Jackie 'O' Henderson cut a demure figure in an emerald smock top and faux-leather skinny-leg pants

MC for the evening Jackie 'O' Henderson cut a demure figure in an emerald smock top, teamed with faux-leather skinny-leg pants and black Christian Louboutin heels.

The 43-year-old, who introduced each star to walk down the runway in donated fashion, added a black clutch and silver jewels.

Jackie styled her shoulder-length locks in soft waves and added a bold lip colour.

Looking to be in high spirits, the radio host posed for selfies with television presenter James Tobin.

Designer: The 43-year-old added black Christian Louboutin pointy-toe heels, a black clutch and silver jewels

Tresses: Jackie styled her signature blonde locks in a deep side part and soft curls

In profile: The Sydney-based personality added an extra pop of colour in the form of a matte red lip

Local talent: Jackie posed for photos in front of the media wall with TV presenter James Tobin

The 38-year-old wore a crisp white shirt, a navy tailored suit jacket, beige trousers and tan suede dress shoes.

Blogger Lisa Clark opted for an elegant navy halterneck frock with a subtle thigh split.

The 33-year-old former Big Brother star accessorised with black pointy-toe heels and was primped to perfection with blonde waves and a bold lip.

Bold look: The 38-year-old wore a crisp white shirt, tailored navy suit jacket, beige trousers and tan suede dress shoes

Snap-happy! The pair happily took a selfie in front of the media wall

Elegant: Blogger Lisa Clark, 33, wore a navy halterneck frock with a subtle thigh split and black pointy-toe heels

Edgy: Model Renae Ayris, 27, cut an edgy figure in a white round-neck top, teamed with a black corset on top and deep grey skinny-leg jeans

Model Renae Ayris finished off the line-up in an edgy ensemble consisting of a white round-neck top, a black corset on top and deep grey skinny-leg jeans.

The 27-year-old draped a tuxedo-style black jacket over her toned shoulders and elongated her frame with black round-toe ankle boots.

Renae's blonde locks were styled semi-straight and in a centre part, framing her pretty facial features that were enhanced with an elegant makeup palette.

Effortless: The Sydney starlet draped a black tuxedo-style jacket over her toned shouldersShe's known for her eccentric persona on her breakfast show with fellow radio host Kyle Sandilands.

But Jackie O put on a more demure display as she hosted the Uber x Red Cross Farewell Fashion Show at Sydney's Paddington Town Hall on Thursday evening.

The presenter, 43, oozed elegance as she slipped into a dark green blouse, embellished with elaborate balloon sleeves.

Style maven: Jackie O put on a more demure display as she hosted the Uber x Red Cross Farewell Fashion Show at Sydney's Paddington Town Hall on Thursday evening

Maintaining her fashion-forward appearance, the Australian Princess host was clad in a pair of stylish patent trousers, which she tied in with a pair of black pointed stilettos.

The blonde beauty continued to command attention in the accessory department as she toted a lace embroidered clutch, teamed with an array of silver bracelets and a matching pendant necklace.

Jackie enhanced her striking features with lashings of mascara and a slash of red lipstick, which complemented her curly tresses.

Chic: The presenter, 43, oozed elegance as she slipped into a dark green blouse, embellished with elaborate balloon sleeves

All eyes on her: Maintaining her fashion-forward appearance, the Australian Princess host was clad in a pair of stylish patent trousers, which she tied in with pointed black stilettos

The host took to the stage to present the Farewell Fashion Show, paving the way for an array of celebrities to showcase their modelling abilities on the catwalk.

Jackie was joined by 2013's Miss World Australia Erin Holland, TV personality Lisa Hyde and blogger Jessie Khoo.

The event was held as part of Uber and Red Cross' initiative to encourage the public to donate their clothing to the charity.

Working it! The blonde beauty continued to command attention in the accessory department as she toted a lace embroidered clutch, teamed with an array of silver bracelets and a matching pendant necklace

Jackie's display comes after she gave a rare insight into her first marriage with 'Ugly' Phil O'Neil during a booze-filled interview with Love Island host Sophie Monk on The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

'I remember when I split up from my first husband and I had a period of being single. I just had that anxiousness of constantly wanting to find someone,' said Jackie, who is now happily married to Lee Henderson. 'I've never been happy on my own.'

While Jackie has gone on to achieve huge success in Australian FM radio since their split, Ugly Phil, now 55, has kept a comparatively lower profile.

Selfie time! Jackie appeared in high spirits as she took a snap with James Tobin on the red carpet

Jackie, then aged 18, reportedly first met Phil in 1993 when she called into his Gold Coast radio show to try to win tickets.

A year later, the pair were married and, by 1996, she was his co-host on the Hot30 Countdown.

But three years later, Phil abruptly quit his job, their marriage ended and he moved to London for another radio job.

Phil was replaced by Kyle Sandilands, forming the 'Kyle and Jackie O' partnership - and the rest, as they say, is history.She reportedly signed a $5 million deal with the Australian Radio Network in 2016.

So it's no surprise that Jackie O's wardrobe was jam packed with pricey designer duds and high street wares in a snap shared to Instagram on Thursday.

Sophie Monk led stars gushing over the lavish interior, with the former Bachelorette commenting: 'OMG, you're so tidy!'

'OMG, you're so tidy!' Sophie Monk leads stars gushing over Jackie O's envy-inducing wardrobe complete with designer threads and endless pairs of shoes

'Closet envy,' Sunrise presenter Edwina Bartholomew wrote.

'Phoar hot hot hot!!' Fifi Box noted.

Grant Denyer's wife Cheryl also chimed in writing: 'Get OUT of TOWN Jack is that YOUR WARDROBE,' before demanding a similar walk-in dressing room from her husband.

'Closet envy': Jackie O's Instagram followers were impressed by the wardrobe

Stunning in a charcoal grey Reiss blouse with intricate billowing sleeve detail and spray-on black jeans, the radio host beamed as she posed elegantly inside her sartorial sanctum.

'Can't wait for tonight,' the 43 year-old captioned the image. 'Getting ready to host the Red Cross Australia and Uber Australia Farewell Fashion Event.

'Such a great cause. Make sure you get behind it too and donate something from your closet June 3rd.'

Making a comfortable living: The star reportedly signed a $5 million deal with the Australian Radio Network in 2016

Meanwhile others were wowed by the KIIS FM's star killer black pumps with one fan writing, 'Look at her shoes!'

'They are Christian Louboutin xxx,' Jackie proudly responded.

Jackie once revealed designer Alex Perry refused to dress her after she put on weight seven years ago.

Wedded bliss! Jackie O has been married to husband Lee Henderson for 15 years. They share a six-year-old daughter Kitty

Confessing on the Kyle and Jackie O Show in April, Jackie said the Australia's Next Top Model judge is dressing her again but she hasn't forgotten the slight.

'I was like, 'You b*****d! You dropped me for seven years,' she revealed. 'Now you like me again.'He's no stranger to showing off his incredibly muscular physique on social media.

But Kris Smith opted for a smart appearance as he attended the Uber x Red Cross Farewell Fashion Show at Sydney's Paddington Town Hall on Thursday evening.

The 39-year-old model looked every inch the sophisticated man as he sported a midnight blue suit, tied in with a matching silk tie.

Sharp: Kris Smith opted for a more smart appearance as he attended the Uber x Red Cross Farewell Fashion Show at Sydney's Paddington Town Hall on Thursday evening

Upping the style ante, the TV personality teamed his ensemble with a checked white shirt.

The father-of-one injected a hint of comfort into his look as he was clad in a pair of suede loafers.

Flaunting his handsome look, Kris styled his hair into a fresh crew cut as he flashed a wide grin at the cameras.

Looking good: The 39-year-old model looked every inch the sophisticated man as he sported a midnight blue suit, tied in with a matching silk tie

Host Jackie O took to the stage to present the Farewell Fashion Show, paving the way for an array of celebrities to showcase their modelling abilities on the catwalk.

Kris - who served as one of the models - was joined by 2013's Miss World Australia Erin Holland, TV personality Lisa Hyde and blogger Jessie Khoo.

The event was held as part of Uber and Red Cross' initiative to encourage the public to donate their clothing to the charity.

Kris' dapper appearance comes after he admitted he'd love to have more children with his girlfriend Sarah Boulazeris.

Suave: Upping the style ante, the TV personality teamed his ensemble with a checked white shirt and comfy suede loafers

Previously speaking to Woman's Day, Kris said that a new addition would be great for his seven-year-old son Ethan too.

'I've been clucky for years and I'm sure Ethan would jump at the chance,' he told the publication. 'Who doesn't want a sibling they can annoy?'

The former rugby star was also full of praise for Sarah, revealing she had her feet firmly on the ground.

'She's herself,' Kris said. 'She's such a good person and that's why I was drawn to her.'310518ABG WILL PAY GENUINE CLAIMS SAYS PRESIDENT MOMIS

New Dawn FM News

The President of the Bougainville Autonomous Government, CHIEF DR. JOHN MOMIS says all genuine claims by service providers will be paid when funds are available.

President MOMIS made these comments in a press conference in Buka today.

He told Reporters in Buka that the ABG will not run away from its bills owed to genuine service providers.

President MOMIS said but the approach some Ex-combatants and service providers are taking is dangerous and is not a right approach to take as we approach the referendum.

He said that seven days ultimatum given by the service providers could be instigated by people who are against Bougainvilles wish for self-determination.

President MOMIS also questioned why people are resorting to these activities when we are just few months away from deciding the future status of Bougainville.

Ends

German actress Diane Kruger is reportedly pregnant with her first child with The Walking Dead actor Norman Reedus.

Kruger, most famous for her role as Helen of Troy in the Brad Pitt epic, first met Reedus, who looks set to become the lead of the AMC zombie show after Andrew Lincolns departure, back in 2015.

Mid-may, Page Six first claimed that the 41-year-old actress is expecting her first child, saying she wasnt drinking alcohol and wearing billowing, less-than-revealing outfits to obscure the good news at events such as the Met Gala and Cannes 2018.

Here is all you need to know about Diane Kruger including what is her net worth, her boyfriend Norman Reedus, and her movie and TV roles.

German actress Diane Kruger is reportedly pregnant with her first child with Norman Reedus

Who is Diane Kruger?

Diane Kruger was born on July 15, 1976 in Algermissen, West Germany.

Growing up, Kruger was the only member of the family with an artistic flair. Her mother was a banker, while her father worked with computers.

As a child, Kruger attended the Royal Academy of Dance in London. At the age of 15, Kruger entered and won Germanys Elite Model Look contest and moved to Paris for test shoots.

In the early 90s, Kruger fronted big campaigns for brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Jil Sander, Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton and walked the runway for Marc Jacobs and D&G.

In the early aughts, Kruger began to prioritise acting roles over modelling, making her film debut in 2002s TV film, The Piano Player, opposite Dennis Hopper.

Steady roles followed including 2004s Wicker Park, opposite Josh Hartnett and Rose Byrne, and the epic Troy, as well as the National Treasure films, opposite Nicolas Cage.

It was a little scary! Kruger told Vulture about Troy. It put me on the map and I always felt it put me there way too soon. It was only my second film, I was so green, and where do you go from playing Helen of Troy?

Kruger also appeared in Quentin Tarantinos 2009 WWII film, Inglourious Basterds, and Jaco Van Dormaels Mr Nobody.

She played Detective Sonya Cross on FXs The Bridge between 2013 and 2014 and starred opposite Bryan Cranston in 2016s The Infiltrator.

What is Diane Krugers net worth?

Diane Krugers net worth is estimated to be $24 million (18m), according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Krugers wealth puts her above her boyfriend Norman Reedus, whose net worth can be seen here.

Diane Kruger pregnant

On May 14, 2018, Page Six reported that Diane Kruger was expecting her first child with Norman Reedus, saying the German actress was not drinking alcohol and wearing more loose-fitting clothes on the red carpet

At the end of May, multiple sources confirmed this to Us Weekly. Kruger and Reedus met on the set of Sky in 2015, while the actress was still in a relationship with then long-term boyfriend Joshua Jackson.

Kruger and Reedus began dating after she split with Jackson in 2016, and made their red carpet debut in January 2018, at the 2018 Golden Globes.

Kruger was in a relationship with Jackson for ten years from 2006, before which she was married to the French director Guillaume Canet, who is now married to Marion Cotillard.She bravely revealed her father had been diagnosed with prostate cancer for the second time back in November 2017.

And Gemma Oaten has candidly discussed her father's battle with the disease as well as revealing she first found out about his diagnosis the day before she started filming Emmerdale in 2011, in a candid interview on Thursday's episode of Lorraine.

The actress, 34, who appeared alongside Dennis on the show, said her beloved father was first compelled to go the doctor over concerns from her and her mother.

Scroll down for video

Candid: Gemma Oaten has candidly discussed her father's battle with the disease as well as revealing she first found out about his diagnosis the day before she started filming Emmerdale in 2011, in a candid interview on Thursday's episode of Lorraine

She said: 'We were on a family holiday. it was mum and I really, it was excessive urinating during the night, he wasnt himself, we saw little things, I knew, thats why they call it the silent killer, mum got him to go to the doctors, you know what men are like.

'For men its not as widely considered to go in and have a blood test. A week later, he was diagnosed with stage 3 prostate cancer.

'The day before I started filming Emmerdale, I found out my dad had cancer. It was the best day of my life and the worst day of my life

'I said to dad, "Im glad youve got it now as youre gonna stay alive and watch me on Emmerdale".'

Emotional: The actress, 34, who appeared alongside Dennis on the show, said her beloved father was first compelled to go the doctor over concerns from her and her mother

Dennis, who had rarely suffered from illness in the past, taking only four days off in 40 years, said he was maintaining a positive attitude throughout his battle.

He said: 'Its from when I was first diagnosed, I was 64, it was aggressive, I was always aware that it would possibly come back, I take it as It comes. Ive done well.

'It's manageable, I dont worry about it, I take each day at a time.'

The pair are working with charity Prostate Cancer UK and will take part in the March For Men in Leeds next month.

Dennis said: 'Im so passionate about the awareness thing, if Id been aware we couldve caught it earlier

Close bond: She said: 'The day before I started filming Emmerdale, I found out my dad had cancer. It was the best day of my life and the worst day of my life'

'Even from 50-55, dont think its not inside you, it couldve been there for months years, a simple blood test will find out. I think awareness is what we need.'

Gemma added: 'Everybody is marching with each other, everyone signing up to raise money, it has come back a second time, Im aware it can come back another time, I dont want that for future generations.'

In November Gemma asked for prayers for her beloved father after receiving the devastating news that his prostate cancer has come back 'with a vengeance.'

The star took to Instagram to make the heartbreaking announcement that the life-threatening condition had returned and was 'pushing to the lymph nodes.'

The blonde beauty, who called her father Dennis her 'world', said she was praying for a positive outcome.

Sharing a sweet snap of herself and her 70-year-old father the star wrote: 'Overwhelmed by the love and support of this man. My Dad. He is just one (I'm fortunate to have many sw) of the most amazing men In my life. He is all. My world.

'I think I'm allowed to say now that prostate cancer is back again with avengance and pushing to lymph nodes. But. BUT. That's OK, because this man, my Dad, Is a fighter. Praying for all good outcomes for all good people.'(sic)

Last year Gemma, along with her Dennis and her mum Marg appeared on Lorraine to raise awareness of prostate cancer and share their story as a family battling the condition.

Inspiration: Dennis, who had rarely suffered from illness in the past, taking only four days off in 40 years, said he was maintaining a positive attitude throughout his battle

Dennis was first diagnosed with the disease in 2011 and underwent chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a new clinical trial, and last year was given the welcome news the cancer was in remission.

Gemma told Lorraine: 'We've got to come together as families and really get that message across because, as you can see, I've got the best parents in the world, but I could have just had one.

'You're not invincible, men - although I know you like to think you are sometimes. You need to put down that guard and just take half an hour out of your day - it could mean the difference between 30 years in your life and three months.'

For information and advice on prostate cancer call Prostate Cancer UK on 0800 074 8383.

Raising awareness: The pair are working with charity Prostate Cancer UK and will take part in the March For Men in Leeds next monthHe's currently rumoured to star on the next season of Married At First Sight.

And on Thursday, celebrity psychic Harry T revealed one of the reasons why he's struggled to find love outside of reality TV.

Taking to Instagram, the medium wrote: 'Everybody keeps asking why I'm still single? Is it because I eat way too much?'

'Everybody keeps asking why I'm still single!' First Dates reject Harry T blames overeating for love life woes as rumours swirl he's joining Married At First Sight

Harry is currently preparing to start his Messages From Beyond tour with Married At First Sight's Sarah Roza, who will be hosting the live audience shows.

The pint-sized psychic, who is openly gay, briefly appeared alongside best friend Sarah on the last season of MAFS.

He's now rumoured to appear on the next season of the controversial dating series, with producers reportedly keen to feature a same-sex wedding on the show's sixth season.

Celebrity pals: Harry is close friends with Married At First Sight's Sarah Roza

'Harry T was a real hit when he appeared during Sarah's wedding and he was top of the list when it came to casting a gay couple,' a source told Daily Mail Australia.

The Channel Nine source claimed Sarah will help Harry 'calm his nerves' on his wedding day.

'Of course Sarah will be by his side ready to calm his nerves. It's also a genius way to bring back one of last year's more popular cast members,' the source said.

Familiar face: He previously appeared on First Dates

Reality TV circuit: He also appeared as a contestant on the Foxtel cooking some Come Dine With Me, which he ended up winning

Harry is a regular on reality TV, having previously starred on Channel Seven's First Dates and Foxtel's cooking show Come Dine With Me.

He's also made a number appearances on Australia's top morning programs, including Channel 9's Today show, where he inaccurately predicted that Hillary Clinton would win the 2016 U.S. Presidential election.

Beyond television, Harry is a fixture on the social scene, and has been spotted strutting red carpets with celebrity pals like The Bachelor's Laurina Fleure and Zilda Williams, Real Housewives star Pettifleur Berenger, socialite Brynne Edelsten and countless others.She sent her children wild as she gifted Pixie, six and Hunter, three, with a cute pet dog in February.

And Roxy Jacenko has shared that her black Pomeranian is getting nothing short of first-class treatment as she took Oreo Curtis on a walk in a lavish pram.

Taking to her Instagram story on Thursday, the PR maven, 38, posted a snap of her pet pooch in a trendy Silver Cross pram - with the nursery brand being a known favourite amongst the British Royal Family.

Fit for a King! Roxy Jacenko is every inch the doting pet owner as she takes her dog Oreo for a stroll in a fancy pram used by the ROYALS

The cute pup appeared to be in full relaxation mode as he reclined in the navy blue carrier.

The mother-of-two ensured her fans focused on as she simply captioned the snap: 'Off for a walk @silvercross_australia.'

Set up in 1877, Silver Cross produced the first royal pram for the Queen in 1927, and has been the family's baby pram of choice ever since.

Sweet: The businesswoman, 38, sent her children wild as she gifted Pixie, six and Hunter, three, with the cute pet dog in February

Roxy's snap comes after her feud with journalist Andrew Hornery - who mocked her over the powder-blue 'mullet' frock she wore to the Gold Dinner fundraiser.

The Sydney socialite continued the dispute on Instagram by calling out the gossip writer, who in his latest column insisted that the 'one off' design was in fact very similar to one worn by Italian fashionista Chiara Ferragni.

Roxy cheekily offered another lookalike dress for his next Private Sydney column, writing: 'How on earth did you miss this one?'

'Oh wow, I'll be damned - another mullet frock - maybe we can go week four from four with the stories in your column, Andrew? How on earth did you miss this one?' she wrote on her Instagram Story.

The feud continues! Roxy's display comes after her feud with journalist Andrew Hornery - who mocked her over the powder-blue 'mullet' frock she wore to the Gold Dinner fundraiser

She's not backing down! The blonde cheekily offered another lookalike dress for his next Private Sydney column, writing: 'How on earth did you miss this one?'

Roxy's post showcased an intricately feathered wedding gown by Mihano Momosa, which resembled the tulle-layered gown by Velani she wore at the charity gala.

Andrew first remarked upon Roxy's Gold Dinner ensemble when she returned the dress to its Five Dock shop shortly after wearing it.

Under the headline, 'Mullet Dress Swims Upstream', the Sydney Morning Herald journalist wrote: 'Barely 48 hours after it had hung from the fake-tanned frame of one Roxy Jacenko, the over-the-top Italian tulle 'mullet' dress was back in the window of Five Dock 'couturier' Velani.'

The senior reporter told Daily Mail Australia: 'I love Roxy, she is an endless source of content as well as providing much amusement for so many people, if only she could see it herself. Long may she and her mullet dress reign.'She has announced that she will not be having sex on TV during her time on Love Island.

But Dani Dyer - daughter of EastEnders actor Danny - proved she's still very much in touch with her sexuality on Thursday, as she sauntered along the shores of Majorca in a sexy swimsuit.

The 22-year-old, who made a fleeting appearance on Survival Of The Fittest in February, was seen demurely strolling in the water, splashing around and enjoying some alone time in the sunshine, before the madness begins.

Sultry: Dani Dyer sauntered along the shores of Majorca in a sexy swimsuit on Thursday, ahead of her debut on the ITV2 dating show next week

The caramel-haired barmaid showcased her lithe physique in a one-piece, which featured a keyhole detailing at the front.

The design of the swimwear perfectly displayed her toned torso, and was crisp white with a striped green pattern at the top half.

Wearing a pair of shades on her forehead, Dani appeared non-plussed about catching the sun, as she wore a full face of make-up.

Her locks fell loosely around her shoulders and she accessorised with a silver watch and bracelet.

Four days to go: Ahead of her entrance into the villa, Dani gave a glimpse of what viewers will see over the coming weeks as she striped down to a racy one-piece

Sexy: Dani - daughter of EastEnders actor Danny - proved she's still very much in touch with her sexuality on Thursday, as she sauntered along the shores of Majorca in swimsuit

Me-time: The 22-year-old, who made a fleeting appearance on Survival Of The Fittest in February, was seen demurely strolling in the water

She said on Wednesday that shes cautious about embarrassing her famous father in the shows villa.

Speaking to MailOnline, Dani shockingly revealed that the EastEnders actor had given the go ahead for her to do as she pleases in the villa - although she insists she will still hold back from on-screen romps out of respect for her famous father.

She said: My dads open, hes like: Dan, youve got to do what you want to do and what makes you happy - hes not sat there with a rulebook. But obviously because he is in the limelight, I wouldnt want to do anything that can go back on him'.

Things are getting serious: The caramel-haired barmaid showcased her lithe physique in a one-piece, which featured a keyhole detailing at the front

Will she make a splash? The design of the swimwear perfectly displayed her toned torso, and was crisp white with a striped green pattern at the top half

Soaking up the sun: The design of the swimwear perfectly displayed her toned torso, and was crisp white with a striped green pattern at the top half

I personally would not have sex on TV. That is not a thing for me. Whoever does it, I will have a chat with the girl about it. I don't care. But on a personal level, it's just not something I'd do.

However the barmaid insists shes happy to break the rule she set for herself during an ultimately doomed appearance on Survival Of The Fittest, during which she was sent home after just 24-hours with an injury.

She explained: On Survival, I said I wouldn't kiss anyone because it wasn't that sort of show. They called it the winter Love Island, but it was boys v girls with challenges.

Cooling off: Wearing a pair of shades on her forehead, Dani appeared non-plussed about catching the sun, as she wore a full face of make-up

Protective: Speaking to MailOnline, Dani, 21, admits being the daughter of EastEnders star Danny Dyer places inevitable restrictions on what she can and cant do  and shes already ruled out the possibility of having sex in the villa

'It was about if you were going to get with the enemy. I wasn't up for it back then, but I hadn't met anyone. Obviously with this, it is testing your dating abilities. If I like someone, of course I'm going to kiss him.

Dani admits her famous name presents an added pressure as she prepares to find the man of her dreams, but shes reluctant to make the same mistake she made during her brief stay in South Africa by repeatedly namechecking her father.

The tack was notoriously used by former Love Island contestant Marcel Sommerville, who frequently referred to his musical roots as a member of Blazin Squad, and she admits she doesnt want to be tarred with the same brush.

Not so strict: She said: My dads open and hes like: Dan, youve got to do what you want to do and what makes you happy - hes not sat there with a rulebook'

Hot topic: The 21-year-old has already been dubbed the new Marcel Somerville of the villa, with fans joking she will name-drop her famous dad in conversation at any opportunity

I don't want to be the new Marcel! she said. I know [voice-over man] Iain Sterling is going to get off on that. I don't want to be called Marcel - of course I don't.

Now, when I look back [at Survival], I look back and am like, Oh Dani!, but at the time it was funny. The thing is, it is always going to be cringey, of course it is. People are always going to cringe, but he is my dad and I can't really do much about it. I'm not going to go out and scream about it.

While the show presents a unique opportunity for Dani to find fame in her own right, she admits her main objective is to find love, but shes already nervous about being overlooked in favour of the other girls.

I'm really scared about no-one stepping forward. I'd be gutted! she said. I want people to like me. I worry about stuff like that.

Change of heart? Dani previously exclusively revealed to the MailOnline that she would resist kissing her fellow contestants on television

Happy days: And with what could be a long hot summer in the Love Island villa ahead of her, shes already worried about a potential rival stealing any potential boyfriend

And with what could be a long hot summer in the Love Island villa ahead of her, shes already worried about a potential rival stealing any potential boyfriend.

Its always going to be intimidating when a girl comes in and is like listen, I want your man, she admitted. I mean its something Im going to have to expect - theres girls that are going to come in who want to couple up with the person youre with.

Im not going to throw a massive tantrum. If he likes her and he does want to couple up thats something Ill have to deal with, and I might have a little cry in that room that you sit in. But well see. If it aint meant to be, it aint meant to be.

She added: I hope the person I'm with will just want to get to know me for me and not do it for them reasons, but I think you suss it out eventually, hopefully. Hopefully I get some luck and it's easy and I get on with them straight away.She recently found herself in a love triangle after she split with her beau of one year, Scott Walker, to date her pantomime co-star - with it later claimed that he was cheating on his fiancee with her.

Yet after fiercely denying the claims, Gemma Oaten looked happier than ever as she put on a loved-up display with her new boyfriend, fellow actor Stuart Earp, in Spain on Thursday.

The former Emmerdale actress, 34, looked every inch the beach babe as she stunned in a blue dip-dye bikini.

Smitten: Emmerdale actress Gemma Oaten looked happier than ever as she put on a loved-up display with her new boyfriend, Stuart Earp, in Spain on Thursday

While at one stage, she decided to add a coral red cover-up dress with blue embroidered flowers on it.

Gemma styled her blonde locks into a tousled hairdo, which she later swept up into a high bun.

She appeared to go make-up free as she showed off her sun-kissed and flawless complexion on the idyllic beach.

Gorgeous: The former Emmerdale actress, 34, and her new man looked blissfully happy as they larked about in the water

Love triangle: She recently found herself in a love triangle after she split with her beau of one year, Scott Walker (pictured in 2017), to date her pantomime co-star

Fun in the sun: While at one stage, she decided to add a coral red cover-up dress with blue embroidered flowers on it

Beach babe: She appeared to go make-up free as she showed off her sun-kissed and flawless complexion on the idyllic beach

Gemma couldn't resist packing on the PDA with her handsome new beau Stuart as they let their hair down in the Spanish sun.

At one stage, the couple had their arms wrapped around each other as they walked along the golden sand.

A different stage saw the duo paddle in the Mediterranean sea as they laughed with each other and playfully messed around in the water.

Relaxed: Gemma styled her blonde locks into a tousled hairdo, which she later swept up into a high bun

Loved-up: Gemma couldn't resist packing on the PDA with her handsome new beau Stuart - who she is believed to have met through pantomime

Having fun: A different stage saw the duo paddle in the Mediterranean sea as they laughed with each other and playfully messed around in the water

PDA: And another snap saw him sweetly caress her face as he leaned in for a smooch in the Spanish sun

And another snap saw him sweetly caress her face as he leaned in for a smooch in the Spanish sun.

The couple were hit with drama when their romance was revealed in April after it was claimed that Stuart was cheating on his fiancee and partner of three years with Gemma.

Kerryann Clive, 23, told The Sun Online that she only dumped the actor after pictures emerged of the soap star with her boyfriend.

Sweet: At one stage, the couple had their arms wrapped around each other as they walked along the golden sand

Drama: The couple were hit with drama when their romance was revealed in April after it was claimed that Stuart was cheating on his fiancee and partner of three years with Gemma

Claims: Kerryann Clive, 23, told The Sun Online that she only dumped the actor after pictures emerged of the soap star with her boyfriend

Calling her ex 'a liar' Kerryann says she messaged Gemma when she suspected the actress and Stuart were getting close when they starred in panto together.

'At that point we were still together. I ended it with him on Sunday because of how he has been and stuff. I had a feeling because he wasn't texting me that much and was always saying he was busy and so, I just thought it was best if we finished because his head was obviously somewhere else,' she said.

A source close to Gemma told MailOnline: 'Gemma was aware of Stuarts engagement up until December and he told her that he was single; if he not been single, Gemma would have categorically steered very clear.

Outrage: Calling her ex 'a liar' Kerryann says she messaged Gemma when she suspected the actress and Stuart were getting close when they starred in panto together

Hitting back: A source close to Gemma told MailOnline: 'Gemma was aware of Stuarts engagement up until December and he told her that he was single; if he not been single, Gemma would have categorically steered very clear'

Split: A friend close to Stuart insisted they split up in December and 'have stayed in contact since as friends'

Moving on: At the time, The Mirror claimed that the actress dumped boyfriend of one year Scott and then met Stuart from panto, with the two 'getting on like a house on fire'

'Understandably, Gemma is incredibly hurt and hugely upset by the situation. Shes got such a big heart and treats everyone with nothing but respect and warmth. She doesnt deserve to be at the receiving end of this.'

A friend close to Stuart insisted they split up in December and 'have stayed in contact since as friends'.

At the time, The Mirror claimed that the former Emmerdale actress dumped boyfriend of one year Scott and then met Stuart from panto, with the two 'getting on like a house on fire' and going on a couple of dates.

Sweet: A source told the publication: 'It's very early days but she is very happy. They have been on a couple of dates.'

Honest: Meanwhile, only recently, Gemma bravely discussed her experiences with an eating disorder at the charity SEED's gala in London as she thanked her dad Dennis for saving her life

Candid: The actress weighed as little as four-and-a-half-stone during her battle with anorexia and explained her father insisted on bringing her home from the 'hellish' psychiatric unit

A source told the publication: 'It's very early days but she is very happy. They have been on a couple of dates.

'All her friends are delighted that she is no longer with Scott. They never took to him. Stuart is very charming and they are getting on like a house on fire.'

Before her romance with Scott and Stuart, she embarked on a short-lived romance with Nick Knowles in 2016, which ended abruptly when photographs of them together appeared online and he returned to his then-wife.

Meanwhile, only recently, Gemma bravely discussed her experiences with an eating disorder at the charity SEED's gala in London on Tuesday as she thanked her dad Dennis for saving her life.

Ex: Gemma previously embarked on a short lived romance with Nick Knowles, who she met at the TV Choice Awards in September 2016, (pictured in 2013 with former wife Jessica)

Open: She said: 'If it wasn't for my dad, I would be dead,' she told the audience at London's Hippodrome. 'He saved my life. I owe him so much.'

Heartbreak: The duo also candidly discussed her father's battle with prostate cancer after he was diagnosed for the second time back in November 2017 on Thursday's Lorraine

Cold: At one stage, Gemma appeared to be startled by how cold the Mediterranean sea was as she playfully stuck her leg in the air

The actress weighed as little as four-and-a-half-stone during her battle with anorexia and explained her father insisted on bringing her home from the 'hellish' psychiatric unit where she spent 11 months as a child.



'If it wasn't for my dad, I would be dead,' she told the audience at London's Hippodrome. 'He saved my life. I owe him so much.'

The duo also candidly discussed her father's battle with prostate cancer after he was diagnosed for the second time back in November 2017 on Thursday's Lorraine.

Beach babe: Gemma knew how to work her best angles as she posed up a storm on the golden sand

Stylish: The actress turned heads on the beach as she wore a stunning blue tie-dye bikiniKieran Hayler was seen heading to the tattoo parlour to have his inking tribute to estranged wife Katie Price removed.

The former stripper had two intertwined Ks inked on his ring finger, alongside a vast portrait of the star dressed as an angel down his leg - and is now keen on banishing all traces of his previous declaration of love.

With a few removal sessions already under his belt, the 31-year-old cut a solemn figure as he headed to the tattoo removal parlour in West Sussex on Thursday.

Moving on: Kieran Hayler, 31, was seen heading to the tattoo parlour to have his inking tribute to estranged wife Katie Price removed

Be gone: The former stripper had two intertwined Ks inked on his ring finger (L) and is now keen on banishing all traces of his previous declaration of love (R- now)

His sighting comes hot on the heels of sources telling The Sun he wants to get rid of the 'constant reminder' on his wedding finger.

The My Crazy Life star went to the Laser 4 U clinic by himself, keeping his head down as he enjoyed the balmier climes while making his way indoors.

Kieran kept it cool in a trendy monochrome ensemble, opting for a pair of black tracksuit bottoms with white panelling down the middle.

Continuing: With a few removal sessions already under his belt, the 40-year-old cut a solemn figure as he headed to the tattoo removal parlour in West Sussex on Thursday

History: Kieran is keen on leaving all traces of his marriage to Katie in the past

Moving on: His sighting comes hot on the heels of sources telling The Sun he wants to get rid of the 'constant reminder' on his wedding finger

Solo outing: The My Crazy Life star went to the Laser 4 U clinic by himself, keeping his head down as he enjoyed the balmier climes while making his way indoors

Casual: Kieran kept it cool in a trendy monochrome ensemble, opting for a pair of black tracksuit bottoms with white panelling down the middle

He teamed the look with a matching hoodie, which boasted an exposed silver zipper, while a pair of comfortable trainers kept him comfortable.

Kieran carried his car keys in one hand, and his phone in the other as he ventured out to get his inking removed.

Emerging from the clinic after yet another removal session, Kieran was seen sporting some cream on the remnants of his tattoo.

Low-key: He teamed the look with a matching hoodie, which boasted an exposed silver zipper, while a pair of comfortable trainers kept him comfortable

Chilling: Kieran carried his car keys in one hand, and his phone in the other as he ventured out to get his inking removed

Aftercare: Emerging from the clinic after yet another removal session, Kieran was seen sporting some cream on the remnants of his tattoo

Inked up: Kieran also has a tattoo on his leg of Katie dressed as an angel - however, it is unclear whether he has had sessions to remove it too

Ahead of his sighting, a source told The Sun: 'Kieran is looking into getting the wedding tattoo lasered off. He doesnt see the point in keeping it and wants to get rid of it.

'Its just a daily reminder of his marriage, which is now over. He wants the whole thing removed and is booking in sessions for it to get lasered off.'

Meanwhile, Kieran has now struck up a friendship with Katie's toyboy Kris Boyson, 29, yet the upheaval is said to have sparked concern for her ex-husband Peter Andre who new! magazine claim is worried about their two children.

'He wants the whole thing removed': Ahead of his sighting, a source revealed that the tattoos were just a daily reminder of his failed marriage

It was continued about his decision: 'Its just a daily reminder of his marriage, which is now over. He wants the whole thing removed and is booking in sessions for it to get lasered off'

Going, going, gone! His K tattoo is nearly removed and requires just a few more sessions

Katie's estranged husband Kieran has finally moved out of their former marital home after cheating on her several times yet he was left looking after the kids when Katie celebrated her 40th birthday in Belgium last week with her toyboy.

She confirmed Kieran had left the family home with a dig on Sunday, writing alongside a snap of son Harvey's birthday cake: 'Thankyou @wendyhayler04 for Harveys birthday cake you made its amazing and thanks Kieran for dropping it off.'

Following the handover, sources spoke to Now magazine about Kieran's views on the entire situation, as he said: 'Kieran knows he wasn't an angel while they were together but, in his opinion, Kate is out of control.'

Going: Kieran is no doubt hoping to move on with his life following his tumultuous relationship with the former glamour model

Bromance: Meanwhile, Kieran has now struck up a friendship with Katie's toyboy Kris Boyson, 29, yet the upheaval is said to have sparked concern for her ex-husband Peter Andre

Concerns: Peter is worried about their two children

Babysitter: Katie's estranged husband Kieran has finally moved out of their former marital home after cheating on her several times yet he was left looking after the kids when Katie celebrated her 40th birthday in Belgium

On top of this, it has been claimed Peter is concerned over the relationship's demise as Kieran is said to spend the most time looking after the kids.

An insider told new! magazine: Pete is concerned that Princess is really struggling with Katies split for Kieran and that hes set to move out of the house.

Pete said hes so worried when Kieran does move out because hes the one who runs the house and looks after the children. He just wants Katie to step up as a mum.

A representative for Peter declined to comment when approached by MailOnline.

TV star: Meanwhile, bosses at Channel 5 are desperate to sign up Kieran for the next series of Celebrity Big Brother in hopes he will spill all the juicy details on his turbulent marriage

Dramatic: If the former stripper does sign up to the series, he will make for explosive viewing as this year the theme is said to be 'scandal'

Chaos: Kieran embarked on quite the turbulent marriage with Katie. He famously cheated on her with their nanny, as well as two of her best friends

Family: Kieran wed Katie five years ago and they share two children together - Bunny, 3, and Jett, 4

Insiders continued on their romance with Kris: 'He's known about Kris for weeks and has been sat at home with the kids while Kate enjoys boozy nights out. Kate's been less than subtle and is almost definitely rubbing Kieran's face in her relationship...

'But she's only making herself look bad, while Kieran plays the doting dad. Kieran thinks her priority - like his - should be the kids, not going out until 4am chasing men half her age.' MailOnline has contacted Katie for comment.

The businesswoman's relationship with wannabe reality star Kris appears to be going from strength to strength.

The new couple were recently pictured holding hands while out in his Kent hometown, just days after they enjoyed a romantic trip to Belgium for her 40th birthday.

It's over: It was recently reported that Katie tells her cheating husband Kieran it's over for good in her reality show, My Crazy Life, which will be shown on TV later this year

Unfaithful: He famously cheated on Katie with the children's nanny, after Katie took him back after he slept with two of her best friendsIt was the reality show that memorably saw David Beckhams former PA Rebecca Loos manually stimulating a pig.

And now it's been reported that reality stars Megan McKenna, 25, and Charlotte Dawson, 24, have been signed up to 'sex up' the new reboot of Channel 5's The Farm, according to The Sun Online.

The publication has reported that show bosses are keen on overhauling the original installment, which followed celebrities living and working on a farm, as it moves to the broadcaster's younger channel 5Star, in a bid to distance itself from the past.

Signed up: It's been revealed that reality stars Megan McKenna, 25, and Charlotte Dawson, 24, have reportedly been signed up to 'sex up' the new reboot of Channel 5's The Farm

Thrilled: The publication has reported that show bosses are keen on overhauling the original installment, which followed celebrities living and working on a farm, as it moves to the broadcaster's younger channel 5Star, in a bid to distance itself from the past

With the show in production, producers are hoping their latest signings to win over new younger viewers. MailOnline have contacted reps for Megan McKenna, Charlotte Dawson and Channel 5 for comment.

A source told the Sun Online: 'Producers wanted to sign up popular reality stars that have already had huge success on other shows.

'It was a no-brainer for them to go after Megan McKenna and Charlotte Dawson who have both thrived in countless reality TV programmes. They wanted some top names to sex the series up to attract younger viewers, instead of relying on its previous audience.

Adding: 'Bosses hope viewers will entertained by the two glamorous women who will be completely out of their comfort zones when knee deep in manure.'

New audience: With the show in production, producers are hoping their latest signings to win over new younger viewers

'No brainer': A source told the Sun Online: 'Producers wanted to sign up popular reality stars that have already had huge success on other shows. It was a no-brainer for them to go after Megan McKenna and Charlotte Dawson who have both thrived in countless reality TV programmes'

Speaking to MailOnline, a TV insider revealed that Ex On The Beach's Charlotte caught their eye after her successful appearance on E4's 5 Star Hotel alongside Spencer Matthews, Lydia Bright, Joey Essex and Holly Hagan.

A source said: 'She was brilliant TV on Five Star Hotel earlier this year and the producers just couldn't pass her up for the reboot of The Farm'.

In the wake of the reports, Megan, who has appeared on CBB, TOWIE and ITVBe's There's Something about Megan, took to Instagram to gush over her boyfriend Mike Thalassitis as she prepared to be separated from him while filming the reality show.

She captioned it: 'Gonna miss this one @mike_thala I love you'.

Sharing: In the wake of the reports, Megan, who has appeared on CBB, TOWIE and ITVBe's There's Something about Megan, took to Instagram to gush over her boyfriend Mike Thalassitis as she prepared to be separated from him while filming the reality show

Meanwhile, The Farm aired over two series from 2004 to 2005 on Channel 5. The show followed a group of celebrities living and working on a farm, carrying out typical farmer work involving agriculture and animal rearing.

The labour-intensive reality series attracted stars from music, TV and showbiz including Vanilla Ice, Paul Daniels, Lionel Blair and Ron Jeremy.

The first series was won by TV presenter Jeff Brazier and the second by Keith Harris and Orville the duck.

The show famously hit the headlines during the first series after David Beckhams former PA Rebecca was forced to manually stimulate a pig for one of their challenges.Matt Damon has fuelled speculation he's purchased a home in Byron Bay, New South Wales.

During a trip to Queensland's Stradbroke Island on Thursday, the 47-year-old reportedly refused to pose for a photo in a Queensland Maroons State Of Origin jersey.

According to News Corp, the Hollywood A-lister pridefully explained: 'Im from New South Wales really.'

'I'm from NSW really': Matt Damon fuels speculation he's bought a home in Byron Bay as the actor REFUSES to pose for a photo in a Queensland Maroons State Of Origin jersey

For the unacquainted: State Of Origin is an annual best-of-three Rugby League series pitting players born in New South Wales against players born in Queensland.

Matt has spent enough time in Australia in recent years to know that the only reason to support the New South Wales 'Blues' is because you live there.

Certainly no unbiased observer would be able to find a logical reason to pledge allegiance to a NSW team who's managed just one series win in the last twelve years.

The Bourne Ultimatum star has spent most of 2018 hanging out with his best mate Chris Hemsworth in Byron Bay - a town that sits just within the NSW side of the border.

Please explain? For the unacquainted: State Of Origin is an annual best-of-three Rugby League series pitting players born in New South Wales against players born in Queensland

One reason: Matt has spent enough time in Australia in recent years to know that the only reason to support the New South Wales 'Blues' is because you live there (NSW have won just one series in 12 years, pictured is the QLD Maroons celebrating one of many victories)

At the start of the year Matt reportedly rented out the $4 million ($3.07m USD) property directly next door to the Thor star's current rental property to use as his home base during his visit.

His patriotic defence of a team known for lacking the ability to defend themselves is perhaps the most compelling evidence of Matt's rumoured desire to move Down Under yet.

Back in April, Page Six claimed Matt was looking to buy the property next door to Chris in Byron Bay, allegedly due to his dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump.

Matt's house?At the start of the year Matt reportedly rented out the $4 million ($3.07m USD) property directly next door to the Thor star's current rental property to use as his home base during his visit

'Matt's telling friends and colleagues in Hollywood that he's moving the family to Australia for a year,' a source told the publication.

'He's saying the move will not impact his work  as he will travel to wherever his projects are shooting. He's also telling friends he wants to have a safe place to raise his kids.'

Defence! His patriotic defence of a team known for lacking the ability to defend themselves is perhaps the most compelling evidence of Matt's rumoured desire to move Down Under yet

Last month, his representatives flat-out denied the reports: 'Matt has visited Australia several times recently, but he has not bought a house there nor is he moving there.'

However, many observers feel the actor's desire for privacy and seclusion means he'll be keeping any plans to move or buy property off the record.

In 2014, Chris, 34, his stunning wife Elsa, 41, and their children India-Rose, 5, Tristan, and Sasha, 4, became one of the first working Hollywood families to permanently relocate to Australia.

Denial: Last month, his representatives flat-out denied the reports: 'Matt has visited Australia several times recently, but he has not bought a house there nor is he moving there'

But wait... However, many observers feel the actor's desire for privacy and seclusion means he'll be keeping any plans to move or buy property off the record



Her jailbird beau was released from prison after serving nine years of his 16-year sentence for a string of violent offences.

And Lauren Goodger couldn't stop smiling as she was spotted in Essex on Thursday just days after MailOnline exclusively revealed that Joey Morrisson was welcomed home by his sister.

The former TOWIE star, 31, cut a stylish figure for her afternoon outing to a train station to head to London, as she showed off her hourglass figure in a pair of black and white striped flares with slits on the side.

Stylish: Lauren Goodger couldn't stop smiling as she was spotted in Essex on Thursday just days after MailOnline revealed that Joey Morrisson was welcomed home after prison

Lauren teamed the ensemble with an off-the-shoulder black bardot top and dark encrusted flat sandals.

The reality star accessorised her look with a nude Celine handbag and glamorous-looking silver jewellery, including a sparkly band on her ring finger.

Lauren styled her dark brunette locks into a voluminous and sleek blow-dried hairdo swept to one side.

Gorgeous: The former TOWIE star, 31, cut a stylish figure for her afternoon outing to a train station to head to London

Wow!: She showed off her hourglass figure in a pair of black and white striped flares with slits on the side

Past: Joey Morrisson was convicted of a string of offences back in 2010, including possession of a firearm, kidnapping, blackmail and actual bodily harm

She added a full face of glamorous make-up, including bronzer, false eyelashes and a dark purple lipstick to complete her ensemble.

Lauren knew how to work her best angles as she posed up a storm and smiled at photographers as she stepped out in Essex, later revealing on her Instagram that she was at Warner Bros. Television Productions UK.

Her outing comes after her on-off boyfriend Joey's sister shared a photograph of herself - exclusively obtained by MailOnline, with a purple heart over her face, on FaceTime with her brother, who appeared to be busy as he was also on a phone call as he held a mobile to his ear.

Chic: Lauren teamed the ensemble with an off-the-shoulder black bardot top and dark encrusted flat sandals

Accessories: The reality star accessorised her look with a nude Celine handbag and glamorous-looking silver jewellery, including a sparkly band on her ring finger

Glamorous: Lauren styled her dark brunette locks into a voluminous and sleek blow-dried hairdo swept to one side

Clearly excited to have her brother home, she captioned the snap with: '&&&& he's home,' followed by tongue out emojis.

MailOnline has contacted Lauren's representative for comment.

The picture comes after Lauren appeared to fight for and protect her feisty relationship with Joey Morrison on Instagram last week.

Although she seemed to accept their love wasn't 'perfect', the reality star stood by claims that couples who fight are 'stronger' than lovers that don't.

Essex babe: She added a full face of glamorous make-up, including bronzer, false eyelashes and a dark purple lipstick to complete her ensemble

Strike a pose: Lauren knew how to work her best angles as she posed up a storm and smiled at photographers as she stepped out in Essex

Lauren shared the lengthy post which read: 'Couples who fight often are most likely stronger than couples who do not. But it's not the fighting makes them stronger. It's what takes place after the fighting; the making up.

'It's coming to the realisation that your relationship is more important than your differences. It involves acts of forgiveness and acceptance of one's mistakes.

'You fight, and you learn something new about this person. That's how it works. Real relationships aren't perfect, and perfect relationships aren't real.'

Lauren penned 'This taken' across the meme in neon writing with a smiley face and a drawn heart which seemingly confirmed her romance was back on with Joey.

Feisty: The picture comes after Lauren appeared to fight for and protect her feisty relationship with Joey Morrison on Instagram last week310518HAMAO CALLS FOR VIGILANCE

New Dawn FM News



Former Bougainvilles Resistance Force Commander and local Businessman, DONALD HAMAO today called on the people of Bougainville especially former combatants to be vigilant as we approach the referendum scheduled for 2019.

MR. HAMAO said he does not want to see some combatants to side step and derail the peace process when we are just about to reach the end of the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

He warned that if Bougainville misses this one opportunity Bougainville will never have the second chance to have another referendum for Independence.

MR. HAMAO made these comments yesterday when condemning the Seven day ultimatum by service providers to switch of the Power House and also close the Bougainville administration.

He also said if we drag on and on and loose our focus on the future status of Bougainville we will never free Bougainville.



Ends

She revealed that she is expecting her fifth child on Instagram on Wednesday.

And a heavily pregnant Brigitte Nielsen, 54, was seen out for the first time after her shock news later on the same day in Los Angeles.

The actress wore a baggy orange tracksuit over a white T-shirt and comfy flip-flops as she got out of her Italian husband Mattia Dessi's new purple Maserati.

Car trip: A heavily pregnant Brigitte Nielsen, 54, was seen out for the first time after her shock baby news with husband Mattia Dessi, 39, in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Her short, platinum blonde hair was slicked back in her signature style and she donned dark glasses and slung a small purse across her body.

Sylvester Stallone's ex-wife surprised her 104k social media followers when she announced on Instagram that she and Mattia, 39, were welcoming their first child as she had hidden her baby bump so well over recent months.

The 6ft 1in stunner, best known for the Eighties movies Red Sonja and Rocky IV and Cobra with Stallone, has been married to the TV producer for 12 years.

Mattia, who was born in Sardinia, Italy, is known for Strange Love (2005), Celebrity Rehab With Dr Drew (2008) and Gitte Talks (2015).

Comfy outfit: The actress wore a baggy orange tracksuit over a white T-shirt and flip-flops as she got out of Mattia's new purple Maserati

There's a surprise: The star shocked her social media followers when she shared this Instagram snap of herself the same day cradling her baby bump as she had so far hidden her pregnancy

While she has covered up in recent months, on Wednesday Brigitte's bump was on full display in the two shots she shared on Instagram.

In one the Danish beauty wore a clinging white dress and cardigan as she sat on a wicker sofa, cradling her baby bump. The Eighties icon wrote in her caption: 'Family getting larger.'

In the second snap, the bombshell wore a T-shirt dress as she lay on a white sofa, captioned: 'Happy time. Positive vibes.'

On full display: She posted a second snap showing off her bump in a clinging white T-shit dress that she captioned, 'Happy time. Positive vibes'

The movie star was previously married to Raoul Meyer from 1993 to 2003, Sebastian Copeland from 1990 until 1992, Stallone from 1985 until 1987 and Kasper Winding from 1983 until 1984.

She shares son Julian, 34, with Kasper; Killian, 28, with her former fiance Mark Gastineau; and Douglas, 25, and Raoul, 23, with Raoul.

Although it is highly unusual for women in their fifties to have children, the Centers For Disease Control And Prevention says births by women between the ages of 50 and 54 increased by more than 165 percent from 2000 to 2013.Rosie Webster will use icing sugar to swap with cocaine in a cunning plot to catch out her drug dealer ex Antoine on the cobbles in Coronation Street on Thursday.

Helen Flanagan laid out the details of her exit from the soap in a chat with The Sun as she explained she had to cover her pregnancy during filming of her final scenes for the ITV soap.

Insisting the drug storyline is a 'great' note to end on for now, the pregnant actress, 27, explained it leaves the doors open for her to come back after maternity leave.

Devil in the details: Helen Flanagan has revealed ALL about her explosive Corrie exit

Helen told the publication: 'It's a great exit storyline, because it leaves it open for me to come back after maternity leave.

'Rosie susses out that her ex Antoine has planted drugs with another model who is there on the shoot, so she swaps icing sugar for cocaine to mess up the arrangement and plants the real drugs on Antoine, so he'll get caught at the airport. He catches her in the act and she ends up in a bit of trouble.'

Helen is bowing out from the soap temporarily as she takes a maternity break to give birth to her second daughter with her beau Scott Sinclair.

During shooting the upcoming gripping scenes on the soap, the mother-of-one explained she had to wear huge flowing dresses to cover her pregnancy.

Bump and about: During shooting the upcoming gripping scenes on the soap, the mother-of-one explained she had to wear huge flowing dresses to cover her pregnancy

'I've been wearing a few more big coats and for some of my final scenes they bought me an extra-large floaty dress, which just falls and covers my bump,' she said.

In scenes set to play out on Corrie, Rosie will finally get revenge on her ex-boyfriend DJ Antoine after he made her his unwitting drug mule in a twisted storyline last year.

Tense scenes will show The Weatherfield resident discovering her ex has preyed on fellow model Olivia by getting her to smuggle cocaine unknowingly into the UK.

Bumping along: Helen is bowing out from the soap temporarily as she takes a maternity break to give birth to her second daughter with her beau Scott Sinclair

The receptionist is left gobsmacked when she sees her former flame's name in print on the call-sheet as she prepares for a fashion shoot at a factory.

Rosie immediately grows suspicious when Olivia tells her that Antoine got her to carry mysterious luggage into the airport.

In heart-stopping scenes, her worst fears are confirmed when Rosie and Olivia team up with Gemma Winter to find there is cocaine in the suitcase supplied by the DJ.

Comeback: This allows Helen to firmly step back into Rosie's stilettos when she is ready to come back from maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter

In a clever plan to catch out Antoine, the trio plot to hide the cocaine in his luggage while they replace the substance in Olivia's suitcase with icing sugar.

When This Morning catch wind of what went down, Holly and Phil interview Rosie on television and she is consequently approached to work in Japan on a game show.

This allows Helen to firmly step back into Rosie's stilettos when she is ready to come back from maternity leave after giving birth to her daughter.

The actress had only returned to the soap earlier this year following her time out to devote her time to raising her two-year-old daughter Matilda.They are two of the most popular figures on TOWIE, thanks to their bubbly personalities and often turbulent romance.

So it comes as no surprise that Gemma Collins and James 'Arg' Argent have reportedly landed a reality show of their own.

According to The Sun, the pair are currently in talks with producers about the new series - which will follow their life as a couple in both Essex and Marbella.

Spin-off: TOWIE's Gemma Collins and James 'Arg' Argent are reportedly in talks with ITV bosses for their own reality show

A source told the paper: 'It makes perfect sense for them to have their show so fans can have an even better insight into their romance.

'ITVbe and Lime Pictures are both really keen on getting them to sign a deal  and it shouldn't be too long before they come to an agreement.'

With the show not too far away, the insider even claimed the couple were starting to discuss potential names - which they hope will encapsulate their playful relationship.

Further insight: The pair are thought to be in talks with producers about the new series - which will follow their life as a couple in both Essex and Marbella

'At the moment they're undecided about a title; Gemma and Arg both love 'Gemma and Arg Go Large' but they're having some trouble convincing bosses it's the right name,' the source added.

MailOnline has contacted Gemma and Arg's representatives for further comment.

The series would take place in their stomping ground of Essex as well as Spain, where Gemma recently purchased a property.

The pair spend much of their time in the holiday hot spot, as Arg has a residency singing in former co-star Elliott Wrights restaurant, Olivia's La Cala.

Popular pair: A source said of the project: 'It makes perfect sense for them to have their show so fans can have an even better insight into their romance'

Bubbly Gemma has made no secret of her desire for a spin-off in the past - telling Star magazine last year: 'I would love my own show. It could be The Gem Show!

'TOWIE is in my blood and always will be, but you only get to see nine or ten minutes of me during an hour.'

Fans would no doubt love to see more of the couple's life together, after months of romantic to and fro.

Arg finally asked Gemma to be his girlfriend in April, after wooing her with a mariachi band outside her Brentwood shop.

The pair have been besotted ever since, and even revealed they would love to have children together in the near future.She has been practically at her love Gorka Marquez's side since their friendship naturally developed into a blossoming romance.

And on Thursday, Gemma Atkinson revealed how he won her affections after he went to great lengths to ensure she got home safely after the boozy Strictly launch party.

Taking to Instagram, the actress, 33, shared their first ever drunken selfie together where she looked lively and Gorka, 27, cheekily covered his face with his hand.

What a story! Gemma Atkinson revealed how Gorka Marquez won her heart with 2am pizza after boozy Strictly launch party as she shared their first ever drunk selfie on Thursday

Giving a rare glimmer into the early days of their romance, the starlet enthused she was 'so glad' she gave Gorka her number that night.

In the lengthy touching caption, the Strictly contestant recalled how the Spanish hunk took her home to her female pals with 'much needed 2am pizza'.

Gemma also noted how the professional dancer even rang to check whether she made her train back to Manchester.

Close up: Gorka Marquez and Gemma Atkinson were closer than ever on Wednesday as they uploaded a cute video to Instagram, with them in bed together relaxing

She wrote: 'tb to mine and @gorka_marquez first night out together! Whod have thought a tipsy taxi ride after the Strictly launch party would lead us to where we are now.

'Im so glad that on that evening I decided to give you my phone number, and I'm thankful you got me that much needed 2am pizza, got me back to my hotel and handed me over to the girls safely and rang me in the morning checking I'd made my train back to Manchester! (I hadnt)

'but hey! It was fun, and it lead to our friendship which months later, lead to our partnership. The rest they say is history and I cannot wait to see what the future holds with you Gorks!' (sic)

Cosy: She looked to be make-up free, hair slightly messy, clearly at ease with her boyfriend of nearly six months

Gemma's latest public display of affection follows the couple looking closer than ever in a cute video uploaded on the photo sharing social media site.

On Saturday, the Strictly Come Dancing alum shared an equally adorable snap of the couple snuggled up as she shared how she 'can't live without' the Spanish choreographer.

In the lengthy caption, the soap star revealed how she's counting down the days until she see's Gorka again after 19 days apart, having only spent five days away from each other since August.

Gemma wrote: 'Cheesy post alert!!!!! A week today and Im reunited with @gorka_marquez. Itll be 19 days weve had apart in total which is nothing looking at the bigger picture, but since we met last Aug weve never had more than 5 days apart so for us its a big deal.'

Smitten: Gemma Atkinson, 33, posted a sweet Instagram tribute to Strictly pro boyfriend Gorka Marquez and said 'she can't live without him'

Loved up: The showbiz couple have been revelling in the honeymoon phase of their romance after ending months of speculation by going public on Valentine's Day

'I've always been good on my own but Im Great when hes around so Im counting down the days like I did as a kid at Christmas.

Gemma continued her gushing sentiment, adding: 'I feel so lucky to have someone who I miss when were apart and someone who makes me feel so excited about seeing them again.

'They always say the right one isnt the one you can live with, its the one you cant live without..'

The showbiz couple have been revelling in the honeymoon phase of their romance after ending months of speculation by going public on Valentine's Day.

Opening up: Despite waiting until the romantic holiday to go public with their romance, Gemma recently admitted that she was never hiding her relationship with the dancing hunk

Despite waiting until the romantic holiday to go public with their romance, Gemma recently admitted that she was never hiding her relationship with dancing hunk Gorka, but dished to The Sun: 'It's nice to be able to say he's my boyfriend.'

'We had that awkward stage where you're dating but you haven't had "the conversation,"' she said. 'You never want to say to a guy after three coffees: "So what are we?"'

Gemma also revealed: 'We'd go for coffee together on the Sunday after the show, but had never really spent more than two hours together. So it was a gradual thing. There was no lightning-bolt moment, unfortunately. Not like in the movies.'

The ex-Emmerdale star finally confirmed their relationship with a sweet Valentine's Day post on Instagram - showing off their relationship for the first time in a sweet snap with Gemma's head resting sweetly on Gorka's shoulder.

Gorka recently opened up about his relationship with Gemma, revealing he is in love with the talented actress and hopes for marriage and kids in the future.

Speaking to New! Magazine, the Spanish professional dancer spoke candidly about his blossoming romance with the blonde beauty.

He said: 'I would love to have my own family. I love kids. Hopefully one day I'll become a husband and a dad.'

Gushing about his partner, the twinkle-toed hunk said he had never expected to fall for Gemma as he had been focused on being the best dance partner to Alexandra Burke during the competition.

He said: 'I never went into the show thinking I was going to find my partner. It happened after. You can't help who you fall in love with.'

Gorka said one of the things he loves most about Gemma was her love for fitness, which he shares, saying: 'It's not something I look for but obviously it's more fun as I can train with Gemma.'They excitedly announced they are expecting their third child together back in March.

And Giovanna Fletcher was truly glowing in pregnancy on Thursday, as she joined her husband Tom at the launch of their new novel, Eve Of Man, in London.

The 33-year-old showed off her blossoming bump in a chic red mini dress as she cosied up to the McFly front man, 32, at the star-studded party.

Stunning: Giovanna Fletcher was truly glowing in pregnancy on Thursday, as she joined her husband Tom at the launch of their new novel, Eve Of Man, in London

The mother-of-two looked stunning in the vibrant mini dress, which skimmed her growing stomach with its feminine ruffled skirt.

The frock pulled into a sophisticated pussy bow neckline, before cutting off just above her knee, to leave her leggy frame on show.

Adding classic black court shoes and sporting a thick slick of red lipstick, Giovanna proved to be just as glamorous in pregnancy, as she posed with her husband for cameras.

Bun in the oven: The 33-year-old showed off her blossoming bump in a chic red mini dress as she cosied up to the McFly front man, 32, at the star-studded party

Red hot! Adding classic black court shoes and sporting a thick slick of red lipstick, Giovanna proved to be just as glamorous in pregnancy, as she posed with her husband

Cheeky: Tom later posed with one of the books held playfully in front of Giovanna's face

Tom meanwhile opted for his trademark rocker look in a printed shirt, leather jacket and skinny jeans.

Accessorising with black Converse and a red pair of glasses, the couple perfectly co-ordinated as they celebrated the release of their new book.

Eve Of Man, which is the first of a trilogy, has been described as an 'unconventional love story' that takes place in a spooky dystopian setting.

The novel follows a young girl called Eve who, after a sheltered upbringing, has three potential men selected for her future.

Say cheese! Wanting to celebrate the exciting release as a family, Tom and Giovanna also brought their two sons Buzz, four, and Buddy, two, along for the ride

'Ready to partay!': Tom shared a sweet snap of himself and Buzz ahead of the party on Instagram

Supportive: Proving the bash to be a family affair, the brunette was then joined by her brother Mario Falcone later on

However, she then meets the young and handsome Bram, who inspires her to chase her own freedom.

Wanting to celebrate the exciting release as a family, Tom and Giovanna also brought their two sons Buzz, four, and Buddy, two, along for the ride.

Taking to Instagram ahead of the event, Giovanna shared a heart-warming snap of the pair with their boys - clad in adorable matching grey checked suits.

With all four beaming widely for the camera, she joked in the caption: 'Ready to celebrate the publication of EVE OF MAN!

Having a ball: The couple happily posed with the former TOWIE star inside

Star-studded: Other guests included Matt Edmonson (L) and Rochelle Humes (centre)

Trendy: Rochelle commanded attention in a monochrome denim jacket and heels

Walk this way: She worked a stylish look for the evening

Mane attraction: She worked her locks into a natural curl for the outing

Hanging on the telephone: She held onto her phone while she made her way inside

Beauty: She accentuated her natural beauty with a rust-coloured eyeshadow

Stylish: Meanwhile Kimberley Walsh looked utterly sophisticated in a striped wrap midi dress as she posed with Tom and Giovanna

Work it: The former Girls Aloud star looked incredible in her midi dress

Wrapped: Her dress' wraparound detail drew attention to her narrow waist

Fancy footwear: Kimberley donned a nude-coloured shoe for the festivities

'Dont be fooled, this is the only picture of both boys looking nicely at the camera... Buddy was rolling across the floor within seconds!'

Proving the bash to be a family affair, the brunette was then joined by her brother Mario Falcone later on, as well as a number of famous faces.

The Saturdays' Rochelle Humes joined proceedings in a monochrome denim jacket, while Kimberley Walsh was utterly sophisticated in a chic striped wrap dress.

Tom's band mates Danny Jones and Harry Judd were also spotted fooling around for cameras, while Tom and Giovanna caught up with radio presenter Matt Edmonson.She is a regular on the showbiz scene thanks to her stellar reality television career.

And Georgia Toffolo looked simply divine in silver on arrival at The Tempus Earth Conservation Gala held at The Dorchester Hotel, in London on Thursday.

Brought in at the waist with a huge purple belt, the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here winner, 23, exhibited her petite figure in her floor-length gown.

Silver siren! Georgia Toffolo stunned in a silver gown on arrival at The Tempus Earth Conservation Gala held at The Dorchester Hotel, in London on Thursday

Every inch the silver siren, the Made In Chelsea star looked ethereal when she made her attendance at the glitzy affair.

Georgia flicked her long golden locks behind her shoulders, which ensured eyes were cast over her bare skin on display thanks to the one-shoulder dress design.

The jungle queen injected further glamour into her appearance with her elegant sky-scraper stilettos which had pointed toes.

She's so lovely: Georgia flicked her long golden locks behind her shoulders, which ensured eyes were cast over her bare skin on display thanks to the one-shoulder dress design

Toff made a glamorous arrival in the charming company of her male companion, who was indulging on a quick cigarette before they headed into the bash.

The Tempus Earth Conservation Gala attracts stars every year to raise funds for wildlife conservation as well as bringing attention to climate change.

Toff has made waves in the great and the good of the showbiz world, landing an envy-inducing post on This Morning earlier this year after winning I'm A Celeb.

Stunning looks: Brought in at the waist with a huge purple belt, the I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here winner, 23, exhibited her petite figure in her floor-length gown

Before making it big, the reality star kick started her television career with her on-going stint on Made In Chelsea.

Despite her known penchant for the smooth talking charm of older politicians, it seems Toff may be trying her luck with men on the television scene.

The singleton was spotted getting cosy to Emmerdale actor Danny Miller at the BAFTA TV Awards in May.

Wow: Every inch the silver siren, the Made In Chelsea star looked ethereal when she made her attendance at the glitzy affair

Yet just days later, the beautiful blonde was seen enjoying a cosy lunch date with a mystery man at her Chelsea haunt Bluebird Cafe.

Also Scotty T, of Geordie Shore and Ex On The Beach fame, made claims Georgia slid into his DMs when he discussed his dating life with The Sun.

He said: 'There's loads. I've been in London before and Toff slid in my DMs and I slid right back. We sort of slid into each other's. There's a couple, there's loads.'

Graceful: The jungle queen injected further glamour into her appearance with her elegant sky-scraper stilettos which had pointed toes

Smoking hot! Toff made a glamorous arrival in the charming company of her male companion, who was indulging on a quick cigarette before they headed into the bash

Two's a party! Georgia was delighted to be reunited with her Made In Chelsea pal Mark Francis Vandelli inside the swanky soiree

Beautiful blonde! Taking to the marble floor, Toff ensured she was well and truly in the focus of the cameras when she posed up a storm

On trend as ever! Also descending on the bash this year was Alan Carr, who caught the eye in his very trendy burgundy velvet blazer

Suits you Vicky! Victoria Pendleton power dressed as she donned a quirky monochrome waistcoat over her crisp black shirt, teamed with a mini blazer and smart trousersShe recently slipped into lycra and rubber gloves to take part in the famously messy Tough Mudder challenge.

But Jorgie Porter was back to her glamorous best on Thursday night, as she attended the IFTA Gala Television Awards.

The actress, 30, stood out from the crowds in a vibrant orange cut-out gown as she led the arrivals on the red carpet at the RDS Dublin.

Leading lady: Jorgie Porter made a glamorous arrival at the IFTA Gala Television Awards on Thursday

The Hollyoaks star commanded attention in the silk gown, which plunged into a deep V neckline and featured a saucy cut-out below her bust.

Cinching in at her slim waist, the dress then extended into a stunning floor-length skirt, which billowed behind her as she walked.

She added barely-there black sandals to her feet, and opted to forgo accessories to keep all eyes on her show-stopping look.

Eye-catching: The actress, 30, stood out from the crowds in a vibrant orange cut-out gown, which featured a plunging neckline and billowing skirt

Minimal: She added barely-there black sandals to her feet, and opted to forgo accessories to keep all eyes on her show-stopping look

Styling her hair into a sleek bob and sporting a dramatic smoky eye, Jorgie exuded glamour as she posed for cameras on the red carpet.

The Manchester native was joined by a number of stars at the bash, including Westlife's Nicky Byrne and Fair City star Jenny Dixon.

Jorgie shot to fame as Theresa McQueen in Channel 4's Hollyoaks, but recently admitted she was planning on relocating to the States for a fresh start.

Effortless: Styling her hair into a sleek bob and sporting a dramatic smoky eye, Jorgie exuded glamour as she arrived with a pal

After a visit to the West Coast in August, she told The Sun: 'I'm moving back to LA at some point.'

She continued: 'I'm not pressuring myself into getting a job, I never want to think like that. I love England so I want to come back and do stuff here.

'I'm not going to say I want to crack Hollywood or anything like that because I want to do as much stuff as I can over here too.'

The move will no doubt be something she needs to discuss with rumoured new man Philip Parker, however, as she was recently spotted packing on the PDA with the hunk after they met on Celebs Go Dating earlier this year.

Following suit: The Manchester native was joined by a number of stars at the bash, including Westlife's Nicky Byrne and his wife Georgina

Golden girl: Jenny Dixon dazzled in a slinky metallic number as he joined Tom Neville on the red carpetBetter late than never.

Vin Diesel can now call himself a college graduate. The Fast and Furious actor was awarded an honorary PhD from Hunter College in New York on Wednesday, nearly 30-years after dropping out of the university.

The ceremony took place at the historic Radio City Music Hall, and the honor officially makes him a Doctor of Human Letters in English.

College grad: Vin Diesel got award an honorary PhD from Hunter College in New York Wednesday, nearly 30-years after dropping out to go to Hollywood

Dr. Vin: honorary PhD made Diesel a Doctor of Humane Letters in English.

The 50-year old looked every bit the college grad by wearing a traditional robe. He paired the outfit some light colored pants, dark boots and sported a movie star touch of dark sunglasses.

But the thing that stood out the most on this day: that big beaming smile. Dr. Diesel was over the moon with joy.

During his commence speech he talked about the lasting impact the college has had on him: While I was in Hollywood I always had this pride of Hunter College. I would tell everybody that I learned and took so much away from my experience at Hunter College.'

Diesel added, 'I was young, I was a bouncer, when I wasnt bouncing I was in these classrooms with the most diverse student body on the planet.

College pride: The Fast and Furious actor actor gave praise to Hunter College, and the impact it had on his life, during his commencement speech

Hollywood calling: The 50-year old on how Hunter College prepared him for Hollywood. Were strivers. We can overcome anything. You learn that here and you take into the world.'

Following your dreams! Diesel dropped out of college after three years to try his hand at acting.

He even touched on the lack of diversity in Hollywood and the impact that it had on a multi-cultural kid like himself: Were strivers. We can overcome anything. You learn that here and you take into the world. And then you can look at Hollywood and change the face of Hollywood.'

Diesel, whose real name is Mark Sinclair, left the university  and his English degree  after three years, in the hopes of making it as an actor.

And we all know how that turned out. Diesel went on to achieve mega-success in Hollywood, with hits like the Fast and Furious franchise, The Chronicles of Riddick series and the xXx series.

The Alameda County, California native has three children with Mexican model Paloma Jiminez.

College Pride! Diesel was overjoyed with his honorary PhD from Hunter College in New YorkHe's known for letting loose around his fellow judges.

Yet even David Walliams was left shocked when he dropped his trousers during Thursday's episode of Britain's Got More Talent, only for Amanda Holden reach up and pull down his underwear.

As the audience squealed in horror at the scenes, a morose Simon Cowell sat back with his head in his hands as Alesha Dixon screamed 'David, no!'

Oops: David Walliams was left shocked when he dropped his trousers during Thursday's episode of Britain's Got More Talent, only for Amanda Holden reach up and pull down his briefs

The hilarious antics came after show host Stephen Mulhern reminded the group of last year's auditions, when David unexpectedly undid his trousers whilst the judges were dancing around.

Not one to shy away from the embarrassing moment, David decided to recreate it on Thursday, attempting to crawl seductively across the desk before repeating the move in front of Simon's face.

Yet he got more than he bargained with as Amanda was quick to jump up and grab his underwear, although luckily was not successful in pulling them all the way down.

Laugh a minute: David is known for letting loose around his fellow judges on the show

Shocking: As the audience squealed in horror at the scenes, a morose Simon Cowell sat back with his head in his hands as Alesha Dixon screamed 'David, no!'

Remember this? The hilarious antics came after show host Stephen Mulhern reminded the group of last year's auditions, when David unexpectedly undid his trousers

The foursome were no doubt pleased to let loose and have a laugh after being left irate during the main show when entertainer Marty Putz pelted them with toilet paper and fired a water cannon at them.

Amanda was particularly annoyed, with the 47-year-old judge so angry about the surprise soaking that she stormed away from the panel along with Alesha, with the girls taking cover and attempting to hide from the stream of water.

Clearly still angry after his act came to an end, Amanda then stormed the stage to throw an entire bottle of water over Marty as he cowered away.

The ladies then stood clutching towels and looking unimpressed by the act, revealing that they couldn't sit back down because their seats were wet.

Saucy: Not one to shy away from the embarrassing moment, David decided to recreate it on Thursday, attempting to crawl seductively across the desk before repeating the move

Down it goes: Yet he got more than he bargained with as Amanda was quick to jump up and grab his underwear, although luckily was not successful in pulling them all the way down

Baring all: Last year David left Simon distinctively unimpressed by his flashing on the show

Clearly irritated by the soaking, Alesha remarked about the act: 'I had a good flush!' while Amanda gestured at her sodden gown, claiming 'I'm going to send you the dry cleaning bill!'

Although David and Simon had also been soaked and later covered in toilet paper, they took the entire thing in good spirits, with Simon quipping 'this isn't what i signed up for', yet revealing that his son Eric would probbaly like the act at his birthday party.

Meanwhile, David reasoned: 'I'm a big kid at heart and I think the kids who watch the show will love it!'

Fuming: Amanda Holden was not best pleased when she and Alesha Dixon were soaked by a water cannon during Thursday's live semi final on Britain's Got Talent



Chicago Fire fans were shocked when star DuShon Monique Brown suddenly passed away in March.

And now it's known what killed her.

According to the Cook County Medical Examiners Office in Chicago, the 49-year-old died from sepsis, or blood poisoning triggered by an infection.

High blood pressure and obesity were other contributing factors in her death, the report stated, as reported Thursday by UsWeekly.

Natural causes: Chicago Fire star DuShon Monique Brown died in March at age 49 from sepsis, according to the medical examiner's official report. She's pictured in April 2017

Brown was best known for her roles as Connie on Chicago Fire and nurse Katie Welch on Prison Break.

She died in hospital in Chicago on March 23.

She is survived by her 14-year-old daughter Zoe.

TV star: Brown played Connie, secretary to Eamonn Walker's Battalion Chief Wallace Boden on Chicago Fire (L) and as Nurse Katie Welch on Fox's Prison Break (R)

Sad: Brown had admitted herself to hospital complaining of chest pain a few days before her death but had been released

Her character Connie on the NBC drama was secretary to Eamonn Walker's Battalion Chief Wallace Boden and she appeared in 59 episodes.

Chicago Fire executive producer Dick Wolf told the Chicago Tribune: 'The Chicago Fire family is devastated to lose one of its own.'

'Our thoughts and prayers are with DuShon's family and we will all miss her.'

Brown was a graduate of Governors State University, with a master's degree in school counseling; she previously served as a crisis counselor at Kenwood Academy High School, where she also led the school's Drama Starz Program.

Her final screen appearance will be as Commander Roberta in the TV drama movie Public Housing Unit, set for release later this year.

Recurring role: The actress appeared in 59 episodes of the NBC drama between 2012 and 2018310518STICK TO THE PEACE AGREEMENT SAYS PRESIDENT MOMIS

New Dawn FM News



ABG President CHIEF DR. JOHN MOMIS has warned the people of Bougainville to stick to the Bougainville Peace Agreement if we want to successfully establish a peaceful atmosphere and use this rare opportunity to determine our own political future.

President MOMIS said that if we do things outside of the Bougainville Peace Agreement we will fail our people.

He made these comments at a Press Conference with reporters in Buka this morning.

President MOMIS said what the Service Providers are doing to threaten the ABG with their seven day ultimatum is dangerous and against the Bougainville Peace Agreement.

He said that the National Government has indicated already that it would give a hard time to Bougainville after the Referendum that is why Bougainvilleans must be ready for a tough negotiation to determine the future of Bougainville.

President said however any negotiations will be held under the Bougainville Peace Agreement therefore our actions against the Peace Agreement will be counted for and against during that time.

He said persons with grievances with the ABG must follow the proper channel so that they can be resolved peacefully.

President MOMIS said that threatening the government and taking the law into our own hands will only make it difficult for us in the end.



Ends





The Melbourne Rebels won't have to contend with Rieko Ioane and possibly Sonny Bill Williams either in Friday's Super Rugby match in Auckland.

Devastating All Blacks winger Ioane has played every minute of the struggling Kiwi team's 12 matches this year, excelling in the midfield and on both wings.

He's been handed a rest, replaced by Tumua Manu, in what will be a relief for the Rebels, who conceded a hat-trick to Ioane when the Blues won the 2017 competition-opener 56-18.

Inside centre Williams is in doubt after taking a knock at this week's All Blacks training camp in Christchurch.

He has been bracketed with rookie Terrence Hepetema, who has made one bench appearance this season.

Elsewhere, Matt Duffie shifts to the wing to cater for the return of fullback Michael Collins while Alex Hodgman is back at prop after two months out with a wrist injury.

Matt Moulds makes his first start at hooker in place of James Parsons, who is still suffering from the blow to the head delivered by Owen Franks two weeks ago, which earned the Crusaders and All Blacks prop a two-match suspension.

The Blues (3-9) are out of play-off contention but can disrupt the plans of the Rebels (6-6) who have won their past two matches to be eighth overall.

The Blues' last loss to an Australian team was against the Rebels three years ago.

Blues: Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, Orbyn Leger, Sonny Bill Williams/Terrence Hepetema, Tumua Manu, Stephen Perofeta, Augustine Pulu (capt), Akira Ioane, Dalton Papali'i, Jerome Kaino, Matiaha Martin, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Ofa Tu'ungafasi, Matt Moulds, Alex Hodgman. Res: Leni Apisai, Pauliasi Manu, Sione Mafileo, Been Nee-Nee, Sione Havili, Jonathan Ruru, Bryn Gatland, TJ Faiane/Hepetema.An apprenticeship program proposed by Pauline Hanson in exchange for corporate tax cut support would cost taxpayers six times more than existing programs.

The One Nation senator claimed in March the 1000-place program had been offered in exchange for her support for the Turnbull government's corporate tax cuts.

The average cost of subsidies to apprentices under the Skilling Australians Fund is $9800, Education Department officials told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.

But the $60 million scheme put forward by Senator Hanson would provide $60,000 per apprentice.

Department secretary Michele Bruniges said the variation could come down to the duration of the apprenticeships.

"What, they're going to do an apprenticeship until they're 70?" Labor senator Doug Cameron asked.

Ms Bruniges said there could be variations, including from state to state, on the cost and length of various apprenticeships but she wouldn't expect such a wide variation.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham said there were no discussions with Senator Hanson, who has since withdrawn her support for corporate tax cuts, about any final proposal.

He told the committee a number of senators had raised matters with the government as they seek to pass legislation in the Senate and proposals are considered respectfully.A 27-year-old man has been charged with failing to offer assistance after he was caught by members of the public trying to leave the scene of a crash in Perth.

Police say two men were in a car when it crashed into another vehicle then into a power pole in Bibra Lake early on Wednesday.

A man and a woman were taken to hospital with minor injuries while a 20-year old South Lake man has been charged with carrying an article to cause fear.People under 30 could be the biggest winners from the Turnbull government's push to make private health insurance more affordable.

The package, which passed parliament's lower house on Thursday, will allow insurers to offer young people a two per cent discount on their premiums every year up to a maximum of 10 per cent.

The changes will allow some people to increase their excess in exchange for lower premiums - up to $750 for singles and $1500 for families.

People with hospital insurance that does not offer full cover for mental health treatment will be able to upgrade their cover and access mental health services without a waiting period on a once-off basis.

Insurers will be able to offer travel and accommodation benefits for people in regional and rural areas that need to travel for treatment.

Health insurance policies will be categorised into gold, silver and bronze.

Health Minister Greg Hunt said the package would address concerns about affordability and complexity.

"This government continues to take pressure off private health insurance premiums with the introduction of these reforms delivering the lowest annual premium change in almost two decades," Mr Hunt told parliament on Thursday.

Labor's health spokeswoman Catherine King outlined her party's plans to cap premium increases at two per cent a year.The federal government is hoping to keep people out of prison by extracting unpaid court fines from welfare payments.

Under a new budget measure to "encourage lawful behaviour" from people on income support, welfare recipients with outstanding court fines will have money deducted from their payments until the debt is cleared.

"This is about helping people stay out of jail and stay in employment," Social Services secretary Kathryn Campbell told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.

"(It is) also so people don't lose their licences when they're fundamental to their employment."

The maximum rate deducted from fortnightly payments is expected to be around 15 per cent.

Greens senator Rachel Siewert said the plans were a lazy way to address fines and incarceration, describing the proposal as "bureaucracy at its worst".

"Newstart is already so low. There is already no money to spare," Senator Siewert told AAP.

"Those with no money to pay fines and ending up in jail would avoid going to jail and pay the fines if they could, they have no leftover money after they put a roof over their head, meet necessary expenses and eat."

Under the proposed changes, people with outstanding warrants for indictable criminal offences will also have their payments suspended for up to a month - and cancelled afterwards - until they hand themselves in.

The responsible minister has written to all states and territories to begin negotiations for the opt-in scheme.

Department officials said they had intermittent discussions around fines and warrants with the states over the past few years, following several approaches from various jurisdictions.

People will first be encouraged to clear their debts with state authorities before the Commonwealth measure comes into effect.

Cassandra Goldie, from the Australian Council of Social Service, described the proposal to deduct state government fines from social security payments without agreement as unnecessary and intrusive.

The regime is intended to start in March 2019.A school chaplain told a young girl with anorexia she was "hungering for the word of God", a Greens senator claims.

A Monash University professor uncovered the allegation in investigating chaplaincy services by Melbourne's Access Ministries, Sarah Hanson-Young told a Senate committee on Thursday.

She grilled Education Department officials over the delivery of chaplaincy services, which have been extended by $257 million over four years as part of this year's budget.

Senator Hanson-Young also raised concerns about Grace Communion Services, a registered chaplaincy service provider, which promotes gay conversion therapy.

"I assume I'm not the only person in the room here who has alarm bells ringing," she said.

Education Minister Simon Birmingham sought details of the anorexia incident to ensure it could be investigated by Victorian authorities.

Department secretary Michele Bruniges defended the use of services which held particular beliefs.

"I would hope from a school perspective that each of the schools would have particular safety standards and issues in place," she said.

Senator Birmingham backed the chaplaincy program as offering support for students, teachers and parents over bereavements, medical treatments, bullying, drug issues and behaviour management.

He said one student in South Australia had lost both parents, but attributed being able to get through each day to the support offered by her school's chaplain.

Chaplains are not allowed to attempt to convert students to religion, but whether chaplains could discuss the teachings of Jesus Christ depended on context, he said.Residents in a NSW Hunter Valley town are being warned not to consume anything from animals grazing near local creeks amid fears toxic chemicals may have leaked from a derelict industrial site.

Testing in May at Stony Creek and Swamp, just outside Maitland, detected chemical concentrations that far exceeded the recommended level of PFAS for drinking water.

The warning comes as a parliamentary committee announced a new inquiry into the federal government's handling of contamination around defence bases from firefighting foam.

The Environmental Protection Authority on Wednesday released "precautionary advice" which instructed people in the area not to consume "eggs, milk and home-slaughtered livestock" which had access to the creek water.

The EPA also extended the warnings to residents around nearby Wallis Creek, who are being notified by mail.

One week ago, NSW Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said there was a "high-level of PFAS contamination" at the nearby derelict Truegain refinery.

The agencies tasked with cleaning up the site were concerned rain could wash contaminants into the waterways.

It appears that fear was realised on March 21 when wastewater overflowed from the refinery during heavy rain. The EPA attempted to stem the discharge and pump away the diluted chemicals.

Despite the efforts, tests on May 8 showed Stony Creek had more than 22 times the recommended safe drinking level of the chemicals, while Swamp Creek had more than five times the recommended concentration.

Warnings were issued two days later, the EPA's website shows.

Chair of the federal parliamentary inquiry Andrew Laming said the committee will look into the commonwealth's management of PFAS contamination around defence bases.

"We recognise this is a complex issue requiring responses from commonwealth, state and territory and local governments," he said in a statement.

PFAS is a group of chemicals used in firefighting foam which at least one US health agency says may increase the risks of cancer. The NSW Government argues there is no conclusive link.

Similarly, the federal government's PFAS expert health panel did not rule out there were risks to human health associated with the chemicals but to date found no evidence to prove it.Tens of thousands of families would be hit by a proposal to make migrants wait four years before accessing a range of welfare benefits.

Legislation already before parliament seeks to push the welfare waiting period for newly-arrived migrants from two to three years, in a measure expected to save $1.3 billion.

The federal government is now proposing to stretch the wait times for migrants out to four years from July 1.

The extra squeeze on migrants is expected to save an additional $200 million.

The government predicts 66,000 migrant families will be forced to wait longer for tax benefits, and 47,000 people will be impacted by the freeze on access to Newstart, Youth Allowance and other payments.

Social Services Department officials say the two cohorts are not mutually exclusive, with some migrant families tapping into other welfare payments.

Department officer Shane Bennett played down concerns the proposal would prove a disincentive to migration.

"There is evidence from the OECD that reflects access to social security systems is not necessarily high on the factors people consider," Mr Bennett told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.

"There is also a Productivity Commission report from 2016 that shows non-humanitarian permanent migrants had effectively lower take-up rates of income support to the general population."

Migrant and community groups have pushed back hard against moves to extend welfare wait times, fearing it could force some new arrivals into destitution and poverty.

Exemptions will continue to apply for vulnerable groups and humanitarian entrants, while hardship provisions also will also remain in place.

In a separate budget measure, newly-arrived refugees could also be made to wait six months before accessing Centrelink's jobseeking program.

The change, which doubles the existing three-month wait, is expected to save $68 million over the next four years.

"This measure will improve the sequencing of services available to refugees ... assisting refugees to focus on settlement and improving language skills during the first 26-week period of their arrival," the budget papers said.Families that have pre-booked a snow holiday at Thredbo ski slopes are not happy about missing out on tobogganing fun this season after NSW Alpine resort decided to ban the family-friendly pastime.

Less than two weeks from the opening of the ski season, Thredbo ski resort released a statement on its website, preventing the use of toboggans and snow sliding equipment, citing safety concerns.

"Collisions with other sleds, vehicles, skiers, snowboarders, loss of control and falling off are among the safety concerns cited behind the resort's decision to ban tobogganing."

The decision is to "maximise safety for guests, employees, and resort property," the statement read.

"Thredbo prohibits the use of toboggans and other miscellaneous snow sliding equipment that is associated with "Snow Play" within our leasehold area".

The decision has sparked an angry backlash on social media from families that have already booked accommodation at the resort.

"Booked flights! Booked accommodation at Thredbo! How do I now explain to my four-year-old granddaughter that she can't toboggan this year," Kylie Wright wrote on Facebook.

Tobogganing has the green light at other nearby ski resorts including Mt Perisher, in strictly designated areas, and also further south at Mt Buller and Mt Stirling in Victoria.

AAP has contacted Thredbo for further comment.Pauline Hanson's One Nation is two nations now.

The three-person Senate team is split over supporting the government's company tax cut plans, with Senator Brian Burston deciding to back them.

She's been accused of making decisions without consulting her party, and leaving long-time supporter Senator Burston in the lurch.

Senator Hanson insisted the party was united, before walking out of a press conference while colleague Peter Georgiou was still talking.

"Is it hard to show you're united when your boss just walked away?" one journalist asked him.

"Actually I didn't realise she'd walked away so I'll be walking away now too, thank-you very much," Senator Georgiou replied.

Senator Burston has taken the One Nation branding off his social media accounts, and it's understood he told staff to advise him only, rather than the party team.

The government was told about a month ago of his solid support for corporate tax cuts, irrespective of any possible future change of heart by Senator Hanson.

The One Nation leader reneged on the handshake deal she struck with Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, so Senator Burston decided to go public.

He is understood not to favour quitting One Nation in the short term, but will be voting contrary to his party colleagues from time to time.

"He's said he's not doing a dummy spit, he said he's not walking away from One Nation," Senator Hanson told reporters.

But David Leyonhjelm, who had dinner with Senator Burston last week, said Senator Hanson - who recently declared herself the party president-for-life - was making all of the party's decisions often without consulting colleagues.

Senator Leyonhjelm said she had "anointed" former senator Malcolm Roberts as the lead candidate for the party in Queensland, but so far declined to do the same for sitting senators Burston and Georgiou.

"She made it plain to them and said 'I'm looking around to see if there is anyone better' - it's not a formula for love and affection," Senator Leyonhjelm said.

"In Brian's case he's been a loyal supporter of her for 20 years. He is fairly hard done by."

Senator Hanson said preselection wasn't finalised, but pointed out to her long-time supporter that just because he's a senator doesn't mean he'll automatically be endorsed.Louisa Lippmann produced another dominant display to give Germany their second win in 24 hours at the women's FIVB Volleyball Nations League on Thursday with a 3-1 (25-22, 25-15, 21-25, 25-12) victory against the Dominican Republic.Lippmann followed up her 22-point haul against Thailand in Wednesday's five-set thriller with a game-high 29 points against the Dominican Republic as Germany made it back-to-back wins in Pool 11 after losing their previous six matches in the tournament.Lippmann's latest big tally included 25 spikes from just 39 attempts, lifting her overall points total for the competition to 177, second only to Poland's Malwina Smarzek.With Lippmann so controlling at the net, none of the other German players reached double figures although Jennifer Geerties and Lena Stigrot each finished with nine and the captain Maren Fromm got seven.Brayelin Martinez once again led the way for the Dominican Republic. Fourth in the overall best scorers' list heading into the match, she collected 15 kills and a block to add another 16 points to her total.The powerful serving Yonkaira Pena racked up eight points, as did Jineiry Martinez as the 'Queens of the Caribbean' dropped to 2-7 in the inaugural VNL.Germany, who improved to 3-6, overturned a five-point deficit to win the first set.The Dominican Republic dominated the early exchanges but the Europeans drew level at 20-20 then took the lead with a pin-point ace from Lippmann that landed in the corner of the back court.Germany got to set point when Martinez was ruled to have touched the net after a winning block then they clinched the opener when Pena was unable to return a blistering serve from Marie Scholzel.Germany dominated the second set from the outset, penetrating the Dominican Republic defence to open up a big lead that they never relinquished, sealing the set when Lippmann and Lisa Grunding combined for a double block.The Dominican Republic rebounded strongly to win the third set, twice opening up six-point leads, before Martinez followed up a neat dink with an unreturnable spike to force a fourth set after one of Pena's serve was clocked at over 100 kilometres per hour.But the fourth set was all one-way traffic for Germany, who wrapped up the win on a thunderous spike from Geerties.The Dominican Republic travels to the Netherlands next week to join the Dutch, Serbia and Italy in Pool 13 while Germany moves to Bydgoszcz to play Pool 16 hosts Poland as well as Argentina and Belgium.A raid on a suspected drug syndicate operating on the NSW mid-north coast has unearthed a hydroponic house containing almost $100,000 worth of illicit substances, nine guns and cash.

The Coffs Harbour Region Enforcement Squad - one of a series of new police units designed to disrupt organised crime outside the major cities - searched two men at Kingscliff, just south of Tweed Heads, on Wednesday morning.

The pair were allegedly carrying illicit drugs and cash.

Officers then swooped on a house in Coffs Harbour and another at Upper Orara, 17 kilometres inland, where they allegedly found a hydroponic house, cocaine, cannabis, cash, nine guns and ammunition.

The men, both 37, were charged with drug offences and are expected before Byron Bay Local Court on Thursday.

"This is a significant amount of drugs off our streets, with an estimated street value of $95,000," NSW Police Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey said in a statement on Thursday.

"Those who are intent on distributing illicit drugs, that affect the everyday lives of members of the community, will be identified and put before the courts."

AAP understands the men are not known members of an outlaw motorcycle club.WHAT IS THE NATIONAL REDRESS SCHEME?

The national scheme delivers on a key recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

It provides access to counselling, a direct personal response from the institution and a monetary payment to survivors of institutional child sexual abuse.

WHO HAS SIGNED UP?

* Every state and territory except for Western Australia.

* The Catholic Church: "We support the royal commission's recommendation for a national redress scheme, administered by the Commonwealth." - Archbishop Mark Coleridge.

* The Anglican Church: "We think this will be a very important part of the process for the healing of survivors of abuse." - Bishop Stephen Pickard.

* The YMCA: "We can't change the past for survivors, but we can change their future," YMCA Australia chief executive Melinda Crole.

* The Salvation Army: "We acknowledge that past practices and procedures led, in many cases, to the failure of the protection of children." - Major Brad Halse.

- The Scouts: "Scouts Australia is committed to ensuring that all survivors of child sexual abuse have access to the national redress scheme." Chief commissioner Neville Tomkins.

WHO IS HOLDING OUT?

* Western Australia: "My hope is that Western Australia will sign up in the next couple of weeks. We have reached an agreement... They have internal processes that they have to deal with." - Social Services Minister Dan Tehan.

* Other organisations covering 20 per cent of survivors.Fringe player Anthony Milford has run Queensland's attacking plays at training as the Maroons sweat on halfback Ben Hunt's fitness ahead of next week's State of Origin opener at the MCG.

Hunt has been restricted to light duties due to a thigh problem and will be given until the weekend to prove himself along with Josh McGuire (ankle) and Billy Slater (hamstring).

Brisbane Broncos half Milford was one of six development players brought into the Queensland camp on Thursday to assist them through their fitness concerns.AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has refused to guarantee the future of Tasmania's state league under a looming shake-up of footy on the island.

A steering committee has been tasked with finding a fix to Tasmania's AFL woes after teams from Burnie and Devonport in the state's northwest pulled out of the top competition earlier this year.

McLachlan met with state league club bosses on Thursday in Devonport, saying many options were on the table before the committee releases its findings on June 30.A Victorian farmer who accidentally shot dead a man after tripping on an eggplant should be spared a long jail sentence because he never pulled the trigger, his lawyer says.

Angelo Russo, 55, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of David Calandro, 43, who was shot in front of his two young sons while sitting in his ute in 2017.

Russo says he tripped on an eggplant while holding his loaded double-barrel shotgun at his Tatura farm in the Goulburn Valley on February 18 last year.

The defence says a police ballistics expert has confirmed the gun had a faulty safety switch and would have been capable of firing a shot without the trigger being activated.

"He tripped," defence barrister Patrick Tehan QC told a Victorian Supreme Court pre-sentence hearing on Thursday.

"It was an accidental discharge of the weapon without pressing the trigger."

Justice Michael Croucher said Mr Calandro was killed in tragic circumstances.

"Whichever way you look at it, a man has been killed in front of his children," he told the court.

"There's no getting around that."

But Mr Tehan said Russo's crime was not as serious as other manslaughter cases.

"If it's anywhere on the scale, it's going to be on the lower end of the scale for manslaughter by criminal negligence," the barrister said.

Russo had no intention of shooting Mr Calandro and was holding his gun after moments earlier putting down his dog Harry, Mr Tehan said.

The spaniel had been run over by Mr Calandro while he was driving out of Russo's property.

The 43-year-old drove back to Russo's farm after Russo rang a mutual friend and said: "Tell him (Mr Calandro) to come back and look at what he's done to my f***ing dog."

Mr Calandro was shot as Russo walked towards him with the gun in his hands.

In his police interview, Russo told investigators: "There was an eggplant on the ground there and my foot must have rolled on it."

The farmer pleaded guilty to manslaughter last week, days after his murder trial began before a jury.

Russo entered the plea after the prosecution agreed to withdraw the murder charge and other charges linked to Mr Calandro's two young sons.Despite assurances that Vanuatu has ruled out allowing China to build a military base on its shores, Australian diplomats aren't complacent.

China is building a wharf in Vanuatu funded by a concessional loan and in April there were reports it was seeking a military base. Beijing dubbed the reports "sheer fiction".

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official Daniel Sloper told a Senate estimates hearing there were concerns any potential bases could lead to strategic competition in a region that doesn't experience that at present.

Secretary Frances Adamson said there were concerns it could also lead to a direct military threat to Australia.

The job of diplomats was to ensure the region remains peaceful and uncontested and that the "distant prospect of a foreign military base" in the Pacific remains that way, Ms Adamson said.

Asked if she considers it distant: "We never want to be complacent about these things".Federal government officials have defended the choice of a proposed trial site in Queensland to drug test welfare recipients, in the face of fierce criticism from the local council.

Logan was selected as a trial site partly because of sewage samples indicating high levels of drug use in the area.

However, it has since emerged the town's wastewater facility also treats parts of Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Scenic Rim.

Senior bureaucrats said the Queensland town was chosen for various reasons, including the fact Logan already had income management infrastructure in place.

"Ministers were provided with a number of factors and made decisions," Social Services secretary Kathryn Campbell told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday.

Legislation underpinning the proposed drug testing trials is still before parliament.Mikey Wright's breakthrough season shows no signs of slowing after the Australian wildcard beat compatriot and World Surf League leader Julian Wilson in Bali.

The 21-year-old won their third-round heat at Keramas, lapping up the pressure to score a 5.67 with his final wave to win by .44 points in a low-scoring battle.

Wilson's early departure means he relinquishes the leader's jersey to Brazil's Felipe Toledo, who won the final heat of the day to book his spot in the fourth round.

The Sunshine Coast surfer entered in form and looked in control after registering 11.83 across his first two waves.

But he wasn't able to better that and left the door ajar for the charismatic Wright, who is gunning for a permanent spot on tour next year alongside brother and sister Owen and Tyler.

"I got two decent waves to start and was trying to build and nothing quite stuck," Wilson said on the WSL broadcast.

"I'm disappointed I couldn't better a 5.8 or even a six ... I felt like I left a lot to be desired out there ... I've just got to cop it on the chin."

Wilson's exit wasn't the only shock, with defending world champion John John Florence bowing out in the day's first heat to Jesse Mendes.

The Brazilian took to the air and, despite barely landing his all-or-nothing effort, was rewarded with a 7.17 to continue the Hawaiian's frustrating season.

Fellow Australian Matt Wilkinson was also beaten by .44 points by Griffin Colapinto in what was described by commentators as one of the heats of the year.

Wilkinson had shrugged off a lacklustre 2018 campaign to find form in Bali and rallied with 7.47 and 7.93-point waves, only to be outdone by the high-flying American's last ditch 8.67-point effort.

Joel Parkinson and Owen Wright also suffered narrow losses while Adrian Buchan progressed in a low-scoring heat to complete a mixed day for Australia's men.

Australia's women fared better, with Tyler Wright, Sally Fitzgibbons, Keely Andrew and series leader Stephanie Gilmore all progressing to the third round.

Gilmore found a perfect tube in round one to score a nine and direct entry to round three, while defending world champion Wright did it the hard way after finishing last in her opening-round surf.The West Australian government is supporting a Victorian law banning protests outside abortion clinics, which is being challenged in the High Court.

Anti-abortion campaigner Kathleen Clubb brought the case to the nation's highest court after she became the first person to be charged under the law for handing a pamphlet to a couple entering an East Melbourne clinic.

A written submission on behalf of WA Attorney General John Quigley argued the 150 metres "safe access zone" did not impede a person's ability to protest or communicate their political views on policy.The French Ambassador to the UK, Jean-Pierre Jouyet, visited the South West Nuclear Hub recently for the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between the University of Bristol and the Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Arts et Metiers (Arts et Metiers).

Arts et Metiers is one of the premier engineering schools in France, with a base of nuclear specialists adjacent to the French national nuclear energy research agency, the Commissariat a lenergie atomique et aux energies alternatives (CEA), located in Aix-en-Provence.

The alliance with Bristol enables international exchange both of students and of expertise, which enhances the nuclear skills offering at both institutions, including the SW Nuclear Hubs Nuclear Science and Engineering MSc.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Hugh Brady met with representatives from Arts et Metiers in the Universitys David Smith Building to sign the strategic partnership agreement.

A technical workshop on nuclear materials was also held, in which leading experts from Arts et Metiers and the Faculties of Science and Engineering at the University discussed opportunities for collaboration.

Professor David Knowles, Co-Director of the South West Nuclear Hub, said: This new partnership with such a respected nuclear skills and research institution in France substantially enhances our highly productive Franco-British collaboration on nuclear energy research, innovation and skills.

Together with the framework agreement we recently signed with EDF Group at their R&D headquarters in Saclay, and the partnership we formed with the Institut National de Physique de Grenoble (INP), this alliance strengthens the potential impact our two institutions can make on the global nuclear research and skills challenges.

Professor Brady said: Partnerships such as this  international, strategic and focused on the great challenges of our age  are crucial to the mission of our University. We look forward to working with Arts et Metiers and helping to shape the future of research and training in nuclear energy.

Professor Xavier Kestelyn, Vice President for Education at Arts et Metiers, was also very enthusiastic about the opportunities this strategic partnership presents. He said: This strategic partnership fits totally with Arts et Metiers international strategy. Arts et Metiers, founder member of the French Industry of the Future Alliance, seeks to develop strategic partnerships with a limited number of institutions around the world in academic, research and innovation to accompany European industry in the challenges they face in the industry of the future.

During his visit, Ambassador Jouyet also addressed members of the French community from Bristol and Bath in the setting of the Universitys Life Sciences Building. Here he spoke about the need for collaboration between the UK and France, particularly in the area of education and research, in light of the challenges Brexit poses.

Mr Jouyet was given a tour of the Universitys nuclear teaching and research department, where he was able to experience the seismic qualification facilities within the Earthquake and Geotechnical Engineering research group which is being used to support integrity qualification for the graphite core of the UKs existing fleet of Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors.

The French Ambassador continued his exploration of the South West with a visit to the nuclear power station construction site at Hinkley Point in Somerset.Queensland's opposition wants the state Labor government to match Commonwealth funding to build the long-awaited Sunshine Coast rail duplication when the state budget is handed down next month.

The federal government this month announced $390 million for the 40km rail line duplication between Beerburrum and Nambour, proposing the state government follow suit.

With the state budget due on June 12, the Liberal National Party has renewed calls for the government to match the funds, but Labor says the federal government money won't be available for up to five years.The Texas prosecutor who successfully pursued a 40-year jail sentence for Scott Zirus has branded the Australian pedophile a "talented manipulator".

Zirus, nicknamed "Zirus the Virus" in Texas for the way he used his job as a camp counsellor in the US state in 2009 to groom and then sexually abuse five young boys, has applied for a prison transfer from the harsh Texas jail system to his home state of Western Australia where he also faces child molestation charges.

WA authorities plan to prosecute Zirus when he completes his US sentence and is deported to Australia, but Zirus wrote in his transfer application it was "extremely unfair" on the four boys he allegedly abused in WA to wait for him to serve the long US sentence.

Amos Barton, who was the Kerr County District Attorney in 2010 who prosecuted Zirus and is now a high-profile lawyer in Kerrville, Texas, scoffed at the pedophile's concern for the boys and their families.

"I am not surprised that Mr Zirus would like a change of accommodations from our Texas prison system, nor am I surprised that he would leverage a contrived desire for justice for his WA victims to help himself out," Mr Barton told AAP on Wednesday.

"He is a talented manipulator."

Zirus is housed at the French M. Robertson maximum-security state prison in Abilene, Texas.

The pedophile, formerly from Pinjarra, WA, ran his own children's camp in Australia.

With his tales about the Australian outback, performances of Aboriginal "kangaroo hunt" dances and ability to play the digeridoo, the then 25-year-old appeared to be a great recruit for Texas' Camp Stewart for Boys.

When parents of the five boys he abused picked their six and seven-year-olds up from the camp they noticed dramatic personality changes.

Some of the victims' parents told AAP Zirus would sleep in a bunk in a cabin with boys.

"Our son said, 'He'd snuggle me in bed and rub his beard against me even though I didn't want him to and he told me he loved me'," the mother of a seven-year-old told AAP after Zirus' 2010 sentencing.

Zirus faced a life prison sentence, but on the eve of his trial agreed to a maximum 40 years' jail, with a minimum of 20.

Mr Barton said he expected Zirus would serve the full 40 years "or very near that" because of the nature of his crimes.

The West Australian newspaper reported Zirus applied to the Australian Attorney-General's Department and US leaders for the prisoner transfer.

"I think it would be right and fitting for Mr Zirus to accept responsibility for his crimes in WA and accept an appropriate sentence in abstentia without attempting to use his WA victims as leverage to leave the Texas prison system," Mr Barton said.A search for a man missing for 10 days in central Queensland has been expanded, with a rescue helicopter assisting police.

Thomas Paynter, 63, was last seen at a camp site near Agnes Water, south of Gladstone, on May 21, with family members reporting him missing on Monday.

Police had been conducting ground searches of the local area since then, however the search was stepped up on Thursday with the RACQ Rescue Helicopter scouring the area from the air.

There are concerns for Mr Paynter's welfare as he suffers from a medical condition.

He's believed to be travelling in a blue Toyota Prado, with Queensland registration 296 XOL.

Search teams have been scouring more than 500 square kilometres between Agnes Water and Bundaberg.

Authorities are due to continue the search on Friday.Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has sought assurances Australian aid hasn't been channelled to the families of Palestinian terrorists.

The Israeli government has claimed the Palestinian Authority pays $350 million to the families of terrorists and suicide bombers.

"Martyr payments" are reportedly up to $4620 a month.

A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade official told a Senate estimates hearing on Thursday Ms Bishop had written to her counterpart seeking assurances Australian aid dollars weren't being used to encourage acts of violence.

Liberal senator Eric Abetz is pleased Ms Bishop has sought a "please explain".

"The Palestinian martyr fund not only encourages murder and terror attacks, it is a major barrier to peace in the Middle East," he said.

He wants Australia to cut its aid to Palestinian authorities until the fund stops, like the US did last year.

Australia allocated $43 million in total aid to the Palestinian Territories in 2018-19.

The territories covering the West Bank and Gaza Strip are among the poorest regions in the Middle East.Three young girls have been charged over an alleged late-night spree of robberies and assaults in Sydney's inner-city.

The trio - two aged 14 and one aged 12 - first set upon two women in Ultimo just after midnight on Thursday and stole a mobile phone, police say.

They allegedly continued their late-night rampage by stealing a second victim's phone before bashing another woman with a metal pole nearby, stealing a backpack and leaving her with facial injuries.

A fifth woman was allegedly assaulted and robbed of her handbag at Central Railway Station, where witnesses called police.

Officers arrested the trio not long after and they were taken to Day Street Police Station.

The younger girl was charged with assault with intent to rob and appeared before a Children's Court on Thursday.

The older girls were charged with various offences including demand with menaces and robbery with assault.

One of the 14-year-olds also appeared before a Children's Court on Thursday, while the other was granted conditional bail ahead of an appearance in July.Police are reminding gun owners to better secure their licensed firearms after a central Queensland man allegedly took rifles from relatives and fired them in Mackay's CBD.

Troy Dean Sprigg is accused of stealing the registered guns from relatives and causing the town's CBD to be evacuated after firing at his car and then into the air.

Police allege he took two high-powered rifles - including one fitted with a scope and a tripod - into central Mackay and began firing just after 5pm on Wednesday.

Sprigg, 29, is now facing five charges and the prospect of jail time if convicted of firearm offences.

The Sarina man did not apply for bail when he faced Mackay Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Detective Inspector Brendan Smith said police did not believe Sprigg was shooting at anyone and there wasn't any intention to harm.

But he said it highlighted the importance of gun owners to properly secure their firearms.

"Any time you take a firearm where it's not meant to be ... the community is at risk," Det Insp Smith told reporters.A search will continue on Friday for a man missing in central Queensland for nearly a fortnight.

Thomas Paynter, 63, was last seen at a camp site near Agnes Water, south of Gladstone, on May 21.

A search was sparked when family reported him missing on Monday, with police conducting ground searches of the local area since then.

The search was stepped up on Thursday with the RACQ Rescue Helicopter scouring the area from the air, however, there was still no sign of Mr Paynter.

There are concerns for his welfare as he suffers from a medical condition.Child sex abuse survivors say more institutions need to sign up to the national redress scheme, just 30 days before it starts.

The Anglicans, Salvos, the Scouts and the YMCA on Thursday joined the Catholic church in promising to sign up for the $3.8 billion scheme.

But Care Leavers Australia Network chief executive Leonie Sheedy said some of the smaller churches and institutions still needed to sign on.

"People are fed up with the delays of the churches and charities," she told AAP.

She also said some survivors are worried they won't last until the scheme opens on July 1, while others who were physically or psychologically abused will miss out.

"They are extremely anxious that they won't be alive to see their redress. Our oldest member is 95," she told AAP.

The scheme now covers four out of five child sex abuse survivors.

Social Services Minister Dan Tehan said those organisations that had yet to sign up would be judged by the public and he thanked those that had.

"For owning up to past wrongs, to owning up to behaviour that can only be described as despicable and deplorable, to turn a page," he told reporters.

The Anglican Church has reached an "in-principle agreement" to join, and will form an independent entity to cover Anglican dioceses, schools and welfare agencies.

"We think this will be a very important part of the process for the healing of survivors of abuse," Bishop Stephen Pickard told reporters.

The YMCA also said it was working with all 19 YMCAs across Australia to help ensure it can be part of the scheme when it starts.

Scouts Australia chief commissioner Neville Tomkins praised the government for providing the scheme to recognise the impact of "horrific crimes", while Major Brad Halse said the Salvation Army was "profoundly sorry" for the abuse children had suffered.

Mr Tehan said the scheme could begin on July 1 if it passed the Senate.

The Catholic Church has estimated it will itself be liable for about $1 billion in compensation.

Western Australia has not signed up but an agreement has been reached with state attorney-general John Quigley.

The scheme will cover about 60,000 institutional child sexual abuse survivors nationally, with compensation payments capped at $150,000.A former Victorian police chief will lead an investigation into why officers faked more than a quarter of a million breath tests over five years.

An audit by the force's Professional Standards Command has revealed the falsification of 258,463 out of 17.7 million breathalyser tests since 2012, and former police chief Neil Comrie is tasked with finding out why.

Officers faked the tests by either placing a finger over the straw entry hole or by blowing into the straw themselves. A leading theory is they wanted to appear more productive.

"Victoria Police is incredibly disappointed. It is incredibly poor behaviour by our members," Professional Standards Command Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett told reporters on Thursday.

The main culprits were general duties and highway patrol officers, with some rural areas over-represented, but Mr Barrett said it was too early to say how many police were involved.

Mr Comrie, a former Victorian police chief commissioner, will lead an investigation into why officers faked the tests.

Police oversight body, the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, is in ongoing discussions with Victoria Police about the scope of their investigation.

"Police have significant powers and the community rightly expects them to use these powers honestly, responsibly and to perform their duties fairly, impartially and always in accordance with the law," IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich QC said.

"The evidence that Victoria Police officers have falsified tests is deeply concerning, as is the evidence of a culture that has enabled this to occur and not be detected or immediately dealt with."

The scandal has led Victoria's Transport Accident Commission to suspend funding to the police force.

About $12 million over three years is made available but police need to apply to use funds for specific purposes, and recent applications have been suspended until the issue is resolved.The Turnbull government is not giving up on passing its corporate tax cuts, as it remains four votes short of success.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann has welcomed One Nation senator Brian Burston's support for the move to drop the tax rate from 30 per cent to 25 per cent for all-sized businesses.

But Senator Burston's One Nation colleagues, Pauline Hanson and Peter Georgiou, remain opposed to the cuts despite previously reaching an agreement with the coalition to support them.

With Labor and the Greens firmly opposed to the plan, the coalition needs eight crossbench votes to add to its 31 senators.

Senators Burston, David Leyonhjelm, Cory Bernardi and Fraser Anning are on board.

But the two Centre Alliance senators and independents Tim Storer and Derryn Hinch have yet to commit to the plan.

Senator Cormann says the government appreciated the fact Senator Burston was willing to stick to the One Nation agreement reached earlier this year.

The Senate will return on June 18 for the final two-week sitting before the long winter break.

Senator Hinch wants to limit the tax relief to businesses with a turnover of under $500 million.

Senator Storer and the Centre Alliance want a commitment to broader tax reform.

Labor wants to use the coalition's commitment to corporate tax cuts as a point of attack in five by-elections to be held on July 28.

Labor leader Bill Shorten says there are much better ways of spending billions of dollars, including on hospitals, schools and the ABC.Posted 5/30/18

The Missouri Department of Conservation has long realized that urban areas are important components of wildlife habitat in the state. With that in mind, MDC is offering Community Conservation Grants The thought of combining with idol Greg Inglis for Queensland excites Valentine Holmes - then he remembers the player he replaced.

Cronulla star Holmes admits the daunting task of filling Darius Boyd's big shoes on the left wing has ensured mixed emotions ahead of next week's State of Origin series opener.

Holmes broke up Queensland's greatest left edge attacking combination when he was picked on the wing ahead of 28 Origin veteran Boyd for June 6's MCG clash.

Boyd and centre Inglis have combined to score a total of 35 Origin tries.

Holmes said becoming new Maroons skipper Inglis' next Origin wing man realised a dream.

However, it didn't ease his anxiety over replacing Boyd.

"It's humbling not just being outside him (Inglis) but to be in this team again," Holmes aid.

"There's some big shoes to fill, like the people who played outside him in the past like Darius Boyd.

"I am excited and bit nervous to fill that void but I think we will do a good job."

The prospect of marking NSW winger Tom Trbojevic has also not helped Holmes' anxious state.

Manly's Trbojevic has been picked out of position after missing out on NSW fullback selection thanks to James Tedesco.

But Holmes believed the lanky Sea Eagles No.1's clear height advantage posed a major threat on his wing.

Trbojevic has the equal-most try and linebreak assists of any back in the NRL but the stat that bothers Holmes most is the Manly strike weapon's height.

Trbojevic is 10cm taller than Holmes, all but ensuring an aerial raid for the Maroons speedster.

"He's a bit taller than me so those cross field kicks, I will be a bit wary of them," Holmes said.

"I am hoping GI (Inglis) can get to them.

"But I was up against Blake Ferguson last year and he was quite tall."

Holmes will hope history repeats after defying Ferguson's presence to score four tries in his only two Origins to date including a hat-trick in game three last year.

Adding to Holmes' nerves, he may also have the extra responsibility of goal kicking duties in Origin I following skipper Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston's representative retirement.

Holmes will have a "kick off" at Queensland's Gold Coast camp on Sunday with South Sydney's Dane Gagai for the all important role.

"It's down to us two and I am happy to take it," Holmes said.

"We need to kick them all because we are going to need them."

Maroons assistant Josh Hannay has been handing out goal kicking advice at training but Holmes' approach was simple.

"Aim for the right post, kick straight and hope for the best," he said.Controversial Chinese telecommunications company ZTE, on the short-list to build Telstra's 5G mobile phone network in Australia, has been accused in a US court of being a front for Chinese military intelligence and linked to corruption in 18 countries.

ZTE, also vying to provide a new communications system for Perth's rail network and in recent weeks in the middle of a political storm involving US President Donald Trump, allegedly handed over "brown paper bags" of cash to win contracts in Africa, according to a Fairfax Media report.

The claims are part of a lawsuit filed in Texas accusing ZTE of bribing Liberian officials to unseat a US company which had won the right to upgrade the west African country's telecommunications networks.

The lawsuit alleges ZTE was formed partly with the aim of spying for Beijing.

"China's Ministry of Aerospace founded ZTE as a front to send officers abroad under non-diplomatic covers such as scientists, businessmen and executives for the purpose of collecting intelligence," a court filing states in the lawsuit underway in the 191st District Court of Dallas.

ZTE told Fairfax it denied the spying and corruption allegations and said as a global company it "maintains a high standard of ethics and integrity in its business activities throughout the world".

The Texas court proceedings involve allegations ZTE breached the terms of its non-disclosure agreement with US firm, Universal Telephone Exchange Inc.

The Trump administration in April banned US firms from doing business with ZTE, but the president recently outraged members of Congress when he indicated he might lift the ban in return for Chinese trade concessions.Ashleigh Barty's brave bid to cut short Serena Williams' grand slam comeback has ended in a tense three-set French Open defeat for the Australian No.1.

Barty appeared to be careering towards a famous victory before letting slip a one-set advantage in the 3-6 6-3 6-4 second-round loss in Paris.

Seemingly unnerved by the occasion, Barty broke the 23-times major champion early in the second set to surge further ahead before Williams willed her way back into the enthralling contest on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Barty's game plan to move Williams from side to side in the hope of exhausting the underdone champion in just her sixth match back since giving birth last September initially paid dividends.

But the grand slam colossus drew on her unrivalled fighting qualities - and energy reserves many doubted she still possessed at almost 37 and eight months into motherhood - to stave off Australia's 17th seed after one hour and 46 minutes.

Barty's exit leaves former finalist Samantha Stosur and 24th seed Daria Gavrilova to fly the Australian flag.

Stosur, runner-up at Roland Garros in 2010 and a semi-finalist in 2009, 2012 and 2016, is through to the third round for the 10th straight year.

The veteran clay-court star plays 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza in a repeat of their semi-final two years ago after denying doubles partner Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2 7-6 (7-1) earlier on Thursday.

Gavrilova saved a match point in snatching a 5-7 7-5 6-3 victory from the jaws of defeat against American Bernarda Pera.

The great escape set up a return clash with Belgian 16th seed Elise Mertens, who eliminated Gavrilova from both last year's French Open and the Australian Open in January.A Victorian man who is the prime suspect in three separate cold-case murders in South Australia was a pen pal with one of the victims, her family says.

Grandmother Beverley Hanley was warned by her family about having contact with Steven Hainsworth before she was killed at her Elizabeth North home in 2010.

"I was at grandma's house not long before she died. I found a letter on her kitchen table from him saying when he got out of jail he was going to be a changed man," granddaughter Tasha Chase told News Corp on Friday.Former Bolivian president (2002-2003) Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada (R) and his lawyer Stephen Raber (L) departing the US Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on March 20

A US judge on Wednesday ruled there was insufficient evidence to hold former Bolivian president Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada responsible for the extra-judicial killings of his compatriots during unrest in 2003, after a jury returned the opposite verdict.

Nine plaintiffs from the indigenous Aymara nation had argued in a US civil lawsuit that Sanchez de Lozada and his defense minister Jose Carlos Sanchez Berzain directed a violent military campaign that resulted in the deaths of eight of their relatives.

Overall, some 50 people were killed during the campaign.

But Federal Judge James Cohn, who presided over the court in Fort Lauterdale, Florida, ruled they lacked sufficient evidence, contradicting the verdict of a jury which held Sanchez de Lozada and Sanchez Berzain "responsible" for the deaths.

"Judgment is hereby entered in favor of Defendants Gonzalo Daniel Sanchez de Lozada Sanchez Bustamante and Jose Carlos Sanchez Berzain and against Plaintiffs," Cohn wrote, soon after he issued an order stating the evidence presented to the jury was "legally insufficient" for it to have given its verdict.

In April, following a three-week trial, Sanchez de Lozada and Sanchez Berzain were ordered to pay the plaintiffs $10 million in damages.

But the pair's lawyers submitted a motion asking the judge to dismiss the jury's decision on a technical argument over insufficient evidence -- which he accepted.

"The judge's decision in favor of the defense demonstrates that there was absolutely no evidence that indicates the existence of a plan or order to use lethal force against civilians," Sanchez de Lozada said in a letter.

Speaking to AFP, plaintiffs' attorney Judith Chomsky said they would appeal, adding the judge's ruling in contradiction with the jury was "unusual."

"We think that in reaching that decision, (the judge) ignored parts of the record on which the jury could rely," she said.

"We are disappointed, but we feel strongly that our case has merit and the jury made the right decision."

Known as the "October massacre," the deaths came after La Paz was cut off by massive protests led by Evo Morales, now the country's president.

Armed government troops were deployed on October 11, 2003 to open a route through blockaded roads for diesel and gasoline shipments into the Bolivian capital. Witnesses say they opened fire on civilians.

The deaths and ensuing crisis forced Sanchez de Lozada's resignation on October 17, and he fled the country the same day for the United States.

Sanchez de Lozada and Sanchez Berzain went on trial in the US under a law that permits civil suits in US courts for extrajudicial killings.Around 2,000 residents have already abandoned their homes as a result of Kilauea's eruption, which has destroyed 71 houses so far

Authorities urged people in Hawaii Wednesday to evacuate an area at risk of being cut off by a flood of lava from the erupting Kilauea volcano.

"Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports that lava from several fissures continues to advance toward the Kapoho area," a Civil Defense message said, referencing an area that was devastated during a 1960 eruption.

"Residents of Kapoho Beach Lots and Vacationland are advised to evacuate. You are at risk of being isolated due to possible lava inundation," the message added.

Authorities had earlier advised that lava flow from Fissure 8 had blocked a major highway and caused an electricity blackout, and recommended evacuations of other nearby areas as telephone communications were cut.

Meanwhile, a 4.5 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter at Kilauea itself was recorded on Wednesday at 11:00 am (0000 GMT). Although it was felt strongly in the area, authorities dismissed the possibility of a tsunami.

Local authorities could not confirm to AFP how many people would be evacuated. Around 2,000 residents have already abandoned their homes as a result of the eruption, which has destroyed 71 houses so far.

The lava has engulfed an area of approximately 9.5 square kilometers, with the majority ending up in the ocean, creating so-called "laze" -- acid fumes created when lava meets water.

Kilauea is one of five volcanoes on Hawaii's Big Island.

Scientists believe that volcanic activity can be a precursor to a major eruption, similar to the Kilauea eruption in the mid-1920s.US President Donald Trump is gearing up for a busy summer of campaigning for Republicans ahead of November's mid-term congressional elections

US President Donald Trump is in full campaign mode five months before pivotal mid-term elections, employing a mix of anti-immigration rhetoric, Democrat-bashing and off-script improvisation in a bid to help Republicans hold their congressional majority.

Democrats, riding a swell of grass-roots activism and buoyed by Trump's poor approval numbers and an ongoing investigation into possible coordination between Russia and Trump's campaign, are seeking to flip the US House and Senate.

Trump is pushing back, hitting the road -- including at a fiery Tuesday night rally in Tennessee -- as he seeks to energize his base to come out and vote in November for Republican Senate candidates in states where he can have a major impact.

But the strategy apparently seeks to minimize his exposure in states where Republicans in close House races might feel the divisive president's presence would be more of a hindrance, motivating Democrats and independents instead of helping moderate GOP candidates.

Despite the risks of an unrestrained Trump addressing large crowds at campaign-style events, it is a strategy aimed at firing up his loyal supporters in red states where vulnerable Senate Democrats are running for re-election, or challenging for open seats.

Such was the case Tuesday when Trump rallied in Nashville in support of congresswoman Marsha Blackburn's bid to succeed retiring Senator Bob Corker.

"We need more Republicans," Trump boomed.

"If you want your country to be safe, then you must go out and get the Democrats the hell out of office."

A sitting president's party often loses seats during mid-term elections.

While analysts say Democrats have a decent shot at flipping the 24 seats needed to reclaim the House, the opposition party is up against an extraordinarily tough Senate election map.

Of the 35 Senate races, Democrats are defending a whopping 26 seats -- 10 of them in states that Trump won in 2016.

And Democrats are seeing their overall mid-term advantage shrink.

In December, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average, Democrats enjoyed a 13-point advantage among voters who were asked which party they would support in the 2018 congressional election.

That figure this week stood at just four points.

- Trump 'coming after' vulnerable Democrats -

The president has grown increasingly annoyed at his party's 51-49 Senate majority as he seeks to push through his policy agenda, including a dramatic curtailing of illegal and legal immigration.

Highlighting his rigid stance during his Nashville rally, he recalled the term he used recently to describe undocumented immigrants, including members of transnational gang MS-13, targeted for deportation.

Supporters cheer as US President Donald Trump addresses a campaign-style rally in Nashville, Tennessee on May 29, 2018 -- one of several he aims to hold ahead of November's mid-term elections

"What was the name?" Trump goaded the crowd. "Animals!" they shouted.

Trump also savaged the Democratic candidate, former Tennessee governor Phil Bredesen, insisting he would be in the pocket of the Senate and House Democratic leaders.

"He's an absolute total tool of Chuck Schumer and of course the MS-13 lover, Nancy Pelosi," Trump said.

Over the past month Trump has held campaign-style rallies or speeches in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Tennessee -- all states he carried in 2016, and where Republicans are facing tough Senate races. On Thursday he heads to Texas.

Trump is also expected to travel in the coming weeks to North Dakota, Montana, Missouri, and West Virginia, the New York Times reported, citing White House officials familiar with the president's summer strategy.

They are states that Trump won easily, and where Senate Democrats face tough re-elections.

Several other states may be added to the itinerary later, including Florida, where outgoing Governor Rick Scott is spending millions of dollars of his own personal fortune in a bid to oust a Senate Democratic incumbent.

Trump on Tuesday night "had a message for 2018 red state Dems - he's coming after them too," said Katie Martin, communications director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, the party's Senate campaign arm.

He relished his opportunity before the cheering crowd to tout his economic successes including major tax cuts that he signed into law.

But Trump also eagerly returned to one of the tropes of his 2016 campaign, by declaring that Mexico would pay for a wall that he intends to build on the southern US border.

"They're going to pay for the wall and they're going to enjoy it," Trump said.The government announced on March 28 that it plans to sell up to 76 percent of the carrier but airlines and other investors have been spooked by the sale terms

India's government announced Thursday that its auction for a majority stake in its debt-stricken airline Air India had received no bids.

The cut-off date has already been put back by three weeks because of a lack of interest from buyers for the beleaguered airline.

"No response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India," India's aviation ministry posted on Twitter as the deadline closed Thursday.

"Further course of action will be decided appropriately."

Government officials were optimistic of a late offer but aviation analysts said there was little chance of a successful bid unless the government changed the terms of the sale.

"We are hopeful the government can find a way to sell stakes in Air India and may receive multiple offers if the terms of sale are still revised," Binit Somaia, South Asia Director at the Centre for Aviation (CAPA), told AFP.

"The government can keep postponing the dates but the markets have spoken and there is zero interest. It is back to the drawing board," another Mumbai-based analyst told AFP.

The government announced on March 28 its plans to sell up to 76 percent of the carrier, but airlines and other investors have been spooked by the sale terms.

India's Tata Group, Singapore Airlines (SIA), which together run Vistara, and InterGlobe Aviation Ltd, owner of the Indigo carrier, were all linked to a takeover but have ruled themselves out.

Indigo wanted Air India's international operations but the government refused to carve up the carrier.

Air India, founded in 1932, was once the country's monopoly airline, known affectionately as the "Maharaja of the skies".

But it has been haemorrhaging money for years and it has lost market share to low-cost rivals in one of the world's fastest-growing airline markets.

Successive governments had spent billions of dollars to keep it flying before Prime Minister Narendra Modi's cabinet last year gave the go-ahead to a selloff.

Air India is about $8 billion in the red and reported losses of almost 58 billion rupees ($866 million) for the financial year ending March 2017.Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to visit Russia, during the first meeting between the head of the reclusive state and a Russian official

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang on Thursday invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to visit Russia, Moscow said, during the first meeting between the head of the reclusive state and a Russian official.

"Come to Russia, we'll be very happy to see you," Lavrov told Kim in remarks released by the Russian foreign ministry.

Lavrov passed greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim, saying he wished him success in the "major undertakings that have been initiated on the Korean peninsula", the ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov was the first Russian official to be received by Kim, Russian news agencies said. "It was the first official meeting with him face to face," TASS quoted a source in the minister's delegation as saying.

The Russian foreign ministry also released pictures of the two men shaking hands and smiling.

Russia's top diplomat arrived in Pyongyang earlier Thursday, ahead of a landmark summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to visit Russia, during the first meeting between the head of the reclusive state and a Russian official

His visit comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity to organise next month's summit, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also meeting Kim's right-hand man Kim Yong Chol in New York late Wednesday.

Last month North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho held rare talks with Lavrov in Moscow as Pyongyang moves to improve strained ties with global powers.

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.

Pyongyang has a different view of denuclearisation and remains deeply worried that abandoning its deterrent would leave it vulnerable, especially while the United States maintains a robust military presence in South Korea.Lee Myung-hee (C) faces multiple allegations of assault against drivers and housekeepers from her personal staff as well as construction workers renovating her home and building a Korean Air-affiliated hotel

The woes of the troubled Korean Air dynasty deepened further Thursday as Seoul Police announced they were seeking an arrest warrant for matriarch Lee Myung-hee over allegations she assaulted employees.

Lee, 69, faces multiple allegations of assault against drivers and housekeepers from her personal staff as well as construction workers renovating her home and building a Korean Air-affiliated hotel.

"Lee used her superior status to habitually abuse, insult and injure the socially disadvantaged without a sense of guilt," according to a statement from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

"Despite the gravity of the case, she has denied the allegations by saying she has no recollection, raising concerns over destruction of evidence," it added.

Lee was summoned by the police twice this week for questioning over the alleged abuses.

They range from cursing and screaming at employees to kicking, slapping and even throwing a pair of scissors at them.

A video that emerged last month showed a woman, reportedly Lee, shoving a female construction worker and throwing a pile of documents on the ground.

A Korean Air spokesman declined to comment on the matter citing the ongoing investigation.

Lee's two daughters, who held management positions at South Korea's top carrier, became viral sensations for their own temper tantrums which were dubbed the "nut rage" and "water rage" scandals online.

Her older daughter Cho Hyun-ah made global headlines in 2014 for kicking a cabin crew chief off a Korean Air plane for being served macadamia nuts in a bag rather than a bowl. She later served a short prison sentence.

Earlier this year, her younger sister Cho Hyun-min was accused of throwing a drink at an advertising agency manager's face in a fit of rage during a business meeting.

Their father, Korean Air chairman Cho Yang-ho, issued a public apology over the "immature" behaviour of his offspring and removed his two daughters from their management roles.

Authorities have since launched a flurry of official probes into the family's reported abuse of workers, as well as smuggling and immigration law violations.

But that has done little to placate employees. Hundreds of Korean Air workers have held weekly protests in Seoul demanding the ouster of the Cho clan from the country's flag carrier -- a rare act of defiance in the country that prizes loyalty among workers.

The current chairman's late father founded the Hanjin Group -- the South's 14th-largest business group that runs logistics, transport and hotel businesses as well as Korean Air.Posted 5/30/18

In a ceremony held May 10, the judges and clerks of the 30th Circuit were presented with the OToole Clearance Rate Award, an award which recognizes the circuits efficiency in handling and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Ankara's embassador to Washington will be back at work shortly after a spat with the US over the new American embassy in Jerusalem

Turkey's ambassador to Washington was on Thursday heading back to the United States after a spat over the official inauguration of the new US embassy in Jerusalem.

State TRT television said Serdar Kilic had left Ankara to resume his post after an absence of over two weeks from Washington.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meanwhile told the Hurriyet daily that Kilic would be back at work by the time he meets his US counterpart Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday.

Turkey recalled its ambassadors to Washington and Tel Aviv early this month for consultations after dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire along the Gaza border on the same day the US celebrated the opening of its embassy in Jerusalem.

In Washington, Pompeo and Cavusoglu are expected to try and agree terms for the withdrawal of US-backed Kurdish militia from the Syrian town of Manbij, a move long sought by Turkey.

Relations between the two NATO allies Turkey have become increasingly bitter in recent months over issues including US support for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

Ankara argues the YPG is a branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party which has been fighting against Turkey state since 1984 while Washington insists they are part of a legitimate opposition group called the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Manbij hosts a US military presence with American soldiers providing military support to the YPG in the fight against jihadists.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to expand an incursion inside Syria to Manbij after clearing the western enclave of Afrin of YPG militia in January.

Cavusoglu told Hurriyet that in Washington both foreign ministers would publicise a timetable on the Manbij roadmap.

"We will make a joint statement that day," he said. "The concrete step is that YPG will be withdrawn from there," he added.

Cavusoglu said Turkey and the United States would decide together who would replace the YPG in Manbij's administration and security forces.

Pompeo is also expected to raise the case of US pastor Andrew Brunson who has been held in detention in western Turkey since October 2016 on terror and spying charges. Washington has repeatedly denounced his incarceration.Kenyans were stunned in March when Kenyatta, left, shook hands with arch-rival Odinga. Now reconciliation seems to have been cemented further at a national prayer meeting

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, opposition leader Raila Odinga and their deputies on Thursday exchanged hugs and apologies, cementing their pledge to promote unity after a fractious and bloody election.

The unusual scene unfolded at the country's annual national prayer meeting.

It came eight months after Kenyatta's re-election in a drawn-out poll that divided the nation and left at least 92 dead, according to rights groups.

Longtime rivals Kenyatta and Odinga in March shook hands and pledged reconciliation in a move that stunned the nation, as well as members of Odinga's opposition alliance who said they had not been consulted.

What is now known as "The Handshake" had spurred endless speculation but little concrete action.

But on Thursday, the two men shook off any scepticism by repeatedly hugging each other and calling each other "my brother" at the prayer breakfast.

Vice President William Ruto and Odinga's running mate Kalonzo Musyoka also apologised to each other for any election rancour, and hugged.

"We have campaigned against each other, we have said nasty things against each other, and today, I ask forgiveness and I would like to apologise," said Kenyatta.

"Never again shall a Kenyan die because of an election. On my own behalf and that of all those behind me, I tender my apology," said Odinga, who had claimed the election was stolen from him, and whose supporters were the vast majority of those killed by police during protests.

Also present at the event was Supreme Court Chief Justice David Maraga, who rose to international fame as the man who annulled Kenyatta's victory in a first August election and ordered the poll held a second time.

The rapprochement between Kenyatta and Odinga has left the opposition in disarray, and headlines have swung straight onto the 2022 election race and its potential alliances.

Despite the display of unity, numerous questions remain about the concrete implementation of the reconciliation deal known as the "Building Bridges" initiative.

The event co-incided with a protest by several hundred people in Nairobi after a series of fresh corruption scandals in recent weeks showing tens of millions of dollars stolen from various state agencies.

"There is not much to write home about with regards to concrete plans by the 'Building Bridges' initiative to address this matter," civil society organisers said in a statement, on the endemic graft in Kenya.

"This, together with the lacklustre response from the executive on the various scams, has furthered furore among the citizenry and reduced their faith in this initiative."

So far a joint committee has been established to work on a "national dialogue" to foster greater unity and reduce tribalism.

Politics in Kenya is largely a matter of ethnicity, with people backing leaders from their own community and their potential allies from the five main ethnic groups -- which leads to dangerous and often deadly divisions.In a press conference with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the world could have "no interest in the clock being turned back in trade policy"

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas warned Thursday against the threat of protectionism in global trade ahead of a deadline for steep US import duties on steel and aluminium imports from Europe.

Maas told reporters that international partners could have "no interest in the clock being turned back in trade policy" as a Friday deadline for the new tariffs ticked down.

"To put it clearly: protectionism and isolation with regard to free trade must be kept from getting the upper hand again," he said after talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Trade officials from Washington and Brussels have continued discussions to find a solution, such as import quotas, that would convince US President Donald Trump to extend the exemption for the European Union from the 25 percent tariff on steel and 10 percent on aluminium.

But The Wall Street Journal cited people familiar with the matter saying a last-minute deal appeared unlikely, and the tariff announcement could come as early as Thursday.

Trump imposed the tariffs in March to address global oversupply of the metals, but though it was largely aimed at China it hit US allies as well.

- 'Unprecedented, deep changes' -

Wang said Beijing shared Berlin's concerns about upheaval in the international order.

"We both think that there are unprecedented deep changes in global affairs," he said.

"There are many problems -- unilateralism, protectionism. China and Germany as responsible countries... must help provide stability."

Wang said China aimed to "deepen dialogue and coordination" and announced a visit to Germany in July by Premier Li Keqiang.

The EU has vowed to hit back at the US with tariffs on American goods, including iconic items such as Harley-Davidson motorbikes, blue jeans and bourbon whiskey.

Germany, the EU's top economy, would be particularly vulnerable to the steel and aluminium tariffs due to its heavy reliance on the auto industry.

The German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), which has calculated that autos and car parts accounted for over a quarter of Germany's 111.5 billion euros ($130.3 billion) in exports to the United States last year, said the US move "should almost be seen as a provocation".

German carmakers exported nearly half a million vehicles to the US in 2017, but they also built over 800,000 cars at American factories where they employ some 36,500 people -- and car parts producers around 80,000 more.Trade relations between the EU and Washington have become steely

Trade tensions between the European Union and the United States ran high Thursday as the clock was ticking for US steel and aluminium tariffs against European producers to kick in.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross on Wednesday rejected calls to extend exemptions on the punishing import tariffs and warned that duties for massive US imports of automobiles were on the horizon.

The prospect of the metals tariffs taking effect on Friday caused mounting frustration in Europe, the single-largest source of US steel imports.

"World trade is not a gunfight at the O.K. Corral," French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire quipped Thursday, in reference to a 1957 western movie.

Le Maire warned that the EU would take "all necessary measures" if the US imposed the tariffs.

- Not a western -

"It's not everyone attacking the other and we see who remains standing at the end," he said, declaring that the stiff taxes would be "unjustified, unjustifiable and dangerous".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU would respond in a "firm and united" manner to the tariffs.

"We want to be exempt from these tariffs" which were "not compatible" with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, Merkel told a press conference with Portuguese premier Antonio Costa in Lisbon.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas meanwhile warned against the threat of protectionism, telling reporters Thursday that international partners could have "no interest in the clock being turned back" on trade policy.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Washington would allow the EU exemption to expire, after weeks of talks failed to yield a compromise, such as a quota arrangement.

EU-US tensions are casting a shadow over a meeting of finance ministers from the world's top economies which opens in a Canadian mountain resort on Thursday.

- Trade hijacks G7 -

The harsh duties imposed in March to combat global overcapacity of the metals and boost domestic production, were only among a flurry of different developments, coinciding with a political crisis in Italy, which this week has roiled markets.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin is due to hold meetings with his European counterparts to discuss President Donald Trump's confrontational trade agenda, officials said.

But Jacob Kirkegaard, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, told AFP that the agenda Canada, the current G7 chair, set for the meeting -- which included uncontroversial themes such as inclusive development and innovation in finance -- would be swept aside amid raw relations between America and its traditional allies.

"Hopefully they can agree to keep talking about these issues, although that is unlikely," he said, adding that Trump's recent actions proved to US allies that Washington would not de-escalate the dispute.

"I think the only thing you can hope for is no further harm."

Last week, the US administration launched a national security-based investigation that could result in stinging tariffs on the autos the US imports annually, just as it has for the smaller aluminium and steel industries.

EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom and Japanese Economy Minister Hiroshige Seko on Thursday warned against such a measure, saying it would cause "serious turmoil in the global markets".

Such tariffs could also "lead to the demise of the multilateral trading system based on WTO rules", the ministers said.

The WTO meanwhile acknowledged that it needed to become "more effective" to retain its central role for global trade.

- Chopping and changing -

Relations among G7 nations represent particularly high stakes as they account for more than 60 percent of global GDP.

And the sectors where Trump has chosen to wage his battles are key to trade in the economic bloc.

More than 60 percent of US auto imports -- an industry that closely binds US and Canadian manufacturing -- come from G7 countries, as well as more than 50 percent of aluminium imports and nearly 36 percent of steel.

Stephanie Segal, deputy director of the Simon Chair in political economy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Washington's many about-faces meant consensus in the near-term was an increasingly dim prospect.

"It doesn't feel particularly constructive to me and I have to believe that the end game is not to create market instability, which is precisely what something like this does," she told AFP.

burs/jh/serPresident Donald Trump says he will issue a pardon to conservative author Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to making an illegal campaign contribution

Saying he was treated "very unfairly," President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he will pardon conservative author and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty four years ago to violating US campaign finance laws.

"Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D'Souza today," Trump tweeted. "He was treated very unfairly by our government!"

D'Souza, 57, a caustic critic of former president Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, was fined $30,000 and sentenced in September 2014 to five years of probation for making illegal campaign contributions.

The Republican pundit and provocateur pleaded guilty to attempting to donate $20,000 to a Senate campaign through straw donors by offering to reimburse associates who sent in the money.

D'Souza also personally contributed $10,000 to the campaign of Republican Wendy Long, who ran unsuccessfully for Senate in New York in 2012.

At the time, the legal limit for an individual contribution was $5,000.

D'Souza told Fox News that Trump called him on Wednesday to tell him he would be pardoned.

"I am thrilled and relieved and elated and as an immigrant in America, my American dream has been under something of a cloud, so I'm very relieved to have that cloud lifted," D'Souza told Fox News.

"President Trump told me he felt I had been treated very unfairly and he felt that I was an important voice for America," D'Souza said. "He wanted to clean my record and adhere to continue doing what I'm doing."

D'Souza is a best-selling author of several books critical of the American left and the influence of religion on US society.

His 2010 book "The Roots of Obama's Rage" was made into a film, "2016: Obama's America," which was popular with conservative groups.

He also made a documentary about Clinton -- "Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party."

- 'Voluntarily pled guilty' -

Before pleading guilty in 2014, D'Souza insisted on his innocence and claimed he was targeted for federal prosecution because of his anti-Obama views.

Judge Richard Berman dismissed the bias claims as completely unfounded. "The defendant's claim of selective prosecution, legally speaking, is all hat, no cattle," he said.

Former US attorney Preet Bharara defended D'Souza's conviction on Thursday.

"The President has the right to pardon but the facts are these," Bharara said on Twitter. "D'Souza intentionally broke the law, voluntarily pled guilty, apologized for his conduct & the judge found no unfairness."

Trump has granted five pardons since taking office including one to Joe Arpaio, a Trump supporter who was convicted of contempt of court for racially profiling Hispanics while serving as a sheriff in Arizona.

Trump also pardoned Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former vice president Dick Cheney's chief-of-staff who was convicted of obstruction of justice and perjury, and Kristian Saucier, a US Navy sailor convicted of taking photos inside a nuclear submarine without permission.

Last week, Trump issued a posthumous pardon to Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight boxing champion, who was sent to prison a century ago in a racially charged case.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas welcomed Trump's announcement that he intended to pardon D'Souza.

"Bravo! @realDonaldTrump," Cruz tweeted. "Dinesh was the subject of a political prosecution, brazenly targeted by the Obama administration bc of his political views."

D'Souza came in for criticism recently for a tweet mocking student survivors of the February 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida.

"Worst news since their parents told them to get summer jobs," D'Souza tweeted next to a photo of students disappointed by the Florida legislature's failure to approve a ban on assault weapons.The Congo forest conference gathered Catholic, Protestant and Muslim delegates in a bid to harness the moral firepower of the faithful in a campaign against illegal logging

Religious groups and delegates of the Pygmy people indigenous to the Democratic Republic of Congo have met to push forward with a campaign to protect the Congo Basin rainforest, participants said.

Wednesday's talks in Kinshasa sought to raise awareness among "various religious denominations" about the Congo Basin forest, a biodiversity hotspot and climate shield, said Henri Muhiya from the Catholic Church's commission for natural resources.

Catholic, Protestant and Muslim delegates attended the meeting, as well as representatives from the Pygmy community, he said.

It was the first meeting since the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative was launched in Oslo a year ago, which sought to harness the moral firepower of the faithful in a campaign against illegal logging, which destroys the habitat and means of sustenance for forest people.

Pygmies are an ethnic group with communities across the Congo Basin and in Rwanda, Burundi and parts of southern Africa. Some live in hunter-gatherer communities.

They were present to contribute their knowledge about the rainforest habitat and the impact of logging.

- The world's 'second lung' -

Participants at the Kinshasa talks agreed on the need to raise public awareness about the forest as a sacred area and how it is used within different spiritual rituals.

The Congo Basin forest straddles Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo and Gabon

The interfaith platform is aimed at "influencing politicians positively, but also influencing the behaviour of the multinationals" about sustainable use of resources, Muhiya said.

"What use will it be to the multinationals to watch the planet disappear?" he asked.

Spread over 220 million hectares (544 million acres), the Congo Basin forest is frequently described as the world's "second lung" after Amazonia in South America.

It straddles the DRC, the Republic of Congo and Gabon.

As well as being a jewel for biodiversity, the Congo Basin also plays a key role in the climate-change equation.

Its peaty soil holds a massive stock of carbon -- the result of billions of years of vegetal growth and decay.

According to scientists at Leeds University in northern England, the Basin holds the equivalent of three years' worth of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Turning this land to agriculture would release huge amounts of greenhouse gases, worsening global warming almost at a stroke, they say.US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs on Thursday

The United States said Thursday it will impose harsh tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, Canada, Mexico at midnight (0400 GMT Friday) -- another move sure to anger Washington's trading partners.

The announcement by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross was sure to cast a long shadow over a meeting of finance ministers from the world's Group of Seven top economies that opens later in the day in Canada.

Ross said talks with the EU had failed to reach a satisfactory agreement to convince Washington to continue the exemption from the tariffs imposed in March.

Meanwhile, negotiations with Canada and Mexico to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement are "taking longer than we had hoped" and there is no "precise date" for concluding them, so their exemption also will be removed, Ross told reporters.

The announcement was confirmed by presidential proclamation shortly after Ross addressed reporters.

Despite weeks of talks with his EU counterparts, Ross said the US was not willing to meet the European demand that the EU be "exempted permanently and unconditionally from these tariffs."

"We had discussions with the European Commission and while we made some progress, they also did not get to the point where it was warranted either to continue the temporary exemption or have a permanent exemption," Ross said.

Ross downplayed the threats of retaliation from those countries, but said talks can continue even amid the dispute to try to find a solution.

And President Donald Trump has the authority to alter the tariffs or impose quotas or "do anything he wishes at any point" -- allowing "potential flexibility" to resolve the issue.

Trump imposed the tariffs of 25 percent on steel and 10 percent on aluminum using a national security justification, which Ross said encompasses a broad array of economic issues.

South Korea negotiated a steel quota, while Argentina, Australia and Brazil have arranged for "limitations on the volume they can ship to the US in lieu of tariffs," Ross said.

"We believe that this combined package achieves the original objectives we set out, which was to constrict imports to a level to allow those industries that operate domestically to do so on a self-sustaining basis going forward."

- Not a western -

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire has warned before the announcement that the EU would take "all necessary measures" if the US imposed the tariffs.

"World trade is not a gunfight at the O.K. Corral," Le Maire quipped, referring to a 1957 western movie

US steel imports

"It's not everyone attacking the other and we see who remains standing at the end," he said, declaring that the stiff taxes would be "unjustified, unjustifiable and dangerous".

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU would respond in a "firm and united" manner to the tariffs.

"We want to be exempt from these tariffs" which were "not compatible" with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, Merkel told a press conference with Portuguese premier Antonio Costa in Lisbon.Workers at Johannesburg's Charlotte Maxkeke Hospital demonstrate over delayed pay

One of South Africa's largest hospitals on Thursday was barricaded and protesting workers set car tyres on fire blocking ambulance access, creating chaos for patients and reportedly disrupting operations.

More than 100 support staff stopped work to demand Johannesburg's Charlotte Maxeke hospital, also known as Joburg General, pay performance bonuses and overtime, the National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) said.

Striking staff, who included nurses and porters, picketed inside the hospital building, up-ended bins and barricaded doors to prevent police from entering the site, an AFP correspondent saw.

Tshepo Mokheranyana, NEHAWU's regional leader, said his union was forced to take action after the government failed to intervene despite a rally at the Health Department in March.

"Employers must never take workers for granted because if workers have worked hard... they should be rewarded for that. No one should take that effort for granted," Mokheranyana told AFP.

The main opposition Democratic Alliance party's shadow health minister, Jack Bloom, told AFP that he had received unconfirmed reports of protestors interrupting surgery, forcing medical staff to retreat while a patient lay on the operating table.

The security presence did appear to be increased both inside and outside the hospital.

The facility has an accident and emergency department and more than 1,000 beds, serving the city of Johannesburg and surrounding areas.

"We have not been paid our bonuses for two years," said a protesting worker who declined to be named.

But not all hospital staff supported the day of action.

"They have intimidated other colleagues in other parts of the hospital, now we are also scared of being" attacked, said one worker as she left the hospital.

Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi condemned the action of the workers.

"I regard this act not as an act of labour, but an act of true hooliganism," he told reporters, "just sheer acts of hooliganism, where people have just gone mad against their fellow human beings".

The union will meet hospital management and government officials on Friday in an effort to resolve the crisis.Ghanaian peacekeepers of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) patrol on March 7, 2018 in Leer, where famine has been declared since February 2017

The UN Security Council on Thursday gave South Sudan's warring sides a month to reach a peace deal or face possible sanctions.

A resolution drafted by the United States narrowly won backing in the 15-member council, picking up nine votes. Six countries abstained, including Russia, China and Ethiopia, a key player in regional peace efforts.

The resolution requires UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report by June 30 on whether a ceasefire agreed in December -- the latest in a string of truce deals -- was holding and whether the sides have "come to a viable political agreement."

If not, the council "shall consider" within five days of the report slapping sanctions on South Sudan's defense minister and five other officials and possibly imposing an arms embargo.

South Sudan won independence from Sudan in 2011, with critical backing from the United States, which remains Juba's biggest aid donor.

But the US administration has grown increasingly frustrated with President Salva Kiir's government as the brutal war grinds on, now in its fourth year.

"The United States has lost its patience," US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council ahead of the vote. "The status quo is unacceptable. It is long past time for all of us to demand better for the South Sudanese people."

Ethiopia and Equatorial Guinea argued that peace efforts must be given more time, but Ivory Coast - the third African country on the council - backed the resolution.

- Detrimental sanctions -

Ethiopia's Ambassador Tekeda Alemu warned that the measure could lead to the collapse of the regional peace effort by the eight-country Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

"Yes, we in the region are also extremely frustrated," Alemu said, but he added that the sanctions resolution "will be detrimental to the process."

Ethiopian-led peace efforts have yet to yield a breakthrough to end the war that began in December 2013 when Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

The United States has put forward a sanctions blacklist of six officials but the council would likely have to give final approval to impose a global travel ban and assets freeze on them.

The proposed sanctions blacklist would target Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk for leading attacks on the northeastern town of Pagak that was captured from rebel forces in 2017.

Also listed is cabinet minister Martin Elia Lomuro for threatening the press, obstructing humanitarian aid and impeding the work of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

Information Minister Michael Makuei is cited for his role in planning an attack in 2014 on a United Nations compound in Bor and overseeing a campaign to suppress the media.

Former military chief Paul Malong faces possible sanctions for ordering government forces to attack civilians, schools and hospitals and deputy army chief of staff Malek Reuben for overseeing an offensive in 2015.

Also included is Koang Rambang Chol for leading attacks in northern Bieh state and ordering his forces to impede the work of aid workers.

Since the start of the war in December 2013, nearly 1.8 million people have been forced to flee their homes and tens of thousands have been killed.EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker warned it was a "bad day" for trade as the bloc said it would retaliate swiftly to new US tariffs on European steel and aluminium imports

The tough steel and aluminium tariffs imposed by the US Thursday on the EU, Canada and Mexico come after three months of escalating tensions.

Here are the key events in the standoff:

- Trump threatens, EU responds -

On March 1, 2018, US President Donald Trump, who has made correcting his nation's trade deficit a priority, announces that he intends to impose heavy tariffs on steel and aluminium imports.

The EU responds by drawing up a hit list of flagship American products it could tax including Harley Davidson motorcycles, blue jeans, bourbon whiskey and peanut butter.

- Heavy taxes -

On March 8, Trump announces tariffs of 25 percent on steel products and 10 percent on aluminium from March 23. He brushes aside warnings from allies on the risks of a trade war with unpredictable consequences.

He bases his move on a rarely used procedure in US trade legislation: article 232 which allows him to limit the import of certain products to protect national security.

- Exemptions to May 1 -

On March 22, on the eve of the tariffs coming into force, Trump announces that they will be suspended until May 1 for the European Union.

Australia, Argentina, Brazil, and South Korea are also exempted, while Canada and Mexico are spared as they are part of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) trade bloc.

China is not exempted and announces tit-for-tat tariffs, slapping duties on US cars.

- EU goes to WTO -

On April 16, the EU follows China in complaining to the World Trade Organization (WTO) over the tariffs.

"Having a substantial interest as an exporter in this case, the European Union requests consultations with the United States" to agree "safeguards", the EU says.

Two days later, the EU's Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom calls for the bloc to be "permanently and unconditionally excluded from these measures". She says the EU will not negotiate with the US on trade issues otherwise.

- EU 'prepared' -

On April 26, the US National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow says that exemptions cannot be extended beyond May 1 unless the EU makes "some concessions with respect to trading practices, tariffs and taxes".

France's Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire says it is not up to Europe to make concessions.

On April 29, leaders of the EU's three largest economies -- Britain, France and Germany -- agree on the need to be "ready to react, if necessary, with efficiency and speed," to new tariffs.

- Exemptions extended -

On May 1, the US says it will extend for 30 days the exemptions from punishing metals tariffs for Canada, Mexico and the EU.

The EU expresses disappointment, saying the decision would "prolong uncertainty," and calls for a permanent exemption.

- Iran, automobile sector -

On May 8, Trump withdraws from the Iran nuclear deal and threatens sanctions on foreign companies trading with Iran.

Ten days later, the EU tells the WTO it is ready to unfurl retaliatory measures against US tariffs on steel and aluminium, which would include European tariffs on motorcycles and bourbon.

On May 23, the White House announces it is considering possible tariffs on automobile imports, causing dismay in the EU, notably among German automakers.

- End of exemptions -

On May 31, the US says it will impose tough tariffs on steel and aluminium imports coming from the EU, Canada, Mexico. The announcement prompts threats of retaliation by angry allies and trading partners.Grief in open waters Im sitting by an open window, watching how the morning light filters in, feeling the brisk accent in the wind....

Remember When  Last week I was talking about grocery stores and box stores we all used to go to, so I thought...

Not all who wander are lost If youre a fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (like I am), then youre probably familiar with one...

Remember When  How America was settled is a passion of mine, since part of my family got here in the 1600s from...Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni called in March for the introduction of a tax on social media use as a way to deal with the consequences of online "gossip"

Ugandan users of Whatsapp, Facebook, Skype and other social media will from July have to pay a daily tax, according to a new law which rights activists said Thursday was a bid to stifle free speech.

Uganda's parliament passed a law late Wednesday imposing a tax of tax of 200 shillings ($0.05, 0.04 euro) a day on users of so-called "over the top" services which publish content bypassing traditional distributors.

The new law does not spell out how the tax would be applied and collected in practice.

Finance Minister David Bahati said the aim of the legislation was only to raise revenue for public services.

However, President Yoweri Museveni wrote to the finance ministry in March urging the introduction of the tax as a way to deal with the consequences of online "gossip".

Journalist and activist Lydia Namubiru said that Museveni sees online communication as a threat to his 32-year rule.

"The president... said it was to stop young people from gossiping but what's ironic about that statement is that it comes after Bobi Wine became a member of parliament through an online campaign," Namubiru told AFP, referring to a musician turned opposition politician who has proved wildly popular with Uganda's frustrated youth.

"It's actually political speech and online organising which has real life implications for him and his power. The overarching intention is to stifle free speech, especially now there is evidence that online organisation works."

Despite the small daily levy, Namubiru said he thinks it will be effective in curtailing social media use, as most Ugandans buy data in small bundles of 500-1,000 shillings.

In April, Uganda's communications regulator instructed internet service providers to suspend unlicensed online news websites, and during the 2016 presidential elections access to social media was shut down.

The new law also imposes a new tax of one percent on mobile money transactions. With little access to formal banking services, many Ugandans rely on mobile telephone companies to store and transfer money electronically.

"Only five million Ugandans countrywide can access the banking sector leaving the rest to mobile money services," said Winnie Kiiza, the opposition leader in parliament as she opposed the move.US doctors issued nearly 200 million prescriptions for OxyContin, pictured, and other opioid painkiller last year, the American Medical Association said

US doctors reduced the number of prescriptions for opioid painkillers last year, continuing a five-year trend, in an effort to reverse a deadly drug abuse epidemic, a report released Thursday said.

The American Medical Association (AMA) found prescriptions for drugs including OxyContin and Vicodin declined nine percent in 2017, or about 19 million fewer prescriptions compared to a year earlier.

Opioid prescriptions are down by 55 million since 2013, a 22 percent reduction nationwide and a sign that "physicians and other health care professionals are increasingly judicious when prescribing opioids," Patrice Harris, chairwoman of the AMA's Opioid Task Force, said in a written statement.

There were still nearly 200 million opioid painkiller prescriptions in the US last year, the AMA report said.

In October, President Donald Trump described the opioid crisis as a national public health emergency.

Overdoses from prescription painkillers and heroin -- a last-resort drug for opioid addicts -- exploded over the last 20 years and kill 115 Americans a day, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a federal agency.

Deaths continue to mount, and significant spikes in opioid fatalities were seen in many states between 2015 and 2016, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Opioids were a factor in more than 42,000 deaths in 2016, and opioid overdose deaths were five times higher in 2016 than 1999, said the CDC.

The Chicago-based AMA, which represents the nation's doctors, also found a 42 percent jump in the number of physicians certified to treat opioid addiction with the drug buprenorphine. There are now more than 50,000 US doctors with the capability.

"What is needed now is a concerted effort to greatly expand access to high quality care for pain and for substance use disorders. Unless and until we do that, this epidemic will not end," Harris said.

US doctors have faced pressure as the overprescribing of opioid drugs mushroomed into a drug abuse epidemic. After patients are hooked on the painkillers, they often turn to the illicit drug market for more pills, the synthetic opioid fentanyl, or the street drug heroin.

Pop icon Prince and rocker Tom Petty are among the most high profile victims of the epidemic.

States and municipalities throughout the US have sued drug makers and distributors, among them Purdue Pharma, which in February announced it was discouraging its salespeople from touting OxyContin.Madagascar has been in the grip of a crisis since April 21, sparked by electoral laws that the opposition say were biased

Madagascar's defence minister, General Beni Xavier Rasolofonirina, threatened on Thursday to deploy security forces if the government and opposition failed to resolve a crisis sparked by controversial election laws.

His warning came after crunch talks between the opposition and government failed to defuse the dispute.

"We call on all of the leaders involved in this crisis who want to obstruct the life of the nation to find a solution," said Rasolofonirina in a statement.

"If this is unsuccessful, the security forces will intervene as the nation's last resort... to avoid a catastrophe."

Madagascar has been rocked by violent protests since April 21 that initially sought to oppose new laws that the opposition said were crafted to bar their candidates from participating in elections expected this year.

Those provisions were then struck down by the courts, causing protestors to switch their focus to the president who they are now calling on to resign.

Last Friday, the Constitutional Court ordered the president, Hery Rajaonarimampianina, to form a government of national unity and to "name a consensus prime minister" within seven days.

The composition of the government should proportionately reflect the outcome of the last legislative elections in 2013, the court ordered.

However, interpreting the ruling has triggered fierce debate between the government and opposition.

Both sides say they hold the majority in parliament, where many legislators have switched allegiances since 2013.

On Thursday, Rajaonarimampianina petitioned the Constitutional Court, urging it to clarify its instructions.

The Court had also given the government and opposition 10 days to mediate their differences although it was unclear if that deadline superseded the seven-day ultimatum.

- 'Time limits' -

Rasolofonirina, the defence minister, called on all sides to resolve the situation "within the time limits imposed by the Constitutional Court in its ruling". He did not specify to which deadline he was referring.

Government and opposition mediators, though not President Rajaonarimampianina nor the opposition leader, met for talks on Thursday organised by the National Reconciliation Council that ended inconclusively. They are expected to continue on Friday.

"We are not here to appoint a new prime minister -- that is not our remit," said the chair of the National Reconciliation Council talks Maka Alphonse.

"We are here as a platform for discussion."

Madagascar has seen a series of popular protest movements since the island nation gained independence from France in 1960, often resulting in bloodshed.

Earlier this month Rasolofonirina appealed to the bitterly opposed political parties to reach an agreement, as anti-government protests in the capital Antananarivo ground on.

Since April 21, hundreds of opposition supporters have occupied the key May 13 square in the heart of the capital Antananarivo, demanding Rajaonarimampianina step down.

The opposition earlier this month snubbed UN special envoy Abdoulaye Bathily who visited the island to broker an end to the political crisis. Bathily did however hold talks with Rajaonarimampianina.

Elected in 2013, Rajaonarimampianina has not yet announced whether he will stand for re-election in the country which has been politically volatile since the final years of former Marxist military leader Didier Ratsiraka's rule. He was voted out in 2001.

Two ex-heads of state and one-time mayors of the capital have already said they will contest this year's polls.

Marc Ravalomanana, who was president from 2002 to 2009, and Andry Rajoelina, who removed Ravalomanana after mass public protests and an army mutiny.

Both were barred from running in 2013 and their parties have been involved in the demonstrations, leading the two men to set aside their past animosity and unite against the current regime.

Augustin Andriamananoro, a close ally of Rajoelina and spokesman for the opposition MAPAR party, said that "it's not for the army to tell us our job".

"There's no room to find a deal. They should just implement the Constitutional Court ruling on appointing a new prime minister and after that we can negotiate."Google-owned Waymo is adding as many as 62,000 Fiat Chrysler minivans to its autonomous fleet in an expanded collaboration announced by the companies on Thursday.

Delivery of the Chrysler Pacifica minivans was expected to begin later this year, with the automaker also exploring the potential to build Waymo technology into a self-driving car it might add to its model line-up for consumers.

'FCA is committed to bringing self-driving technology to our customers in a manner that is safe, efficient and realistic,' chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne said.

Scroll down for video

John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo, is seen in a 2017 photo with a customized Chrysler Pacifica that is being used in the Google-owned firm's autonomous car project

'Strategic partnerships, such as the one we have with Waymo, will help to drive innovative technology to the forefront.'

Waymo plans to launch the 'world's first self-driving transportation service' this year, with people able to summon rides from driverless vehicles using a smartphone application.

The announcement came a day after Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi reportedly said at a Code technology conference that the company is speaking with Waymo about putting its cars to work at the smartphone-summoned ride service.

Uber early this year negotiated a settlement with Waymo over trade secrets purportedly purloined from the self-driving unit of Google-parent Alphabet.

Uber suspended its own autonomous car testing in April after an accident that killed a woman pushing a bicycle in a street in Arizona.

Waymo CEO John Krafcik has publicly contended that the fatal accident involving a self-driving Uber car would not have occurred with his company's technology.

Delivery of the Chrysler Pacifica minivans was expected to begin later this year, with the automaker also exploring the potential to build Waymo technology into a self-driving car it might add to its model line-up for consumers

'Waymo's goal from day one has been to build the world's most experienced driver and give people access to self-driving technology that will make our roads safer,' Waymo chief executive John Krafcik said in a joint release with Fiat.

Fiat and Waymo first announced a self-driving car partnership two years ago, and said that engineers from their companies have been working together since then.

Fiat has delivered 600 Pacifica Hybrid minivans to Waymo so far, the companies said. Earlier this year the companies said 'thousands' more would be added.

Waymo and Jaguar Land Rover in March announced they have joined forces on a posh, self-driving electric car tailored for a ride-hailing service run by the Google-owned firm.

UBER SHUTTERS SELF-DRIVING CARS IN ARIZONA AFTER FATAL CRASH Uber is halting its self-driving car operations in Arizona two months after a crash involving one of its vehicles led to the death of a pedestrian in a Phoenix suburb. The ride-hailing firm, which made the announcement in an internal email, is also laying off 300 drivers who operated the test vehicles on Arizona roads, according to Recode. Among the drivers being let go is Rafaela Vasquez, the driver who was behind the wheel at the time of the fatal crash. In the wake of the crash, Uber executive Eric Meyhofer told employees in the email that the firm would be shifting how it tests autonomous vehicles on the roads. 'When we get back on the road, we intend to drive in a much more limited way to test specific use cases,' Meyhofer wrote, according to Ars Technica, which obtained a copy of the email. 'Taking this approach will allow us to continually hone the safety aspects of our software and operating procedures' 'We have also used the past two months to strengthen our simulation capability, which will allow us to be more efficient with our use of road miles', he continued. Uber was also suspended from self-driving car tests in Arizona by the state's governor Doug Ducey. Advertisement

Waymo and Jaguar said they aim to develop a 'premium self-driving electric vehicle' based on a new I-PACE model.

Waymo appeared to be hitting the accelerator in a race for leadership in autonomous ridesharing, which involves most major automakers, technology developers and services such as Uber and Lyft.

Separately, Japanese telecom giant SoftBank said Thursday it will invest $2.25 billion in General Motors' autonomous car program in exchange for a stake in the venture.

The investment from the SoftBank Vision Fund in the GM Cruise Holdings will be executed in two stages, with the first $900 million coming after the transaction is finalized and another $1.35 billion once GM vehicles are ready for commercialization.

GM has said it plans to commercialize its Cruise program in 2019 through ridesharing.US charge d'affaires Stephanie Williams (C) and commander of US forces in Africa, Thomas Waldhauser (1st-L), with GNA foreign ministry undersecretary Lutfi al-Maghrabi (2nd-R) and chief of staff Abdul Rahman Al Taweel (1st-R) on May 31, 2018

Libya's UN-backed government called for "further cooperation" with the US on Thursday, after meeting an American delegation in the capital Tripoli.

Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj and his top team met with US charge d'affaires Stephanie Williams and Thomas Waldhauser, commander of US forces in Africa.

During the meeting the Libyan side said it wanted to expand economic and development cooperation with Washington, according to a Facebook statement by Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA).

Violence and chaos have dogged Libya since the NATO-backed armed uprising that toppled and killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

It also claimed the lives of US ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans when their consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi was attacked in 2012.

Since the uprising, the United States has spent $635 million supporting the country, according to Williams.

"Over the last year, the United States has increased bilateral assistance to Libya to improve airport security, border security, policing, prison management, and demining capacity," the US envoy said in a statement.

The bilateral meeting came days after Sarraj travelled to Paris to meet with three other Libyan leaders, agreeing to unify parallel institutions and hold elections in December.

Libya continues to be divided by the rival powers, and Williams said US support alone would not solve the country's problems.

"The only lasting solution for Libya is to overcome its political impasse," she said.

"The United States believes that elections should occur as soon as possible, but must be well prepared to avoid further instability," Williams added.

Since Libya's uprising numerous jihadist groups have been active in the country, including the Islamic State which in 2015 seized control of Sirte to the east of Tripoli.

The GNA retook the city the December 2016 with aerial support from the US army.

Waldhauser told the Tripoli meeting that "the hunt for terrorist goes on" in Libya, according to the Facebook post by his hosts.

"AFRICOM forces intercepts and pursues the gatherings of these terrorists, which they target in total coordination with the GNA," he said, in reference to the US forces in Africa.

In late March a senior Al-Qaeda operative was killed in a US air strike in southern Libya, which officials said was coordinated with Sarraj's government.Harvey Weinstein, seen here in court in New York on May 25, 2018, is to be formally arraigned after being indicted by a grand jury on rape and sex crime charges

Disgraced Hollywood powerbroker Harvey Weinstein is due back in court on June 5 to be formally arraigned after being indicted by a grand jury on rape and sex crime charges.

The 66-year-old was initially charged last week in what was hailed a landmark for the #MeToo movement, nearly eight months after his career imploded in a blaze of accusations of misconduct.

He is now expected to plead not guilty during an arraignment scheduled at a New York criminal court next Tuesday at 10 am (1400 GMT).

"Our office will try this case not in the press, but in the courtroom where it belongs," Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said Wednesday. Vance was criticized for failing to prosecute Weinstein in a separate case in 2015.

Weinstein intends to plead not guilty and "strongly denies" the rape and sex crime allegations against him, his lawyer has said.

"We will soon formally move to dismiss the indictment and if this case actually proceeds to trial, we expect Mr Weinstein to be acquitted," Ben Brafman said Wednesday.

The twice-married father of five is indicted with rape in the first and third degrees, stemming from an attack on a woman in 2013, and a criminal sex act against another woman in 2004. Neither victim has been named.

His lawyer says the rape allegation involves a woman with whom Weinstein "shared a 10-year consensual sexual relationship that continued for years" after the alleged incident.

The former movie mogul posted bail at $1 million cash, surrendered his passport and has been fitted with a GPS monitoring device.

His career went down in flames in October over sexual assault allegations following explosive articles in The New York Times and New Yorker, which sparked a sexual harassment reckoning across the United States, in multiple industries.Palestinian Bedouin children play under a bridge on May 30, 2018 near the Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin village, which Israel plans to demolish despite pressure from the European Union to reconsider

The European Union on Thursday urged Israel to reconsider its decision to demolish a Palestinian Bedouin village in the occupied West Bank, saying it undermines "prospects for a lasting peace".

A statement from the EU denounced the intended destruction of the Khan Al-Ahmar village which comes at the same time as the construction of more Israeli settlements on occupied land.

"Building new settlements for Israelis while demolishing Palestinian homes in the same area will only further entrench a one-state reality of unequal rights, perpetual occupation and conflict," the statement said.

The EU referenced a decision made Wednesday to build nearly 2,000 settlement units in the West Bank, while demolishing Khan Al-Ahmar, "the main land reserve of a viable and contiguous Palestinian state".

Israel says the village in Area C, which has 180 inhabitants and is located near several Israeli settlements east of Jerusalem, was built without a permit.

"These developments, alongside a number of other related actions taken in recent months, seriously undermine the viability of a negotiated two-state solution and the prospects for a lasting peace," the statement said.

"In line with our long-standing position on Israels settlement policy, illegal under international law, and actions taken in that context, such as forced transfers, evictions, demolitions and confiscations of homes, the EU expects the Israeli authorities to reconsider and reverse these decisions."

The EU said it has raised the issue directly with the Israeli authorities."I disagree with this decision," House Speaker Paul Ryan, the most influential Republican in Congress, said in a statement

Top congressional Republicans on Thursday attacked US President Donald Trump's announced tariffs on steel from the European Union, Canada and Mexico, warning that punitive measures should be targeting China instead of America's allies.

"I disagree with this decision," House Speaker Paul Ryan, the most influential Republican in Congress, said in a statement.

"Today's action targets America's allies when we should be working with them to address the unfair trading practices of countries like China," he added, saying he intends to work with the president on "better options" to help US workers and consumers.

"These tariffs are hitting the wrong target," added House Ways and Means Committee chairman Kevin Brady, saying Europe, Mexico and Canada "are not the problem -- China is."

As the announced tariffs prompted threats of retaliation, and an immediate riposte from Mexico, several lawmakers in Trump's Republican Party urged a continuation of the exemptions for such major partners, instead of taking actions that risk a trade war.

While trade inequities exist between Washington and Europe, the far bigger beef is with Beijing, according to Senator Marco Rubio.

"Instead of opening up another front in trade disputes, we should be teaming up with Europe to confront China," Rubio said, in comments similar to those of several Democrats.

The Trump administration has been working on finalizing some version of its trade sanctions on China announced in March that included restrictions on Chinese investment, export controls and 25 percent tariffs on as much as $50 billion in Chinese tech goods.

Senate Finance Committee chairman Orrin Hatch described the tariffs as "a tax hike on Americans" that will have damaging consequences for consumers, manufacturers and workers alike.

"In light of the mounting evidence that these tariffs will harm Americans, I will continue to push the administration to change course," he said in a statement.

Fellow Republican Senator Ben Sasse, an occasional Trump critic, offered a less delicate assessment.

"This is dumb," he said.

"You don't treat allies the same way you treat opponents," he added, warning that blanket protectionism was one of the triggers of America's Great Depression.PHOENIX (AP) - A Texas school district has placed advertisements on Phoenix billboards in an attempt to recruit Arizona teachers to a city with higher pay.

The Fort Worth Independent School District has rented five digital billboards in Phoenix that advertise a starting teacher salary of $52,000. The billboards went live on Monday and will stay up for a month.

The Fort Worth district is targeting veteran teachers looking for a change as well recent graduates seeking their first teaching job, said Clint Bond, a district spokesman. The district, which serves about 86,000 students and has more than 10,000 employees, has up to 800 job openings.

A billboard in Phoenix, Ariz., advertises for teachers to come to Texas for jobs Wednesday, May 30, 2018. The Fort Worth Independent School District has rented five digital billboards in Phoenix that advertise a starting teacher salary of $52,000. The billboards went live on Monday, May 28, 2018, and will stay up for a month. (AP Photo/Astrid Galvan)

The district is looking for teachers in both Oklahoma and Arizona, the sites of recent statewide protests over teacher pay. Arizona lawmakers approved a plan to hike teacher salaries after a six-day walkout by educators that shut down most schools statewide. The teachers' effort secured a 20 percent pay raise over three years from lawmakers and Republican Gov. Doug Ducey.

"That was the kind of passion, the kind of commitment, the kind of dedication to students we were looking for," Bond said.

Arizona was once a state that offered competitive salaries, drawing in teachers from outside the state, Arizona Education Association Vice President Marisol Garcia told KPNX-TV.

"We are losing and bleeding teachers to places like Fort Worth," Garcia said.

An offer of higher pay outside the state might be too good pass off, Garcia said.

"It might be a big chance to make money for your family," Garcia said.

In a statement from the governor office, a spokesperson said the state is working to retain teachers and districts are beginning to approve teacher raises.

"It's no surprise Texas is after our teachers. They are the best in the country. Gov. Ducey wants to do everything we can to keep great teachers here in the state of Arizona," the governor's office said.CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) - Authorities say a Florida police officer has shot and wounded a teen who had been involved in a drug-related shootout with other people.

Coral Springs Police Sgt. Carla Kmiotek tells The Sun Sentinel that the shooting occurred early Wednesday morning.

Kmiotek says officers responded to reports of gunfire between two cars. She says an officer spotted one of the cars involved in the shooting and chased it. The fleeing car eventually crashed.

Police say officers repeatedly told the driver to get on the ground, but the 17-year-old driver pointed a handgun at one officer, who fired several times and struck the teen once in each leg.

The teen faces several charges, including aggravated assault with a firearm on a law enforcement officer.

The races of the suspect and officer weren't immediately released.

___

Information from: Sun Sentinel , http://www.sun-sentinel.com/Heavy rains generated by subtropical Storm Alberto unleashed flooding in Virginia that washed out bridges, damaged homes, closed schools and transformed a normally peaceful creek into a raging river that swept away cars with people still in them. At least one person was killed and rescuers were searching for others.

Rescue crews searching in and around Ivy Creek found the body of one of two occupants of a Toyota Prius that was washed off the road Wednesday night, Albemarle County police said. A search continued late Thursday afternoon for the second person, while farther north in Madison County, the sheriff's office said rescuers were searching for a female reported missing in water the night before.

The storm, already blamed for at least four deaths in the U.S. earlier in the week, was pushing across the Great Lakes on Thursday. But the National Weather Service said the potential for more rainfall and flash flooding would continue for the Southeast, the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic through the end of the week.

Pipes and wires are exposed after a culvert washed out a section of road on Holkham Drive in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, Va., Thursday, May 31, 2018, following heavy overnight rains. (Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP)

Since making landfall on Memorial Day in the Florida Panhandle, Alberto's heavy rains have been widespread, with flooding reported from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and West Virginia.

In Albemarle County, the Toyota Prius and a second car were swept into Ivy Creek around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. The occupant of one car was able to swim to a safe location, police said in a news release. But witnesses saw a man and woman get swept away as they climbed out of the Prius, Albemarle County Fire Rescue Chief Dan Eggleston said at a news conference.

"Ivy Creek is normally a very docile creek but with 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 centimeters) of rain ... it turned into a swollen, raging river. And It just tossed and turned both of those vehicles," he said.

Authorities also responded to at least 10 other water rescues and received reports of damage to homes, the extent of which wasn't immediately clear, Eggleston said.

Schools in the county were closed due to poor road conditions. Authorities throughout the region posted photos of washed-out roads and bridges, and they warned people to avoid unnecessary travel. One photo posted by the city of Charlottesville showed a playground partially submerged under floodwaters.

Eggleston warned of the possibility of more flooding as soon as Thursday evening, when there was a chance of additional rain.

"Everything is just bubbling," he said. "The streams are overflowing right now. Everything's at full capacity, if not more. So any additional rain would just make them swell again."

Elsewhere in the Southeast, the storms triggered flooding and mudslides.

In the North Carolina mountain town of Boone, one of those mudslides was blamed for a gas leak and explosion that destroyed a home Wednesday afternoon, killing two people.

Four North Carolina dams being closely watched by a state team of special engineers were holding up, Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday. But Cooper went ahead and declared a state of emergency for his hard-hit mountain counties, saying the forecast for the rest of the week calls for isolated heavy rain storms that could instantly cause flooding in areas that have had 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain in the past 15 days.

"This storm isn't yet over. I'm urging people to keep a close eye on forecasts," Cooper said.

A photo posted by The Asheville Citizen-Times showed a popular park in the tourist-friendly city overrun by water from the French Broad River.

Two deaths had previously been reported in the U.S. during the storm's passage. A television news anchor and a photojournalist were killed Monday in North Carolina while covering the weather, when a tree became uprooted from rain-soaked ground and toppled onto their SUV, authorities said. WYFF-TV of Greenville, South Carolina, said news anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer died.

Authorities in Cuba say Alberto left four people dead there as the storm drenched the island in heavy rain. Interior Minister Julio Cesar Gandarilla said late Tuesday they died as a result of "recklessness" during the storm. He gave no details. The deaths occurred as authorities worked to contain an oil spill in central Cuba's Cienfuegos Bay that followed the flooding of nearby oil refinery.

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Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Sarah Rankin reported from Richmond, Virginia. Associated Press writer Jack Jones, also in Columbia, contributed to this report.

Water levels along the Rivanna Reservoir rose near the bridge on Woodlands Road in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, Va., Thursday, May 31, 2018, following heavy rains. (Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP)

Dan Ensley, coaching director of SOCA, looks at the flooded playing fields in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, Va., Thursday, May 31, 2018, following heavy overnight rains. (Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP)

A car is partially submerged in a creek on Spainhour Road in Morganton, N.C on Thursday, May 31, 2018. According to a local resident, the driver of the vehicle attempted to drive through the flooded road around 4:30 am Wednesday morning. The car floated down the road and into the creek. The driver was rescued by emergency workers. Continuous rain over the last week has caused numerous flood damage and forced evacuations of local residents. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

Search crews from the Albemarle County Sheriff's Department found a body, Thursday, May 31, 2018, believed to have been swept away in flood waters, as rescue crews searched for a vehicle that was swept into Ivy Creek in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, Va., following heavy rains. (Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP)

Albemarle County police block Old Ballard Road, Thursday, May 31, 2018, as rescue crews searched for a vehicle that was swept into Ivy Creek in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, Va., following heavy rains. (Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP)

The Rivanna River floods its banks under the Free Bridge in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, Va., Thursday, May 31, 2018, following heavy overnight rains. (Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP)

Baily Crockett with the Albemarle Service Authority points to a culvert that washed out a section of road on Holkham Drive in Albemarle County, near Charlottesville, Va., Thursday, May 31, 2018, following heavy overnight rains. (Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP)

Connor Robins, 9, plays at the edge of floodwaters Thursday, May 31, 2018, that covered the playground and most of the trails at Riverview Park after heavy overnight rains caused the Rivanna River to flood in Albemarle County Near Charlottesville, Va. (Andrew Shurtleff/The Daily Progress via AP)

State of North Carolina Division of Highway workers secure a landslide that occurred on Waterfalls Road early on Thursday, May 31, 2018, near Lenoir, N.C. Continuous rain over the last week has caused numerous flood damage and forced evacuations of local residents. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)

A car is partially submerged in a creek on Spainhour Road in Morganton, N.C on Thursday, May 31, 2018. According to a local resident, the driver of the vehicle attempted to drive through the flooded road around 4:30 am Wednesday morning. The car floated down the road and into the creek. The driver was rescued by emergency workers. Continuous rain over the last week has caused numerous flood damage and forced evacuations of local residents. (AP Photo/Kathy Kmonicek)MILAN, Ohio (AP) - The Ohio hometown of Thomas Edison now has two statues honoring the inventor.

A new statue sits in the town square of Milan (MY'-lan), where Edison spent the first seven years of his life.

It was made by Ohio sculptor Alan Cottrill and is similar to another Edison statue Cottrill created and is now displayed at the U.S. Capitol.

The new statue in Milan shows Edison holding a light bulb in one hand and a phonograph in the other.

The Sandusky Register reports a large crowd showed up for the unveiling on Monday.

There's a second statue of Edison in the town square that depicts him as a child with his mother.

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Information from: Sandusky Register, http://www.sanduskyregister.com/cgi-bin/liveique.acgi$sch=frontpage?frontpageTrump tariffs on US allies draw retaliation threats

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Trump administration delivered a gut punch to America's closest allies Thursday, imposing tariffs on steel and aluminum from Europe, Mexico and Canada in a move that drew immediate vows of retaliation.

Stock prices slumped amid fears of a trade war, with the Dow Jones industrial average falling nearly 252 points, or 1 percent, to 24,415.84.

The import duties threaten to drive up prices for American consumers and companies and are likely to heighten uncertainty for businesses and investors around the globe.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said the tariffs - 25 percent on imported steel, 10 percent on aluminum - would take effect Friday.

President Donald Trump had originally imposed the tariffs in March, saying a reliance on imported metals threatened national security. But he exempted Canada, Mexico and the European Union to buy time for negotiations - a reprieve set to expire at midnight Thursday.

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North Koreans to meet Trump; 'good progress' toward summit

NEW YORK (AP) - A top aide to Kim Jong Un will make a rare visit to Washington Friday to hand a letter from the North Korean leader to President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said after reporting "good progress" in talks between the two sides to revive an on-again, off-again nuclear summit.

"I am confident we are moving in the right direction," Pompeo told reporters at a news conference in New York after meeting Thursday with former North Korean military intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol. "Our two countries face a pivotal moment in our relationship, and it would be nothing short of tragic to let this opportunity go to waste."

He would not say that the summit is a definite go for Singapore on June 12 and could not say if that decision would be made after Trump reads Kim Jong Un's letter. However, his comments were the most positive from any U.S. official since Trump abruptly canceled the meeting last week after belligerent statements from the North.

The two countries, eying the first summit between the U.S. and the North after six decades of hostility, have also been holding negotiations in Singapore and the demilitarized zone between the two Koreas.

Early Thursday, Trump told reporters "we are doing very well" with North Korea. He added there may even need to be a second or third summit meeting to reach a deal on North Korean denuclearization but still hedged, saying "maybe we'll have none."

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Italy edges toward populist-led government on second try

MILAN (AP) - Italy advanced swiftly toward a populist government on a second try Thursday, after the leaders of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the right-wing League announced a compromise deal aimed at overcoming the president's objections.

With developments moving quickly, the premier-designate tapped at the beginning of the week to head an interim government of technocrats stepped aside, while President Sergio Mattarella called a meeting with the populist's pick: a law professor whose attempt to form a government failed four days ago.

Political neophyte Giuseppe Conte, who skipped teaching a class at the University of Florence to return to Rome, was summoned to meet Mattarella at the presidential palace Thursday night.

After months of stalemate followed an inconclusive parliamentary election in March, the Italian political landscape has shifted into overdrive.

Earlier in the day, the leader of the 5-Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, and League leader Matteo Salvini canceled other engagements to meet at the parliament. They issued a statement in the afternoon stating they had achieved "the conditions for a political government."

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Makeup and pig's blood: Reporter describes his faked slaying

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) - To mimic gore, they used makeup and pig's blood. They shot bullet holes in one of his sweatshirts. And to top off Arkady Babchenko's staged murder, they even took him to the morgue.

The journalist revealed Thursday how Ukrainian security services faked his murder to thwart a contract hit allegedly arranged by Babchenko's native Russia.

Police said Tuesday night that Babchenko had been shot and killed in his apartment building. The next day, he showed up alive in front of journalists and authorities revealed that it all had been a ruse and said that the organizer of the planned assassination had been arrested.

At a news conference, Babchenko himself wasn't clear on why the security services thought the elaborate deception was necessary.

"They probably had their reasons. Maybe they wanted to collect proof that would be 100 percent solid," he told reporters.

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Former dean convicted of shooting student over marijuana

BOSTON (AP) - A former high school dean known as an anti-violence advocate was convicted Thursday of shooting and nearly killing a student he had recruited to sell marijuana for him.

Shaun Harrison, 58, was found guilty of all charges, including armed assault with intent to murder, by a Suffolk Superior Court jury in its second day of deliberations.

"Shaun Harrison was really a fraud, he was living a lie, and it was clearly exposed in this case," District Attorney Dan Conley said. "Not only was he not a man of God or a role model for young people, he manipulated them in a way that was terribly offensive."

Harrison, who had worked as a dean at Boston English High School for five years, recruited 17-year-old Luis Rodriguez to sell marijuana for him at the school and shot him on March 3, 2015, because he believed the student was not generating enough sales and withholding money.

Rodriguez, now 20, testified that he came from a dysfunctional family and trusted Harrison, who students nicknamed "Rev."

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Comic Samantha Bee apologizes to Ivanka Trump for slur

NEW YORK (AP) - Comedian Samantha Bee apologized to Ivanka Trump and viewers on Thursday for using an obscenity to describe the president's daughter, an incident that quickly thrust her into the middle of the nation's political divide.

Her network, TBS, also said it was "our mistake, too," in allowing the language on Bee's show, "Full Frontal," on Wednesday. Her show is taped and not aired live.

Bee called Ivanka Trump a "feckless c---" toward the end of a segment about President Trump's immigration policies. She used the slur in urging Ivanka Trump to speak to her father about policies that separate children from their parents.

"Put on something tight and low-cut and tell your father to f---ing stop it," she said.

Bee, a former correspondent on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart whose own show has been one of TBS' big successes since it started in 2016, said that her language was "inappropriate and inexcusable.

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Trump mulls commuting Blagojevich's term, pardoning Stewart

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump said Thursday he's considering commuting the sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who was convicted of corruption, and pardoning lifestyle entrepreneur Martha Stewart, who served a stint in federal prison after being convicted of charges related to a stock sale.

Hours earlier, Trump said on Twitter that he will pardon conservative commentator and Obama critic Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty to campaign finance fraud. The White House announced later Thursday that the pardon had been granted.

As he left Washington to fly to Texas, Trump tweeted: "Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D'Souza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!" D'Souza, an outspoken critic of former President Barack Obama, had claimed that his prosecution by the Obama Justice Department was politically motivated, but the presiding federal judge said D'Souza had failed to prove it.

Trump later shared his thoughts on Blagojevich and Stewart with the reporters accompanying him on Air Force One. Both had connections to Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" reality television show: Blagojevich was a contestant in 2010 and Stewart hosted the 2005 spinoff series, "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart."

Blagojevich was convicted on numerous counts of corruption, including for trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by Obama and for shaking down a children's hospital. As governor, he had the right to name someone to fill the Senate vacancy, but he was caught on FBI wiretaps discussing ways to make money off of it. He began serving a 14-year prison sentence in 2012 and is scheduled for release in 2024.

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St. Paul archdiocese to pay $210M to clergy abuse victims

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced a $210 million settlement Thursday with 450 victims of clergy sexual abuse as part of its plan for bankruptcy reorganization, making this the second-largest payout in the scandal that rocked the nation's Roman Catholic Church.

Victims' attorney Jeff Anderson said the money, a total of $210,290,724, will go into a pot to pay survivors, with the amount for each survivor to be determined.

Anderson said a formal reorganization plan will now be submitted to a bankruptcy judge for approval, and then it will be sent to the victims for a vote. Anderson expected they will readily approve it.

"We changed the playing field," said Jim Keenan, who was sexually abused as a child in the 1980s by a Twin Cities-area priest. "They have to listen to victims now, and that is huge."

Marie Mielke, who was sexually abused from 1997 to 2000 by a St. Paul seminarian who later became a priest, urged fellow survivors to have the courage to stand up.

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All business: Spelling bee finalists cut out distractions

OXON HILL, Md. (AP) - Naysa Modi attended the festive Memorial Day barbecue that kicks off the week for competitors in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, but she left on the first bus available to return to the convention center outside Washington where the bee is staged. She blew off that evening's opening ceremonies, too, feeling like she'd seen it all before.

Naysa, who first competed in the bee as a cherubic 9-year-old, is now a poised and accomplished speller in her fourth appearance, with a businesslike approach to match.

"I know what to expect now. I'm not that overwhelmed," said Naysa, whose outgoing personality masks a fierce competitive drive.

"I try not to think about it," she added, "but I know inside I have expectations for how I'm going to do."

The 12-year-old seventh-grader from Frisco, Texas, was one of 16 spellers who advanced to Thursday's prime-time finals after surviving five rounds that stretched over 4 hours and were never quite difficult enough for the unflappable group onstage.

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New business deals bring autonomous vehicles a step closer

DETROIT (AP) - Two technology giants announced major new investments in self-driving vehicles Thursday, bringing the world a step closer to a time when autonomous cars are a part of everyday life - a reality that General Motors aims to achieve in some places as early as next year.

The deals, and other ongoing negotiations, show that the technology is authentic and it's accelerating.

"It's all starting to coalesce into something that's more real," said Navigant Research analyst Sam Abuelsamid, who closely follows autonomous vehicle developments.

SoftBank, a giant Japanese tech investment firm, announced Thursday it would spend $2.25 billion for a 20 percent stake in GM's autonomous vehicle business. Then Waymo, Google's self-driving operation, said it would buy up to 62,000 more minivans from Fiat Chrysler to expand its soon-to-start ride-hailing venture.

Not to be outdone, Uber's new CEO said at a Wednesday conference that he's in talks with Waymo about adding Waymo self-driving vehicles to the Uber network to carry passengers, although there was no indication that was imminent.The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll on long-term care was conducted March 13-April 5 by NORC at the University of Chicago, with funding from the SCAN Foundation. It is based on online and telephone interviews of 1,845 adults, including 1,522 adults age 40 and over, who are members of NORC's nationally representative AmeriSpeak panel.

The AmeriSpeak panel includes respondents originally selected randomly from NORC's National Frame based on address-based sampling and recruited by mail, email, telephone and face-to-face interviews.

NORC interviews participants over the phone if they don't have internet access. With a probability basis and coverage of people who can't access the internet, surveys using AmeriSpeak are nationally representative.

Interviews with AmeriSpeak panelists were conducted in English and Spanish.

As is done routinely in surveys, results were weighted, or adjusted, to ensure that responses accurately reflect the population's makeup by factors such as age, sex, education, census region and race. In addition, the weighting took into account patterns of nonresponse among panel members selected for the survey.

No more than 1 time in 20 should chance variations in the sample cause the results to vary by more than plus or minus 3.3 percentage points from the answers that would be obtained if all adults in the U.S. were polled.

There are other sources of potential error in polls, including the wording and order of questions.

The questions and results are available at http://www.longtermcarepoll.org/.JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens didn't follow the normal path to political power, nor is he taking the usual exit from office.

Greitens, who won election as a political outsider promising to clean up government, will resign Friday after striking a deal with a prosecutor to avoid trial on a felony campaign-finance charge. The arrangement includes no admission of wrongdoing.

The dropped charge alleging that he illegally used a veterans' charity donor list for his gubernatorial campaign was just the tip of Greitens' problems. The Republican governor also faced potential impeachment by the Missouri House, the potential refiling of sexual misconduct charges related to an extramarital affair and an ongoing Missouri Ethics Commission investigation into complaints of more campaign-finance violations.

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens reads from a prepared statement as he announces his resignation during a news conference, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at the state Capitol, in Jefferson City, Mo. Greitens resigned amid a widening investigation that arose from an affair with his former hairdresser. Greitens said his resignation would take effect Friday. (Julie Smith/The Jefferson City News-Tribune via AP)

When he formally steps down at 5 p.m. Friday, Greitens will have served for 509 days - just one-third of the term to which voters elected him in 2016. It will mark the first time a Missouri governor has resigned since 1857, when Gov. Trusten Polk left to join the U.S. Senate. Greitens will be the only Missouri governor to quit amid scandal.

"The fall in less than a year and a half is remarkable," said Mark Rushefsky, a retired Missouri State University professor who taught political science there for nearly three decades.

Greitens' resume was equally remarkable when he jumped into the governor's race in 2015. He was a Rhodes scholar who had traveled the world on humanitarian missions before becoming a Navy SEAL officer. He founded the veterans' charity, became a best-selling author and then a motivational speaker. A lifelong Democrat, Greitens switched to the Republican Party before launching his first and only bid for office.

"If you look at the previous governors in Missouri, they've been secretary of state. They've held local offices and things like that. They built a career in politics," Rushefsky said. "Greitens was kind of the anti-political politician."

The beginning of the end for Greitens came on Jan. 10. Shortly after his State of the State speech, a St. Louis TV station aired an audio recording of a woman telling her husband how she had an affair with Greitens, who had bound her hands, blindfolded her, taken a compromising photo and warned her that he would distribute it if she ever said anything about their encounter.

The governor acknowledged having the affair in 2015, before he was elected, but he has not directly answered questions about whether he restrained and photographed the woman. He has denied making any threat of blackmail.

He remained in office nearly five more months, racking up millions of dollars in legal bills while fighting a legislative investigation and criminal charges that arose from his affair and political fundraising. Greitens cited the financial and personal strain while announcing his resignation Tuesday.

Michael Gerhardt, a University of North Carolina law professor who has written a soon-to-be released book about state and federal impeachment processes, said what strikes him most about Greitens' case is that he was forced from office relatively quickly.

"For a guy who was supposed to be the future of his party, it unwound remarkably fast," Gerhardt said. "That's pretty fast for someone to go from the heights to the depths."

Also unusual is the deal which Greitens struck to step down.

Last year in Alabama, Republican Gov. Robert Bentley faced potential impeachment over allegations that he used state resources to hide an affair with a top aide. Bentley resigned as part of a deal with the attorney general's office that included him pleading guilty to two misdemeanor charges of violating state campaign-finance laws.

Greitens' deal with St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner includes no guilty plea to anything.

To the contrary, Greitens defiantly declared while announcing his resignation that he had "not broken any laws or committed any offense worthy of this treatment."

He still faces the potential that a special prosecutor could refile charges stemming his actions in the affair. And the House investigation may also linger.

A House spokesman confirmed Thursday that lawmakers still expect Greitens' campaign and an organization called A New Missouri to comply with a court order to turn over subpoenaed records by Friday detailing any coordination between Greitens, his campaign and the nonprofit group that has supported his agenda.

Though he's resigning, the deal Greitens struck with the St. Louis prosecutor is still "a good result for him," said Michael Wolff, a former chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court and former dean of the Saint Louis University Law School.

Greitens can still say he was never impeached and - unless other future charges are brought - never convicted of anything.

"In six months, I think it's possible you'll have a lot of, 'Oh, I was pushed out by this liberal cabal,'" Wolff said.

Jean Paul Bradshaw II, a Kansas City lawyer who is a former U.S. attorney for western Missouri, said "in a perfect world," a prosecutor would have required Greitens to plead guilty to a lesser charge to resolve the computer data tampering case. But his resignation still addresses a public interest, he said.

"Is it the best resolution? Maybe not," Bradshaw said. "But this is a fair resolution."

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Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas.

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Follow David A. Lieb at: http://twitter.com/DavidALieb and John Hanna at: http://twitter.com/APjdhanna .

St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner speaks at a news conference Wednesday, May 30, 2018, announcing that her office dismissed felony computer data tampering charges against Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens. Greitens announced his resignation Tuesday, May 29, 2018, effective on Friday. (AP Photo/Jim Salter)

FILE - In this May 17, 2018 file photo, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens looks on before speaking at an event near the capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. Greitens, a sometimes brash outsider whose unconventional resume as a Rhodes Scholar and Navy SEAL officer made him a rising star in Republican politics, abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday, May 29, 2018, after a scandal involving an affair with his former hairdresser led to a broader investigation by prosecutors and state legislators. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens reads from a prepared statement as he announces his resignation during a news conference, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at the state Capitol, in Jefferson City, Mo. Greitens resigned amid a widening investigation that arose from an affair with his former hairdresser. Greitens said his resignation would take effect Friday. (Julie Smith/The Jefferson City News-Tribune via AP)

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens reads from a prepared statement as he announces his resignation during a news conference, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at the state Capitol, in Jefferson City, Mo. Greitens resigned amid a widening investigation that arose from an affair with his former hairdresser. Greitens said his resignation would take effect Friday. (Julie Smith/The Jefferson City News-Tribune via AP)

Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens reads from a prepared statement as he announces his resignation during a news conference, Tuesday, May 29, 2018, at the state Capitol, in Jefferson City, Mo. Greitens resigned amid a widening investigation that arose from an affair with his former hairdresser. Greitens said his resignation would take effect Friday. (Julie Smith/The Jefferson City News-Tribune via AP)

FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2017, file photo, Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens gives his inaugural address from the steps of the capitol in Jefferson City, Mo. Greitens, a sometimes brash outsider whose unconventional resume as a Rhodes Scholar and Navy SEAL officer made him a rising star in Republican politics, abruptly announced his resignation Tuesday, May 29, 2018, after a scandal involving an affair with his former hairdresser led to a broader investigation by prosecutors and state legislators. The resignation takes effect Friday. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner, File)CARSON, Calif. (AP) - Ryan Hollingshead had a goal and an assist, helping FC Dallas beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 on Wednesday night.

Dallas (6-1-5) is unbeaten in its last six games against Los Angeles (5-7-1).

FC Dallas scored two goals seven minutes apart in the first half. Mauro Diaz sent a pass along the top of the 18-yard box and Ryan Hollingshead curled it inside the post in the 33rd minute. It was Diaz's seventh assist of the year. In the 40th minute, Hollingshead passed it across goal to find Cristian Colman at the far post for a bouncing header.

Carlos Gruezo added a breakaway goal in the 66th for a 3-0 lead.

Los Angeles got on the board in the 69th when Zlatan Ibrahimovic rolled a shot inside the far post following a defensive turnover. He scored on a volley in stoppage time after FC Dallas was reduced to 10 men following Colman's red card.BANGKOK (AP) - A Thai appeals court on Thursday vindicated a British labor rights activist entangled in a years-long legal confrontation with a fruit-packing company after he publicized alleged human rights violations at its factory.

The legal victory for Andy Hall was welcomed by Amnesty International but is not necessarily the end of protracted court battles that forced him to leave Thailand in 2016.

A criminal defamation and other cases against Hall stemmed from a 2013 report he researched for Finnish consumer organization Finnwatch that alleged labor abuses at Natural Fruit's pineapple canning operation. It employed migrant workers from Myanmar who said the company abused them and broke labor regulations.

FILE - In this Nov. 3, 2016, file photo, British labor rights activist Andy Hall talks to reporters at the Supreme Court in Bangkok. A Thai court of appeal dismissed criminal defamation charges against Hall who was sued by a fruit packaging company after he alleged human rights violations at its factory. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)

Sunya Joongdee, a lawyer for Hall, said Thursday's court ruling dismissed the criminal defamation case, which also resulted in the collapse of a case under Thailand's computer crimes law. It outlaws publishing what is deemed false information online.

He said the court accepted that Hall's interviews with migrant workers revealed allegations of rights violations that should be made public. Hall was found guilty of criminal defamation in 2016, fined and given a suspended prison sentence.

Natural Fruit, owned by businessman Wirat Piyapornpaiboon, can appeal to the Supreme Court. Other cases brought by both sides as the legal battle escalated are still before the courts.

On Twitter, Hall said he had previously lost hope of justice but now a "flame was reignited in my heart."

"There is still the possibility that today's verdict could lead in some way to peace and reconciliation," he said.

Amnesty International's Thailand campaigner, Katherine Gerson, said the ruling should be followed with repeal of the criminal defamation law to prevent companies using the courts to harass activists who campaign against abusive corporate practices.

"This successful appeal is very welcome, and it underlines how the original conviction against Andy Hall was an abuse of justice that should never have been allowed," she said in a statement.

Finnwatch also welcomed the ruling. Its executive director, Sonja Vartiala, said the appeal court's decision was a "much needed acknowledgement" that Hall's work researching allegations of human rights abuses against migrant workers was legitimate and in the public interest.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - When Oregon lawmakers created the state's legal marijuana program, they had one goal in mind above all else: to convince illicit pot growers to leave the black market.

That meant low barriers for entering the industry that also targeted long-standing medical marijuana growers, whose product is not taxed. As a result, weed production boomed - with a bitter consequence.

Now, marijuana prices here are in freefall, and the craft cannabis farmers who put Oregon on the map decades before broad legalization say they are in peril of losing their now-legal businesses as the market adjusts.

FILE - In this Sept. 30, 2016, file photo, a marijuana harvester examines buds going through a trimming machine near Corvallis, Ore. Three years after Oregon lawmakers created the state's new legal marijuana program, marijuana prices in the state are in free fall and the craft cannabis farmers who put Oregon on the map decades before legalization are losing their businesses to emerging chains and out-of-state investors. (AP Photo/Andrew Selsky, File)

Oregon regulators on Wednesday announced they will stop processing new applications for marijuana licenses in two weeks to address a severe backlog and ask state lawmakers to take up the issue next year.

Experts say the dizzying evolution of Oregon's marijuana industry may well be a cautionary tale for California, where a similar regulatory structure could mean an oversupply on a much larger scale.

"For the way the program is set up, the state (California) just wants to get as many people in as possible, and they make no bones about it," said Hilary Bricken, a Los Angeles-based attorney specializing in marijuana business law. "Most of these companies will fail as a result of oversaturation."

Oregon has nearly 1 million pounds (453,600 kilograms) of marijuana flower - commonly called bud - in its inventory, a staggering amount for a state with about 4 million people. Producers told The Associated Press wholesale prices fell more than 50 percent in the past year; a study by the state's Office of Economic Analysis found the retail cost of a gram of marijuana fell from $14 in 2015 to $7 in 2017.

The oversupply can be traced largely to state lawmakers' and regulators' earliest decisions to shape the industry.

They were acutely aware of Oregon's entrenched history of providing top-drawer pot to the black market nationwide, as well as a concentration of small farmers who had years of cultivation experience in the legal, but largely unregulated, medical pot program.

Getting those growers into the system was critical if a legitimate industry was to flourish, said Sen. Ginny Burdick, a Portland Democrat who co-chaired a committee created to implement the voter-approved legalization measure.

Lawmakers decided not to cap licenses; to allow businesses to apply for multiple licenses; and to implement relatively inexpensive licensing fees.

Oregon's Liquor Control Commission announced Wednesday it will put aside applications for new licenses received after June 15 until a backlog of pending applications is cleared. The decision comes after U.S. Attorney Billy Williams challenged state officials to address the oversupply.

"In my view, and frankly in the view of those in the industry that I've heard from, it's a failing of the state for not stepping back and taking a look at where this industry is at following legalization," Williams told the AP in a phone interview.

But those in the industry supported the initial decisions that led to the oversupply, Burdick said.

"We really tried to focus on policies that would rein in the medical industry and snuff out the black market as much as possible," Burdick said.

Lawmakers also quickly backtracked on a rule requiring marijuana businesses have a majority ownership by someone with Oregon residency after entrepreneurs complained it was hard to secure startup money. That change opened the door to deep-pocketed, out-of-state companies that could begin consolidating the industry.

The state has granted 1,001 producer licenses and had another 950 in process as of last week. State officials worry if they cut off licensing or turn away those already in the application process, they'll get sued or encourage illegal trade.

Some of the same parameters are taking shape in California, equally known for black-market pot from its Emerald Triangle.

Rules now in effect there cap only certain, medium-sized growing licenses. In some cases, companies acquired dozens of growing licenses, which can be operated on the same or adjoining parcels. The California Growers Association, an advocacy group, is suing to block those rules, fearing they will open the way for vast farms that will drive out smaller cultivators.

Beau Whitney, senior economist at national cannabis analytics firm New Frontier Data, said he's seeing California prices fall.

In contrast, Washington knew oversupply could draw federal attention and was more conservative about licensing. As the market matured, its regulators eased growing limits, but the state never experienced an oversupply crisis.

Colorado has no license caps, but strict rules designed to limit oversupply allow it to curtail a growers' farm size based on past crop yields, existing inventory, sales deals and other factors.

In Oregon, cannabis retail chains are emerging to take advantage of the shake-up.

A company called Nectar has 13 stores around the state - with three more on tap - and says on its website it is buying up for-sale dispensaries too. Canada-based Golden Leaf Holdings bought the successful Oregon startup Chalice and has six stores around Portland, with another slated to open.

William Simpson, Chalice's founder and Golden Leaf Holdings CEO, is expanding into Northern California, Nevada and Canada. Simpson welcomes criticism that his business is to cannabis what Starbucks is to mass-market coffee.

"If you take Chalice like Starbucks, it's a known quantity, it's a brand that people know and trust," he said.

Amy Margolis, the Oregon Cannabis Association's executive director, says capping licenses would only spur more consolidation in the long term. The state is working on a study that should provide data and insight into what lies ahead.

"I don't think that everything in this state is motivated by struggle and failure," she said. "I'm very interested to see ... how this market settles itself and (in) being able to do that from a little less of a reactionary place."

For now, Oregon's smaller marijuana businesses are trying to stay afloat.

A newly formed group will launch an ad campaign this fall to tell Oregonians why they should pay more for mom-and-pop cannabis. Oregon Craft Cannabis Alliance founder Adam Smith believes 70 percent of Oregon's small growers and retailers will go out of business if consumers don't respond.

"We could turn around in three to four years and realize that 10 to 12 major companies own a majority of the Oregon industry and that none of it is really based here anymore," he said. "The Oregon brand is really all about authenticity. It's about people with their hands in the dirt, making something they love as well as they can. How do we save that?"

___

Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle, Michael R. Blood in Los Angeles and Kathleen Foody in Denver contributed to this report.

___

Flaccus is a member of the AP's marijuana beat team. Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/gflaccus. Follow complete AP marijuana coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/LegalMarijuana

In this Tuesday, May 29, 2018 photo, Adam Smith, left, founder and executive director, Oregon Craft Cannabis Alliance, is shown a variety of edible marijuana products by Tree PDX marijuana shop owner Brooke Smith at her shop in Portland, Ore. The newly formed Oregon Craft Cannabis Alliance will launch an ad campaign this fall to educate Oregonians about why they should pay more for "craft cannabis" that's locally grown. Smith is a member of the Alliance. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

In this Tuesday, May 29, 2018 photo, Adam Smith, left, founder and executive director, Oregon Craft Cannabis Alliance, is shown a marijuana variety called Cherry Skunk by Tree PDX marijuana shop owner Brooke Smith at her shop in Portland, Ore. A newly formed group will launch an ad campaign this fall to tell Oregonians why they should pay more for mom-and-pop cannabis. Smith, who founded the alliance, believes 70 percent of Oregon's small growers and retailers will go out of business if consumers don't respond. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

In this Tuesday, May 29, 2018 photo, Tree PDX marijuana shop owner Brooke Smith poses for a photo outside her small shop in Portland, Ore. Smith is a member of the newly formed Oregon Craft Cannabis Alliance which will launch an ad campaign this fall to educate Oregonians about why they should pay more for "craft cannabis" that's locally grown. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

FILE - In this Jan. 29, 2018, file photo, Oregon state Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, D-Portland, left, Senate Republican Leader Jackie Winters, R-Salem, and Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, speak in Salem, Oregon. Burdick, the Portland Democrat who co-chaired a joint committee set up to implement the voter-approved marijuana legalization measure, says she understood that the consequence of not limiting marijuana licenses in the state is that there will be a shakeout. (AP Photo/Chris Grygiel, File)

FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2018, file photo, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Billy J. Williams, right, talks with Oregon Gov. Kate Brown before the start of a marijuana summit in Portland, Ore. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which issues licenses, announced Wednesday, May 30, 2018, it will put aside applications for new licenses received after June 15 until a backlog of pending applications is cleared out. The decision comes after Williams challenged state officials to address Oregon's oversupply problem. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, file)

FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2018 file photo, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Billy J. Williams, left, speaks at a marijuana summit in Portland, Ore., as Oregon Gov. Kate Brown sits at right. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which issues licenses, announced Wednesday, May 30, 2018, it will put aside applications for new licenses received after June 15 until a backlog of pending applications is cleared out. The decision comes after Williams challenged state officials to address Oregon's oversupply problem. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 1, 2015 file photo, employees of Amazon Organics, a pot dispensary in Eugene, Ore., help customers purchase recreational marijuana. Three years after Oregon lawmakers created the state's new legal marijuana program, marijuana prices in the state are in free fall and the craft cannabis farmers who put Oregon on the map decades before legalization are losing their businesses to emerging chains and out-of-state investors. (AP Photo/Ryan Kang, File)

FILE - In this April 20, 2017, file photo, a packet of marijuana is seen on the counter at CannaDaddy's Wellness Center marijuana dispensary in Portland, Ore. Three years after Oregon lawmakers created the state's new legal marijuana program, marijuana prices in the state are in free fall and the craft cannabis farmers who put Oregon on the map decades before legalization are losing their businesses to emerging chains and out-of-state investors. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File)KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - An Afghan military spokesman says elite commando units have freed dozens of prisoners held by the Taliban, including women and children, in an early morning operation in southern Helmand province.

The spokesman, Abdul Qadeir Bahadorzai, says Thursday's operation took place in the district of Kajaki and freed 103 people held in two prisons there run by the Taliban. He says four Taliban fighters were killed in the gunbattle.

Bahadorzai says five women and two children were among the freed captives, most of whom were civilians.

Meanwhile, also in Helmand, a district governor says a suicide car bomber wounded six people, including three policemen, on Thursday morning.

Mohammad Salim Roodi says the attack took place in Girishk district when the police tried to stop a suspicious vehicle outside the governor's compound.CONYERS, Ga. (AP) - A sheriff's deputy near Atlanta has been accused of stalking a woman and her daughter.

News outlets report Rockdale County Sheriff's Deputy James Campbell was arrested and charged with stalking.

WXIA-TV reports Campbell's first court appearance was Sunday. Sheriff's office spokeswoman Yolande Lovingood-Moore says Campbell turned himself into jail and was released on his own recognizance. Lovingood-Moore says the status of Campbell's job has not changed.

Lovingood-Moore says the sheriff's office received the complaint May 19 and roughly a week later there was enough evidence to issue an arrest warrant.

WSB-TV quotes the warrants as saying the woman told authorities that 56-year-old Campbell went to her home to harass her after she texted him saying not to contact her or her daughter.

It is unclear if Campbell has a lawyer.PUTRAJAYA, Malaysia (AP) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks Thursday with new Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad in a brief visit aimed at bolstering bilateral ties.

Modi flew in from Indonesia for the second leg of his Southeast Asian tour and met Mahathir, the world's oldest leader at 92, at the government administrative capital of Putrajaya.

Modi tweeted: "I thank him for the warm welcome. We had productive discussions on further cementing India-Malaysia ties."

India is Malaysia's largest trading partner in South Asia, with total trade amounting to 61.43 billion ringgit ($15.4 billion) in 2017.

Modi was the third foreign leader, after the Singapore premier and Brunei's sultan, to meet Mahathir since his alliance's stunning victory in May 9 national polls. The victory led to a change of power for the first time since Malaysia's independence from Britain in 1957.

Mahathir was premier for 22 years until 2003 but emerged from retirement amid anger over a massive corruption scandal involving former leader Najib Razak.

Modi's visit was greeted by a small protest at Putrajaya by ethnic Indians and Muslim groups who chanted "Go back Modi" and carried placards blaming his government for tolerating alleged human rights abuses in India.

Modi left later Thursday for Singapore, where he is expected to speak at a regional security conference.TOKYO (AP) - The leaders of Japan and Vietnam agreed Thursday to bolster cooperation in maritime safety and defense, and expressed shared concerns over China's growing activity in the South China Sea.

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed during talks in Tokyo to strengthen defense cooperation in areas including military training, equipment and technology.

Quang is in Japan on a state visit marking the 45th anniversary of the countries' diplomatic ties.

Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang, left, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attend their joint press conference in Tokyo on Thursday, May 31, 2018. (Behrouz Mehri/Pool Photo via AP)

In a statement after their talks, they called for a non-militarization of the South China Sea and warned against any unilateral actions changing the status quo.

"Diplomatic efforts will lead to non-militarization," Abe said. "We shared an understanding that it is important to fully comply with international law and contribute to achieving a peaceful and stable South China Sea."

Vietnam is especially concerned about Chinese efforts to establish sovereignty over islands that both countries claim. Abe has also been pushing for a "free and open Indo-Pacific strategy" of promoting peace, stability, prosperity and cooperation in the region amid China's increasing maritime influence.

The two leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in economy, trade, energy and human development, and stressed the importance of a free and open multilateral trading system in line with World Trade Organization rules - a policy that Japan has emphasized in recent trade disputes with the United States.

Quang was welcomed Wednesday at a state banquet hosted by Emperor Akihito, who is abdicating next April. He is in Japan until Saturday.

Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang, left, shakes hands with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe upon their summit meeting in Tokyo on Thursday, May 31, 2018. (Behrouz Mehri/Pool Photo via AP)

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, left, is welcomed by Japan's Emperor Akihito, center, and Empress Michiko, right, upon arrival for a welcome ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo Wednesday May 30, 2018. The Vietnamese president is on a five-day visit to Japan. (Franck Robichon/Pool Photo via AP)

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang, second from left, and his wife Nguyen Thi Hien, left, stand with Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko during a welcome ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo Wednesday, May 30 2018. The Vietnamese president and his wife Nguyen Thi Hien are on a five-day visit to Japan. (Nicolas Datiche/Pool Photo via AP)PHILADELPHIA (AP) - One of four peacocks that wandered away from the Philadelphia Zoo and created a traffic jam on a nearby highway was found dead on that stretch of road on Thursday.

Zoo staffers had been working with authorities to try to locate the peacocks after they took a stroll along part of Interstate 76 about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the zoo on Wednesday night. State police arrived and shut down two of the six lanes of traffic on the highway, causing backups for miles.

Police got the peacocks off the highway but were unable to capture them. The peacocks likely went to roost for the night, and the search was halted until daybreak Thursday.

This still image taken from video provided by CBS 3 Philly KYW-TV shows four peacocks that escaped from the Philadelphia Zoo walking on the shoulder of on Interstate 76, alongside the vehicle of a Pennsylvania State Police trooper attempting to safeguard them Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Philadelphia. One of the four peacocks that escaped was found dead Thursday, May 31, 2018, according to Philadelphia Zoo spokeswoman Dana Lombardo, and likely had been hit by a vehicle. (CBS 3 Philly KYW-TV via AP)

Two teams of animal curators and keepers from the zoo and police officers circled the area where the peacocks were last seen. They also checked locations where the zoo teams thought the peacocks might explore.

The peacock found dead on the highway on Thursday likely had been hit by a car, zoo spokeswoman Dana Lombardo said.

The four peacocks were part of a larger flock that roams freely on the zoo's grounds and that is cared for by veterinary staff. The birds sometimes venture past the zoo's gates but normally return on their own, Lombardo said. They have a homing sense, and it's unusual for them to travel that far from the zoo, she said.

Zoo officials asked people not to approach the peacocks because they may be nervous being out of their normal environment. Instead, people who see the peacocks can send the location, day and time and a photo of the sighting if possible to peacocks@phillyzoo.org.

This still image taken from video provided by CBS 3 Philly KYW-TV shows a peacock that escaped from the Philadelphia Zoo standing in front of a Pennsylvania State Police trooper attempting to safeguard it Wednesday, May 30, 2018, along Interstate 76 in Philadelphia. One of the four peacocks that escaped from the zoo was found dead Thursday, May 31, 2018, on Interstate 76, according to Philadelphia Zoo spokeswoman Dana Lombardo, and likely had been hit by a vehicle. (CBS 3 Philly KYW-TV via AP)

This still image taken from video provided by CBS 3 Philly KYW-TV shows three peacocks that escaped from the Philadelphia Zoo walking past the vehicle of a Pennsylvania State Police trooper attempting to safeguard them Wednesday, May 30, 2018, on Interstate 76 in Philadelphia. One of the four peacocks that escaped the zoo was found dead Thursday, May 31, 2018, on Interstate 76, according to Philadelphia Zoo spokeswoman Dana Lombardo, and likely had been hit by a vehicle. (CBS 3 Philly KYW-TV via AP)WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal study shows math scores are 10 percentage points lower for students using vouchers to attend private schools in Washington, D.C., compared with their peers who applied but weren't selected.

The study from the Institute of Education Sciences, part of the U.S. Education Department, assessed children two years after they applied for the government subsidies. The district has the nation's only federally funded voucher program, established by Congress in 2004. It provides about $8,000 for lower grades and $12,000 for high school tuition to about 1,100 students, chosen through a lottery, from low-income families trying to leave low-performing schools.

The Washington Post reports that Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District's non-voting delegate to Congress, says the study shows the program is ineffective.

___

Information from: The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.comKNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The former president of the nation's largest diesel fuel retailer wants to fire his trial lawyer now that he's been convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

The Knoxville News Sentinel reported Tuesday that former Pilot Flying J President Mark Hazelwood is seeking to fire and replace Texas attorney Rusty Hardin, who led his defense team. Hazelwood is expected to face sentencing in August.

Hazelwood's new lawyer, Brad Henry, says Hardin performed badly throughout the trial and failed to file a motion for a new trial.

Hazelwood was convicted in a scheme to shortchange trucking companies they lured with promises of fuel discounts.

Pilot Flying J is controlled by the family of Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. Neither have been charged with wrongdoing.VISCRI, Romania (AP) - Britain's Prince Charles returned Thursday to Romania's Transylvania region, where he advised honey, jam and quince brandy producers on how to market their goods.

Charles, who will be 70 this year, has a home in Transylvania's unspoiled countryside. He makes an annual visit to Romania, where he is a popular figure.

Dozens of local residents and tourists gathered in Viscri, a farming village in the Transylvanian hills, to see the heir to the British throne.

Britain's Prince Charles, left, shakes hands with Romanian Prime Minister Viorica Dancila, at the Victoria Palace in Bucharest, Romania, Wednesday, May 30, 2018. (AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda)

He spent 90 minutes speaking to producers of smoked carp from the Danube Delta and other products at the restored 17th-century sky-blue house, home to his Prince of Wales Foundation Romania.

Foundation director Aura Woodward said "he is showing producers how to sell and helping them see the potential of agriculture." She added that Romania has 9 million people living in rural areas, many in poverty.

Gertrude Burzlander-Muller, a nurse from the German city of Nuremberg, said she was overcome with emotion after she spoke to the prince. "I'm still shaking," she said.

"I saw him at Harry's wedding on the television and now I met him in person," she said. "He's a nice, open person."

Local farmer Horia Cozmas said Charles "likes Transylvania because it's traditional and natural, as it once was all over Europe."

The foundation supports the East European nation's heritage and rural life, and sustainable development.ATLANTA (AP) - A new exhibition in Atlanta celebrates Winnie-the-Pooh, wandering through his magical world and giving visitors a peek behind the scenes at the people, relationships and inspirations behind the "silly old bear" and his friends.

"Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic" opens Sunday at the High Museum of Art. It highlights the intensely collaborative relationship between author A.A. Milne and illustrator E.H. Shepard, who brought the stories to life, and guides visitors through those tales and their lessons.

"It's the idea that a writer can imagine a whole world but the written descriptions can only go so far, and then the illustrations take you the next step," said Virginia Shearer, the High's director of education.

This May 29, 2018 photo shows stuffed bears like those owned by the sons of A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard, the author and illustrator of the Winnie-the-Pooh books. Atlanta's High Museum of Art is hosting an exhibition called "Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic" from June 3 to Sept. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Kate Brumback)

Milne was inspired by his young son's stuffed toys to create stories about a boy named Christopher Robin (his son's first and middle names) and his beloved Winnie-the-Pooh, also known as Pooh Bear. The bear and his plush friends come to life on the page just as they do in the imagination of a child, animated by witty prose and playful drawings.

In a room hung with pale blue and white striped wallpaper to evoke a nursery, a faux window looks out on the imaginary world created by Milne and Shepard as the only known recording of Milne reading from the "Winnie-the-Pooh" book of stories plays in the background. A glass case houses replicas of the plush toys that inspired the characters.

Milne invited Shepard to his home to draw portraits of his son's toy animals "from life" and hosted Shepard at his country home so he could observe and sketch the trees and landscapes that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood, where Pooh and friends live. Some of the pencil-sketched studies that resulted are on display in a part of the exhibition that explores their collaboration.

Drawings grouped by the chapters in "Winnie-the-Pooh" and "The House at Pooh Corner" are the exhibition's main focus. Story panels at adult eye-level give brief summaries of the chapters. Panels at child eye-level are written for beginning readers and encourage children think about the lessons learned.

The exhibition ends with a room filled with Winnie-the-Pooh merchandise, ranging from the earliest days to the present, to illustrate the spread and growth of the brand. It includes the familiar plush bear with a red T-shirt reading "Pooh" marketed by Disney, which bought the character rights in 1961.

The exhibition is a continuation of a series at the High that puts the spotlight on children's book authors and illustrators.

"I think with all of these projects we're encouraging people to look closely at what they have at home and realize they have works of art in their own homes," said co-presenting curator Ginia Sweeney. Another goal, she said, is to provide children with skills they can use to visit and enjoy the rest of the museum and to give parents the tools to help them.

Shearer and Sweeney said they hope the exhibition inspires children to get outside, away from screens, to have adventures.

"Christopher Robin says his favorite thing to do is nothing because you have so many possibilities when you have nothing to do," Sweeney said.

The exhibition was organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. After its U.S. premiere at the High Museum, where it will be on view from Sunday through Sept. 2, the exhibition is set to be on display at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts from Sept. 22 through Jan. 6 before heading to Japan.

___

If You Go...

WINNIE-THE-POOH: EXPLORING A CLASSIC: June 3-Sept. 2, High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Atlanta; http://www.high.org, 404-733-5000. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and on Fridays until 9 p.m.; Sundays, noon-5 p.m. Admission: $14.50; children 5 and under, free.

This May 29, 2018 photo shows framed illustrations from Winnie-the-Pooh stories hanging among blown-up images of the stories' characters on the walls of Atlanta's High Museum of Art. The museum is hosting an exhibition called "Winnie-the-Pooh: Exploring a Classic" from June 3 to Sept. 2, 2018. (AP Photo/Kate Brumback)The Dalton Marine Corps League  Cpl. Glenn Pair Detachment 1309  will be hosting a Community Appreciation Day in conjunction with celebrating their 10 year anniversary on Saturday, June 16, from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The event is free to the public and everyone is invited to attend.

The celebration will be held at the Dalton Green  downtown Dalton, Selvidge Street. Attendees will be treated to a complimentary lunch, music from The Casey Adams Band, and children will enjoy the bouncy inflatables and playgrounds provided. A Cruise-In will be held at the BB&T parking lot  lower section.

Daltons own Tom Phillips, The Duke of Dalton Mornings on Hope 93.3 FM, will be the master of ceremonies for the event.

Participants may enter to win a gift from Maryville Jewelers, Balta Rugs and other local merchants, just for attending  no purchase necessary (must be present to win).

The Dalton Marine Corps League officials said they would like to increase their community involvement by encouraging local citizens to join the league. According to Kelly Johnson, past commandant and founding member, We want to continue to carry on the ideals and values of the United States Marine Corps, offering camaraderie and opportunities for our members to bond in support of the projects that we undertake, the largest being our annual Toys for Tots campaign, to promote awareness of the leagues existence in our local community and continue to uphold the traditions and ideals of American freedom and democracy.

Membership is open to all active, reserve, or honorably discharged Marines, or to anyone who believes in the traditions and values of the USMC.WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump declared Thursday that he didn't fire FBI Director James Comey over the Russia investigation, despite previously citing that as the reason. His lawyer, meanwhile, blasted federal investigators as "a lynching mob" the Trump team will "knock the heck out of" in the end.

The president has said at least twice that Comey's firing in May 2017 was related to the FBI's investigation into whether Trump's campaign associates coordinated with Russia in an effort to sway the 2016 election. And his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, told Fox News earlier this month that Trump fired Comey because the FBI director wouldn't publicly state that he "wasn't a target" of the Russia investigation.

Trump's attempt to revise his public statements on Comey's firing came as Giuliani drew criticism for comparing special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation to a "lynching mob." And the Justice Department released a report revealing that the special counsel's Russia probe has cost at least $16 million so far.

President Donald Trump arrives for a bill signing ceremony for the "Right to Try" act in the South Court Auditorium on the White House campus, Wednesday, May 30, 2018, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump tweeted Thursday: "Not that it matters but I never fired James Comey because of Russia! The Corrupt Mainstream Media loves to keep pushing that narrative, but they know it is not true!"

Comey's firing led to the appointment of Mueller as the Justice Department's special counsel investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election as well as possible ties between Trump's presidential campaign and Russia. The firing is now under investigation by Mueller for possible obstruction of justice.

On Wednesday night, Giuliani said on Fox News' "Hannity" that the investigation "never should have taken place in the first place" and claimed there were ethical issues within the Justice Department.

"So, you got a group there, a lynching mob, so let them do their job and, boy, we're ready to knock the heck out of you with our report, which will be authoritative," Giuliani said. "It will be backed up. It will be backed up with law and facts. And we'll let the American people decide this."

It was not immediately clear what report Giuliani was referring to.

Trump's legal team has said that Mueller is working on a report addressing whether the president obstructed justice. The Justice Department inspector general is also preparing a report that is expected to criticize the FBI's handling of the investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state.

Giuliani's "lynching mob" comment drew criticism from Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah, who told CNN, "That's pretty strong language." Lee said that "based on what I know now, those are not words that I would use to describe this. This is an investigation."

In announcing Comey's firing in 2017, the White House initially cited his handling of the Clinton email investigation, seizing on the FBI director's decision to divulge details of the probe to the public during her campaign against Trump.

A few days after Comey was dismissed, Trump told NBC's Lester Holt that he was thinking of "this Russia thing" when he fired Comey.

And The New York Times reported Trump told Russian diplomats in the Oval Office in May 2017 that Comey's dismissal had removed some of the pressure he faced over the Russia investigation.

"I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job," Trump said during the May 10 meeting, according to the newspaper. "I faced great pressure because of Russia. That's taken off."

Earlier this month, Giuliani told Fox News that Trump felt he was treated worse by the FBI than Clinton, who was publicly cleared of criminal wrongdoing at an unusual FBI headquarters news conference in July 2016.

"He fired Comey because Comey would not, among other things, say that he wasn't a target of the investigation," Giuliani said. "He's entitled to that. Hillary Clinton got that. Actually, he couldn't get that."

As the president's legal team continues to attack the Mueller probe, a new report from the Justice Department revealed how much money has been spent as part of the investigation.

The report shows the investigation in total cost nearly $10 million between October and March. That's on top of the $6.7 million spent on the probe the previous four months.

The Justice Department says a large portion of the costs - about $9 million - would have been spent regardless of the special counsel's appointment because they relate to support staff and other costs the department would have already incurred.

So far, the Justice Department has spent about $4.4 million on salaries and benefits, though only about $1.4 million was for workers solely employed by the special counsel's office. The office has also spent about $750,000 on travel, nearly all of which went toward temporary duty costs for Justice Department employees on loan to the Mueller investigation.

The report doesn't list out Mueller's personal salary, but Peter Carr, spokesman for the special counsel's office, said he is paid the same as any U.S. attorney. As of 2018, U.S. attorney salaries were capped at a little over $164,000, according to the department's pay scale.

___LONDON (AP) - A leading campaigner for Britain's exit from the European Union was accused of hypocrisy Thursday after applying for permanent residency in France.

Former U.K. Treasury chief Nigel Lawson told English-language French newspaper The Connexion that he is applying for a permanent "carte de sejour," or residency card. The 86-year-old former politician, father of celebrity cook Nigella Lawson, lives in southwest France.

Brexit will end the right of EU citizens to live in Britain and vice versa. Both Britain and the bloc say they want expats to retain their current rights, but questions remain over the status of 3 million EU nationals in the U.K. and 1 million Britons in other EU countries.

FILE - In this Oct. 9, 1986 file photo Britain's Finance Minister Nigel Lawson pauses at the annual conference of the Conservative Party in Bournemouth, England. A leading campaigner for Britain's exit from the European Union has been accused of hypocrisy after applying for permanent residency in France. Former U.K. Treasury chief Nigel Lawson told newspaper The Connexion that he is applying for a permanent residency card, known as a carte de sejour. (AP Photo/John Redman, File)

Lawson, who chaired Britain's Vote Leave campaign in the 2016 referendum, said that "speaking as a Brit in France ... I am not worried" about his status.

"I understand some people are worried about health-care cover and hope it will be sorted out," he said.

Pro-EU group Best for Britain said Thursday that Lawson "looks like a hypocrite" for living in "his luxury home in France" as Brexit causes economic uncertainty in Britain.

FILE - In this March 13, 1984 file photo British Chancellor Nigel Lawson poses with the Budget Box in Downing Street, London. A leading campaigner for Britain's exit from the European Union has been accused of hypocrisy after applying for permanent residency in France. Former U.K. Treasury chief Nigel Lawson told newspaper The Connexion that he is applying for a permanent residency card, known as a carte de sejour. (AP Photo/Peter Kemp, File)NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on the United States and North Korea (all times local):

9:30 p.m.

North and South Korea are resuming senior-level peace talks that Seoul sees as an important step in building trust with Pyongyang amid a U.S.-led diplomatic push to persuade the North to give up its nuclear weapons.

South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon, center, speaks to the media before leaving for the border village of Panmunjom to attend South and North Korea meeting, at the Office of the South Korea-North Korea Dialogue in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, June 1, 2018. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

The meeting at an inter-Korean border village Friday follows a meeting in New York between U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and senior North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol. They discussed a potential summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

South Korea plans to use Friday's meeting with the North to set up military talks on reducing tensions across their heavily armed border and Red Cross talks to resume reunions of families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

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2:40 p.m.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says that senior North Korean official Kim Yong Chol will travel to Washington on Friday to deliver a letter to President Donald Trump from North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Pompeo spoke to reporters in New York after meeting Thursday with Kim Yong Chol, the former military intelligence chief. Pompeo says "real progress" has been made in the last three days toward setting the conditions needed for Trump and Kim Jong Un to have a successful summit in Singapore. Still, he says he doesn't yet know whether the meeting will proceed on June 12.

Pompeo says he believes North Korea's leaders are contemplating a different path forward that would allow their nation to more fully integrate into the international community.

__

12:32 p.m.

A U.S. official says that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's meetings with a top North Korean official ended more than two hours earlier than expected because the talks "went well" and "made progress" in salvaging an on-again, off-again summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The official says the high-stakes discussion lasted between 9:05 and 11:25 a.m., concluding well before the scheduled end of 1:30 p.m. The official was not authorized to speak publicly about the details of the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity. Shortly after leaving the meeting venue at the residence of the deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Pompeo tweeted that the talks had been "substantive."

____

12:05 p.m.

The State Department says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a top North Korean official have concluded their meetings in New York, wrapping up the high-stakes diplomatic negotiation nearly two hours earlier than expected.

Pompeo and former North Korean military intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol had been expected to hold two sessions, separated by a break, and finish their discussions around 1:30 p.m. But both men and their delegations left the residence of the deputy U.S. ambassador to the United Nations around 11:30 a.m. The talks began at 9:05 a.m.

There was no indication of what the early finish might mean in terms of salvaging an on-again, off-again U.S.-North Korea summit.

President Donald Trump said Thursday the talks were going well and that North Korean officials may come to Washington on Friday.

__

9:20 a.m.

President Donald Trump says talks about a potential summit with North Korea's Kim Jong Un are going "very well."

Trump told reporters Thursday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is having "very good meetings." He said he believes the North Koreans may come to Washington Friday and that a letter will be "delivered to me from Kim Jong Un (kim jawng oon)."

Trump says he "will see what happens." But Trump added "hopefully we will have a meeting on the 12th."

Trump also tweeted Thursday: "Very good meetings with North Korea."

The Singapore summit has been in flux for days. Trump last week canceled the sit-down, but then quickly said it could get back on track.

__

9:18 a.m.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Korea's former military intelligence chief have opened talks in New York to try to salvage an on-again, off-again summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

After an informal dinner on Wednesday, Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol were meeting at the three-bedroom apartment residence of the US deputy ambassador to the United Nations. Kim Yong Chol, one of Kim Jong Un's closest aides, is the highest-ranking North Korean official to visit the U.S. in 18 years.

Pompeo, who spoke with Trump on Wednesday night and with national security adviser John Bolton early Thursday, was accompanied by Andrew Kim, the head of a CIA unit assigned to work on North Korea, and Mark Lambert, the head of the State Department's Korea desk.

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12:17 a.m.

Top American and North Korean officials plan a full day of meetings in New York aimed at deciding whether a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un can be salvaged.

Ahead of the meetings Thursday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the North's former military intelligence chief, Kim Yong Chol, had dinner Wednesday night. Kim had flown in from Beijing and Pompeo from Washington.

The talks come as preparations for a highly anticipated summit in Singapore barrel ahead amid lingering uncertainty about whether it will actually take place, and when. Trump cancelled the June 12 summit last week, then suggested it could still happen.

U.S. teams have been meeting with North Korean officials in Singapore and in the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a news conference, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

A banner showing a caricature of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is displayed in Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, May 31, 2018. A senior North Korean official and the top U.S. diplomat had dinner in New York on Wednesday as President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un try to salvage prospects for a high-stakes nuclear summit. It's the highest-level official North Korean visit to the United States in 18 years.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)ROME (AP) - Roma has signed Spanish defender Ivan Marcano from Porto on a free transfer.

Marcano has signed a three-year contract with the Serie A club, with the option for a fourth.

Marcano, who turns 31 next month, said on Thursday he is "very happy" with the move "because Roma is a great club that is moving in the right direction, following a clear sporting project."

Marcano has spent the past four seasons at Porto and helped it lift the Portuguese title last campaign.

He started his career at Racing Santander before going on to play for Villarreal and Getafe in Spain. Marcano also played for Olympiakos in Greece and Russian side Rubin Kazan.

It is Roma's second signing of the offseason, having completed the transfer of Ante Coric from Dinamo Zagreb on Monday.GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) - A fisherman in Guyana has been charged in a deadly April attack on fishing boats off the coast of neighboring Suriname.

A Guyanese police official says 39-year-old Nakool Manohar has been detained on suspicion of murder for involvement in the April 27 on four boats that left 15 men missing and presumed dead.

Divisional Commander Lyndon Alves said Thursday that Manohar is also suspected of involvement in two previous robbery attacks on fishing boats in the Atlantic Ocean off Suriname in 2015 and 2016.

Manohar made an initial court appearance on the charge but did not enter a plea.

The fishermen attacked last month were robbed and then forced to jump overboard. Five made it to shore and three bodies were found.WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump's consideration of pardons and sentence commutations (all times local):

10 p.m.

President Donald Trump has pardoned Dinesh D'Souza, a conservative commentator he claims "was treated very unfairly by our government!" D'Souza had pleaded guilty to campaign finance fraud.

FILE - In this May 20, 2014 file photo, conservative scholar and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, left, accompanied by his lawyer Benjamin Brafman leaves federal court, in New York. President Donald Trump says he will pardon conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza who pleaded guilty to campaign finance fraud. Trump tweeted Thursday: "Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D'Souza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!" D'Souza was sentenced in 2014 to five years' probation after he pleaded guilty to violating federal election law. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Trump says he's also thinking about clemency for celebrity lifestyle guru Martha Stewart and former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (bluh-GOY'-uh-vich), among "lots" of other people.

Blagojevich is serving a 14-year prison sentence on numerous counts of corruption, including trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat that was vacated by Barack Obama. Stewart served a stint in federal prison after being convicted of charges related to a stock sale.

Both had connections to Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" TV show: Blagojevich was a contestant in 2010 and Stewart hosted a 2005 spinoff, "The Apprentice: Martha Stewart."

__

1:40 p.m.

A trial attorney for imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich (bluh-GOY'-uh-vitch) says she's excited that President Donald Trump is considering commuting the Democrat's 14-year prison sentence for corruption.

Lauren Kaeseberg tells The Associated Press the sentence was too harsh. Blagojevich's wife, Patti Blagojevich, also released a statement, saying she and the couple's two children have long awaited the day "when Rod could come back home where he belongs."

Blagojevich argued he engaged in run-of-the-mill politicking and never crossed legal lines. But prosecutors say he used his powers as governor to shake people down for campaign contributions, including a children's hospital.

__

12:05 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he is considering commuting the sentence of ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and pardoning Martha Stewart.

The comments came aboard Air Force One on Thursday after he announced on Twitter that he planned to pardon conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza.

Trump tells reporters that Blagojevich said something dumb but that "lots of politicians" do and thinks his sentence is excessive.

The Democratic former governor began serving his 14-year prison sentence on corruption convictions in 2012. His scheduled release date is 2024. Blagojevich was also a contestant on Trump's "Celebrity Apprentice" reality television show in 2010.

Stewart was convicted in 2004 of obstructing justice and lying to the government about why she unloaded stock just before the price plummeted.

Trump says she "used to be one of my biggest fans."

___

10:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he will pardon conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza, who pleaded guilty to campaign finance fraud.

Trump tweeted Thursday: "Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh D'Souza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!"

In 2014, D'Souza was sentenced to five years of probation after he pleaded guilty to violating federal election law by making illegal contributions to a U.S. Senate campaign in the names of others.SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A self-driving car service that Google spinoff Waymo plans to launch later this year will include up to 62,000 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans.

The deal announced Thursday is the latest sign of Waymo's confidence in its self-driving car technology, which sprung from a secret Google project started nine years ago. The technology will initially be deployed in a ride-hailing service in the Phoenix area before the end of this year and then expand into other U.S. markets.

Waymo plans to pick up people in cars that won't have a human in the driver's seat, making it the first ride-hailing service with a fleet of fully autonomous vehicles.

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017, file photo, John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company created by Google's parent company, Alphabet, introduces a Chrysler Pacifica hybrid outfitted with Waymo's own suite of sensors and radar, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. A self-driving car service that Google spinoff Waymo plans to launch later this year in Arizona will include up to 62,000 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans under a deal announced Thursday, May 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

The company already had bought 600 Pacifica Hybrid minivans from Fiat Chrysler with a commitment to add "thousands" more.

Waymo and Fiat also are discussing other ways to expand their partnership, including possibly striking a deal to sell Chrysler vehicles with self-driving technology to consumers.

Chrysler is the largest vehicle supplier for Waymo's ride-hailing service so far. Waymo agreed to buy up to 20,000 electric vehicles from Jaguar Land Rover, but none of them will be ready before 2020.

If Waymo ends up using all the vehicles from Chrysler and Jaguar, its self-driving car service will be potentially capable of providing millions of rides per day.

Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi says he is trying to persuade Waymo to put its self-driving cars to work in his company's pacesetting ride-hailing service, but there is no indication yet whether that will happen.

Waymo accused Uber of stealing its self-driving car technology in a lawsuit that was settled for $245 million after several days of testimony during a February trial.UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council adopted a U.S.-sponsored resolution Thursday that threatens an arms embargo on South Sudan and sanctions against six people including the country's defense chief if fighting doesn't stop and a political agreement reached.

The resolution received just the minimum 9 "yes" votes, with six countries abstaining: Russia, China, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Equatorial Guinea and Ethiopia.

The resolution asks Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report by June 30 on whether fighting is taking place and "a viable political agreement" has been reached.

If he reports fighting or lack of an agreement, it says the Security Council will consider imposing an arms embargo or sanctions against the six officials - or both measures within five days.

There were high hopes that South Sudan would have peace and stability after its independence from neighboring Sudan in 2011. But the country plunged into ethnic violence in December 2013 when forces loyal to President Salva Kiir, a Dinka, started battling those loyal to Riek Machar, his former vice president who is a Nuer.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 didn't stop the fighting, and a cessation of hostilities agreement this past Dec. 24 was broken within hours.

The African Union's eight-nation Intergovernmental Authority for Development, which is holding a summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has been trying to revive the failed peace agreement.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council in January that the United States is giving up on South Sudan's president after backing the country's independence and investing over $11 billion since 2011. She called Kiir "an unfit partner" in the pursuit of peace and urged an arms embargo on the conflict-racked nation.

The U.S. condemns "in the strongest terms the ongoing fighting" in violation of the 2015 agreement and reiterate its demand for a permanent cease-fire.

"The United States has lost its patience. The status quo is unacceptable. It is long past time for all of us to demand better for the South Sudanese people," Haley said.

The resolution would renew existing sanctions against South Sudanese officials until July 15 and extend the mandate of the panel of experts monitoring implementation of the measures until Aug. 14

The resolution identifies six officials for a possible asset freeze and travel ban: Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juuk, former army chief Paul Malong Awan, Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth, and army deputy chief of staff for logistics Malek Reuben Riak Rengu, Bieh state Gov. Koang Rambang Chol and cabinet affairs minister Martin Elia Lomuru.Neil Portnow will step down as president and CEO of The Recording Academy and the Grammy Awards next year because of backlash over his remarks to women.

The organization announced Thursday that Portnow chose not to 'seek an extension on his current contract,' which ends next year.

He has led the academy since 2002.

Portnow was criticized at the Grammys this year when he said women need to 'step up' when asked about the lack of female winners backstage. Only two female performers won awards during the live telecast.

Neil Portnow will step down as president and CEO of The Recording Academy and the Grammy Awards next year because of backlash over his remarks to women

Portnow later said his words were taken out of context and he now understands the pain his 'poor choice of words' has caused. The remarks were criticized by Pink, Sheryl Crow, Katy Perry, India.Arie and others.

'When I had the honor of being selected to lead this great organization in 2002, I vowed that on my watch, for the first time in our history, we would have a thoughtful, well-planned, and collegial transition. With a little more than a year remaining on my current contract, I've decided that this is an appropriate time to deliver on that promise,' Portnow said in a statement.

The academy said Portnow made the announcement at the company's semi-annual Board of Trustees meeting last week. Over the next year he will continue to work on a transition plan with the organization.

Before leading the academy, Portnow served on the organization's Board of Trustees.

Portnow was criticized at the Grammys this year when he said women need to 'step up' when asked about the lack of female winners backstage. Only two female performers won awards during the live telecast

His 16-year run, the longest for a president at the academy, has been met with some criticism.

For years the music community felt that the Grammys were out of date, giving out awards to older musicians and acts from the jazz, rock and country music worlds, and continually dismissing rap and R&B musicians, though those genres heavily dominate pop music.

Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Eminem and Mariah Carey are among the acts who were on track to win top awards like album of the year at the Grammys, but constantly walked away without the big wins.

But the biggest setback for Portnow came this year at the show, where men dominated in nominations. Lorde, the only woman nominated for album of the year, didn't get a chance to perform at the show, which was met with criticism. Three separate letters from music executives demanded a revamp at the academy.

Some of Portnow's highlights over the years include leading the charity MusiCares and helping the Grammys establish online voting.ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - Explore Fairbanks has announced that it inked a deal with East West Marketing Corp. to represent them in China.

Fairbanks' lead promoters on May 25 signed the contract in Beijing while part of Gov. Bill Walker's 12-day "Opportunity Alaska" trade mission to the country, Alaska's Journal of Commerce reported .

"This contractual relationship between Explore Fairbanks and East West marks another quantum leap for tourism from China to Alaska and for cultural exchange among our citizens," Walker said.

Walker said prior to the trip that the trade mission was largely spurred by China President Xi Jinping's extended layover in Anchorage on his way home from a meeting with President Donald Trump in April 2017.

Explore Fairbanks Tourism Director Scott McCrea said that the tourism arrangement will not only help Explore Fairbanks make traditional business connections with tour operators, travel agents and the like in the country's top cities, but will also give the Alaska organization a presence on Chinese social media platforms such as WeChat and Sina Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.

"We think here in the U.S. that we're tied into our social media - within China I think it's even more so, and it's very difficult for us here in the U.S. to know now to use it properly without someone who, one, speaks the language, but is familiar with how to use those platforms to reach out, not just to travel trade (businesses) but to consumers as well," McCrea said.

The arrangement will also build on the business missions to China that Explore Fairbanks has coordinated with Visit Anchorage and other travel trade companies, such as the Alaska Railroad over the past three years, McCrea said.

Explore Fairbanks officials said they hope partnering with East West Marketing can help raise awareness among Chinese travelers that Fairbanks is the premier place on Earth to see the northern lights.

"The Chinese visitor mix is changing and a majority of tourists are now fully independent travelers and seeking unique personal travel experiences," East West Marketing CEO Alina Xiang said. "Fairbanks offers visitors a fascinating opportunity to experience the northern lights and create a lasting travel memory."

___

Information from: (Anchorage) Alaska Journal of Commerce, http://www.alaskajournal.comSuspend your disbelief for a moment, okay? Imagine someone approaches you today and offers a choice: He will give you one million dollars immediately, or one penny doubled every day for the next month. Which would you choose?

No, I dont have insider knowledge of some wealthy magnate planning to make this offer. I havent consulted with Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, or even Donald Trump. But as youll see, its an interesting exercise that illustrates an important principle.



Most of us would probably leap at the $1 million offer. No brainer, right? But wait. At first it would seem anyone who opted to receive a penny the first day, then have it doubled the second day and each succeeding day for a month, would be the loser. But as they say, do the math.



Lets suppose Joe accepts the $1 million. He even sets it aside to collect interest. Good decision, right? However, his friend Jim, a curious soul, elects to take the one penny the first day, doubling that amount every day for a month of 31 days. At first things go slowly for Jim  one cent, two cents, four cents, eight cents, 16 cents. Ho hum. But momentum starts building.



On day 10, Jim receives $5.12. Day 15 nets him $163.84; on day 20 he gets $5,242.88, and on day 25 Jims single days earnings are $167,772.16! The agreement of the one penny doubled daily for a total of 31 days, so the amount continues to multiply. On day 31, Jim is the recipient ofmore than $10.7 million! Would you still rather take the $1 million up front?



This silly scenario represents the genius behind Jesus strategy for growing His Church around the world, a plan thats been has largely ignored.



You might recall the Lords last words to His followers before ascending to Heaven. He told them, Therefore go and make disciples of all nationsteaching them to obey everything I have commanded you (Matthew 28:19-20). We know it as the Great Commission.



Instead of making disciples, however, much of Christianity has focused on making converts, producing spiritual babes without putting in the hard work to assist them in growing into maturing, spiritually reproducing disciples.



Lets apply the monetary illustration to Jesus command. Suppose an established follower of Christ meets for a year with a younger believer, helping him or her to grow in their faith. At the end of that year, they both find someone else to disciple, effectively doubling or multiplying their number from two to four. One year later, each one finds another person to disciple  now there are eight. So far, not too impressive.



But like the example of the ever-doubling pennies, the numbers begin to surge geometrically. At year 10, assuming theres no attrition, there would be 512 believers meeting and helping each other to grow. By year 20, the number has grown to 524,288! Projecting to year 30, following Jesus strategy and directive to make disciples, there would be nearly 537 million committed, fruitful followers of Jesus Christ having an eternal impact at home, at work, in their communities and the world around them.



By year 34, there would be more than 8.5 billion maturing, reproducing Christ followers  more than the current population of the world!



In reality, the issue isnt numbers. If it were, Jesus would have issued production quotas. No, His desire was simply for us to make disciples who make discipleswho make disciples. Ultimately, men, women and young people all devoted to Christ and committed to following Him no matter what. Folks who, as Romans 6:11 states, count [themselves] dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.



How many people do we know like that, individuals willing to follow Jesus directive: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23). That, in just a handful of words, is Jesus description of what a disciple looks like  the kind of people He commissioned to engage in consistently devoting themselves to ministering to others, life on life.



For more than 35 years, its been my privilege to meet one-to-one with other men, sharing from our lives and spurring one another on to love and good deeds, as Hebrews 10:24 expresses it. Not every one of them has gone on to give of his time and energy to help others grow, but a number of them have. In Isaiah 60:22 states, The least of you will become a thousand. If were willing, we can each play a small but important part in Jesus Great Commission, just as He asked us to do.



- - - -SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - South Dakota Republican congressional candidate Neal Tapio is calling for an end to the Native American reservation system.

The first-term state senator from Watertown is proposing a breakup of the reservation system and instead creating block grants of federal benefits for tribal members. He says the current system has "destroyed the futures of four generations of Indian children."

There are nine tribal nations in South Dakota. State Secretary of Tribal Relations Steve Emery, an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, tells the Argus Leader that tribal members and governments in South Dakota would be "very opposed" to Tapio's plan.

Tapio, former Public Utilities Commissioner Dusty Johnson and Secretary of State Shantel Krebs are vying for their party's nomination in the June 5 U.S. House primary.HONOLULU (AP) - Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has captivated people around the world by shooting lava high into the sky and sending rivers of molten rock pouring down hillsides into the ocean over the past month.

But Kilauea is only one of many volcanoes in Hawaii. Here's a look at some of the others.

WHY DOES HAWAII HAVE SO MANY VOLCANOES?

FILE - In this Aug. 12, 2008, file photo, the Molokai Island's sea cliffs rise in the background in Kalaupapa, Hawaii. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has captivated people around the world by shooting lava high into the sky and sending rivers of molten rock pouring down hillsides into the ocean over the past month, but it's only one of many volcanoes in the islands. (AP Photo/Hugh Gentry, File)

The Hawaiian Islands are a chain of volcanoes formed over millions of years. They've developed as the Pacific Plate - one of more than a dozen tectonic plates on the earth's outer layer - slowly moves northwest over a stationary hot spot of magma under the earth's surface. The hot spot partially melts an area under the Pacific Plate, sending magma to the ocean floor. Over time, lava accumulates and emerges above the ocean and builds islands.

One volcano is still submerged: The top of Loihi is currently 3,189 feet (975 meters) below sea level. Scientists estimate it will take about 200,000 years for it to pop out over the sea at its current eruption rate.

HOW MANY ACTIVE VOLCANOES DOES HAWAII HAVE?

The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, part of the U.S. Geological Survey, defines an active volcano as one that has erupted within the past 10,000 years.

Hawaii has five such volcanoes in addition to Kilauea, though Kilauea is the only one currently erupting.

Three are on the same island as Kilauea: Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Hualalai. One is on Maui: Haleakala. The last is Loihi, which is underwater to Kilauea's south.

HAVE ANY OTHER VOLCANOES ERUPTED RECENTLY?

Mauna Loa, which stands 13,679 feet (4,169 meters) above sea level, erupted for 22 days in 1984. Lava cascaded down its eastern flank to get within 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) of Hilo, the largest city on the Big Island. Scientists say Mauna Loa has erupted 33 times since 1864, for an average of once every six years over the past three millennia. It's also the world's largest volcano, with a peak that extends 55,700 feet (16,977 meters) from its base under the sea. Coffee farms and the beach resort town of Waikoloa sit on the mountain's western and northwestern flanks.

To Mauna Loa's northwest is Hualalai, which last erupted between the late 1700s and 1801. Eighty percent of Hualalai's surface has been covered by lava in the past 5,000 years.

On Maui, Haleakala volcano is believed to have erupted last between 1480 and 1600.

IS THERE A VOLCANO IN WAIKIKI?

A volcano commonly known as Diamond Head grandly presides over Waikiki, the world-famous mecca for tourists in the state capital of Honolulu. It's one of several volcanic craters on Oahu that scientists believe were formed between 40,000 and 500,000 years ago.

Diamond Head sits on top of a much larger volcano, called Koolau, that together with a second large volcano called Waianae forms most of Oahu's land mass. The Koolau and Waianae volcanoes are about 2 to 3 million years old. No Oahu volcano is active.

WHAT DO PEOPLE DO ON THE VOLCANOES?

The highest peaks on each island are considered sacred in Hawaiian culture because they represent the realms of the gods and goddesses. There are shrines at the summits of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala, including those honoring the heavens, the earth mother and ancestors. Ceremonies are sometimes performed at the summits.

The top of Mauna Kea, which is only slightly taller than Mauna Loa at 13,803 feet (4,207 meters), hosts about a dozen of the world's most advanced telescopes. The observatories take advantage of clear weather and limited light pollution to peer deep into the night sky. Mauna Loa and Haleakala also have several telescopes.

Watching the sunrise from the top of Haleakala and Mauna Kea has become a popular activity for tourists.

Tourists also enjoy visiting the crater at Kilauea's summit, which is 4,009 feet (1,222 meters) above sea level and inside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Tourists also like to watch lava flowing down Kilauea into the ocean. But dangers posed by the current eruption have forced the Park Service to close the summit area and Hawaii County officials have restricted the ocean entry point.

Hotels, farms, cattle ranches, beaches and towns line the bases of the mountains.

HOW OLD IS THE OLDEST VOLCANO?

Kauai and Niihau islands are the oldest of the eight main islands in the state of Hawaii. They were each formed about 5 million years ago. Erosion and landslides have produced dramatic cliffs on many of the older islands, like the Napali Coast on Kauai's north shore. Molokai has the tallest sea cliffs in the world, according to the Hawaii Tourism Authority. They reach more than 2,000 feet (600 meters) above sea level.

Small atolls and seamounts northwest of the Main Hawaiian Islands are also believed to have been formed by the hot spot. The oldest atoll, Kure, is about 30 million years old.

___

Follow AP's complete coverage of the Hawaii volcano here: https://apnews.com/tag/Kilauea

FILE - In this May 5, 2012 file photo, the moon lights up Waikiki and Diamond Head in Honolulu. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has captivated people around the world by shooting lava high into the sky and sending rivers of molten rock pouring down hillsides into the ocean over the past month, but it's only one of many volcanoes in the islands. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2017, file photo, the sun rises over Hualalai volcano as male athletes start the swim portion of the Ironman World Championship Triathlon in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has captivated people around the world by shooting lava high into the sky and sending rivers of molten rock pouring down hillsides into the ocean over the past month, but it's only one of many volcanoes in the islands. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File)

FILE - In this May 22, 2018 file photo, lava erupts from Kilauea volcano's fissures in the Leilani Estates subdivision near Pahoa, Hawaii. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has captivated people around the world by shooting lava high into the sky and sending rivers of molten rock pouring down hillsides into the ocean over the past month, but it's only one of many volcanoes in the islands. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - In this May 9, 2018, file photo, steam and gas rise from Kilauea's summit crater in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has captivated people around the world by shooting lava high into the sky and sending rivers of molten rock pouring down hillsides into the ocean over the past month, but it's only one of many volcanoes in the islands. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

FILE - In this March 25, 1984, file photo, lava erupts along Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has captivated people around the world by shooting lava high into the sky and sending rivers of molten rock pouring down hillsides into the ocean over the past month, but it's only one of many volcanoes in the islands. (AP Photo/Ira Schwarz, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 10, 2011 file photo, sunbathers enjoy Waikiki Beach in Honolulu with Diamond Head in the background. Hawaii's Kilauea volcano has captivated people around the world by shooting lava high into the sky and sending rivers of molten rock pouring down hillsides into the ocean over the past month, but it's only one of many volcanoes in the islands. (AP Photo/ Marco Garcia, File_ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - A regional bloc mediating South Sudan peace talks wants a face-to-face meeting between President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar by July as pressure grows to end a five-year civil war.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development's statement also decides to submit "punitive measures" against violators of December's failed cease-fire. The statement doesn't say who would be targeted. Sanctions need approval by the bloc's heads of state and government.

Machar has been under house arrest in South Africa. The statement indicates that the proposed meeting with South Sudan's president ahead of an African Union summit on July 1 in Mauritania will inform a "final decision" on Machar's participation in the peace process.

International frustration is rising over the conflict, which began in late 2013 when Kiir sacked his deputy, Machar.NEW DELHI (AP) - India's opposition parties inflicted a humiliating defeat on the governing Hindu nationalist party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in more than a dozen by-elections for seats in Parliament and state assemblies.

India's Election Commission said Thursday that Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies won only two seats in four by-elections for Parliament and 10 for state assemblies in key states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra. The voting occurred Monday.

The Republic television news channel said the party has lost its majority and now has 271 members in the 543-seat lower house of Parliament. However, it remains dominant due to the help of several allies.

The outcome could put pressure on Modi as national elections approach early next year. He is expected to seek a second, five-year term.

G.V.L. Narasimha Rao, a BJP spokesman, said the party might not have done well in the by-elections, but Modi would post a big win in the national elections on the basis of his clean image and emphasis on development.

Jayant Chaudhary, a regional leader belonging to opposition Rashtriya Lok Dal, or National People's Party, said the BJP's attempt to polarize the majority Hindu support in its favor has been rejected by the people.

The Congress and other parties joined forces and made it a direct fight with the BJP in the by-elections by putting up joint candidates to avoid splitting votes.

Minorities, especially Muslims and Christians, say Hindu hardliners have committed increasing acts of violence against them since Modi came to power.

Hindus comprise more than 80 percent of India's 1.3 billion people, Muslims nearly 14 percent and Christians 2 percent.NEW YORK (AP) - The Latest on Samantha Bee (all times local):

2:25 p.m.

Samantha Bee is apologizing to Ivanka Trump and her viewers for using an expletive to describe the president's daughter.

FILE - In this May 16, 2018 file photo, television host Samantha Bee attends the Turner Networks 2018 Upfront at One Penn Plaza in New York. Bee is apologizing to Ivanka Trump and her viewers for using an expletive to describe the president's daughter. Bee issued a statement Thursday that says her language was "inappropriate and inexcusable." She says she crossed a line and deeply regrets it. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP, File)

Bee issued a statement Thursday that says her language was "inappropriate and inexcusable." She says she crossed a line and deeply regrets it.

In a discussion of President Trump's immigration policies on Bee's TBS show "Full Frontal" on Wednesday, she used a vulgarity in reference to Ivanka Trump and urged her to talk to her father about policies that separate children from their parents.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the language was vile and vicious and called on network management to demonstrate that it wouldn't be condoned.

TBS says Bee had taken the right step in apologizing. The network says "it was our mistake, too." The network didn't say whether there would be any consequences for Bee or the show.

___

11:45 a.m.

Samantha Bee is under fire for referring to Ivanka Trump with a vulgar slur on her TBS comedy show.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Thursday called Bee's language "vile and vicious" and said executives at TBS and corporate parent Time Warner "must demonstrate that such explicit profanity about female members of this administration will not be condoned."

Bee's reference came toward the end of a segment about President Trump's immigration policies on her show, "Full Frontal," on Wednesday. She used the slur in urging Ivanka Trump to speak to her father about policies that separate children from their parents.

There was no immediate comment from TBS on Thursday.Stewart Weldon was arrested Sunday after a car chase that ended when he crashed into a police cruiser and wrestled with officers

A woman held captive and tortured for a month told cops 'I never thought I would get away'.

'Thank you for saving my life,' the woman told officers, according to a police report.

Three dead bodies have been found at the home where she was allegedly held captive.

Stewart Weldon has been charged with kidnapping, sexual assault and torturing the woman, a prosecutor said on Thursday.

The woman told cops he held her captive for a month, sexually assaulted her and beat her with a hammer and other objects, police said.

Two bodies were found 'in and around' the Springfield, Massachusetts, home after police responded to the house on Wednesday night, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said.

Late Thursday, Gulluni confirmed a third body had been found on the property, MassLive.com reported. Bodies were found in the garage and basement.

At a press conference Gulluni was asked if they were dealing with a serial killer.

'Right now we are focusing on the piece-by-piece investigation, and it's earlyMuch work is to be done,' he said.

Scroll down for video

Three dead bodies have been found at his home in Springfield, Massachusetts. Weldon has been charged with kidnapping, sexually assaulting and torturing a woman, a prosecutor said on Thursday

The woman was taken to a hospital with what police called 'grotesque and violent' injuries, including a possible fractured jaw, stab wounds to her abdomen, marks from being hit with a blunt object and a leg infection

Courtesy of WWLP

Weldon, who was arrested Sunday after a car chase that ended when he crashed into a police cruiser and wrestled with officers, is believed to live at the address.

Gulluni said that it was a 'dangerous pursuit'.

'He put forward a very violent struggle before his arrest,' he said.

Police has tried to stop his car when they noticed a broken tail-light but he sped off.

Weldon, who's 47 years old, pleaded not guilty to a variety of charges on Tuesday and was held on $1million bail

When they finally caught up with him they found the woman in the vehicle.

A police report said she was 'extremely distraught ... and crying uncontrollably'.

She was taken to a hospital and police said her injuries were 'grotesque and violent', including a possible fractured jaw, stab wounds to her abdomen, marks from being hit with a blunt object and a leg infection.

She was still in the hospital on Thursday, Gulluni said.

Weldon, who's 47 years old, pleaded not guilty to a variety of charges on Tuesday and was held on $1million bail.

His bail in several unrelated cases was revoked.

Weldon had not been charged in connection with the discovery of the bodies.

Gulluni did not disclose the names, ages or genders of the bodies.

Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni, left, briefing the media on Thursday at the home in Springfield where three bodies were found

Property records show that the home is listed under Weldon's mother and the DA implied other people were also living in the residence but did not give further details.

Police visited Weldon's home Wednesday evening after his mother called to report a foul odor at the address.

A police report shows that Weldon was born in Jamaica, Queens, New York.

He was previously jailed in New Jersey for burglary and given probation for unlawful possession of a weapon.

In January 2015 he was charged with assault and battery, and assault with a dangerous weapon in Westfield District Court.

The public defender who represented Weldon at his arraignment did not immediately return a message seeking comment on Thursday.

A police department spokesman said there was no threat to the public.

Weldon is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on June 29.EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) - A farmer wants the courts to step in after he was barred from a Michigan farmers market because he doesn't allow gay couples to marry at his apple orchard.

A conservative Christian nonprofit, Alliance Defending Freedom, is representing farmer Steve Tennes and paying for his legal fees, the Lansing State Journal reported .

Tennes was barred from the East Lansing farmers market last year because city officials opposed his decision to bar same-sex couples from getting married at his orchard, The Country Mill in nearby Charlotte. Officials modified the city-run market's rules to require vendors to comply with East Lansing's civil rights ordinance, which prohibits discrimination.

Country Mill Farms employees sell products on Sept. 17, 2017, at the East Lansing Farmer's Market in East Lansing, Mich. Farmer Steve Tennes was banned last year by the city of East Lansing because it opposed his 2016 decision to not allow same-sex weddings at his commercial farm and orchard in Charlotte. He returned to the market last fall for the final month and a half of the season after a federal district court judge issued a preliminary injunction against the city. Starting Sunday, June 3, 2018, Tennes intends to sell The Country Mill's products. (Nick King/Lansing State Journal via AP)

A federal judge ordered the city to make room for Tennes last year, saying the city likely violated his religious and free speech rights.

East Lansing Mayor Mark Meadows said that ruling only covered the 2017 market season. He said the city opposes Tennes' "corporate decision-making," not his religious beliefs.

"This doesn't have anything to do with Mr. Tennes," Meadows said. "This has to do with the business."

Tennes' attorney, Kate Anderson, said they'll ask for a permanent injunction this fall.

Tennes also plans to return to the farmers market to sell his organic apples starting this Sunday through October.

"Our family has faithfully served everyone in our community from all different backgrounds and beliefs," Tennes said in a statement Wednesday. "It is our religious beliefs that teach us to love all of our neighbors and treat them with dignity and respect."

Country Mill Farms owner Steve Tennes, left, and his wife Bridget talk while touring their 35-acre apple orchard on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Charlotte, Mich. Tennes was banned last year by the city of East Lansing because it opposed his 2016 decision to not allow same-sex weddings at his commercial farm and orchard in Charlotte. He returned to the market last fall for the final month and a half of the season after a federal district court judge issued a preliminary injunction against the city. Starting Sunday, June 3, 2018, Tennes intends to sell The Country Mill's products. (Nick King/Lansing State Journal via AP)

Country Mill Farms owner Steve Tennes, left, and his wife Bridget are photographed in their orchard on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017, in Charlotte, Mich. Tennes was banned last year by the city of East Lansing because it opposed his 2016 decision to not allow same-sex weddings at his commercial farm and orchard in Charlotte. He returned to the market last fall for the final month and a half of the season after a federal district court judge issued a preliminary injunction against the city. Starting Sunday, June 3, 2018, Tennes intends to sell The Country Mill's products. (Nick King/Lansing State Journal via AP)DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) - A story circulating on social media falsely claims President Donald Trump has removed a Muslim federal judge for trying to implement Sharia law in the United States.

The identically worded stories from the floxyupdates and us-leader sites say Trump used an executive order to fire Justice Hansam al Alallawalahi-Smith of the 22nd Circuit Court of Appeals in Dearborn, Michigan.

There is no federal judge by that name, there is no such court and presidents cannot remove judges from office with executive orders. The Constitution requires impeachment to remove a federal judge from the bench.

Sharia is Islamic law, as derived from the Quran and the traditions of Islam. The story alleged Smith made a ruling that would let a man abuse his wife if she talked to another man and would permit a husband to beat his wife if "she were to act on her impulses."

It's similar to stories previously shared online about the nonexistent judge. The latest sites to run such a story couldn't be reached for comment, as they published no contact information and registered their pages through third-party services.

___

This is part of The Associated Press' ongoing effort to fact-check misinformation that is shared widely online, including work with Facebook to identify and reduce the circulation of false stories on the platform.

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Find all AP Fact Checks here: https://www.apnews.com/tag/APFactCheck

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Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheckSPRINGDALE, Ohio (AP) - House Speaker Paul Ryan touted the federal tax overhaul Thursday during a visit to a grocery chain's plant with an Ohio Republican who is facing a spirited Democratic challenge in November.

Officials of Cincinnati-based Kroger Co. said tax cuts have enabled the company to increase tuition assistance for employees along with other benefits ranging from higher company contributions to their retirement plans to expanded employee discounts.

"This is what we were thinking about when we passed tax reform," Ryan told workers at Kroger's Springdale ice cream and beverage plant, referring to the increased benefits. He toured the plant with veteran GOP Rep. Steve Chabot, who is running for a 12th term in the traditionally Republican 1st District. Democrats are hopeful about their nominee, Hamilton County Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval, fresh off an upset victory in 2016 for the county job. Chabot lost his seat while Democrat Barack Obama carried Ohio in 2008, but won it back in 2010.

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., speaks during a town hall at the Kroger Co. ice cream and beverage plant, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Springdale, Ohio. Ryan toured the plant and held the town hall with veteran GOP Rep. Steve Chabot, who is running for a 12th term in the traditionally Republican 1st District against a strong Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval in November. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Ryan praised Chabot for promoting business growth, saying he's well-positioned to do so as chairman of the House Small Business Committee.

Kroger employee Jamie Trentman, among some three dozen Kroger employees gathered for a town-hall format in the plant's break room, grew tearful as she asked what will be done to protect her son Trey, who has joined the Air Force, and help him transition into a job after his service. Ryan replied that the hike in military spending passed this year will give him better equipment and provide training for a future career.

Pureval, meanwhile, said he'd like to meet Chabot in a town hall on "the Ryan-Chabot" tax overhaul.

"If Mr. Chabot truly believes it was good for the people, let's debate," Pureval said in a statement.

Ryan, who's not running for re-election in Wisconsin, also is fundraising in Ohio for House Republicans. Jacob Peters, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman, said Ryan's visit shows that some GOP-held Ohio seats are vulnerable.

___

Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., right, speaks alongside Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, during a town hall at the Kroger Co. ice cream and beverage plant, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Springdale, Ohio. Ryan toured the plant and held the town hall with Chabot, who is running for a 12th term in the traditionally Republican 1st District against strong Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval in November. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., right, speaks alongside Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, during a town hall at the Kroger Co. ice cream and beverage plant, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Springdale, Ohio. Ryan toured the plant and held the town hall with Chabot, who is running for a 12th term in the traditionally Republican 1st District against strong Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval in November. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, left, speaks alongside Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., right, during a town hall at the Kroger Co. ice cream and beverage plant, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Springdale, Ohio. Ryan toured the plant and held the town hall with veteran GOP Rep. Steve Chabot, who is running for a 12th term in the traditionally Republican 1st District against a strong Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval in November. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., listens as he takes a question during a town hall at the Kroger Co. ice cream and beverage plant, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Springdale, Ohio. Ryan toured the plant and held a town hall with veteran GOP Rep. Steve Chabot, who is running for a 12th term in the traditionally Republican 1st District against a strong Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval in November. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, speaks alongside Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., during a town hall at the Kroger Co. ice cream and beverage plant, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Springdale, Ohio. Ryan toured the plant and held the town hall with veteran GOP Rep. Steve Chabot, who is running for a 12th term in the traditionally Republican 1st District against a strong Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval in November. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., right, speaks alongside Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, during a town hall at the Kroger Co. ice cream and beverage plant, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Springdale, Ohio. Ryan toured the plant and held the town hall with veteran GOP Rep. Steve Chabot, who is running for a 12th term in the traditionally Republican 1st District against a strong Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval in November. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, speaks during a town hall with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-Wis., at the Kroger Co. ice cream and beverage plant, Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Springdale, Ohio. Ryan toured the plant and held the town hall with veteran GOP Rep. Steve Chabot, who is running for a 12th term in the traditionally Republican 1st District against a strong Democratic challenger Aftab Pureval in November. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)TORONTO (AP) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday he offered to go to Washington this week to complete talks on renegotiating the North American Free Trade agreement but that Vice President Mike Pence called and told him a meeting with the U.S. president would only happen if Trudeau agreed to put a five-year sunset clause into the deal.

Trudeau said he refused to go because of the "totally unacceptable" precondition. He made the comment while outlining Canada's response to U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum imports.

Late Thursday, President Donald Trump responded in a statement released by the White House, "Earlier today, this message was conveyed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada: The United State (sic) will agree to a fair deal, or there will be no deal at all."

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario on Thursday, May 31, 2018. The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Europe, Mexico and Canada. Trudeau said: "These tariffs are totally unacceptable." Canada announced plans to slap tariffs on $16.6-billion Canadian (US$12.8 billion) worth of U.S. products, ranging from steel to yogurt to toilet paper. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP)

In a call to Trump last Friday, Trudeau offered to meet Trump because he felt they were close to an agreement that only required a "final deal-making moment."

Trudeau said Trump seemed agreeable before Pence called him on Tuesday.

"I stated that I thought we were quite close to reaching an agreement, and perhaps the time had come for me to sit down with the president in Washington in order to finalize the NAFTA agreement," Trudeau said in French. "We already had the bones of a very good agreement for all parties, and I thought it might be opportune for all of us to sit down for a few hours and discuss it."

Trudeau has long said he wouldn't agree to a sunset clause because businesses need certainty when they make long-term investments and putting a sunset clause in every five years would create uncertainty.

"I had to highlight there was no possibility of any Canadian prime minister signing a NAFTA deal that included a five-year sunset clause and obviously the visit didn't happen," Trudeau said.

Pence discussed preliminary issues that the Trump administration wanted clarity on before any in-person meeting at the White House, including the sunset clause, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe internal discussions. The official said a range of issues remain to be resolved but the U.S. looks forward to continuing the negotiations with Canada.

Trudeau earlier deplored a decision by Trump to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Canada announced plans to slap tariffs on $12.8 billion worth of U.S. products, ranging from steel to yogurt and toilet paper

Trudeau said he regrets the action but said they must do it.

"We have to believe that at some point their common sense will prevail. But we see no sign of that in this action today by the U.S. administration," Trudeau said.

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Associated Press writer Ken Thomas in Washington contributed to this report.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, speaks as Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland listens during a news conference in Ottawa, Ontario on Thursday, May 31, 2018. The Trump administration announced Thursday that it will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Europe, Mexico and Canada. Trudeau said: "These tariffs are totally unacceptable." Canada announced plans to slap tariffs on $16.6-billion Canadian (US$12.8 billion) worth of U.S. products, ranging from steel to yogurt to toilet paper. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP)Sears announced that "s part of ongoing efforts to streamline the operations and focus on our best stores," it has identified approximately 100 non-profitable stores, 72 of which will begin store closing sales in the near future.

A list of the 72 stores will be posted in the "News/Media" section of searsholdings.com (http://searsholdings.com/media/company-statements) by mid-day, it was stated.

Sears officials said, "We continue to evaluate our network of stores, which are a critical component in our transformation, and will make further adjustments as needed and as warranted."

Sears has also initiated a formal process to explore the sale of the Kenmore brand and related assets, the Sears Home Improvement Products business of the Sears Home Services division and the PartsDirect business of the Sears Home Services division.OXON HILL, Md. (AP) - The Latest on the Scripps National Spelling Bee (all times local):

10:45 p.m.

Fourteen-year-old Karthik Nemmani of McKinney, Texas, has won the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Naysa Modi, 12, from Frisco, Texas, reacts to spelling a word correctly during the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Karthik spelled the word "koinonia" correctly to become the champion late Thursday. He also spelled "haecceitas" correctly after seventh-grader Naysa Modi from Frisco, Texas, missed the word "Bewusstseinslage" in the final round.

The champion of the 93-year-old competition will receive more than $42,000 in cash and prizes.

___

8:30 p.m.

The 16 remaining spellers in the Scripps National Spelling Bee are back on stage and ready to continue spelling until a champion emerges.

That's a record number of spellers for the prime-time finals, and it could mean a late-night finish to a longer-than-usual week. The size of this year's bee field nearly doubled from prior years because of a new wild-card program. Four of the remaining spellers got in via wild cards.

The bee ended in a tie for three consecutive years from 2014-2016, but that almost certainly won't happen this year because the 16 finalists all took a written tiebreaker test.

The champion of the 93-year-old competition will receive more than $42,000 in cash and prizes.

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3 p.m.

Sixteen accomplished spellers have advanced to the prime-time finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, an unusually high number after a morning session that lasted 4 hours.

The finals began with 41 spellers, and the number slowly dwindled over five rounds, but there was never a mass exodus from the stage. At one point in the second round, 21 consecutive kids spelled their words correctly.

Three spellers who made the top 10 last year still have a chance to repeat that accomplishment: Erin Howard, Naysa Modi and Shruthika Padhy.

Tara Singh, making her fifth and final appearance in the bee, will go to the prime-time finals for the first time.

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9 a.m.

The dramatic final rounds of the Scripps National Spelling Bee are set to begin.

Forty-one spellers advanced to Thursday's finals out of a field of 516 - by far the largest in the 93-year history of the competition. Scripps started a wild-card program this year that created a path to nationals for spellers who didn't win their regional bees, and some of the finalists got to the bee that way.

The past 13 champions and 18 of the last 22 have been Indian-American, and that trend could easily continue. Most of the consensus favorites in this year's bee have Indian heritage.

Phoebe Smith, 12, from Aston, Pa., left, and Melodie Loya, 13, from Bainbridge, N.Y., celebrate after Phoebe spelled a word correctly during the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Paul Hamrick, 14, from Monterey, Calif., spells his word correctly during the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Simone Kaplan, 12, from Davie, Fla., wears a dress with embroided bees on it while spelling her word correctly during the finals of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

Erin Howard, 13, from Huntsville, Ala., types in the air while spelling during the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Snehal Choudhury, 13, from Massillon, Ohio, right, reacts after spelling her word correctly during competition in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 31, 2018. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)TORRINGTON, Conn. (AP) - A Chinese foreign exchange student who was convicted of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old Connecticut girl has left the U.S. after being sentenced to time served.

The Republican-American reports 17-year-old Yulong Li was sentenced Wednesday under a plea agreement to the 45 days he had already served for a third-degree sexual assault conviction. Li left for China following sentencing. He isn't expected to return to the U.S. because of his sex offender status.

Li was arrested in March 2017. Prosecutors say the girl was a member of the host family he was staying with in New Hartford.

Li's attorney, Ronald Johnson, didn't speak in court.

It's unclear which school he attended.

___

Information from: Republican-American, http://www.rep-am.comDUBLIN, Ohio (AP) - One shot on the wrong side of the creek. One shot in the water. Another one in someone's backyard.

Tiger Woods was headed for another bad memory at the Memorial.

One shot changed everything.

Tiger Woods follows through on his swing on the ninth hole during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Woods recovered from a rugged start Thursday by running off three straight birdies late in the opening round to salvage an even-par 72 at Muirfield Village, leaving him seven shots behind in a tie for 47th.

"I fought back and I didn't really have much starting out," Woods said. "Didn't really feel my swing very well, and consequently I hit it both ways - mainly left. I wasn't rotating very well. Made a few tweaks, a few changes, made a couple of birdies, made a couple of putts, and lo and behold, I finished at even par. I know it's a long way back, but at least I've got a fighting chance."

Woods is a five-time winner at the Memorial. The last time he was at Muirfield Village was three years ago, when he shot a career-high 85 in the third round and had to play as a single Sunday morning.

What turned it around for him was a 3-iron from 245 yards that had to carry a pond in front of the green on the par-5 fifth.

"That was huge because I just came off three-putting 4. I hit it over the back on 3 with a wedge, and I needed to get some momentum going," Woods said. "I had two par 5s left. I figured I could get to even par somehow. But I needed to take care of 5 first. And I was able to do it."

The par 5s are what got Woods into this mess in the first place.

With a slight wind into him on the par-5 11th, he played it as a three-shot hole by teeing off with a 2-iron. Woods pulled that so far left the ball went over the creek and into shin-high grass. He did well to chop it back to the fairway, only to put his next shot with a long iron into the water in front of the green. He got up-and-down for bogey.

On the par-5 15th, Woods had two mighty swings - one that sent the ball well to the right; one on the way back, leaving him to slam his club into the turf in frustration. The ball went over an iron fence and into a backyard, out of bounds.

That led to double bogey, and he followed by hitting into a bunker on the par-3 16th and missing a short par save, sending him to 4 over through seven holes.

He attributed the slow start to tightness in his back, though he said that was no cause for alarm even with four back surgeries. The last one was to fuse two discs in his lower back just over a year ago.

"I wasn't rotating very well today. Back was tight," Woods said. "And I made a few tweaks in my swing, my setup and I was able to make some good swings and turned the whole thing around."

Woods said he has occasional days when his back tightens and he can't get it entirely loose, but there's no pain involved and he said it was "no biggie."

The front nine was a big deal, starting with that 3-iron over the water. He two-putted from about 50 feet for birdie, found the fairway on No. 6 that left a wedge into 3 feet for a tap-in birdie, and then hit out of a greenside bunker and used the slope for it to roll out to 2 feet on the par-5 seventh.

Woods got up-and-down for par on the ninth from 62 yards in front of the water after a poor drive, and that was big, too. No one likes ending a round with a bogey, and even par at least kept him within seven shots of Hideki Matsuyama, Abraham Ancer and Joaquin Niemann.

"It was nice to somehow grind out the round, turn it around, and finish even par," he said. "Lunch will taste a lot better that way."

Lunch had to wait. He first headed for the putting green for more practice.

Tiger Woods reads his scorecard on the ninth hole during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Tiger Woods examines the fairway while spectators take pictures on their cell phones on the ninth hole during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Tiger Woods putts on the ninth hole during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Tiger Woods tips his cap on the eighth hole during the first round of the Memorial golf tournament Thursday, May 31, 2018, in Dublin, Ohio. (AP Photo/David Dermer)BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Republican lawmakers from Western states and industry executives on Thursday accused Washington state officials of unfairly blocking fossil fuel projects and dictating winners and losers among U.S. companies seeking to export products to Asia.

Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana and others singled out Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a Democrat, for blocking increased coal exports from Wyoming and Montana, the nation's top coal-producing region.

U.S. coal mining contracted sharply over the past decade as natural gas and renewables captured a larger share of the electricity-generation market. Companies seeking to pivot to customers in Asia have been frustrated by the cancellation and blockage of proposed coal export terminals on the West Coast.

FILE - In this Thursday, April 29, 2010 file photo, a pair of coal trains idle on the tracks near Dry Fork Station, a coal-fired power plant being built by the Basin Electric Power Cooperative near Gillette, Wyo. Republican lawmakers from Western states and industry executives on Thursday, May 31, 2018, accused Washington state officials of unfairly blocking fossil fuel projects and dictating winners and losers among U.S. companies seeking to export products to Asia. (AP Photo/Matthew Brown, File)

Under Inslee, Washington state regulators have blocked a coal export terminal in Longview that could export up to 44 million tons annually and an oil-by-rail facility that would transfer oil from the Northern Plains to barges for shipment to West Coast refineries.

"The state of Washington is a barrier in the way of getting Montana resources exported around the world, including to Asia," Daines said during an energy conference in Billings he helped organize.

U.S. Sen. John Barrasso predicted during the conference that Washington's attempt to "weaponize the regulatory process" by blocking permits for fossil fuel projects would have consequences in upcoming elections.

Inslee spokeswoman Tara Lee declined to respond directly to the lawmakers' comments. She said Washington officials were confident the state will prevail in pending lawsuits over the Longview terminal.

"Any proposal for a project like this goes through a rigorous but objective environmental review process," Lee said. "We feel confident that our lead agency is making sound decisions based on the science, as they should. Some projects meet the requirements, some don't."

In denying permits for the Longview terminal, the Washington Department of Ecology said there were too many major harmful impacts including air pollution, rail safety and vehicle traffic.

BNSF Railway Chairman Matt Rose and mining company president Everett King with Lighthouse Resources, which is sponsoring the Longview coal terminal, also criticized obstruction from Washington state. They said the targeting of fossil fuel exports would undermine attempts under the administration of President Donald Trump to achieve U.S. energy dominance on the global stage.

U.S. coal exports to Asia more than doubled in 2017, to about 33 million short tons, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. However, most of that coal was funneled through two cities on the East Coast, Norfolk, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland, with high transportation costs a barrier to further growth in exports.

West Coast ports provide a potentially shorter route for the fuel.

Attorneys general from six states including Montana and Wyoming have argued in one of the lawsuits involving the stalled port that the case could impact a range of commodities, including grains and other fuels.

In a ruling Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan rejected a bid by Washington state to dismiss the case.UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.S. is vowing to veto an Arab-backed resolution that asks the U.N. chief to propose measures to ensure "international protection" for Palestinian civilians.

A vote on the measure - which comes after weeks of urgent discussions but no agreement on any action about escalating violence in Gaza - was at one point expected Thursday evening. Then diplomats said it would be delayed and now appears likely on Friday.

The Kuwait-sponsored draft resolution "deplores" and demands a halt to "the use of any excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" by the Israeli military, while it also "deplores the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israeli civilian areas."

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley lambasted the proposal for discussing "excessive" Israeli force while making no mention of Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza.

"It is a grossly one-sided approach that is morally bankrupt and would only serve to undermine ongoing efforts toward peace between the Israelis and Palestinians," Haley said in a statement Thursday evening. Israel's U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, also has sharply criticized the proposal.

The Security Council has been deeply divided and paralyzed over dealing with the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. After a series of emergency meetings about Gaza - the latest just Wednesday - the U.N.'s most powerful body so far hasn't been able to agree even on a press statement.

The draft resolution expresses "grave concern" at the escalation of violence and tensions and the deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories, especially since the start of a series of mass protests at the Gaza border on March 30.

Over 110 Palestinians were killed and thousands wounded by Israeli military fire. Israel said its troops were defending its border and accused Hamas militants of trying to attack under the cover of the protest.

Then Hamas and the smaller Islamic Jihad militant group bombarded southern Israel with rockets and mortars Tuesday, and Israel responded by striking targets throughout Gaza. It was the largest flare-up for violence between the sides since a 2014 war. Hamas said Wednesday it had agreed to a cease-fire with Israel.

The draft resolution calls for urgent steps "to ensure an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire." It asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for a written report within 60 days ways to ensure "the safety, protection and well-being of the Palestinian civilian population under Israeli occupation," including recommendations about "an international protection mechanism."

The draft also urges immediate, unimpeded humanitarian access and "tangible steps" toward reconciliation between different Palestinian factions.

At Kuwait's request, the council has held multiple emergency meetings on the border clashes. Tuesday's torrent of rockets and mortars prompted the U.S. to call for Wednesday's meeting, where U.N. Mideast envoy Nikolay Mladenov said the latest escalation in Gaza was a warning of "how close to the brink of war we are every day."

Both the U.S. and Kuwaiti ambassadors said their nations had proposed press statements on the Israeli-Palestinian issue that had been blocked in recent weeks.

Israel and Hamas are bitter enemies and have fought three wars since the Islamic group seized control of Gaza in 2007.

___

Peltz reported from New York.SALEM, Ore. (AP) - The National Guard will hand out free water to residents who can't drink tap water contaminated by an algae bloom in the Salem, Oregon, area, and state law enforcement authorities are looking into claims of price gouging after officials extended an emergency drinking water advisory.

Gov. Kate Brown's office said Thursday the water will be distributed to people at 10 locations in the state's capital and Stayton because of toxins created by a bloom at Detroit Lake, a municipal reservoir.

Officials had earlier warned young children and people with compromised immune systems against drinking tap water in the area. At a press conference Thursday, Salem water quality supervisor Lacey Goeres-Priest said a best-case scenario would see the advisory lifted no earlier than after collecting safe water samples both Friday and Saturday.

Keizer Community Emergency Response Team members fill containers for Salem residents at the Keizer Civic Center on Thursday, May 31, 2018. Gov. Kate Brown's office said Thursday the water will be distributed to people at 10 locations in the state's capital and Stayton because of toxins created by a bloom at Detroit Lake, a municipal reservoir. Members of the public can come to the station with their own containers to get fresh water. (Molly J. Smith/Statesman-Journal via AP)

"This is a living thing," Powers said, referring to the algae that creates the toxins. "We're not going to speculate as to whether it's going to get better or get worse."

State law enforcement authorities are also looking into claims of price gouging on bottled water in the area, said Kristina Edmunson, a spokeswoman for the Oregon Department of Justice. Officials have received more than a dozen complaints so far and expect more as consumers become aware they can report the incidents.

Alan Torga, of Salem, was one person who complained after he said employees at a supermarket asked his mother for $25 for a case of 36 bottles of water.

"She picked up on it and called me," Torga said, adding that he told his mother not to pay the price. Later, at another supermarket, she saw employees selling gallons of water for about $13, he added. "It's really unfortunate that people are getting gouged like this."

Brown declared a localized state of emergency in part to empower the attorney general to look into the complaints, said Bryan Hockaday, a spokesman for the governor.

The developments follow earlier confusion generated when officials used a wireless alert system to blast a cryptic warning Tuesday to "Prepare for Action" onto cellphones around the city, referring only to a "Civil Emergency." Officials blamed the truncated message on a computer glitch that cut off crucial information: The alert was only for a limited water advisory.

An update was issued about 30 minutes after the first alert, but shelves at many local grocery stores were stripped bare of bottled water within hours, and residents relayed stories of anxiously waiting to determine exactly what kind of civil emergency they faced.

City and state health officials will wait for two days' test results to fall within safe limits before lifting the advisory, said Kenny Larson, a spokesman for the city of Salem. Officials emphasized that the toxins are only a risk for a limited segment of the population.

"The water is safe to drink for the vast majority of Salem residents," Larson said.

Authorities say the effects of drinking the contaminated water for vulnerable people can include fever, headache, vomiting and bloody diarrhea.

Municipal water workers can dilute the water from the reservoir with water from other sources, but only to a degree, Larson added, meaning that the city will have to wait for the algae bloom to clear up naturally.

In the meantime, Andrew Phelps, head of the state's emergency management agency, had a message for retailers who might be charging higher-than-normal prices for water: "knock it off," Phelps said.

___

This story has been updated to reflect a new advisory lift date based on information from another water official.

In this Wednesday, May 30, 2018 photo, Willamette Humane Society staff members fill containers with well water from the shelter's pump house in Salem, Ore. The humane society is drawing water from an on-site well after the City of Salem's announcement that tap water is contaminated. Gov. Kate Brown's office said Thursday the water will be distributed to people at 10 locations in the state's capital and Stayton because of toxins created by a bloom at Detroit Lake, a municipal reservoir. (Molly J. Smith/Statesman-Journal via AP)

In this Wednesday, May 30, 2018 photo, pallets of water and individual water bottles are seen in the warehouse of Marion Polk Food Share in Salem, Ore. The National Guard will hand out free water to residents who can't drink tap water contaminated by an algae bloom in the Salem, Ore., area, and state law enforcement authorities are looking into claims of price gouging after officials extended an emergency drinking water advisory. (Molly J. Smith /Statesman-Journal via AP)

In this Tuesday, May 29, 2018 photo, Mark Schonbrun, 72, and Linda Schonbrun, 66, of West Salem, purchase water following a tap water contamination warning for people in Salem at WinCo Foods in Salem, Ore. (Anna Reed/Statesman-Journal via AP)

Oregon National Guard "hippo" trucks can carry 2,000 gallons of water; seven water stations with these trucks will be set up around Salem, Ore., and surrounding areas on Thursday, May 31, 2018. Gov. Kate Brown's office said Thursday the water will be distributed to people at 10 locations in the state's capital and Stayton because of toxins created by a bloom at Detroit Lake, a municipal reservoir. (Molly J. Smith/Statesman-Journal via AP)

Floyd Oar of Salem loads his SUV with water purchased at WinCo Tuesday evening May 29, 1018 in Albany, Ore. Oar purchased water for himself and his grown children's families who all reside in the Salem area.The Oregon National Guard will hand out free water at 10 locations to residents who can't drink tap water due to toxins from an algae bloom in a reservoir. (Mark Ylen/Albany Democrat-Herald via AP)

Juana Francisco of Albany, Ore., loads her trunk with water purchased at WinCo Tuesday evening, May 29, 2018. The Oregon National Guard will hand out free water at 10 locations to residents who can't drink tap water due to toxins from an algae bloom in a reservoir. (Mark Ylen/Albany Democrat-Herald via AP)

Andrew Phelps, head of the Oregon office of emergency management, speaks to reporters at a National Guard depot in Salem, Ore., Thursday, May 31, 2018, after Gov. Kate Brown announced she was deploying the National Guard to deliver water to residents of the state's capital city. Oregon officials issued a limited no-drink warning for water in the city and surrounding area Tuesday, beginning with a confusingly ominous message that caused anxiety among residents. (AP Photo/Tom James)

Salem city manager Steve Powers speaks to reporters along with state and city officials at a National Guard depot in Salem, Ore., Thursday, May 31, 2018, after Gov. Kate Brown announced she was deploying the National Guard to deliver water to residents of the state's capital city. Oregon officials issued a limited no-drink warning for water in the city and surrounding area Tuesday. (AP Photo/Tom James)

A truck loaded with a "hippo" water tank sits at a National Guard depot in Salem, Ore., Thursday, May 31, 2018. A National Guard spokesman said similar trucks would be deployed to as many as 10 locations in and around the city later in the day to distribute clean water after an algae bloom contaminated municipal supplies. (AP Photo/Tom James)A Russian journalist who turned up alive and well less than 24 hours after he was reported murdered features on many of the front pages on Thursday.

Police had said on Tuesday that Arkady Babchenko had been shot and killed at his apartment building in Ukraine  but the 41-year-old appeared at a news conference on Wednesday.

He announced that he had faked his own death in order to thwart a genuine plot by Moscow to kill him, The Guardian reports.

What the papers say - May 31

Guardian front page, Thursday 31 May 2018: I faked my own death to avoid Kremlin hitman, says journalist pic.twitter.com/uxnA6WlfgX  The Guardian (@guardian) May 30, 2018

The i says the journalist shocked the world when he turned up at the press conference about his own killing, and reports that there were gasps and cheering when he walked in.

He apologised to his wife and daughters who had been in mourning, the paper adds.

Both The Sun and the Daily Star run with the headline: You Only Live Twice, with The Sun reporting that a Ukrainian MP claimed the faked assassination was based on a Sherlock Holmes plot.

Tomorrow's front page: A journalist reportedly assassinated by Russian hitmen came back from the dead - at a police press conference https://t.co/zPWM5PFhI6 pic.twitter.com/2zP69PW9SB  The Sun (@TheSun) May 30, 2018

A photo of a smiling Mr Babchenko features on the front of The Times.

The paper leads, however, on Brexit, reporting that France is blocking Britains attempts to remain part of a European Union security system designed to keep the public safe.

Tomorrow's front page: Brexit deal on security is blocked by France #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/gf8YYaoauL  The Times (@thetimes) May 30, 2018

Brexit also features on the front of the Daily Express, which carries calls from Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg for the EU to resolve the Northern Ireland border issue, while the Daily Telegraph reports that a Government-backed review found sexist bosses at Britains leading businesses were using pitiful and patronising excuses to keep women out of the boardroom.

The front page of tomorrow's Daily Telegraph: 'Sexist FTSE chiefs claim women aren't fit for boardrooms' #TomorrowsPaperToday pic.twitter.com/mxqmWcig0d  The Telegraph (@Telegraph) May 30, 2018

The Daily Mail leads on the last of the big six energy firms hiking its tariffs, reporting that millions face paying 100 a month for heating and lighting.

And the Daily Mirror claims documents reveal British nuclear test crews were deliberately exposed to radiation in Cold War experiments.

Elsewhere, the Financial Times reports that the US has snubbed Europes demands for a permanent exemption from new metals tariffs.

Just published: front page of the Financial Times, London edition, Thursday 31 Mayhttps://t.co/AKaLnFt0XE pic.twitter.com/ShopcNDkdo  Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) May 30, 2018

And the Metro leads on the court case of two people who took 120,000 of taxpayers money after falsely claiming they had lost their home in the Grenfell Tower fire.A senior North Korean official and the top US diplomat have sat down for dinner in New York as President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un try to salvage prospects for a high-stakes nuclear summit.

Kim Yong Chol, the former military intelligence chief and one of the North Korean leaders closest aides, landed mid-afternoon on an Air China flight from Beijing for the highest-level official North Korean visit to the United States in 18 years.

During his unusual visit, Kim Yong Chol had dinner for about an hour-and-a-half with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who travelled from Washington to see him.

The two planned a day full of meetings on Thursday, the White House said.

Their talks will be aimed at determining whether a meeting between Mr Trump and Kim Jong Un, originally scheduled for June 12 but later cancelled by Mr Trump, can be restored, US officials have said.

Good working dinner with Kim Yong Chol in New York tonight. Steak, corn, and cheese on the menu. pic.twitter.com/1pu4K3oym7  Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) May 31, 2018

The talks come as preparations for the highly anticipated summit in Singapore were barreling forward on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, despite lingering uncertainty about whether it will really occur, and when.

As Mr Kim and Mr Pompeo were meeting in New York, other US teams were meeting with North Korean officials in Singapore and in the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarised Zone.

If it happens, well certainly be ready, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of the Singapore summit.

Regarding the date for the meeting, she added, Were going to continue to shoot for June 12th.

North Koreas flurry of diplomatic activity following a torrid run in nuclear weapons and missile tests in 2017 suggests that Kim Jong Un is eager for sanctions relief to build his economy and the international legitimacy the summit with Mr Trump would provide.

But there are lingering doubts on whether Mr Kim will ever fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his only guarantee of survival in a region surrounded by enemies.

Mr Trump announced that Kim Yong Chol was coming to New York for talks with Mr Pompeo in a tweet on Tuesday in which he said he had a great team working on the summit.

That was a shift from last week, when Mr Trump announced in an open letter to Kim Jong Un that he had decided to terminate the summit following a provocative statement from the North.

Mr Pompeo, Mr Trumps former CIA chief, has travelled to Pyongyang twice in recent weeks for meetings with Kim Jong Un, and has said there is a shared understanding between the two sides about what they hope to achieve in talks.

South Korean media speculated that Mr Pompeo could make a third trip to Pyongyang and that Kim Yong Chol was carrying a personal letter from Kim Jong Un and might push to travel to Washington to meet with Mr Trump.

North Koreas mission to the United Nations in New York is its sole diplomatic presence in the United States. That suggests Mr Kim might have chosen to first go to New York because it would make it easier for him to communicate with officials in Pyongyang, North Koreas capital.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo gets into a car after meeting with Kim Yong Chol, former North Korean military intelligence chief

North Korea and the United States are still technically at war and have no diplomatic ties because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Mr Trump views a summit as a legacy-defining opportunity to make the nuclear deal that has evaded others, but he pledged to walk away from the meeting if he believed the North was not serious about discussing dismantling its nuclear programme.

After the Norths combative statements, there was debate inside the Trump administration about whether it marked a real turn to belligerence or a feint to see how far Kim Jong Un could push the US in the lead-up to the talks.

Looking forward to meeting with Kim Yong Chol in New York to discuss @Potus potential summit with Chairman Kim. We are committed to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula @StateDept  Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) May 30, 2018

Mr Trump had mused that Mr Kims attitude had changed after the North Korean leaders surprise visit to China two weeks ago, suggesting China was pushing Mr Kim away from the table.

Mr Trumps letter, the aides said, was designed to pressure the North on the international stage for appearing to have cold feet.

White House officials maintain that Mr Trump was hopeful the North was merely negotiating but that he was prepared for the letter to mark the end of the two-month flirtation.

Instead, the officials said, it brought both sides to the table with increasing seriousness, as they work through myriad logistical and policy decisions to keep June 12 a viable option for the summit.

Kim Yong Chol is a vice chairman of the North Korean ruling partys central committee. The last official of his stature to visit the United States was Jo Myong Rok, the late first vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, who visited Washington in 2000, South Koreas Unification Ministry said.

The White House emphasised that it has remained in close contact with South Korean and Japanese officials as preparations for the talks continue.

Ms Sanders said Mr Trump will host Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe of Japan on June 7 to coordinate their thinking ahead of the summit.

Mr Trump hosted South Korean president Moon Jae-in last week.

Mr Moon, who has lobbied hard for nuclear negotiations between Mr Trump and Kim Jong Un, held a surprise meeting with the North Korean leader on Saturday in an effort to keep the summit alive.Surrey police have appealed for witnesses after a gang rammed a black BMW X5 in to a Co-op.

Officers were called to Nork Way in Banstead at around 3am on Thursday after reports of a number of people dressed in black trying to raid the premises.

Morning! You might have heard some 'goings on' in Banstead this morning - some people reversed a BMW into the front of the Co-op.



If you did see or hear anything, we want to know about it - call us on 101.https://t.co/6ZLi1ZqUG2 pic.twitter.com/uakoCbuje5  Surrey Police (@SurreyPolice) May 31, 2018

The 44 was apparently reversed in to the glass shopfront.

Car reversed into store window

It is not clear at this stage if anything was taken, investigators said.

Anyone with any information has been urged to contact police.The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that Romania and Lithuania allowed the detention and abuse of a Saudi and a Palestinian at secret US prisons.

The Strasbourg-based court said Abd al-Rahim Al Nashiri, a Saudi national later sent to Guantanamo Bay, was detained and abused in Romania between September 2003 and October 2005, and urged Romania to investigate and punish perpetrators.

ECHR rules in favour of 2 men secretly held in CIA black sites in Lithuania and Romania: video of the deliveries of judgmentshttps://t.co/EmWfl7g6mi#ECHR #CEDH pic.twitter.com/657nsekPg5  ECHR CEDH (@ECHR_CEDH) May 31, 2018

Romania denies hosting such CIA facilities.

A police recruit holds handcuffs

Al Nashiris lawyer Amrit Singh called the ruling a sharp rebuke to Romanias shameful attempts to conceal its hosting of a secret CIA prison.

The court also said Lithuania hosted a secret CIA detention facility from February 2005 to March 2006 where Abu Zubaydah, a Palestinian suspected of being a planner for the September 11 attacks, was detained.

It ruled that Lithuania allowed him to be moved to another CIA detention site in Afghanistan, exposing him to further ill-treatment.

He is currently detained at Guantanamo Bay.

Lithuanian authorities said they would consider appealing against the courts decision and may also investigate the claims again.

Justice Minister Elvinas Jankevicius told reporters that we will take a decision after carefully examining the ruling.

Vytautas Bakas, the chairman of the parliamentary committee for national security and defence, said he would propose opening a new probe.

A 2009 investigation in Lithuania concluded that Lithuanias intelligence agency helped the CIA set up two small detention centres in the Baltic country, but did not determine whether the facilities were actually used in the interrogation of terrorism suspects.The League of Women Voters of Chattanooga is ensuring that voters in Hamilton County have the information to make an informed decision in the General and Primary elections on August 2.

"The LWV Chattanooga invited all 2018 Hamilton County candidates in the General Election, who face opposition, to participate in our Vote411 Voter Guide. Additionally, this Voter Guide includes candidates whom voters will find on their August 2 ballots for the Primary Elections of the Tennessee State House of Representatives and Senate races," officials said. "This Voter Guide provides detailed information on the candidates and issues that matter to voters in this election. Voters can compare positions, background information and qualifications of candidates. Candidate replies have not been altered or edited in any way, and all responses are written in the candidates own words to ensure voters can gain a clear impression of who they are and their platforms."

The LWV Chattanooga 2018 Voter Guide can be found on the Leagues website. In addition to this guide, voters are encouraged to visit http://www.vote411.org/. VOTE411.org is a nonpartisan "one-stop-shop" for all election-related materials that voters of Hamilton County may need. By entering their home address on VOTE411, voters can learn about the offices they will find on their ballot in the upcoming election. Additionally, on VOTE411 voters can read candidate responses to League questions to better inform their vote on election day.





North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has met Russias foreign minister in Pyongyang in a move that Moscow hopes will reassert its role as a force to be reckoned with ahead of Kims expected summit with Donald Trump next month.

Moscow has remained largely on the sidelines as Kim has made a major diplomatic outreach to Seoul, Beijing and Washington over the past several months.

However, Sergey Lavrovs visit suggests Russia wants to make sure it is informed of North Koreas intentions.

Mr Lavrov relayed President Vladimir Putins warmest regards and best wishes for Kims big endeavours on the Korean Peninsula.

He also expressed Moscows support for an agreement Kim reached with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a summit last month that focused on measures to ease hostilities and increase exchanges between the two Koreas.

Video of the beginning of their meeting showed Mr Lavrov inviting Kim to Moscow and complimenting the North Korean leader on the many new projects that have brightened up the capital.

According to Russian media, he also discussed ways to expand relations during a meeting with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.

We welcome the contacts that have been developing in the recent months between North and South Korea, between North Korea and the United States, Mr Lavrov said in comments to the media.

We welcome the summits that already took place between Pyongyang and Seoul as well as planned meetings between North Korean and US leadership.

Kim Jong Un and Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang

He vowed Russias support for denuclearisation and a broader effort to create a stable and long-lasting peace in the region, but indicated that Moscow believes sanctions can be eased while the process is in progress, which diverges from the US position that denuclearisation must come first.

Its absolutely obvious that when a conversation starts about solving the nuclear problem and other problems of the Korean Peninsula, we proceed from the fact that the decision cant be complete while sanctions are still in place, he said.

Despite having a border with North Korea and relatively cordial relations that Mr Putin has seemed to want to develop further, Russia has kept a surprisingly low profile as Kim has emerged onto the world stage this year, meeting twice with Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Koreas Moon.

As Mr Lavrov was visiting Pyongyang, one of Kims top lieutenants, former intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol, was in New York to discuss the agenda for the Trump summit with US officials.The chief executive of the Pensions Regulator is stepping down following years of criticism from MPs over high profile failings related to BHS and Carillion.

Lesley Titcomb will step down in February 2019 at the end of her four-year contract at the watchdog, saying she wanted time to pursue other interests and opportunities.

Ms Titcomb came under fire from MPs for the regulators handling of both the collapse of BHS and Carillion.

The Work and Pensions select committee, which is chaired by Labours Frank Field, accused the regulator of taking a tentative and apologetic approach under Ms Titcombs leadership.

Frank Field

In a report on the collapse of Carillion, MPs said the regulator failed in all its objectives regarding the Carillion pension scheme and allowed executives to avoid paying sufficient amounts into the pension scheme.

Scheme members will receive reduced pensions. The Pension Protection Fund and its levy payers will pick up their biggest bill ever. Any growth in the company that resulted from scrimping on pension contributions can hardly be described as sustainable, the report said.

Following the collapse of BHS, MPs criticised the regulator for being slow to act in the interests of pensioners.

The regulator did, however, help secure a 363 million contribution to the pension scheme from Sir Philip Green, the retail tycoon who sold BHS for 1 ahead of its collapse.

Ms Titcomb said: This has been a difficult personal decision taken after extensive discussion with family and the chairman.

I love working at the Pensions Regulator and am immensely proud of what we are achieving. But as I turn 57 next month, the end of my contract in February 2019 feels like the appropriate moment to find more time in my life for family, friends, other interests and opportunities.The sister of a teenager killed in a crash on a country road is backing a new campaign urging drivers to slow down on rural routes.

Claire MacKenzies brother Scott died aged 17 when he was a passenger in a car which was being driven too fast and crashed on a bend in Caithness in December 2008.

The driver was jailed for two years and eight months and banned from driving for 10 years.

A new Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland campaign film uses 360 degree technology to position the viewer as the driver in a car and highlights many of the unexpected hazards on country roads that can turn a familiar journey into a potentially fatal one.

Prepare for the unexpected. That's the message of our Country Roads campaign which launched today. Check out our 360 video where you're the driver #dontriskit https://t.co/2nCh5cbpk3  Road Safety Scotland (@RoadSafetyScot) May 31, 2018

Six in 10 road deaths in Scotland occur on country routes. In 2016  the latest year for which figures are available  789 people were killed or seriously injured while driving in rural areas.

Ms Mackenzie, 36, from Wick, is urging people to think twice about driving too fast.

The mother of two said: It didnt sink in that he was actually gone. He had just been going on a night out like any other 17-year-old, and it was impossible to believe wed never see him again.

Seeing how it destroyed my parents added to the trauma, and no matter what I did, there was nothing I could do to relieve their agony.

As we approach the 10-year anniversary of Scotts death, I look at his friends who are now married and have kids and it pains me to think that Scott isnt still here and able to enjoy his own life too.

The driver didnt go out with the intention to kill my brother, but he did. Think before you put your foot down because nobody ever wants to have that knock on their door to say a loved one isnt coming home.

Claire MacKenzie whose brother Scott was killed in a road crash aged 17 (Gareth Allcock/YRS Photography/PA)

Half of all drivers killed or seriously injured on country roads are aged between 22 and 49, according to latest figures.

The film will be toured around the country as a virtual reality experience and the campaign will be supported with digital, social media, outdoor and radio advertising.

Transport Minister Humza Yousaf said: Every life lost on a country road is one too many. This campaign shows the true consequences of driving at an inappropriate speed on country roads.

No matter how well you know the route, its crucial to prepare for the unexpected and drivers need to realise they arent invincible and that it could happen to them.

We want every driver in Scotland, particularly young men, to consider their actions and drive at an appropriate speed for the road conditions.Pro-choice campaigners have taken abortion pills outside Northern Irelands main court buildings in defiance of the strict laws governing terminations.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where the procedure is not legal, aside from exceptional cases, and Ireland has voted to allow it in early pregnancy.

There was a heavy security presence and counter-demonstrations by anti-abortion activists in Belfast city centre.

Ruth Coppinger TD addresses the crowds (David Young/PA)

Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers moved in to seize some of the pills and the tiny robot, less than the size of an A4 page, which was used to distribute them.

Officers also attempted to remove one of the women who openly took a tablet.

They led her away from the centre of the event and a tense stand-off ensued, with many campaigners gathering around her, insisting that she should not be arrested.

After several minutes, the officers abandoned their attempt to speak with the woman and left the area.

Eleanor Crossey Malone, from socialist feminist movement Rosa, was one of those who took the pill in front of television cameras.

Campaigners speaking to police

She said: I have taken this in defiance of the extremely outdated, medieval, anti-choice laws that exist in Northern Ireland.

We are not willing in the wake of the repeal referendum to be left behind any longer.

Northern Ireland after repeal will be one of only two jurisdictions remaining in Europe to criminalise women effectively for having abortions.

We are not willing to accept it any more.

Pro-choice campaigners

Earlier, campaigners addressed the crowd, among them pro-choice activists and Irish parliamentarian Ruth Coppinger TD.

After a tense hour-long encounter staged in an open area between Belfasts Crown and High Courts, the pro-choice activists boarded a bus.

They drove towards a constituency office of the anti-abortion Democratic Unionists, who oppose liberalisation in Northern Ireland, to continue their day of protest.

Prime Minister Theresa May has come under pressure to legislate for abortion in Northern Ireland since the Stormont Assembly has been suspended for months.

Anti-abortion campaigner Bernie Smyth

At Thursdays protest there was chanting involving supporters of both sides of the emotive debate. Opponents included anti-abortion activist Bernie Smyth.

Three women gathered in a circle and others dressed as handmaidens, in reference to the Margaret Atwood novel The Handmaids Tale about womens rights being stripped away, stood behind them.

The three women produced and took the tablets.

Ms Crossey Malone added: Women every day in Northern Ireland are using these pills  as long as we dont talk about it, as long as we act like it is a secret, politicians are not under pressure to legislate on this.

We are bringing it into the spotlight in order to demand that politicians take action on this immediately and extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland.

She said the PSNI was under enormous pressure and was aware of the international pressure inspired by the repeal movement.

There is pressure on the state at every level to change the situation here, it has been described as a violation of human rights.

She added that they were willing to flout the law because we do believe it violates human rights.

Ruth Coppinger TD, a member of Irelands Dail parliament, said it was an outrage that the 1967 Abortion Act had not been extended to Northern Ireland.

There is no way that Northern Ireland is going to get left behind.The UKs highest court rules next week on a challenge over the legality of Northern Irelands strict abortion law.

Seven Supreme Court justices in London will announce their decision on the controversial issue on Thursday June 7.

The ruling by the panel of judges, headed by the courts president Lady Hale, follows a hearing last year.

The Supreme Court building

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) told the court in October that the current law criminalises exceptionally vulnerable women and girls and subjects them to inhuman and degrading treatment.

During the three-day hearing, a QC representing the commission argued that human rights were being breached, with those affected being forced to go through physical and mental torture.

The Supreme Court has been asked to rule that a prohibition on abortions where a pregnancy arises from rape or incest, or involves a serious foetal abnormality, is unlawful.

Judgment in Northern Ireland abortion appeal to be handed down on Thursday 7 June at 9.45am: https://t.co/mZ5OMzI6I4 pic.twitter.com/ixNrcHbvYX  UK Supreme Court (@UKSupremeCourt) May 31, 2018

The NIHRC claims the current laws effect on women is incompatible with rights under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

But, contesting the appeal, the Stormont Executives senior legal adviser, Attorney General John Larkin QC, said Northern Irelands criminal law on abortion was a matter for the democratic judgment of the legislature.

The legislature, he said, has struck the proportionate balance required for the protection of the rights of women and unborn children.

Unlike other parts of the UK, the 1967 Abortion Act does not extend to Northern Ireland.

Abortion is illegal except where a womans life is at risk or there is a permanent or serious danger to her mental or physical health.

Anyone who unlawfully carries out an abortion could be jailed for life.

Belfasts High Court made a declaration in December 2015 that the law was incompatible with Article 8 of the ECHR  the right to respect for private and family life  because of the absence of exceptions to the general prohibition on abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities and pregnancies resulting from sexual offences.

But that decision was overturned in June last year by three of Northern Irelands most senior judges.

The appeal judges said the law in Northern Ireland should be left to the Stormont Assembly and not judges, saying that the complex moral and religious questions behind the issue should be determined by a legislature rather than a court.

Submissions were also made at the Supreme Court by a number of bodies, including seven of the UKs leading reproductive rights organisations, Humanists UK, Bishops of the Roman Catholic Dioceses in Northern Ireland, the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children and Amnesty International.

The Northern Ireland Assembly voted in February 2016 against legalising abortion in cases of fatal foetal abnormality and rape or incest.

The abortion issue has recently hit the headlines again with an overwhelming referendum vote in favour of legal abortion in the Republic of Ireland.

Prime Minister Theresa May has since faced cross-party calls to deliver similar rights to women north of the border.Detectives investigating the death of a three-year-old boy from Croydon have charged his 23-year-old mother in relation to the incident.

Alfie Lamb was found unresponsive by paramedics on February 1 and went into cardiac arrest before dying three days later in hospital.

Three people were arrested on February 28 including Alfies mother Adrian Hoare, of Adams Way, Croydon, south London.

Camberwell Green Magistrates Court

Scotland Yard said Hoare had appeared at Camberwell Green Magistrates Court charged with ill-treatment of a child.

An 18-year-old woman and a 25-year-old man were charged with perverting the court of justice. They will appear at Croydon Magistrates Court on June 25 and June 12 respectively.

A post-mortem examination into Alfies death commenced on February 7 at St Thomas Hospital. Officers are awaiting the final report.Carluccios has been given approval for a restructuring programme that could see it close dozens of restaurants, putting 500 jobs in doubt.

The Italian food business, which was founded by the late Antonio Carluccio in 1999, is embarking on a Company Voluntary Agreement (CVA), which will allow it to reduce rents while it enters negotiations with landlords.

However, it is thought that about 30 stores could eventually close as part of the process.

Carluccio's boxes

Carluccios said it was relocating staff to remaining outlets where possible and would try to keep job losses at a minimum.

A majority of 91% of creditors, including landlords, approved the CVA in a vote on Thursday. Carluccios required the support of 75% of creditors for the plan to go ahead.

Mark Jones, chief executive of Carluccios, said: I would like to thank our landlords for their support. We now look forward to a positive future and the on-going development of the Carluccios business and of course our passionate people.

Carluccios is owned by Dubai-based Landmark Group, which bought the business for 90 million in 2010.

To help Carluccios in the months ahead, Landmark will invest a further 10 million in the business.

Will Wright, restructuring partner at KPMG and joint supervisor of the CVA, said: This is an important step forward for the business, allowing Carluccios to complete its financial restructuring plan and embark on a comprehensive operational transformation programme.

Other restaurants that have undertaken CVAs so far this year include Byron, Prezzo and Jamies Italian.

A number of retailers, including New Look and House of Fraser, have also prepared CVAs in a bid to stay afloat.

The high street has come under strain from a combination of rising rents, business rates and labour costs, at a time when discretionary incomes have come under pressure.The Irish Government has been criticised for apparent delays in providing support services to women affected by the cervical cancer screening controversy.

Opposition TD Stephen Donnelly said that almost two months after the issue of inaccurate test results came to light, many of the 209 women affected and their families had yet to learn what support they may receive.

There has been no central point of contact, there has been no counselling, there has been no multi-disciplinary teams put in place, there has been no financial support, Mr Donnelly said.

He added: One woman involved told me this morning what there is is fear and anger and confusion.

It emerged last month that an audit by the Cervical Check screening programme of 1,482 women diagnosed with cervical cancer since 2008 had found potential errors in earlier smear tests in 209 of the cases, with results showing no abnormalities when they should have flagged a cancer warning.

Mr Donnelly told the Dail he had spoken with one of the women whose screening was missed and she had only been informed on Thursday morning that she would get to sit down with a liaison officer in the next fortnight.

Its going to be two months since this story broke before this woman will even meet someone from the state to talk about what support she might get in the future, he said.

Earlier this month the Government agreed a range of measures to provide care and support for all of the women affected and their families.

It also agreed that all outstanding legal actions would be dealt with with sensitivity, using mediation wherever possible.

Irish deputy premier Simon Coveney said he had also spoken to some of the families involved and that meetings had taken place and many had been positive.

Mr Coveney said both the Department of Health and the Government were determined to prioritise the support for women.

Weve made a very clear decision that the HSE (Health Service Executive) would assign social workers, the Tanaiste said.

He added it was the Governments intention that people would be met in their homes and tailored packages of support would be provided to help people cope with the stress and trauma.

Vicky Phelan, the cancer patient whose case triggered the cervical smear test controversy in Ireland

The controversy was triggered by the case of Vicky Phelan, a terminally ill mother who took a legal case.

The 43-year-old mother of two from Co Limerick settled a High Court action for 2.5 million euro after being incorrectly told in 2011 that her smear test had given a negative result for cancer.

While screening tests are not 100% accurate, the fact that the majority of the impacted patients were not told of the outcome of the audit has prompted a wave of public anger.A new pink tartan created to raise funds for cancer research has been modelled by the First Minister.

Nicola Sturgeon was presented with a Friends of Cancer Research UK scarf, designed by fundraiser Elaine Monro and created by Lochcarron of Scotland.

Profits from the sale of a range of products in the pink, purple and turquoise design will fund research into the disease.

The First Minister said: This special Friends of Cancer Research UK tartan is a great, innovative idea to help raise money for what is an incredibly important cause.

Cancer is something that sadly touches the lives of so many in society, and the clinical research of the type carried out by Cancer Research UK is vital in our attempts to beat it. I hope that the sales of this wonderful tartan raise much needed funds for their work in the future.

Nicola Sturgeon with Elaine Monro

Mrs Monro, a member of Cancer Research UKs Selkirk fundraising committee, came up with the idea of creating the new tartan during a visit to the Lochcarron of Scotland shop in the Borders town.

She said: No matter who you speak to, most people will have a story of a loved one, close friend, work colleague or neighbour with the disease.

Selkirk is a close and caring community, so over the years Ive got to know a lot of families going through this very hard time and I hope the tartan will support patients and their families.

I came up with the idea of creating a tartan in Cancer Research UK colours while having coffee in the Lochcarron of Scotland shop in Selkirk. It struck me as such a great way to raise funds. I cant thank Lochcarron of Scotland enough for their enthusiastic support at every stage of the process.Donald Trump was accused of firing the starting pistol on an international trade war, as the US administration slapped swingeing new tariffs on EU steel imports.

The 25% levy on steel, along with a 10% tariff on aluminium, will come into effect on Friday with the expiry of an exemption first granted to the EU, Mexico and Canada by Mr Trump in March.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker denounced the move as protectionism pure and simple, while a UK Government spokesman described it as deeply disappointing.

The CBI warned the move would damage prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic. Industry body UK Steel said that, with exports to America worth half a billion dollars a year, producers in Britain would be hit hard.

US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross (centre)

The EU will now take action against the US at the World Trade Organisation, while imposing duties on American imports expected to include orange juice, peanut butter and other goods.

Trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said that throughout negotiations stretching over the past months, the US had tried to use the threat of trade restrictions as leverage to obtain concessions from the EU.

This is not the way we do business, and certainly not between long-standing partners, friends and allies, she said.

Speaking from Paris, US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said that talks with the EU had made some progress, but not enough to extend the exemption. He stressed that Washington was willing and indeed eager to have further discussions.

A UK Government spokesman said that as close allies of the US, Britain and other EU states should be permanently and fully exempted from the American measures on steel and aluminium.

We have made clear to the US Government at the highest levels the importance of UK steel and aluminium to its businesses and defence projects, said the spokesman.

We will continue to work closely with the EU and US administration to achieve a permanent exemption and to ensure that UK workers are protected and safeguarded.

UK Steel director Gareth Stace said: President Trump had already loaded the gun and today we now know that the US administration has unfortunately fired it and potentially started a damaging trade war.

The new tariffs will cause damage not only to the UK steel sector, but also the US economy, said Mr Stace, adding: With some half billion dollars of steel exported from the UK to US last year, UK steel producers are going to be hit hard.

The CBIs international director Ben Digby said: The Presidents measures are deeply concerning for firms in the UK, for close trading partners and across supply chains.

There are no winners in a trade war, which will damage prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic. These tariffs could lead to a protectionist domino effect, damaging firms, employees and consumers in the US, UK and many other trading partners.

Labour spokeswoman on steel Gill Furniss described the tariff announcement as a catastrophic blow to the sector and steelworkers across the country.

Theresa May and her Government have approached the ongoing crisis with utter complacency and have proved too feeble to stand up to Trump when it was most needed, said the Sheffield Brightside MP.

They have let our steelworkers down.King University invites alumni to gather together for an afternoon of fun at the Chattanooga Zoo, 301 North Holtzclaw Ave. in Chattanooga on Saturday, June 30. Activities begin at 9 a.m. with a breakfast buffet and a visit by two animal ambassadors.



We are looking forward to a great day in Chattanooga with alumni, faculty and staff of King University, said Denise Asbury, director of Development at King. The Chattanooga Zoo is the perfect place for our families to spend some time together, reconnecting with classmates and meeting fellow area alumni.



The cost for the zoo tour and lunch is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors 65+; tickets for ages 3-13 are $6, and children two and under are free. The breakfast buffet from 9-10 a.m. is included in the ticket price. To secure a reservation, RSVP no later than Friday, June 22 to Dawn McMurray at 800-621-5464 or dmcmurray@king.edu.US President Donald Trump has escalated a feud with ABC in the wake of the cancellation of Roseanne, tweeting at the chief executive of the TV networks parent company.

Mr Trump targeted Robert Iger on Twitter, saying: Iger, where is my call of apology? You and ABC have offended millions of people, and they demand a response.

He specifically complained about an erroneous report last year by ABC investigative reporter Brian Ross, saying: He tanked the market with an ABC lie, yet no apology. Double Standard!

Roseanne Barr arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of Roseanne

ABC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Mr Trumps tweets.

The network previously apologised for the report about Michael Flynn, suspended Mr Ross and told him he could no longer report on Mr Trump.

ABC confirmed that Mr Ross is back at work following his suspension.

The president also complained to Mr Iger a day earlier.

The White House said Mr Trump, who had celebrated the success of Roseanne Barrs show earlier in the year, was not defending her racist tweet about a former Obama adviser, but wanted to point out media bias against him.

Last year, Mr Ross, citing an unidentified confidant of Mr Flynn, the former national security adviser, reported that then-candidate Mr Trump had directed Mr Flynn to make contact with the Russians.

That would have been an explosive development in the ongoing investigation into whether the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the election.

But hours later, Mr Ross clarified his report, saying that his source now said Mr Trump had done so not as a candidate, but as president-elect.

At that point, he said, Mr Trump had asked Mr Flynn to contact the Russians about issues including working together to fight Isis.

ABC was widely criticised for initially clarifying and not correcting the report.

It later issued a correction, saying they deeply regret and apologise.

At the time, Mr Trump tweeted: Congratulations to @ABC News for suspending Brian Ross for his horrendously inaccurate and dishonest report on the Russia, Russia, Russia Witch Hunt. More Networks and papers should do the same with their Fake News!Two men arrested in connection with the murder of a bookmaker more than 27 years ago have been released without charge.

Dessie Fox was shot dead in his car on September 30 1990 after his white Mercedes 250D was intercepted by armed men as he was on his way to a race meeting in Curragh, Co Kildare.

The 47-year-old was stopped by the group at Healys Bridge, Prosperous, Kildare, after setting off from his home in Dungannon in Northern Ireland.

Dessie Fox

He was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering a gunshot wound.

The men stole a briefcase containing a large quantity of cash and other items including a mobile phone and car keys.

Gardai have said two men, aged 50 and 61, who were arrested in Dublin on Tuesday morning have now been released and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

They had been detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act, 1939.Donald Trump stands accused of firing the starting pistol on an international trade war after pressing ahead with his threat to slap tariffs on EU steel imports.

Here we look at what it all means.

Trade wars, what are they good for?

The US steel industry, Mr Trump hopes.

Tariffs on imports should trigger increased demand for US steel, which will be welcomed in the Midwest rust belt, where Mr Trump got a lot of support at the 2016 election.

Donald Trump visit to Scotland

However, US steel consumers would have less choice and could be forced to pay more for steel products, which could mean higher prices.

What will tariffs mean for the UK?

Around 7% of the UKs steel output, 350,000 tonnes, was exported to the US in 2017. So the industry fears the tariffs could cause serious damage.

How big is the UK steel industry?

It is still a big employer despite shrinking considerably in recent decades.

Steel crisis

Around 4,000 people are employed at Tatas giant Port Talbot steelworks in south Wales. British Steel, which in its current form was founded in 2016 from assets acquired from Tata by Greybull Capital, has production sites in Scunthorpe, Skinningrove and Teesside.

How important is the UK steel industry?

It accounts for less than 1% of economic output. But it is still regarded as strategically important for both manufacturing and defence.

Review of the Year 2017

UK steel was used to build the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier. It is also used extensively by UK car manufacturers.

What happens next?

Unless Mr Trump backs down, a trade war seems inevitable.

The EU has already prepared a list of US imports for retaliatory tariffs, including bourbon, blue jeans and Harley-Davidson motorbikes.

Harley-Davidson gathering in aid of charities

And like military wars, trade wars have a tendency to escalate.

So what?

Tariffs on imports generally mean higher prices for consumers.

And according to most economists, trade wars are not usually good news for overall global prosperity.Pro-choice campaigners have taken what they said were abortion pills outside courts in Northern Ireland in defiance of the regions strict laws on terminations.

Amid tense scenes at a rally in Belfast, police moved in to seize some pills and a robot used by the activists to distribute them.

Officers also attempted to remove one woman who openly took a tablet in front of the High Court building.

They led her away from the demonstration and a vocal stand-off ensued, with fellow campaigners quickly surrounding her and demanding she was not arrested.

After several minutes, the officers, on instruction from the inspector in command of the operation, abandoned their attempt to speak to the woman.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where abortion is not legal, aside from exceptional cases.

The rally outside Belfasts High Court and Crown Court came days after the Irish Republic voted in a referendum to overturn its near-blanket ban on abortion.

Ruth Coppinger TD addresses the crowds (David Young/PA)

Eleanor Crossey Malone, from socialist feminist movement Rosa, was one of those who took the pill in front of television cameras.

I have taken this in defiance of the extremely outdated, medieval, anti-choice laws that exist in Northern Ireland, she said.

We are not willing in the wake of the repeal referendum to be left behind any longer.

Northern Ireland after repeal will be one of only two jurisdictions remaining in Europe to criminalise women effectively for having abortions.

We are not willing to accept it anymore.

Campaigners speaking to police

Taking an abortion pill is illegal in Northern Ireland if the intent is to cause a miscarriage.

The women who took the pills said they did not wish to disclose whether they were pregnant.

Earlier, pro-choice campaigners addressed the crowd, among them Irish parliamentarian Ruth Coppinger TD.

Ms Coppinger said it was an outrage that the 1967 Abortion Act that applies elsewhere in the UK had not been extended to Northern Ireland.

There is no way that Northern Ireland is going to get left behind, she said.

Pro-choice campaigners

Prominent anti-abortion activist Bernie Smyth, who led the counter demonstration, described the incident as a publicity stunt.

We are very concerned about what is happening here today and we welcome the presence of the PSNI to ensure that our laws are upheld here in Northern Ireland, she said.

Our laws matter because every life matters.

After a tense hour-long encounter staged in an open area between the court buildings, the pro-choice activists boarded a bus.

They drove towards the Lisburn constituency office of the anti-abortion Democratic Unionists, who oppose liberalisation in Northern Ireland, to continue their day of protest.

Former DUP health minister Jim Wells watched from the other side of the road as the activists picketed the party offices.

Prime Minister Theresa May has come under pressure to legislate for abortion in Northern Ireland since the Stormont Assembly has been suspended for months.

Mr Wells said Mrs May would endanger her confidence and supply deal with the DUP at Westminster if she moved to change abortion laws in the region.

He said the issue was crucial to the survival of the deal.

I believe Theresa May is not going to endanger the supply and confidence arrangement on this issue, he said.

The earlier event at the courts in Belfast saw Ms Crossey Malone and two other activists gather in a circle while others dressed as handmaids, in reference to the Margaret Atwood novel The Handmaids Tale about womens rights being stripped away, stood behind them.

The three women produced and took the tablets.

Ms Crossey Malone added: Women every day in Northern Ireland are using these pills  as long as we dont talk about it, as long as we act like it is a secret, politicians are not under pressure to legislate on this.

Anti-abortion campaigner Bernie Smyth

We are bringing it into the spotlight in order to demand that politicians take action on this immediately and extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland.

She said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) was under enormous pressure and was aware of the international pressure inspired by the pro-choice movement south of the border.

There is pressure on the state at every level to change the situation here, it has been described as a violation of human rights, she said.

She added that they were willing to flout the law because we do believe it violates human rights.

Police officers recorded the events outside the courts.

After picketing at the DUP offices, the demonstrators staged a similar protest at Sinn Feins offices in Cookstown.

The day of protest ended with a rally in Londonderry.

The PSNI said officers seized two small robots along with a number of pills in Belfast, noting they were surrendered voluntarily.

Chief Inspector Stephen McCauley said: Officers recorded footage of the demonstration, the details of a number of participants and have spoken with one of the event organisers.

We will be reviewing the footage to determine whether any offences have been committed, but as we are now investigating this matter, we will not be commenting further.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and North Koreas former military intelligence chief have held high-stakes talks to try to salvage a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Mr Trump told reporters the talks in New York were going well and that North Korean officials may come to Washington on Friday with a letter from Kim.

The discussions wrapped up nearly two hours earlier than expected.

There was no immediate indication of what that might mean for the planned first summit between the US and North Korea after six decades of hostility.

Substantive talks with the team from #NorthKorea, Mr Pompeo tweeted after the meeting.

We discussed our priorities for the potential summit between our leaders.

Mr Pompeo met with Kim Yong Chol, one of the North Korean leaders closest aides, at the apartment residence of the US deputy ambassador to the United Nations in New York.

Kim is the highest-ranking North Korean official to visit the US in 18 years.

He and Mr Pompeo had discussions over dinner of steak, corn and cheese on Wednesday, Mr Pompeo said in an earlier tweet.

Substantive talks with the team from #NorthKorea. We discussed our priorities for the potential summit between our leaders. pic.twitter.com/y5sMadd84v  Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) May 31, 2018

On Thursday, Mr Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol had been expected to hold two sessions of talks, separated by a break, and finish their discussions around 1.30pm (6.30pm BST).

However, both men and their delegations left the residence at 11.25am (4.25pm BST), according to the State Department. The talks began at 9.05am (2.05pm BST).

The US secretary of state, who spoke with Mr Trump on Wednesday night and with National Security Adviser John Bolton early on Thursday, was accompanied by Andrew Kim, the head of a CIA unit assigned to work on North Korea, and Mark Lambert, the head of the State Departments Korea desk.

It was not immediately clear who accompanied Kim Yong Chol on the North Korean side.

We are doing very well with North Korea, Mr Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing on a trip to Texas.

Good working dinner with Kim Yong Chol in New York tonight. Steak, corn, and cheese on the menu. pic.twitter.com/1pu4K3oym7  Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) May 31, 2018

Our secretary of state is having very good meetings. I believe they will be coming down to Washington on Friday. A letter being delivered to me from Kim Jong Un. It is very important to them.

I think it will be very positive. We will see what happens. It is all a process. Hopefully we will have a meeting on the (June) 12th, Mr Trump said, adding there may be multiple meetings but maybe well have none.

Mr Pompeos talks with Kim Yong Chol  the most critical of three tracks of negotiations currently taking place between the two governments in the US, in the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarised Zone, and in Singapore  are aimed at determining whether a meeting between Mr Trump and Kim Jong Un, originally scheduled for June 12 but later cancelled by Mr Trump, can be restored.

The potential summit between @POTUS and Chairman Kim presents #DPRK with a great opportunity to achieve security and economic prosperity, Mr Pompeo tweeted shortly before Thursdays meeting began.

The people of #NorthKorea can have a brighter future and the world can be more peaceful.

But Kim Jong Un, in a meeting with Russias foreign minister on Thursday, complained about US hegemonism, a comment that may complicate the discussions in New York.

Kim Jong Chol holds meeting with Mike Pompeo

As we move to adjust to the political situation in the face of US hegemonism, I am willing to exchange detailed and in-depth opinions with your leadership and hope to do so moving forward, Kim told Sergey Lavrov.

North Koreas flurry of diplomatic activity following a torrid run in nuclear weapons and missile tests in 2017 suggests that Kim is eager for sanctions relief to build his economy and the international legitimacy the summit with Mr Trump would provide.

However, there are lingering doubts on whether he will ever fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his only guarantee of survival in a region surrounded by enemies.The confirmation that the US is to impose tariffs on EU steel has been described as another body blow for the industry, by a long-time worker at a major UK plant.

Employees at Tatas giant Port Talbot steelworks in Wales have fought for its survival in recent years and now face more uncertainty, Mark Turner said.

The steelworks employs around 4,000 people  thought to include 10% of the local population  and is at the heart of the town.

Its not just the 10% who work in the steelworks. Youve got associated businesses that deal with the steelworkers, the shift workers who go to garages, they go to shops.

Port Talbot as a town is all about Port Talbot steelworks.

A worker wears a Save Our Steel badge on his Tata jacket

Tatas own website states that the plant is an integral part of local communities.

Mr Turner, known as Pasty to co-workers due to his Cornish roots, said people feel everything is against us as he aired concerns around steel dumping as a result of the tariffs.

There is a major worry that the UK steel market will become saturated if other countries subject to the charges end up dumping their steel into Britain, pushing prices down, he said.

The 53-year-old, who has worked at Port Talbot for 30 years and is with the Unite union, said: Everybody just feels everything is against us. Weve got Brexit and nobody knows what thats going to do. Now with the tariffs being on us, were not 100% certain what that does mean for us.

Our biggest concern is dumping. The American markets are going to be closed to everybody, theres going to be steel thats going to be floating around and our markets in the UK are going to be at the heart of that dumping.

He said workers, who have fended off the closure of the plant, are rarely surprised by bad news now, but, like a boxer in a ring feel punch-drunk due to uncertainty around their jobs.

He added that there is a fighting spirit and people remain hopeful for the future.

We never give up, he said. If we had given up, Port Talbot wouldve been shut two, three years ago. We will keep fighting, we will find ways to get around all these things. If we cant go into the American market then theres other markets out there we will try and get in to.Britain has branded US reasoning for imposing swingeing new tariffs on EU steel imports as absurd.

International Trade Secretary Liam Fox dismissed American claims the move was due to national security as he signalled the UK could take retaliatory measures.

The 25% levy on steel, along with a 10% tariff on aluminium, will come into effect on Friday with the expiry of an exemption first granted to the EU, Mexico and Canada by President Donald Trump in March.

The US action saw Mr Trump accused of firing the opening shot in an international trade war.

European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker branded the US decision as protectionism pure and simple.

The CBI warned the move would damage prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic. Industry body UK Steel said that, with exports to America worth half a billion dollars a year, producers in Britain would be hit hard.

US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross (centre)

The EU will now take action against the US at the World Trade Organisation, while imposing duties on American imports expected to include orange juice, peanut butter and other goods.

Dr Fox said the US was using a national security pretext for what is just protectionism.

He told Sky News: Its very disappointing that the United States has chosen to apply steel and aluminium tariffs to countries across the European Union, allies of the United States, and all in the name of national security.

And, in the case of the United Kingdom, where we send steel to the United States that is vital for their businesses and their defence industry, it is patently absurd.

We absolutely do not rule out counter measures.

And we do not rule out taking a dispute to the World Trade Organisation at Geneva.

Obviously, we still hope the United States will think again about this.

But, it would be a great pity if we ended up in a tit-for-tat trade dispute with our closest allies.

Proposed steel tariffs

The Government insists that Britain and other EU states should be permanently and fully exempted from the tariffs.

Dr Fox said he had spoken to US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross about the situation on Thursday and would do so again on Monday.

Speaking from Paris, Mr Ross said that talks with the EU had made some progress, but not enough to extend the exemption. He stressed that Washington was willing and indeed eager to have further discussions.

EU Trade commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom said that throughout negotiations stretching over the past months, the US had tried to use the threat of trade restrictions as leverage to obtain concessions from the EU.

This is not the way we do business, and certainly not between long-standing partners, friends and allies, she said.

UK Steel director Gareth Stace said: President Trump had already loaded the gun and today we now know that the US administration has unfortunately fired it and potentially started a damaging trade war.

The new tariffs will cause damage not only to the UK steel sector, but also the US economy, said Mr Stace, adding: With some half billion dollars of steel exported from the UK to US last year, UK steel producers are going to be hit hard.

The CBIs international director Ben Digby said: The Presidents measures are deeply concerning for firms in the UK, for close trading partners and across supply chains.

Regulator failed to protect steelworkers

There are no winners in a trade war, which will damage prosperity on both sides of the Atlantic. These tariffs could lead to a protectionist domino effect, damaging firms, employees and consumers in the US, UK and many other trading partners.

Labour spokeswoman on steel Gill Furniss described the tariff announcement as a catastrophic blow to the sector and steelworkers across the country.

Theresa May and her Government have approached the ongoing crisis with utter complacency and have proved too feeble to stand up to Trump when it was most needed, said the Sheffield Brightside MP.

They have let our steelworkers down.

Both the Unite and Community unions criticised the Government for being unable to secure an exemption for the UK.

Roy Rickhuss, general secretary of Community, said: Steelworkers on both sides of the Atlantic have been let down by their governments.

Theresa May talks of a special relationship but has completely failed to secure any sort of exemption from these tariffs which now threaten British jobs.A senior North Korean official will travel to Washington to deliver a letter to President Donald Trump from his leader Kim Jong Un.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Kim Yong Chol would make the trip after he and the former military intelligence chief held talks to try to salvage a summit between Mr Trump and Mr Kim.

He said real progress has been made in the last three days towards setting the conditions for a successful summit in Singapore. But he still does not yet know whether the meeting will proceed on June 12.

Mr Pompeo said he believes North Koreas leaders are contemplating a different path that would allow their nation to more fully integrate into the international community.

The discussions ended nearly two hours earlier than expected.

Good progress today during our meetings with Kim Yong Chol and his team. #NorthKorea and the world would benefit greatly from the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. pic.twitter.com/QfeALSsxGA  Secretary Pompeo (@SecPompeo) May 31, 2018

Substantive talks with the team from #NorthKorea, Mr Pompeo tweeted after the meeting.

We discussed our priorities for the potential summit between our leaders.

Mike Pompeo

Mr Pompeo met with Kim Yong Chol, one of the North Korean leaders closest aides, at the apartment residence of the US deputy ambassador to the United Nations in New York.

He is the highest-ranking North Korean official to visit the US in 18 years.

He and Mr Pompeo had discussions over dinner of steak, corn and cheese on Wednesday, Mr Pompeo said.

Kim Yong Chol leaves

On Thursday, Mr Pompeo and Kim Yong Chol had been expected to hold two sessions of talks, separated by a break, and finish their discussions around 1.30pm (6.30pm BST).

However, both men and their delegations left the residence at 11.25am (4.25pm BST), according to the State Department. The talks began at 9.05am (2.05pm BST).

The US secretary of state, who spoke to Mr Trump on Wednesday night and with National Security Adviser John Bolton early on Thursday, was accompanied by Andrew Kim, the head of a CIA unit assigned to work on North Korea, and Mark Lambert, the head of the State Departments Korea desk.

We are doing very well with North Korea, Mr Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews before departing on a trip to Texas.

Our secretary of state is having very good meetings. I believe they will be coming down to Washington on Friday. A letter being delivered to me from Kim Jong Un. It is very important to them.

I think it will be very positive. We will see what happens. It is all a process. Hopefully we will have a meeting on the (June) 12th, Mr Trump said, adding there may be multiple meetings but maybe well have none.

Mr Pompeos talks with Kim Yong Chol are aimed at determining whether a meeting between Mr Trump and Mr Kim, originally scheduled for June 12 but later cancelled by Mr Trump, can be restored.

The potential summit between @POTUS and Chairman Kim presents #DPRK with a great opportunity to achieve security and economic prosperity, Mr Pompeo tweeted shortly before Thursdays meeting began.

The people of #NorthKorea can have a brighter future and the world can be more peaceful.

Kim Jong Chol holds meeting with Mike Pompeo

But Mr Kim, in a meeting with Russias foreign minister on Thursday, complained about US hegemonism, a comment that may complicate the discussions in New York.

As we move to adjust to the political situation in the face of US hegemonism, I am willing to exchange detailed and in-depth opinions with your leadership and hope to do so moving forward, Mr Kim told Sergey Lavrov.

North Koreas flurry of diplomatic activity following a torrid run of nuclear weapons and missile tests in 2017 suggests Mr Kim is eager for sanctions relief to build his economy and the international legitimacy the summit with Mr Trump would provide.

However, there are lingering doubts on whether he will ever fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his only guarantee of survival in a region surrounded by enemies.Efforts to reduce human consumption of animal-sourced foods because of global warming should not prevent women and children in developing countries from eating it, a report suggests.

New research has found demonstrable nutritional benefits of providing children, particularly in countries in Africa and South East Asia, with livestock-derived foods such as meat, milk and eggs in the first 1,000 days of life.

Published by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Chatham House, the report concluded it was possible to meet the nutritional needs of the most vulnerable, even if total global livestock production slowed down.

Failing to exploit the economic contributions and nutritional benefits livestock rearing has in poor countries would be irresponsible, a Chatham House director said.

Xipamamime traditional market, Maputo. Here trader Augusta Thomas sells chickens.

Dr Osman Dar, director of the One World-One Health Project at the Chatham House, said: The many health and environmental concerns around livestock-derived food production and consumption in high-income countries are of legitimate concern.

But the poor choices of the rich should not be a reason to limit nutritional choices for the poor.

Considering that global nutrient requirements in the first 1,000 days of life are a small proportion of total food production, the production of meat, milk and eggs for young children and new mothers could be prioritised even in the face of overall reductions in supply to reduce the global environmental pressure from livestock production.

The report recommends that the availability and affordability of safe livestock-derived foods in low and middle income countries should be increased.

Despite progress to tackle poor nutrition in young children across the world, one in four children under five were stunted in growth in 2014, according to Unicef.

Pregnant women and young children can

But consuming meat, eggs and milk in the first 1,000 days of life can improve a childs prospects of growth, cognition and development, the report said.

Deficiencies in key micronutrients  such as iron and zinc  are also common among children and pregnant women in developing countries.

Such deficiencies can be improved by consuming livestock-derived foods as they are among the richest and most efficient sources of necessary micronutrients and fatty acids  a woman would have to eat eight times more spinach than cows liver to get the same levels of iron.

The report also recommended more research be conducted into food safety, given the associations between livestock and foodborne disease.Thousands of air passengers have bypassed border controls after they were sent the wrong way upon arrival in the UK, new figures reveal.

Carriers and airport operators are responsible for directing all travellers on international commercial flights towards immigration desks for passport and security checks.

But data obtained by the Press Association shows that from 2013 to 2017, more than 11,000 arrivals were not presented to Border Force immediately after landing.

Passengers misdirected on arrival at UK airports

A misdirection is logged when a passenger reaches a part of the airport situated beyond border controls without first having been cleared for entry by immigration officers.

Figures released by the Home Office following a Freedom of Information request show 2,328 passengers were misdirected last year  an average of six a day, and an increase of 70% compared with 1,364 in 2016.

Border Force recorded 2,394, 2,665, and 2,278 misdirected passengers in 2013, 2014 and 2015 respectively  giving a total of 11,029 over the five years.

While the FOI response did not detail the circumstances of the incidents, a Government factsheet published in 2015 stated that misdirections usually occur because the wrong doors have been opened at the arrival gate, or because the airline or airport operator sent the passenger to the wrong place.

Conservative MP Tim Loughton, a member of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, said: There are enough concerns about the capacity of Border Force to cope with the increasing demands of incoming visitors even before Brexit without learning that thousands of passengers are getting in through the side door unchecked.

Airports are responsible for security and absolutely need to face consequences when they fail to ensure that proper checks are being made to ensure we know who is coming into our country.

The figures were revealed as ministers consider whether to press ahead with plans to impose fines of up to 50,000 on airlines and airports if they fail to take all reasonable steps to ensure arriving passengers are correctly directed to border controls.

The Immigration Act 2016 provides a legal basis for Border Force to levy a penalty if a misdirection occurs.

Under the plans, fines could range from 2,500 to 50,000 depending on factors such as the number of passengers involved and action taken by the airport operator or carrier after the incident.

But the Airport Operators Association (AOA) argues the proposal is disproportionate.

A spokesman for the AOA described border security as a top priority for airports.

He said: The fact that the number of misdirected passengers as a proportion of total passengers travelling through UK airports has fallen significantly since 2013 demonstrate that our efforts to reduce the number of misdirections are having an effect.

We are committed to working with airlines, ground handlers and Border Force to continue to improve on our track record.

We do not believe that the proposed civil penalty should be part of that ongoing work as it is disproportionate in light of the numbers of passengers involved and our continued commitment to work collaboratively to reduce numbers even further.

The Home Office stressed that all misdirected passengers are subsequently returned to border control or, where this is not possible, retrospectively checked against security and immigration watchlists.

There are no examples of dangerous individuals arriving unchecked because of a misdirection, the department added.

A Home Office spokesman said: The security of our border is paramount  which is why 100% of scheduled passengers are checked when arriving in the UK.

While the overwhelming majority of arriving passengers are properly presented at border control, there are still a relatively small but unacceptable number of cases each year where passengers are misdirected.

These people are identified and the necessary checks carried out, but this adds an unnecessary administrative burden.

We are determined to eradicate these errors and believe a civil penalty is a vital tool in ensuring this happens.

We are currently considering the contributions to the consultation on the proposed introduction of such a penalty and continue to work with airlines and airport operators on all areas of security.Greater Tucker Missionary Baptist Church, 1115 North Moore Road in Chattanooga, hosts it's annual Vacation Bible School, to be held Monday, June 4 through Thursday, June 7 from 6-8:30 p.m. nightly.

"There will be fun or ages four through 99. All are welcome to join us," officials said.A Northern Ireland department failed to comply with its equality obligations ahead of a controversial decision on cutting an Irish language bursary, an investigation found.

When Communities Department officials made a submission to then minister Paul Givan in December 2016 for a decision, no equality assessment information was included for the ministers consideration, the Equality Commission said.

Former Stormont deputy first minister Martin McGuinness said the 50,000 reduction by the DUP minister to the Liofa scheme which enabled people to attend Irish classes was one of the reasons he resigned early last year.

Powersharing has still not been restored despite money being found for the scheme at a later date.

Irish language strategy protest

Chief commissioner Michael Wardlow said: The Department should have undertaken screening and equality impact assessment at appropriate times to inform the development and decision making on both the scheme and the programme.

Our investigation found that this did not happen in either case and the minister was not furnished with appropriate equality assessment information.

The Commission said the Department failed to comply with its equality scheme commitments on screening and equality impact assessment relating to funding decisions for the Liofa Gaeltacht Bursary Scheme for 2017.

The commission also investigated a Community Halls pilot programme which was launched by Mr Givan at an Orange Hall and which Sinn Fein claimed appeared to be directed at one side of the community.

Both concern the distribution of public money based on set criteria and award processes and, in both instances, the funding options presented to the minister for decision should have been informed by an equality assessment against the objectives set for the expenditure, the Commission said.

The Liofa scheme funded at least 100 people a year to attend summer Irish language classes in the Donegal gaeltacht and was established by former Sinn Fein Culture Minister Caral Ni Chuilin.

Mr Givan had been heavily criticised by republicans over his decision to cut the funding.

Mr Wardlow added: Our recommendations include the need for the department to take a consistent approach to the identification of policies for the purposes of its equality scheme arrangements; and to ensure that decision makers are presented with appropriate information on the equality implications.

Renewable Heat Initiative allegations

Any continuation of either funding programme must be informed by equality assessments in the future.

Sinn Fein Assembly member Declan Kearney said the Liofa decision was appalling.

Similarly, the distribution of community halls funding raised widespread public concern, given that the vast majority of the beneficiaries were from the unionist tradition.

Conradh na Gaeilge Irish language organisation said the cross-community, means-tested Liofa scheme was launched to provide learning opportunities for the most disadvantaged young people.

President Dr Niall Comer said: The Liofa decision and now the findings from this investigation have highlighted the urgent need for rights-based legislative protection for the Irish-language.By Tuvan Gumrukcu and Ece Toksabay

ANKARA, May 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Wednesday denied media reports that a deal had been reached between the United States and Turkey on a three-step plan for withdrawing the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia from Syria's Manbij.

"We don't have any agreements yet with the government of Turkey," department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement in Washington.

"We're continuing to have ongoing conversations regarding Syria and other issues of mutual concern," she said, adding that American and Turkish officials had met in Ankara last week for talks on the issue.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said on Wednesday Ankara and Washington had reached a technical agreement on the withdrawal plan, a move Turkey has long sought from the United States.

The report comes as differences over Syria policy and Washington's decision in December to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem have strained ties between the NATO allies.

Turkey is outraged by U.S. support for the YPG militia, considering them a terrorist organisation. Ankara has threatened to push its offensive in northern Syria's Afrin region further east to Manbij.

Manbij is a potential flashpoint. The Syrian government, Kurdish militants, Syrian rebel groups, Turkey, and the United States all have a military presence in northern Syria.

Under the terms of the plan to be finalised during a visit by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Washington on June 4, the YPG will withdraw from Manbij 30 days after the deal is signed, Anadolu said, quoting sources who attended meetings at which the decisions were made.

Turkish and U.S. military forces will start joint supervision in Manbij 45 days after the agreement is signed and a local administration will be formed 60 days after June 4, Anadolu said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Cavusoglu told broadcaster AHaber that a timetable for the Manbij plans could be set during talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington, and that it could be implemented before the end of the summer.

Cavusoglu was also quoted by media on his return flight from Germany saying that, if finalised, the plan for Manbij could be applied throughout northern Syria.

However, a local Manbij official later told Reuters that Cavusoglu's assertions that U.S. and Turkish forces would temporarily control the region were "premature" and lacked credibility.

Relations between Ankara and Washington have hit a low-point due to factors such as the sentencing this month in New York of a former Turkish state bank executive to 32 months in prison for taking part in an Iran sanctions-busting scheme, a case Turkey has called a political attack.

DEFENCE PROCUREMENT

Turkey has also caused unease in Washington with its decision to buy S-400 surface-to-air missiles from Russia and drew criticism over its detention of a U.S. Christian pastor, Andrew Brunson, on terrorism charges.

Brunson faces up to 35 years in prison on charges of links to the network Ankara blames for a 2016 coup attempt. The pastor denied the charges in a Turkish court this month.

A U.S. Senate committee last week passed its version of a $716 billion defence policy bill, including a measure to prevent Turkey from buying Lockheed Martin F-35 jets, citing Brunson and the Russian missile deal.

Cavusoglu, however, said that if the United States blocked Turkey from buying the jets, Ankara would go elsewhere to meet its needs, adding that it was unlikely Washington would be able to back out of the deal.

Turkey has plans to buy more than 100 of the F-35 jets and the Pentagon last year awarded Lockheed $3.7 billion in an interim payment for the production of 50 of the aircraft earmarked for non-U.S. customers, including Ankara. (Additional reporting by Lesley Wroughton in Washington Editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Tom Brown)By Ranga Sirilal

COLOMBO, May 30 (Reuters) - Sri Lanka on Wednesday signed an agreement with a subsidiary of U.S. firm Schlumberger for a $50 million seismic study off the country's east coast to evaluate any prospective oil resources, a senior government official said.

Sri Lanka signed the agreement with Eastern Echo DMCC, a subsidiary of Schlumberger, to carry out seismic data acquisition surveys, advance data processing and interpretation work or modelling of petroleum systems.

"The main objective of entering into this agreement is to acquire more petroleum data using modern acquisition and processing techniques," Arjuna Ranatunga, Minister of Petroleum Resources Development told reporters after signing the agreement in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo.

Ranatunga also said that the company would invest at least $50 million for several data acquisition projects, including 2D and 3D seismic, in selected offshore areas around Sri Lanka and would recover the investment from sales proceeds to multiple investors.

This agreement follows comments on May 4 from the Director general at Petroleum Resources Development Secretariat (PRDS) Vajira Dassanayake, who said Sri Lanka would sign agreements with French oil company Total and Eastern Echo DMCC for a seismic study off its east coast.

Sri Lanka first signed a deal with Total in 2016 to conduct a study off the eastern coast but this did not take place.

Total had earlier signed a two-year agreement with PRDS to survey around 50,000 sq km off the east coast from the air, at a cost of $25 million to acquire data on unexplored areas.

Dassanayake earlier in May said Total would invest $3 million to $10 million for the seismic study, while Eastern Echo DMCC would carry out the marine survey.

Officials from Total and Schlumberger did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sri Lanka produces no oil and is dependent on imports for all of its fuel requirements, despite trying to reinvigorate oil and gas exploration after its 25-year civil war with Tamil separatists ended nine years ago.

Importing oil cost the island $3.2 billion in 2017. (Reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Editing by Shihar Aneez and Jane Merriman)By Jan Strupczewski

BRUSSELS, May 30 (Reuters) - Euro zone policy-makers will seek last-minute backing this week from the International Monetary Fund for their debt-relief offer to Greece, to ensure it is credible with markets and draws investors back to Greece after it exits its bailout.

The talks are to take place on the sidelines of a meeting of in Canada of finance ministers and central bankers from the world's top seven economies, the G7, in June, officials involved in the negotiations said. The bailout ends on Aug. 20.

"This thing has to be done now," one senior official involved in the talks said. If no deal is agreed by next Monday, the official said, the IMF would most likely not take part in the bailout at all.

After three successive bailouts since Athens lost market access in 2010, euro zone governments are now Greece's main creditors, with total loans of 230 billion euros ($268.20 billion) so far.

The IMF took part in the first two bailouts, but has refused to join in the third, which began in 2015. It says the euro zone must agree on how to make Greek debt, now at 179 percent of GDP, sustainable.

Euro zone finance ministers have argued they can only give such details towards the end of the three-year bailout. So the IMF has remained only an observer over the past three years.

Many euro zone countries, especially fiscal hawks like Germany, want the IMF on board to make sure private investors are ready to lend to Athens again and that Greece will not come back for more euro zone loans in a few years.

But at the same time Berlin does not like the IMF's view that Greece needs substantial debt relief. Germany argues that if Greece keeps its primary surplus -- its budget balance before debt costs -- big enough for long enough, it might not be needed at all.

The IMF believes asking Greece to keep a high primary surplus for decades is unrealistic. It is also more cautious on Greek growth assumptions than the euro zone.

The IMF and the euro zone agree there should be no "haircut" - a reduction in the principal of the debt - but only an extension of maturities and grace periods.

To make sure that Greece does not reverse reforms after it gets the debt deal, the euro zone also wants a clause in the agreement that it would be null and void unless Greece keeps its primary surplus at 3.5 percent of GDP until at least 2022 -- a condition the IMF is ready to accept. ($1 = 0.8576 euros) (Reporting By Jan Strupczewski, editing by Larry King)SHANGHAI, May 31 (Reuters) - China and Hong Kong stocks rebounded on Thursday, as strong data eased concerns about an economic slowdown amid trade tensions, and as Italy worries cooled, while MSCI's inclusion of Chinese shares in its global indexes from Friday also boosted sentiment. ** The CSI300 index rose 1.6 percent to 3,781.64 at the end of the morning session, while the Shanghai Composite Index gained 1.4 percent to 3,083.49. ** The Hang Seng index added 0.8 percent to 30,282.91, while the Hong Kong China Enterprises Index gained 1.1 percent to 11,892.71. ** On the mainland, gains were led by consumer shares , with industry bellwether Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial leaping 8.7 percent by the lunchbreak. ** China's vast manufacturing sector grew at the fastest pace in eight months in May, blowing past expectations and easing concerns about an economic slowdown even as risks from trade tensions with the United States and a crackdown on debt point to a bumpy ride ahead. ** On the whole, however, economists were sceptical of the sustainability of industrial sector strength, suggesting the broader economy will face pressure over coming months. **"We doubt this strength will be sustained for long given that it appears to mostly reflect a temporary boost to industrial output from the easing of pollution controls rather than a turnaround in underlying demand," said Julian Evans-Pritchard, Senior China Economist at Capital Economics, in a note after the data release. ** The International Monetary Fund kept its forecast for China's 2018 economic growth unchanged at 6.6 percent on Wednesday, but warned that overly rapid credit growth and trade frictions could pose risks for the world's second-largest economy. ** Sentiment was also lifted as political turmoil in Italy showed signs of easing. ** A degree of calm returned, with Italy's two anti-establishment parties renewing efforts to form a coalition government rather than force Italy into holding elections for the second time this year. ** Italy's successful auction of five- and 10-year government bonds also assuaged concerns about its ability to finance itself after turbulence in its debt market resulted in the biggest one-day surge for two-year yields in 26 years. ** Around the region, MSCI's Asia ex-Japan stock index was firmer by 0.71 percent while Japan's Nikkei index was up 0.77 percent. ** The yuan was quoted at 6.4064 per U.S. dollar, 0.24 percent firmer than the previous close of 6.4218. ** Top percentage gainers in the main Shanghai Composite index were Shanghai Hugong Electric Group Co Ltd up 10.02 percent, followed by Sobute New Materials Co Ltd gaining 10.02 percent and Comefly Outdoor Co Ltd up by 10.01 percent. ** Top percentage losers in the Shanghai index were Ginwa Enterprise Group Inc down 10.04 percent, followed by Junhe Pumps Holding Co Ltd losing 9.99 percent and Cinda Real Estate Co Ltd down by 7.11 percent. ** The top gainers among H-shares were China Petroleum & Chemical Corp up 4.7 percent, followed by Anhui Conch Cement Co Ltd gaining 3.62 percent and PetroChina Co Ltd up by 2.87 percent. ** The three biggest H-shares percentage decliners were Postal Savings Bank of China Co Ltd which has fallen 1.32 percent, China Vanke Co Ltd which has lost 1.1 percent and Hengan International Group Company Ltd down by 0.5 percent. ** As of 04:00 GMT, China's A-shares were trading at a premium of 19.72 percent over the Hong Kong-listed H-shares

(Reporting by Luoyan Liu and John Ruwitch; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)A careful perusal of history indicates that racism begins with the economic as opposed to the religious or communal.

A careful perusal of history indicates that racism begins with the economic as opposed to the religious or communal. When food prices are rising, when its difficult to earn a proper income, especially under a barrage of taxes, and when living through today is the credo you wake up to every day, its difficult and painfully so to affirm unity and harmony with other communities, particularly if the chauvinists draw a rather negative picture of those other communities. Thats why the Jewish population of Russia inspired so much derision from the elite and the masses before AND after the Revolution: because the economy, in both cases, was so stifling, so unbearably down, that a scapegoat had to be found. One can make the case that wars begin in the minds of human beings, and they do, but before they do, they are fermented by the shifts of economic imperatives. Simply put, if you cant live properly, you turn to hatred.



The riots in Digana, and elsewhere in Kandy, a little over two months ago were, I feel, the inevitable consequence of the communal riots which erupted during Mahinda Rajapaksas presidency in Aluthgama. I was privy to various comments interjected by members of both communities, with respect how they saw the riots and how they rationalised them. The main issue for the Sinhalese Buddhists, that is, minus the Islamophobic rhetoric about Muslims outstripping Buddhists in terms of population growth, was the inclusion of the Halal certificate in food packaging everywhere. It was just that; a harmless certification. But it was rooted in the economic, as opposed to the religious and the communal, and as with all other racial conflicts, it found its way to riots that it compelled. Unfortunate though they were, those riots were a direct consequence of the Governments ability to address an issue that had been growing rampantly over the years. The Sinhalese Buddhists, rather the extremists among them, wanted a scapegoat. They found one, conveniently, with that certification. It could have been anything. That anything was a piece of paper. Four years later, here we are.



Whats news and whats not

The riots in Kandy District werent rooted in anything abstract. It was rooted in an actuality: a man who happened to be brutally killed by a gang (having accidentally damaged a vehicle belonging to one of its members). That man happened to be Sinhalese and Buddhist, and the gang members (who were jailed) happened to be Muslims. A friend of mine told me that around the same time, a Sinhalese teenager was hacked to death just as brutally by a Sinhalese elder. Obviously, some things make it to the news, others are not deemed newsworthy enough to make it there. The first incident was bad enough; the fact that the man succumbed made things worse. Aluthgama came back. It wanted something substantive, rooted in the communal as opposed to the economic. A certification wasnt going to cause riots. A murder was. So Aluthgama begot Digana. In this sense, its interesting to compare the timelines at these two sites with the timeline that transpired in 1915 during the much written about Sinhala-Muslim riots.



Obviously, contexts matter. 1915 was not 2014 and neither was it 1815. But the centenary of the capitulation to the British in 1915, and the tercentenary thereof, along with the centenary of the riots, in 2014 and 2015, helped accentuate the rifts and the violence rather considerably. Unlike what transpired in Digana and Aluthgama, though, the 1915 kolahalaya (commotion) was instigated, not by an economic issue, but by a communal malaise; specifically, the issue of allowing a Buddhist procession to pass through the vicinity of a mosque in Gampola. The Kandy District Court had given a judgment in favour of the Buddhists; the Supreme Courts, where the judgment was challenged, reversed the decision in favour of the Muslims. Thus came about the first onslaught of racial attacks. For the time being, while the British didnt do much to contain the violence, they were aware that it could take on a nationalistic character. Ironically, that nationalistic character emerged, not from the bhikkus (monks) and the clergymen from both communities, but from a secular source: trade unions.



The divide between Sinhalese and Muslims



More than 115 deaths later, the divide between the Sinhalese and the Muslims had been buttressed by a more powerful divide between the Sinhalese and the British. With the conservative Sinhalese elite decidedly on the side of the latter, by their denunciations of the rioters as deviants who were a miniscule minority among those loyal to the Crown and Empire, the moderates, the Senanayakes and the Jayatilakes, were imprisoned. They were the nobodies of Kumari Jayawardanas narrative, the upstarts who found the first anti-imperialist movement sustained by the bourgeoisie, the Temperance Council. But here too, the economic took precedence over the racial:



What explains the precedence of the economic over the racial in Aluthgama, and the precedence of the racial over the economic in Digana? In 1915, the trade unions took to the streets and instigated an entire collective against another after, and not before, the issue over the procession near the Mosque in Gampola. At the same time, lets not forget that while the halal issue proved to be the crux of the riots, it was preceded by a communal clash revolving around a similar assault on the Sinhalese: this time, by Muslims from Dharga Town, and on a Buddhist monk and his driver. (However, this remains a rumour, so it cant be compared with protests against Muslims stopping Buddhists from conducting their pageant.) Even when we discount this incident, which remains unverified, it must be said that even the leading representative, from the clergy, of the Sinhala Buddhists at the forefront of the riots, the infamous Ven. Gnanasara Thera himself, turned the ruckus over the halal certification into the ultimate symbol of discord between the two communities.



Perhaps what transformed the economic to the communal, more than anything or anyone else, was Gnanasara Thera himself. No other monk before him, from recent memory, has been capable of inciting so much revulsion. The leader of a breakaway faction from the already ethnicised and reviled Hela Urumaya (reviled particularly owing to the comments of its leader, Champika Ranawaka, to the effect that Muslims were outsiders), Gnanasara was the spark that turned Aluthgama from a rumoured assault and paper certificate to attacks on businesses owned by Muslims in even the multicultural metropolis, Colombo.The 1915 riots were informed by the centenary of the biggest humiliation those Sinhalese Buddhists had faced in their troubled history, the surrender of Kandy. As such, for a riot to run riot (proverbially speaking), what was needed was an actual communal rift springing from the actions or the omissions of the Other, in this case, Muslims. 100 years later, with the centenary of the riots themselves, what was needed for history to repeat itself was the smallest rumour, the most mundane issue. Be it the economic or the communal, that carnage thus continues on. History is rather cruel.The long awaited PET CT scanner being handed over to Maharagama Apeksha Hospital by Dr. M S H Mohamed on April 01, 2018

M.S.H. Mohammed, Team Leader of the Fight Cancer Initiative, was felicitated at the 13th Annual Conference of Lions Clubs International District 306 C2, at the Temple Trees recently. The event was graced by eminent personalities and dignitaries who represented various Lions Clubs across the world.



Mohammed received the award in appreciation of his efforts by former Governor of District 306 C2 Lion Mahendra Amarasuriya. Mohammed spearheaded a national movement to secure a Positron-emission tomography (PET) scanner for the National Cancer Institute; also known as Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama. The PET scanner, which Maharagama Apeksha hospital lacked for many years, has immense value and helps in the early detection of cancers.

Mohammed ( Third from Right) receives the award in appreciation of his efforts by former Governor of District 306 C2 Lion Mahendra Amarasuriya (Second from left)



After years of tireless campaigning the Fight Cancer teams raised over Rs. 250 million to purchase the scanner for the hospital. The long awaited PET scanner arrived in the island in January this year. As Apeksha Cancer Hospital is the only centralised institution for the treatment of cancer patients in Sri Lanka, patients visit the hospital in their hundreds each day. The hospital is still in need of several other pieces of equipment, as even the existing ones are rusted or not up to date. The CT scanner at Apeksha Cancer Hospital is now over 15 years old . The hospital is also very much in need of MRI scanners, ultrasound machines, bronchoscopes and genetic laboratory equipment.



Mohammed says that the Fight Cancer team aims to make Apeksha Hospital the best such facility for the treatment of cancer in South Asia in years to come through their generous contributions and campaigns.

The PET CT scanner



Fight Cancer Team Vice President Rukman Weeraratne, Treasurer Thariq Jamaldeen and Lions Club President Lion Asela Karunawardene were present when Mohammed received the award.Mahinda Rajapaksa, therefore, cannot afford to play between Parliamentary and the Presidential Elections

Political fact that abolition would make them nonentities in a Parliamentary Election

The 20th Amendment to the Constitution is basically a correction to the 19A

for Mahinda to gamble with an undecided Parliamentary Election does pose the already fixed 2020 Presidential Election as a hassle

They should all fall in line in voting for the 20A

Posters adorned city walls last week, saying the 20th Amendment to the Constitution would, Divide the Country.

The JVP-initiated the 20th Amendment to the Constitution is basically a correction to the 19A this hybrid Yahapalana Government adopted with JVP also voting for it.



A correction in terms of the main and the major pledge made during the 2015 January Presidential Election campaign.



Abolishing of the Executive Presidency was the social pledge on which Maduluwave Sobitha Theras Movement for Social Justice originated.



It became the rallying point for the vocal activists in Colombo, who wanted a single-issue Common Candidate.



Thus the 19A became the consensus on which Maithripala Sirisena was ushered in as the Common Candidate to defeat President Rajapaksa, the UNP hierarchy and the Colombo middle-class believed, was not possible, otherwise.



It was evident from day one that the Yahapalana leadership was in no mood to abolish the Executive Presidency as promised, even though President Sirisena, yet again told the nation a few days after his swearing in, that the Presidential Election he contested would be the first and the last Presidential Election he would contest.



The 19A made certain the Executive Presidency remained with a few trappings, while Wickremesinghe as the Prime Minister wrote clauses into it, to allow him control over the Government. This has proved a complete flop, with President Sirisena encroaching into everything he believed would make him a full-time President.



Yet today, those same urban groups and political leaders seem reluctant to abolish the Executive Presidency. All of them have instead taken over the burden of naming their own choice as the next President in 2020.



It is within this mad rush in naming and grooming Presidential Candidates for 2020 that the JVP leadership brought the 20A, expecting all, who backed the Yahapalana Rule to stand by their three and a half-year-old promise.



Theoretically yes, they should all fall in line with the JVP in voting for the 20A. In practical Sri Lankan politics, no they will not stand by an old promise, they believe would spoil their scheming to gain power the next time.



The new unofficial and undeclared alliance that has therefore emerged in opposing the 20A is more vocal and conspicuous than that which would back it.

The curry leaf groups in the Joint Opposition like Wimal Weerawansas and Gammanpilas were initial voices that opposed the 20A when the JVP first announced it would move the 20A to abolish the Executive Presidency.



These two claim the abolition of the Executive Presidency would lead to division of the country.



It is too old a canard to gulp whole. Starting from Ceylon, Sri Lanka lived without an Executive Presidency for 30 years after Independence but never had this issue of separation due to the absence of an Executive Presidency.



It is not the Executive Presidency that would divide Sri Lanka. It is the refusal to respect Tamils and Muslims as equal in citizenry to Sinhala Buddhists and continued denial of their right to equal opportunities within a secular State that would lead to division.



These political flunkies have other reasons to oppose the abolition of the Executive Presidency not openly and directly articulated. It is the political fact that abolition of the Presidency would make them nonentities in a Parliamentary Election.



In a parliamentary election that comes without an executive presidency, they will not be considered of any worth, in any alliance.

Gotabhaya was the Glyphosate that wiped out all minority votes from Mahinda. Can Mahinda, therefore, allow Gotabhaya to supersede his political career as the all-powerful president?

In the absence of a Presidency, the Parliamentary Election in the Sinhala South would be dominated by Mahinda Rajapaksa, the UNP and if the SLFP does not get morphed into Mahindas SLPP, then a fractured and limping SLFP led by President Sirisena, with the JVP tagging behind.



Unprincipled political loners like Champika Ranawaka would decide at the last minute where they should land themselves, depending on who is likely to form the next Government.



In such political context, Mahinda Rajapaksa has now proved he can spearhead a campaign on his own and is confident his SLPP on its own would romp home victorious in the next Parliamentary Election.



His show of peoples faith in him at the Galle Face May Day rally and again at the launch of the SLPP in Anuradhapura last year, made him go it alone at the LG elections in February.



That LG election campaign had no actual role for these curry leaf politicians. Not even for the JO, which is basically a Parliamentary voice and not one that commands votes outside Parliament?



Therefore, for Gammanpila, who now stands accused as a financial rogue in a court case that is being heard and for Weerawansa to be politically valid, they need another Sinhala Buddhist Common Candidate they could campaign for.



Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, therefore, becomes their choice for the 2020 Presidential Election. It is thus obvious, they have to oppose the 20A. If the 20A goes through Parliament with the necessary 2/3 majority, they would not have a Presidential candidate to keep them politically alive.



So will it be for the likes of Champika and even for Gotabhaya and his filthy rich Sinhala Buddhist professionals and businessmen.



All these individuals who have no proven vote base, need the Presidency to rake in curry leaves and onions around them and therefore have to oppose the 20A.

For the UNP and its leadership, having the Executive Presidency is necessary, but is saddled with the never answered question, can we face it?



Present UNP leadership avoided two consecutive Presidential Elections, opting to support Common candidates, purely because they were afraid to contest on their own.

It is not the Executive Presidency that would divide Sri Lanka. It is the refusal to respect Tamils and Muslims as equal in citizenry to Sinhala Buddhists and continued denial of their right to equal opportunities within a secular State that would lead to division



The National list UNP Samasamajist MP Wickramaratnes argument that the 20A is nothing to be afraid of and that it poses no separatist threat is yet to be officially accepted by the UNP.



So, is the dilemma within the Maithripala Sirisena camp. It is for this reason the JVP keeps demanding the President and the PM to publicly say where they stand on the 20A and abolition of the Presidency.



For Mahinda too, it is too early to say where he actually stands on the 20A. A month ago, he told media he would consider the 20A if Parliament elections are also tied to the 20A.



This meant, if abolishing of the Presidency provides for an early Parliament Election, he could consider supporting it.



What makes him hesitant is the fact, he and his family have tasted the power of the Executive Presidency and knows what a delicacy it is, to let go.



For Mahinda, therefore, to be PM that would make him sit in Parliament answering questions raised by the Opposition is too much of a responsibility.



For that reason, he was pushing for a Parliamentary Election, in a scenario that did not question the role of Presidency.



He perhaps was calculating a Parliamentary Election victory with a two-thirds majority could provide him with the opportunity to elevate himself to Presidency with a simple amendment to the Constitution, if the Presidency remains unchallenged.



Yet, for Mahinda to gamble with an undecided Parliamentary Election does pose the already fixed 2020 Presidential Election as a hassle.



There can be men around him, who would want to know, if they should endorse Gotabhaya for 2020 Presidency, now that Mangala Samaraweera too had conceded Gotabhaya to be a Presidential candidate. For Mahinda during his tenure as all-powerful President, Gotabhaya as Secretary Ministry of Defence was a fatal toxic pollutant, which ran out of his control and authority.

Gotabhaya was the Glyphosate that wiped out all minority votes from Mahinda. Can Mahinda, therefore, allow Gotabhaya to supersede his political career as the all-powerful president?



As one who for nine years sat as almighty President, Mahinda for sure knows none can be trusted to play proxy for him. Even President Sirisena proves this Executive Presidency does pollute any character once he or she sits on that chair.



Except for J.R. Jayewardene and Ranasinghe Premadasa, all others had their closest family members playing with the Presidency, with heavy corruption seeping into the political and State establishments.



That makes Vasudevas choice of Chamal Rajapaksa, his classmate at Richmond as the SLPP Presidential Candidate an invalid alternative.



Mahinda Rajapaksa, therefore, cannot afford to play between the Parliamentary and the Presidential Elections.



He would have to charter his path in forcing a Parliamentary election well ahead of the Presidential Election and before other Presidential candidates overtake him in establishing their candidacies.



That also would compel Mahinda Rajapaksa to plan for a two-thirds majority in Parliament if he could win the election to be the next PM. And he would not come empty-handed to just sit as PM for sure.



He would come like PM J.R. Jayewardene who came prepared to sit as the all-powerful President, with a quick amendment to the Constitution.



Therefore whatever fate befalls Anuras 20A in Parliament, one would have to expect Mahinda Rajapaksa to press his demand for a Parliamentary Election, with the 21A up his sleeves.



That would fit in well with the Rajapaksa family too, for no Presidential candidate of whatever the colour, is about the country.The much debated Grand Hyatt Hotel Project in Colombo, which allegedly involved financial frauds amounting to billions of tax payers money during the previous regime, is now facing yet another hurdle following an order delivered against it at an arbitration tribunal in Singapore.



Italian contractor Interna Contract Spa, who was awarded the interior package 2 of the Grand Hyatt Project by the previous management, filed an arbitration in Singapore against Sino Lanka Hotels and Spa which is a subsidiary of Canwill Holdings (Pvt) Ltd for unlawfully terminating the contract they had entered into on January 7, 2015- the day before the change of Government. The formal award was delivered by the arbitration tribunal on October 6, 2017 against Sino Lanka Hotels and Spa. The order was to pay a staggering 7,432,062.72 Euros to Interna for the unlawful termination of the contract.

17 contractors had been initially selected and seven parties were shortlisted



the manner in which the contractor in question was selected by Sino Lanka raises many questions



Although the lawyers representing the respondent (Sino Lanka) argued that the arbitration venue should be Colombo as per the tender specification and the contract document, at the final award the arbitration tribunal didnt consider the matter.

Hence, Sino Lanka, filed an appeal in November 2017 against the arbitration award at High Court of Singapore. Meanwhile, Interna filed an application in the High Court Colombo requesting to enforce the arbitral award in their favour.

The The respondent company meanwhile asked Colombo High Court to allow them time to make submissions till the appeal verdict is delivered, for which the date scheduled was May 30.

However, in order to scrutinize the petition more carefully, when the case was taken up on May 30, the High Court of Singapore has informed that the verdict will be delivered on a later date and the next hearing date will be notified to the parties in due course.

Although the tender and contract documents show that the place of arbitration shall be in Colombo, the reason for the contractor to file arbitration in Singapore was based on the Letter of Acceptance issued on December 22, 2014. According to clause 9 of the Letter of Acceptance (LoA), all disputes arising out of or in connection with the contract shall be finally settled under the Rules of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce by one or more arbitrators appointed in accordance with the said rules and the arbitration venue shall be in Singapore and arbitration proceedings shall be in English.



Place of arbitration

But sub- clause 20.6 of the tender document dated January 7, 2015, says, a dispute shall be finally settled as per the Arbitration Act No: 11 of 1995 of Sri Lanka and the place of Arbitration shall be in Colombo. Even the tender specification too states that the place of arbitration shall be in Colombo. When the previous management issued the LoA on December 22, 2014, the venue had been changed from Colombo to Singapore san Board approval. However, the contract document dated January 7, 2015-which was the final- declares that the place of arbitration shall be in Colombo. This is the legally binding document according to CEO Sino Lanka Hotels and Spa.

When the former Project Consultant Hiran de Silva was asked as to why such changes were made to benefit the contractor, he said that these decisions had been taken by Piyadasa Kudabalage, but he (De Silva) was not responsible for the changes



CEO, Sino Lanka Hotels and Spa, D.R.P. Abeysinghe told the Dailymirror , that when the lawyers objected to the jurisdiction of the venue, the arbitration tribunal had given an assurance to look into that matter when they deliver their judgment. However, foregoing the requests made by Sri Lankan lawyers and despite the assurance given by the arbitration tribunal on the jurisdiction issue, the order was delivered against Sino Lanka for terminating the interior decoration contract unlawfully.

Not only was the adjustment of the arbitration venue changed by Kudabalage without Board approval, but changes had been made to a few more tender clauses in the LoA (dated December 22, 2014) and in the Memorandum of Understanding dated January 7, 2015. Its learnt that Kudabalage and Project Consultant Hiran de Silva had changed these clauses not to benefit the company they were representing as its MD/CEO and Project Consultant respectively and the Government of Sri Lanka, also the owner of the project, but allegedly instead in the best interest of the Italian contractor, due to personal reasons.



Meanwhile how Kudabalage brought down the performance guarantee and the delay damages to suit the contractors requirements without Board approval has raised eyebrows. According to the LoA and the MoU, the performance guarantee shall be equivalent to 5% of the accepted contract amount, whereas, sub-clause 4.2 of the tender document to which the contractor initially agreed was 10% of the accepted contract amount.



It was the same with the delay damages as well. Although sub-clauses 8.7, 14 and 15(b) of the tender document state that the delay damages for the work was US $ 50, 000 per day,

which was accepted by the contractor at the time he submitted the bid, Kudabalage reduced the amount to US $ 25, 000 for each delayed day.

When the former Project Consultant Hiran de Silva was asked as to why such changes were made to benefit the contractor, he said that these decisions had been taken by Piyadasa Kudabalage, but he (De Silva) was not responsible for the changes. It was Kudabalage that took all these decisions as the MD/ CEO, De Silva said.

Meanwhile its learned how the former Board of Directors of Sino Lanka Hotels and Spa- Gamini Senarath (Chairman), Piyadasa Kudabalage (Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer), N. Hapuhinna (Director), R. Semasinghe (Director representing Ministry of Finance) and Ms C.M.D.N.K. Seneviratne (Director representing EPF) selected prospective contractors based on the evaluations carried out by the Quantity Supervisors without following Government procurement guidelines.

According to Abeysinghe, had the Government tender procedure been followed and if the tenders were published in local and foreign newspapers, reputed contractors would have had the opportunity to forward bids. As no structured pre-qualification process was followed important factors-which would have unearthed their financial strengths and the projects they were previously involved in-were unavailable, hence there being an inability to carry out an evaluation. The receiving of the companys credentials from the prospective contractors are also questionable due to the absence of a proper invitation, details about the closing of invitation and submission records, it is learned.

Not only was the adjustment of the arbitration venue changed by Kudabalage without Board approval, but changes had been made to a few more tender clauses in the LoA and in the Memorandum of Understanding dated January 7, 2015



According to the available documents, 17 contractors had been initially selected and seven parties were shortlisted. Although these documents dont highlight the process Sino Lanka followed to select the prospective contractors, the former Project Consultant told the that the list of international contractors was given to them by the top management of Hyatt International.



Although Hiran de Silva states so, the manner in which the contractor in question was selected by Sino Lanka raises many questions, also bringing under the spotlight the way tender specifications were changed to benefit the contractor-Interna.



Extending closing dates



De Silva said that the selected three contractors from Dubai, Singapore and Italy were given to complete mockup rooms as per the specifications of the Interior Designer from Hong Kong. Based on the evaluation of the quality and the performance criteria, tenders were called from these three parties for the hotel rooms and service apartments interior decor, De Silva said.



Kudabalage and the Board had extended the closing dates to submit bids on two occasions from August 22, 2014 to September 8, 2014 and then again to September 15, 2014 by bringing five addendums to the tender specification.



It was found that in addendum no: 3 of August 28, 2014 the type of marble in the bathrooms had been changed to Italian Bianco Venezia from the original marble type Botticino (Turkey) which is technically of higher standard compared to the former which is of poor standard. Since Botticino (Turkey) was the type specified in the original tender and marble represents considerable amount of the interior design cost, it is questionable as to who gave orders to change the marble types when all mockup rooms were done using the higher standard marble and that there was no reason to make any changes.

According to Hiran de Silva, the change of marble type had been done by the Interior Designer, but De Silva could not specify as to why a marble of a lower cost was allowed to be fixed without obtaining the bidding prices. It is said that this was done to the benefit of the contractor.

When the bidders were requested to submit their discounted bids by October 13, 2014, Kudabalage, who is accused of being involved in many frauds associated with the project, and is now on bail, had accepted the bids that had been submitted after the deadline.

The Dubai contractor submitted bids the day after the tender was closed while Interna submitted its bids two days after the closing date, CEO Abeysinghe said.

Allegations have been levelled against Kudabalage for passing Singapore and Dubai bidding prices to the Italian contractor, who bade the lowest. The prospective contractors were requested to send their bids via electronic mail to which Kudabalage had access.

Meanwhile, an e-mail dated January 7, 2015 at 9.40 am the Company Secretary M/S Jacey and Company had forwarded the draft minutes of the board meeting, held on December 16, 2014, to Lasantha Bandara the Chief Financial Officer for the Chairman and Managing Directors approval had been amended without the Board consent and had been re-sent on January 12, 2015 to benefit the contractor.

This draft letter had then been forwarded to Hiran de Silva by Bandara on January 7, 2015 at 5.05pm. De Silva had sent the amended minutes to Bandara on January 12, 2015 at 11.41am. As a result a board decision had been amended and stated, The Board advised the MD/ CEO to proceed with the award of the contract to Interna Spa as per the tender conditions and incorporate any deviations or additional conditions arising from the procurement committee negotiations into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which should form part of the contract documents.

These drafted board minutes by De Silva and sent by Bandara to the Company Secretary show how this group was manipulating the board minutes to the benefit the contractor. Its also interesting to find out how the EPF and Treasury representatives in the Board too have agreed to the changes of terms/ conditions of this contract.

When the present CEO Abeysinghe inquired into these mails from the company Secretaries it was confirmed how the initial draft had been sent back with amendments.

The reply states as, We note that the draft minutes of the Board meeting held on December 16, 2014 had been prepared and forwarded to Mr. Lasantha Bandara on January 7, 2015 by Achini Atukorala, our representative who was present at the Board Meeting for approval of the Chairman and the MD and was acknowledge by Lasantha Bandara.

On perusal of the said minutes we observe that the main item of business taken up for the discussion had been to award of Contract for Construction, Supplying, installation and remedying defects of interior work of guest rooms, service apartments and selected public areas, which had been recorded as item 3 of the minutes. We note that Option 2 contained in Board paper No: 8/ 2014 dated December 15, 2014 pertaining to the foregoing, considered by the Board has been recorded in the minute forwarded to the company by Ms. Athukorala, as the option chosen by the Board in deciding on the proposed award of interior works.

Minutes returned to Ms. Athukorala from Bandara on January 12, 2015, with certain amendments to the said minute No: 3 had been effected including the substitution of Option 1 indicated in the said Board paper to Option 2 recorded by Ms. Athukorala.

Although, the original instructions to tenderers said that the contractor should submit personal guarantee (PG) within 14 days after accepting the LoA, Kudabalage had given eighteen more days to submit the PG. Meanwhile, on contractors written request dated January 3, 2015, Kudabalage had allowed Interna to submit the PG upon establishing Letter of Credit (LC) violating the terms of contract.

PG is the first document the contractor submits which proves that the contractor is able to meet the financial liability and committed to honour the provisions of the contract. The contractor cannot demand the employer (Sino Lanka) to open the LC before he submits the PG. The reason for demanding to open LC before submitting PG may be that the contractor has no financial capacity to request a guarantee from a bank without a counter guarantee from the employer. The day the PG was to be submitted on February 6, 2015, Interna has sent a letter to Hiran de Silva informing that arrangements have been made to submit the PG but waiting till Sino Lanka opens LC. This proves that Interna did not have the ability to get a PG if the employer does not open an LC, Abeysinghe said.

Having reviewed the entire procurement process, the new Board of Directors had got a forensic audit conducted. The audit revealed that there had been irregularities during the entire process and the legal opinion was to terminate the interior decor contract.



Meanwhile, Kudabalage and Hiran de Silva are further accused of increasing the compensation Trans Gulf Electro -Mechanical LLC has sought from Sino Lanka for failing to handover the building to finish the mechanical engineering and plumbing work of the project.

As a result of this, Trans Gulf Electro-Mechanical LLC by letter dated November 20, 2014, the Project Engineer claimed Rs. 188.168 million as compensation for late issuance of construction drawings as they could not finish the mechanical, engineering and plumbing work by November 23, 2014. The Employer had to extend the contract period by 402 days (from November 23, 2014 to December 31, 2015). Later, after a discussion with the Employer on December 4, 2014, Thomas Abraham of Trans Gulf wrote to Hiran de Silva to inform the revised prices which was Rs. 179.179 million.

Kudabalage, who is accused of being involved in many frauds associated with the project, and is now on bail, had accepted the bids that had been submitted after the deadline



Despite of the said e-mail, Kudabalage by letter dated December 5, 2014 wrote to Trans Gulf promising to pay Rs.195.709 million which is Rs.16.53 million more than the revised price.

When all the e-mail correspondences Hiran de Silva, the project Engineer, and Kudabalage had exchanged with Trans Gulf were retrieved after the fall of the previous regime, it came to be known as to how De Silva had got the compensation amount increased to Rs.195.709 million. All these e-mail correspondence are now with us and can be used to show how these officers manipulated prices to their own whims and fancies without considering that this project is fully owned by the State and is a loss to the country, Abeysinghe said.

According to the legal opinion taken by the project, the employer therefore is well within its rights to re-negotiate the amounts payable as the claim for prolongation and also it is known that Kudabalage had not obtained Board approval before he issued the Letter of Award on December 5, 2014.

When contacted the former Managing Director/ CEO P. Kudabalage for a comment on the findings of the malpractices followed by the Board of Directors during the previous regime, Kudabalage declined to make any statement but added that the allegations are baseless. I have worked 15 hours a day in this project to the best of my ability. I have followed all the government procurement guidelines and the allegations are levelled against us to discredit our good names, Kudabalage claimed.

Meanwhile, the former Project Consultant who too is accused of allowing Trans Gulf to manipulate the compensation prices said that he cannot remember as to why the prices were changed by the contractor within few hours and why Sino Lanka did not take any action against the contractor. As I do not have these documents with me to explain why the contractor reduced the compensation amount and then increased within few hours, there should be a reason for it. If not the former management of Sino Lanka should have not given the approval to the final amount they demanded, De Silva said.A Habitat Home newly constructed through the Kalutara Housing Project

abitat for Humanity Sri Lanka celebrated the completion of the Kalutara Housing Project on 25th April 2018 at a ceremony held in Halkandawila, Kalutara. Habitat Sri Lanka was able to provide 37 homes for low-income families in two villages in Kalutara through this unique housing project which was sponsored by an individual donor from Colombo, who was inspired to donate to Habitat Sri Lanka having realized that she wanted to support low-income families who were in urgent need of homes. While the construction of all 37 homes was supported by the individual donor, the Catholic Archdiocese of Colombo donated 8 perches of land to each family towards the construction of these homes.

A typical Habitat house is designed to be a 550 square foot house which contains two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, toilet and verandah. The low-income families selected to receive homes through this housing project previously lived in single room temporary wooden huts with little to no protection from adverse weather conditions and intruders. These two communities are also highly susceptible to flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains and strong winds which occur during monsoon periods.

One of the 37 beneficiary families who are able to begin a new life in their Habitat home.

All 37 homes of the Kalutara Housing Project are lockable houses which have been designed to include disaster resilient features to minimize the risk of future disasters such as floods in accordance with the standards of the NBRO. The houses were built following a unique agency driven approach, with homeowner families contributing their unskilled labour towards the construction of their Habitat home. Habitat for Humanity refers to this unique process as sweat equity.

The Kalutara Housing Project has successfully supported more than 42 families and has thereby provided 162 individuals and 70 children with a safe and decent place to call their home. The sanitation facilities provided through this project has also promoted safe and healthy hygiene practices among these communities.

One of the beneficiaries of the Kalutara Housing Project; Vajira, remarked This Habitat home is so much more than a house to my family  it is a relief to an otherwise difficult life, since I am the only income generator. At least now I can go to work knowing that my family is safe under our own roof.

Yu Hwa Li  National Director of Habitat Sri Lanka opening a home at the Kalutara Housing Project Handover Ceremony

While addressing the gathering at the home dedication ceremony, Habitat for Humanity Sri Lankas National Director; Mr. Yu Hwa Li remarked, The homes that Habitat for Humanity builds for these families, go far beyond being a strong foundation with walls around it  it is the beginning of a new life that will be a source of strength to a family and many generations to come. Mr. Li also thanked the donors, volunteers and all individuals who have worked tirelessly to make this project a success and encouraged the community to protect their new homes and environment by being conscious about solid waste management at a community level.

Habitat homeowner families who received safe and decent homes through the Kalutara Housing Project.Walker County Schools and Georgia Northwestern Technical College hosted dozens of Northwest Georgia families for a Launch Academy Open House on GNTCs Walker County Campus Tuesday. Launch Academy is a partnership between GNTC, Walker County Schools, and area business partners to develop a local career academy.

I was really struck by the excitement of the students participating and their families, said Walker County Schools Coordinator of Innovation Matt Harris in regards to the open house. The parents were obviously extremely proud and the kids were excited to get started.

GNTC and the school system will hold a ribbon-cutting for the Launch Academy on GNTCs Walker County Campus in August.

Approximately 50 juniors from LaFayette and Ridgeland High Schools will help open the doors on the Launch Academy when the Fall 2018 semester begins at GNTC. Students will be able to take technical courses at Georgia Northwestern four days a week while enrolled in the Launch Academy. Then, on Fridays, special speakers will meet with academy students and instruct them on various soft skills and employability topics. GNTC classrooms in Building 500 on the Walker County Campus are being donated to use for the academy.

We are just excited about this partnership, said GNTC Vice President of Student Affairs Stuart Phillips. Its not only the schools and the companies that are thrilled about the project, its the first students and their families. They had a lot of great questions at the open house and really appear to be looking forward to the fall.

Students and their families in attendance at the Launch Academy Open House got to tour different program facilities, as well as speak with the advisors who would be teaching most of the college courses available to them.

By graduation, students who complete their education at the Launch Academy will have earned not only a high school diploma, but a collegiate technical certificate, diploma, and/or associates degree. After the pilot year of the program, Walker County Schools are estimating they will be able to enroll 200 students each year after this from the student body population of Ridgeland and LaFayette High Schools.

A main goal of the Launch Academy is to raise the employment rate of students graduating from the Walker County School System. Corporate partners such as CHI Memorial Hospital, Roper Corporation, and Shaw Industries are investing into the program in hopes of this kind of success, said officials.

"This, we think, is going to create that one piece we need to connect our kids and move them into jobs, into business and industry," said Walker County Schools Superintendent Damon Raines to the Walker County Chamber of Commerce at their membership luncheon in April.

Beyond the high school curriculum they will be taking while enrolled in the Launch Academy, students who qualify may choose from a GNTC collegiate program, as well. Welding and Joining Technology, Machine Tool Technology, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Computer Networking, Automotive Technology, Health Care, and Air Conditioning Technology are the main programs students will be considering. However, Launch Academy students may take part in any program at GNTC in which they are eligible to enroll.

While GNTC instructors will be instructing the collegiate programs to the Launch Academy students, school system employees will provide instruction on GNTCs Walker County Campus towards such courses as Economics, Civics, and English. The Georgia Department of Education will cover the expense of tuition towards dual enrollment courses. Walker County Schools are anticipating covering the costs for supplies. Some of the supplies will also be covered, in part, by the Launch Academys business partners.Sri Lanka has improved one place to 60 in the reports End of Childhood index, which ranks countries according to where childhood is most and least threatened

Sri Lanka has been ranked as the second best country in South Asia for children to grow up in for the second successive year, and the 60th best across the globe, despite ongoing concerns over the impacts of parental migration, according to a new report.

Children, whose parents have migrated abroad, are among the most marginalized groups in Sri Lanka

More than half of all children globally  over 1.2 billion  are threatened by conflict, widespread poverty or discrimination against girls



Launched in the lead up to International Childrens Day on June 1st, The Many Faces of Exclusion examines countries on a range of indicators related to childhood like child marriage, teenage pregnancy and child mortality.



Sri Lanka showed promise across the board, avoiding any moderate, high or very high scores. However, still more than 17 percent of Sri Lankan children below age 5 suffer from stunting, according to the report, while almost one percent of babies die before their fifth birthday.



Sri Lanka improved one place to 60 in the reports End of Childhood index, which ranks countries according to where childhood is most and least threatened. It outperformed most regional neighbours, with India ranking 113th, Bangladesh at 130th, Pakistan 149th and Myanmar 107th.



Despite the promising showing, Save the Children Sri Lanka said that children, whose parents have migrated abroad seeking employment, are among the most marginalized groups of children in Sri Lanka.



Evidence reveals that around 1.7 million Sri Lankans migrate annually in search of work. Foreign remittances are a crucial part of the Sri Lankan economy, contributing 7 percent to the GDP. This increases the vulnerability of the children of migrating parents, as carers or other relatives may not provide adequate parental care.



Parents expecting to migrate



This can have a detrimental impact on a childs well-being, facing major issues in terms of protection, health and nutrition, as well as missing out on that physically nurturing relationship, Save the Children Country Director in Sri Lanka, Chris McIvor said.



Its really important for parents who consider migrating to work with the relevant Government authorities to ensure there is a safe child care plan in place for their children.



Save the Children is calling for strong coordination among all stakeholders working for and with children to recognize potential risks and vulnerabilities created by parental migration and ensuring children from identified vulnerable families get the most effective services.



In its second year, The Many Faces of Exclusion includes a ranking of 175 countries, with Singapore and Slovenia sharing first place, while Norway, Sweden and Finland rounded out the top five. Eight of the bottom 10 countries are in West and Central Africa, with Niger ranked last for the second year running.



The report also revealed that:

More than half of all children globally  over 1.2 billion  are threatened by conflict, widespread poverty or discrimination against girls.

More than one billion children live in countries plagued by poverty; 240 million in countries affected by conflict and fragility; and more than 575 million girls live in countries where gender bias is a serious issue.

Almost 153 million children are living in 20 countries affected by all three threatsincluding South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan.

The incidence of child labour in countries affected by armed conflict is 77% higher than the global average. Conflict also makes girls more vulnerable to child marriage.

Only three of 34 fragile or conflict-affected states with available data have achieved, or nearly achieved, universal primary education.

Save the Children is calling on Governments around the world to ensure that no child dies from preventable or treatable causes or is subjected to extreme violence, robbed of a future as a result of malnutrition, enters into early or forced marriages, experiences early pregnancy, or engages in forced labour and on the other hand has access to a quality education.Senior State Counsel Lakmini Girihagama appearing on behalf of the Attorney General (AG) yesterday informed Mount Lavina Magistrates Court that the statement which had been recorded from Speaker Karu Jayasuriya by the CID mentioned that Journalist Keith Noyahr's life was saved because of his intervention.

According to the statement by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, who was a Cabinet Minister at that time, he had phoned former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and told him that he would make a statement and resign from the Cabinet if anything happened to Mr Noyahr.

SSC Girihagama also informed Court that the statement further mentioned that Karu Jayasuriya was the Minister of Public Administration at the time of the incident and he had been the first person to inform former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to secure the release of Keith Noyahr.

"The statement, which had been recorded by the CID from the Speaker, stated that he had come to know about the abduction of the journalist from former Rivira Newspaper CEO Krishantha Cooray and former Nation Newspaper Editor Lalith Alahakoon," she informed Court.

When the case was taken up in Court, SSC Girihagama also informed the Magistrate that the statement which was recorded from the eighth suspect, General Amal Karunasekara, had revealed that there was no communication between him and former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka related to the abduction of Keith Noyahr.

She also requested the Magistrate to further remand the eighth suspect because the CID had to record further statements from him.

Accordingly, Mount Lavinia Additional Magistrate Lochana Abeywickrama ordered General Karunasekara to be further remanded until June 13.

General Karunasekara was arrested on April 5 by the CID in connection with the abduction and assault of Journalist Keith Noyahr in 2008. He was the Director of Military Intelligence at that time.

The CID arrested eight suspects along with Major Bulathwatte of the Military Intelligence Corps, in connection with the same case. (Yoshitha Perera)Legal actions would be institute against 104 Sri Lankan migrant workers overstaying their visas in Israel, Foreign Employment Deputy Minister Manusha Nanayakkara said yesterday.

Deputy Minister Nanayakkara said sixty cases had already been filed in Courts with this regard and added that preparations were ongoing to file another thirty cases against these Sri Lankan illegal migrant workers.

As an initial step to take legal action, letters of demand have been sent to nine such illegal migrant workers.

However, five migrant workers have returned to Sri Lanka after the commencement of taking legal actions against them by the Sri Lankan Government, he said.

These youths were sent abroad through the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Agency (SLFEA) for employment in the agricultural sector. They were sent on six months contract, he added.

He said, however, some of those workers were overstaying their visas in Israel, following the conclusion of their employment contracts.

He also said diplomatic announcement had been made in this regard and added that the Government would take action to deport them from Israel to Sri Lanka.

Workers, who are returning to Sri Lanka following the six-month period, can again go to Israel for employment, he said. (Kalathma Jayawardhane)LTTE bogey came to a head when the Rajapaksa loyalists accused Sarath Fonseka, being an LTTE agent when challenged Rajapaksa

Sri Lankan politicians have a habit to look for a nexus between the ethnic issue and anything under the sun, in order to convince their community

The constitutional issues such as the mode of governance are the ones having far-reaching effects on the future of the country as well as its people

It is interesting and in a way puzzling to note that the political parties and leaders who agitated to scrap the Executive Presidential system of Governance during the height of the separatist war, are now expressing fear to do so, on the grounds that the country would be divided.



The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) group functioning under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mahajana Eksath Peramuna (MEP) led by Dinesh Gunawardane, Wimal Weerawansa and his party men, who were then members of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), the group of 16 of the SLFP and many others who are now aligned with the former President were agitating to abolish the Executive Presidency some time back.



At the 2005 Presidential Election, these groups supported the candidacy of Mahinda Rajapaksa, whose main pledge was to do away with the Executive Presidential form of governance.



It was a time when the entire Vanni, a part of the Jaffna Peninsula and many parts of the Eastern Province were under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the United National Front (UNF) Government of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe was begging the Tamil rebel group to return to the negotiating table.



Even Rajapaksa, who went back on his words to abrogate the previous UNP Governments Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) and the peace process resumed talks with the LTTE, despite the organisation having attempted on the life of his Army Commander the then Lieutenant General Sarath Fonseka.



Yet, his Government stood for the scrapping of the Executive Presidency, without seeing any danger in doing so. For them, the ethnic issue had then nothing to do with the form of Governance. Soon after Rajapaksa assumed power for the second time in 2010, when there was no longer a separatist war nor a separatist armed group, they tied up the two issues and even now, they remain the same.



Most Sri Lankan politicians have made it a habit to look for a nexus between the ethnic issue and anything under the sun, in order to convince especially their community whatever the point they make and to justify any crime they have committed or alleged to have committed.



Thus, those soldiers who are accused of harming leading journalists such as Lasantha Wickramatunga, Keith Noyahr and Upali Tennakoon, are war heroes as they had fought against the LTTE, whereas the Army Commander who spearheaded a successful war against the separatists is not.



The northern politicians usually do not touch upon an issue that has nothing to do with the ethnic problem. Thus they see everything through the ethnic prism. They criticize their rivals in the region largely for betraying the Tamil and their interests to the Sinhalese and rarely for corruption or something unrelated to ethnicity.

Their southern counterparts too, especially those in the Opposition, despite they taking up national issues, always attempt to tie them up with the ethnic issue and accuse their rivals of betraying the Sinhalese and their interests to the Tamils and to the LTTE.



Thus, the constitution-making process of the Chandrika Kumaratunga Government between 1994 and 2000 was seen by the United National Party (UNP) as a sellout of the country to the LTTE and the UNP members burnt copies of a draft Constitution within the chamber of the Parliament in 2000.



And the same people who were the members of Kumaratungas party then and under Mahinda Rajapaksa now, want to scuttle the Constitution making process of the incumbent UNP-led Government, ridiculously on the same grounds.



Their contention is further preposterous in the light of them having participated in the various committees appointed to look into various aspects of the proposed new constitution.



This LTTE bogey came to a head when the Rajapaksa loyalists accused Sarath Fonseka, the war-winning Army Commander, who was acclaimed by leaders of the very Rajapaksa regime as the Best Army Commander of the world for being an LTTE agent, when he unsuccessfully challenged Rajapaksa at the 2010 Presidential Election.

Soon after Rajapaksa assumed power for the second time in 2010, when there was no longer a separatist war nor a separatist armed group, they tied up the two issues and even now, they remain the same



They also branded Maithripala Sirisena as an LTTE agent, when he announced on November 21, 2014, his decision to contest the Presidential Election in 2015 as the Common Candidate of the Opposition parties.



The then General Secretary of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Susil Premajayantha in a hurriedly convened media briefing the following day said that the candidacy of Maithripala Sirisena was a result of a conspiracy by foreign powers and separatist forces. One has to understand the stand taken by the Joint Opposition and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) on the 20th Amendment to the Constitution that has been handed over to the Secretary-General of the Parliament by the JVP last week for the abolition of Executive Presidency, against this backdrop.



Their argument is that so long as the 13th Amendment to the Constitution that provided for the devolution of power and the institution of Provincial Councils is in force, the scrapping of the Executive Presidency would lead to the division of the country.



Apart from their above-mentioned history, where they had taken a diametrically different position, the experience of several other countries stands against their current view.



India has successfully crushed secessionist insurgencies in several of her ethnically created States such as Kashmir, Punjab, Assam, Tripura and Mizoram while having a Westminster Style Government in the Centre.



The argument can be applied to the United Kingdom as well, where the Government had defeated a long drawn separatist rebellion in Northern Ireland.



Malaysia and Australia are two more countries that have had devolved power to the periphery, while not having a Presidential rule in the Centre.



Some of those countries have effectively waged wars as well against other countries. (India against Pakistan and Britain against Argentina).



On the other hand, it must be recalled that the Opposition parties during the first Executive President J.R. Jayewardenes tenure - the SLFP, LSSP, Communist Party, MEP and JVP - accused him for muddling the ethnic rebellion by way of sending his nephew Brigadier Tissa Weeratunga to the north, mishandling the first major attack by the LTTE at Thirunelveli in Jaffna in July 23, 1983, which triggered countrywide anti-Tamil riots, passage of the Sixth Amendment to the Constitution and mishandling the Thimpu talks.



The constitutional issues such as the mode of governance, are the ones having far-reaching effects on the future of the country as well as its people.



In some countries, the Governments conduct their affairs on a Constitution brought in hundreds of years ago. But in Sri Lanka, these issues are viewed as tools to grab power or to sustain the already grabbed power.



If the Rajapaksa loyalists are to argue that their stance in 2005 or in 2010 on Executive Presidency was taken in the light of the political situation prevailed then, they had then been able to see only about few years into the future.



One cannot assure that complete democracy would be heralded once the executive presidency is done away with. But the experience has it that it is not an indispensable tool to handle separatist forces.A team of nine dynamic young professionals from Sri Lankas marketing communications industry, were recently selected to compete at the Young Lions Competitions, which will take place at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France this June. This years local competition, was conducted by the IAA Sri Lanka Chapter under the auspices of Metal Factor. This is the 11th successive year that this competition has been conducted in Sri Lanka by Metal Factor who is the Sri Lanka Representative for the Cannes Lions festival.

After a rigorous evaluation process, three teams emerged victorious at the local Young Lions Competition. This years winners in the Media category are Sanoj Fernando and Dulanjali Gunawardane from Ogilvy Media. The PR category was won by Maheshi Dunuwilage and Chanchala Gunewardena from Bates Strategic Alliance, whilst Tara Weerasinghe and Aadhil Izath of Dentsu Grants were selected as the winners in the Print category. This years Young Marketers Competition was won by Chamindri Gunawardane and Arshad Mohideen of Softlogic Life PLC and Dilushi Prasanna from the Academy of Design was selected to attend the Roger Hatchuel Academy.

A total of 96 professionals participated in the local competition. The winning teams will now travel to France to compete on a global stage at Cannes. Heralded as the Olympics of the advertising world, the Young Lions Competitions and the Cannes Lions International Festival, draw the very best talent from all corners of the globe. The competitions run across multiple categories and provide youth in the industry with a once-in-a-life time opportunity to compete against each other, whilst learning and broadening their horizons at the same time.

Commenting on this years competition, Laila Gunasekera  President, IAA stated, For the 11th year, Sri Lankas top young professionals will represent our country at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The festival and Young Lions Competitions serve as an extremely important platform for our youth - who will play a pivotal role in taking our industry forward. At the festival, our teams will receive valuable exposure and acquire new skills and insights, which they will be able to use, to infuse a fresh burst of creativity into the local industry. They will be able to learn from and interact with movers and shakers of the advertising world, who are redefining the global communications landscape. The experience will certainly have a profound impact on their professional growth. We wish them all the very best at the festival.

Also commenting, Ranil de Silva, Founder of Metal Factor said: "We are proud to continue our tradition of sending Sri Lanka's top young professionals to compete at the Cannes Young Lions competitions. The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is the world's most prestigious advertising festivals. At the Cannes Young Lions Competitions, our teams will be able to showcase their skills and knowledge in a global competition. I have no doubt that they will make our industry and country very proud. Metal Factor was launched to help nurture and groom the industry's young talent to help shape the future of the industry. The exposure that our team members will receive will transform them as communications professionals, and give them a professional edge. They will also have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the industry's global leaders. The insights they will gain from their time at Cannes, will enable them to contribute to the growth of Sri Lanka's marketing communications industry."

The Sri Lankan competition also drew on the expertise of the countrys leading advertising professionals, who came together to evaluate all of the submissions. This year, the Young Lions programme was judged by a panel comprising Subash Pinnapola, Caryll Van Dort, Russell Miranda, Ralston Joseph, Peter Solomon and Alyna HajiOmar.

The seven Young Lions Competitions held at Cannes are where the next generation of creative stars go head-to-head with each other, all vying for the coveted gold. The programme is only open to professionals who are 30 or under and it is designed to celebrate and unleash the potential of the industrys young talent. Founded in 1954, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is an eight-day programme that focuses on creative inspiration, celebration, education and networking. Over 15,000 delegates from around 100 countries attend the festival, making it the only truly global meeting-place for communications professionals to connect, share and discover the latest advancements, trends and innovations in the industry. The most coveted creative accolades, The Lions, are also judged and presented at the festival.

Metal Factor the facilitator of the Young Lions Competition in Sri Lanka, was established by renowned advertising professional Ranil de Silva who set up the project as a CSR initiative to support the industry, which has personally rewarding for him. Metal Factor is the Sri Lankan representative for some of the worlds most respected festivals. By its association with these festivals, Metal Factor provides young professionals in Sri Lanka with the opportunity to gain valuable experience by participating in the various competitions. Metal Factor is committed to uplifting the standards of the marketing communications industry in Sri Lanka and is dedicated to helping Sri Lankas ad industry gain global acclaim.

The international Advertising Association (IAA), headquartered in New York, was founded in 1938 to champion responsible marketing. The IAA, with members in over 40 countries, is a one-of-a-kind strategic global partnership comprising advertisers, media, advertising and public relations agencies, media companies and academics. The IAA is a platform for industry issues and is dedicated to protecting and advancing freedom of commercial speech, responsible advertising, consumer choice and the education of marketing professionals. The IAA Sri Lanka Chapter is committed to providing high quality training opportunities, to help support the development of the local advertising industry, whilst ensuring its continuous evolution and progression at large.(Colombo) REUTERS: The Sri Lankan rupee fell yesterday due to importer dollar demand following a holiday in the United States on Monday, while markets in the island nation were closed on Tuesday for a local holiday.



The spot rupee closed at 158.20/30 per dollar, compared with Mondays close of 157.90/158.05.

There was usual importer dollar demand, but it was piled up due to two days of holidays, a currency dealer said.



We expect the local currency to depreciate gradually because of more imports than exports.

Dealers said the rupee will be under pressure with exporters staying on the sidelines in anticipation of a fall in the unit, in line with other emerging market currencies. A possible slump in the countrys top agriculture export, tea, due to heavy monsoon rains also weighed on sentiment.



Dealers expect lower dollar inflows from tea exports to weigh on the currency, apart from debt repayments by the government and see the rupee declining between 4 percent and 5 percent this year.

The rupee hit an all-time low of 158.50 per dollar on May 16. The currency has declined 0.25 percent so far this month after a 1.5 percent fall in April. It has fallen 3 percent so far this year.



The pressure on the currency is unwarranted as gross external reserves are at US $ 9.1 billion and the real effective exchange rate indexes indicate that the currency is competitive, the central bank had said.



Foreign investors sold government securities worth a net Rs.457 million in the week ended May 23, bringing the outflow so far this year to Rs.16.2 billion, the Central Bank data showed.(Left to Right) - Sudath Madugalle - Deputy Director General - Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, Jagath Abeysinghe - Honorary President - Sri Lanka Red Cross Society, P. G. Kumarasinghe  Chairman - SLT Mobitel, Nalin Perera  CEO - Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd, Prabhath Gamage - General Manager - Enterprise Business, Mobitel (Pvt) Ltd

The National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitel, exchanged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS) recently at Trace Expert City. As per the terms of the MoU, Mobitel will henceforth be the Communication Partner for the SLRCS. Having the SLRCS sign on for Mobitels communication expertise reflects the perception of reliability of the mobile service provider for critical services that the SLRCS provides to the people of Sri Lanka. In the current climate where flood and landslide warnings are being issued, having a reliable communication partner is crucial for a humanitarian body. This MoU marks yet another accomplishment for Mobitel.

As part of the MoU, Mobitel will provide the SLRCS with a mobile donation platform (subscription based/on demand) and assist SLRCS Disaster Response Teams to better serve disaster-affected areas. It will implement special communication programs and services in SLRCS housing and community building projects and extend latest technology assistance for SLRCS Disaster Management Operation rooms and command centers. SLRCS is engaged in critical functions and Mobitels expertise in latest technology is well positioned to cater to its mission critical requirements. As the National Mobile Service Provider, Mobitels technology provides the ideal bridge for the SLRCS to connect with disaster victims to provide relief and rescue in times of floods.

Commenting on the partnership, Nalin Perera - CEO, Mobitel, said, Mobitel is proud to have been selected by the Sri Lanka Red Cross as their communications solution provider to offer the best in ICT products and services. Mobitels innovative and reliable services are truly enhancing communication, technology, health, and IT literacy opportunities for citizens throughout the nation. The SLRCS has been active in the recent flood disasters in Sri Lanka and is a highly reliable relief agency both locally and globally and it is a privilege for Mobitel to partner with such an organization.

Jagath Abeysinghe  President, SLRCS added, Sri Lanka Red Cross Society provides humanitarian support during times of natural disasters and conflicts, or even community emergencies, providing

critical services to save lives and provide essentials for survival and dignity of people. In our mission, we need a reliable communications partner who can not only provide advanced solutions to streamline our disaster management and community housing projects, but also provide connectivity and enhance our operations. We found these qualities in Mobitel and look forward to enjoying Mobitels communications solutions in enhancing our critical operations. Sri Lanka has suffered a series of natural disasters in recent years during which our services are badly needed by the disaster affected people and we believe Mobitel will provide the necessary support to ensure we function at our optimal best.Reliant Bank is paying incentives to motivate commuters to share rides in an eight-county area of Middle Tennessee and in Chattanoogas Hamilton County. To help relieve traffic congestion and ease commutes, Reliant is partnering with Nashville-based Hytch Rewards, a free smartphone app that validates and rewards ridesharing behavior through synchronized GPS technology.

As Reliant Bank grows its footprint throughout its eight-county market area in Middle Tennessee, more employees are traveling greater distances. As a Hytch Rewards partner, the banks employees will benefit when they carpool, ride a bus or share a ride-hail service, said officials.

We admire what Hytch Rewards is doing to help alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality in our communities, said Kim York, executive vice president and chief strategy officer at Reliant Bank. Through our sponsorship, Reliant Bank becomes part of Nashvilles transit solution and brings that model to Chattanooga. Its about partnership, promoting strong connections, and helping foster a healthier, less congested environment where we live and work.

Hytch Rewards launched in February with Nissan North America committing to a $0.01 reward for every shared mile ending anywhere in Tennessee, and an additional $0.04 per shared mile ending in the ten-county area surrounding Nashville. Since its launch, the Hytch community has tracked and been rewarded for more than one and a half million vehicle miles not driven.

Reliant Banks incentive plans target:

Morning and afternoon congestion in Hamilton and Maury Counties by offering $0.04 per mile at peak weekday times.

Afternoon congestion in Rutherford, Davidson, Robertson, Williamson, Hickman, and Sumner Counties by offering $0.01 per mile during afternoon commute times.

Morning congestion for students of MTSU and Lipscomb University by offering $0.04 per mile during morning commute times.

"We know being in college is challenging enough, so we are thrilled to help relieve some of the financial burden as students travel to classes and jobs, said Ms. York. The bank, which has branches near both campuses, also offers free student checking and savings accounts.

Reliant Bank is taking the definition of community banking to a whole new level by investing in the communities where their employees and customers live and work," said Mark Cleveland, CEO and co-founder of Hytch. "Every mile driven with Hytch Rewards is a zero emissions mile. That means forward-thinking sponsors are responsible for almost 500 tons of carbon not emitted and saving over 33,000 trees. Thats how Reliant Bank is making a difference. Congestion in the Greater Nashville Area was the catalyst for creating the Hytch Rewards platform, and every major metropolitan area suffers when commuters ride one person in one vehicle. Our goal is to foster a ridesharing culture not only in Tennessee, but across the nation and globally. The big ideas become reality with creative community investments from an innovator like Reliant Bank.

To learn more about the Reliant Bank partnership and rewards, visit HytchRewards.com/ReliantBank.China will roll out more foreign investor-friendly measures to further boost opening-up and economic upgrading, the State Council decided at an executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday.

A Chinese clerk counts US dollar and RMB (renminbi) yuan bills at a bank in Huaibei city, east China's Anhui province, 28 November 2012.[Photo: IC]

It was decided at the meeting that market access will be widened. Commitments already made to cancel or ease the restrictions on foreign investment in such manufacturing sectors as automobiles, shipping vessels, and aircraft will be promptly implemented.

The mechanism regarding qualified overseas investors will be expanded to encourage overseas investors to participate in the futures trading of crude oil and iron ore and give more support to foreign-invested financial institutions in underwriting local government bonds.

"We must strive to preserve China's status as a major destination for foreign investment. Opening-up has driven China's reform endeavors in the past 40 years. Foreign-invested enterprises have been a significant contributor to Chinese exports. More importantly, they have brought to China industrial and value chains, and spurred corporate reform and innovation," Li said.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, foreign investment in China hit a new high of 877.56 billion yuan (about 136.72 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017, up by 7.9 percent year on year.

It was also decided at the meeting that investment facilitation will be enhanced based on international standards. The negative list on the market access of foreign investors will be revised and released before July 1.

Provincial governments will be delegated the authority over the setting up or business alteration of foreign-invested enterprises with total investment of 1 billion dollars or less.

The filing requirements in the pilot program will be relaxed for eligible multinational companies to have greater flexibility in managing their foreign currency capital in China.

The permitting procedures for foreign talent to work in China will be simplified, and eligible foreign employees hired by enterprises registered in China will be able to get their visas to work in China within two workdays.

Premier Li called for a sense of urgency in attracting foreign investment. He underlined the need for bigger steps in this respect as part of the effort to expand opening up and tackle trade protectionism.

It was also decided at the meeting that legitimate interests of foreign investors will be better protected. All infringements, counterfeiting, commercial secret violations and trademark squatting will be severely dealt with. The ceiling of compensation for intellectual property infringements will be significantly raised.

Development zones at national levels will be encouraged to serve as an important platform to lead efforts in better absorbing foreign investment. Greater policy support regarding credit lines, land use, and social security will be rolled out to help reduce business costs.

Foreign investors will be encouraged to invest more in the central and western regions and in such sectors as modern agriculture, ecological preservation, advanced manufacturing, and modern services.

"We need to aim for a higher bar in attracting foreign investment. We should raise our innovation capacity in the new round of opening up and see that all intellectual property be fully protected. No forced technology transfer will ever be imposed on foreign-invested enterprises and IPR infringements will be penalized to the full extent of the law," Li said.



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Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  At the recently concluded forum hosted by CNN Philippines, Build for the Future, heads of government agencies and private sector leaders joined CNN Philippines chief correspondent Pia Hontiveros and CNN International correspondent Andrew Stevens on a discussion about how the government plans to implement the Build, Build, Build program, as infrastructure is one of the priorities of the Duterte administration.

According to the World Economic Forum (WEF), Philippine infrastructure ranks 97th out of the 137 countries, which is on the same level as Rwanda. WEF also said that, for competitiveness, the Philippines places 7th out of the 9 countries in the ASEAN region, besting only Cambodia and Laos.

These figures already give a picture of how poor infrastructure in the country has dragged the Philippine economy down. The governments Build, Build, Build project seems to be a promising solution to this problem, and through the forum, heads of economic, transport, and budget agencies  namely Budget Secretary Ben Diokno, Transport Secretary Art Tugade, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar, Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) President Vince Dizon, and National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Chief Ernesto Pernia  share how exactly theyre going to build infrastructure that could catapult the Philippines into economic progress.

CNN Philippines' Pia Hontiveros and CNN International's Andrew Stevens led the "Build for the Future" panel discussion, where government heads and business leaders talked about the "Build, Build, Build" project  from the sustainability of the program to the challenges that the government could potentially face. Photo by JL JAVIER

What is the status of the Build, Build, Build program?

The transport and public works departments have the biggest budget, with the program projecting six airports, nine railways, three bus rapid transits, four seaports, and 32 roads and bridges. The government has already spent 1.03 trillion from January to April 2018 alone, and it is expected to spend more.

We are going on a 35 percent to 40 percent accomplishment, said Transport Sec. Tugade on the status of their projects. DPWHs Villar affirmed that their agency is doing better, adding that they have also finished projects that had been set aside on top of creating pipelines that will last longer.

NEDAs Pernia shared that they have already covered 35 of the 75 flagship projects. That's more than 50 percent of projects approved, he said.

The forum included panelists from the different government agencies that are involved in the "Build, Build, Build" program. From left: Pia Hontiveros, Bases Conversion and Development Authority President Vince Dizon, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar, Transport Secretary Art Tugade, National Economic Development Authority Chief Ernesto Pernia, Budget Secretary Ben Diokno, and Andrew Stevens. Photo by JL JAVIER

Who is going to pay?

The administrations program is estimated to cost 8 to 9 trillion pesos, from 2017 to 2022. Budget Sec. Diokno said that the funding has already been secured for all the proposed projects. What we have set in our financing plan is biased towards domestic financing. A part of it is 25 percent foreign, 75 percent domestic. We already have pledges from Japan, which is $9 billion worth of projects, he added.

Asked about the seeming opposition of the government to the public-private partnerships (PPP), Diokno explained that the government cannot fully commit to PPP alone because there will be a national delay if other modes of funding, such as overseas development assistance (ODA) and hybrid PPP (a funding mode combining loans and private sector assistance), are not considered.

San Miguels Chief Finance Officer and Treasure Head Raoul Romulo, who was part of the private sector panel in the forum, then suggested that government agencies should be more balanced in the opening and distribution of the different kinds of funding. Diokno, however, argued that there is a good mix of projects funded by the private sector, such as telco projects. Pernia also supported Diokno, saying that many contractors of the projects come from private sectors.

Its situational that in the sense that certain factors now are not exactly the same a few years back, explained Former Finance Secretary Teves, who was also one of the private sector panelists. He suggested a more open attitude towards public-private participation including unsolicited proposals.

Raoul Romulo, San Miguel's Chief Finance Officer and Treasure Head, joined the private sector panelists who expressed concerns and suggestions to the government leaders who were on stage. Romulo said that they are hoping for government agencies to be more balanced in the distribution of the different kinds of funding modes. Photo by JL JAVIER

In 2017, it was reported that the government scrapped public-partner partnerships (PPP) for five regional airports. BCDAs Vince Dizon, however, clarified that the government is not anti-PPP.

I think the perception from the private sector seems to be that the Duterte administration is anti-PPP. This is absolutely wrong, he said. In some cases, ODA will be faster, in some cases, a hybrid PPP is faster, in some cases, a full-on PPP is faster  We want to work with the private sector but lets sit down, lets look at these projects, and lets see what mode is the fastest.

Is the project sustainable?

Since the Build, Build, Build project would need substantial funding from various streams, there then becomes a concern on the sustainability of the project, especially since debts would be incurred.

Stevens mentioned a Forbes report saying that the debt-to-GDP ratio of the country could balloon to 136 percent. Diokno quickly dismissed this report as fake news. According to their computations, he said that they are confident that they would be able to finance the projects. We will outgrow our debt  Were in good shape compared to Japan, he added. Its very safe. Very safe. Its all systems go for us. Nothing can stop us now.

National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Chief Ernesto Pernia said that they are aware of the "debt trap" that the Philippines could fall into if they are not careful about taking loans from China. Photo by JL JAVIER

Stevens then opened the discussion about U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillersons warning towards African countries like Djibouti to be cautious about falling into a debt trap with China, implying that the Philippines could be walking into this same trap.

We read a lot of reports from Sri Lanka, African countries, Pakistan. We are well aware of that, responded Pernia. We have to make haste slowly in terms of Chinese-funded projects so we know every step of the way. We know what the pitfalls are.

Pernia also emphasized that, so far, there is only one project, a minor irrigation project that is fully funded by China.

What are the jobs to be created?

More infrastructure projects also mean more jobs for the Filipinos. On Tuesday, the DPWH launched the Jobs, Jobs, Jobs portal, where would-be workers can apply for job opportunities within the infrastructure sector.

Its broken down per project and when you click that, you see all the available positions. I think its a very important part of what were doing, the job generation aspect, explained Villar. Our estimate is 1.1 million average jobs created annually.

Hontiveros then raised the issue on labor shortage in the country and if this is a threat to the Build, Build, Build project. Pernia said that its true, but that there are reports of OFWs coming back. However, Hontiveros asked if the salary they will be receiving here would be commensurate to the jobs they had abroad. Pernia responded that they would be earning a competitive compensation.

You have a president who has political will. Today we are witness to a very good dialogue between businessmen and government, said Transport Secretary Art Tugade during the forum. Photo by JL JAVIER

Stevens also asked if welcoming Chinese laborers would be an option that the government is looking at. Pernia said that it would be a matter of negotiation. Villar added that there are certain projects that require the expertise of foreign workers but that in general the workforce will be locally sourced.

Dizon underscored that there is indeed a shortage laborers, but particularly of skilled laborers. Clearly for the semi-skilled and low-skilled laborers, there are a lot [in the Philippines], he explained. But just a point on Chinese laborers coming in. I dont think thats going to happen because first of all Chinese labor is already more expensive and I dont think its economically smart for China to bring their workers here.

How optimistic is this government about the project?

The creation of jobs is poised to help Filipinos break out of poverty, and in turn contribute to the growth of the Philippine economy.

According to The World Bank, the Philippine economys medium-term growth remains positive. Their 2018 report states that the Philippine economy is projected to continue on its expansionary path and grow at an annual rate of 6.7 percent in both 2018 and 2019. In 2020, growth is expected to level at 6.6 percent.

While the future remains to be seen, it does seem bright. When asked about how optimistic they are on the administrations massive infrastructure project, Villar said, I can say from the whole admin to the President [that] we are united and firm in our resolve. We are ready to put everything on the line to get this done.

Tugade also echoed this sentiment. You have a president who has political will. Today we are witness to a very good dialogue between businessmen and government.

***

Catch the initial telecast of the "Build for the Future" forum on Friday, June 1, at 7 p.m.A threat of violence made by a former student against Torrey Pines High School prompted the campus to cancel classes and all school-related activities on Thursday, May 31. By Thursday afternoon, May 31, the San Diego Police Department had arrested the suspect, 21-year-old Kevin Gregory Matlak.

On Wednesday evening, May 30, around 9:45 p.m., Torrey Pines students reported that Matlak had allegedly made threats to Torrey Pines using the social media platform Instagram. These threats included the image of a firearm, an expressed desire to end his own life and the lives of others.

According to San Dieguito Union High School District Superintendent Eric Dill, San Diego Police informed school officials of the threat Thursday morning, May 31. As SDPD Northwestern Division began actively investigating the incident, the district made the decision in an abundance of caution to cancel school, notifying parents of the closure via text alert, e-mail, social media and phone calls. Some parents complained that the phone calls did not come until after school start time at 7:50 a.m., others reported not receiving the first email from Principal Rob Coppo that was sent at 6:38 a.m.

At approximately 1:05 p.m. Matlak was located at 3300 Fenelon Street. Matlak was arrested without incident and later booked in to San Diego County Central Jail for one count of 422 PC-Criminal Threats (Felony).

According to SD Police, Matlak was not in possession of a weapon at the time of arrest. Investigation into his access to weapons continues.

The issue of school safety continues to be a local and national conversation. The fear we all feel at times like this is very real, so it is important for all of us to work together to help our students understand how to respond in times of stress, wrote Principal Coppo in a message to parents. We work with amazing families, and we have an incredible team of educators at TPHS to serve your students. When we all work together, we make our school and community a safer place.

This latest incident was one of three threats to occur this school year. Two separate threats of violence on Feb. 22 and Feb. 23 were allegedly directed at Torrey Pines, resulting in two juveniles being arrested. In the first case, a 14-year-old TPHS freshman was taken into custody after allegedly making verbal and written threats. In the second case, a 17-year-old former TPHS student was arrested.

The campus endured a tragedy in May 2017 when a 15-year-old Torrey Pines student armed with a BB gun was fatally shot by San Diego police officers in the campus parking lot on an early weekend morning after he called 911. A suicide note was found in his pocket.

The district has taken several steps toward improving security at its campuses and a safety update is now a part of every school board meeting. In April, the board approved a firm to begin the design for perimeter fencing around Torrey Pines as well as San Dieguito High School Academy. The district has also set aside funds for surveillance cameras at Torrey Pines and will be adding the Raptor visitor management system at all district schoolsit offers instant screening of all visitors to campus.

The district has a 24-hour anonymous reporting hotline through WE-TIP via phone (1-800-78-CRIME) and on the website (wetip.com). In addition, people can anonymously report on threats and other suspicious activity in schools by visiting studentsspeakingout.org.30 May 2018 (James Cook University)  With palm oil production exploding around the world, a new study of a leading producer has found ways to make the process easier on the environment.James Cook University PhD candidate Lain Pardo studied the industry in Colombia  a country described as being on the tip of the spear in terms of burgeoning palm oil production.The researchers used a new camera trapping technique across 2,000 square kilometres of the countrys most important palm oil production region and found that while palm oil plantations are not suitable for most mammals to live in, the situation could be improved.We found that the number and diversity of species differed significantly between oil palm plantations and their neighboring forests, with the number of species inside oil palm plantations 47% lower, on average, than in the forest, said Mr Pardo.He said that within the plantations, the number of different species declined as the number of cattle in the plantation rose, but species numbers were helped by the presence of dense undergrowth vegetation and proximity to forest.These factors, and canopy cover, were also linked to an improvement in mammal diversity within palm oil sites.The scientists looked at a savannah woodland system where much of the land was already in commercial use before being converted to palm oil.Mr Pardo said unlike Southeast Asia, most of the land in Colombia converted for use as oil palm plantations had previously been pasture, not forest, and palm oil was not the primary driver of deforestation. But he said even when planted on savannah, oil palm plantations may have a devastating impact on wildlife.So, its still important to know what is going on ecologically in these areas. The Colombian government says land used to grow oil palms will double to about one million hectares by the year 2020. If unplanned, this expansion could result in a disruption of the ecosystem.Mr Pardo said the scientists recommended oil palm growers promote undergrowth vegetation and avoid cattle presence inside plantations, along with respecting designated buffer areas that allow for the conservation and restoration of riparian forests.The forests are the most important factor. Even secondary riparian forest makes an important contribution to sustaining wildlife across oil palm dominated landscapes in Colombia.He said the scientists understood that oil palm development provides social benefits in Colombia.Development in some areas is being partly driven by government incentives and corporate investments, and also in response to the end of a prolonged armed conflict, which has allowed access to previously inaccessible areas. So its vital to engage relevant stakeholders to balance socioeconomic and environmental goals. If Colombia follows our guidelines it has a great opportunity to produce palm oil in a more sustainable way, compared to Malaysia and Indonesia.Link to images here. Link to paper here.

Contact

Lain E Pardo, lepardov@gmail.comsSave my User ID and Password

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NEW YORK (AP)  Banks and energy companies surged Wednesday and smaller companies made huge gains as stocks got back almost all the ground they lost the day before. Investors reversed course as they hoped Italy would be able to avoid a new round of elections after all.

Financial companies rallied as bond yields turned higher and energy companies rose along with U.S. crude oil, which busted out of a five-day losing streak. The shift came after Carlo Cottarelli, nominated to be Italy's next prime minister, said there were new possibilities to form a government.





. . .Private Building

$2 million-$5 million

Photo provided by Washington Patriot Construction Washington Patriot overcome a challenging schedule to complete a 10,000-square-foot cafe renovation.





Cafe Refresh

Location: Seattle

General contractor: Washington Patriot Construction

Owner/developer: Corporate client

Primary designer: Helix Design Group

The Cafe Refresh project consisted of renovations to 10,000 square feet of space to increase the size, modernize equipment and upgrade finishes at the customer's cafe.

The scope of work included removal of the existing slab on grade, new below-grade plumbing, seeded aggregate concrete floors, over $1 million in new kitchen equipment and finishes throughout, including specialty casework and a full commercial kitchen.

The project was broken into two phases to allow for temporary food service in one corner while the kitchen and cafeteria were remodeled.

The first phase was completed in four months, which was a scheduling challenge given the amount of work that needed to take place in a small area, from slab removal, underground, new slabs, new walls, rough-in and specialty finishes. Washington Patriot coordinated the work to accommodate occupancy requirements during construction and coordinated the schedule to minimize impacts and facilitate ongoing operations.

Washington Patriot communicated project updates to the team by developing graphic phasing maps, work plans and tracking maps. Because the work was performed in an occupied facility, Washington Patriot emphasized the importance of being able to clearly convey where current and upcoming work would be taking place, as well as show progress and status of each phase so the owner team and occupants of the facility could plan accordingly.

These graphic aids were great communication tools, and enhanced the experience for the building occupants, as it allowed them to get a big-picture overview of what was going on.





Other Stories:Subscriber content preview

Plans call for 175 450-foot-tall wind turbines near the Iowa border.



By JIM SALTER

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS  Ameren Missouri announced plans last week for a 400-megawatt wind farm in rural northeast Missouri, creating enough power to serve 120,000 homes within two years.

St. Louis-based Ameren said its High Prairie Wind Farm near Kirksville will be the largest in the state. Ajay Arora, vice president of power operations and energy management at Ameren Missouri, called it a significant step toward Ameren's goal of reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050.





. . .Venice, Italy (CNN Philippines Life)  The Architecture Biennale is a different beast, says Senator Loren Legarda when asked whether she prefers the Art or the Architecture Biennale. At the epicenter of Venice Biennale, the worlds art olympics, the senator sits calm, even throws a joke or two, a day after the official opening of the Philippine Pavilion. The senator has been the instigator of the countrys participation at the Venice Biennale and has led the efforts to sustain it since our return in 2015.

In her speech at the pavilions opening, she says, It was in July 2013 when I first asked the question: why are we not in the Venice Biennale? A small country of a million people like Maldives was here and [the biennale] has been host to the best contemporary artists and curators, but the Philippines was conspicuously absent for more than 51 years. So with the wealth of talent, I thought that perhaps we should try to get government to support it.

And now, another year of hard work is finally over. For the next six months, The City Who Had Two Navels will be at the mercy of viewers, architects, critics, and other curious onlookers who will fly from all over the world to Venice and see what the architectural world has to offer to the global conversation.

The City Who Had two Navels is the Philippines fourth time at the Venice Biennale after its return in 2016, the second at the Architecture Biennale, and the second at the Arsenale, one of the Biennales two official venues.

Looking at the works on display, the Architecture Biennale is a cross between an art exhibit and an architectural study. There are structures on display, in scale or ones you can enter, climb, or walk through. There are evocations of buildings, immersive experiences that allow the viewer to have an out of body experience.

The Philippine Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, featuring the exhibition The City Who Had Two Navels curated by Edson Cabalfin. Photo by ANDREA D'ALTOE AND PAOLO LUCA FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARTS IN VENICE BIENNALE

The first two appearances of the Philippines was at the Palazzo Mora  an afterthought if youre only invested in seeing the works at the main venues: the Arsenale and the Giardini. It was, as Legarda admitted, a bit of an unofficial start for the countrys return to Venice (the first and only pavilion then was commissioned in 1964 and featured Jose Joya and Napoleon Abueva). Finally, the Philippine Arts at the Venice Biennale (PAVB), the [small] team, mostly from Legardas hardworking staff, that handles our official participation (all national participations are usually coursed through the Biennale and the respective governments), was able to secure a location at the Arsenales Artiglierie. The Philippines finally felt like it was in the big leagues.

The Philippine Pavilion is at the Artiglierie  a former shipyard and armory that includes a long corridor that spans several rooms containing other national pavilions such as Thailand (proposals on the life of spaces after architects hand them over), Ireland (the slow death of the Irish small towns), Bahrain (the structure surrounding the ritual of the Friday khutbah), Croatia (a cloud pergola installation that intersects art, robotics, and engineering), and at the back, Italy (architecture in the Alpine arch) and China (an inquiry into the rapid urban development and experiments in the Chinese countryside).

And right at the entrance of the Artiglierie, is the Philippine Pavilion, which examines how the two giant forces of colonialism and neoliberalism shape the way we build and experience our cities  and our lives as well. So how do we fit in the conversation about freespace?

A tale of two navels

The conquering Yanquis might jeer at the quaint architecture, the primitive plumbing, the ceremonious manners; behind impassive faces, people shared a secret pride, a secret exultation, and a lengthening litany of names.  Nick Joaquin, The Woman with Two Navels

To know the city is to know its people and to know its people is to know their history. From the neoclassical buildings of Old Manila, the attempts at national pride in the National Government Center, to the housing projects in Pandi occupied by the Kadamay protests, all our structures are steeped in colonialism. Philippine Pavilion curator Edson Cabalfin uses colonialism in The City with Two Navels as the imposition of control by one entity over another and theres always this process of domination and subjugation.

First Navel titled "(Post)Colonial Imaginations" in the Philippine Pavilion. The installation featured speculative work and responses from the think-tank consortium composed of artists, photographers, planners, a non-governmental organisation, and architecture. Photo by ANDREA D'ALTOE AND PAOLO LUCA FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARTS IN VENICE BIENNALE

He grounds this viewpoint, by first, setting the perspective on how colonial eyes have seen the country in international exhibitions such as the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Expo where primitives from the Philippines were flown in and made to live in exhibit villages; or the 1998 Expo Pilipino in Clark, Pampanga, which also used replica villages of the Kalinga, Tboli, etc., as well as Spanish-era architecture.

With colonialism being the first navel  a meditation of national identity, if you will  of the pavilion, Cabalfin asks, in the context of the Venice Biennale, how are we supposed to exhibit our country now?

What we are also seeing throughout the 100 years is there are certain themes that are in play and we cant simply blame the colonial masters and colonizers for representing us, he says. Because after World War II we are the ones representing ourselves. What kind of message are we then communicating to others outside the Philippines?

***

Jeepney signages are part of the Everday Urbanism: Metropolitan Cities of Manila, Cebu and Davao. Photo by ANDREA D'ALTOE AND PAOLO LUCA FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARTS IN VENICE BIENNALE

The senoras world of mansions might sit uneasily on its avenues, the hovels of the poor squatted no less nervously on their gutters [..] Paco sensed unreality in both worlds, the people who occupied them did not seem to be living there at all.  Nick Joaquin, The Woman with Two Navels

The second navel is neoliberalism, free market capitalism or, according to Cabalfins usage in the context of the pavilion, the types of policies that emerged from Thatcher-era UK and Reagan-era US that focus on themes that advocate for trade, market, competition, privatisation, deregulation, and minimal state intervention.

He cites the developments in urban cities such as Manila, Cebu, and Davao where enclaves have emerged, mixed-use buildings in properties where the commercial and the corporate merge.

Yason Banals multi-channel video installation titled Untitled Formation, Concrete Supernatural, Pixel Unbound which investigates the tenuous overlap between colonialism and neoliberalism, particularly through their contemporary links and manifestations. Photo by ANDREA D'ALTOE AND PAOLO LUCA FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARTS IN VENICE BIENNALE

Cabalfin adds: Neoliberal urbanism entails the expansion of the city where we see residential subdivisions that grow as the city grows but its also very particular because a lot of these subdivisions are fueled by remittances from OFWs, which has a direct relationship with that of the way money is coming in and the way we are exporting labor outside the Philippines.

Daily existence seems to be subject to the claws of neoliberalism: the malls, condominiums, the creative class, dorms, heritage buildings, the entire housing market. Even the way we think about our work and the decisions we make in our lives. All under the notions of free market that responds to supply and demand.

With 24/7 cities, we have BPO workers at night and then the day workers, says Cabalfin. They say New York is the city that never sleeps but Philippine cities also never sleeps, [they are a] relentless cycle of labor, [but] were not just having fun at night, which is what New York does, but we work for 24 hours, which shapes the way our cities are also experienced.

Second Navel titled "Neoliberal Urbanism" in the Philippine Pavilion. Photo by ANDREA D'ALTOE AND PAOLO LUCA FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARTS IN VENICE BIENNALE

The structure of the two navels

The Philippine Pavilion is designed almost like a Venn diagram, two arcs that represent the navels and intersect where colonialism and neocolonialism meet. The outer strips of the arcs are LCD T.V. screens, scale models, photographs, and video installations contributed by the think tank consortium Cabalfin formed when his proposal was picked by the PAVB. Architecture colleges from Manila (University of the Philippines - Diliman and De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde), Cebu (University of San Carlos), and Davao (University of the Philippines - Mindanao) worked on speculations based on the themes.

The University of San Carlos presented Sulog: Currents of Unity, which showed how the street of Colon in Cebu can be revitalized and use for and by the people.

Artist Yason Banal inside the Philippine Pavilion, surrounded by his multi-channel installation "Untitled Formation, Concrete Supernatural, Pixel Unbound". Photo by ANDREA D'ALTOE AND PAOLO LUCA FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARTS IN VENICE BIENNALE

Badjao Eco Villages by University of the Philippines - Mindanao discussed waterfront settlements of the Obu Manovu, Manuvu-Tagabawa, Maranao, Tausug, Maguindanao, Bajau, and Matigsalug, who were all living in Dabaw even before the arrival of Spanish and American colonizers.

The De La Salle - College of St. Benilde gave speculations of what kind of a city Manila can be in 2050 in four ways: a virtual/neoliberal city, a Japanese-invaded city, a Spanish-invaded city, and as non-colonized Austronesian city.

Recognizing that their campus is built by an American colony, UP Diliman presented HyGrids, a combination of hyperrealist projections and conceptual grids, and explored how colonialism and neoliberalism exist in a place of other opposing forces such as vegetation and structural density.

"HyGrids: Projecting the Future of Cities in the Philippines" by the University of the Philippines  Diliman, College of Architecture. Photo by ANDREA D'ALTOE AND PAOLO LUCA FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARTS IN VENICE BIENNALE

UP Diliman's "HyGrids." Photo by ANDREA D'ALTOE AND PAOLO LUCA FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARTS IN VENICE BIENNALE

Cabalfin also asked women-led architectural NGO TAO-Pilipinas to reflect on their work on participative design, building structures for communities in collaboration with the people they work for.

To understand the life in Philippine cities, Cabalfin asked photographers Marvin Maning and Jinggo Montenejo to capture life in different cities around the country and, in effect, show the homogenizing force of neoliberalism.

Three video works also document the everyday life of a Filipino. Rafaela Manasan, Rabsin de la Cruz, and Mark Anthony Simbilo take selfie videos from the time they wake up, go to work, and wind down for the day.

At the center is Yason Banals multi-channel video installation Untitled Formation, Concrete Supernatural, Pixel Unbound, a chilling reminder of how colonialism and liberalism have become insidious forces in our past and present, and eventually in the future. There are phantoms and narratives that tell their stories bound by structures and inhabited spaces such as the Manila Film Center, Manila Hotel, the former naval base in Subic, and even nondescript condominiums and call centers in central business districts. The film is shot with various cameras and is projected on the curved and sloping walls of the two navels, the technicality of which was a challenge to Banal.

Shot using 4K, Full HD and drones, low-resolution through 360- degree, CCTV and phone cameras, as well as phantom docu-fictions, a cyborg-like voiceover and a dreamy soundtrack, the video installation explores power structures and subjectivities in critical and poetic ways, evoking history and transformative potentials of the social as architecture. Photo by ANDREA D'ALTOE AND PAOLO LUCA FOR THE PHILIPPINE ARTS IN VENICE BIENNALE

I didnt want the form to shy away from the space, its a huge space, Cabalfin says on the design of the pavilion. Were lucky but its also a challenge. A space as huge as that, your display can either disappear or it can stand out and I chose for it to stand out, thats what I wanted, kanya-kanyang approach. Some might choose it differently.

There was talk of the biennale being a kind of Miss Universe: national representations vying for the top prize (it went to Switzerland for their house-hunting evocation). When asked about this, Cabalfin noted that it is like a pageant.

He says, There has to be a spectacle ... how would you stand out? How would people pay attention to your installation? I wanted the exhibition to be interesting, it needs to be engaging because you have this wave of hundreds of display and how do you catch the attention of the visitor?

The architecture of pookginhawa

Ultimately, the pavilion answers the notion of freespace, which is then translated to pookginhawa by National Commision for Culture and the Arts chairman Virgilio Almario.

It can mean relief or lightness. In [Ilocano], one of our major languages, ginhawa is birth itself, Almario says. And when a space is filled with life, when it is used to give breath, that is a space that embraces concepts of kindness, generosity, democracy, and hope which is the space that Filipinos crave and dream of.

For Cabalfin, the work of the architectural students present an optimism when thinking about the future of Philippine cities. And given the strong presence of colonialism and neoliberalism, TAO-Pilipinas practice is one that is an alternative that can exist outside of the two, a mode of empowerment that builds from the grassroots and involves the voices of people who might not be able to consult architects, or even pay one to construct homes, centers, and other buildings.

Filipinos should not be construed as passive receivers of external determinants, he says. Filipinos are also not mere victims to colonialism and neoliberalism.

***

The Philippine Pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale is on view until Nov. 25, 2018 at the Artiglierie, Arsenale in Venice, Italy.Subscriber content preview

LAUDERHILL, Fla. (AP)  A crane toppled on two houses in a Florida neighborhood, smashing through the roof of one of the homes and injuring at least two people Wednesday, authorities said.

The crane was being used to put up Florida Power & Light electric poles when it fell on the houses, Lauderhill Fire Rescue Assistant Fire Chief Jeff Levy said at a news conference at the scene.





. . .De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is to lead a multi-million pound research project looking at ethics and human rights in relation to smart information systems (SIS).

The European Union-funded SHERPA project will examine the impact of smart information systems on ethics and human rights and enhance the responsible development of artificial intelligence and big data analytics.

SHERPA aims to work with researchers to find desirable and sustainable solutions that can benefit both innovators and society.

The project, which has received 2.8m of funding from the EU, will be co-ordinated by Professor Bernd Stahl, Director of the Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility at DMU.

DMU will work with partners from across Europe including Universiteit Twente (Netherlands), the European Network of Research Ethics Committees (Germany), University of Central Lancashire (Cyprus), Depoorter Dries (Belgium), Trilateral Research (UK), Stichting Nederlands Normalisatie (Netherlands), Mutual Shoots Ltd (UK), Aequitas Ltd (Cyprus), European Business Summit (Belgium) and F-Secure OYJ (Finland).

Researchers will gather data by looking at existing case studies and scenarios as well as interviewing stakeholders and carrying out a large-scale online survey.

They will look at 10 case studies of current smart information systems and five scenarios of future smart information systems. They will also review relevant human rights frameworks and will carry out analysis of cyber threats, ethical impacts and social tension.

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The project will result in new guidelines for research and innovation with SIS with detailed reports of the findings.

A website and workbook on responsible development of smart information systems, standardisation, dissemination, exploitation, advocacy and communication activities will also be prepared.

SHERPA partners have identified a range of ethical and legal issues that will be addressed, such as equality, privacy, data protection, public security, duty of care to vulnerable members of society, transparency, fairness, justice, proportionality.

Professor Stahl believes that while smart information systems can be of great benefit society, this project will be important in ensuring that their negative impact is minimised.

He said: Artificial intelligence and big data analytics bring a variety of benefits to society, but at the same time have the potential to disrupt society, ethical values and human rights, and life as we know it.

But it is also critical that research and innovation are acceptable, desirable and sustainable, in line with the Rome Declaration on Responsible Research and Innovation in Europe, 2014.

One can't be a leader in AI or smart information systems and simultaneously override privacy concerns and human rights. How innovators should undertake research responsibly is the pressing topic to which SHERPA hopes to contribute.

The SHERPA project - Shaping the ethical dimensions of smart information systems - a European perspective - has received grant agreement No 786641 under the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  Mayor Vicente Loot of Daanbatayan, Cebu was rushed to the hospital after he accidentally fired a loaded pistol and hit his left leg, police and Loot said Thursday.

The incident occurred just three weeks after Loot, a former police general linked by President Rodrigo Duterte to the illegal drugs trade, survived an ambush.

In a text message to CNN Philippines, Loot said that when he sat in the front seat of a vehicle in his entourage Wednesday night, he felt something. He reached for it and the gun "accidentally" fired through the seat and into his left leg.

"Nothing serious, thru and thru ang bala. No nerves and bones na tinamaan. Laxity ng security officer ko," Loot said.

[Translation: It was nothing serious, the bullet went through and through. No nerves and bones were hit. It was due to the laxity of my security officer.]

After visiting a wake in Daanbantayan's Barangay Lanao, Loot transferred to another vehicle, a Mitsubishi Estrada, where the pistol was accidentally fired. His change of vehicles was part of security protocol after he survived an ambush by gunmen at the Maya Port in Cebu City on May 13. Loot was unscathed in that attack but his two drivers and the nanny of his grandchild were injured, along with a cargo porter.

Police Senior Supt. Manuel Javier Abrugena, the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director, said Loot was immediately brought to Daanbantayan District Hospital for treatment, but was transferred to another hospital.

Abrugena said the police is currently investigating the incident as details they have gathered so far are only coming from Loot himself.

Abrugena requested Loot to surrender the pistol that was accidentally fired, emphasizing that the mayor is not allowed to carry a gun after his privilege was removed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Police investigators sent to Daanbantayan were no longer able to secure the firearm, he added.

In a separate statement, Loot's lawyer Russel Pernites said following the incident, all matters of safety and security should not be taken lightly.

"This brings an opportune time to reassess and reconsider his security protocols as well as look into the incident for proper action. Again, Mayor Loot is in good condition," Pernites said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier accused Loot of being a protector of drug syndicates, a charge Loot denies. The Mayor was also among those implicated by self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa during his testimony at the Senate.

READ: Cebu town mayor survives ambushMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  Government officials insist the country has taken diplomatic actions to protest China's activities in the disputed South China Sea.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano in a House hearing on Wednesday said the Duterte administration has filed "several dozens" of diplomatic protests over the past two years.

"Maybe 50, 100. I have to count it," Cayetano said, stressing that the government is not giving up its claims in contested waters west of the country.

Malacanang on Thursday stood by Cayetano's statement and reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte "will never give away even an inch of territory."

"I go by what SFA (Secretary of Foreign Affairs) said," Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a text message to CNN Philippines, when asked about the filing of protests.

"The current administration has acted on incidents which occurred in the disputed areas over the West Philippine Sea by taking diplomatic actions with China," Roque said in a separate statement.

Roque and Cayetano did not disclose details of the diplomatic protests, despite calls for these to be made known to the public to allay concerns.

Opposition lawmaker Gary Alejano on Wednesday called on the government "to assure the public that the government is doing its part and not compromising national interest."

Cayetano said the government cannot divulge the contents of all diplomatic negotiations to protect national interest.

He earlier said he will quit public office if it is proven that the country lost an island to China under his and Duterte's watch.

Cayetano and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon also assured that the Philippines is not the target of the weapons China installed on disputed islands.

The statements come amid the reported presence of two Chinese military planes on Panganiban or Mischief Reef, and China's unveiling of a monument to mark its construction work in Kagitingan or Fiery Cross Reef.

Both are in the contested Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which is being claimed by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Esperon said these may be interpreted as "increased military activity," but added these were intended for training only.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly said it will take diplomatic action whenever necessary, including the filing of a diplomatic protest against China.

China has refused to acknowledge the July 2016 arbitral ruling that awarded to the Philippines areas in the South China Sea that lie within the country's 200-mile exclusive economic zone. The Philippines calls this the West Philippine Sea. China continues to claim the South China Sea in its entirety.

Duterte has repeatedly said the country cannot afford to go to war against China, but has promised to bring up the arbitral ruling with the East Asian giant during his term.Speaking at a panel during a country-wide media tour with international and local journalists, AIFs Chief Executive Ocer, Amar Ali noted the ongoing impact of the companys work in its rst year of existence, We are working hard to address the issue of malnutrition while encouraging local production and improving the quality of yields through our local sourcing projects. While there are similar projects in the region, none combine the elements of ghting malnutrition and a public private partnership model like we are doing, he said.

Malnutrition still remains a key public health concern in the country and has been put at the forefront of the Governments Vision 2020 Agenda.

Also speaking at the round table, Hugh Welsh, the President of DSM North America attributed the companys success to its unique model, The great thing about this model is that it engages the wider community in the process of creating these impacts - which not only makes it progressive but also sustainable in the long run, he added.

While the company has become largely known for its world class nutrition products including the commercial brands Nootri Mama, Nootri Toto and the latest Nootri Family (for all age groups), AIF mainly continues to produce porridge ours (with added milk, vitamins and minerals) targeting vulnerable population segments such as pregnant and breast-feeding mothers, older infants and young children for the critical rst 1,000 days of their lives.

In partnership with the Government of Rwanda, AIF supports nutrition programs for the most impoverished communities through its Shisha Kibondo products. The company also produces relief foods for the World Food Programme that are distributed again to the most vulnerable populations in refugee camps in Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and South Sudan. Winifred Ngarure, the Head of Investment Promotion at RDB said, On behalf of the Rwanda Development Board we want to thank AIF for showing us all that we can achieve. They made it possible to produce fortied foods locally in Rwanda. We thank them for improving the value chain for our farmers and helping combat malnutrition by producing better quality fortied foods.

Africa Improved Foods is located in the Kigali Special Economic Zone, sitting on 40,000m of land and employing over 300 sta. The plant has an annual production capacity of 45,000 tons making it one of the largest nutrition factory sites on the continent. AIF works with over 24,000 farmers across Rwanda and produces meals for 1.5 million people every day. In 2017 the company spent $17 million in regionally sourced packaging, equipment and services.

The impact of AIF has been widely recognized in Rwanda. AIF has received a wide range of awards in its short life span, including the Investor of the Year Award from the Rwanda Development Board.This story was updated to include a statement from Malacanang Palace.

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  Solicitor General Jose Calida said he will neither resign nor divest his stocks in his family's security firm, which obtained 261.39 million worth of contracts with various government agencies.

When asked if he ever considered resigning to save face, Calida said, "No. Why should I?"

SolGen Calida also maintained that there was no need to give up his stocks as there was no conflict of interest between the company's deals and the operations of his office.

"The option of divestment arises only when there is conflict of interest. Not speculative conflict of interest... Since there is none, the law says I can resign only, which I did. There is no need to divest," he told CNN Philippines' The Source in an exclusive interview.

His statement comes after it was revealed that Calida's family business, Vigilant Investigative and Security Agency Inc., entered into a total of 14 contracts with government agencies, worth a total of about 261.39 million when he was already Solicitor General, according to data from the Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.

The notice of Calida's resignation as president and chairman of Vigilant was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on July 13, 2016. However, Calida still keeps 60 percent of the shares.

His wife has since assumed his position in the company. She and their two children still own the remaining 40 percent of the firm.

Calida is open to divesting from the security firm if Department of Justice (DOJ) finds anomalies in the two contracts and decides to file a case against Vigilant.

"If there will be an actual conflict of interest, then I will divest within 60 days from that day... But it's not the potential  it must be an actual conflict of interest," said Calida.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra backtracked an earlier statement, saying he is now open to investigate the validity of the security firm's dealings with DOJ worth 12 million, which were signed when Calida was already a Solicitor General.

Other agencies Vigilant had dealings with are the House of Representatives, Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation, National Parks Development Committee, National Economic and Development Authority, NAPC, and National Electrification Administration.

Calida maintained that a large fraction of the 261.39 million went to operating expenses. He neither went into detail with the contracts nor divulged how much the take home pay was.

"Vigilant is just one (of our sources of income). It's not our only bread and butter. I was a practicing lawyer since 1974. We live a comfortable life," he said.

He added everything was above board, and he declared his financial interests in the company in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

"Did I commit graft? No, I did not," said Calida.

He added he did not even discuss the controversy with President Rodrigo Duterte.

"This does not concern the President. My conscience is clear, and there's no reason why I should bother the President with this problem," he said.

While Guevarra said he is open to investigating Calida, the Solicitor General still enjoys the support of Malacanang. Duterte has maintained that he would not fire Calida.

As Malacanang said it would keep its hands off a possible Senate probe, it maintained the Department of Justice is a better office to handle the matter.

"I think is the better course of action para malinaw na [so it's clear] once and for all kung talagang nagkaroon ng [if there really was] conflict of interest," Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday.

Duterte's administration has also declared a war on corruption, as evidenced by the string of sacked presidential appointees and government officers who are accused of corrupt practices.

Calida evades detailing contracts, profits

Calida has also sidestepped questions regarding details of his company's contracts, not even giving the number of contracts the company bagged from government agencies or their total cost.

When asked whether the contracts Vigilant won after he was appointed Solicitor General averaged the same as from before he assume the post, he maintained he did not know the exact figures since he resigned.

"As far as I was informed, for this year, there was one bidding that we won in 2018. In 2017, maybe two," he said. "I don't really know the exact figures because I'm no longer part of Vigilant management."

Calida did say that Vigilant lost three government bids since 2016  two at the Philippine Sports Commission and one in PAGCOR-Malate.

"Let me tell you, we don't always win when we join... In fact, since I assumed my office, we lost three biddings," said Calida.

The Solicitor General also maintained that a large fraction of the 261.39 million went to operation expenses, such as salaries and security equipment.

"I think there's some sort of innuendo there... the amount we allegedly bagged is not really accurate. That is the approved budget for the contract. That is not our profit," he said.

When pressed for a range or estimate of the profit, Calida only answered, "It depends on the amount that you have bidded."

No conflict of interest

Calida also explained his previous stance that there was no conflict of interest in the deals.

"If the transaction requires the approval of my office, that is a conflict of interest," Calida said.

"In Section 7B (of Republic Act 6713), it says there is conflict of interest if the private business is licensed by the government office like OSG. I do not regulate, supervise, or give licenses to security agencies to operate. Ergo, there's no conflict of interest here," he added.

The sections Calida cited of R.A. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, detail transactions considered unlawful for government officials. Section 7(a) prohibits officials from having "financial or material interest in any transaction requiring the approval of their office."

Section 7(b)(1) also provides that public officials cannot "own, control, manage or accept employment... in any private enterprise regulated, supervised or licensed by their office."

This, Calida explains, is what makes his case different from former Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo. Teo resigned after her Department was found to have entered an advertisement deal with state network PTV-4, providing 60 million to her brothers Ben and Erwin Tulfo's show.

'No moral dilemma'

The Solicitor General insisted that there was no moral conflict either, saying there is no question of delicadeza in his family's dealings with the government.

"As far as I'm concerned, I've not done anything wrong and there is no issue of morality here," said Calida.

He also maintained his position did not give him any undue advantage over other bidders, as he trusted government checks and balances.

"Sometimes the bidding is done by the (Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System), which is under the Department of Finance, not necessarily the procuring entity. There are many safeguards," said Calida.

Calida explained that the reason why his company entered into government bidding was because private companies could not afford to provide security guards decent wages, overtime pay, and night shift differential dues.

"There is an assurance that the security guards will be given what is due to them," said Calida. "They should be given also other benefits required by law, which private companies have no financial capability to pay."

He added that closing shop now would be worse for their workers.

"If we close shop, many guards will lose jobs. We cannot afford that. Nakakakonsiyensiya na iyon [That's on my conscience]," he said.

Watch the full interview with Calida herMetro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  Political, religious and philosophical affiliations have been removed from the bicameral conference report on the national identification system, said the measures co-author Rep. Sol Aragones.

Nag-decide na kami during the bicameral na tanggalin na lahat ng iyan. Gusto namin na simplehan na lang kaya nag-arrive kami doon sa basic information na lang hinihingi namin para din hindi isipin ng mga tao na talagang ma-i-invade 'yung privacy nila," she told CNN Philippines On the Record on Thursday.

[Translation: We decided to omit those from the bicameral committee report. We wanted it to be simple so we ended with only requiring basic information so people will not think their privacy will be invaded.]

Aragones also clarified that providing mobile numbers and email addresses is not mandatory under the measure.

"This is one step closer to the Philippines becoming a police state. Policemen stopping you in the streets, asking for your identification," ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio said.

The House of Representatives on Wednesday ratified the bicameral conference report on the bill, a day after the Senate did the same. The bill will be sent to President Rodrigo Duterte for his signature.

READ: Congress ratifies bicam report on national ID system

PSA as PhilSys custodian

Aragones said the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) will be the custodian of the cardholders data such us a lifetime randomly generated Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) number, full name, gender, blood type, date of birth, place of birth, marital status, and photo of the ID owner.

Tinio, however, asserted that the registry will be likely contracted to a foreign firm, much like PSAs contract with U.S.-based firm Unisys.

It is a much more expanded registry that they will have to maintain and in the end, it will be contracted to a foreign private entity, he said.

READ: 55M Filipino voters open to fraud after Comelec hack  int'l tech security firm

Privacy Commissioner Raymund Liboro said another concern is that the existing Data Privacy Act already penalizes breach of data, which is also mentioned as a violation in the proposed national I.D. system.

"We are (happy) because we see the benefits. There are risks. What we want to happen is to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits," Liboro said.

He added that the National Privacy Commission is part of the technical working group of the measure and is doing its part to ensure privacy features are in place.

READ: Why Filipinos should care about their personal data onlineBlog Archive June 2021 (1) May 2021 (77) April 2021 (77) March 2021 (82) February 2021 (68) January 2021 (64) December 2020 (67) November 2020 (66) October 2020 (66) September 2020 (67) August 2020 (74) July 2020 (83) June 2020 (92) May 2020 (86) April 2020 (104) March 2020 (105) February 2020 (74) January 2020 (75) December 2019 (75) November 2019 (70) October 2019 (89) September 2019 (69) August 2019 (81) July 2019 (77) June 2019 (73) May 2019 (110) April 2019 (110) March 2019 (102) February 2019 (85) January 2019 (123) December 2018 (116) November 2018 (112) October 2018 (121) September 2018 (107) August 2018 (150) July 2018 (163) June 2018 (190) May 2018 (145) April 2018 (112) March 2018 (124) February 2018 (113) January 2018 (164) December 2017 (150) November 2017 (144) October 2017 (169) September 2017 (171) August 2017 (135) July 2017 (131) June 2017 (147) May 2017 (160) April 2017 (138) March 2017 (156) February 2017 (143) January 2017 (203) December 2016 (208) November 2016 (185) October 2016 (173) September 2016 (194) August 2016 (232) July 2016 (225) June 2016 (238) May 2016 (231) April 2016 (215) March 2016 (246) February 2016 (226) January 2016 (252) December 2015 (230) November 2015 (250) October 2015 (234) September 2015 (222) August 2015 (253) July 2015 (275) June 2015 (279) May 2015 (223) April 2015 (226) March 2015 (243) February 2015 (258) January 2015 (281) December 2014 (292) November 2014 (296) October 2014 (413) September 2014 (472) August 2014 (506) July 2014 (483) June 2014 (488) May 2014 (512) April 2014 (497) March 2014 (531) February 2014 (482) January 2014 (535) December 2013 (482) November 2013 (441) October 2013 (416) September 2013 (491) August 2013 (521) July 2013 (491) June 2013 (470) May 2013 (457) April 2013 (426) March 2013 (420) February 2013 (414) January 2013 (489) December 2012 (433) November 2012 (504) October 2012 (469) September 2012 (430) August 2012 (427) July 2012 (360) June 2012 (336) May 2012 (362) April 2012 (322) March 2012 (263) February 2012 (224) January 2012 (291) December 2011 (295) November 2011 (325) October 2011 (330) September 2011 (319) August 2011 (333) July 2011 (318) June 2011 (387) May 2011 (373) April 2011 (389) March 2011 (375) February 2011 (335) January 2011 (400) December 2010 (445) November 2010 (395) October 2010 (312) September 2010 (262) August 2010 (277) July 2010 (323) June 2010 (386) May 2010 (360) April 2010 (333) March 2010 (351) February 2010 (336) January 2010 (384) December 2009 (353) November 2009 (300) October 2009 (308) September 2009 (350) August 2009 (298) July 2009 (255) June 2009 (203) May 2009 (193) April 2009 (186) March 2009 (197) February 2009 (173) January 2009 (148) December 2008 (181) November 2008 (197) October 2008 (236) September 2008 (304) August 2008 (314) July 2008 (273) June 2008 (27) May 2008 (1) April 2008 (6) October 2007 (1) May 2007 (1) April 2007 (6) March 2007 (2) February 2007 (1) October 2006 (1) September 2006 (1) August 2006 (4) July 2006 (4) June 2006 (1) July 2005 (1) May 2005 (2) March 2005 (1) June 2004 (2) May 2004 (1) April 2004 (4) March 2004 (2) February 2004 (2) July 2003 (2) June 2003 (5)Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  The camp of Maria Lourdes Sereno said they have found 12 of the 16 missing statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs) of the former Chief Justice as they seek the reversal of the Supreme Court's ouster ruling.

"This is a clear indication that the Chief Justice has been filing her SALNs," Sereno's spokesperson Carlo Cruz said in a press briefing on Thursday.

This means the camp found one more SALN between April and May since they announced last April 12 that they recovered 11 SALNs.

Only four SALNs have yet to be recovered - for the years 1992, 2000, 2003, and 2006 - but this does not mean she did not file them, Sereno's camp maintained. Sereno was a law professor at the University of the Philippines from 1986 to 2006, prior to her appointment to the Chief Justice post in 2012.

"Sana po ay maconsider na ito po ay isang indikasyon na hindi naman po sinuway ni Chief Justice Sereno itong legal requirement na ito," Cruz added.

[Translation: 'We hope the Supreme Court will consider this as an indication that the former Chief Justice did not violate this legal requirement."]

Sereno's lawyers on Wednesday filed a motion for reconsideration to appeal the High Court's historic May 11 ruling that ousted a Chief Justice without a Senate trial for the first time.

"The filing per se of a SALN neither proves nor negates a person's integrity," the 205-page motion read.

Sereno's camp also said no other public official was removed from office over non-submission of SALN, although this is required by law under Article 11, Section 17 of the Constitution.

It states, "A public officer or employee shall, upon assumption of office and as often thereafter as may be required by law, submit a declaration under oath of his assets, liabilities, and net worth."

Sereno, one of the youngest top judges in history, could have been the country's longest-serving Chief Justice with a two-decade term that would end in 2030. She was appointed by former President Benigno Aquino III in 2012, but caught the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte when she expressed concern over the drug war. Duterte had declared himself an enemy of Sereno.

The high court's granting of the quo warranto petition filed by the government's top lawyer, Solicitor General Jose Calida, is highly contested, as senators and many in the legal community maintain that impeachment is the only way to unseat a Chief Justice. An impeachment was underway in Congress, but is now considered moot after the Supreme Court decision.

CNN Philippines' Regine Cabato contributed to this report.Thirty-one young sinologists from 25 different countries recently arrived in Guangzhou during their three-week study tour in Guangdong to experience both the ancient and modern culture of China.

Young sinologists visit famous scenic spots in Guangzhou. [Photo/ycwb.com]

The event was part of the "Visiting Program for Young Sinologists", a program initiated by the Ministry of Culture and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences in 2014 to strengthen cultural exchanges and set up a platform where young sinologists worldwide can communicate and learn more about Chinese culture and history.

The sinologists are mostly scholars or academics from overseas universities and research institutions. They were divided into four groups and are focusing on Language & Literature, History, Politics & International Relations, and Economics during their study tour in Guangdong.

Kaung Min, a famous translator from Myanmar, is part of the sinologist group. He has translated many famous Chinese novels into Burmese, including works by Mo Yan, Qian Zhongshu, and Yu Hua. [Photo/ycwb.com]

In addition to indoor training, field trips also comprise an important part of their schedule. The scholars braved the heat of many places in Guangzhou, such as the Yuexiu Mountain, Guangzhou Dr Sun Yat-sen's Memorial Hall, Huangpu Ancient Port, and the Cantonese Opera Museum.

The young intellectuals exchanged views on the Belt and Road Initiative, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and the relationship between China and ASEAN countries.

A college teacher from India, whose Chinese name is Li Ming, decided to join the program to learn about the history, society and economy of China. [Photo/ycwb.com]



chinadaily.com.cn

Updated: 2018-05-30

The crew of the maiden flight between Haikou and Manila celebrates the opening of the new air route. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

A non-stop flight from Haikou to Manila, capital of the Philippines, opened service at Haikou Meilan International Airport on May 29.

The air route was the first between cities in Hainan and the Philippines after the new visa-free entry policies for overseas visitors from 59 countries and regions took effect on May 1.

Using a 155-seat A320 airplane, the new flight operates each Tuesday and Saturday. It takes off in Haikou at 10:30 pm and arrives in Manila at 1:10 am local time. It departs at 6:45 pm on the same day and reaches Haikou at 9:30 pm local time.

The flight will mainly serve inbound tourism. Each flight will take at least 100 overseas visitors to Hainan and the total number throughout the year is expected to reach 12,000.

To build an airline network layout with a higher global perspective and promote the development of Hainan's international air tour industry, the airport will soon open new routes linking Haikou with popular tourist cities such as Moscow in Russia, Langkawi in Malaysia, and Nha Trang in Vietnam.

Passengers of the maiden flight between Haikou and Manila deplane at Haikou Meilan International Airport on May 29. [Photo/Chinanews.com]





By The American Mirror , May 29 , 2018





Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren would rather praise communist China than the President of the United States.





The 2020 presidential hopeful and darling of the left appeared on CBS This Morning to hawk her new book when host John Dickerson brought up North Korea and the progress President Trumps made in pressuring the rogue nation to de-nuclearize its military.

Read More:



Join us - become an Elderado today at: LarryElder.com

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"Like" Larry Elder on Facebook



Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  Solicitor General Jose Calida is ready to face his detractors and will even file charges against them in court.

In an exclusive interview with CNN Philippines' The Source, he said he has plans against those "maligning me, slandering me, libeling me."

"I am a lawyer, and therefore I know what to do. I'm just waiting that the charges will be given to me so I can answer them point by point," said Calida.

"I can handle all attacks. The question is, can they handle my counter-attack?" he added.

When asked if he would file cases against them, Calida answered, "Yes, I will."

The country's top lawyer said the attacks against him were politically motivated.

Opposition senators Kiko Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros called for Calida's resignation in light of his family business' controversial 261 million worth of contracts with government agencies.

Calida said they were frustrated because his case against their perceived ally, former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, prospered at the Supreme Court. In a landmark decision, the high court unseated the Chief Justice after Calida argued her appointment was invalid.

"They're angry with me because I won the quo warranto case... Had I lost the case, they would not have attacked me like this," he said.

Calida has staunchly maintained he will hold on to his position as Solicitor General and to his stocks in the family-owned company, insisting there is no conflict of interest.

The Solicitor General also faces criminal and administrative charges at the Ombudsman filed by Jocelyn Marie Acosta, a private citizen. She accused him of spending 1.8 million of government funds on his 22-year old intern. He dismissed the case as "rumor-mongering."

"The one who viciously accused me at the Ombudsman admitted she has no proof and admitted she is rooting for Atty. Sereno. This is a political attack not only on me, but on the President also," he said.

He also said that Acosta "hated" him after he turned down a letter asking him to file a case against Associate Justice Teresita De Castro for allegedly being unable to file her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth. The lack of SALNs was one of the arguments cited against Sereno.

"She did not offer any evidence. In fact, Justice De Castro filed the required number of SALNs  ten," said Calida. "When she was appointed as Associate Justice, there was no such requirement by the [Judicial and Bar Council]."

Despite outcry from the Duterte administration's critics, Calida still enjoys the support of Malacanang. President Rodrigo Duterte had maintained that he will not fire Calida.

The Solicitor General even joked, "I was inspired when the President said, 'Why should I fire him?' Because of that inspiration, maybe I'll consider some more quo warrantos to be filed."

Apart from Sereno, Calida has also led the government's defense of controversial decisions, such as the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos in Libingan ng mga Bayani and the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

Sereno has since filed a motion for reconsideration at the Supreme Court.

But with a possible opening in the Supreme Court soon, Calida says he is not interested.

"I'm not cut out to be a judge. I find the job boring," said Calida. "I won cases. I haven't lost a case in the (Supreme Court) where I personally argued."Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 31)  The government should listen to what alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles has to say, Solicitor General Jose Calida said on Thursday.

"If Janet Napoles has evidence to link other recipients of the (Disbursement Acceleration Program) or (Priority Development Assistance Fund), why don't we listen to her?" Calida said in an exclusive interview with CNN Philippines' The Source. "We should listen to anybody who has evidence to prove a crime."

The statement comes after the Department of Justice (DOJ) removed Napoles from provisional coverage of its Witness Protection, Security and Benefit Program.

She is accused of funneling 10 billion in lawmakers' funds to bogus non-government organizations through programs like DAP and PDAF. Among the senators who were accused of working with Napoles are former Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla.

However, Napoles has since hinted at being willing to name more politicians who were in on the scam. Napoles' lawyer Stephen David said Napoles was still willing to "tell all," but lamented that no one was listening.

"Kung ayaw naman ng DOJ, willing pa rin siya... Kaya naman, ano ang saysay niyan kung hindi makikinig ang DOJ?" said David.

[Translation: If the DOJ doesn't want (the information), she's still willing... but what's the use if the DOJ doesn't listen?]

Both Calida and David pointed out that only opposition lawmakers at the time were implicated in the scandal.

"How about the other senators and congressmen?" said Calida. "Let's leave politics here. Let's look at who are the culprits in the DAP and PDAF anomalies."

The Solicitor General said that he also had "some people in mind," but did not disclose who they were.Turkish drillship sets off to the Mediterranean

Turkeys first oil exploration ship was launched in the Mediterranean Sea as Energy Minister Berat Albayrak declared.

Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak stated that Turkey started to drill on its own for oil and gas in the Mediterranean. Albayrak outlined Turkeys achievements under its national energy and mining policy, saying that, We are also making great efforts to ensure there is no letup in this momentum.

The ship, Fatih (the conqueror), formerly known as DeepSea Metro-II, is currently at the Dilovas port, in the gulf of Izmit, according to the MarineTraffic website, but her destination is seen as Antalya. Fatih, Turkey's first drilling ship sets off today, Turkish Petroleum said in a tweet.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, Albayrak said that the June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections would usher in a new era for Turkey. "We will write a new story in the coming era, as there are more roads for us to travel. By the end of this year, Turkey's first domestic integrated solar factory will begin the production of national solar panels" he said. He added that the country would also start preparations for the construction of a wind turbine factory.

Albayrak also said the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline Project (TANAP) would launch on June 12 with the expected participation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. TANAP's initial annual capacity will be 16 billion cubic meters, from which Turkey will withdraw 6 billion cubic meters while the remaining 10 billion cubic meters will be delivered to Europe.Letters

A few more questions Concerning the topic of the ARPA funding, this is what we now know: The Board of Supervisors knew of the Federal allocation of money in May 2021; the total amount the county received was 

Harvest Safety Even if you never drive on a country road, chances are that you will end up following a combine, tractor pulling a grain cart or wagon, or even a semi-truck hauling grain. Please be patient, the 

Board of Supervisors minutes not posted I have checked the Harrison County Board of Supervisors website weekly for five months. Sometimes, numerous times in one week. To this day, Sept. 21, 2021, the minutes of the weekly BOS meetings are 

COVID It is ironic the Federal Government appointees are blaming the unvaccinated U.S. citizens for the new COVID-19 explosion. When at the same time, people  900,000 so far and going up  are crossing the southern border, coming in hot with COVID in their body. Government appointees sprinkle these people into the interior of the U.S.

Safety At Rural Road Intersections Crawford County Farm Bureau Board of Directors wants to remind everyone when traveling on rural roads to slow down at intersections, especially where there is tall corn.

Read more lettersBENGALURU, India, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Infosys [http://www.infosys.com ] , a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, today announced an expansion of its relationship with Microsoft to accelerate the digital transformation of enterprise clients. Infosys has launched a new Microsoft Cloud Business Unit that will focus on the comprehensive cloud needs of enterprises - from infrastructure to business applications.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg )

The Microsoft Cloud Business Unit at Infosys will consist of a central pool of trained consultants, architects and specialist sales team that will be aligned to four core solution areas - Modern Workplace, Business Applications, Application Development & Infrastructure and Data & Analytics. The new unit is chartered to develop and deliver integrated experiences, solutions and services spanning Microsoft Azure, Microsoft Office 365, Windows 10 and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

Infosys currently provides a broad set of industry solutions leveraging Dynamics 365 and other Microsoft Cloud services for customers across sectors, including Financial Services, Retail and CPG, Communications, Oil and Gas, and Life Sciences. Further, Infosys delivers a spectrum of technology solutions to help customers migrate to the Microsoft Cloud, derive deep insights from existing hybrid environments and harness intelligence for automation. Building on the current collaboration, Infosys and Microsoft have concluded a strategic Cloud Solution Provider Agreement (CSP) that enables Infosys to directly manage the entire lifecycle for its enterprise customers including billing and support, and deliver integrated end-to-end solutions as a managed service on Microsoft Cloud.

As part of this enhanced alliance, Infosys will also establish a global Microsoft Cloud Innovation Center in the US, which will act as a forum to help enterprise clients utilize the power of Microsoft Cloud. The Center will enable incubation, co-innovation and proliferation of solutions leveraging Microsoft Cloud services.

Ravi Kumar S, President and Deputy Chief Operating Officer, Infosys, said, "Our clients, large global corporations are continuing to scale their digital agendas to transform their business and operating models. This presents a unique opportunity for Infosys to partner with our clients and help them navigate this disruption. Our newly formed Microsoft Cloud Business Unit will help to synergize best-in-class capabilities; and our investments across Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, and Microsoft Dynamics 365 will support in orchestrating differentiated solutions in the age of digital, thereby empowering our clients to energize their core and amplifying a superior experience across stakeholders."

Judson Althoff, Executive Vice President of Microsoft's Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft Corp., said, "Globally, customers are moving quickly to digitally transform their organizations and are increasingly turning to the Microsoft Cloud to realize their digital ambitions. By launching its Microsoft Cloud Business Unit, Infosys can better respond to customers' digital needs through a cohesive approach that integrates Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365."

Infosys is an Azure partner with 1400+ certified consultants and dedicated Microsoft Learning & Certification Centers across five locations. Over the past six months, Infosys and Microsoft teams have worked closely to organize multiple events and hackathons aimed at developing new solution ideas; and providing a wide cross-section of Infosys employees with hands-on experience in deploying Microsoft Cloud solutions and services.

About Infosys

Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 45 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem.

Visit http://www.infosys.com to see how Infosys can help your enterprise navigate your next.

Safe Harbor

Certain statements in this press release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, and unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2017. These filings are available at http://www.sec.gov [https://www.infosys.com/links/redirectlink.aspx?id=sec-gov.a... ]. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. In addition, please note that any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on assumptions that we believe to be reasonable as of the date of this press release. The company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the company unless it is required by law.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg

CONTACT: Asia Pacific: Sarah Gideon, Infosys, India, +91-80-4156-3998,Sarah_Gideon@infosys.com; EMEA, Margherita Di Cerbo, Infosys, Europe,+44-2075162748, Margherita.DiCerbo@infosys.com; AmericasChiku Somaiya, Infosys, USA, +1-408-375-2722,Chiku.Somaiya@infosys.comThis Page Is Under Construction - Coming Soon!

Why am I seeing this 'Under Construction' page?



1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.Dr. Dean Panter, Failte Ireland at the presentation with Adriaan Bartels, Cliff House House Hotel

The Cliff House Hotel in Ardmore, Co. Waterford has today (Thursday, 31st May) become the first venue in Waterford to complete the Failte Irelands Accredited Services Excellence Programme. The Programme is aimed at helping tourism businesses reach the highest standards in customer care, which can result in major benefits such as business growth, additional repeat business, increased visitor spend and positive recommendations.



Speaking at the presentation of the Accreditation, Dr. Dean Panter, National Development Manager with Enterprise & Hospitality at Failte Ireland said that the Programme is an important aspect of Failte Irelands business development and training supports.



The Accredited Service Excellence Programme is aimed at helping tourism businesses strengthen competitiveness and to help differentiate Ireland from its international competitors as a location where the customer is at the centre of everything a business will do. It provides an opportunity for the Irish tourism industry to be recognised for best in class customer service and great visitor experiences and we are delighted to present the Cliff House Hotel with accreditation.



Adriaan Bartels, General Manager of the Cliff House Hotel said he was delighted to accept the Accreditation on behalf of all the staff who undertook the Programme.



At the Cliff House Hotel we pride ourselves in putting our guests first and anything that helps my team improve themselves to make this happen more is most welcome. Thats why when we had a chance to do the Accredited Services Excellence Programme we jumped at it and fifty nine members of my team attended the course. It helped us greatly to reinforce the value of excellent customer service and enhanced the value we put into investing in our team. Everyone left the course enthused to go that extra mile for every one of our visitors.



The Accredited Service Excellence Programme is suitable for all management and front facing staff in a tourism related business who come into contact with visitors. The Award can be achieved in three ways:



 Individual Award  for individual staff upon completion of a full day or online workshop;

 As a Business Award whereupon 75% of front facing staff have completed the Programme;

 As a Destination Award - where a number of set criteria are met and where an agreed level of key businesses in the area have achieved the business award.

Jump to topWhile Investors Reaped Millions, Three Small Refineries Claimed They Could not Afford to Comply with Renewable Fuel Obligations

The Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) and National Farmers Union (NFU), with support of Farmers Union Enterprises, today filed suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit to challenge several waivers from the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted in secret to profitable refining companies.

The petitioners are challenging three EPA decisions, made under unusually clandestine proceedings, to exempt refineries in Wynnewood, Oklahoma; Cheyenne, Wyoming; and Woods Cross, Utah from the RFS requirements of the Clean Air Act. The Wynnewood refinery is owned by Wynnewood Refining Company, a subsidiary of CVR Energy, and the Cheyenne and Woods Cross refineries are owned by Holly Frontier Corporation. The companies have since estimated in financial disclosures that the exemptions have saved them a collective $170 million in compliance costs.

When Congress enacted the RFS program a decade ago, it sought to protect certain small refineries from the laws impacts temporarily by providing an exemption for refineries with no more than 75,000 barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil throughput. After a two-year blanket exemption expired, Congress also allowed those same refineries to ask for extensions of the temporary exemption if they could show that compliance with the RFS program was causing that particular facility a disproportionate economic hardship. Until late last year, EPA only granted a handful of exemptions per year. EPA denied many extension requests, presumably because the refineries failed to meet one or more of these requirements for an extension. In recent months, EPA has granted over two dozen exemptionsincluding the ones challenged herewithout providing any basis for its reversal.

EPA is trying to undermine the RFS program under the cover of night, said Bob Dinneen, CEO and President of RFA. And theres a reason it has been done in secret  its because EPA is acting in contravention of the statute and its own regulations, methodically destroying the demand for renewable fuels, continued Dinneen. With the little information weve been able to piece together through secondary sources, its clear that EPA has been extending these exemptions to refineries that didnt qualify for them.

Although EPA typically publishes its proposed actions and final decisions in the Federal Register, EPA has not followed those protocols for small refineries; nor has EPA even informed the public by any means that it had received or acted on such carve-out requests. Instead, the petitioners learned of the unprecedented number of exemptions second-hand, through media reports and secondary sources.

EPA left us with no choice but to challenge their systematic cuts to ethanol blending in the U.S. by distorting the intent of the law to grant secret hardship waivers to refineries which in some cases exceed the definition of small and fall short of demonstrating disproportionate economic hardship, said Brian Jennings, CEO of ACE. We cannot sit by and allow EPA to violate the RFS which requires increasing the use of renewable fuels in the U.S.

The petition also notes that EPA has consistently rejected all attempts to bring greater transparency to the small refinery exemption extension process. EPA has refused to provide even the most basic information requested in Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests from RFA and other parties. More surprisingly, the Agency has also ignored demands from members of Congress for the same essential facts.

EPAs improper handling of the RFS has significantly cut demand for biofuels grown and produced by American family farmers and their communities. The success of the law lies in the requirement that certain amounts of renewable fuel be blended into our transportation sector. Yet EPA has unlawfully allowed massive refineries to skirt compliance with these requirements, effectively reducing the amount of renewable fuels blended into the transportation sector by more than one billion gallons. These actions must be reversed immediately, according to Roger Johnson, President NFU.

The petitioners are not challenging EPAs underlying authority to exempt certain small refineries; rather they are challenging three granted exemptions as abuses of EPAs authority. EPA should be forced to explain why an otherwise profitable refinery faces disproportionate hardship from compliance with the RFS. We want EPA to explain why it is reasonable for HollyFrontier, which apparently could not afford to comply with the RFS, could nonetheless afford to undertake a $1 billion stock share repurchase program during the same timeand thats before the company received over $300 million in tax cuts last year. Likewise, the petitioners would like to understand how EPA could find hardship at CVR Energy, which reported a $23 million profit in the biofuels credit market in the first quarter of 2018 due to what it called a lower RFS obligation.

With their rapidly rising profits, its difficult to see what economic hardship these refineries are facing. The apparent lack of hardship raises serious questions of why EPA granted these exemptions, which is compounded by the fact that there is zero transparency in EPAs small refinery exemption process, said Kevin Skunes, president of the National Corn Growers Association. Americas corn farmers, who are expecting their fifth consecutive year of low commodity prices and who are experiencing the lowest net farm incomes since 2006, understand economic challenges. When refineries are reporting profit increases and repurchasing stock shares, we expect EPA to explain why these refineries were granted exemptions from their RFS volume obligations.

In practice, EPA is attempting to use the small refinery exemptions to waive a significant part of the annual volumes of renewable fuel that are otherwise required to be blended into transportation fuel. Based on EPA data, RFA estimates that small refinery exemptions granted for the past two years have effectively reduced volumes of renewable fuel by as much as 1.6 billion gallons. In enacting the RFS program, however, Congress did not envision the small refinery exemption process would be abused in such a way.THE Stirlings to Coast Farmers (SCF) Noodle wheat project has shown that high-quality Noodle wheat can be grown consistently in the high rainfall zone of southern WA.

The SCF Noodle wheat trials tap into the exclusive international market of premium Noodle wheat, which in the past, has been associated mainly with moderate to low rainfall areas.

According to grain marketers, there is a perception from overseas markets that Noodle wheat grown in the southern Albany zone is of poorer quality than from northern regions, but the trials are showing that this is not the case.

WA is the only external source of wheat grain for Udon noodle manufacture in Japan and Korea.

SCF research and development co-ordinator Nathan Dovey said the three-year project, funded by the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Developments Grower Group Fund, was in the final year of successful trials.

SCF has been working closely with Intergrain, which has been developing varieties that are more suited to the high rainfall zone and resilient to late season rains.

We have improved the agronomy package for growing Noodle wheats in the Albany port zone, Mr Dovey said.

SCFs trials take into account both the perspectives of the farmer and international markets.

We are trying to reduce the risk for farmers of having their Noodle wheat downgraded for not making noodle one or noodle two grade and establish what they need to do to hit the top-grade windows more consistently, Mr Dovey said.

In March, SCF released the 2017 trials review of its crop updates, which outlined the results of Noodle wheat trials, along with feed wheat, deep ripping and snail baiting trials.

SCF reported in the review that the success of the trials would also mean greater long-term diversity and options for crop rotations in the southern high rainfall zones.

The review reports on the key findings from the 2016 and 2017 trials, including the effect of location, yield potential, seeding rate, effect of harvesting time, wheat varieties and price.

Growing Noodle wheat has been perceived as high risk by growers in the high rainfall zone due to the risk of not making ANW1 grade, Mr Dovey said.

The two messages for farmers that have come from the trials are to start seeding Noodle wheat later and that location is important, with Noodle wheat growing less suitable for farms close to the coast.

Once we get a bit further inland there are less chances of harvest rains, Mr Dovey said.

The Chillinup (Road) Line is an approximate cut off point for where the risk of downgrade for noodle wheat or failure to meet grade is less risky.

Chillinup Road is about 30 kilometres north of the coast, runs east to west and is within the high rainfall zone.

We have farmers growing Noodle wheat just north of the Chillinup Road line who are achieving fantastic yields and make noodle grades in most years, said Mr Dovey.

Members south of the Chillinup Road have removed or greatly reduced Noodle wheat from their program because of the risk of failure to meet noodle specifications.

SCF has been experimenting with different times of harvest to try to manage the risk of harvest rainfall in their small plot trials.

There are two schools of thought for harvesting Noodle wheat: farmers can harvest it a bit wet then dry it, at a cost, knowing they will make noodle grade, or they take the risk and wait for the moisture to come down, which then increases the chance of a rain on it, Mr Dovey said.

Through our plot trials we have tried to replicate that real-life situation by harvesting a little bit too wet, at about 15 per cent moisture.

Then we come back in later when the moisture is under 12.5pc and see if there is any quality or weight difference in the grain.

At this stage we have not found a clear answer to this conundrum.

Mr Dovey said price had a big influence on the decision to grow Noodle wheat.

We are hoping another year of data in 2018 will give us a clearer answer to this question, he said.

Last year SCF tested the varieties Zen, Ninja and IGW-8048 (yet to be named), at sowing rates of 80 kilograms per hectare and 150kg/ha.

Results showed that higher sowing rates yielded significantly more than the 80kg/ha rate for all three varieties.

Testing of seeding rates will be used to further fine-tune the optimum sowing rates for the soil types in high rainfall areas this year.

Even with successful research trials, Mr Dovey said the Albany port zone was yet to convince international markets that its noodles hold the same quality as other parts of the State.

Market development has been on-going as part of the SCF Noodle wheat project, with steps in place for SCF to undertake further product testing this year to demonstrate that noodle wheat from the Albany region is of equal quality to Noodle wheat from the northern Wheatbelt areas.

In September last year, SCF consultant John Blake and SCF member and noodle wheat grower Jon Beasley presented at the WA noodle wheat industry international forum held in Perth.

Mr Beasley was able to highlight the potential for high rainfall zone noodles in the southern WA growing region.

Mr Blake addressed the forum about the potential benefits of the SCF Noodle wheat project, which has developed an agronomic package to manage the challenges of growing Noodle wheat in a high rainfall area.

Our members in the Albany port zone want to develop long-term relationships with buyers in Japan and South Korea, Mr Blake said.

We will be undertaking further market development work this year in collaboration with our project partners.NATHAN Sawyer, Dalwallinu, took to Twitter last week for a #seeding18 picture with a difference.

Mr Sawyer and his new fiance Leanne Cooke posed for this photo just on sunrise after he proposed to her last week.

His caption #seeding18 cant be all about breaking gear and making dust! The inch of rain two days later was the icing on the cake.

Id been thinking about the proposal since January, Mr Sawyer said.

Ms Cooke was working on the Sawyer family farm as a backpacker when they first met, but with limited visa options, she had to return home to Ireland.

Mr Sawyer had been flying over to Ireland every few months to see her.

Ms Cooke went to a wedding in the Cook Islands in the South Pacific two weeks ago and then stopped in WA for a few weeks on her way back to Ireland, which luck have it, worked out to be the middle of seeding.

Mr Sawyer said luring his future wife to the paddock was not an issue as she joined him for a nightshift stint.

Comments came through from other growers via social media across the State congratulating the couple.The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike.

We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve.Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

"(It will) serve a need ... for kids in general and kids in trouble," said Commissioner Richard Clark.Fund manager Legg Mason, Inc. said Wednesday it expects a settlement soon of a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation into a unit that managed money for the Libyan government.

The investigation concerns Permal Groups Libya deals from 2005 to 2007.

Legg Mason bought London-based Permal, a hedge fund manager, in 2005.

To pay for the FCPA settlement, Legg Mason said it accrued $67 million. That amount includes $31 million that Permal earned from the Libya business.

Baltimore-based Legg Mason said in a securities filing it expects to shortly complete negotiations with the DOJ and SEC.

Legg Mason combined Permal with another asset management unit in 2016 and changed the name to EntrustPermal.

The Libya investments in question were all terminated by 2012, Legg Mason said.

The matter does not relate to any of our or our affiliates current business activities or client relationships and has focused on the actions of former employees of Permal who left that firm four or more years ago, Legg Mason said.

Muammar Gaddafi ran Libya from 1969 until 2011, when he was killed by Libyan rebels.

In 2016, another fund manager, Och-Ziff, settled allegations that during the Qaddafi regime it bribed officials at the Libyan Investment Authority or LIA, Libyas sovereign wealth fund. In return, LIA made a $300 million investment in Och-Ziff managed funds.

Och-Ziff paid $412 million to settle the FCPA offenses in Libya and several other African countries.

In November 2017, Paris-based Societe Generale said it was under investigation in France and the United States for possible bribery offenses related to the Libyan Investment Authority.

Earlier in 2017, SocGen paid about $1.1 billion to settle a civil lawsuit that the LIA filed in London.

The suit alleged SocGen paid $58.5 million to a Panama-registered company controlled by associates of Gaddafi while he still headed the Libya regime.

* * *

Heres an FCPA disclosure from Legg Mason, Inc.s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on May 30, 2018 (courtesy of FCPA Tracker):

We expect that we will shortly complete negotiations with both the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the SEC staff to resolve a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation concerning the activities of our former Permal business in connection with managing assets of Libyan governmental entities in structures established by a third-party financial institution. Those investments were made in calendar years 2005 to 2007 and all were terminated no later than 2012. The matter does not relate to any of our or our affiliates current business activities or client relationships and has focused on the actions of former employees of Permal who left that firm four or more years ago. Based on discussions to date, we believe that any resolution of this matter will not result in restrictions on our or our affiliates ongoing business activities. We have accrued a $67 million charge to earnings for this matter in the year ended March 31, 2018, representing our current estimated liability for the settlement of the matter. This accrual reflects in part the net revenues of approximately $31 million earned by our former Permal business from managing assets of Libyan governmental entities. Any such resolution, including the actual amount of the payments required to ultimately settle this matter, which are uncertain and may be higher than the amounts we have currently accrued, are subject to the final review and approval of the DOJ, the SEC Commissioners and our Board of Directors.

____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.From Bill Browders twitter account.A British critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin was detained by Spanish police Wednesday on an international arrest warrant that Russia requested through Interpol.

Financier Bill Browder tweeted that police in Madrid released him after Interpols general secretary in Lyon, France, instructed Spanish police not to honor Russias arrest request.

He was held for about an hour. He later returned to London.

American-born Browder founded UK-based Hermitage Capital Management. It was once the biggest foreign investor in Russia.

He led a global campaign for sanctions against those responsible for the death of Sergei Magnitsky, Hermitages Russian lawyer.

Magnitsky died under suspicious circumstances in a Moscow prison after uncovering a $230 million tax fraud.

The United States adopted the Magnitsky Act in 2012, later expanded as the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.

Among those sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act are Russian officials and alleged mobsters responsible for Magnitskys death or involved in efforts to cover it up. Sanctions include U.S. travel bans and asset freezes.

The UK and Canada, and at least three other countries, have enacted versions of the Magnitsky Act.

Russia put Browder on trial in absentia in 2013 for tax evasion. A court in Moscow found him guilty and imposed a sentence of nine years in prison and a $48 million fine.

His lawyers have appealed.

Browder said Wednesday he was in Spain to give evidence to Spanish anti-Russia mafia prosecutor Jose Grinda about the huge amount of money from the Magnitsky case that flowed to Spain.

Interpol  the International Criminal Police Organization  isnt a police force. Its an information clearing house that promotes international police cooperation.

Interpol members (all countries except North Korea) have the right to ask other members to detain and extradite a wanted individual. The requests are called red notices.

Interpol grants most red notice requests within hours.

Browder and others have accused Russia and Putin of abusing red notices to harass and punish political enemies.

On Twitter, Browder said Russia has requested six red notices against him and the requests are still open.

Interpol is incapable of stopping Russian abuse of their systems, Browder said.

Interpols neutrality is supposedly guaranteed by Article 3 of its constitution. It explicitly forbids Interpol from engaging in matters of political, military, religious, and racial character.

Browder has called for Interpol to suspend Russia for abusing the red notice system.

He wrote a bestseller, Red Notice, about his struggle against Putins government.

_____

Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog.Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release

SubCategory Select Sub-CategoryHON. PM BAINIMARAMA AT THE COMMISSIONING AT THE MLC VEIVUETI AND OPENING OF GOVERNMENT SHIPPING SERVICES OFFICES





Honourable Ministers;

Permanent Secretaries;Distinguished Guests;Ladies & Gentlemen.Im pleased to be here with you all this afternoon at Walu Bay, as we gather together to mark a great maritime milestone for Fiji: the commissioning of the MLC Veivueti. We are also here for the official opening of a new home for the Department of Government Shipping Services.As we stand here today on the shores of this hub of business and hive of maritime activity, we can see physical proof of the incredible progress that has been achieved under my Governments economic stewardship. By any means or measure, from land to sea, we have witnessed modernisation and growth unlike anything Fiji has ever seen. As ships sail into Suva Harbour today, they bring with them undeniable signs of progress: they are bringing a greater variety of goods, they are bringing a greater number of tourists, and they are bringing both growth and competition that puts money in the pockets of ordinary Fijians.First, Id like to turn our attention to the newly-constructed office and warehouse building that will house the Department of Government Shipping Services. At a total cost of 3.6 million dollars, this new facility is evidence of my continued commitment to investing in Fijis infrastructure, and to markedly improving the workplace conditions of all Government employees. The previous structure, built back in 1982, had deteriorated to a state where equipment and cargo could not be safely stored. Realising this, we worked to bring the office and warehouse up to par with the rest of the Fijian economy standing here today, we can see that this goal has clearly been accomplished. This new facility will house the GSS staff and provide a conducive environment to enable them to provide Government shipping services with renewed vigour.I also have the great pleasure of commissioning the new MLC Veivueti which is a great maritime milestone for Fiji. This is a vessel that is much more than just a ship. It will operate as a floating, mobile hospitalthe first of its kind in Fiji.At a cost of nearly 8 million dollars, The Veivueti is a 46 metre landing craft that was specifically designed and built to provide both primary and secondary medical services and rapid response to emergencies. It is this duty of care that inspired her name; Veivueti in iTaukei means to help someone in a time of need. And the capacity of this ship enables it to bring that help by the tonneto be precise, it can hold and provide 200 tonnes of supplies to an area in need, or up to 300 tonnes of clean water to a drought-stricken island.The Veivueti will be unlike any resource weve had at our disposal here in Fiji. It will house separate rooms for operations, minor procedures, consultations, and recovery. It is specially equipped and designed to accommodate 18 crewmembers, including a full team of medical professionals who can carry out emergency surgeries, take x-rays, screen for pulmonary tuberculosis, perform urgent dental procedures, and more. The ship is equipped with state-of-the-art tools like ventilator machines and medical lasers to treat serious eye complications. MLC Veivueti can be quickly deployed to arrive and host an emergency procedure.Further still, the vessel will be utilised for public health programmes and outreach, including health screenings, school visitations, and education. The Veivueti will also be an invaluable tool for the medical training of healthcare workers in some of Fijis most remote islands.All said, MLC Veivueti is a ship, it is a medical facility, and it is, once again, a promise fulfilled by my Government. This vessel will be constantly moving; its current schedule consists of 10 week-long trips, through which over 10,000 patients from the far reaches of Fiji are expected to be treated annually. Ladies and gentlemen, this ship is  quite simply  going to save Fijian lives. For that alone, this is an occasion worth celebrating.As we mark another historic milestone, another first for Fiji, we now just have to wait and see what desperate critiques the Opposition musters up to belittle these accomplishments. Flip a coinweve either spent too much or too little. Or perhaps theyll make another empty and totally unobtainable promise. In line with the steady stream of empty promises and flat-out lies of SODELPA and NFP, perhaps theyll now vow to build the worlds fastest mobile hospital which will provide miracle cures. SODELPA and NFP are not guided by realism. SODELPA and NFP arent driven by principle. SODLEPA and NFP are driven by desperate attempts to remain relevant in an economy where all of their accusations and critiques have been proven wrong. They now resort to one strategy and one strategy alone: throw whatever they can at the wall and see what sticks. Unfortunately for them, nothing is sticking. The Fijian people know better. Fijians have seen that my Governments promises are ambitious, and they are ground-breaking. But most importantly, Fijians have seen my Governments promises fulfilled. If the economy was a ship, I have proven the ability to steer it through choppy waters, and stay on course to arrive at a more prosperous future. The current head of SODELPA has been at the helm of this ship beforeand he quickly sank it to the bottom of the Pacific. The current head of NFP has never steered a ship and does not have the capacity to do so.Ladies and gentlemen, we already anticipate that The Veivueti will be in high demand all across Fiji. And as we are dealing with more frequent and stronger severe weather events due to climate change, we unfortunately expect the need for rapid maritime medical response to only rise. Thats why my Government is taking action now, and prudently planning ahead so that when the next disaster inevitably strikes, we will be better equipped than ever to help Fijians in need, wherever they reside.Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank all those who were involved in making this project happen. From concept to delivery, watching the MLC Veivueti come to life and officially be put into commission was a process that required the hard work and collaboration of many different parties across different nations. Thank you to United Ship Design and to the shipbuilder, Eastern Marine Shipyard of Sibu, Malaysia. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Malaysian Navy for their protection of the Veivueti through known pirate waters, assuring a safe delivery here at its new home here in Fiji.Ladies and gentlemen, it is now my pleasure to commission the MLC Veivueti, and officially open the new Government Shipping Services office and warehouse complex.Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.Aiwa Corporation, a Chicago, IL-based consumer audio company, closed $2.7M funding round.

The round was led by Fairlane Funds and Dormitus Ventures.

The company intends to use the funds to grow the product line and expand internationally.

Led by CEO Mike Sullivan, Aiwa provides customers with audio products with high sound quality. Have a look at the products here.

FinSMEs

31/05/2018Azimo, a London, UK-based money transfer company, closed a $20m Series C funding.

The round, which brings total funding raised to date to over $50m, was led by Rakuten Capital, with participation from e.ventures, Frog Capital, GR Capital Partners, Greycroft Partners, MCI, Quona Capital and Silicon Valley Bank.

The company intends to use the funds to continue to develop the platform and grow its customer base.

Led by CEO Michael Kent, Azimo provides a digital money transfer platform that enables payments in more than 80 currencies to more than 190 receiving countries. The platform is currently used by 1.5 million registered customers handling over $1 billion in annualised sending volume.

The company claims it can now reach more than 5 billion potential customers via a wide range of payout methods, including cash, bank deposits and mobile wallets.

FinSMEs

31/05/2018SiSaf, a Belfast and Guildford, UK-based biopharmaceutical company, closed a $4.3m A2 Interim funding round.

The round was led by Vickers Venture Partners, with participation from Invest NI and Innovation Ulster Limited.

Led by Founder and (ProSilic) inventor Dr. Suzanne Saffie-Siebert, Ph.D, SiSaf is a commercial stage bio-pharmaceutical company developing drugs using bio-courier technology, ProSilic, a novel method of drug delivery that is based on a patented hybrid of porous silicon and liposomes.

An extremely wide range of molecules can be formulated with ProSilic for improved stability, solubility, bioavailability, release and route of administration.

The company intends to use the funds to drive pipeline development and manufacturing capability in dermatology, cosmetic skin care and other therapeutic areas.

FinSMEs

31/05/2018Taxify, an Estonia-based taxi hailing company, raised $175m in funding.

The round, which brings Taxifys valuation to $1 billion, was led by Daimler, with participation from Korelya Capital, and Taavet Hinrikus, which joined existing investors Didi Chuxing. In conjunction with the funding, Daimler will join Taxifys board.

The company intends to use the funds to develop its technology and further expand into its existing regional markets across Europe and Africa.

Founded in Estonia in 2013, Taxify operates a platform connecting riders to private drivers or licensed taxis in Europe and Africa.

The service is currently used by over 10 million passengers and 500,000 drivers in over 25 countries (have a look at the list here).

FinSMEs

31/05/2018 1875 .        .    ,      16  17       .           ,        "         " .     1896 .    ...Google today announced that it will hold Google Search Conference across 11 cities in India starting from June till August. This is aimed to help Indian language publishers make the most of the opportunity, bridge the Indian language content gap that exists on the web today and the webmasters better understand how they can make their content easily accessible to the growing number of Internet users across India.

It will cover Indian languages such as Tamil, Telugu, Marathi and Bengali, in addition to English.

At the conference Google Webmaster Outreach team will talk about a host of topics including How Search Works, Tips for better visibility of Indian language websites in Google Search, Best practices for mobile-friendly websites, Googles Search quality guidelines and many other important topics, said Google.

Google is also including a session from the Google AdSense team to elucidate their policies and share how to avoid mistakes while running AdSense on your sites. You can register for the conference in your city in the forum here . Registration for a city closes 10 days before the listed date.

Conference cities and dates Gurgaon on June 20 (Wednesday)

Pune on June 22 (Friday)

Indore on July 2 (Monday)

Patna on July 4 (Wednesday)

Lucknow on July 6 (Friday)

Hyderabad on July 16 (Monday)

Visakhapatnam on July 18 (Wednesday)

Kolkata on July 20 (Friday)

Coimbatore on July 30 (Monday)

Chennai on Aug 1 (Wednesday)

Bengaluru on Aug 3 (Friday) (women-only)

SourceEarly this month Nokia confirmed its plans to sell back its Digital Health business to Eric Carreel, co-founder and former chairman of Withings. Though rumors suggested that Googles Nest is looking to acquire Nokias Health Division, the company today announced it had closed the sale of its Digital Health business to Eric Carreel, co-founder and former chairman of Withings.

It should be noted that the licensing businesses of Nokia Technologies are not affected by the sale. Nokia acquired Withings back in 2016 for 170 million euros ($191 million) in cash. It is popular for its digital health products and services. Last year it re-branded Withings and launched Nokia trackers, scales, vital health devices and home products under its own brand.

Digital Healths business portfolio includes consumer and enterprise products. This sale is now part of Nokias honed focus on becoming a business-to-business and licensing company. However, the value of the deal has not been revealed.Area residents looking for helpful hints to prepare for hurricane season have a number of seminars from which to choose.

Among those to be offered in Cape Coral and North Fort Myers:

* City of Cape Coral

The city of Cape Corals annual Community Hurricane Seminar will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 7, in the Cape Coral Council Chambers. The seminar will be recorded and shown on the city website.

This year, the seminar will be held in conjunction with a mini-expo from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The Red Cross, Salvation Army, Cape Coral Building Department, West Coast Guard Auxiliary, CERT and Wink News will be among those in attendance. Speakers will include members from the Cape Coral Fire Department, Cape Coral Emergency Management, Cape Coral Police Department, Cape Coral Construction Industry, as well as two keynote speakers Volunteer Florida Emergency Management Director Ken Skalitzky and Dan Noah from National Weather Service Tampa.

Cape Coral City Hall is at 1015 Cultural Park Blvd.

* Lee County

Lee County Emergency Management will hold a hurricane seminar in Cape Coral at 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 26. The free and open-to -the public info session will be held in the large meeting room at the Cape Coral Lee County Public Library.

The seminars will include information how to prepare your family and home for hurricane season, how to use new hurricane-related technology and how Emergency Management responds to hurricanes and other disasters.

The Cape Coral Lee County Public Library at 921 S.W. 39th Terrace

Additional seminar dates and locations will be posted at www.leeeoc.com .

* North Fort Myers

The Shell Factory will hold a hurricane seminar on Tuesday, June 5, beginning at 10 a.m.

John Patrick, chief meteorologist with ABC-7, and representatives from the Red Cross and Lee County Emergency Management will be among those offering information at the event to be held in the Dolphin Room. Representatives from StormSmart, Fireservice, and Home Depot will also be there to add to the program and answer questions people may have.

Speakers will cover topics such as what a hurricane is, when to evacuate, flood damage and storm surge, shelters, how to prepare a hurricane kit, what happens after a hurricane, insurance needs, and how to find relief assistance.

Tuesdays program will provide an emphasis on preparation for the hurricane season and recovery procedures should Lee County experience another hurricane. Additional information will be provided by United Way, Project Hope, and Lee County Crime Prevention,

A representative of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Center will provide sign language.

Hurricane-related businesses will have table displays that feature hurricane preparedness items.

The program is free to the public. Parking is also free. Pre-registration is not required. Participants will be offered free Nature Park passes for the family and door prizes.

The Shell Factory is at 2787 N Tamiami Trail, North Fort Myers.

For more information, contact Chris Forbes at Christine@ShellFactory.com, or call 246-6364.General Motors self-driving car outfit, GM Cruise, just picked up a $2.25 billion investment from Japans SoftBank Vision Fund.

Softbank will receive a 19.6 percent stake in GM Cruise in exchange for the investment, which puts its market value at $11.5 billion, while General Motors will retain ownership of the rest of the LLC.

General Motors purchased San Francisco-based startup Cruise for a reported $1 billion in 2016 to help accelerate its own development of autonomous cars, and plans to invest an additional $1.1 billion into it.

GM Cruise has been testing Chevy Bolt-based cars equipped with the self-driving technology on public roads in some states. One was issued a moving violation in San Francisco in March for allegedly not yielding for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, but there was no contact between the car and the woman.

The company is working toward the launch of an autonomous ride-hailing service featuring Cruise-branded vehicles without steering wheels sometime in 2019. The cars will be built at the Orion Assembly plant in Michigan where the Bolt is currently manufactured.

General Motors stock was up over 10 percent in Thursday morning trading following the SoftBank news.The worlds deadliest race has claimed another life.

Motorcycle racer Dan Kneen was killed on Wednesday during qualifying for the Isle of Man TT, an event consisting of several races held on public roads on the independent British island in the Irish Sea.

The BMW rider died at the scene after crashing in the Churchtown section of the 37.7-mile course.

Kneen was the 147th competitor to lose his life in the 111-year history of the event, and the 256th rider to die on the course, which is set up for two events each year.

Three entrants died during the 2017 edition of the TT.

The Isle of Man is a self-governing crown dependency of the U.K. Considered a tax haven, it is famous for having no speed limits on many of its winding roads.

The 30-year-old Kneen lived on the island and finished third in the Superstock TT class last year. He was competing in the Superbike class this time around.

A second rider, Steve Mercer, was critically injured on Wednesday after colliding with a course vehicle.

The event is scheduled to run through June 8.

FOLLOW FOX NEWS AUTOS ON FACEBOOK FOR MOREDrake is financially supporting the former French porn star who claims the Toronto rapper is the father of her child, a new report says.

Drake has been paying money to Sophie Brussaux and alleged son Adonis since before the baby was born, TMZ reported Thursday.

The rumors surrounding Drakes potential child was ignited earlier this week when Pusha T released a diss track calling Drake a deadbeat father on the song The Story of Adidion.

Adonis is your son. And he deserves more than an Adidas press run, thats real. Love that baby, respect that girl. Forget shes a porn star, let her be your world, King Push raps.

Drake was first linked with Brussaux in January 2017, according to Page Six. Months later, she claimed that she was pregnant with Drakes child and was suing him for child support.

A representative for Drake had denied the claim.

This woman has a very questionable background. She has admitted to having multiple relationships. We understand she may have problems getting into the United States, the rep told TMZ. Shes one of many women claiming he got them pregnant. If it is in fact Drakes child, which he does not believe, he would do the right thing by the child.

Drake has yet to speak on the allegations that hes the childs father.

He only addressed the photo that Pusha T used as his cover art for his freestyle track.Meghan Markles father Thomas is debunking claims that he asked his famous daughter for money just weeks before she married Britains Prince Harry and became the Duchess of Sussex.

Tabloids insisted the 73-year-old reached out to the 36-year-old former Suits stars for money on at least two occasions earlier this month and Markle refused to help.

Thomas told TMZ Thursday the rumor is just plain bulls---. The former Hollywood lighting director said he has a decent retirement fund and doesnt need his daughters help for money.

Thomas added that if he did ever need financial assistance, he is certain Markle would come to the rescue.

Thomas also claimed money has never been a topic of discussion between the two and neither brings it up. Instead, hes been focusing on resting since his heart surgery and plans on going to his two-week follow-up checkup next week.

Just days before Markle walked down the aisle in front of millions, she announced her father wouldnt attend the royal wedding following his heart surgery.

Sadly, my father will not be attending our wedding, she said in a statement released by Kensington Palace. I have always cared for my father and hope he can be given the space he needs to focus on his health.

"I would like to thank everyone who has offered generous messages of support. Please know how much Harry and I look forward to sharing our special day with you on Saturday.

Kensington Palace then announced Markle would be walked down the aisle by Prince Charles, Harrys father.

Thomas' surgery followed days of press surrounding his health and speculation on whether or not hed attend the royal wedding.

He also stirred headlines when it was revealed he staged paparazzi photos that showed him preparing for the big day. His daughter, Markles half-sister Samantha Grant, claimed she had set up the paparazzi shoot.

Despite the scandal, Thomas told TMZ he was bursting with pride over his daughters televised marriage and was frustrated he couldnt be there due to his poor health.

The service was beautiful and its history, he said. I will always regret not being able to be there and not being able to hold my daughters hand.

"My baby girl is a duchess and I love her so much. When you watch your child get married, every thought goes through your mind, every memory from the first day she was born, the first time I held her.

Thomas shared he watched the ceremony from his bed while recuperating from surgery.

Now I pray that Harry and Meghan can go on a nice honeymoon and rest and relax, and all of my relatives will just shut up about everything, he said.

Fox News Leora Arnowitz contributed to this report.Comedian Melissa McCarthys upcoming R-rated movie co-starring fouled-mouthed Muppet-like characters draws a clear line between itself and Sesame Street, despite contrary claims by the makers of the educational childrens program, a judge ruled in New York Wednesday.

McCarthys The Happytime Murders may continue using its NO SESAME. ALL STREET tagline in promotions for the comedic crime flick because its intention was to differentiate itself from the childrens show starring Big Bird and Cookie Monster, U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick ruled.

"We fluffing love Sesame Street and we're obviously very pleased that the ruling reinforced what STX's intention was from the very beginning  to honor the heritage of The Jim Henson Company's previous award-winning creations while drawing a clear distinction between any Muppets or Sesame Street characters and the new world Brian Henson and team created," STX, the films distributor, said in statement.

The judge said that during oral arguments Sesame Workshop didnt demonstrate that moviegoers were confused or that sponsors or parents were complaining.

Sesame Workshop in a lawsuit filed last week accused STX of tarnishing their kids show brand by releasing a movie trailer featuring "explicit, profane, drug-using, misogynistic, violent, copulating and even ejaculating puppets" along with the tagline "NO SESAME. ALL STREET."

Lawyers for the popular childrens show appealed to the judge Wednesday, saying that McCarthys film was damaging to the Sesame Street brand similar to how the 1970s porn movie Debbie Does Dallas devastated the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, Page Six reported. The cheerleaders won a judgment against the film in that case.

The judge in Wednesdays proceedings thought differently before ruling in the movies favor.

Debbie Does Dallas was a pornographic movie, the judge said. Isnt there a difference here?

The Happytime Murders is a comedic crime movie where McCarthy plays a human detective who teams up with her former partner, a puppet, to solve grisly puppet murders.

Brian Henson, son of famed Sesame Street puppeteer Jim Henson, who created the Muppets, directed the raunchy movie, People reported. Daughter Lisa Henson executive-produced the film.

The elder Henson was known for creating characters like Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie and Big Bird  key features of "Sesame Street" since the show launched on public television in 1969.



Henson died in 1990 at age 53. The rights to the Muppets characters were acquired by Disney in 2004.

McCarthy and her puppet partner are set to hit the silver screen Aug. 17.

Fox News Amy Lieu and the Associated Press contributed to this report.Alicia Goranson, who played Roseanne Barrs daughter Becky in the recently canceled ABC sitcom Roseanne, was in disbelief after the network decided to axe the show over the stars racist comments on Twitter.

Goranson said she was devastated by the cancellation, according to Deadline.

Devastated by the cancellation of @RoseanneOnABC, she tweeted on her private account. But more devastating are the effects of hate speech and racism on individuals and society. Thank you for your support. And, in the spirit of our amazing crew, spread love not hate!

ABC pulled the plug on the show Tuesday following Barrs racist tweet likening former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett to a cross between the Muslim Brotherhood and a Planet of the Apes character.

ROSEANNE BARR SAYS SHE MAY FIGHT ABC FIRING, RETWEETS CLAIM MICHELLE OBAMA WAS BEHIND OUSTER

Barr continued tweeting Wednesday, at one point saying the offensive tweet was composed at 2 a.m. after she took the insomnia drug Ambien.

Late Wednesday, Barr tweeted: I just wish ABC had not thrown two of the greatest actors in the world out with me  Laurie [Metcalf] and John [Goodman]. I'm so sick over this  they will never have better character actors on their network.

Barr admitted that what she said was indefensible, but then retweeted several statements others made supporting her.

JOHN GOODMAN GIVES FIRST REACTION TO 'ROSEANNE' CANCELLATION

She apologized to those who had lost their jobs because of her action, including Goodman, but also condemned cast members who threw her under the bus, in her words.

Im not a racist, I never was & I never will be, she wrote Wednesday. One stupid joke in a lifetime of fighting 4 civil rights 4 all minorities, against networks, studios, at the expense of my nervous system/family/wealth will NEVER be taken from me.

Fox News Frank Miles and the Associated Press contributed to this report.Samantha Bee may have apologized for her vulgar insult about Ivanka Trump in her Wednesday monologue on Full Frontal, but many of her like-minded celebrity friends are standing by her side.

As previously reported, Bee opened her show with a monologue that capped off by showing a photo of Ivanka that had been lambasted by many critics last week showing her hugging her son. People felt the image was controversial given reports of the Office of Refugee Resettlement losing track of 1,500 immigrant children in the last three months of 2017.

Bee capped off her monologue by pleading with Ivanka to talk to her father about the situation and calling her a feckless c---.

The use of the expletive upset many fans, prompting an apology from Bee and TBS on social media the next day. However, the extreme backlash to the comments in the wake of ABCs decision to cancel Roseanne, over Roseanne Barr's racist tweet, prompted many of Bees celebrity colleagues to double down on her remarks.

Kathy Griffin was among the first to back Bee, first urging her not to apologize and then commenting on the situation after she did.

Please do not be hard on @iamsambee for apologizing. While I was hoping she wouldnt, I know first hand what its like being put through the Trump wood chipper..what shes going through right now is crazy. All for a bleeped word. Comics held to higher standards than the president, Griffin wrote.

Sally Field took to Twitter -- and slammed Ivanka Trump herself.

I like Samantha Bee a lot, but she is flat wrong to call Ivanka a c---, she said. C---s are powerful, beautiful, nurturing and honest.

Field's tweet generated plenty of reaction on its own. Even CNN political analyst and Playboy Magazine correspondent Brian J. Karem called it the best tweet of the day. CNN did not respond to Fox News' request for comment.

Comedian Billy Eichner chimed in as well.

Honestly I think Samantha Bee was being generous, he wrote.

Filmmaker Michael Moore also gave his thoughts on the matter, comparing the outrage to what Roseanne Barr experienced, even going as far as to post a video of the monologue, which TBS removed from its official channel.

Ha! The White House today, still not denouncing Roseannes racism, tries to confuse the issue by going after Samantha Bees brilliant rant against Ivanka last night, he wrote, calling her a truth-teller.

Love Simon star Natasha Rothwell shared similar thoughts on the two comments as well.

Equating expletives to racism suggests an ideology used to systematically subjugate people of color for hundreds of years is the same as a four letter word that the FCC finds indecent. If you dont see why that is dangerous you, too, are a feckless c---.

Feminist attorney Lisa Bloom shared her thoughts on the difference between the use of the word and Barrs racist comment.

OK, but a white woman (Roseanne) invoking slavery-era racism about a black woman is miles away from a woman using the "c" word to insult another woman. Neither comic was 'kidding,' really. Sam's point was true: Ivanka has not helped immigrant kids. Roseanne's was a flat out lie.

Actress Alyssa Milano noted that Barr previously used the same word to refer to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. She later retweeted a previously deleted tweet from Barr as proof with the caption, "Ah yes, here it is."

And Amber Tamblyn spoke out in Bee's defense as well.

Barr, however, tweeted a message about the comparisons in which she expressed regret for her remarks once again.

please don't compare me2 other people who have said horrible things. I only care about apologizing 4 the hurt I have unwittingly & stupidly caused. I humbly confess contrition & remorse. I failed2 correctly express myself, & caused pain2 ppl, she wrote.From child star to  hipster Brooklyn brewer? Its not a typical path, but it makes sense to former Disney Channel darling Dylan Sprouse.

Like acting, brewing is a creative medium that touches the audience very tangibly, Sprouse, who played Zack on the Disney Channels The Suite Life of Zack & Cody, tells The Post.

100-YEAR-OLD WOMAN SAYS GUINNESS IS THE KEY TO HER LONG LIFE

Today, the 25-year-old is a co-founder at Williamsburgs All-Wise Meadery, which specializes in making mead, aka honey wine. As Sprouse brews, he says, he leans on that same stuff I learned to do as an actor: to entertain, to play towards an audience.

Hes spent a long time honing those skills. The California kid, who moved to New York in 2011, has been acting since before he could walk. At 8 months old, he landed his first TV gig: a shared part with his identical twin Cole on ABCs Grace Under Fire. His career took off in 2005, when The Suite Life debuted; a spinoff series, The Suite Life on Deck, followed three years later.

Working from that young of an age is definitely a double-edged sword, Sprouse says. By seventh grade, his crazy schedule forced him to trade traditional schooling for a private tutor. And he certainly didnt have time for extracurriculars.

But when he was 16, he discovered one worth squeezing in. His father, who has what Sprouse calls a European mindset toward alcohol, gave him a home-brewing kit as a gift  and Sprouse was immediately hooked.

I dont think there was a moment from 17 years old up until now that I have not had [something] brewing in my home, he says. Mead was Sprouses first-ever boozy experiment, and it quickly became a favorite. Its relatively simple to put together, he says, and it even worked with his busy schedule: He could prep a batch in an hour and a half, leave it to ferment for two months and come back to try the results.

LAGER, ALE OR STOUT: WHAT TO USE WHEN A RECIPE CALLS FOR 'BEER'

Sprouses passion for mead-making stuck with him over the next several years, which brought a lot of changes for him and his twin. My brother and I were fried, quite frankly, Sprouse says. So from 2011 to 2015, the twins took a break from acting to attend NYU, where Sprouse studied video-game design, creative writing and figurative painting.

But brewing still had the strongest hold on him. So after graduating, he took a job at Kings County Distillery, a bourbon distillery in DUMBO. (His brother Cole returned to Hollywood to star on the CWs Riverdale.)

After learning the industry ropes, Sprouse decided to venture out on his own. In 2016, he teamed up with his college friend Matt Kwan and fellow Disney alum Doug Brochu (Sonny With a Chance) to form All-Wise Meadery, which launched in May.

The space includes a brewing facility and a bar that will open to the public this fall. Until then, Sprouses brews  such as All-Wise Oolong Mead, which is infused with oolong tea, and All-Wise Show Mead, which is dry and aged with oak  are available online at AllWiseMeadery.com. The first batch ships at the beginning of June.

Although Sprouse is totally committed to the meadery right now  I will be hands-on every day, he says  hes not ready to quit acting altogether. Ideally, he tells The Post, All-Wise Meadery will function as his main source of income, allowing him to take the less-well-paying indie-film roles that are more artistically in my ballpark. (His last role was in the 2017 horror film Dismissed, but he has several short films in production.)

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Whether or not his dreams pan out the way he pictures them, Sprouses mead-making is bringing him a sense of fulfillment. The things that you do are your prayer, he says. Having my friends and loved ones drink and talk and be merry is spiritual, to me.

This article originally appeared in the New York Post.Several more women have come forward with accusations against disgraced celebrity chef Mario Batali, and this time, its not just former co-workers or employees speaking out  its his fans.

A number of Batalis ex-admirers spoke to Eater, the online publication, about their experiences in meeting Batali at restaurant events or bars, describing such behaviors as forcible kissing, groping, asking them to accompany him to his hotel, and in one case, being a serial crotch grazer.

A few of the women also provided photos to Eater that reportedly depict the offending behaviors.

MARIO BATALI'S LAS VEGAS STRIP RESTAURANTS TO CLOSE

Sara Watson and Natali Tene, two self-described former fans of Batali, told Eater they ran into him at separate bars in 2016 and 2017, respectively, but the experiences they describe are strikingly similar.

Watson, 31, reportedly attended a charity event for the 2016 Link Stryjewski Foundation, which had been catered by Batali, and ended up seeing him at a bar after the dinner. She said she asked for a photo, but soon felt Batalis hands all over my butt, thighs, the whole vaginal area. He also licked her face and ear, and told her he wanted to perform oral sex on her, according to Watson.

I had never had anyone do something like that to me  it was appalling, he had no shame, Watson told Eater, adding that Batali was obviously drunk.

Tene, too, claimed Batali appeared to be drunk upon spotting him in a Boston bar. He called her over after she snapped a photo of him, she says, and insisted they take selfies. Tene, 28, claims he then proceeded to rub her breasts and butt, and try to kiss her before inviting her back to his hotel.

Tene tells Eater she ended the conversation as quickly as possible before leaving. I feel like what he did to me wasnt one drunken mistake; I feel like he was a predator, she said.

Another woman, 48-year-old Sharelle Klaus, said she met a seemingly drunk Batali at a restaurant in Aspen in 2012 and he suggested they pose a photo. He then stuck his hand down her pants, underneath her underwear, and groped her behind, she said.

In one moment you go from being really excited to meet this guy, whos like a hometown hero, to just disgust, Klaus told Eater.

BATALI'S RESTAURANT GROUP ENDING PARTNERSHIP WITH CHEF, BUT WON'T FINALIZE UNTIL JULY

A couple of former employees, too, shared their experiences with Eater, alleging that Batali had a habit of greeting his female staff members by pressing the back of his hand into their crotch, or sometimes just cupping it while they were talking.

We all knew he was sleazy. We dreaded when hed come in, because we knew hed keep everyone there late, drinking and doing what he does, said one employee who wished to remain anonymous.

Additional allegations described to Eater tell of Batalis behavior with more fans, one of whom said Batali tried to shove his tongue in her mouth at the 2017 Link Stryjewski Foundation.

Another woman said she was invited to join Batali for dinner on the third floor of NYCs The Spotted Pig restaurant  which has been described by former employees as the rape room, and where multiple other women say they were abused by Batali  and Batali cup her breast and refuse to stop until she pointed out that he was a married man.

These latest allegations against Batali come just over a week after another woman appeared on 60 Minutes and accused Batali of sexually abusing her also at The Spotted Pig restaurant, saying she woke up on the floor of the private third-floor dining area with broken bottles around her legs and what appeared to be semen on her skirt.

The NYPD announced an investigation into certain allegations against Batali shortly thereafter.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Batali first announced he would be stepping away from the day-to-day operations of his entire restaurant group in early December, following Eater's initial report. Additional accusations of inappropriate behavior surfaced in the following weeks, including accounts from a former Del Posto hostess who said Batali touched her breasts, and that of a former manager at The Spotted Pig who claimed to have seen Batali grope and kiss a woman who appeared unconscious.

In April, The New York Times further reported that Batali was actively exploring ideas for his future career. Following the latest allegations, Batali said in a statement that he is not attempting a professional comeback, but rather a personal path forward in which he can continue in [his] charitable endeavors.Two men fishing for catfish in Oklahoma over the weekend were in for a big surprise when they reeled in a massive alligator gar, instead.

Tim Butler and Canton Stafford, who were camping at Lake Texoma near McBride, had set out several rods in hopes of catching some catfish overnight.

SOUTHWEST FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING BECAUSE PASSENGER WAS ALLEGEDLY SMOKING POT

When Butler saw one of the lines getting a bite, he told local game wardens he fought hard to reel it in.

Tim said the huge fish stripped all his line from his reel twice before landing the monster. He fought the large fish, but said it would have been impossible to land the beast without the help of his buddy Canton! Oklahoma Game Wardens wrote in a Facebook post.

The unexpected catch was 6 feet 2 inches long, with a 30.5-inch girth.

Butler told the wardens the alligator gar would feed the whole camp for the rest of the weekend and then some.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

In 2015, the record was set when a fisherman caught an 8-foot alligator gar weighing 254 pounds out of the same lake, according to NewsOK.A British woman killed herself following an operation in which her ovaries were removed without her consent, according to a report.

Lucinda Methuen-Campbell of Wales, went under the knife in 2016, at Spire Bristol Hospital to mend a bowel disorder  but was later told by her surgeon her ovaries had been in the way and were taken out, the BBC reported.

The doc, Tony Dixon, has built up an international reputation for using mesh to fix bowel problems, but his surgery on Methuen-Campbell, left her with even more pain, her family said during an inquest Tuesday.

ONCOLOGY NURSE FORCED TO FUNDRAISE FOR TERMINAL CANCER TREATMENT SAYS IT'S WORKING

The pain continued to get worse and nobody seemed able to solve the problem, said her ex-partner, Philip Chatfield.

Mr. Dixon performed the operation in 2016 with the mesh but it was unsuccessful and caused her to be in agony, he said. She had a follow-up operation which made things even worse.

Methuen-Campbell, 58, was recently found dead after hanging herself in her attic in Swansea.

She left a note for her 19-year-old son that read, Im sorry Angus, I love you, best son ever.

The coroner, Aled Gruffydd, said that her operation had made her pain unbearable and that it had affected her mental health.

The pain she was in led to her taking her own life, he said.

JOGGER GORED BY 2,000-POUND BISON WHILE ON MORNING RUN

Her son, Angus, said after the inquest that his mom had been very upset that her ovaries had been removed  in addition to being in a tremendous amount of pain.

The possibility that her ovaries would be removed was never even brought up before the operation.

He said he thought hed done me a favor, she recalled the doctor saying in an interview with the BBC before her death. And he said, I thought, you know, a woman of your age wouldnt really need her ovaries.

The surgeon is now suspended from two hospitals in Bristol and is under investigation by the National Health Service for his mesh procedures.

This article first appeared on NYPost.com.By J. Keeler Johnson ("Keelerman") Twitter: @J_Keelerman



With a little more than a week remaining until Justify seeks Triple Crown glory in the Belmont Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park, I thought now might be a good time to examine the potential pace of the race and how it might affect the outcome.

Three years ago, when American Pharoah was bidding for the Triple Crown, I wrote an article detailing how the three-quarter mile and one-mile fractions could be instrumental in determining whether American Pharoah's quest would end in victory. As it turned out, the essence of my analysis was correctAmerican Pharoah was able to secure a clear lead while setting more modest fractions than those faced by the likes of previous Triple Crown hopefuls Smarty Jones and California Chrome, and the result was an easy victory.

Now we're left to ponder whether the unbeaten Justify can secure the same ideal setup as American Pharoah, or whether he'll face increased pace pressure that could result in an upset. Will Justify get away with six furlongs in ~1:13 2/5 and a mile in ~1:38, leaving him with enough in the tank to sweep the Triple Crown? Or will the pace intensify during the second half-mile, putting him at risk of defeat?

A glance through the prospective list of starters for the Belmont Stakes reveals that a slow pace is certainly a possibility. As of May 30th, the Daily Racing Form lists twelve horses as possible for the Belmont Stakes, and several have shown no particular inclination or ability to race on or near the pace. That group includes three European contenderBandua, Gronkowski, and Seahengeas well as last year's Breeders' Futurity (gr. I) winner Free Drop Billy, the recent Peter Pan Stakes (gr. III) winner Blended Citizen, and the Florida Derby (gr. I) runner-up Hofburg. The latter three colts have never been closer than third place at the first call in any of their races. Vino Rosso has shown a little more speed in his career, but overall has been more of a mid-pack closer, a running style he employed with success in the Wood Memorial Stakes (gr. II).

Two other potential starters have shown the ability to race close to the lead on occasion. Bravazo won the Risen Star Stakes (gr. II) after pushing the pace in second place for much of the race, while Tenfold broke his maiden in gate-to-wire fashion at Oaklawn Park. But overall, Bravazo and Tenfold have seemed more effective when rallying from a few lengths off the pace, as they did when finishing second and third behind Justify in the Preakness Stakes (gr. I).

So who does that leave to challenge Justify for early supremacy in the Belmont Stakes? The most likely candidate might actually be Justify's stablemate Restoring Hope. The son of Giant's Causeway vied for the early lead when breaking his maiden at Santa Anita in February and ran an even race when third at every call in the Wood Memorial (gr. II). He failed to flash his typical speed when finishing twelfth in the Pat Day Mile Stakes (gr. III) last time out, but that race was contested over a sloppy, sealed track and Restoring Hope never threatened, so he might not have cared for the going.

Trainer Bob Baffert has stated that Restoring Hope could serve as a pacemaker for Justify in the Belmont Stakes, giving the Derby/Preakness winner a target to chase while simultaneously giving Restoring Hope a front-running trip that should suit his grinding style and give him his best chance at victory. Having Restoring Hope carve out a modest pace on the front end could be a perfect scenario for Justify, who seems to be at his best when allowed to track another runner through the early stages of his races.

The wildcard in this scenario, and the horse that could have the biggest impact on the pace, is Noble Indy. The speedy son of Take Charge Indy was no match for Justify when finishing seventeenth in the Kentucky Derby, but the combination of a blazing pace, a sloppy track, and a wide trip surely hurt his chances. Previously, Noble Indy had tracked a fast pace while winning the Louisiana Derby (gr. II), and he also broke his maiden in gate-to-wire fashion sprinting seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park.

Noble Indy has the speed to set or push the pace in the Belmont Stakes, and if he applies pressure to Justify during the second half-mile, he could potentially make things tricky for the Triple Crown aspirant. But the question is thiswill Noble Indy use his speed? Noble Indy is owned in partnership by WinStar Farm (the majority owner of Justify) and Repole Stable (who owns a share of Vino Rosso), which could make things tricky from a tactical perspective. If Noble Indy goes out fast, it could benefit Vino Rosso while putting Justify at a disadvantage; if Noble Indy takes back, he won't be doing Vino Rosso any favors while conceding the advantage to Justify.

The way I see it, this actually leaves the strategy for Noble Indy relatively clear. Three of his four best efforts, including his Louisiana Derby victory, came when Noble Indy tracked the pace, so unless he draws an inside post and is forced to commit to the lead, I expect to see Noble Indy settle close to the pace in the Belmont Stakes without getting aggressive in battling for the lead. This strategy would be in line with Noble Indy's established running style and could give him every chance to win or hit the board without particularly compromising either of his stablemates.

In essence, my feeling is that the pace of the 2018 Belmont Stakes could be more contested than in 2015, when American Pharoah assumed a clear lead and never looked back. But while this might be the case, I don't believe that the pace fractions themselves will be especially fast (perhaps six furlongs in ~1:13 and a mile in ~1:37 4/5) giving Justify every chance to win the Triple Crown if he is good enough.

How do you think the pace of the Belmont Stakes will unfold?

*****

Want to test your handicapping skills against fellow Unlocking Winners readers? Check out the Unlocking Winners contests pagethere's a new challenge every week!

*****

J. Keeler Johnson (also known as "Keelerman") is a writer, blogger, videographer, handicapper, and all-around horse racing enthusiast. A great fan of racing history, he considers Dr. Fager to be the greatest racehorse ever produced in America, but counts Zenyatta as his all-time favorite. He is the founder of the horse racing website www.theturfboard.com.Army Specialist Chris Harris was killed in a suicide-bombing attack in Afghanistan only weeks after his wife learned she was pregnant, but his widow and his fellow soldiers are keeping his legacy alive in a new photo shoot with Harris two-month-old baby girl.

Chris widow, Britt Harris, along with the soldiers who served alongside him gathered on May 29 for a touching photo shoot with the couples newborn daughter, Christian Michelle Harris, who was born on March 17.

BABY POSES IN LATE FATHER'S MILITARY UNIFORM IN EMOTIONAL PHOTOS

Surrounded by her fathers friends, Christian was photographed wearing her fathers dog tags and holding an American flag, all while wearing a shirt reading My Daddys my hero.

"Knowing that we could come home to a baby girl, that was awesome," Sgt. Nathan Arthur Bagley told WTVD of visiting Christian upon returning from duty. "When everyone came home, that was the day she was born so that made it 10 times better."

"It's refreshing to see those blue eyes again," Britt added of seeing Chris' in their newborn.

Earlier this year, Britt also shared emotional photos from Christians first photo shoot, including pictures her baby sleeping next to a photograph of her father, and another in which she was wrapped up in his uniform.

WALMART EMPLOYEE WOWS SHOPPERS WITH NATIONAL ANTHEM PERFORMANCE

"I wanted to capture as much of Chris' spirit as I could. He was extremely devoted to the Army and his country, the 26-year-old told Today in April. I thought nothing could be more fitting for her photos and [it would be] something she can look back on with pride."

Chris fellow soldiers, too, have been excited for the arrival of Christian after her father was killed by an IED in August at age 25.

In October, his unit gathered together to help Britt celebrate the babys gender reveal in a video that soon went viral on Facebook. (Warning: Video contains explicit language.)

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

"Chris is an only child. They were his family," Britt told ABC News at the time.

"Everyone that Ive met, before Chris passed and after, if theyre in the military, theyve treated me like actual family, or royalty, actually."NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

Mere minutes before Sam Blackledge should have given his valedictory address in front of his loved ones and classmates May 19, the principal of West Prairie High School in Sciota, Illinois took him aside.

Blackledge, 18, was presented with a terrible choice: censor his speech, removing any religious references, or don't speak at his own graduation. Blackledge earned the right to speak to his classmates as valedictorian. He believes this achievement  his 4.0 GPA  would not have been possible without his faith.

The student told Fox News that he was specifically barred from mentioning Jesus Christ in his speech because the principal told me it wasnt appropriate for the setting.

The most important thing in my life is Christ, Blackledge told Fox News. Christ is the only reason I was a valedictorian. Hes the reason I got that 4.0. If it wasnt for him I wouldnt be up there. I was giving him the credit for that.

What is so dangerous about a young man having the humility to acknowledge that his success would not have been possible without his faith that he must be kept from the podium?

The young man should have been congratulated for his academic achievements and his speech, with themes of the triumph of justice, love, and forgiveness over evil. Instead, on what was supposed to be a joyous day for Blackledge and his family, misunderstanding and fear triumphed over love and freedom.

That school officials would censor Blackledges speech and deny him the freedom to share this essential part of his identity with his loved ones and classmates is inexcusable.

How many more high school graduations must be ruined by school officials who, by misunderstanding or intentional act, deny their pupils their constitutional rights to freedom of expression from the schoolhouse gates all the way through the graduation ceremony?

What is so dangerous about a young man having the humility to acknowledge that his success would not have been possible without his faith that he must be kept from the podium?

Why is this reference to his religious identity treated any differently than another student crediting a family member for his achievements?

School officials have us believe that humility is apparently offensive on the one hand and on the other it is virtuous.

No one thinks that a school owns the content of private speech by a valedictorian just because it occurs on school property. But even if someone thought such a misunderstanding could occur, school officials could have clarified the matter, as the U.S. Department of Education suggests, by making appropriate, neutral disclaimers to clarify that such speech (whether religious or nonreligious) is the speakers and not the schools.

Judge Frank Easterbrook writing for the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in the 1993 decision of Hedges v. Wauconda Community Unit School District, explained that, rather than censor religious speech, it is far better for schools to educate the audience rather than squelch the speaker.

The judge explained in the decision that if a school district cannot teach the difference between providing a forum for private speech and school-sponsored speech, it is doubtful that the school is capable of teaching anything at all.

Its unfortunate that Blackledges school did not heed Judge Easterbrooks important instruction: Schools may not prohibit their pupils from expressing ideas. And no arm of government may discriminate against religious speech when speech on other subjects is permitted in the same place at the same time.

First Liberty Institute, which represents Sam Blackledge, is working to ensure future valedictorians arent denied their freedom. Weve asked the school to apologize to him for ruining his only high school graduation. In addition, weve offered to meet with school officials to help them craft policies that will ensure what happened to Blackledge doesnt happen to anyone else.

When all religious speech is censored then the purpose of education  and the First Amendment  is frustrated. Not only is the speaker deprived of his or her right to free expression enshrined in our Constitution by the founders as the very first liberty protected, but others are robbed of the benefit of hearing a meaningful message.

The founders enshrined religious freedom and free speech in the First Amendment because they believed that we grow from hearing perspectives we may not share and sharing our beliefs with others.

Ours is a nation founded by a people persecuted for their humility in acknowledging that their success would not have been possible without something greater than themselves.

We can hardly expect our high school graduates to fight for our country, to defend our values abroad, or to choose the next leaders of our nation when we censor viewpoints that school officials might not agree with up to, and including, the day they graduate.

Its too late for Sam Blackledge, but there will be more valedictorians in the future. Perhaps Blackledges lasting legacy will be that his is the last speech to be unconstitutionally censored by school officials who wrongly believe, as Judge Easterbrook put it, that the best defense against misunderstanding is censorship.

Neal Mehrotra is a student at The George Washington University Law School and legal intern at First Liberty.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

This past weekend, President Donald Trump and the most visible member of his legal team, former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, fired up their campaign against special counsel Robert Mueller. They attacked people at the Department of Justice whom Trump appointed. They smeared career DOJ lawyers and FBI agents by offering allegations without showing any supporting evidence. And they purported to challenge the legitimacy of Mueller's office itself.

The legitimacy question is an opinion Giuliani offered six times to my colleague Bill Hemmer on "Fox News Sunday." Surely, Giuliani is entitled to any opinion on any matter, but he must know that his illegitimacy opinion is baseless. Mueller's work, though a constant irritant to Trump, is quite legitimate. It is authorized by the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, which were approved by Congress. It was created by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, a Trump appointee. It has been ratified by six different federal judges.

The president himself has even accepted the legitimacy of some of Mueller's work. Trump unilaterally imposed financial sanctions on the Russian intelligence agents whom one of Mueller's grand juries indicted for computer hacking and other crimes allegedly committed during the 2016 election.

The recent claim by Trump and Giuliani that the investigatory process is rigged against Trump betrays insincerity by Giuliani and an effort to gin up the base by Trump. From his years as a federal prosecutor, Giuliani knows the prosecutorial mindset. It is not one of patiently examining law and facts to ascertain guilt or innocence. That is the judicial mindset.

Prosecutors target folks they believe are guilty and then look for enough lawfully acquired evidence to prove guilt. That is a legitimate use of government assets -- a use geared to charging defendants, not evaluating their moral worth for high office.

One of the tools available to prosecutors -- and often used in white-collar cases -- is to dispatch a friendly person to chat with those at the periphery of an investigation to see whether any spoken words can lead prosecutors to credible evidence. This process of using an informant to gather evidence is so stunningly normal that it ought not even be of note. That's often how criminal investigations of nonviolent crimes begin -- with conversations between intermediaries who spill the beans.

One of the most successful practitioners of this technique was a U.S. attorney in Manhattan named Rudy Giuliani. Today, as the spokesman for Trump's defense team, Giuliani is condemning this process he once perfected -- a process he knows to be lawful -- and he is doing this by calling the intermediary not an informant but a spy. Calling an informant a spy depends on where you sit. When he is your guy, he's an informant. When he is the other side's guy, he's a spy.

The Giuliani claim -- unsupported by any public evidence -- is that the Obama administration sent an unnamed FBI undercover agent to inveigle the inner circle of the Trump campaign. If this is true and if it was done without a search warrant, it was a monumental violation of the civil rights of Trump campaign officials, including those of the man who would become the president. But Giuliani has shown no evidence for this.

How did we get here?

All of this spying and informing -- this mishmash of law enforcement and intelligence gathering -- is today the byproduct of the federal government's post-9/11 mentality. Before 9/11, the CIA gathered intelligence from outside the U.S., and the National Security Agency gathered intelligence from inside the U.S. The FBI constitutionally, for the most part, gathered evidence of crimes.

Pre-9/11, the intelligence community and the law enforcement community were prohibited from communicating with each other, for well-grounded historical and practical reasons. Because the intelligence community uses unconstitutional and often unlawful means to acquire data and because law enforcement must use constitutional and lawful means to acquire evidence for a court not to suppress it, they did not exchange notes.

But pursuant to the commands of the wildly unconstitutional Patriot Act (six federal judges have held portions of it unconstitutional), the intelligence community and law enforcement began blending their work.

FBI agents soon realized that by portraying their work as intelligence gathering and not emphasizing the law enforcement aspects, they could go to a different court -- the FISA court, with its unconstitutionally low bar for obtaining a search warrant (namely, probable cause of speaking to a foreign person) -- to get search warrants. This proved far easier than obtaining a constitutional search warrant, which requires probable cause of a crime. An easier warrant means less work. That was a temptation too great to resist.

The intelligence community soon realized it could share with law enforcement what it found by spying on Americans, in return for law enforcement's looking the other way at the lawlessness of domestic spying. All of this produced a cowboy culture of utter disregard for constitutional norms in much of federal law enforcement and domestic intelligence gathering.

This is a form of corruption -- the knowing governmental violation of constitutional norms and the intentional toleration of it, set below the radar.

Now back to Trump and Giuliani. If they are successful, they will have assaulted the rule of law by persuading the public to accept innuendo and known untruths. I am often on the side of the individual against the government, but if legitimate law enforcement has been or is undermined for political purposes, whether by President Barack Obama in 2016 or by President Trump in 2018, all of us will suffer from more corruption.

Giuliani's job is not to be Trump's lawyer; rather, it is to effect public sentiment. For the government, as Abraham Lincoln once said, with public sentiment, nothing can fail; without it, nothing can succeed. Trump and Giuliani understand that better than they understand the rule of law.NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles!

In her show Full Frontal on TBS Wednesday, Trump-hating left-wing comedian Samantha Bee used an obscene and sexist term in a disgusting attack on President Trumps daughter and adviser Ivanka, calling her a feckless c---.

This comes on the heels of ABC cancelling the hit show Roseanne this week after Roseanne Barr tweeted out a disgusting racist rant about Valerie Jarrett, an African-American woman who served as senior White House aide to former President Obama.

While no one at TBS is talking about Bee losing her job, she got enough criticism to prompt her to back down Thursday afternoon, tweeting: I would like to sincerely apologize to Ivanka Trump and my viewers for using an expletive on my show to describe her last night. It was inappropriate and inexcusable. I crossed a line, and I deeply regret it.

Lets be clear: There is absolutely no excuse for Barrs racism. But in exactly the same way, there is absolutely no excuse for Bees sexist tirade against Ivanka Trump. Just because shes a woman, Bee shouldnt get a pass on using a term that has long been used to demean and insult women, characterizing us as stupid sex objects.

"If Bee had directed such vulgar insults at the female members of the Obama family Id condemn them as well. Every woman  and man, for that matter  should. But why is it perfectly OK to throw the same insult at Ivanka Trump?"

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders called on TBS and Time Warner (the parent company of TBS as well as CNN) on Thursday to take action, saying: The language used by Samantha Bee last night is vile and vicious. The collective silence by the left and its media allies is appalling.

Sanders added of Bee: Her disgusting comments and show are not fit for broadcast, and executives at Time Warner and TBS must demonstrate that such explicit profanity about female members of this administration will not be condoned on its network.

What prompted Bees vulgar attack? Ivanka Trump had tweeted out a photo of herself with her young son. As if no mother had ever proudly shared a photo of her beloved child with others.

Bee said on her show: You know, Ivanka, thats a beautiful photo of you and your child, but let me just say, one mother to another, do something about your dads immigration practices, you feckless c---! Only Bee used the full word.

And then, to pile on even more vulgarity, Bee said, addressing Ivanka: He (the president) listens to you! Put on something tight and low cut and tell your father to f------ stop it. And she used the full obscene word, uncensored, here as well.

This was another convenient opportunity for Bee to attack the current law thats made headlines recently allowing immigrant kids brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents to be separated from their parents at the border.

I dont recall Bees outrage at the law when President Obama was in office, nor do I recall her making obscene sexist comments about Michelle Obama or the two Obama daughters at the time.

If Bee had directed such vulgar insults at the female members of the Obama family Id condemn them as well. Every woman  and man, for that matter  should. But why is it perfectly OK to throw the same insult at Ivanka Trump?

Nor did Bee have any harsh words for the last administration when Democrats mistakenly tweeted out photos of children being kept in cages at the border, thinking they were current photos, only to realize they were from President Obamas time in office.

However, when Bee saw an opportunity she gladly took the chance to go after Ivanka Trump over a sweet mother and son moment captured on camera, proving there is no gutter too filthy for her to venture into.

What a difference in how Roseanne Barr  a supporter of President Trump  was treated for an inexcusable racist insult directed at another woman.

It took ABC only hours to make the call to cancel Barrs hit show after she tweeted about Valerie Jarrett, using Jarretts initials: muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.

So why is there is no indication from TBS now that Samantha Bees job is in jeopardy?

While not firing Bee, TBS issued a statement after her apology Thursday saying: Samantha Bee has taken the right action in apologizing for the vile and inappropriate language she used about Ivanka Trump last night. Those words should not have been aired. It was our mistake too, and we regret it.

Barrs tweet triggered outrage  as it should have  but there was less outrage to be heard about Bee's use of the vile, most disgusting word you can use to describe a woman, by someone who would describe herself as a feminist. Why?

Where are all the voices of so-called female empowerment coming to Ivankas defense? Will the ladies on The View call out Bee for her vulgarity and defend Ivanka? Imagine their outrage if one of them had been called a feckless c--- on national television.

Will we see House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., condemn Bees use of filthy language against another woman? Will the Hollywood feminists whove fed us a nearly daily dose of their resist movement, resist Bee and call on TBS to cancel Full Frontal?

If you have to think about that, then you havent been paying attention. This is a new day and there are new rules we supposedly have to play by, and none of them have anything to do with doing the right thing.

If youre an anti-Trump zealot, youre almost always guaranteed freedom of consequences for your speech. No matter how vile, filthy or disgusting. Sexism is perfectly fine, as long as the target is a Republican woman.

Its doubtful that Time Warner and TBS will fire Bee and send the same message that was sent by the industry when Barr was fired.

The double standard in this game of how low can you go is alarming. The silence on the left is deafening.North Korea's longtime spy chief and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had dinner together in New York City on Wednesday night as the rogue nation's shadowy official tries to salvage a potential summit between the two countries' leaders.

Kim Yong Chol, Kim's infamous right-hand man and a vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party, met with Pompeo after he arrived at JFK International Airport around 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The North Korean is the highest-ranking official from the communist nation to visit the U.S. since 2000.

Kim and Pompeo sat together for more than an hour, and planned a "day full of meetings" for Thursday, the White House said.

The secretary of state tweeted the two had a "good working dinner" that featured "Steak, corn, and cheese on the menu."

Trump tweeted Tuesday about Kim's impending visit, which comes ahead of a possible June 12 summit between the North and the U.S. "We have put a great team together for our talks with North Korea," Trump wrote. "Meetings are currently taking place concerning Summit, and more."

KIM'S GULAGS: NORTH KOREA HOLDING UP TO 120,000 POLITICAL PRISONERS, STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT SAYS

Kim, believed to be 72, and Pompeo's talks will largely focus on rescheduling the summit, which Trump canceled last week following hostile rhetoric from the North.

Pompeo on Wednesday tweeted that he was "Looking forward to meeting with" Kim to discuss a possible summit, and noted the State Department is "committed to the complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Fox News' Katherine Lam and The Associated Press contributed to this report.U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is reportedly considering another presidential bid, and some Vermonters wonder if that means the high-profile candidate will again miss key Senate votes while on the campaign trail.

On Tuesday, Sanders adviser and former campaign manager Jeff Weaver told C-SPAN that Sanders "is considering another run for the presidency.

In 2016, when his last bid for the White House was in full swing, Sanders missed a whopping 115 of 163 roll-call votes in the Senate, according to an analysis by Vermont's Seven Days newspaper.

That figure, which amounts to more than 70 percent of votes called, was higher than any of Sanders' fellow senators in that period.

And from 2014 and 2017, the total number of bills introduced by Sanders reportedly plummeted from 69 to just 18, suggesting a lack of engagement in Senate work while out campaigning.

Sanders' attendance record has mostly returned to normal since campaign season ended, and other senators who have run for president -- such as Republican Ted Cruz of Texas -- have also missed significantly more votes during their campaigns.

"The job as a senator is to represent ... the people of your state."  Bernie Sanders Senate challenger Brad Peacock

But Brad Peacock, a farmer who is challenging Sanders this fall, said the issue will be especially important in 2020 given Democrats' fierce opposition to Republicans in Washington.

SANDERS: DEMOCRATS' 'BUSINESS MODEL' IS A FAILURE

"This next presidential election is going to be a defining moment in our country's history, so I want someone that is completely focused on that," Peacock told Vermont's Seven Days. "And the job as a senator is to represent ... the people of your state."

A poll earlier this month showed that voters in New Hampshire, a key presidential bellwether that once strongly supported Sanders, may have cooled on the Vermont senator.

The survey, conducted by Suffolk University, had Sanders trailing U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., by 13 points and former Vice President Joe Biden by 7 points. Sanders was ahead of other Democratic upstarts, including U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California.

However, Sanders' relative absenteeism in the Senate in 2016 doesn't appear to have bothered his constituency.

An April poll conducted by Morning Consult pegged Sanders' favorability among in-state residents at 72 percent, higher than any other senator.

"It is amazing how many votes @SenSanders missed in 2016, but so far Vermonters don't seem to mind," tweeted Middlebury political science professor Matthew Dickinson.

Dickinson also noted that in announcing his re-election bid for the Senate this month, Sanders emphasized "national themes" while making a fundraising pitch.

"Reminder that congressional elections are increasingly nationalized," Dickinson tweeted.Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos awarded a $1 million Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant to the Texas school district affected by the May 18 shooting at Santa Fe High. The money is to aid in the healing and recovery process.

No student, parent or educator should have to experience the trauma suffered by so many at Santa Fe High School and other schools throughout the country, said DeVos, according to KTRK. Every day, the work of the Federal Commission on School Safety grows more urgent. We continue to focus on identifying proven ways to prevent violence and keep our students safe at school.

President Trump created a commission to review ways to make schools safer, naming DeVos to chair it. The panel on Thursday made its first field trip, to a Baltimore-area elementary school.

The Texas school shooting left eight students and two substitute teachers dead. Student Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, faces capital murder charges in the attack. Investigators say he carried out the massacre with a shotgun and a pistol that belonged to his father.

This a crucial first step in federal funding to help the Santa Fe High School community recover, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said in a statement. I applaud Secretary DeVos for expediting this grant, and will continue to work to ensure Santa Fe High School receives the assistance it needs. I also remain committed to working with the governor, the administration and my congressional colleagues to put an end to these violent crimes and protect our students.

Gov. Greg Abbott recently unveiled plans to offer $120 million in funding to help strengthen school security across Texas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Hilda Brucker went down to the municipal court in October 2016 after receiving a phone call. She hadnt received a formal summons or known of any wrongdoing; instead, she thought she needed to clear a ticket.

But when she arrived at the Doraville, Georgia, courthouse, Brucker said she was placed before a judge and prosecutor who accused her of violating city code -- because of cracks in her driveway.

She was fined $100 and sentenced to six months criminal probation, even though this was the first time she was made aware her driveway was considered a problem.

Eventually the charges were dropped, but Brucker said Doraville went too far in going after her for the driveways appearance.

It was just absolutely horrifying for someone like me who never even had a detention in high school, Brucker told Fox News on Wednesday.

Brucker is part of an Institute for Justice (IJ) lawsuit against Doraville, a town of about 10,000 people just northeast of Atlanta. The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of Doraville using its law enforcement and municipal court system for revenue generation.

The suit takes aim at the government's rampant fines over seemingly minor code infractions. About 25 percent of Doravilles operating budget is reliant on fees and fines, according to IJ, a nonprofit law firm. From August 2016 to August 2017, it raked in about $3.8 million in fines, according to IJ's lawsuit.

Its unconstitutional because it creates a financial incentive for the city government  to ticket people, Josh House, an IJ attorney on the case, told Fox News. He said people in the town were being punished for the condition of their property by having to fund the Doraville city government.

The lawsuit also contends that "prosecutors and law enforcement have a financial interest in convicting the defendant," as they have an "incentive" to ticket and prosecute because they are paid from Doraville's revenue.

Brucker isnt the only Doraville citizen to fall victim to its fees. Jeff Thornton, a neighbor, was fined $1,000 and threatened with an arrest warrant because he had a disorganized pile of wood in his backyard, according to IJ. Thornton told the nonprofit that he used the wood for cooking or building birdhouses.

CITYS NITPICKY FINES FOR TREE STUMPS, BLINDS TRIGGER CIVIL RIGHTS LAWSUIT

The fine and charges against Thornton were also eventually dropped. But, the lawsuit said, he "lives under the threat of being ticketed again by Doraville code enforcement and law enforcement and convicted by Doraville's municipal court personnel."

Aside from residents, drivers passing through Doraville -- many on their way to or from Atlanta -- have also faced excessive ticketing, according to IJ. Janice Craig was given a $215 ticket for holding up traffic when she attempted to switch lanes while driving through town.

A 2014 Atlanta Journal-Constitution report called Doraville one of the "most aggressive police forces" in Georgia when it comes to traffic tickets. The newspaper reported the city collects more fines per capita than anywhere else in the metro Atlanta area.

Every city is unique, Shawn Gillen, then the city manager, told the Journal-Constitution. Its probably very difficult to do comparisons. But we feel our level of traffic enforcement is extremely reasonable relative to the traffic counts that we have.

A spokesperson for Doraville did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.

Am I going to cross the border into this town and be subject to a rapacious law enforcement? Is driving through Doraville something I can afford today?  Institute for Justice Attorney Josh House

Doravilles policies place a huge burden on not only the homeowners but those who are in the area driving and have to think about, Am I going to cross the border into this town and be subject to a rapacious law enforcement? House said. Is driving through Doraville something I can afford today?

Doraville ranks sixth in the nation for the amount of revenue it brings in from fines and fees as a proportion of its total revenue, according to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. That study also said, as of 2012, the median income was $43,311 and more than 30 percent of the population lived in poverty.

Brucker, a freelance writer, said most of the citizens in the town are working-class or single women, such as herself.

House said he hopes the town of Doraville will change its policy, but said a lawsuit may be necessary for that to happen.

BIKINI BARISTAS HIT WITH COURT BRIEF DEMANDING THEY COVER UP

I didnt want it to happen to me again, and I didnt want it to happen to anyone else either, Brucker said of the lawsuit.

Aside from her driveway, Brucker also said the prosecutor tried to nail her for some chipped paint near a water drain on her house and a small patch of what appeared to be weeds in her yard. The prosecutor brought photos of the supposed neglect to her house to the judge, but those complaints were dismissed, she said.

In a video for IJ, Brucker called the actions taken against her "ridiculous and ludicrous."

"No one ever asked me to fix the driveway. This is a very old driveway," she said. "Who does that?"

Nearly two years after she was brought before a judge for the condition of her driveway, Brucker said it remains unchanged.Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani is setting red lines for Robert Mueller in talks over a possible interview between the president and special counsel, telling Fox News on Thursday they want access to everything on the FBIs informant during the 2016 campaign as well as the scope memo setting the terms of the Russia probe.

Giuliani, the former New York City mayor, previously has said they wont grant an interview with President Trump unless the legal team gets access to all files regarding the informant, who was in contact with at least three members of the Trump campaign.

But Giuliani told Fox News on Thursday that Mueller will have to meet two conditions for an interview to take place: Provide access to the spygate files as well as the memo penned by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein outlining Muellers authority in the special counsel probe.

Republicans on Capitol Hill for months have sought the full version of that memo, though a redacted version was made public. Muellers team also has given a copy to the federal judge overseeing the case against former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

GIULIANI SAYS HE'S COUNSELED TRUMP AGAINST FIRING SESSIONS

Asked by Fox News if those two conditions are red lines, Giuliani said they definitely are.

Giuliani also pushed back on reports that the legal team is doing prep sessions at the White House for a possible Trump interview with Muellers team. He said the legal team, rather, has been discussing with Trump the ground rules for a possible interview as well as daily developments pertaining to the case.

Giuliani, though, said they will likely conduct some prep sessions with Trump, even if they decide against an interview -- because the legal team will have to write a report in response to Muellers findings, and they want to make sure they have a detailed account from the president.

Meanwhile, Giuliani took issue with recent comments on Fox News by Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy.

Earlier this week, the House oversight committee chairman argued that the FBI acted properly in its use of an informant to root out possible Russian meddling in the 2016 race.

I am even more convinced that the FBI did exactly what my fellow citizens would want them to do when they got the information they got, Gowdy said on The Story with Martha MacCallum on Tuesday, adding that the move had nothing to do with Donald Trump.

Giuliani voiced skepticism at those remarks.

How could there not have been spying? Giuliani asked, while questioning whether Gowdy saw all the documents related to the informant. Gowdy was part of a high-level briefing last week with DOJ and FBI officials regarding the informant.

Giuliani, speaking with Fox News on Thursday, also voiced concern about his clients resumption of criticism against Attorney General Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the Russia probe.

Trump took to Twitter on Wednesday to say he wishes he had named another attorney general.

Giuliani said he wasnt happy that Trump was going after Sessions again, expressing concern that the move could take focus away from the scrutiny on FBI conduct in 2016 and other issues.President Trump announced in July he has given full pardons to Dwight and Steven Hammond.

The two Oregon cattle ranchers were initially convicted in 2012 of intentionally and maliciously setting fires to public lands. After a federal judge gave the father and son duo a more lenient sentence, the prosecution successfully appealed, meaning they were resentenced in 2015.

The resentencing led to the protests and standoff led by Ammon Bundy, who occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near the Hammond ranch in 2016.

Including the Hammonds, Trump has pardoned seven people since taking office in 2017.

Read on for a look at what presidential pardons are, and why the president has the authority to issue them.

What is a presidential pardon?

A pardon is seen as a sign of forgiveness, not necessarily evidence that a person is innocent, according to the Department of Justice.

A presidential pardon is ordinarily a sign of forgiveness and is granted in recognition of the applicants acceptance of responsibility for the crime and established good conduct for a significant period of time after conviction or release from confinement, the Justice Department states. A pardon is not a sign of vindication and does not connote or establish innocence.

For that reason, when considering the merits of a pardon petition, pardon officials take into account the petitioners acceptance of responsibility, remorse and atonement for the offense.

If pardoned, people must still disclose the past conviction when required but can also disclose a pardon has been granted. A pardon will restore some of a persons rights, but not those that are dictated by the state, such as the ability to hold public office or vote.

Who grants the president the authority?

The president shall have the Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment, according to Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution.

This power  which only the president has  applies to federal crimes, not state offenses, according to the Justice Department. The pardoning power does cover Washington, D.C., and military court-martial proceedings.

How does one receive a pardon?

To apply for a pardon, a person must submit a petition to the Office of the Pardon Attorney, a part of the Justice Department.

Additionally, a five-year waiting period must occur before a person is eligible to be pardoned.

Those seeking a pardon for a military offense must apply through the secretary of the military department that had jurisdiction over the case, according to the Justice Department.

If a pardon petition is denied, the Justice Department allows a new petition to be filed two years later.

Are they common?

They certainly arent unusual. Former President Barack Obama noticeably granted many during his two terms in office.

According to data from the Pew Research Center, Obama granted clemency to more people  1,927 people, to be exact  than any president since Harry S. Truman.

In comparison, former President George W. Bush granted 200 people total clemency, and former President Bill Clinton did so for 459 people. Truman granted clemency to 2,044 people, and former President Franklin D. Roosevelt to 3,796.

Obama also received more requests than any other president.

So far, Trump has pardoned seven people: former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, former Navy sailor Kristian Saucier, former Vice President Dick Cheney chief of staff Scooter Libby, the late boxer Jack Johnson, conservative commentator Dinesh D'Souza and Dwight and Steven Hammon, the father and son cattle ranchers.

Johnson's pardon was given posthumously.

He also commuted the sentence of meat plant executive Sholom Rubashkin.President Barack Obama was veritably shell-shocked in the wake of Donald Trump's election victory in 2016, and even asked aides What if we were wrong? as he struggled to come to terms with Hillary Clinton's defeat, former adviser Ben Rhodes writes in a new memoir coming out in June.

The book, titled "The World As It Is," highlights efforts by Obama's brain trust to reassure him that he would have won re-election if he were allowed to run for a third term.

But Obama remained alternately optimistic and dejected, according to Rhodes, who has been feted as an aspiring novelist-turned national security wunderkind.

Sometimes I wonder whether I was 10 or 20 years too early, Obama told aides, according to the memoir. Maybe we pushed too far. ... Maybe people just want to fall back into their tribe.

There are more stars in the sky than grains of sand on the earth," the book quotes Obama saying in a message to Rhodes the day after the election.

"Maybe this is what people want."  Former President Barack Obama, trying to understand Donald Trump's election win

Days later, Obama reportedly came back down to Earth, saying: Maybe this is what people want. Ive got the economy set up well for him. No facts. No consequences. They can just have a cartoon.

Rhodes was promoted from presidential speechwriter to deputy national security adviser under Obama. He held that post during the raid that killed Usama bin Laden, as well as the U.S. intervention in Libya and the signing of the Iran nuclear deal.

The possibility that Trump could unravel that legacy apparently weighed on Obama, Rhodes writes.

FMR OBAMA OFFICIALS FORM ANTI-TRUMP THINK TANK

I feel like Michael Corleone," Obama reportedly said, referencing "The Godfather" character as he prepared to hand over the White House to Trump. "I almost got out.

According to Rhodes, he and Obama were not aware that the FBI had begun an investigation into the Trump campaign's dealings with Russia until after the election.

The book also touches on some foreign-policy melodrama as Obama made his exit from the world stage, amid a shifting geopolitical climate that included Brexit and rising disenchantment with globalism.

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany had a "single tear in her eye" when she and Obama parted for the last time, and Obama noted that "she's all alone" to defend his liberal principles, according to Rhodes.

BEN RHODES JOKES ABOUT GOP LEADERS' 'OBITS'

In footage from an HBO documentary recording on election night in 2016, Rhodes himself was seen sitting alone outside on a bench, haltingly repeating that the situation was difficult to "process."

But in his memoir, Rhodes says he should have predicted the result.

I couldnt shake the feeling that I should have seen it coming, he writes. Because when you distilled it, stripped out the racism and misogyny, wed run against Hillary eight years ago with the same message Trump had used: Shes part of a corrupt establishment that cant be trusted to bring change.A forthcoming memoir by Obama confidant Ben Rhodes includes the startling admission that the 44th presidents inner circle should have seen Hillary Clintons 2016 loss coming  because President Trump was essentially using the Obama playbook to discredit her.

The New York Times published excerpts of the book, "The World As It Is," which describes outgoing President Barack Obamas shock and disbelief at Trumps election victory.

But Rhodes also seems to acknowledge that Trump used some of the same lines of attack employed by Obama during the hard-fought 2008 presidential primary against Clinton  minus what Rhodes describes as the racism and misogyny.

I couldnt shake the feeling that I should have seen it coming, Rhodes writes in the book. Because when you distilled it, stripped out the racism and misogyny, wed run against Hillary eight years ago with the same message Trump had used: Shes part of a corrupt establishment that cant be trusted to bring change.

Obama ran in 2008 as the change candidate, rallying an enthusiastic base to defeat Clinton in the primary and later GOP nominee John McCain. In 2016 as in 2008, Clinton entered the race as the establishment favorite, only to be sidelined by an insurgent political newcomer.

Despite that admission by Rhodes, the book describes how Obama was distraught at the outcome.

What if we were wrong? Obama reportedly asked aides, as he struggled to come to terms with Clinton's defeat.

Obama remained alternately optimistic and dejected, according to Rhodes, who has been feted as an aspiring novelist-turned national security wunderkind.

Sometimes I wonder whether I was 10 or 20 years too early, Obama told aides, according to the memoir. Maybe we pushed too far. ... Maybe people just want to fall back into their tribe.

Rhodes was promoted from presidential speechwriter to deputy national security adviser under Obama. He held that post during the raid that killed Usama bin Laden, as well as the U.S. intervention in Libya and the signing of the Iran nuclear deal.

The possibility that Trump could unravel that legacy apparently weighed on Obama, Rhodes writes.

FMR OBAMA OFFICIALS FORM ANTI-TRUMP THINK TANK

I feel like Michael Corleone," Obama reportedly said, referencing "The Godfather" character as he prepared to hand over the White House to Trump. "I almost got out.

According to Rhodes, he and Obama were not aware that the FBI had begun an investigation into the Trump campaign's dealings with Russia until after the election.

The book also touches on some foreign-policy melodrama as Obama made his exit from the world stage, amid a shifting geopolitical climate that included Brexit and rising disenchantment with globalism.

Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany had a "single tear in her eye" when she and Obama parted for the last time, and Obama noted that "she's all alone" to defend his liberal principles, according to Rhodes.

BEN RHODES JOKES ABOUT GOP LEADERS' 'OBITS'

In footage from an HBO documentary recording on election night in 2016, Rhodes himself was seen sitting alone outside on a bench, haltingly repeating that the situation was difficult to "process."Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday that North Korean official Kim Yong Chol will travel to Washington to deliver a personal letter from the rogue regimes leader Kim Jong Un, while saying talks for a potential summit are moving in the "right direction."

Pompeo, after holding meetings with the visiting senior official in New York City, said the North Korean envoy will hand off the letter on Friday in D.C. It is presumably the formal response to President Trump's letter last week canceling the summit.

But since then, planning discussions have resumed, including Pompeo's high-level meetings these past two days in New York. Pompeo told reporters a summit in Singapore is "expected."

I am confident we are moving in the right direction, Pompeo said, noting that both nations had teams in Singapore to prepare for a summit between Trump and Kim, which was initially slated for June 12. Trump had called it off last week in response to threatening rhetoric from the DPRK.

Pompeo said it was unclear whether the meeting would actually take place on June 12, but said that real progress has been made in meetings with North Korean officials this week.

Kim Yong Chol will travel to Washington to deliver a personal letter from Kim Jong Un, Pompeo said, adding that the two leaders have created a unique opportunity to lead into a new era of peace, prosperity and security.

A senior administration official told Fox News that the official is planning to meet with Trump at the White House Friday to hand-deliver the letter. Pompeo is expected to join in the meeting.

Trump wrote in his letter last week that the talks would be inappropriate following the hostility from North KoreaVice Minister of the Foreign Ministry Choe Son Hui had said that whether the U.S. will meet us at a meeting room or encounter us at a nuclear-to-nuclear showdown is entirely dependent upon the decision and behavior of the United States, according to South Koreas Yonhap News Agency.

WHITE HOUSE PULLS OUT OF SUMMIT WITH NORTH KOREA'S KIM JONG UN

Earlier Thursday, the president said that it may take more than one meeting with Kim to agree on a deal to denuclearize the Korean peninsula and suspend North Koreas nuclear program.

Id like to see it done in one meeting. But oftentimes thats not the way deals work, Trump told Reuters. Theres a very good chance that it wont be done in one meeting or two meetings or three meetings. But itll get done at some point. It may get done really nicely and really intelligently, or it may not get done intelligently. It may have to be the hard way.

Trump added, though, that he believed Kim wanted to make a deal.

But I think itll get done in a very smart, organized fashion and I think that Kim Jong Un wants to see it also, Trump told Reuters. And Im going to be very happy when the day arrives when we can take sanctions off, and have a very good relationship with the entire Korean Peninsula.

The president added: I look forward to seeing the letter and I look forward to June 12 where hopefully we can make progress.

Pompeo said that if talks are successful, it will be historic.

It would be nothing short of a tragedy to let this opportunity go to waste, Pompeo said. We think that by working together, the [North Korean] people can create a future defined by friendship and collaboration, not by mistrust and fear and threats.

Pompeo said that it would be a lengthy process, but that the administration hoped to convince North Korea that the real threat to its security is the continuation of its nuclear program. Pompeo also said he believed that North Korean leaders are looking to integrate the country into the international community.

Fox News' Serafin Gomez and The Associated Press contributed to this report.I think we can all agree it wasnt the Ambien, that Roseanne Barr has a long history of spewing conspiracy theories and ugly attacks.

But her spectacular self-immolation has ignited a cultural debate in this country over race, online venom, cultural standards and  inevitably  President Trump.

Even as Barr, in a late-night tweestorm, blamed her racist slur against Valerie Jarrett on the sleep medication, and attacked some of her fellow cast members, she admitted that she was fully at fault:

guys I did something unforgiveable so do not defend me. It was 2 in the morning and I was ambien tweeting -- it was memorial day too -- i went 2 far & do not want it defended -- it was egregious Indefensible.

Fine. Shes right. There is no defense. What planet do you have to be on to talk about a black person and Planet of the Apes?

There is also no question that ABC knew exactly what it was getting, which is why network president Ben Sherwood told the New York Times back in March that you cant control Roseanne Barr. Many who have tried have failed.

So obviously the network wasnt unaware that Barr had a long history of tweeting ugly, unproven insults and wild conspiracy theories. And presumably she wasnt on Ambien all those times.

Roseanne retweeted at one point that ABC is allowing the Trump haters to control their station  even though it was the network that provided the platform for her pro-Trump reboot in the first place.

The network gambled that she could revive her hit show  which she did, specifically tailored to appeal to Trump Country  and she did. But even as she was riding high, Roseanne couldnt stay off the Twitter. And that cost her, the hundreds of people who worked on the show and the network that invested in her.

With so many pundits on the left blaming the Roseanne debacle on Trump  who, of course, had nothing to do with it besides enjoying the shows success  it was only a matter of time before the president joined the fray.

Its noteworthy that Trump made no comment on Barrs racist tweet. Instead, he tweeted that Disney CEO Bob Iger Bob Iger of ABC called Valerie Jarrett to let her know that ABC does not tolerate comments like those made by Roseanne Barr. Gee, he never called President Donald J. Trump to apologize for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC. Maybe I just didnt get the call?

Im sure unfair things have been said about Trump on ABC News and every other network. Im just as sure that they didnt fall into the category of likening him to an ape.

But HBOs Bill Maher, five years ago, did jokingly compare Trumps hair to an orangutan. And ABCs lightning-quick dumping of Roseanne does raise questions about the media and cultural standards used when public personalities say offensive things.

No action was taken against Joy Behar, for instance, when the View co-host mocked Vice President Pences religion. She eventually apologized, first privately and then publicly.

MSNBC took no action against Joy Reid when a torrent of her homophobic tweets surfaced from a decade ago. She ludicrously claimed that her account had been hacked, but also apologized for her dumb and hateful postings.

And ESPN action took no action against former Sports Center co-host Jemele Hill for calling the president a white supremacist and bigot. But the network suspended her for suggestion a boycott of the Dallas Cowboys for cracking down on player protests.

On the other hand, CNN fired host Reza Aslan for tweeting that Trump was a piece of s--- and embarrassment to humankind.

CNN also fired pro-Trump contributor Jeffrey Lord for tweeting the Nazi salute Sieg Heil.

Sarah Sanders weighed in Wednesday, saying:

Where was Bob Igers apology to the White House staff for Jemele Hill calling the president and anyone associated with him a white supremacist? To Christians around the world for Joy Behar calling Christianity a mental illness? Where was the apology for Kathy Griffin going on a profane rant against the president on The View after a photo showed her holding President Trumps decapitated head? And where was the apology from Bob Iger for ESPN hiring Keith Olbermann after his numerous expletive-laced tweets attacking the president as a Nazi and even expanding his role after that attack against the presidents family?

Those are legitimate questions. In fairness, CNN dumped Griffin, and Olbermann, who made some extremely harsh anti-Trump videos for GQ, is being used by ESPN only on sports. But would the treatment have been different if the target wasnt Trump?

The bottom line is that each media organization sets its own standards, depending on the gravity of the offense, the popularity of the performer and the persons past record.

These problems were once far easier to sweep under the rug. But we all live in Twitters world now, where one ill-chosen phrase can end a career and online mobs can form at a moments notice.

Roseanne Barr woke up Tuesday morning with the most popular show on television. But hours later she was unemployed because she touched the third rail of racism, and ABC executives concluded she had crossed a very bright line.Fired FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe wrote a secret memo on circumstances leading up to the firing of his former boss James Comey.

A person familiar with the situation told the Associated Press on Wednesday that the previously unknown document was turned over to special counsel Robert Mueller.

Mueller and his team are investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia during the 2016 presidential election and if the presidents decision to fire Comey last May was an attempt to obstruct the investigation.

The memo reportedly recalls a conversation McCabe had with Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein about his preparation for Comeys firing.

Rosenstein, whos currently facing calls to resign from members of the U.S. Congress amid his reluctance to comply with U.S. House oversight, played a role in the downfall of Comey as he penned a memo that criticized Comey for his handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation that the White House used to justify the firing.

ROSENSTEIN FIGHTS HOUSE GOP IMPEACHEMENT PUSH, SAYS DOJ IS NOT GOING TO BE EXTORTED

The memo by McCabe reportedly claims Rosenstein suggested to him that he was initially asked to reference the Russia investigation in the memo about Comey. The final memo by the deputy attorney general didnt mention Russia and instead focused on the Clinton email case.

Rosenstein appointed Mueller just a week after Comey was fired from his role. The job fell to Rosenstein because Attorney General Jeff Sessions had recused himself from the case because of his advisory role in Trump's campaign.

McCabe is known to have kept personal notes on his interactions with Trump, some of which included what Comey told him about his encounters with the president, Fox News reported. He turned over the memos to Mueller.

Trump criticized the documents, saying in March that he never saw McCabe take notes about their conversations, suggesting the memos should be called fake memos.

Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I dont believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them Fake Memos? Trump tweeted.

McCabe was fired in March, just days before he would have been eligible for a lifetime pension, amid a report by an inspector general, claiming he misled internal investigators reviewing the bureaus probe of Clintons email server and leaked a self-serving story to the media.

Sessions, who authorized the McCabe firing, said at the time that McCabe made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candor  including under oath  on multiple occasions.

DOJ IG RELEASES EXPLOSIVE REPORT THAT LED TO FIRING OF EX-FBI DEPUTY DIRECTOR ANDREW MCCABE

Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who also penned the damning report, determined that McCabe authorized the leak yet later told the investigators that he did authorize the disclosure and did not know who was responsible.

[W]e concluded that McCabes decision to confirm the existence of the CF investigation through an anonymously sourced quote, recounting the content of a phone call with a senior department official in a manner designed to advance his personal interests at the expense of department leadership, was clearly not within the public interest exception," the report said.

Fox News Adam Shaw, Brooke Singman and the Associated Press contributed to this report.President Trump fired back Thursday at reports that ousted FBI official Andrew McCabe wrote a secret memo suggesting the president had linked James Comey's firing to the Russia investigation.

The memo was first revealed by The New York Times on Wednesday. A source confirmed to Fox News that the memo described a meeting where Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein claimed Trump had asked him to reference Russia in his recommendation to fire Comey.

Rosenstein declined, and instead focused on Comey's handling of the Clinton email probe. Trump pushed back on Thursday.

Not that it matters but I never fired James Comey because of Russia! The Corrupt Mainstream media loves to keep pushing that narrative, but they know it is not true! Trump tweeted.

A source with knowledge of the investigation told Fox News that Trump just wanted Rosenstein to mention that Comey told him he was not under investigation in the Russia case.

But McCabe's memo reportedly has been turned over to Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose team is looking at whether Trump tried to obstruct justice.

Fox News is told that Mueller's team also has a copy of a draft letter written by Trump on Comey's firing -- Rosenstein originally gave that draft to McCabe.

The president ultimately fired Comey on May 9, 2017, linked to a recommendation by Rosenstein criticizing the directors handling of the Clinton email investigation.

SECRET MCCABE MEMO IN MUELLER'S HANDS GIVE DETAILS OF COMEY'S FIRING: REPORT

Rosenstein, over a week later, appointed Mueller to investigate Russian meddling and potential collusion with Trump campaign associates in the 2016 presidential election.

Rosenstein was left leading the Russia probe for the Justice Department following Attorney General Jeff Sessions recusal -- a decision causing immense friction between the attorney general and the president to this day.

The president said this week that he wished he appointed a different attorney general.

Sessions, though, did fire McCabe in March, stating that he made an unauthorized disclosure to the news media and lacked candorincluding under oathon multiple occasions.

That decision came as Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz determined McCabe authorized the leak to the media, but later told investigators he did not know who was responsible.

McCabe reportedly kept personal notes on his interactions with Trump, some of which included what Comey told him about his encounters with the president, Fox News reported.

The president, though, has denied McCabe ever took notes when meeting with him.

Spent very little time with Andrew McCabe, but he never took notes when he was with me. I dont believe he made memos except to help his own agenda, probably at a later date. Same with lying James Comey. Can we call them Fake Memos? Trump tweeted in March, following McCabes firing.

Also on Thursday, the president blasted the mainstream media for their reporting on the FBI informant who had communicated with members of the Trump campaign during the election. The informant communicated with Trump campaign advisers George Papadopoulos, Carter Page and Sam Clovis.

The corrupt Mainstream Media is working overtime not to mention the infiltration of people, Spies (Informants), into my campaign! Surveillance much? Trump tweeted.

The president has dubbed the revelations of the FBI informant as SPYGATE and called it one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. Democratic lawmakers and former Obama intelligence officials have rejected that description.

Fox News John Roberts at the White House and Lukas Mikelionis contributed to this report.To meet or not to meet -- that is the question everyone is asking about President Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un.

The two leaders have gone back-and-forth on whether they will hold a historic summit this summer as a push for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula continues. After initially accepting Kims invitation, Trump announced he was pulling out of the summit in a letter to the North Korean leader in May.

But since then, as talks between officials have continued, Trump said the meeting is back on, according to plan.

Read on for a look at how the meeting came about, fell apart and came back together.

Trump accepts invitation

Trump accepted Kims invitation to meet in early March, the White House said.

President Trump has said for some time that he was open to talks and he would eventually meet with Kim when conditions were right, then-U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said. And I think in the presidents judgement that time has arrived now.

Date, time and place is set

It wasnt until May when the date for the summit was publicly set: June 12. Trump said in a tweet that he and Kim would both try to make it a very special moment for World Peace.

The meeting was scheduled to take place in Singapore.

Leaders waffle on meeting

Later in May, Trump began to suggest a reverse in course on whether the meeting would take place as North Korean officials threatened to cancel talks.

If it doesnt happen, maybe it will happen later. You never know about deals. Ive made a lot of deals, Trump said on May 22. You never really know. It may not work out for June 12.

The comments came after a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House.

Later, after Vice President Mike Pence told Fox News Kim had asked for the meeting, North Koreas vice foreign minister accused the U.S. of misleading the public opinion as if we have invited them to sit with us.

We will neither beg the U.S. for dialogue nor take the trouble to persuade them if they do not want to sit together with us, Choe Sun Hui reportedly said.

Trump backs out

Trump announced on May 24 that he decided to pull out of the summit in an open letter to Kim.

I was very much looking forward to being there with you, Trump wrote. Sadly ... I feel it is inappropriate, at this time, to have this long-planned meeting.

I felt a wonderful dialogue was building up between you and me, and ultimately, it is only dialogue that matters, Trump continued. Some day, I look very much forward to meeting you.

The White House also revealed that North Korean officials had stopped coming to recent meetings regarding the summit.

North Korea reverses course

After Trump pulled out of the summit, North Korea said it was still willing to come to the table.

We express our willingness to sit down face-to-face with the U.S. and resolve issues anytime and in any format, North Korean Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan said on May 25, according to Korean Central News Agency.

Trump offers hope for the meeting

Trump suggested a summit could still take place in June in a May 25 tweet.

We are having very productive talks with North Korea about reinstating the Summit, which, if it does happen, will likely remain in Singapore on the same date, June 12th, and, if necessary, will be extended beyond that date, Trump said.

South and North Korea meet again

Kim and Moon held a surprise meeting on May 26 on the North Korean side of the demilitarized zone reportedly to discuss a path forward for the summit with Trump.

Aides travel to North Korea, Singapore

Trump said U.S. officials arrived in North Korea for discussions about the summit on May 27. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, We continue to prepare for a meeting between the President and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Our United States team has arrived in North Korea to make arrangements for the Summit between Kim Jong Un and myself, Trump tweeted. I truly believe North Korea has brilliant potential and will be a great economic and financial Nation one day. Kim Jong Un agrees with me on this. It will happen!

U.S. officials also reportedly met with Kim Chang Son, the North Korean leaders chief of staff, in Singapore on May 28.

We have put a great team together for our talks with North Korea, Trump said in a tweet the following day. Meetings are currently taking place concerning Summit, and more.

New York City meetings

Kim Yong Chol, one of Kims closest aides and North Koreas former military intelligence chief, met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York City on May 30.

The two are also expected to engage in a day full of meetings on May 31, according to the White House.

Pompeo met with Kim in April, before he was sworn in as secretary of state, Trump has said.

Meeting is back on

After being delivered a personal letter from Kim by a North Korean official at the White House, Trump announced the June 12 summit was back on.

We'll be meeting on June 12 in Singapore," the president told reporters after the meeting that lasted for more than an hour.President Trump on Thursday pardoned conservative filmmaker Dinesh DSouza, who was convicted of making an illegal campaign contribution in 2014.

"Today, President Donald J. Trump issued an Executive Grant of Clemency (Full Pardon) to Dinesh DSouza, an accomplished author, lecturer, and scholar," said a statement from White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders. "Mr. DSouza was, in the Presidents opinion, a victim of selective prosecution for violations of campaign finance laws. Mr. DSouza accepted responsibility for his actions, and also completed community service by teaching English to citizens and immigrants seeking citizenship."

She added: "In light of these facts, the President has determined that Mr. DSouza is fully worthy of this pardon."

Earlier in the day, Trump tweeted: Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh DSouza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!

D'Souza told Fox News he received a call from the president on Wednesday to notify him of the decision.

"I am thrilled and relieved and elated and as an immigrant in America, my American dream has been under something of a cloud, so I'm very relieved to have that cloud lifted," D'Souza told Fox News on Thursday.

D'Souza said he and Trump spoke for about 10 minutes, calling it a "very pleasant and very exciting call."

"President Trump told me he felt I had been treated very unfairly and he felt that I was an important voice for America," D'Souza said. "He wanted to clean my record and adhere to continue doing what I'm doing."

D'Souza tweeted later Thursday that "Obama & his stooges tried to extinguish my American dream," while thanking Trump.

The conservative filmmaker had pleaded guilty in 2014 for donating $20,000 to New York politician Wendy Long, allegedly going over the contribution limit by directing other donors to give to her. He was sentenced to five years of probation and eight months in a halfway house, and paid a $30,000 fine.

Despite his guilty plea, DSouza and his allies have claimed for years that he was unfairly singled out for prosecution, and unfairly treated by the Obama administration.

D'Souza in 2012 made a hit anti-Obama documentary called 2016: Obamas America. The film examined then-President Obamas past and early influences that may have shaped his political ideology.

DSouzas 2014 indictment was announced by then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who was appointed by Obama and fired in 2017 by Trump. The indictment stated that DSouza was charged with one count of illegally donating to a Senate campaign and one count of causing false statements to be made to authorities in connection with the contributions.

DSouzas illegal campaign contribution was made in 2012 to Longs U.S. Senate campaign. DSouza pleaded guilty to using a straw donor to make the donation.

A straw donor is a person who illegally uses another persons finances to make a political contribution in their own name. Straw donor schemes are illegal under U.S. law, which states that no person should knowingly permit their name to be used to effect such a contribution and no person shall knowingly accept a contribution made by one person in the name of another person.

DSouza allegedly coordinated donations to Longs campaign through friends and acquaintances. Long lost her Senate bid against now-Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y.

Fox News Judson Berger contributed to this report.The White House on Thursday blasted a Democratic congressional candidate over an ad comparing President Trump to Usama bin Laden.

Deputy Press Secretary Raj Shah told Fox News that the ad is nothing short of reprehensible, while calling on House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi to denounce the abhorrent message.

A Pelosi spokesman said in response: "While the Leader does not condone the end of this ad, if the President wants to join in raising the level of civility in politics he should begin with himself."

The ad was put up by Virginia Democratic House candidate Dan Helmer.

After 9/11, the greatest threat to our democracy lived in a cave. Today, he lives in the White House, Helmer, who is challenging incumbent GOP Rep. Barbara Comstock, says in the ad. In the video, an image of bin Laden is shown before the camera pans to the White House and Trump.

DEM CANDIDATE COMPARES TRUMP TO BIN LADEN IN NEW CAMPAIGN AD

No one, not even the president, is above the law, he continues.

On his campaign website, Helmer says he and his wife were shocked by the 2016 elections and alarmed at the actions of this Administration and Congress.

Comstock, meanwhile, called Helmer's ad "outrageous," prompting Helmer to fire back at Comstock.

Helmer, who says hes different and not a politician in the spot, released another ad earlier this month that showed him buying a rifle at a gun show without having to complete a background check. Federal background checks are required in order for someone to purchase a gun from a federal firearms licensed dealer; private sales are not subjected to background checks.Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed a 2,200-year-old gold coin depicting the ancient King Ptolemy III, an ancestor of the famed Cleopatra.

The coin, which bears the image of the King on one of its faces, was discovered during the excavation of a large Greco-Roman building at the San El-Hagar archaeological site in Northern Egypt.

Ptolemy III ruled Egypt in the 3rd century B.C. Egypts Ministry of Antiquities says that the coin was made during the reign of King Ptolemy IV in memory of his father. Ptolemy IV reigned from 180 to 145 B.C.

RARE ROMAN DISCOVERY THRILLS EXPERTS: EMPEROR'S MARBLE HEAD FOUND AT EGYPTIAN TEMPLE SITE

In a Facebook post, the Ministry explained that archaeologists also found pottery vessels, terracotta statues, bronze tools, a stone fragment engraved with hieroglyphs and a small statue of a ram at the site in the Nile Delta.

The value of the coin has not yet been revealed.

Egypt hopes such discoveries will spur tourism, which has suffered from political turmoil following the 2011 uprising.

Ancient Egypt continues to reveal its secrets. Archaeologists in southern Egypt, for example, recently discovered an extremely rare marble head depicting the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

AMAZING MUMMY DISCOVERY: 2,500-YEAR-OLD EGYPTIAN COFFIN WAS THOUGHT TO BE EMPTY

Experts in Australia also recently found the tattered remains of an ancient priestess in a 2,500-year-old Egyptian coffin that was long thought to be empty.

On the other side of the world, a rare ancient artifact depicting the famous female pharaoh Hatshepsut surfaced in the U.K. Stunning new research also claims that King Tutankhamun may have been a boy soldier, challenging the theory he was a weak and sickly youth before his mysterious death at around 18 years of age.

Experts in the U.K. also found the worlds oldest figurative tattoos on two ancient Egyptian mummies recently, one of which is the oldest tattooed female ever discovered.

MYSTERIOUS ANCIENT ARTWORK DEPICTING FEMALE PHARAOH FOUND BY ACCIDENT

Other recent finds include an ancient cemetery in Egypt with more than 40 mummies and a necklace containing a message from the afterlife. An ancient statue of a Nubian king with an inscription written in Egyptian hieroglyphics was also found at a Nile River temple in Sudan.

Scientists also believe that they may have found the secret of the Great Pyramids near-perfect alignment. Experts are also confident that they have solved the long-standing mystery of the screaming mummy.

In February, archaeologists announced the discovery of a 4,400-year-old tomb near the pyramids. Late last year, archaeologists also revealed that they had uncovered the graves of four children at an ancient site in Egypt.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogersA 7-foot alligator attempted to evade trappers in a South Carolina neighborhood last week by scaling a 4-foot-tall wooden fence.

Shari Sebuck watched the wild scene unfold in her Planters Pointe neighborhood in Mount Pleasant. Residents called the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (DNR) after spotting the gator strolling along the streets and "greeting" elementary school students at a nearby bus stop.

"Police were here keeping people off the street and everyone was waiting for the 'trapper,'" Planters Pointe resident Shari Sebuck told Fox News.

"Ive never seen an alligator scale a fence. I took a picture so my two teenage boys would believe me..."  Shari Sebuck

When a South Carolina DNR warden arrived at the scene, the reptile disappeared into a neighbor's backyard. The gator paused as the warden approached it, tapping a stick on the ground to stop it.

ALLIGATOR CASUALLY STROLLS AROUND FLORIDA MOTEL: 'MAYBE HE WAS JUST LOOKING FOR THE TIKI BAR'

"Every time the gator started to move, the DNR people would tap a stick on the ground," Sebuck explained. "He was reacting to the vibrations on the ground, I suppose, and would freeze. He would then try to move again in a few minutes. Again the tapping."

Realizing he was trapped, the alligator then attempted to climb over a fence. But the warden began tapping again, bringing it back to the ground just as another "hero" trapper arrived to safely catch and transport the creature.

Sebuck lived in Florida for 18 years and spent the past 17 years in South Carolina, so she's used to seeing the scaly reptiles  but she admits she had never seen anything quite like this.

ALLIGATOR FIGHTS PYTHON ON FLORIDA GOLF COURSE

"Ive never seen an alligator scale a fence. I took a picture so my two teenage boys would believe me since they were at school," Sebuck said.

Sebuck shared the "unbelievable" picture on Facebook on May 21, commenting, "This is crazy." The photo sparked dozens of reactions from surprised locals.

"Crazy picture... I cant believe this was in your neighborhood," one Facebook user commented.

"It doesnt look real!!!!" another added.

"He is HUGE!!! That is so scary," a woman replied.

One user warned people in the neighborhood to keep a close eye on their pets, which Sebuck agreed was a good tip. There was recently a "tragic misfortune" with a small dog in the area, she said.

"Theres a lot of new development in our area and I think, like the deer, they are being forced out of their habitat and looking for new homes," Sebuck suggested. "In addition, people, mainly our northern transplants, dont understand how dangerous they can be and why you should not feed them. I think people are starting to understand."

FLORIDA DEPUTY WRANGLES ALLIGATOR STUCK IN GARAGE IN WILD VIDEO

This is the fifth gator that's been removed from the neighborhood so far this year, Sebuck said, adding that the creatures seem more "bountiful and aggressive" this year than usual.

Alligators become more active as the temperature rises, Tammy Sapp, spokeswoman for the Florida Wildlife Commission's Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program (SNAP), warned back in March.

"[They] become more visible and active during spring," Snapp told Fox News. "Their metabolism increases, and they begin seeking prey items."

South Carolina residents are asked to contact their local DNR to report any alligators "causing problems."

A tourist has reportedly added a racy video of her bare breast to a remote road on Google Maps, sending locals into a fluster  and racking up hundreds of five-star reviews for the spot.

The naughty clip shows her checking over her shoulder before pulling down the neckline of her pink top to expose her breast, while flirtingly smiling at the camera.

The tourists supposedly uploaded the video to a quiet route along Pingtung County, Taiwan, and it immediately stood out from the other mundane images of farmland and farming equipment.

Local residents who saw the viral footage joked they were driving to the village straight away.

One said: Ive never thought about going there but now I want to. It definitely seems like a lively area.

The quaint country road is now witnessing a spike in five-star reviews, with another user commenting: This is a great place! Im not afraid to make a special trip! This is the glory of being an experienced driver.

Screenshots of the 18-second clip are also being shared on Facebook groups all over Taiwan.

Its unclear who the woman at the center of #boobgate is, though local media are referring to her as western.

The fact that she posted a video to Google Maps indicates that she may be a Local Guide. Thats the term reserved for users who regularly contribute reviews and photos to the mapping service.

With each contribution, Local Guides earn points that can be swapped for real-life perks including extra online data storage and early access to new Google features.

And last September, Google gave Local Guides the ability to add videos to Maps as well.

But thats not to say you can post nude clips to the platform.

Google Maps terms of usage states that it doesnt permit pornographic, explicit or sexually suggestive content.

However, its up to users to report the objectionable posts, which Google promises to then swiftly remove.

And it seems the company has done just that in this instance, as the video is no longer appearing on that stretch of road.

Google told Apple Daily it is investigating just how the clip was successfully smuggled onto Maps, and is working on strengthening the systems automatic detection mechanism.

Read more on The Sun.In Arizona, robots zigzagging across a sidewalk will have the same rights as everyone else  and they will have to follow the same laws.

A new law signed by the governor earlier this month will allow delivery robots, or personal delivery devises, to operate on sidewalks throughout the state, but the robots have to be courteous and use crosswalks just like everyone else. Previously, motor vehicles, including robots, were forbidden on sidewalks.

You dont want to think of it as a human with rights or something like that, but it causes them to have to obey the laws, said State Rep. Kelly Townsend, R-Mesa, who sponsored the bill. So they cant just whiz out into the street, they cant run into somebody, they have to go by our current laws.

The law makes way for delivery robots to become big business in Arizona. The robot would work like this: Customers place a food or coffee order on an app, the eatery inserts the items inside a delivery robot  and the robot goes off, on its own, to make the delivery.

Townsend said she saw the robots at a conference in Boston and they intrigued her  so she wanted to bring them to her state. They can bring just about anything in minutes, from groceries to flowers to carry-out meals.

Its super hot and people dont want to go out and go get their lunch or whatever it is that they need delivered, Townsend said.

Henry Harris-Burland, a spokesman for Starship Technologies, which touts itself as the first company to build delivery robots, said delivery robots are operating in 10 cities across five countries.

Within the app, you can see whats available in your local areait will be like a local marketplace of local shops and things like that, Harris-Burland said. You order and get a robot within 15 to 30 minutes.

Starship Technologies was started by two of Skypes co-founders who wanted to solve current problems and inefficiencies of delivery by using robotics technology.

We want delivery robots to be a common site on sidewalks around the world as quickly as possible."  Henry Harris-Burland, Starship Technologies marketing VP

We want delivery robots to be a common site on sidewalks around the world as quickly as possible, Harris-Burland said. Its an emerging industry.

The robots use sensors to navigate sidewalks and cross streets.

Yet, some fear that the technology could be dangerous as more and more robots zip across sidewalks brimming with people.

The robots on the sidewalk, they could be running into us or I could be running into it with the stroller, said Caitlin Erickson, an Arizona resident and mother who supports new technology but has some concerns. Or is it going to damage property?

Dominick Mack, an Arizona resident, said the technology could be helpful but also has concerns.

Its just a little crazy because Ive never heard anything about that and it just seems like its happening kind of fastkind of like the whole autonomous car thing, Mack said. Out of nowhere, we see them on the street.

Two months ago, an Uber autonomous car hit and killed an Arizona woman, leading the company to eventually shut its autonomous car operations in the state.

Townsend said the new law would pose restriction on delivery robots  it looks ahead to any issues that might arise. He said similar laws should have been in place to regulate self-driving vehicles before they hit the road.

They came into our state, they were given a wide birth without a lot of regulation to operate and to test and the regulations were to come later, Townsend said. For this technology and the bill that I put forward, I wanted to have basic safety regulations, common sense regulations, so that something like this wouldnt happen.

But he said he did not want to over-regulate the robots, which would deter businesses from coming. And under-regulating them would put people at risk, he said.

It has to be a common sense, healthy balance of little bit of red tape but not a lot in order to keep people safe, Townsend said.

Harris-Burland said the difference between their autonomous robots and autonomous cars is the companys robots are 99 percent autonomous. The company will create call centers where operators keep their eyes on the robots.

Lets see how it doeslets give it a year and a half and see if it can deliver, you know, no pun intended."  State Representative Kelly Townsend

We never want to be 100 percent autonomous, Harris-Burland said. So, we have humans in the loop, and thats not going to change. Theres always going to besituations that a robot finds itself in where every now and again youre going to need that human help. And those are the times where a human can take over and make those decisions.

Theyre creating jobs but it seems like well be losing more entry level jobs, Mack said. You probably have to be qualified to monitor the robots and do those kinds of things, whereasa delivery jobs more entry level. So, its like youre gaining jobs but youre losing entry-level jobs that help a lot of people make ends meet.

The law will allow delivery robot companies to roll out their bots on sidewalks for a testing phase starting in August. Theres also a sunset provision in place, where legislators in 2020 will examine how its been working and discuss whether or the law needs to be revised.

Arizona is the seventh state to pass this type of legislation, paving the way for robots to be a part of peoples daily routines. Some believe robots sharing sidewalks with pedestrians could be a common sight soon.

Lets see how it does, Townsend said. Lets give it a year and a half and see if it can deliver  you know, no pun intended.Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg and Mike Schroepfer took the stage at the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes last night to discuss changes the company has made in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal.

Interviewed by conference moderators Kara Swisher and Peter Kafka, Sandberg said the company now understands it was too late in responding to the privacy concerns raised by Cambridge Analytica. "We definitely know we were late. We said we are sorry, but sorry isn't the point," she said.

Instead it's important to think about the responsibility it has in a different way. For the past 10 to 12 years, she said, Facebook focused on building and enabling social experiences, but not enough on the bad that could be done on the platform. "Now we are understanding the responsibility we have and trying to act accordingly," she said.

There is a "fundamental tension" between tools that that allow for easy, free expression and keeping people safe, Schroepfer added. Facebook wants to facilitate discussions, but also make sure the platform doesn't host hate speech or posts designed to manipulate elections.

The Cambridge Analytica Problem

The Cambridge Analytica issues dates back at least 10 years, when people were talking about wanting to "take data with them," so Facebook developed APIs to help them do so. In those days, Schroepfer said, Facebook was optimistic and focused on the fact that enterpreneurs could use its data to develop new applications. It also thought people who used those apps understood what was happening.

By 2014, Facebook decided to restrict access to such data, and started a more proactive review of applications. In December 2015, the company heard via media reports that Cambridge Analytica had gotten Facebook data and resold it. Why did Facebook learn about this from the press? Once the data was outside Facebook, it could only observe the data, Schroepfer said.

Facebook immediately disabled the app that scraped the data, and tried to figure out who accessed it. Zeroing in on Cambridge Analytica, the firm insisted it had deleted the data, but that might not be the case, Schroepfer acknowledged.

Now the company is more focused on theoretical ways people could get the data, he said, and has made investments in security, content review, and development.

Looking back, "we wish we had more controls in place," Sandberg said. She noted that despite legal assurances from Cambridge Analytica that it had deleted the data, "we should have audited them." She noted that in recent months, the company has made moves to do that, though this is on hold pending a UK government review that takes priority.

In the run-up to the 2016 election, people were mostly worried about spamming and phishing emails, Sandberg noted. The company took steps to avoid those problems, but didn't see that these different "more insidious threats" were coming. Now it understands and Facebook has taken very aggressive steps, she said.

Sandberg pointed to the deletion of fake accounts and its work with governments to help prevent similar occurrences around other elections, citing work in Alabama, Germany, and France. "We are showing that we are taking steps to make it better," she said.

She also mentioned that while Facebook "always had" ways to control how users share data with applications, it is now at the top of the News Feed, instead of being hard to find. The company is also building new tools on top of these controls.

Didn't See it Coming

Swisher asked what was wrong with the culture that it didn't understand the potential for misuse, pointing to Facebook Live missteps. Sandberg pushed back, saying "Live is a great example" of how the company fixes things. She noted that when Live launched, there was "a lot of good, but were things that were wrong." So now the company has human review of anything live within minutes. As a result, there have been posts taken down right away, and times when the company intervened and helped people.

Facebook has an open platform, and knows it will never prevent all the bad things. But she said the company could be more transparent and put more resources into making a safe community. The company has deleted 1.3 billion fake accounts; published its internal guidelines used to judge whether content should be taken down; and successfully removes 99 percent of terrorist content, 96 percent of adult photos and sexual content, but only 38 percent of hate speech before it's reported to the company by users.

"We won't get it all," Sandberg admitted, but Schroepfer said Facebook has made more progress on this than he thought it would be able to.

Fake News

On the problem of fake news, Sandberg said much of that comes from fake accounts; by taking those down, it reduces the problems. Another big source is economically motivated, so the company is moving to kick bad actors out of its ad networks. She also said the company is working on being more transparent, so you can see the people behind any political or issue posts, which allows people to find more things that are wrong and report them.

Regulation

Asked about regulation, Sandberg said the company is already regulated with things like GDPR. "The question isn't if there will be more regulation, but what kind of regulation," she argued.

Facebook has spent a lot of money and put in a lot of complex systems to handle GDPR, and acknowledged that regulation can entrench big companies. And she worried about unintended consequences, noting that things like Caller ID were originally considered an invasion of privacy, so there was regulation preventing it.

Asked if Facebook is a monopoly and should be broken up, Schroepfer said there's competition in the market, citing YouTube for video sharing, Twitter for posting public comments, and Snapchat, WeChat, and iMessage for messaging. "Consumers use the products they want," he said, noting Facebook is "a very small part" of the overall advertising market.

Apple vs. Facebook

Asked about Apple CEO Tim Cook's criticisms of the company, Sandberg said, "We strongly disagree with their characterization of our products and business model," noting that as a free service, Facebook is available to people all over the world.

"We've looked at subscriptions and will continue to do so," but said the heart of the product is a free service, Sandberg said.

Hearing about the terrible things that happen on the platform has made the company focus on new priorities, Schroepfer said. "It's not fun, but it's really important work." He also said the focus on safety and security is the "biggest cultural shift" he's seen at the company.

Facebook is focused on the need to provide safety, security, and integrity on platform, but "we understand it will be an arms race," and there will be risks it did not see, Sandberg said. Facebook is "making huge investments that will hit our bottom line, but it's worth doing."

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.Google came under fire on Thursday after an error in its Knowledge Panel listed "Nazism" as the ideology of the California Republican Party.

The error, which was first spotted by political strategist Eric Wilson, showed "Nazism" alongside other ideologies such as Conservatism, "Market liberalism, Fiscal conservatism, and Green conservatism.

The error showed up in Google's Knowledge Panel, which pulls information from various sources from across the web, including Wikipedia.

FACEBOOK AND GOOGLE SLAMMED, ACCUSED OF BREAKING NEW GDPR PRIVACY LAW

"Google should apologize for labeling Republicans nazis," Wilson tweeted. Wilson is the founder of LearnTestOptimize, which describes itself as "a community platform for professionals working at the intersection of marketing, technology, and politics."

The error has since been fixed, but not before House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., slammed the company over the error.

"Sadly, this is just the latest incident in a disturbing trend to slander conservatives," McCarthy wrote. "These damaging actions must be held to account. #StopTheBias"

The news was first reported by Vice News.

When reached for comment, a Google spokesperson told Fox News the error was likely the result of vandalism on one of its sources.

"This was not the result of any manual change by anyone at Google. We don't bias our search results toward any political party. Sometimes people vandalize public information sources, like Wikipedia, which can impact the information that appears in search," the spokesperson said via email.

The spokesperson continued: "We have systems in place that catch vandalism before it impacts search results, but occasionally errors get through, and that's what happened here. This would have been fixed systematically once we processed the removal from Wikipedia, but when we noticed the vandalism we worked quickly to accelerate this process to remove the erroneous information.

A Wikimedia spokesperson confirmed to Fox News that the vandalism Google was pulling "was not visible to Wikipedia readers in the text of the article, and has been removed by volunteer editors."

"The success of Wikipedia relies on everyone being able to contribute, and that includes correcting information," the spokesperson said via email. "Anyone can edit Wikipedia based on our core principles of neutrality and reliable sourcing, and hundreds of thousands of volunteers do this every month. This process is critical to Wikipedias constantly-evolving record of the worlds knowledge. Wikipedia editors, often using monitoring tools to support their work, catch and revert most vandalism made to Wikipedia within minutes."

PAYPAL NOW FULLY INTEGRATES WITH GOOGLE ACCOUNTS

Silicon Valley has come under fire in recent months for being seen as suppressing conservative voices, including from some senior members of the Republican party.

During his testimony in front of Congress, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was grilled by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, about the company's "pervasive pattern of bias and political censorship," pointing to a recent incident with Fox News Channel contributors Diamond and Silk who were temporarily banned from the platform.

In response to Cruz's question, Zuckerberg said that Diamond and Silk's ban was an error. In that specific case, our team made an enforcement error and we have already gotten in touch with them to reverse it, Zuckerberg said.

GOOGLE SEARCH BUG IDENTIFIES RAPE VICTIMS IN PROMINENT CASES

The tech exec also noted that he was concerned about political bias in the tech industry, and he has tried to root that out at Facebook.

A source familiar with Google's thinking noted that its systems are designed to detect if their information services have been vandalized.

"These generally work well, but aren't perfect," the source said, and when the company is alerted of an error, it is fixed.

Follow Chris Ciaccia on Twitter @Chris_Ciaccia.

This story has been updated on June 1 to include a response from Wikimedia, the nonprofit that supports Wikipedia.A powerful modern-day cannon fires water bottles as cannonballs - smashing strong walls in mere seconds.

The humble, ordinary water cooler bottle used in offices all across America becomes a mighty missile when loaded into this amazing cannon - the BCB Wall Breaker.

Without using any explosives whatsoever, the cannon remarkably uses just compressed air to blast the bottles through tough targets.

With the tragic rise in school shootings, the BCB Wall Breaker has the potential to save countless lives of American children in future active shooter situations.

For many years, BCB has had an outstanding track record innovating for Special Operations Forces.

DRONE SLAYER: POLARIS MRZR ATVS, CHEVY TRUCKS, ARMED WITH NEW ANTI-DRONE WEAPON

Elite military forces, such as Navy SEALs and Rangers, have very rigorous standards. Designed for special operations, this cannon meets and surpasses those high expectations.

But on home soil, this cannon also has great potential for law enforcement and fire departments.

The BCB Wall Breaker is a tool to help provide escape for those who are trapped by active shooters in schools, held hostage in a hotel by terrorists or penned in by fire in an apartment building. These are a number of ways it could help save lives.

Ordinarily, police and military use explosives to breach walls. By using air pressure instead to launch and water bottles as ammo, breaching can be far less dangerous  especially for hostages.

Escape for students in school shootings

Fired from this amazing cannon, ordinary water bottles become powerful tools to save the lives of children in active shooter school attacks.

MARINES' NEW SWITCHBLADE DRONES WILL UNLEASH LETHAL MINI MISSILES

Imagine students barricaded in classrooms with no way to escape. The shooter is roaming the hallways. The only exit is the door to the hallway. If students tried to escape via the hallway, they could be greatly at risk.

Outside the school building, police could roll up these water cannons and quickly punch holes in the walls of every classroom providing large escape holes.

If students have been wounded, first responders can use the hole to accelerate access to medical care.

In both these instances, escape and medical care for wounded, seconds are vital and can mean the difference between life and death.

The cannon can also be useful for perpetrator apprehension. An active shooter will expect law enforcement to intervene through doors and windows. With this cannon, law enforcement can fire the cannon at any wall to create their own door.

SOFIC: WHERE SPECIAL OPERATIONS SHOP FOR CUTTING-EDGE WEAPONS

This instant access at an unexpected point can provide a crucial element of surprise to stop and capture the shooter  potentially reducing risk to both the students and staff trapped in the school and first responders during apprehension.

PODCAST: FROM GEORGIA COTTON FIELDS TO ARMY TERRORIST HUNTER  HEAR ABOUT THIS COMMANDERS DEADLY MISSIONS

Weapon to fight terrorists on home soil

Similar to active shooter scenarios in schools, the cannon could be useful in the event of a large-scale Mumbai-style terrorist attack where civilians are hunted and held hostage.

It could be used against terrorists using vehicles as weapons to drive at civilians in the street.

For example, cannons could be positioned in advance to protect 4th of July crowds. If a terrorist drove at the crowd, the cannon could blast the water bottle that would tear through the vehicle and stop the attack.

PODCAST: BREACH ENEMY DOORS + BEER BOTTLES WITH THIS INSPIRING NAVY SEAL

Rescuing fire victims

Fire departments could also find the cannon useful in fires to provide different access points.

US ARMY GETS EVEN DEADLIER WITH FUTURISTIC NEW NIGHT VISION GOGGLES

If fire has made stairwells inaccessible, for example, the cannon can even punch through ceilings and floors, enabling firefighters to rescue people. If the hallway is consumed with fire, it could be used to punch through walls separating apartments to gain access to those who are trapped.

How does it work?

Throwing a water cooler bottle by hand at a wall is not going to do much.

Such is the power of the BCB pneumatic design. Using only air pressure  no explosives whatsoever- it turns those simple everyday water cooler bottles into formidable cannonballs, blasting holes in walls.

The water bottle is loaded into the cannon and is fired. When the bottle hits the wall, the bottle shatters spreading the kinetic energy out across a wide area. A large access hole is punched into the wall with water spraying out.

This unconventional approach to breaching walls helps to minimize the risk of injury to those who are trapped and reduces collateral damage inside the buildings too.

How powerful is the cannon?

The BCB cannon can blast through all sorts of challenges.

MEET THE US MILITARY'S WARSHIP KILLER: THESE NEW MISSILES WILL SINK ENEMY SHIPS

With mere water bottles, it is powerful enough to punch holes through pretty much any civilian wall it could ever encounter - from solid brick walls through to double layer breeze-block walls.

Metal is also childs play for this cannon. The Wall Breaker can also tear through cars, vans and trucks with ease.

Unique ammo

Water cooler bottles as ammo may sound too fun to be serious  but it is actually a very smart idea. This ammo is everywhere. Water coolers are found in offices, schools, gyms, malls, hotels and more all over America.

When a crisis like an active shooter in a school erupts, this means additional ammo can be readily harvested from the immediate environment if necessary.

Since they can be filled with a range of materials, the water bottles also become highly flexible projectiles that can be adapted within moments to meet mission needs.

FUTURISTIC NAVY SEAL BOAT DUBBED 'BATMOBILE'

Tailored for scale of impact and collateral damage, a water cooler bottle can be filled with sand or even dirt scooped up from a school playground to provide a different impact if necessary.

For example, water would be selected for a classroom to mitigate risk for children, but another material might be chosen for an empty gymnasium when the objective is tearing down a wall to allow a large force to enter as rapidly as possible.

How does the cannon deploy?

The Wall Breaker can be deployed in a number of ways. One is wheeling it up by hand and it only takes one member of law enforcement to roll and fire.

For rapid agility and flexibility, the cannon can be mounted on a vehicle like the back of a pick-up truck and blast bottles from there.

In a sort of castle-rampart style, the cannon can also be set up to defend a fixed spot.

If necessary, this BCB cannon can even be fired remotely.

The Wall Breakers range varies depending on factors like the ammo contents, weight, and the environment.Has your Telegram app been acting wonky on iPhone since downloading iOS 11.4? You're not alone.

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov on Thursday revealed that Apple has been blocking the company's iOS updates ever since Russian authorities ordered Cupertino to remove the encrypted messaging app from its App Store. As a result, "some Telegram features, such as stickers, don't work correctly under iOS 11.4  even though we fixed this issue weeks ago," Durov wrote.

Russian state communications watchdog Roskomnadzor blocked Telegram on April 16 over the company's repeated refusal to hand over the encryption keys to its messaging service. The country's Federal Security Service has been demanding access to those keys, citing Telegram's use among terrorists, including a suicide bomber who killed 15 people in St. Petersburg in April 2017.

"We believe we did the only possible thing, preserving the right of our users to privacy in a troubled country," Durov wrote today. "Unfortunately, Apple didn't side with us. While Russia makes up only 7 percent of Telegram's userbase, Apple is restricting updates for all Telegram users around the world since mid-April."

Apple's decision to block Telegram updates also prevents the app maker from being able to fully comply with the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation, which went into effect on May 25, Durov added.

"We are continuing our efforts to resolve the situation and will keep you updated," he wrote.

Apple did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

Since the block, Russian users have flocked to VPN services to continue using Telegram. Russia has reportedly responded by blocking VPNs, yet Russians continue to find new access routes, turning this into a cat and mouse game.

This isn't Telegram's first run-in with Apple. In February, the iPhone maker temporarily yanked Telegram from its App Store over "inappropriate content."

This article originally appeared on PCMag.com.Delta Air Lines has debuted new uniforms for 64,000 employees working in its airplanes, airports and hangars at a reported cost of $20 million  an investment met with mixed reactions on social media.

On May 29, the Atlanta-headquartered carrier at last rolled out a whopping 1.2 million clothing items designed by Zac Posen and produced by Lands End  a collaboration three years in the making, according to a press release.

DELTA PLANE DIVERTED TO TULSA OVER 'UNRULY PASSENGER'

In preparation for the launch, Delta conducted over 80 employee focus groups and polled over 1,000 employees over three months  and across five continents  on their thoughts about the uniforms. Reviewing over 30,000 employee survey responses, the design team then made over 165 changes before landing the final looks.

Posen, an acclaimed womens wear designer known for modern designs, as well as his role as a judge on Lifetimes Project Runway, even shadowed Delta employees across various departments to fully immerse himself in their employee culture, and to prpperly design clothing for employees from Sydney to Honolulu.

Furthermore, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said the new uniform rollout cost was probably in the $20 million range, but that all the effort was worthwhile, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

The new Delta uniform collection offers unity between all workgroups like never before. We are one proud Delta team and it really shows, Bastian said in the release.

Zac is bringing fashion and glamour back to the airlines. Its a sophisticated look, its elegant, its much more international in orientation. Our aspirations are to be a top global carrier, not just a top U.S. carrier, the exec later mused to the Journal-Constitution.

Touting the uniforms innovative, high-tech fabric featuring ripstop, high-stretch, wrinkle-and-stain-resistant, water repellant and waterproof, deodorizing, windproof, anti-static and moisture-wicking properties, the redesign also introduced Spanx compression undergarments for female employees, and "male and female flight attendants will also receive compression socks, Fast Company reports.

BALENCIAGA'S $1,245 T-SHIRT SHIRT BAFFLES TWITTER USERS

Most notably, the carrier has embraced a new signature hue with Passport Plum, shattering a 30-year tradition of blue and red looks in the hopes of standing out among the domestic competition, Bastian said.

"One of the things that we talk to our employees and customers about is our uniforms, while they're very traditional, very professional, don't stand out. They couldn't identify the Delta uniforms from the other competitors because they all kind of were in the mix," Bastian told CBS.

Various carriers including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airlines and United Airlines largely outfit their employees in blue and navy uniforms.

Now, with the "passport plum"-colored uniforms, "no one will miss the Delta people," he added.

Naturally, the Twitterverse reacted to the news with mixed opinions.

Though the reactions to the new designs were mostly positive, others had some harsh words to share.

I'm a big @delta fan, but these look awful. They don't look user or female friendly. And the tie with a short sleeve shirt never looks good either, one critic said.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Delta would have been much wiser to spend $20 million on the myriad customer service issues and stop trying to rip off all the customers, another moaned.

This is where our ticket money is going to...designer uniforms. Ugh... one agreed.

Yep ties with short sleeves isnt a good look. Love Delta. But purple when your colors are red, blue, and white??? asked another.

Passport Plum is a combination of Deltas red and navy heritage. It complements a diverse range of skin tones. This compliments Delta's brand and allows our employees to stand out for excellence, just like our service, the carrier tweeted from their official account.

Others, however, were thrilled with new look for the carrier.

You guys look absolutely amazing!!! #DeltaProud, one fan cheered.

Love the new Zac Posen uniforms, and the plum really stands out! another exclaimed.A man who caused a Transavia flight that originated in the Spanish island of Gran Canaria to make an emergency landing in Portugal has died from tissue necrosis, De Telegraaf reported.

The male passenger, now identified as Russian rock musician Andrey Suchilin, purportedly smelled so strongly that others on the flight began fainting and vomiting before the plane could touch down at the Netherlands' Schiphol Airport.

Several passengers said the smell was unbearable and the man was unwashed.

The Daily Mail reported the 58-year-old contracted an infection while on vacation in the Canary Islands that caused his body tissue to die, resulting in the odor.

Suchilins wife, Lidia, wrote on Facebook that her husband had sought medical attention before leaving Spain, but was told it was just an ordinary beach infection and was given antibiotics, Newsweek reported.

His condition worsened on the flight to Amsterdam.

SOUTHWEST FLIGHT MAKES EMERGENCY LANDING BECAUSE PASSENGER WAS ALLEGEDLY SMOKING POT

Belgian passenger Piet van Haut, who was on the flight last month, told Express the man smelled like he had not bathed in several weeks.

"It was like he hadn't washed himself for several weeks. Several passengers got sick and had to puke, van Haut said.

According to the publication, airline crew members tried to keep the man contained in the airplane bathroom while the pilot diverted the flight.

The plane landed in Faro, Portugal, where the man was removed from the Boeing 737 and placed on a bus by medical personnel.

In a statement to Express from Transavia, the airliner confirmed the emergency landing was due to medical reasons.

"The aeroplane diverted because of medical reasons, but it is indeed right that he smelled quite a bit," a Transavia spokesperson told the news site.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Transavia later returned Fox News' request for comment with the following statement:

We can confirm that on May 29th a stopover of flight HV5666 (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria - Amsterdam) has taken place on Faro (Portugal). This was a precautionary measure in relation to a passenger for medical reasons, a company spokesperson said via email.

Due to privacy legislation, however, we cannot not disclose details about individual cases. What we can say is that our crew has acted correctly and carefully in accordance with the applicable procedures.A Southwest Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Northern California Wednesday afternoon after a passenger lit up onboard.

Flight 1250 was heading from San Francisco to Los Angeles when the passenger reportedly started smoking pot in the airplane lavatory.

KIM JONG UN WANTS TO OPEN BURGER JOINT AS 'SHOW OF GOODWILL'

It looked like someone needed to smoke a joint on a plane, and he went into the bathroom, smoked his blunt, and set off the fire alarm, passenger Jonathan Burkes told CBS Los Angeles.

The pilot diverted the flight to Mineta San Jose International Airport, about 50 miles south of San Francisco, after reporting a mechanical difficulty, a spokeswoman for the San Jose airport told The Mercury News.

The plane landed safely around 4:10 p.m. and the passenger accused of smoking was turned over to law enforcement. The remaining 32 passengers were put on different planes to continue on to their destination.

Southwest Airlines released the following statement to Fox News regarding the incident: "Southwest Airlines Flight 1250 with scheduled service from San Francisco to Los Angeles landed safely after diverting to San Jose following indications a Customer was allegedly smoking in the aft lavatory.

"The flight landed without incident[,] was met by local law enforcement, and the Customer in question was turned over to local authorities. Our Employees in San Jose worked hard to accommodate the remaining 32 Customers on other aircraft to continue their journeys."

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A similar incident occurred last December on a Southwest flight when a passenger threatened to kill everybody on the plane after disabling the smoke detector and smoking onboard.The "most magical place on Earth" experienced a serious scare when an Arizona man falsely informed Walt Disney World guests that there was an active shooter present as an experiment for his YouTube channel.

On May 21, around midnight, Dillon Burch was arrested after spreading panic in the Contemporary Resort and saying that the building was on lockdown, WKMG reported.

According to an affidavit, the 22-year-old man began alerting people at the bus stop of the false threat, before moving to the mini beach to warn hotel manager Erin Taylor and two others, as per The Washington Post. As Taylor began to panic, Burch said he was just joking and that recording peoples reactions was an experiment for a YouTube video.

VETERAN KICKED OFF RIDE FOR NOT HAVING REAL LEGS CALLS ON SIX FLAGS TO CHANGE POLICIES

When confronted by another hotel manager, Jose Castillo, Burch changed his tune and alleged the stunt was for a "school project. Castillo chastised Burch that he should not have done that and informed him authorities were on their way to speak to him.

Burch then told Castillo not to follow him, fled across the parking lot and hid in a row of bushes of the hotels property, WKMG reported.

When an Orange County sheriffs deputy arrived at the scene, Burch proceeded to crawl out of his hiding place and announce that he was the one they wanted. Law enforcement officials found a beer in his backpack and reported that the man was highly intoxicated, People reported.

POWER OUTAGE AT OHIO AMUSEMENT PARK STRANDS RIDERS ON ROLLER COASTERS, GONDOLA LIFT

Contemporary Resort was subsequently put on lockdown because of Burchs claims. Burch was also booted from his hotel room, and has been banned from Walt Disney World property, documents say.

Burch appeared in court on May 22 and was charged with disturbing the peace at a public lodging and disorderly intoxication, to which he pleaded no contest.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Disney World did not immediately return Fox News request for comment.Three teenagers in California were the subjects of a violent hammer attack that occurred earlier this week, authorities said.

Early Monday morning, several individuals whose faces were covered came in through the garage of an Aptos residence and began striking the boys  two 16-year-olds and one 17-year-old  with a hammer, the Santa Cruz County Sheriffs Office said in a news release.

"Two of them were sleeping so it was immediate. Once they came in the garage the attack happened in a space of about 30 seconds," Sgt. Brian Cleveland said, according to KTVU FOX 2.

AS MANY AS 20 VEHICLES CRASH IN PILEUP AT FOGGY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PASS; 15 INJURED

Cleveland reportedly described the attack as very quick and very violent. The sheriffs office said the individuals snagged multiple items before fleeing in an unknown vehicle.

All three teens suffered head injuries. The 17-year-old remained in critical condition after being brought to a trauma center, the sheriffs office said, while the others received medical treatment and were released.

According to KTVU FOX 2, a GoFundMe account was created on behalf of the 17-year-old, whose name is Alex, according to the website. The listing said the teen sustained major head trauma, a severe skull fracture and was placed into a medically induced coma after having multiple seizures en route to the hospital.

TESLA IN AUTOPILOT MODE CRASHES INTO CALIFORNIA POLICE CAR

Authorities did not immediately identify a motive for the incident.

"This is a very targeted attack. It could be for a variety of reason," Cleveland said, according to KTVU FOX 2. We don't want to focus our investigation on just one aspect right now.

The sheriffs office offered a limited description of the masked suspects, saying they were men who were 18-20 years old.A Florida man, tapped in 2001 for a role in the U.S. Treasury, was allegedly shot in the head by his wife this week, authorities said.

The Nassau County Sheriffs Office said deputies arrived to the scene around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday following reports of a person who was shot." There they discovered Tony Brown, 58, on the floor lying in a pool of blood resulting from a gunshot wound to the back of his head, the sheriffs office said.

After investigating and talking to the mans wife, Lawanda Brown, 57, authorities said she was arrested for attempted murder. Her husband was taken to a Jacksonville hospital with critical injuries, the sheriffs office added.

In 2001, Brown was appointed to the role of Director of the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI) under former President George W. Bush, according to Fox 30, who obtained the news release with the announcement.

MAN ACCUSED OF PAINTING SWASTIKAS ON GRAVES IS NO STRANGER TO POLICE

The couple resides at the home where authorities were called and its also where the Browns have an office for their consulting business, the sheriffs office said.

The couple was working in the office before the encounter, authorities said, during which the suspect said "her husband asked her to perform a Google search for a template for a project they were working on.

While carrying out her husbands request, the suspect claimed that her husbands tone of voice suggested that he was not happy with how she was searching, according to the sheriffs office.

WOMAN CAUGHT SHAVING LEGS AT PUBLIC POOL IN FLORIDA, SPARKS OUTRAGE

She said it was all a blur as the victim started walking out of the loft prior to being shot, the sheriffs office said.

Authorities said they recovered a .38 caliber revolver in the bedroom of the home.A New Hampshire man accused of giving his roommate a gun to kill himself -- and a notebook and pen for his suicide letter -- pleaded not guilty to related charges on Tuesday.

Parker Hogan, 19, was charged in the suicide of 19-year-old Michael Buskey on May 8. Police also said he instructed Buskey on the correct angle to hold the gun to his head.

Hogan allegedly told officials he helped his friend plan the suicide because Buskey was worried about a future court date and didnt want to go to jail. Hogan said the two had gone into the woods near their apartment and practiced shooting methods.

On the day of Buskeys suicide, Hogan told police he left his roommate in the woods and didnt return until he heard a gunshot.

Officials said he went back to see if Buskey was dead and then returned home with the gun, the note written to the family and a phone which had been playing a song on repeat.

Hogan phoned police and Buskeys father the next morning, investigators said.

Buskey was found dead in the woods from an apparent gunshot wound and his death was ruled a suicide.

Jennifer Phelps, Buskeys mother, said it didnt make sense that her son would take his own life and that he had troubles in the past but that he was improving, WMUR reported.

I think there's a lot more behind it. My personal opinion -- I can't speak for anybody else -- in my personal opinion, I think there's a lot more behind it than meets the eye, Phelps said.

A defense attorney pleaded not guilty on Hogans behalf Tuesday. He posted bail and is set to return to court in July.

He face three additional counts of falsifying physical evidence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.An Ohio police department took to Facebook this week with a faux advisory for meth users about the Zika virus.

WARNING: If you have recently purchased Meth in Preble, Montgomery, Darke or Butler Counties it may be contaminated with the Zika Virus, the Gratis Police Department wrote.

They added, Please bring it to the Gratis Police Department and we will test it for free. If youre not comfortable coming into our office, please contact us and well test your Meth in the privacy of your home.

Gratis police later acknowledged that the drug is unable to host the virus.

"We're just trying to keep things lighthearted and humanize the police department with some jokes," Assistant Chief Dennis Blankenship told Fox 45. "We're not doing it to arrest 100 people that are going to bring in meth. Drug addiction is a serious issue and I pride myself in helping people when it comes to that."

Blankenship said the Facebook post, which has racked up more than 3,100 reactions and 800 comments as of Wednesday afternoon, wasn't intended to lead to arrests.

But that didn't stop people from questioning the department's motive.

MAN CAUGHT MASTURBATING TELLS COPS HE'S CAPTAIN KIRK FROM 'STAR TREK'

Isnt this entrapment? a commenter asked.

Do you really think we're being serious and expect people to show up? Come on now. And if they do why do you care? It's more drugs off the street right," police replied.

I do not support or condone the use of this drug, and get that its a funny post. But wouldnt this be considered entrapment. The police persuading you to do something you wouldnt normally do in order to bust you?" another commenter said.

No, police said. You have to be persistent in attempting to persuade the person to commit the crime they otherwise wouldnt be committing. But if they are already in possession of Meth then they are not committing any crime that they wouldn't already be committing.

Others had different takes on the situation.

Should be going after the dealers thats distributing it and furthering addiction. Or how about the ones bringing it in to the dealers ?

We are, police replied. Every single day.

But at least one Facebook user suggested police in the area have a bigger problem that needs to be addressed.

I don't live there, so Im unaware of the meth problem. But after reading the posts, youve got a bigger problem on your hands. Seems those in your area suffer from a serious lack of humor," the user wrote.A woman was arrested and charged late Wednesday in connection with the shooting death of a Tennessee sheriffs deputy as the manhunt for the alleged gunman continued, officials said.

The suspect, identified as Erika Castro-Miles, 38, of Dickson, Tenn., was charged with first-degree murder in the death of Sgt. Daniel Baker, special agents from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) said.

Castro-Miles was detained early in the investigation at the Dickson County Jail, where she remains.



Steven Wiggins, 31, was identified as the suspect in the ongoing manhunt. He was described as a white male with thinning, brown hair. An initial reward of $7,500 was offered for information leading to the suspects capture, but officials later increased it to $12,500.

TBI officials tweeted overnight that they finalized an arrest warrant for Wiggins, charging him with first-degree murder. They said the investigation to locate the suspect would continue through the night.

Castro-Miles told police Wiggins was doing meth all night and smoking marijuana.

Baker, a deputy with the Dickson County Sheriffs Office, was responding to a call about a stolen vehicle in Kingston Springs when officials said they lost contact with him. Officers were able to use GPS to track the deputys car, where he was found shot dead inside of it.

"Our hearts are shattered, one of best deputies was killed. He's one of the guys who puts it on the line every day to keep up safe," Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe said of Baker.

Tennessee officials issued a Blue Alert in the manhunt for Wiggins. A Blue Alert is issued when a Tennessee law enforcement officer is injured or killed in the line of duty. TBI spokesman Josh Devine said it's the second Blue Alert that has been issued since it was created in July 2011.

Police said Wiggins was fighting with his girlfriend Tuesday and allegedly slapped her, held her at gunpoint and stole her car. He was wanted for aggravated assault and theft in connection with that incident, Nashville's WSMV-TV reported.

Wiggins had previously been convicted on aggravated assault, theft, vandalism and domestic assault charges. Earlier this year, the suspect never showed to court-ordered community service.

"He has the option to do the right thing," Bledsoe said of Wiggins at a news conference Wednesday. "People make mistakes and people do things that are terrible, and this is an evil deed that he has done. But now he can show people that there's still something left in him by turning himself in."

Baker, a member of the Marine Corps Reserve, served the department for 10 years, three months and 12 days. He leaves behind a wife and daughter.

Fox News Ryan Gaydos and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

Immigrant advocates are accusing the U.S. government of "effectively disappearing hundreds of minor children" in a new complaint to an international human-rights agency.

The complaint announced Thursday targets the Trump administration's separating of parents and children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in early May that authorities would start prosecuting every person suspected of having crossed the border illegally. That's resulted in hundreds of adults being jailed and their children often placed into federal shelters for unaccompanied immigrant minors.

Advocates say many parents have lost track of their children in the process. The complaint was filed with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which studies alleged human rights abuses in North and South America.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement says it is committed to connecting parents and children "as quickly as possible after separation."As remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto spread into the Great Lakes region, people were keeping a weary watch on dams and hillsides Thursday as rains from the storms have triggered floods and mudslides in the Appalachians of the Southeast.

In the North Carolina mountains, one of those landslides was blamed for a gas leak that destroyed a home, killing two people. Boone police Sgt. Shane Robbins said the landslide resulted in the "catastrophic destruction" of the home Wednesday afternoon because of a gas leak.

Elsewhere, four dams being closely watched by a state team of special engineers were holding up, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday.

But Cooper went ahead and declared a state of emergency for his hard-hit mountain counties, saying the forecast for the rest of the week calls for isolated heavy rain storms that could instantly cause flooding in areas that have had 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain in the past 15 days.

"This storm isn't yet over. I'm urging people to keep a close eye on forecasts," Cooper said.

Alberto, while still spinning like a classic tropical storm, has managed to make its way since a Memorial Day landfall in the Florida Panhandle to just outside of Chicago. Forecasters said it would still bring rain and gusty winds to the Great Lakes this week.

Alberto's heavy rains have been widespread. Scattered flooding was reported in several states from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and Virginia and West Virginia.

In Hopkinsville, Kentucky, high winds and heavy rains gave Sherry Key a fitful night's sleep.

"I have dogs and they're terribly afraid of storms, so they were on top on top me all night," said Key, an airport office manager.

The worst of the flooding was in the Appalachian Mountains. Up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain caused flooding in Helen, a mountain town in Georgia, the National Weather Service said.

Atlanta station WAGA-TV reported that several roads near the downtown area of that German-styled tourist destination were shut down because of the rising water. No injuries were reported.

Two deaths had been reported during the storm's passage. A television news anchor and a photojournalist were killed Monday in North Carolina while covering the weather, when a tree became uprooted from rain-soaked ground and toppled onto their SUV, authorities said. WYFF-TV of Greenville, South Carolina, said news anchor Mike McCormick and photojournalist Aaron Smeltzer died.

In the mountains of North Carolina, two Department of Transportation workers survived a close call when their dump truck was swept away by a mudslide in McDowell County while trying to clean debris from an earlier slide. The men were able to climb from the overturned truck and stand on its side in the Catawba River until they were rescued, Gov. Cooper said.

Authorities in Cuba say Alberto left four people dead there as the storm drenched the island in heavy rain. Interior Minister Julio Cesar Gandarilla said late Tuesday they died as a result of "recklessness" during the storm. He gave no details. The deaths occurred as authorities worked to contain an oil spill in central Cuba's Cienfuegos Bay that followed the flooding of nearby oil refinery.

___

Collins reported from Columbia, South Carolina. Associated Press writer Jack Jones, also in Columbia, contributed to this report.An appeals board has ordered a stay of deportation for a Spanish-language news reporter who was arrested during a demonstration in Tennessee.

The Commercial Appeal reported that a lawyer for 42-year-old Manuel Duran said he won the stay but still faces months in immigration detention while an appeal is pending.

Attorney Jeremy Jong said federal authorities had planned to deport Duran to El Salvador on Wednesday, but the Board of Immigration Appeals in Falls Church, Virginia, ordered a stay Tuesday. Jong said he spoke with Duran, who is excited and happy.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan D. Cox confirmed the stay but said the underlying immigration case wasn't addressed.

Duran was reporting on a protest of immigration policies in Memphis in April when he was arrested. The protest coincided with days of remembrance of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in Memphis.

Disorderly conduct and obstruction of a highway charges were dropped, but he was picked up by immigration agents after his release.

Duran is from El Salvador and he has lived in Memphis for years. He runs the Memphis Noticias online news outlet. Duran's lawyers have said he came to the U.S. after receiving death threats related to reporting on corruption in El Salvador.

Duran was issued a deportation order in 2007. The order to leave the country came after Duran failed to show up for court.

One of Duran's attorneys has said he had been critical of law enforcement in his reporting and was targeted and retaliated against for it. Memphis police have denied those allegations.

___

Information from: The Commercial Appeal, http://www.commercialappeal.comThe attorney for a former medical school dean at the University of Southern California argued Wednesday that his client should be allowed to continue practicing medicine, despite acknowledging that he used hard drugs during his tenure at USC.

Attorney Peter Osinoff made the case on behalf of Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito during a state medical board hearing that followed Puliafito's March 2016 resignation from the university -- one of several high-profile departures from the school in recent years.

Osinoff argued that while 67-year-old Puliafito has a brilliant mind, he also suffers from mental illness, which induced an ugly side that led to his relationship with a prostitute, the Los Angeles Times reported.

He noted that Puliafito was more addicted to his involvement with the young woman, identified in a previous report by the Times as Sarah Warren, than the narcotics  and asserted that Warren was the one who introduced the physician to street drugs.

Osinoff argued his client has been recovering for several months and has since gotten a grasp on his bipolar disorder, according to the paper.

Puliafito resigned as the dean of USCs Keck School of Medicine in three weeks after Warren, 21, overdosed in a Pasadena hotel in his company, according to a detailed investigation by the Times.

The physician continued to represent the school and see patients at the university until the paper published its investigation last year that revealed Puliafito lived a secret life of drinking, drug use and partying with addicts and prostitutes.

The report, which prompted the medical board to suspend Puliafito's license, turned out to be just the beginning of a series of scandals to rock the university.

Puliafitos successor, Dr. Rohit Varma, was ousted less than a year after being appointed following revelations of a sexual harassment settlement from 15 years earlier, in which a woman accused him of unwanted sexual advances in 2002.

Most recently, USC gynecologist Dr. George Tyndall, 71, was accused of sexual abuse by more than 50 women over the course of more than two decades following a bombshell report by the Los Angeles Times earlier this month that the women had complained about the physicians behavior for years -- with the school taking no action until 2016.

The Tyndall scandal led USC President C.L. Max Nikias, 65, to announce his resignation Friday.

Tyndall has denied any wrongdoing in interviews with the Times.

During Wednesdays hearing, the state medical board alleged that Puliafito would see patients within hours of using methamphetamine, in addition to providing drugs and paraphernalia to Warren, and her brother Charles Warren, who was 17 at the time, the paper reported, citing a filing.

Osinoff denied those claims, arguing his client never treated patients while under the influence of drugs, nor did he ever illegally supply drugs, adding that Puliafito hasnt used methamphetamine since last July, according to the paper.

The attorney argued Warren drugged Puliafito without his consent, while he spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on clothes, housing and rehab among other things for her.

Osinoff also claimed Warrens parents tried to extort money from Puliafito, but Sarah and Charles Warren denied the allegations, the Times reported.

Puliafito attended the hearing, which will determine whether the physician can continue practicing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Three young boys in Colorado learned a harsh lesson in business and regulation over Memorial Day weekend.

Jennifer Knowles, the boys mother, encouraged her three sons to open a lemonade stand across the street from their house in the Denver suburb of Stapleton, Colo., FOX 4 reported.

I want to teach my kids about being an entrepreneur and having your own business. My 6-year-old got his little toy cash register out that he got when he was about 2 or 3 and he was learning how to interact with customers and about customer service.

I want to teach my kids about being an entrepreneur and having your own business."  Jennifer Knowles, Colorado mom

But within a half-hour of the boys setting up their stand, police arrived inquiring about a permit.

The police officers came over and they said that because my boys and I did not have permits for a lemonade stand they shut us down and we had to stop immediately, Knowles said.

According to Knowles, a neighbor had complained to police. Knowles said the boys, ages 4 to 6, were planning to donate the proceeds to Compassion International, a charity group.

Communications Program Manager Alexandra Foster said that permit laws for businesses run by minors are not usually enforced, but police will respond if a complaint is made.

If our inspectors go to a lemonade stand, it means weve received a complaint, and generally complaints stem from high levels of activity or noise that disrupts neighbors, Foster said.

By contrast, neighboring Utah passed SB 81, a bipartisan bill that exempts minors who operate a business from obtaining a permit.A man from Mexico who has previously been arrested and deported multiple times for entering the U.S. illegally is now facing the death penalty after being found guilty in the 2014 murder of a Border Patrol agent in Texas.

Gustavo Tijerina-Sandoval, of La Villa, showed no emotion in court Wednesday as he was told by a judge that a jury found him guilty in the killing of Javier Vega Jr. and attempted murder of the agents father, Javier Vega Sr.

The younger Vega was gunned down in front of his family on August 3, 2014, after Tijerina-Sandoval and his accomplice, Ismael Hernandez-Vallejo, attempted to rob him to pay off a $3,500 debt to a man that was threatening Tijerina-Sandoval, according to court testimony and police statements.

Vega Jr., his wife and two kids had been fishing in Santa Monica with his father, and was struck in the chest with gunfire after pulling out his weapon in response. His father suffered a hip injury but Vega Jr. died in the attack. An immigration checkpoint in Sarita, where Vega Jr. worked, was later renamed in tribute to him.

Even when not in uniform, Agent Vega exemplified the selflessness and devotion to public safety that makes an extraordinary agent, and this will help honor his service and sacrifice, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), had said about the fallen agent in 2017.

Ismael Hernandez-Vallejo has yet to go to trial for the same charges. Tijerina-Sandoval could receive the death penalty in the sentencing phase for his trial, which is set to begin Thursday afternoon.

The agents family embraced each other, friends and members of law enforcement working on the case after the guilty verdict was announced Wednesday, the Brownsville Herald reported.

Tijerina-Sandovals defense attorneys, following the announcement, reportedly said they would need to talk to him first to figure out how to proceed in the case.

Fox News previously reported in 2014, following Tijerina-Sandovals arrest, that he had been found guilty numerous times of crossing into the U.S. illegally through its southern border with Mexico. Hernandez-Vallejo was deported twice for doing the same, sources said.

In Hernandez-Vallejos first court appearance, he had expressed surprise at the charges that were facing him.

"I don't understand why I'm being accused of so many things," he said.

Hernandez-Vallejo has entered a not guilty plea in his case.An Illinois police department says its exploring ways to pursue legal action against online commentators who falsely accused it of beating up a woman after she broadcast a Facebook Live video showing her swollen face following an arrest.

Andrea Morris, while in custody at the Sauk Village police department, sparked outrage on social media as she talked about a recent incident in which their officers had tased her.

The police tased me, I don't even know what happened after that, my whole face is f----d up, she said, while fighting back tears. I look like a different person.

One commenter then responded to the video claiming that Sauk Village police beat her in her sleep!"  an accusation that was shared numerous times  and one the department is denying, according to Fox 32 Chicago.

Authorities say Morris was actually trespassing on the property of her ex-girlfriend, who had became fearful that she would break the windows on her home. Morris resisted arrest twice and while trying to run away, was tasered by an officer and fell face-first on a sidewalk, they added.

The departments chief, Robert Kowalski, told Fox 32 Chicago that they may make an example of those who were spreading the beat her in her sleep claims on social media.

We will definitely discuss this matter with my detective and run it past the states attorneys office to see if theres anything we can do legally against any individuals who are promoting these allegations against the police department, he said.

CAMERAS OFTEN CLEAR POLICE OFFICERS FALSELY ACCUSED OF MISCONDUCT

Sauk Village police added that they took Morris to a local hospital to be evaluated and she is now facing charges of resisting arrest and trespassing. Her ex-girlfriend also told the station that she backs the polices version of events up.

Police departments around the U.S. in recent months have taken to releasing bodycam and dash cam footage to clear officers of alleged wrongdoing. The false claims against officers have ranged from sexual assault to profiling.Convicted killer Jodi Arias motion to file her opening appeals brief under seal was denied Wednesday, a report said.

Arias attorney argued that keeping the brief secret was in the interest of protecting the safety of certain parties, the Arizona Republic reported.

Since her first trial in 2013, the absurd level of interest in this case had caused problems, Arias' attorneys said, according to the report.

However, a three-judge panel in the Arizona Court of Appeals wrote the court concludes that the current request is legally insufficient to overcome the strong presumption in favor of public access, the Republic reported.

The judicial panel did grant Arias until next Tuesday to detail parts of her opening brief that might be sealed for privacy or confidentiality reasons, the report said.

Arias was convicted of first-degree murder in 2013 in the 2008 death her ex-boyfriend, Travis Alexander, at his in home in Mesa, Ariz.

Prosecutors said Arias attacked Alexander in a jealous rage after he wanted to end their affair and planned a trip to Mexico with another woman.

Arias has acknowledged killing Alexander but claimed it was self-defense after he attacked her.

A sizable portion of Arias' retrial in 2015 that sent her to prison for life was reportedly shrouded in secrecy.

A white-noise machine was turned on regularly during her sentencing retrial three years ago to keep spectators from hearing what lawyers argued as they huddled around the judge's bench.

At other times, the public wasn't allowed in the courtroom, like when a judge let a skittish witness testify behind closed doors without revealing that the person in question was Arias.

She is now serving a life sentence at the Arizona Department of Corrections Perryville Prison Complex, the states only womens prison, the Republic reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Lava bubbling to the surface on Hawaiis Big Island is the hottest and most fluid its been since Kilauea erupted four weeks ago  measuring at least 1,652 degrees Fahrenheit with no upper limit in sight, a volcanologist with the USGS warned Thursday.

Wendy Stovall with the U.S. Geological Survey told reporters that the actual temperature is likely even higher.

Its hard to get to the center, which is the hottest portion of the fountain, Stovall said.

Stovall said scientists haven't been measuring the center but instead measured the pieces that have broken off and were in the process of cooling.

More people living on the Big Island have been advised to evacuate. So far, Kilauea has destroyed 82 homes and other structures.

Earlier this week, a fast-moving lava flow burned down 12 homes while lava fountains shot up to 250 feet into the air. The lava quickly spread across parts the Big Island on Wednesday forcing officials to order more evacuations -- this time in two coastal neighborhoods over concerns that flows could cut off escape routes and trap residents.

Hawaii County Civil Defense decided to evacuate all of lower Puna to ensure that people would be able to get out, Stovall said.

Officials said the lava destroyed the electric utilitys equipment on the highway which led to power losses at the Vacationland and Kapoho Beach lots.

You are at risk of being isolated due to possible lava inundation, the Hawaii County Civil Defense Agency warned.

Kilauea is one of the worlds most active volcanos. It has been erupting at its summit crater as well as in a string of fissures more than 25 miles long.

U.S. Marine Corps helicopters have been on standby and ready to evacuate residents should Kilauea block the last escape route.

Scientists say they have no idea when Kilauea will slow down.The New York man who made headlines last week after he was ordered by a judge to vacate his parents home has started packing up his belongings and finalizing moving plans.

Michael Rotondo, 30, of Camillus, was preparing his move by going to Lowes to buy boxes for packing.

He said he was offered free packing supplies by a Home Depot employee but turned her down, saying it did not feel right, the Post-Standard of Syracuse reported. When asked by the paper why he declined the womans offer but took $3,000 from radio show host Alex Jones he said, Alex Jones makes money for having me on his show, but the woman does not.

The paper followed Rotondo as he packed before Friday, the legal deadline. During that time, a person called the man on a restricted number and said loser before hanging up. Rotondo called police following the call.

NEW YORK MAN, 30, IS ORDERED TO VACATE PARENTS HOME AFTER REFUSING TO LEAVE FOR MONTHS

"I can't have my phone getting jammed up with nonsense like that," Rotondo said. "I can't have that happen."

He told the Post-Standard he was not too sure how long it would take to pack his room but noted that his belongings would go into a self-storage unit.

"Looking around my room and stuff - how much more is all this going to take to pack?" he asked.

REMAINS OF SUSPECTED MS-13 VICTIM UNEARTHED IN NEW YORK, POLICE SAY

"There's no more urgency after that," he added. "Everything else is just finding a long-term place."

Rotondo said he was still looking for the perfect place, which he described as someplace inexpensive, with internet.

Fox News Katherine Lam and the Associated Press contributed to this report.A dog reportedly died after being buried in a locked cage in the woods in Pennsylvania and a local animal shelter is seeking justice for the torturing act.

Animal cruelty officers located the pit bull after someone called in to the Ruth Steinert Memorial SPCA, WNEP reported.

"Whoever did this went to great effort and was sick," SPCA manager Lori Sult told the outlet. "They basically built a torture chamber for this dog."

MAN SHOUTING ALLAHU AKBAR STABS POLICE DOG TO DEATH, COPS SAY

Bridget Barder, an animal cruelty officer, reportedly described the scene as horrid and barbaric.

The animal shelter took to Facebook Tuesday to post about the heartless act.

We are still in shock over this heartless, barbaric, sick, torturing act, the shelter wrote. This poor dog was locked in a crate shoved down a hole with blankets and wood covering the crate PURPOSELY left to die in a wooded area in Heckshersville.

MAINE FIREFIGHTER GETS THANK YOU KISSES FROM DOG HE RESCUED FROM ROOF

They said they were seeking justice for this poor baby and urged anyone with information to get in touch with the Frackville State Police.

A link to a GoFundMe account was also provided on the shelters Facebook post, saying it was created to help raise money for a reward for any details that can lead to the prosecution of the person (s) responsible for the intentional torture to the sweet brindle pittie we have named Thomaston.

Employees of the shelter believe the animal was in the conditions for roughly two months and seems to have died of starvation, WNEP reported.A Florida mother was reeling after her 9-month-old daughter was fatally mauled by a pit bull as she sat in a bouncy chair, saying shes numb after losing the best thing to ever happen to me.

Brenda Villasin, 24, told the Miami Herald that she dropped off her baby daughter, Liana Valino, at her paternal grandmothers house early Wednesday, kissing the girls feet goodbye as she slept. But hours later, she got the call that every parent dreads  telling her to return to the Miramar home outside of Fort Lauderdale as fast as she could, according to the newspaper.

Upon arriving, police told Villasin that her daughter had died when a male pit bull about 3 or 4 years old  one of three in the residence  mauled her as she sat in a childs seat.

I am numb right now, Villasin told the Herald. She was the best thing to ever happen to me.

Click for more from The New York Post.Authorities are searching for a possible shipwreck off the coast of Northern California after debris -- including pieces of a wooden boat, clothes, and shoes -- were discovered on a beach Wednesday, officials said.

The U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Southwest division posted to Twitter that crews were searching the waters after a debris field was found near Pacifica, located about 15 miles south of San Francisco.

Pieces of the boat, shoes and clothing were recovered on the beach halfway between Pacifica Pier and Point Mori, according to KTVU.

Photos posted by the Coast Guard shows pieces of a wooden boat that has the name "Rio" and "Barca" on it.

AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE HELPED LOCATE HOLY GRAIL OF SHIPWRECKS OFF COLOMBIA

Officials said they did not receive any distress calls in the area, and it was unclear if the boat somehow became loose or if there were any mariners that needed assistance.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Coast Guard's San Francisco Sector at 510-399-3547.Three bodies have been found at the home of a man charged with kidnapping, sexually assaulting and brutally torturing a woman with a hammer, a prosecutor said on Thursday.

Two bodies were found in and around the Springfield home after police responded to the house on Wednesday night, Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni said.

Late Thursday, Gulluni confirmed a third body had been found on the property.

Stewart Weldon was arrested Sunday after a car chase that ended when he crashed into a police cruiser and wrestled with officers.

Stewart Weldon who was arrested on May 27 by the Springfield Police Department does, we believe, lives at this address, Gulluni said, according to WWLP. That is the extent of the connections we are willing to say at this point.

A woman in Weldons car said he held her captive for a month, sexually assaulted her and beat her with a hammer and other objects, police said.

Thank you for saving my life, the woman told officers, according to a police report. I never thought I would get away.

The woman was taken to a hospital with what police called grotesque and violent injuries, including a possible fractured jaw, stab wounds to her abdomen, marks from being hit with a blunt object and a leg infection.

She was still in the hospital on Thursday, Gulluni said.

Weldon, whos 47 years old, pleaded not guilty to a variety of charges on Tuesday, and was held on $1 million bail. His bail in several unrelated cases was revoked.

Weldon had not been charged in connection with the discovery of the bodies.

Gulluni could not confirm if Weldon is the prime suspect of the three bodies found, WWLP reported.

The DA did not disclose the names, ages or genders of the bodies.

The public defender who represented Weldon at his arraignment did not immediately return a message to The Associated Press seeking comment on Thursday.

A police department spokesman said there was no threat to the public.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.The remains of a suspected MS-13 murder victim was discovered in a wooded area in New York City's Long Island suburbs, police said Wednesday.

The discovery in Roosevelt, N.Y., came hours after an investigation into a machete murder last July yielded an arrest, Newsday reported. The unearthed remains were bone fragments, an official told the paper.

It is no doubt an MS-13 murder, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said at a news conference.

MS-13 is believed to be behind 25 killings on Long Island during the past two years and has become a target of President Donald Trump, who has referred to the gang's members as "animals."

Trump visited the area last week, attending a forum on MS-13 in Bethpage, N.Y.

The remains found Wednesday will have to be identified by DNA exams, Ryder said, adding that the discovery shouldnt panic any residents in the neighborhood.

The biggest concern we want people to know is, this is an older murder, he said.

Authorities began digging in the wooded area Tuesday night after getting information on the death of 16-year-old Angel Soler, who was killed after leaving his home July 21, according to Newsday.

Solers body was found in October near where Wednesdays discovery was made. Its suspected that he was also killed by MS-13 gang members.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.One of Stanford Universitys most vocal conservative leaders, who is determined to Make Stanford Great Again, is the son of controversial Obama administration official Susan Rice.

John David Rice-Cameron, 20, told Fox News on Wednesday that the Tea Party movement inspired him to move away from his parents politics and become a conservative.

Rice was one of the Obama administrations most unpopular officials among conservatives and Republicans because of her attempt, as U.N. ambassador, to blame the 2012 terrorist attack on two American facilities in Benghazi, Libya on an offensive YouTube video.

Though they are polar opposites politically, the son who avidly supports President Trump and the mother who is a diehard liberal enjoy a solid relationship.

My mother and I have a great relationship, and my mother believes strongly in the free and respectful exchange of ideas, Rice-Cameron told Fox News. We disagree on most of the standard Republican/Democrat disagreements. However, we agree that America is the greatest nation the world has ever seen, and thus, we believe that America has an important role to play as a force for liberty and justice on the world stage.

STANFORD STUDENTS CALL FOR PROFESSOR WHO CO-FOUNDED ANTI-FASCIST GROUP TO RESIGN

He says the two both support free trade, robust American engagement in Africa, and believe that Russia poses a major threat to American interests.

Rice-Cameron's father is Ian Cameron, a former long time producer and executive at reliably liberal ABC News. Both Cameron and Rice went to Stanford, as well.

Rice-Cameron, who is a sophomore, is president of the College Republicans on campus and the activism director for the California College Republicans. Like his mother, who is a Stanford alumnus, he does not shy away from controversy.

Rice-Cameron hosted controversial expert on radical Islam Robert Spencer, pushed for a professor with ties to Antifa to resign, pressured the school to reverse its decision on banning American flags on their club t-shirts, and Tuesday the group hosted Turning Point USAs Charlie Kirk and Candace Owens for a Make Stanford Great Again! event.

STANFORD REVERSES DECISION, WILL ALLOW AMERICAN FLAG ON COLLEGE REPUBLICANS APPAREL

Rice-Cameron said his parents, both Democrats, encouraged debate and discussion, which unwittingly put him on the path to conservatism by listening to Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin, host of Life, Liberty & Levin on Fox News Channel.

I salute John David Rice-Cameron; a young man committed to liberty, Levin wrote on social media, sharing a story from The College Fix.

Rice-Cameron responded with thanks and added he will call into the show soon.

You have been the single greatest political inspiration for me, he wrote. Thank you very much. I will try to call into the radio show sometime soon.

Listening to Levin talk about the intellectual underpinnings of conservatism and the principles of individual liberty and natural rights, prompted him to be active and outspoken, he said.

This worldview and these principles compel me to promote conservative ideas at Stanford, and beyond, he said. Im driven by a fundamental sense of urgency over the fact that Americans are slowly losing their liberty, and I believe that liberty is being valued less and less. I want to turn the tide, and college campuses are crucial to doing so.A Texas teen and his girlfriend were charged with hiring a hitman to kill the mans jeweler father, who was gunned down in March during a break-in, authorities said Wednesday.

Nicolas Patrick Shaughnessy and Jaclyn Alex Edison, both aged 19 and from College Station, were arrested on a count of criminal solicitation to commit capital murder, Travis County officials said.

Deputies discovered Theodore Shaughnessy dead in his home with multiple gunshot wounds on March 2 after Corey Shaughnessy, the teens mother, called 911 to report an intruder at the home, investigators said. Authorities said the murder-for-hire plot called for the mother to be killed as well, but she was unharmed. The family dog was killed in the break-in.

Theodore Shaughnessy was the owner of Gallerie Jewelers in Austin. The company said on its Facebook page in late April that Nicholas Shaughnessy was set to take over the jewelry shop.

An obituary for the elder Shaughnessy published in the Austin American-Statesman said he was a proud father to his son, Nicolas.

Nicholas Shaughnessy allegedly asked multiple people whether they would be willing to get paid to kill someone in the months before the shooting, investigators said. The teen claimed hed received roughly $8 million from life insurance policies in the deaths of his parents and the sales of their home and jewelry store, investigators said.

Authorities said they found ammunition in the defendants' home that matched casings found at the crime scene.

Its unclear what role Edison, a New Jersey native who was a freshman at Texas A&M, played in the alleged hitman killing. Police said Edison was calm when she was talking to investigators but broke down when she was told she would be tested for gunshot residue, according to KYTX-TV.

The gunman has yet to be caught. Sheriffs spokeswoman Kristen Dark said that detectives are following new leads in the case.

The pair were being held at the Travis County Jail. Shaughnessys bail was set at $3 million, while Edisons bail was at $1 million.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A third person has been arrested in connection with the case of a missing 15-year-old girl from Bonney Lake, Washington, police say.

The man was picked up by officers late Wednesday night in Tacoma on suspicion of third-degree child rape.

Law enforcement sources say the man told them she left his Tacoma home last week. Nobody has seen her since then.

Q13 News is not naming him because he has not been formally charged yet.

Police believe the girl is being sex-trafficked.

Christopher Russell Fitzpatrick, 39, and Maria Ann Counts, 29, were arrested earlier and charged with kidnapping, raping and sex-trafficking the teen.

She was reported missing by her mother to the Bonney Lake Police Department on May 9. An intensive search has been underway for the teenage girl since then.

Click for more from Q13 Fox.A former CIA officer betrayed the U.S. by giving a Chinese spy information about human assets and other top-secret information in exchange for $25,000, prosecutors say.

A jury heard opening statements Wednesday in the trial of Kevin Mallory, 60, of Leesburg, Va.

Mallory, a former self-employed consultant, had grown suspicious about a Chinese think tanks job offer, defense attorney Geremy Kamens said. Mallory had reportedly told CIA about the job offer, but prosecutors viewed that as an attempt to cover his tracks.

Defense lawyers countered that their client is a loyal American who was merely stringing the Chinese along to try to get them to expose details of their own intelligence operation.

Mallorys plan folded in April 2017 at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport during a flight back from Shanghai when customs agents found $16,500 in unreported cash, prosecutor Jennifer Gellie told jurors. Gellie said that encounter prompted Mallory to reach out to old CIA contacts to concoct a cover story.

Mallory agreed to be questioned in May 2017 about his contacts. Gellie said that that he was caught off guard during that interview when a Samsung phone given to him by the Chinese displayed text conversations between Mallory and the Chinese recruiter. Mallory had expected the phone's secure messaging features would keep the conversation hidden, Gellie said.

Your object is to gain information, and my object is to be paid.  Kevin Mallory, former CIA officer

In one text message, Mallory wrote "your object is to gain information, and my object is to be paid."

Agents searched Mallory's home and found two small computer discs containing top-secret documents. Mallory had sent some of those documents to the Chinese recruiter using the Samsung phone, Gellie said.

"Kevin Mallory chose to pass closely held government secrets to a Chinese government agent," Gellie told the jury.

Kamens, though, said Mallory reached out to his old CIA contacts months before he was supposedly spooked by the airport inspection. The CIA contacts testified Wednesday that Mallory had contacted them in February 2017.

The trial is being heard in the Eastern District of Virginia, which is home to the CIA and Pentagon. Still, espionage trials are a rarity, given that both sides have strong incentives to reach plea deals. The government is concerned about exposing secrets, while defendants are worried about potentially stiff sentences.

If convicted, Mallory faces up to life in prison.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A Utah dog owner is facing nearly 30 misdemeanor charges after her 4-year-old husky was caught on video carrying out an animal killing spree in one of her neighbors yards.

Surveillance footage taken by Tooele homeowner Trip Kiss  who with his wife runs a petting zoo for children with disabilities  shows Mackenzie Mortons dog, Nikita, running amok in the early morning hours of Memorial Day.

"He was chewing our goose that was at the back end there, he dug out the rabbits in their enclosure," Kiss told Fox 13, noting that the animal had managed to kill two rabbits, two ducks, five chickens, a turkey, [and] a goose before leaving the property.

Kiss said at one point he spotted the dog  who scattered the dead animals in a two-block radius around his home  with one of his chickens in its jaws.

"The dog continued to chew on it, and it died in the dog's mouth, and he dropped it," Kiss said.

Police managed to capture the dog hours later. Tooele Police Sgt. Jeremy Hansen told Fox 13 that a second lady from a couple houses down came and told the officers that 15 of her chickens had also been killed by the same animal.

Morton said the dog had vanished from her boyfriends home nearby, late at night, and that it was dark outside. She told the station that she found a few dead chickens in a neighbors yard but no signs of Nikita, and ended up leaving her door cracked open, hoping for the husky to eventually return.

"I didn't think she was going to go on a killing spree," Morton said. "I did not know that, at all."

Morton apologized and claimed the dog has never acted like that before. She intends to pay around $1,350 in damages.

But Kiss said he still feels anger toward the owner, because she could have prevented this.

Morton was charged with a single misdemeanor count of animal running at large and 27 misdemeanor counts for every animal the dog attacked. She could face additional charges.

Nikita, meanwhile, is quarantined at a local animal shelter. An upcoming administrative hearing between police officials and Morton will decide the dogs fate, Fox 13 reported.A West Virginia man is in custody after putting his two children in a dryer, shutting the door and taking videos of them, authorities said Thursday.

A criminal complaint in Marshall County Magistrate Court said 24-year-old Ryan James Barr of Moundsville was charged with child neglect creating risk of injury.

Sheriff's Deputy Travis Morando said deputies were called after someone saw videos posted by Barr on Snapchat last week. In one of them, a young girl is screaming after she was placed in a dryer and the door was shut, according to the sheriff.

In the other video, he said, a young boy is put in the dryer, which is turned on for a short period. The complaint said Barr then looked through the window of the dryer so he could see the boy spinning.

The complaint said the child's mother was in the shower at the time.

Morando said Barr told him his daughter was always climbing in the dryer and that his son was put in the dryer " because he was trying to teach him not to be scared," according to the complaint.

Barr was booked into the Northern Regional Jail in Moundsville on Tuesday. He remained in custody Thursday on $50,000 bond.

Jail records didn't indicate whether he has an attorney.Ollie Millington/RedfernsNOFX has finally issued a statement regarding the callous remarks they recently made about the horrific massacre at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017 that killed 58 people and injured hundreds of others.

As seen in video footage posted Wednesday on TMZ, while performing at the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival in Vegas this past Sunday, NOFX frontman Fat Mike remarked, "We just played a song about Muslims and we didn't get shot." He then added, "I mean, that [massacre] sucked but at least they were country fans and not punk rock fans." When fans started booing, Mike responded, "You were all thinking it."

"What we said in Vegas was s***ty and insensitive and we are all embarrassed by our remarks," the band wrote in part in a statement posted to Twitter Thursday. "So we decided we will all get together to discuss and write an in depth, sincere, and honest apology because that's what the people we offended and hurt deserve."

Meanwhile, the beer company Stone Brewing, which manufactures NOFX's signature beer Punk in Drublic and sponsors their festival of the same name, has severed ties with the band.

"We at Stone Brewing are aware of NOFXs insensitive and indefensible statements this past weekend," a spokesperson told TheBlast.com in a statement. "As a result, we are severing all our ties with NOFX, including festival sponsorship and the production of our collaboration beer."

Additionally, NOFX has been taken off the lineup for the upcoming Punk in Drublic festival.

In a statement Wednesday, Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival organizers Mark Stern and Shawn Stern wrote, "In light of NOFX's comments during their performance at Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival, we would like to offer a formal apology to those in attendance, the City of Las Vegas, the victims, and the families of 10/1."

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.A day before the April 3 shooting at YouTubes headquarters in San Bruno, California, police said the female gunman visited the companys campus asking about a job.

The new details from the San Bruno Police Department come nearly two months after the shooting spree left multiple people injured before the shooter ultimately turned the gun on herself.

Gunman Nasim Aghdam visited the video-sharing companys campus for about 10 minutes on April 2, according to police, who said she asked for directions to the main office and was directed to the front desk where she inquired about employment.

YOUTUBE SHOOTER WENT TO GUN RANGE BEFORE RAMPAGE, FAMILY DID NOT WARN ABOUT VIOLENCE, OFFICIALS SAY

Before returning to YouTube the following day, police confirmed Aghdam spent less than an hour at the Jackson Arms Shooting Range in South San Francisco. Roughly an hour after leaving the range, she arrived at the companys campus and carrying a purse over her left shoulder, made her way to a courtyard, police said.

Aghdam then pulled a weapon from her purse after being approached by an employee who wanted to see her company ID, which police said she ignored.

Upon seeing the pistol, the YouTube Employee immediately fled and dialed 911, police said. Aghdam walked east through the courtyard and began firing indiscriminately into a crowd of employees eating lunch. She emptied her pistol of ammunition, reloaded another magazine, and continued firing at the building and into the crowd.

POLICE RELEASE VIDEO OF RUN-IN WITH NASIM AGHDAM HOURS BEFORE SHE OPENED FIRE AT YOUTUBE

As she made her way to the entrance of the building, police said Aghdam shot herself in the chest.

The weapon used was a Smith and Wesson 9mm Model SD9VE Semi-Automatic Pistol, which police said was registered to and purchased by Aghdam.

A total of twenty ejected shell casings were located at the scene and one round remained in the firearm, police said.

Authorities searched homes in San Diego and Menifee, as well as the shooters car, from which police said they found the handwritten addresses for Googles Mountain View campus, as well as the San Bruno YouTube campus.

YOUTUBE SHOOTER IDD AS WOMAN WITH APPARENT VENDETTA AGAINST COMPANY

Police said theres no indication at this point that Aghdam coordinated with anyone in carrying out the attack, nor does evidence suggest that her actions were intended to support any specific cause or ideology.

Furthermore, the primary motive for this crime is believed to be Aghdams displeasure with YouTube business practices, police said.

Aghdams father previously said that his daughter was furious with the company because it had stopped paying her for videos she posted on the platform.

Police said Aghdam was reported missing by family members on April 1. Around 1:40 a.m. on April 3, police said authorities found her asleep in her car, located in a Walmart parking lot. Aghdam told police that she left home due to a disagreement with family members, after which police said authorities confirmed she didnt need help, took her out of the missing persons system and notified her family that she was found safe.

Fox News Gregg Re contributed to this report.A Syrian man was shot in the Netherlands on Wednesday after he allegedly shouted Allahu akbar from a balcony and killed a K-9 officer.

Police tried to calm the man, who was in Schiedam, near the port city of Rotterdam, but were unsuccessful. Law enforcement agents entered the apartment and the 26-year-old man attacked them, police said.

The man also stabbed the police dog, which later died of its injuries.

MAINE FIREFIGHTER GETS 'THANK YOU' KISSES FROM DOG HE RESCUED FROM ROOF

Schiedam Mayor Co Lamers didnt identify the man, but said he was a Syrian who had been living with his father in the city since last year.

"The man was known to several help organizations but this was an escalation we had not seen coming," Lamers said.

The man, according to Dutch media outlet Nederlandse Omroep Stichting, underwent surgery and is now in stable condition.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Just a week after the Pentagon disinvited China from military exercises because of its militarization of the South China Sea area, the Communist country announced the carrier group led by its first aircraft carrier had reached "initial systematic combat capability."

The aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, is a refurbished Soviet-era aircraft carrier purchased from Ukraine that went through eight years of retrofitting, according to China Global Television Network.

It is the latest show of military muscle by the country, which has ignored the U.S. pleas to leave the disputed islands on the South China Sea alone.

Since the Liaoning was commissioned in 2012, it has gone through exercises that have "effectively tested the building and maintenance of the formation's comprehensive attack and defense systems," China's National Defense Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang told state television.

The ship is conventionally powered by steam turbines, according to CGTN, and is capable of carrying different types of aircraft, including the J-15 fighters, as well as surveillance and anti-submarine helicopters.

Military officials told state television it is also carries anti-air missiles and anti-torpedo systems.

The Liaoning has been part of high-profile missions recently, including sailing into the South China Sea area.

The carrier groups exercises have been deepened to include combat operations in the open seas. It has initially formed a system combat capability, Ren said in a monthly news briefing, according to Reuters.

CHINA'S FIRST DOMESTICALLY-MADE AIRCRAFT CARRIER BEGINS SEA TRIALS

Little is known about Chinas aircraft program which is a state secret, but the country recently began sea trials of its first domestically-produced aircraft carrier that has yet to be named.

Chinese military experts have told state media the new carrier, built in the northeastern port of Dalian, is not expected to enter service until 2020, once it has been fully fitted and armed.

The new carrier is based on the former Soviet Union's Kuznetsov class design, with a ski jump-style deck for taking off and a conventional oil-fueled steam turbine power plant.

State media has reported China is also planning to build a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier capable of remaining at sea for long durations.

China has the worlds largest navy in terms of numbers of ships, although it lags behind the U.S. in technology and combat capabilities.

The U. S. Navy has 11 aircraft carriers currently in operation while China only has one.

The country has used its naval fleet to stake claim to virtually the entire South China Sea and to range farther into the Pacific and Indian oceans  a provocative move that has heightened tensions with the U.S. Last Wednesday, the Pentagon said it was disinviting China from the Rim of the Pacific Exercises following reports the country was again secretly beefing up its military operation.

Earlier this week, China's military blasted the U.S. after two U.S. Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China after Beijing landed a nuclear-capable bomber and deployed missiles there.

Wu Qian, spokesperson Ministry of National Defense, said the "provocative action" was a "serious infringement" on China's sovereignty.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and The Associated Press contributed to this report.China reserves the right to retaliate if U.S. trade measures against it violate World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, the Chinese commerce ministry said Thursday.

Gao Feng, a Chinese commerce ministry spokesman, said a White House proposal to limit Chinese investment in the U.S. would violate the "rules and basic spirit" of the WTO.

"The Chinese side will carefully evaluate the U.S. measures and reserves the right to take corresponding measures," Gao said.

China believes the two countries have a huge potential for cooperation and does not want to see an escalation of Sino-U.S. trade frictions, Gao told reporters at a regular news briefing, Reuters reported.

Earlier in May, trade tensions between the two countries appeared to cool following talks in Washington, Reuters reported.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said May 20 that the trade conflict was on hold.

However, the U.S. said Tuesday that a threat of imposing tariffs still holds and the Trump administration will press ahead with restrictions on investment by Chinese companies in the U.S., the news wire reported.

In fact, the White House said that in June it would impose a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion in imported goods from China that contain industrially significant technology.

U.S. Commerce Department Secretary Wilbur Ross is scheduled to visit China on Saturday to negotiate the details of that plan.

The White House said it will target tariffs on cutting-edge technologies, including those in markets that China has said it wants to dominate as part of its "Made in China 2025" program.

Under that program, China aims to take a leading role in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics and electric cars.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.Foreign ministers and chiefs of intelligence from Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority are meeting in Cairo to discuss the latest violent escalations between Israelis and Palestinians.

Thursday's meeting comes after a cease-fire between the Palestinians and Israelis was reached a day earlier to end the largest flare-up of violence between the two sides since a 2014 war.

The fighting, which took place throughout Tuesday and continued overnight, saw Palestinian militants firing scores of rockets and mortars into Israel, and Israel carrying out dozens of airstrikes in the Gaza strip.

The violence comes at a tense time along the frontier. Over 110 Palestinians, many of them unarmed protesters, were killed by Israeli fire in weekly protests that began March 30, aimed at lifting an Israeli and Egyptian blockade of Gaza.Australian feminist Germaine Greer caused outrage Wednesday when she said rape should be viewed more as lazy, careless and insensitive and that the punishment should be lowered.

Greer, speaking at the Hay literary festival in Britain, said the legal system wasnt working in regards to rape and that the issue always comes down to whether a person consented, according to The Guardian.

Most rapes dont involve any injury whatsoever, Greer said. We are told that it is a sexually violent crime, an expert like Quentin Tarantino will tell us that when you use the word 'rape' youre talking about violence, a throwing them down... it is one of the most violent crimes in the world. B------- Tarantino.

Most rape is just lazy, just careless, insensitive. Every time a man rolls over on his exhausted wife and insists on enjoying his conjugal rights he is raping her. It will never end up in a court of law, she explained.

Greer said that people shouldnt think about rapes as spectacularly violent crimes.

Instead of thinking of rape as a spectacularly violent crime, and some rapes are, think about it as non-consensual  that is bad sex. Sex where there is no communication, no tenderness, no mention of love.

Greer, who is set to publish her take on rape in a new book, acknowledged her take would be controversial to some feminists.

It is moments like these, I can hear the feminists screaming at me, youre trivializing rape! Greer said. Well, Ill tell you what. You might want to believe that the penis is a lethal weapon and that all women live in fear of that lethal weapon, well thats b-------. Its not true. We dont live in terror of the penis. A man cant kill you with his penis.A New Jersey-based real estate agency is now touting itself as a global company after one of its signs, blown away during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, was found on the shores of France.

The saga began when a man named Hannes Frank, from Bordeaux, France, reached out to the New Jersey company -- Diane Turton, Realtors in Point Pleasant -- after finding a damaged Turton sign during a beach walk.

The company has confirmed that this is its sign, from a waterfront listing well over half a decade ago, marketing director Perry Beneduce told Fox News.

The home survived the powerful storms destruction, but the sign was washed out into the Atlantic Ocean. In all, it appears to have floated across 3,700 miles in the years since.

The agency posted the strange story, along with photos, on its Facebook page, where its been shared more than 300 times.

"Having our signage wash up in France on the beach truly proves that Diane Turton, Realtors is a global real estate company," the agency boasted.The Latest on a proposed U.N. Security Council resolution on Palestinians (all times local):

6:20 p.m.

The U.S. says it will veto an Arab-backed resolution that asks the U.N. chief to propose measures to ensure "international protection" for Palestinian civilians.

U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley calls the proposal "a grossly one-sided approach that is morally bankrupt" and would undermine efforts at peace between Israel and Palestinians.

A vote was initially expected Thursday evening. Then diplomats said it would be delayed at least until Friday, but the plans seemed to be in limbo later Thursday.

The Kuwait-sponsored draft demands a halt to "the use of any excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" by the Israeli military. It also "deplores the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israeli civilian areas."

Haley criticized the proposal for not mentioning Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza.

___

5:50 p.m.

The U.N. Security Council has postponed a vote on an Arab-backed resolution that asks the U.N. chief to propose measures to ensure "international protection" for Palestinian civilians.

The vote was initially expected Thursday evening, but diplomats said it would be delayed at least until Friday.

The Kuwait-sponsored draft demands a halt to "the use of any excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force" by the Israeli military. It also "deplores the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israeli civilian areas."

The United States strongly indicated during negotiations that it would veto the measure. Israel's U.N. ambassador, Danny Danon, sharply criticized it for not mentioning Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza.next Image 1 of 2

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Financial markets have calmed amid signs that Italy may avoid imminent elections after President Sergio Mattarella gave two populist parties time to figure out whether they can agree on an alternative to a euroskeptic economy minister.

The leader of the 5-Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, has proposed moving the contested ministerial candidate to a different Cabinet post. League leader Matteo Salvini, meanwhile, said he isn't closing the doors on any solution. But he's also showing some resistance to the change, saying "if someone in Berlin or Paris wakes up in a bad mood that doesn't mean that an Italian minister gets kicked out."

Mattarella gave the leaders time to form a coalition government after markets plunged on news of an interim administration that would take Italy to new elections.Videos

Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos.Human Rights Watch and the European Union have voiced concerns over Egypt's latest arrests of prominent activists and have called for their release.

Thursday's statement by the New York-based watchdog says the arrests show that "the state of oppression in Egypt has sunk so low" under President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi.

Earlier, the EU said the increasing arrests are a "worrying development."

Egypt rejected the EU statement, saying it's "a mistaken reading of the situation in Egypt."

Authorities have arrested several critics, including a well-known blogger and a socialist activist, after el-Sissi's re-election in a March vote in which he faced no serious challengers.

The arrests are part of a wider crackdown on dissent since the 2013 military ouster of an elected Islamist president following mass protests against his one-year divisive rule.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in North Korea on Thursday for talks with senior officials.

Lavrov's visit comes ahead of a planned summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and was seen as an attempt by Moscow to ensure its voice is heard in the North's diplomatic overtures with Washington, Seoul and Beijing.

After his arrival, Lavrov met with North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement earlier they would discuss bilateral issues as well as the overall situation on the Korean Peninsula. Details of Lavrov's schedule in Pyongyang were not disclosed.

Despite having a border with the North and relatively cordial relations that President Vladimir Putin has seemed to want to develop further, Russia has so far remained largely on the sidelines as Kim has emerged onto the world stage this year.

Kim has already met twice with China's President Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. One of Kim's top lieutenants, former intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol, is now in New York to discuss with U.S. officials the agenda for the summit planned in Singapore on or around June 12.Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Thursday in Pyongyang just hours before North Korean intelligence chief Kim Yong Chol was set to meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York.

Lavrovs visit to the hermit kingdom was his first since 2009. The foreign minister invited the North Korean leader to visit Moscow in an effort to ease pressure on the Korean peninsula.

Come to Russia. We would be very happy to see you, Lavrov told Kim in a televised meeting.

Kim told Lavrov he hoped to boost cooperation with Russia, which has remained largely on the sidelines in recent months as Kim has made a major diplomatic outreach to the U.S. as well as to South Korea and China.

NORTH KOREAN EX-SPY CHIEF DINES WITH POMPEO IN NYC

"As we move to adjust to the political situation in the face of U.S. hegemonism, I am willing to exchange detailed and in-depth opinions with your leadership and hope to do so moving forward," Kim told Lavrov.

Since January, the North Korean dictator has turned his nuclear threats against U.S. to reaching out to Washington, D.C. and Seoul. Kim has indicated he was willing to relinquish his nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees from the U.S.

But continuing differences between the two countries led Trump to abruptly cancel the planned summit last week, and then quickly announce that it might still be held as scheduled on June 12.

Lavrov's visit to Pyongyang suggests that Russia wants to become involved and make sure North Korea informs it of its intentions and is mindful of Moscow's concerns.

NORTH KOREA AND KIM JONG UN: MEET THE KNOWN KEY PLAYERS IN THE REGIME

"We welcome the contacts that have been developing in the recent months between North and South Korea, between North Korea and the United States," Lavrov said in comments to the media. "We welcome the summits that already took place between Pyongyang and Seoul as well as planned meetings between North Korean and U.S. leadership."

On Wednesday, Kim Yong Chol, Kims infamous right-hand man and a vice chairman of the ruling Workers Party, met with Pompeo after he arrived at JFK International Airport in New York. Pompeo and the North Korean official dined together. Kim Yong Chol, believed to be 72, and Pompeo's talks will largely focus on rescheduling the summit.

Fox News' Nicole Darrah, Katherine Lam and the AP contributed to this report.The fierce anti-Kremlin Russian journalist who worked with authorities in Ukraine to fake his own death revealed Thursday he watched reports of his "murder" while at the morgue.

Arkady Babchenko, 41, told reporters at a news conference in Kiev he used a makeup artist and pig blood to make it look like he had been shot, and was taken to a morgue in an ambulance. He then changed clothes and watched reports of his "violent" death on television, according to Sky News.

Babchenko said that he could have refused when Ukrainian officials approached him with the idea for the ruse about a month ago, but he acted on his own volition.

Everyone who says this undermines trusts in journalists: What would you do in my place, if they came to you and said there is a hit out on you? he said Thursday.

The journalist added that he is now living in a guarded place, and his first priorities were staying alive and protecting his family.

The head of Ukraine's security service, Vasyl Grytsak, said the movie-like plot was justified because it meant that he and his team were "able to foil a cynical plot and document how the Russian security service was planning for this crime," Reuters reported.

Ukrainian officials said the fake murder was to trace a trail back to Russia, and expose plans for other state-sponsored assassinations. To make the death seem convincing, a picture of Babchenko lying in a pool of blood was released, police made a series of statements about their investigation and even issued a sketch of the killer.

I am absolutely convinced there was no other way. Youre a great guy," Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko told Babchenko in a video released Wednesday, according to Reuters.

ANTI-KREMLIN RUSSIAN JOURNALIST'S DEATH IN UKRAINE WAS FAKED, USED TO THWART MURDER PLOT, OFFICIALS SAY

But some criticized the incident as a stunt in poor taste that sparked a false outpouring of grief and finger-pointing at Russia.

Harlem Desir, the representative on media freedom for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, had flown to Kiev to meet Babchenkos colleagues in a show of solidarity.

Relieved that Arkadiy #Babchenko is alive! Desir tweeted. I deplore the decision to spread false information on the life of a journalist. It is the duty of the state to provide correct information to the public.

Russian officials reacted to the plot by saying "Thank God" the journalist was alive, but that the stunt does not change the view that Ukraine is a "country dangerous for journalists."

"This incident is strange, to say the least," Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the TASS News Agency. "I dont know whether the ends justify the means in this particular case."

But Babchenko thanked the Ukrainian security services for saving his life, defending their actions on Wednesday.

The English press says operation has done more harm than good? he said on Facebook, according to Reuters. You want good? Give me a UK passport and protection. And then you can lecture me how to save my family.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.A Thai court of appeals has dismissed criminal defamation charges against a British labor rights activist who was sued by a fruit packaging company after he alleged human rights violations at its factory.

Andy Hall's protracted legal battle stemmed from a 2013 report he researched for Finnish consumer organization Finnwatch that alleged labor abuses at Natural Fruit's pineapple canning operation. It employed migrant workers from Myanmar who said the company abused them and broke labor regulations.

Sunya Joongdee, a lawyer for Hall, said Thursday's court ruling dismissed the criminal defamation case, which also resulted in the collapse of a related computer crime case.

He says the court accepted that Hall's interviews with migrant workers revealed information that should be made public.The wife of a detained Chinese human rights lawyer says she has been prevented from leaving her neighborhood in the latest apparent case of extra-legal harassment of those who fall afoul of the ruling Communist Party.

Xu Yan tweeted Thursday that she had been followed from her apartment by police officers who stopped her leaving by taxi by telling the drivers not to take her.

Xu's husband, Yu Wensheng, was grabbed by police on Jan. 19 while preparing to take his 13-year-old son to school and has been charged with the loosely defined crime of inciting subversion.

During a visit to Beijing last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Xu and Li Wenzhu, the wife of another detained lawyer, Wang Quanzhang.Jonas Cullwick, a former General Manager of VBTC is now a Senior Journalist with the Daily Post. Contact: [email protected]. Cell # 678 5460922Free Freightnet Membership

List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours.Yes, if I were going to go undercover in an organization to find out if it was colluding with foreign powers, the VERY VERY FIRST person I would confide in would be the person the organization was organized FOR.Buying in cattle is common practice on many dairy and beef farms. But whether youre sourcing a single bull or replacement heifers, you also risk bringing disease onto your farm.

Jules Dares from Westpoint Vets explains the importance of quarantine in risk management.

See also: Welsh farmers shun quarantine units ahead of show season

He says quarantining animals coming on to your farm is essential if you want to avoid introducing disease.

It also serves a vital role in protecting the incoming stock from the challenges they will face as they join your herd.

Read the Q&A and the farmer case study below.

How long should I quarantine animals for?

Animals should be quarantined for at least three weeks before joining the herd.

Where should they be quarantined? Is a field appropriate?

A field could be appropriate, depending on its location compared with other stock, condition of the fencing and so on.

If in doubt, ask your vet which areas of your farm could work best for you. The process is no more than risk management as there are no guarantees when it comes to protecting stock.

What diseases should I test for?

Its key to test the animals into and out of quarantine. The first tests should ideally be carried out on the vendors farm.

The diseases you test for will depend on what you do and dont have, but will often include BVD, IBR and leptospirosis.

Others to consider are Johnes and neosporosis, while skin parasites and lameness should also be on the radar.

However, there are no hard-and-fast rules, and protocols should be tailored for every farm.

You can test for everything if you want to, but there is no point if you arent testing your own herd and dont know which diseases you have.

Ive heard the results may be inaccurate. Is this true?

Results can be ambiguous. BVD antibodies, for example, could indicate historic rather than active infection.

Similarly, Johnes disease could be present, but fail to show in a test as the antibodies to the disease can fluctuate widely.

Interpretation is helped by knowing the vaccination and health status of the vendors herd, which is why putting your vet in touch with your vendors vet is always helpful.

Every farm has a different health/biosecurity status and vaccination programme, so putting them into context is very helpful when trying to ascertain the risk of introducing animals into your herd.

What should I look out for when carrying out a physical examination?

The usual suspects such as body condition, lameness, signs of skin disease, panting, nasal discharge, coughing or bloodshot eyes.

The animals general demeanour should also be taken into account, as a slow animal could just be developing an issue and those that are more nervous could be tricky to handle in the future.

Is there anything else that should be done during quarantine?

The quarantine period should be used to keep a close eye on the stock, and any signs of disease  such as coughing, lameness or ringworm  should be acted upon.

Its also the time to set up a vaccination schedule to protect the animals against the diseases you know you have.

What happens if the animals fail their tests?

Discuss the results with your vet as soon as possible to ascertain the importance of the results to your farm. You need to be prepared to turn away the stock if the risk is too high.

Ignoring the risks is like playing a game of Russian roulette. Sometimes you get away with it, but when you dont it can end in disaster.

Should animals be covered for worms and fluke as a precaution?

This really depends on a lot of variables (such as the age of the animals, where they have been pre-movement and where they are going to), so it needs to be discussed with your vet.

Whats your advice on using hire bulls?

This needs to be discussed with your vet and handled carefully, as it can work well when disease statuses are known and the bull in question doesnt go to and from multiple farms in a breeding season.

However, it can also be a very easy way of unwittingly spreading issues from herd to herd right at the point when it can have the most effect.

Case study: William Westacott, Home Farm, Kent

Home Farm facts Part of Chevening Estate, near Sevenoaks, Kent

190-head herd

45ha of parkland under HLS

105ha of arable

Autumn-calving Holsteins

Yield of 9,700 litres a cow

Dairy farmer William Westacott runs a flying herd and buys all his replacement heifers from European farms.

This provides a challenge when he brings them on to the farm, but he is mitigating that risk by sourcing the cleanest stock possible.

He says: Maintaining a high health status is both an animal welfare issue and a moral responsibility.

The cost of a breakdown could also be catastrophic and we have a duty of care not to spread that risk, through the calves we sell, into other herds.

Sourcing animals and testing

Mr Westacott buys from a region in Germany that is free from IBR, BVD and TB, but tests each animal for these diseases before they leave the farms.

Germany is also well on the way to eradicating Johnes, although Mr Westacott doesnt test for this disease because youngstock are unlikely to test positive and results can be misleading.

This year our heifers arrived in the UK in April and will calve at the beginning of our autumn calving period.

This gives us the summer to keep them in isolation from other animals and make sure they are also protected against infection when they join our herd, he says.

Treatment

The first product animals will be given on arrival is a pour-on wormer, which treats endo- and ectoparasites, including warble flies.

They will then start their vaccination programme.

Currently the farm vaccinates for IBR, BVD and leptospirosis over several weeks.

They will only be integrated with the main herd when they join the dry cow group in the middle of July.Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 87F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will become overcast overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low near 80F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph.Reporter

Before coming to work for The Daily News as a staff reporter, Connor worked for us as a freelance correspondent throughout 2017. He has written for other publications such as the Washington Post.The Naples Christmas Boat Parade will be back in all its glory this year.Phantasialand & other parks : Heres what it will cost to visit an amusement park in Germany

Bruhl Its that time of year for a visit to an amusement park and the selection is huge, there are more than 100 theme parks in Germany. But it can be expensive. An online travel website compared the ten most popular amusement parks.

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Phantasialand in Bruhl is one of the biggest attractions in the region. In 2017, it was awarded the distinction of providing the best value for the price when it comes to amusement parks in Germany. But it isnt exactly cheap: a family of four has to pay  174 for the entrance fee alone.

According to travel website Travelcircus, Phantasialand comes in fourth place when comparing the cost of the ten most popular German amusement parks. It was based upon the total entrance fee for two adults and two children. A trip to Europa Park near Freiburg will cost you the most. Entrance fee for the family is 190 euros.

To get into Legoland in Gunzburg, it will cost the same family 178 euros, only two euros less than admission to the Heide Park Resort in Soltau. 146 euros is the cost for entering the movie and leisure park "Movie Park Germany" in Bottrop. The Hansa Park on the Baltic Sea in Sierksdorf costs 138 euros for a family of four, and 134.60 euros is the price tag to get into the Belantis near Leipzig. Admission to the Holiday Park in the Palatinate will cost 131.96 euros for four.

Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen (Lower Saxony) is in comparison124 euros, and the cheapest admission is to the adventure park Tripsdrill in Cleebronn, the oldest German amusement park in Baden-Wuerttemberg, at 117 euros. But you might not necessarily have to pay full price for the tickets. It is usually worth booking online - it means you dont have to wait at the cash register.

And dont just look for special offers online; Sandra Lechner at Travelcircus recommends keeping your eyes open at the supermarket: "Many products hide 2-for-1 amusement park tickets." In some ways, the figures given are not really comparable because the prices for children sometimes differ significantly - there are different guidelines about which visitors must pay a child or adult admission fee.

While most parks require visitors to pay full price from age twelve and up, at the Hansa Park, a childrens admission fee is for those 14 years-old and under. At Holiday Park, the ticket price is not based on age, but on the size: Those who are more than 1.40 meters pay more.

Hardly any offers for small children

Children up to age three or sometimes up to age two usually do not have to pay admission to the amusement park - but it is hardly worth the visit as the vast majority of attractions are only suitable for children from age four and up, many rides only appropriate for those age six, ten or twelve years and up.

Phantasialand is ranked just behind Europa Park as the most photogenic park. This is based on the number of Instagram posts with the corresponding hashtags #europapark (more than 360,000 posts) and #phantasialand (more than 130,000 posts).felicilin at 31-05-2018 11:00 AM (3 years ago) (f)

Agbone Esther, a 22-year-old woman, who hails from Efurrun in Warri, Delta State, has revealed how Nigerian girls are eking out their three square meals in Libya.

Agbone Esther, a 22-year-old woman, who hails from Efurrun in Warri, Delta State, has revealed how Nigerian girls are eking out their three square meals in Libya.

According to a report by New Telegraph, the returnee, who possesses an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Mass Communication from the Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara, regretted that she joined the trip, after paying over N200,000 to an anchor-man in an unscrupulous manner on June 22, last year.



She was among the first batch of 5,499 Nigerian youths, out of which 78 are indigenes of Delta State, that were rescued by the high-powered delegation of the Federal Government led by the Minister of Internal Affairs, under the auspices of the European Union (EU) in conjunction with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in January, this year.



Esther lamented how they were being fed with addictive foods inside the cell to make them sleep off and forgot about their meals.



Esther, who narrated how they travelled by land from Kano to Niger, through Agades before they got to Libya, confirmed in Asaba yesterday that prostitution was the order of the day among Nigerian girls.



She said: From the point of departure in Nigeria to the landing point in Libya, it was prostitution all the way. I have no intention of staying in Libya, but my plan to pass through Libya failed. A lot of our girls go into prostitution when they are hungry. To get a loaf of Umzr bread to assuage their hunger, our girls give s*x to Libyan men at random. So, many get pregnant through unwarranted s*x.



Her views were corroborated by another returnee, Okafor Abrahim, who hails from Umunede in Ika North East, Delta State, but said he embarked on the journey to Libya in November 2016, having paid over N150,000 to a middleman.

According to a report by New Telegraph, the returnee, who possesses an Ordinary National Diploma (OND) in Mass Communication from the Delta State Polytechnic, Oghara, regretted that she joined the trip, after paying over N200,000 to an anchor-man in an unscrupulous manner on June 22, last year.She was among the first batch of 5,499 Nigerian youths, out of which 78 are indigenes of Delta State, that were rescued by the high-powered delegation of the Federal Government led by the Minister of Internal Affairs, under the auspices of the European Union (EU) in conjunction with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) in January, this year.Esther lamented how they were being fed with addictive foods inside the cell to make them sleep off and forgot about their meals.Esther, who narrated how they travelled by land from Kano to Niger, through Agades before they got to Libya, confirmed in Asaba yesterday that prostitution was the order of the day among Nigerian girls.She said:Her views were corroborated by another returnee, Okafor Abrahim, who hails from Umunede in Ika North East, Delta State, but said he embarked on the journey to Libya in November 2016, having paid over N150,000 to a middleman.

Post Reply Posted: at 31-05-2018 11:00 AM (3 years ago) | HeroThe 2018 Opheim Memorial Day program was held on May 28, at the Opheim School gymnasium under the direction of the Charles Carrignan Legion Post #122. Nina Walstad played several patriotic songs on the piano. Legion member Virgil Nelson welcomed everyone and thanked everyone for coming. He noted that it was 50 years ago that he was drafted. He also noted that the Opheim Legion gave a scholarship to each of Opheims graduates, Cade Anderson, Shelby Fuhrmann and Haylee Fauth. He led the group in the opening prayer.

The Pledge of Allegiance was recited by everyone and Shelby Fuhrmann sang the national anthem. Nelson asked all of the veterans to stand and be recognized with a hand clap. Auxiliary President Gretchen Westby thanked everyone for coming and for supporting the Legion and Auxiliary. Darleen Nordhagen of Billings, who is also a member of the Opheim Auxiliary, told about the different veterans hospitals and homes in Montana and the services that they provide.

Rylee Nelson played America on the piano. Fuhrmann and her younger sister, Mandy, sang Amazing Grace. They also sang God Bless America, with Nina Walstad accompanying on the piano.

Janet Bailey asked Darrell Nordhagen to be recognized as it was 70 years ago that he was in Basic Training at Shepherd AFB in Texas, where he recently visited. She then read The Story of Taps and the words to the song.

Virgil Nelson introduced the guest speaker, Jay Taylor. Taylor was born in Whitefish, Mont., and after several moves settled with his parents in Idaho Falls, Idaho. It was here that he graduated from high school. He joined the Army in 1988, enlisting as a field artillery surveyor. He was also trained as a forward observer and a fire direction specialist. He left active duty in 1999, and joined the Idaho Army National Guard while attending Idaho State University. In 2002, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English and history. He returned to active duty commissioned as a field artillery officer and served for 12 more years. He retired with the rank of Major in 2014.

Taylor has been awarded the Bronze Star, three Meritorious Service Medals, five Army Commendation Medals and six Army Achievement Medals. His overseas tours include Germany, Korea and Iraq. He has completed a Master of Arts degree in management and leadership and will complete a Master of Arts in teaching in 2019. We are privileged to have Jay and his wife, Nikki, and two of their children, Cole and Carrie, in Opheim, where they moved four years ago. We are also privileged to have the Taylors in our school system, where Jay is the guidance counselor and physical education teacher.

Mr. Taylor began his speech by reading In Flanders Field. He said now that winter is over and summer is near, today, Memorial Day is all about service and sacrifice. He related that the men and women who went off to war and sacrificed their lives never had a chance to say goodbye, but their sacrifice will always be remembered.

Nelson closed the program with a prayer and Taps were played by Kent Nelson.

A roast beef dinner was served by the Opheim American Legion Auxiliary.Dale Bender reflects at the Northeast Montana Veterans Memorial. The plaque on the pillar is one of five new additions to the memorial honoring the the Great War, World War II, Korea, Vietnam and all other campaigns.

New plaques were installed at the Northeast Montana Veterans Memorial in Fort Peck on May 22. The plaques were commissioned by the Memorial's Board and designed with the help of Montana Granite Company with the board deciding on the various sayings inscribed on the plaques.

Memorial Board member and Veterans of Foreign War Post 3107 Commander Art Widhalm said the plaques were intended to commemorate the wars that the country had been engaged in since its inception. According to Widhalm, when the memorial was being planned many felt the individual conflicts should be placed on the service members' memorial tiles. Instead the board decided to go with the option of commemorating the conflicts individually so as not to prioritize some tiles or lessen the service of veterans who had not served in an individual conflict but nonetheless served their country.

The conflicts honored are World War I with the inscription reading, "In memory of those killed in action in the 'War to End All Wars'". World War II is inscribed with, "Dedicated to the Military Men and Women of the 'Greatest Generation' who paid the ultimate price." Korea is inscribed with, "Remembering the Soldiers From the 'Forgotten War' who gave their all." Vietnam reads, "Honoring all those who died for their country fighting an 'Unpopular War'." The last plaque recognizes every other campaign in U.S. history and reads, "Dedicated to all the men and women who unselfishly gave their lives protecting our freedom in all other wars, conflicts or military operations. In the past and in the future."

The plaques were designed and installed by Montana Granite's John and Daren Rummel out of Great Falls, Mont. John Rummel served as an Army veteran during the Vietnam War. Montana Granite has done nearly all the granite work at the memorial. The install was assisted by Art and Marilyn Widhalm, the memorial's historians Dale and Karen Bender, veteran Lorie Sampson, veteran Jeff Cole and veteran Tom Markle.In case you missed the news, NBC came to Glasgow to cover the middle of nowhere. Kevin Tibbles, the correspondent, asked me to contrast what would be on our front page compared to the New York Times. After a brief moment and then a comment a...GUELPH, Ontario, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Renewable energy co-operatives offer one of the best proven solutions to fight climate change in Ontario. They ensure local control over rising energy costs, with the added advantage of significant investment and job growth in the communities where they reside.



Utilizing the co-operative model means community members are investing to build the renewable energy infrastructure that feeds their homes and businesses. Local ownership means the returns on their investment remain within the community.

Keeping the ownership of renewable power assets in local hands is a great way to build the economy and make all Ontarians part of the solution to climate change, says David Cork, Executive Director of The Renewable Energy Co-op, one of the first co-operatives of its kind developed in 1998. As our communities develop real-world experience around renewable energy, they inevitably become motivated to seek out other ways to address their climate impact.

A recent study by York University revealed that every dollar of local investment in renewable energy results in more than $2 in additional economic activity within the community. Furthermore, when capital from local investors and local firms was used to develop the projects, the economic impact on the local economy increased by 47% compared to a project without these local components. It estimates that the community power sector will drive approximately $5.2 billion of additional economic activity over the life of its current energy production contracts. In Ontario, there are approximately 60 renewable energy co-operatives harnessing both wind and solar energy to benefit local communities. Those RE Co-ops are ready and willing partners who want to work with their Municipal Councils to tackle the next wave of opportunities, together.

The Province can and should empower municipalities to take action to lower their energy costs, while increasing local ownership and control over their energy sources. We think Municipalities are the ideal partner to engage their residents through the co-operative model, says Erin Morgan, Executive Director of the Ontario Co-operative Association.

A great example of a successful community renewable energy co-operative is the Ottawa Renewable Energy Co-operative (OREC). Developed in 2011, their mission is to empower Eastern Ontario residents to take ownership of their electricity by offering them investment opportunities in local renewable energy projects. In seven years, their members have invested more than $7 million in operating projects, have accumulated over 700 member-owners, and have 17 solar projects benefitting communities throughout the region.

SolarShare is another successful renewable energy co-operative, with a mission to end our reliance on non-renewable energy sources. With over 1,500 members who have invested over $38 million and have earned over $3.3 million in returns, they are the leading RE co-operative in North America. Ontario residents can invest in local solar power projects by buying SolarShare bonds, and in doing so, they become a voting member of the co-operative.

There are many such illustrations of locally-based renewable energy co-operatives providing opportunities for communities to enhance resilience in the face of global economic and climate change crises.

Adds Cork: We do not ask for subsidies or handouts  only that the Province provide a level playing field for renewable energy projects and co-operatives. The timing is ripe to unlock the power of local ownership  it is such a powerful source of great economic, social and environmental opportunity at the local and provincial level that should be recognized and promoted.

Additional information about renewable energy co-operatives:

Structured as a co-operative business, renewable energy co-operatives deliver economic, social and environmental benefits to the communities within which they operate by:

providing investment opportunities that yield financial returns for community members

Increasing employment opportunities and options for local community partners to diversify investment portfolios, in order to generate the capital needed to finance other development projects within the community

promoting social unity, as community members who invested in the co-operative (regardless of the amount invested) gain a sense of ownership and belonging, and unite around the development of renewable energy projects

increasing the level of energy security by avoiding reliance on imported fuels that may be harmful to the environment and that contribute to flow of financial capital out of the province

contributing to advancing the Provinces strategy for environmental sustainability by promoting low-carbon energy development options as feasible sources of clean renewable energy, thereby helping stabilize electricity supply across the province, and displacing GHG emissions produced from coal

ABOUT THE ONTARIO CO-OPERATIVE ASSOCIATION (OCA)

Co-operatives are a different kind of business model that are driven by people, planet and profit. OCA supports, develops, educates and advocates for Ontarios 1,500+ co-operative businesses. We exist to strengthen and unite the co-operative movement and we believe that co-operatives are the solution to creating stronger communities, which help to build a better world. Visit www.ontario.coop. facebook.com/oncoop. twitter.com/ontariocoops.

Contact Erin Morgan, OCA Executive Director at Tel: 519.763.8271 x 30 or at Email: emorgan@ontario.coopGOBI, Mongolia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Explorers Club Hong Kong Chapter (ECHK) together with INFINITI Motor Company, Ltd. (IML), will begin an expedition on June 5 in the Gobi Desert to revisit the historic expedition of Roy Chapman Andrews and identify new dinosaur fossil sites. In the 1920s, Andrews discovered fossilized dinosaur eggs on the first archaeological mission to use motorized vehicles, which allowed him to more efficiently access remote terrain in Mongolia.



Using a fleet of INFINITI SUVs, combined with Drone LiDar technology, the team  comprised of paleontologists, archaeologists and geologists  will be able to survey an area heretofore impossible to cover efficiently. The Drone LiDar will aid the teams search for specific geological markers. The team expects to find a trove of new sites that can be unearthed over the next decades.

Commenting on the expedition, Michael Barth, Founder and Chairman, The Explorers Club Hong Kong Chapter said: The Gobi expedition marks roughly the 100-year anniversary of Andrews historic discovery of the first-ever nest of fossilized dinosaur eggs, which not only proved that dinosaurs were reptilian, but opened up Mongolia for future discoveries. Our expedition will commemorate the last one hundred years of dinosaur finds, and, together with Mongolias Institute of Paleontology and Geology (IPG), set up the next millennium for untold scientific discoveries in the Gobi. Our collaboration with INFINITI is symbolic of what ties us together  a desire to challenge ourselves in the pursuit and use of new scientific knowledge.

INFINITI has a 30-year history of technological firsts, pushing boundaries and empowering people to find their next frontier. Like The Explorers Club, INFINITI is insatiably curious, technologically forward and pushes beyond existing boundaries in pursuit of new discoveries like the VC-Turbo.

The Explorers Club is known for its famous firsts: first to the North Pole, the South Pole, the top of Everest, the bottom of the ocean, and first to the moon, said Will Roseman, Executive Director of The Explorers Club. We are very excited to partner with INFINITI, which also has many famous firsts, including the worlds first production variable compression engine in its all new QX50. We share a passion for discovery and for scientific advancement and we are all looking forward to seeing the results of this historic expedition.

During the 20-day expedition, a 35-person team will traverse more than 1,000 miles of Gobi terrain in INFINITI SUVs, including the all-new 2019 QX50. They will follow much of Andrews 1920s routes, including The Flaming Cliffs, where Andrews made his first discoveries; the town of Anda, an important site for dinosaur fossils; and chart new terrain inaccessible to Andrews original expeditions.

Andrews expedition was one of the first to carry the Expedition Flag for The Explorers Club, one of only 202 flags that the club loans out to expeditions that hold the promise of making new scientific discoveries. Flags have since been carried to summit of Mt. Everest, to the deepest point of the ocean, the Challenger Deep in the Marianna trench, and to the surface of the moon. Following in these illustrious footsteps, the Gobi team has been awarded the signal honor of carrying The Explorers Club Flag #179 on their expedition.

The expedition supports the Institute of Paleontology and Geology (IPG) Mongolian Academy of Sciences, which catalogs and interprets the archaeological and geological significance of the area. This is one of the first major expeditions in the Gobi to rely on the scientific leadership of an all-Mongolian paleontology team.

The team will document every step of their journey, sharing video footage and photography once the expedition is complete. You can follow updates on The Explorers Club Hong Kong Chapter and INFINITI Motor Company social media channels for more information.

https://twitter.com/ExplorersHK/status/999519768037154816

https://twitter.com/ExplorersHK/status/995897790730452992

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjZVRl4Ht8c/?taken-by=explorershk

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About The Explorers Club

The Explorers Club is an international multidisciplinary professional society dedicated to the advancement of field research and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore. Since its inception in 1904, the Club has served as a meeting point and unifying force for explorers and scientists worldwide. Founded in New York City in 1904, The Explorers Club promotes the scientific exploration of land, sea, air, and space by supporting research and education in the physical, natural and biological sciences. The Clubs members have been responsible for an illustrious series of famous firsts: First to the North Pole, first to the South Pole, first to the summit of Mount Everest, first to the deepest point in the ocean, first to the surface of the moonall accomplished by our members.

The Hong Kong chapter was formed in 2014 to promote the values and work of The Explorers Club in the region, and to make Hong Kong the platform for a new era of exploration of Asia and beyond.

For more information about The Explorers Club Hong Kong Chapter, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

About INFINITI

INFINITI Motor Company Ltd. is headquartered in Hong Kong with representations in 50 markets around the world. The INFINITI brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles is currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and China. INFINITI design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi near Yokohama, London, San Diego and Beijing. INFINITI is in the middle of a major product offensive. The brand has been widely acclaimed for its daring design and innovative driver-assistance technologies. From the 2016 season, INFINITI is a technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One team, contributing its expertise in hybrid performance.

Find more information about INFINITI, its industry leading technologies and the all-new 2019 QX50 midsize luxury crossover at www.INFINITIUSA.com. You can also follow INFINITI US on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and see all our latest videos on YouTube .

About Institute of Paleontology and Geology (IPG), Mongolian Academy of Sciences

The primary purpose of the Institute of Paleontology and Geology (IPG) is to conduct world-class research and promote the extraordinary paleontological and geological resources of Mongolia. The aim of the IPG is to develop in-depth research on the ancient organisms of Mongolia (paleontology, evolution and biostratigraphy), and mineralization and geology of the Kherlen and Onon regions. The team consists of 82 team staff including researchers and administrative in the IPG.

Contact

Kyle Bazemore

Director, INFINITI Americas Corporate Communications

M: 615-739-8404

kyle.bazemore@infiniti.com

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/28158820-cc18-4465-b36f-4ec64cd91007

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/17581a65-90db-4682-8213-5b38b822483aOn this episode:

A new generation of state technology leaders is rethinking the conventional wisdom (and FBI's advice) about cybersecurity.When a government agency's computers and files are locked by hackers, the FBI advises against giving in to their monetary demands. That's fine as long as backup files are still available, but ransomware attacks are evolving to go after those, too.At the same time, many state CIOs are taking a wait-and-see approach to widescale adoption of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.On this episode of "Go Public,"s Noelle Knell and Lauren Harrison discuss these new challenges and opportunities with the backdrop of midterm elections that have already prompted the departure of some state CIOs.The race for governor in Minnesota will likely be one of the nation's closest this year, but neither party appears to be satisfied with its leading candidate.The race is open because incumbent Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton decided not to seek reelection. Both parties are holding their state conventions this weekend, with formal endorsements of gubernatorial candidates set for Saturday.But the top candidates on both sides have a problem."There are two front-runners no one is enthusiastic about and may limp to a nomination," says David Schultz, a political scientist at Hamline University.The leading Republican candidate, former Gov. Tim Pawlenty who officially announced his candidacy in April , had been out of the political game since his poor showing in the 2012 presidential race. He's finding that his party has since changed in ways that are putting his prospects to the test."Not only is he open to Democratic attacks, but he's also weak among the base," says Larry Jacobs, a University of Minnesota political scientist. "He is not even running for the party endorsement, having accepted the reality that he couldn't win or even block [Hennepin County Commissioner] Jeff Johnson from winning the endorsement. The former governor is that disliked among Republicans."But Jacobs stresses that Pawlenty remains a skilled candidate and a formidable fundraiser. Most people in Minnesota political circles believe he will end up winning the voters' nomination in the Aug. 14 primary, given Johnson's weak fundraising efforts.Democrats, meanwhile, are nervous that Congressman Tim Walz, who has been leading the field in terms of fundraising and endorsements, is himself not the sort of exciting candidate who sets political hearts throbbing."Walz is the front-runner but has the DFL establishment increasingly worried that he's out of his league," Jacobs says. (In Minnesota, the party is known as the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, or DFL.)To earn the party's endorsement this weekend, Walz must win 60 percent of the votes from convention delegates. His main challenger has appeared to be state Auditor Rebecca Otto, but the candidacy of state Rep. Erin Murphy, who has picked up some key labor endorsements, appears to be gaining momentum."The numbers just aren't clear," says state Sen. Matt Little, a Walz supporter. "Even the internal numbers that folks have aren't an exact number. People change their minds."Walz represents parts of southern Minnesota, and he has taken some more conservative positions in Congress that now aren't playing well in the progressive wing of a party increasingly dominated by urban liberals in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. In 2015, for instance, Walz voted to tighten screening on refugees coming from Syria and Iraq, a stance for which even his running mate, state Rep. Peggy Flanagan, has publicly given him grief. Walz has accepted campaign donations over the years from the National Rifle Association (NRA), but he has recently donated them to charity, saying his stance on gun issues has evolved given recent mass shootings.Like a lot of "establishment" Democratic candidates this year, Walz finds himself under attack from the party's rising left flank."Tim Walz's lack of support for single-payer health care and his long history of pro-NRA, pro-pipeline, pro-mining, anti-refugee, pro-drilling, anti-wildlife votes may not inspire the Metro DFL to turn out," Otto's campaign website warns.Sen. Little believes Walz still has "a pretty solid chance of winning the endorsement." If he fails, the primary season will become more expensive and difficult for him. He'll face attacks from the left heading into a low turnout, midsummer primary. But so far this year, Democratic establishment candidates have fared pretty well against more progressive challengers."Dayton was never endorsed by the DFL and went on to win and become beloved by all parts of the party," Little says.On the Republican side, Johnson has attacked Pawlenty for shying away from the endorsement battle."If he can't even compete for the support of his base, he'll be a disaster in the general election," Johnson said when Pawlenty announced his decision to skip the process.Little says it's a "little disingenuous" for Pawlenty to claim he got into the race too late to compete -- he had clearly been exploring the run for about a year. Pawlenty has opened himself up to populist attacks through his recent work as head of the Financial Services Roundtable, a Wall Street trade association. He has also had to fend off charges from Johnson that he was an extremely late convert to Donald Trump's candidacy in 2016.Greg Bartz, who chairs the Brown County GOP, describes himself as "disappointed" that Pawlenty didn't even give the endorsement process a go."I really thought he was a great governor for eight years, but if you're running for office, you need to come out where the voters are," Bartz says. "When people running for office more or less ignore you, that is really disappointing. It's hard to volunteer for someone who kind of ignores you."Minnesota is seen from the outside as a blue state. No Republican has won statewide office since Pawlenty himself in 2006, and Minnesota has the longest unbroken streak of voting for Democratic presidential candidates of any state, due to its singular support for home-state nominee Walter Mondale in 1984.But Trump came close to winning the state in 2016, taking 44.9 percent of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 46.4 percent. Trump carried some traditionally Democratic parts of Minnesota, notably the old union mining area in the northeast known as the Iron Range. Barack Obama carried the state's 8th congressional district in both his presidential elections, but Trump won it decisively, defeating Clinton by 15 percentage points.That district, which is open this year, represents one of the Republican Party's best pickup opportunities for the U.S. House. Half the state's eight congressional races are considered tossups or highly competitive this year, meaning a great deal of outside money will come flooding in. That's on top of two U.S. Senate races, with the seat vacated by Democrat Al Franken and now held by Tina Smith considered sufficiently competitive to draw big money."We may just see tens of millions of dollars poured into this election," Schulz says.Democrats, including the eventual nominee for governor, will be counting on the popularity of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar to boost their ticket as a whole. They'll be hoping that enthusiasm for her and concerns about Trump will drive their voters to the polls."With all the campaigns that are going to be drawing national attention, it's kind of odd that the governor's race could fall into the backdrop," Sen. Little says. "That never happens here. Usually the governor's race is the most closely watched. But if you're a governor candidate, your $4 million or $5 million is going to seem like nothing for a media buy."Lawyers for Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens contacted St. Louis prosecutors Saturday, proposing that he would resign from office if Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner would drop a felony charge against him.That plan came to fruition this week, with the governor's abrupt announcement Tuesday that he would leave office by the end of the week, and Gardner dropping the computer tampering charge he faced in St. Louis.Gardner, a Democrat, announced the dismissal Wednesday during a press conference at the Carnahan Courthouse. Her office had charged Greitens, a Republican, on April 20 with illegally using a donor list from Greitens' former charity for political fundraising toward his 2016 run for the state's highest office. Greitens, a former Navy SEAL, founded the nonprofit The Mission Continues in 2007."It is time for us to move on," Gardner said, adding later: "I remain confident that we have the evidence required to pursue charges against Mr. Greitens. But sometimes, pursuing charges is not the right or just thing to do for our city or state."In dismissing the case, Gardner noted that first-time offenders, particularly in nonviolent cases, rarely serve prison time. Gardner would not answer questions from reporters Wednesday.After her press conference, her spokeswoman Susan Ryan said Greitens' defense lawyers approached prosecutors about an agreement Saturday and initiated the idea that he would resign if Gardner dropped the charge.After Circuit Judge Rex Burlison on Wednesday accepted a stipulation for dismissal from both sides, defense lawyer Jim Martin stressed that Greitens' decision to resign is a personal one and not stemming from fears of being prosecuted for computer tampering.The case will be dismissed officially once Greitens resigns _ with prejudice _ which means it cannot be refiled. Martin declined to comment on the substance of the agreement.Burlison released redacted copies of the agreement Wednesday. The agreement releases Gardner "and all members of her office and consultants of her office from any civil liability on account of matters alleged" in both the invasion of privacy and computer tampering cases. The agreement also "waives any claim to court costs not already taxed in either cause."Asked for details about the redacted sections of the agreement, Robert Dierker, Gardner's chief trial assistant, would only say that the circuit attorney's office owes $18,000 to Cole County Senior Circuit Judge Rich Callahan, who served as a special master in the invasion of privacy case.Asked if Greitens admitted any wrongdoing or made any apology, Ryan would not comment. She said there was no coordination with Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker, who was named a special prosecutor in an invasion of privacy case against Greitens. Gardner dropped the charge three days into jury selection when faced with having to answer questions under oath about her former lead investigator, William Don Tisaby.There was also no discussion with a Missouri House committee investigating Greitens, Gardner's spokeswoman said.Ryan said the agreement does not benefit Gardner in any way. She said there's no deal about possible sanctions against or a police investigation into Gardner or her office regarding allegations of misconduct. Defense lawyer have accused Gardner of improperly withholding evidence and suborning sworn testimony from her lead investigator.Asked how she felt about the outcome of the case, Ryan said, "It's actually a really sad time in our state's history," adding that it was good the two parties came together and agreed "this behavior is not going to be OK."Cristian Stevens, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, said that plea deals with public officials or employees in federal court typically require that official to step down. The loss of that job serves as punishment, he said, and can deter other officials from similar conduct. It also prevents that person from further misconduct, both by removing them from office and giving them a felony conviction that can prevent them from serving in some future positions.Stevens said every case is different, but what is not typical in federal court is the dismissal of a case without some guilty plea and admission of guilt.While Gardner said Wednesday that dismissal of the computer tampering charge was the best course of action, she criticized Greitens' statements that he had done no wrong and had been the victim of a witch hunt.Not quite 17 months into his term, Greitens is going out the way he came in, haunted by the specter of dark money."Contrary to Mr. Greitens' past statements, there was no witch hunt, no plans to bring pain to him or his family," Gardner said. "Quite the contrary, the consequences Mr. Greitens has suffered he brought upon himself by his actions, his statements, his decisions, his ambition and pursuit for power."Gardner said there "was no coordinated effort by anyone to target him based upon his politics. Rather it was his actions."The Greitens cases "did not cost taxpayers any more than our existing budget allocation. And these cases were not pursued at the expense of my office's priorities," she said.Greitens' attorneys had asked a judge to disqualify Gardner from the computer tampering case, accusing her of running a politically motivated investigation against the governor.The defense argued that Tisaby, the private investigator hired by Gardner in the invasion of privacy case, committed perjury, tainting her office's ability to prosecute the newer felony charge against the governor. The defense also accused Gardner of repeated failures to turn over evidence as required, resulting in sanctions by Burlison last week allowing the defense to re-interview some witnesses, including Tisaby.Baker, the Jackson County prosecutor, said her investigation continues into allegations Greitens in March 2015 took a semi-nude photograph of his then-lover without her consent. The woman has accused him of threatening to release the photo if she spoke about the affair. Greitens has denied claims he blackmailed her.Gardner said Baker has sole authority over for invasion of privacy case now.Greitens' surprise announcement Tuesday came hours after a ruling by a Cole County judge that would force the governor's campaign and a dark-money political group affiliated with Greitens to reveal fundraising information to a special House investigative committee.Independents have surpassed Republicans to become the second-largest voting bloc in California, according to a firm that analyzes county voter registration information for campaigns.Political Data Inc. on Tuesday released its latest count showing that voters registered with no party preference now outnumber Republicans by about 73,000 in California. The company regularly collects raw voter files from county registrars to maintain an updated database of the state's 19 million voters.At the close of regular registration, 15 days before the June primary, there were 4,844,803 no-party-preference voters, according to Political Data Inc., compared with 4,771,984 Republicans. Both make up about a quarter of the California electorate, trailing 8,436,493 registered Democrats, about 44.4 percent.It is the culmination of a trend that has been accelerating for years. California voters have shed their party affiliation at a growing rate, even as state politics are increasingly dominated by Democrats."This isn't surprising," Matt Fleming, a spokesman for the California Republican Party, said in a statement. "But no party preference doesn't mean voters are becoming Democrats, and we will continue to reach out to all voters. The rise in NPP suggests that voters are fed up with the status quo in California, which, by any objective measure, is Democrat control of Sacramento."The Secretary of State's Office, which tracks voter registration statewide, did not immediately return an email seeking confirmation of the numbers. It plans to release its own count on Friday.Paul Mitchell, vice president of Political Data Inc., also noted that, despite falling registration rates, Republicans maintain an outsized influence because they vote more consistently than Democrats or independents.Republicans and independents who lean Republican made up about 40 percent of the vote in recent elections, he said, a rate that has remained fairly stable."Registration numbers don't beget turnout numbers," Mitchell said. "This is merely one metric."Economic development and infrastructure are among the most pressing concerns for mayors around the country, according to a new report.The National League of Cities (NLC) released its annual "State of the Cities" report on Wednesday based on examination of 160 mayors' State of the City speeches this year.As usual, economic development dominated the addresses across the country, with 58 percent of mayors dedicating a significant portion of their speeches to the topic. Infrastructure, budgets, housing, and public safety also remained high on the list of topics that mayors touched on.While the top issues remained essentially the same as last year, the context with which mayors approached those topics changed.Its the way that mayors are talking about issues that does tend to shift, said Christiana McFarland, NLC's director of research, at the event for the report's release.Mayors offered more detailed plans for infrastructure but also expressed more concerns about addressing some of their infrastructure needs, given political friction between cities, their states and the federal government.Mayors are confident about the basic local government infrastructure issues they have control over, said McFarland. But they express trepidation when talking about large-scale infrastructure needs and support from other levels of government.When President Trump took office last year, there was more optimism among mayors that the new administration would make infrastructure a priority. But a year and a half later, despite a highly touted proposal from the White House, there has been no significant change in federal infrastructure funding or policy.While mayors from cities small and large talked potholes and streetlights, mayors of big urban areas like Atlanta and Detroit spoke about the need to invest in public transit to improve people's access to jobs, according to the report.Gun safety and high school shootings also popped in numerous speeches. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, for instance, criticized state and federal officials for failing to act on gun control.We need action at the federal and state level to reduce gun violence," he said. "It is beyond disturbing that those in power fail to address the need for background checks."For the release of the report, the National League of Cities held a panel discussion featuring mayors Daniel Rivera of Lawrence, Mass., and Jim Strickland of Memphis.Rivera reflected on his speech in which he criticized Trump's strategy for fighting the opioid epidemic. Earlier this year, Trump traveled to New Hampshire to talk about the opioid epidemic. In his speech, the president blamed Lawrence for New Hampshire's opioid problem, citing a study that pointed to the city as a source of the opioids in several New Hampshire overdoses. Rivera doesn't contest that the opioids came from his city, but he said that simply pointing fingers isn't productive.The answer to this opioid crisis isnt just to find out where the drug dealers are. Thats easy. Lets find out where the users are and lets treat them. Thats hard, Rivera said.Mayor Strickland, meanwhile, revisited his goal of economic equity in Memphis, which is the poorest large metropolitan area in the country If you add up all the business transacted in Memphis, only 1 percent of that business goes to African American-owned businesses, he said during the panel.Under Strickland, the city has launched a three-pronged initiative to increase the amount of business the city does with minority- and women-owned businesses. It includes a tutoring program for business owners and a corporate-sponsored fund to help businesses that are beyond the startup phase but havent fully matured. The hope, says Strickland, is to grow black businesses in Memphis by 10 percent by 2023, and to create jobs.These businesses might have two employees, but with a little access to capital through loans or grants or through education, they can get 10 employees."Governor's Program

The Governors Official Program is comprised of a wide range of constitutional and legal duties and ceremonial and community engagements. Each year, the Governor hosts thousands of visitors to Government House to take part in investiture and award ceremonies, Open Days, receptions and meetings, and travels widely throughout Queensland to support the activities of Patron groups. View a chronological record of the Governors daily program below.Description

GIS  31 May 2018: Adoption should not be seen as a right or entitlement on the part of parents but should be instead guided by what is best for the child. It is imperative to view adoption through the prism of the rights of the child wherein prominent consideration should be vested on the welfare and best interest of the child.

The Minister of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare, Mrs. Roubina Jadoo-Jaunbocus made this statement this morning, at the opening ceremony of a validation workshop on the draft of the Adoptions Bill, at the Pearl Beach Hotel in Flic-en Flac. The Ambassador of the European Union (EU) to the Republic of Mauritius, Mrs. Marjaana Sall, was also present on the occasion.

In her address, Minister Jadoo-Jaunbocus highlighted that an adoption is essentially a measure that creates a permanent parent-child relationship between the adoptee and the adoptive parents. It is essential to promote and strengthen the emotional bond between the child and the parents and ensure that the child has the right and opportunity to express its views on any prospective adoption, she said.

On that score, she underlined that the validation of the draft of the Adoption Bill and recently the validation of the draft of the Childrens Bill showcase Governments determination to cater for the welfare of children. Mrs. Jadoo-Jaunbocus indicated that the National Adoption Council, operating under the aegis of her Ministry, has been designated as the central authority under the Hague Convention, to inquire into all demands regarding adoption matters. She stressed that many procedural challenges need to be tackled to ensure that adoptions are compliant with human rights and other obligations.

The Minister underlined that the aim to ensure that the law provides for robust safeguards against criminal and unethical behaviour underpins the initiative to draft the Adoption Bill. She indicated that the Bill will regulate both domestic and inter-country adoptions in a consistent and cohesive manner in compliance with the countrys obligations under international law. She further observed that for the Bill to be effective, there is a need for all stakeholders to join Government in its endeavour to implement it.

As for Ambassador Sall, she recalled that the EU has provided for technical assistance to work out the drafts of the Adoption Bill and the Childrens Bill. This, she said, are the concrete examples of EUs commitment to partner with Mauritius on issues of shared values. According to her, adoption raises several human rights issues which require authorities to ensure that these are taken into consideration during the adoption process.

Furthermore, she emphasised that international standards have been set out to establish safeguards against abuse and the Bill will further help to establish criteria for the best interest of the child. Mrs. Sall expressed satisfaction that the civil society and relevant stakeholders are being consulted in the whole process of drafting the Bill, which she indicated, is in line with EUs advocacy for a full participatory approach in new policies and with the principles of democracy and good governance.

The new Adoption Bill

The New Adoption Bill is being worked upon so as to comply with the Hague Convention wherein the new legislation will regulate all the three types of adoption in Mauritius, that is, adoption of Mauritian children by foreigners, adoption of foreign children by Mauritian nationals, and adoption of Mauritian children by Mauritian nationals.Description

GIS  31 May 2018: Government is investing massively in the upgrading of modern infrastructural water systems to improve the water distribution network across the country and ensure that the population has access to clean water on a 24/7 basis.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr. Ivan Collendavelloo, made this statement today during a site visit at Riviere du Rempart to see progress pertaining to ongoing projects of the Central Water Authoritys (CWA).

Mr. Collendavelloo highlighted that some Rs 122 million has been injected in the Riviere du Rempart Water Supply project to address issues obstructing the smooth distribution of water supply and to improve the water distribution network in the region. He expressed optimism that by the end of 2018, around 80% of the population residing in the North will have access to clean water with an adequate pressure on a 24/7 basis. Currently, some 13 000 subscribers are benefitting from increased hours of water supply in the North, he added.

He recalled that that the project of replacing leaking old pipes has been initiated by the CWA in 2015 and will gradually cover the whole island. In this regard, Mr. Collendavelloo stated that around 175km of water pipes have already been replaced to the tune of some Rs 2.1 billion. The water reform project, he underscored, will result in an increase in water supply pressure, reduce loss in the water distribution system, and ensure security and continuity of water supply .

Furthermore, the Deputy Prime Minister attributed the irregular water supply in the country to worn out pipelines and leakages, low pressure, increased demand in water supply and frequent bursts. To address these issues, he pointed out that various projects comprising the installation of new water pumps and mobile pressure filters, water treatment plants, construction of dams and reservoirs amongst others are being implemented by the Government. He also made an appeal to the population to make judicious use of water and reduce wastage.

Other related projects in the pipeline are rehabilitation and upgrading of La Nicoliere Water Treatment Plant from 66 000 m3 to 100 000 m3 per day, increase in the storage capacity of La Nicoliere Reservoir, installation of mobile pressure filters and construction of 2 Pure Water Steel Storage Water Tank of a total capacity of 5000m3 in Mon Loisir Rouillard and Plaine des Papayes, and pipe laying from Salazie to Les Mariannes.

The Riviere du Rempart Water Supply project

The Riviere du Rempart Water Supply project comprises the replacement of overused pipelines stretching over 15 km and the construction of a reservoir of 3000 cubic meters to the tune of Rs 40 millions. The works are expected to be completed by November 2018.Description

GIS  31 May 2018: The Ministry of Arts and Culture, in collaboration with the Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar in Mauritius, is organising a series of activities during the month of June to mark the Malagasy Week in the context of the celebrations of the 50th Anniversary of Mauritiuss accession to Independence. These activities will enable Mauritians to further familiarise themselves with the lifestyle and practices of Madagascar as well as discover its cultural richness.

The Minister of Arts and Culture, Mr Prithvirajsing Roopun, made this announcement today during a press conference in Port-Louis in the presence of the Ambassador of the Republic of Madagascar in Mauritius, Mr. M. A. Rasamizafy.

Minister Roopun underlined that the Malagasy Week, from first June to the tenth, provides a great opportunity for Mauritius and Madagascar to reiterate diplomatic ties and friendly relations, established in August 1968. Over the years, both countries have concluded several bilateral agreements based on common values and shared interest in various fields such as culture, investment, trade, agriculture amongst others, he added.

He also highlighted that Madagascar holds great potential for development in many areas and that the Government of Mauritius will continue extending its full support to the country for the achievement of common goals. He recalled that a Protocole dAccord culturel has been signed during the First Session of the Joint Commission between Mauritius and Madagascar with a view to promote knowledge and understanding of the respective cultures of both countries.

Minister Roopun pointed out that the Malagasy Week comprises a culinary festival, an expo-sale fair and a concert. He invited Mauritian citizens to take avail of the panoply of activities that will be held during the Malagasy Week.

Calendar of activities

The calendar of activities includes:

 A Malagasy Culinary Festival to discover Malagasy gastronomy from Friday 01 to Saturday 09 June 2018 at Labourdonnais Hotel in Port-Louis

 A Madagascar au Trianon expo-sale fair comprising sales of crafts, decorative items, jewellery and textiles from 02 June to 10 June 2018 at Trianon Shopping Park

 A concert depicting Malagasy music by the Randrangasy Group at Mahatma Gandhi Institute Moka on Sunday 03 June 2018Description

GIS  31 May 2018: Three Police Officers received letters of commendation from the Prime Minister, Minister of Home Affairs, External Communications and National Development Unit and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, this afternoon , at the New Treasury Building in Port Louis.

The three Police Officers, namely constables P. Adhun, C. Pydugadu, and Sergeant R. K. Huzooree of Roche Bois Police Station helped a lady deliver twin baby boys at the Station on 28 May 2018.

In a statement, the Police Officers underlined that the meeting with the Prime Minister was cordial and that the latter congratulated them for their action and encouraged them to continue to set the example for other officers of the Mauritius Police Force. They also underscored that it is the responsibility of Police Officers to set the good example and provide assistance to the population in any situation.Most state government health and human service agencies continue to rely on unwieldy legacy software to run their eligibility systems. Because of their complexity, updates and replacement projects often end up over budget and behind schedule. But with the encouragement of the federal government, some states have begun deploying commercial cloud platforms and a modular approach to speed up development and reduce risk.In January Colorado announced it would move its Colorado Benefits Management System (CBMS) to Salesforces customer relationship management platform. More than 5,000 county and medical assistance site employees across the state use CBMS to determine citizens eligibility for food, cash and medical assistance. Each month, the system is used to process approximately 30,000 new client applications and 40,000 client reauthorizations. In addition, CBMS communicates with approximately 50 external systems.Launched in 2004, CBMS has had some high-profile problems over the years. A 2011 report by two University of Denver professors titled Seven Years of Failure noted that since 2004, there have been a series of promises and attempts under two separate administrations to fix CBMS so that it meets performance requirements. Nothing has worked.State IT officials point out that although CBMS is still a monolithic system with millions of lines of code, it actually has been fairly stable over the last few years. We put a lot of work into stabilizing it, just because of the sheer importance of it, said David McCurdy, the states chief technology officer. But as we looked to the future, we had to ask ourselves if we want to maintain that code set or invest in something that is going to have a lot longer life and integration with other things in the cloud.McCurdy described the strategy this way: The guts of the system  the rules engine, database and enterprise service bus  are not being rewritten. They will operate the same way they do now, he said, but we are moving them from the state data center and legacy IT infrastructure to Amazon Web Services. Meanwhile, Salesforce will provide the new front-end user experience for the county-level workforce.OIT executives believe that if they can build a more modular system and a new user experience on the front end, they can be more responsive to agency partners and make changes faster with lower risk and potentially lower cost.The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is funding 90 percent of the work. The timeline of the project, which is expected to cost approximately $25 million, calls for most of the development and design work to be done in 2018. We plan to roll out the application initiation module this September, said Herb Wilson, director of health information services and CBMS in the Governors Office of Information Technology (OIT). The balance of the functionality will roll out in 2019.The system is being designed with a micro services approach, Wilson explained. If we need to change the application initiation function in the future, we can change the front-end layout and change the workflow and rules just related to application initiation, and not impact the rest of the functions.McCurdy noted that the life cycle for changes to CBMS has been about nine months. Our goal is to cut that down so we can iterate faster. With micro services, it is less risky and a smaller development effort, which should be faster and more positive in the longer term.The decision to use the Salesforce platform is an extension of previous work in other state agencies since 2011. I think the state has around 95 Salesforce apps, McCurdy said, which is one of the largest pools of Salesforce apps of any state government. There is a comfort level with Salesforce as one of our standards.Colorado is working with Deloitte Consulting on the system transformation, as well as maintenance and operations. Deloitte principal Sanjay Shah noted that while many other states are making significant strides toward moving to the cloud, Colorado will be one of the first to move an entire integrated eligibility case management system to the cloud and use Salesforce to give their citizens a better customer experience.Shah pointed out other potential benefits: When CBMS is fully implemented, the system will comply with strict FedRAMP [Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program] security standards; it will be faster and easier to enhance; it will have automated disaster recovery features; and the cost of the infrastructure will be more predictable for state budget officials.The new user interface should make caseworkers lives easier, Wilson said. A simple example is enhanced searching. In Salesforce, everything is indexed, which allows so many more data elements to be searchable, so the searching capabilities alone should help them be more efficient in doing their jobs, he explained. We are looking at how to make the layout and navigation more natural, so that it is like navigating other websites.Using an agile approach, OIT is bringing in representatives from the Department of Human Services, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, Connect for Health Colorado (the state health insurance exchange) and county representatives to participate in application design sessions three times a week. We are striving to lay out the screens in a way that is more modern and more natural, but not change it so much that we have to completely retrain the workforce, Wilson said.Nicole McNeal, a director at consulting firm Public Knowledge, helped the state with strategic planning around its benefit management systems. She said Colorados approach is quite innovative, although a few other states also have made inroads. The state of New Jersey has a full eligibility system in Salesforce, she added, and was successful in getting a fully configurable cloud-based solution deployed pretty quickly.In another example, Delaware has just gone live with the nations first cloud-based system for child-welfare caseworkers. State CIO James Collins said he saw several advantages to the platform-as-a-service approach. Sometimes these systems take so long to build that by the time you are done, some of the technology has to be refreshed almost immediately, he explained. We wanted to have an evergreen technology that the users could have some control over. Part of our strategy is to leverage these platforms that are highly configurable, so that non-IT people can actually partially administer the system and make changes to it. That helps us keep cadence with the innovation demands that our agency partners have.Another advantage, Collins said, is that cloud-based platforms are natively mobile. Our governor wants services pushed out to where citizens need them, he said. For instance, Delaware is putting social workers in probation and parole offices to meet people where they have the need and wrap services around them. That necessitates a mobile workforce, he added, and our applications have to be responsive.So why havent more states taken this approach? Some of it may have to do with perceived risk and procurement limitations, McNeal said. This is such a complex environment, with lots of rules and regulations, and a limited marketplace of vendors. It is a high-risk area to play in, so I think a lot of states still play it safe.This change is not just about the benefits of software as a service, McCurdy stressed. It is also about attracting developers interested in learning newer programming languages and using bolt-on apps in the cloud. We are going to be taking advantage of artificial intelligence and advanced analytics, he said. By going to the cloud, we can focus less on all the hardware and operating systems updates and more on core development delivered back to our customers.(TNS) - To people standing on Nauset Beach in Orleans near the spot where Liam's restaurant stood for many years, until a series of recent storms eroded 60 feet of sandy bluff, the reason for climate change preparedness grants announced Tuesday by state environmental officials was clear. Coastal communities may be the most visible face of climate change's impact.But Central Massachusetts communities also need to prepare for impacts from extreme weather, even if rising seas aren't lapping at their borders.Eleven area cities and towns received a total of $315,000, from more than $2 million in state grant funding awarded to 82 towns and cities statewide, through the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program. The grants provide communities with technical support, climate change data and planning tools to identify hazards and develop strategies to improve resilience, according to a news release from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.The communities are Auburn, Brookfield, Clinton, Harvard, Hudson, Leicester, Marlboro, Sutton, Uxbridge, West Boylston and Worcester.The MVP grants were announced by Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton during a tour of storm damage on the beaches of outer Cape Cod.Municipalities that successfully complete the program get an MVP designation that makes them eligible to compete in the state's MVP Action Grant program.A new website launched to help communities in these efforts, Resilient MA/Climate Clearinghouse, www.resilientma.org, is a gateway for policymakers and the public to find the latest research and tools to plan for climate change."Worcester was awarded a $100,000 Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant, which will be used to complete a city-wide climate change vulnerability assessment, design an action plan for preparedness activities, and conduct a number of targeted vulnerability assessments of critical sectors with assistance of a qualified consultant. The project will be managed by Energy and Asset Management staff," according to a statement from Luba Zhaurova, sustainability project manager of Worcester's Energy and Asset Management Division.In a letter of application for the grant, City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr. wrote that the city is facing more frequent and extreme weather events such as stormwater flooding, aggravated by urban runoff flooding, damaging ice, blizzards, cold air events and heat waves, and drought."Our climate change vulnerability will relate to either drought or flooding," said Sutton sustainability director Doreen DeFazio in a phone interview, learning of her town's $15,000 grant.She said the MVP grant will allow the town to engage the public in "seeing where the community thinks the gaps are" in terms of preparedness. A series of community meetings with emergency management staff, public safety, public works, conservation and planning staff, and the Central Massachusetts Regional Planning Commission will explore local climate issues.Ms. DeFazio said she also plans to work regionally with Northbridge, Grafton and Millbury, which received MVP grants last year.Leicester Town Administrator David Genereux said the town's $15,000 award would help it work toward eligibility for larger grants to address dams that are in disrepair."It allows us to maintain public safety," he said. "Leicester has a lot of water and a lot of dams. There's a lot of natural occurrences that affect us.""Obviously there are continuous weather events that hit our region," said Auburn Town Manager Julie Jacobson.Auburn's $18,000 MVP grant will enable it to hire a consultant to work with a team including multiple municipal departments to analyze how severe weather could affect the town, what strategies would best mitigate potential damage, and identify priority projects for subsequent MVP action grant funding."Basically, it's things like looking at your infrastructure," she said.2018 Telegram & Gazette, Worcester, Mass.Visit Telegram & Gazette, Worcester, Mass. at www.telegram.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.(TNS) - Three days after the second massive flood in less than two years devastated Old Ellicott City, the historic mill towns businesses will rely again on a mix of insurance, disaster aid, loans and community support if they choose to reopen.Thats the big if. While some businesses already have launched fundraising efforts, others question whether theyll be able to raise money as they did two years ago.As before, many of the businesses likely didnt have flood insurance, which is required only of property owners in high-risk flood zones such as Main Street in Old Ellicott City, but is an optional addition to commercial insurance for business owners who dont own their buildings.Kitty Morgan, who owned the Summer of Love hippie shop, had no flood insurance. She said it wasnt affordable or worth the cost for a shop with such slim margins.Sundays flash flooding destroyed her shop and nearby apartment.As of Wednesday, a GoFundMe page set up to help her had $410 in pledges toward a $50,000 goal. She has no idea what it would cost to reopen, but she knows this would not be enough.To the people who gave, I love you, Morgan said. But no one has enough money to rebuild.There is a limit to what the community can be expected to give, Morgan said, especially for the second catastrophic flood. Like other small business owners who invested in rebuilding or opening businesses after the flood of 2016, she said she expected authorities would take steps to prevent another round of devastation. But many of the proposed improvements will take time and money.County, state and federal officials went to Howard High School Wednesday evening to tell a crowd of about 200 that they would all do what they could to help. And they understood the difficult path that lies ahead for the business owners.We know its an emotional and physical time and a financial hardship, Howard County Executive Allan H. Kittleman said. We want to do whatever we can. We want you to make the decision thats best for you.In the meantime, he and others said, those without flood insurance might be able to tap donations, disaster assistance or small business loans.After the 2016 flood, the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid $4.9 million on 27 flood insurance claims from Ellicott City, a spokesman for the agency said. The agency also paid out close to $7 million in disaster aid.The nonprofit Ellicott City Partnership is raising money to help the uninsured or underinsured. The nonprofit raised $1.85 million after the 2016 flood.I know there are lots of businesses who dont have flood insurance because it is so expensive and they will need help, said Maureen Sweeney Smith, the groups executive director.Sweeney Smith said she doesnt yet know the extent of all the damage, but said just about every business was hit in some way.Jerome Scott didnt get flood insurance for his Cotton Duck Art & Apparel shop after the 2016 flood. After Sundays flooding damaged his business again, he decided not to reopen. He doesnt want to go through the ordeal of rebuilding again. He will sell from his studio and on the internet instead.I am definitely not rebuilding, Scott said. Im not going back there. Not at all. Nothing has been done to fix or alleviate the problem, so I dont have any reason to move back down there.He said the county didnt take the steps needed to prevent the flooding.You didnt protect the people there, he said. You basically put them in harms way and rolled the dice that there wouldnt be another flood.Linda Jones, the owner of Tea on the Tiber, saw the first floor and basement of her business wiped out. There were 40 people dining in her restaurant when the storm hit. She ushered them all to the top floor, where they waited and watched from the window as the fast-running waters tore through town.Jones has flood insurance. She thought she learned a lesson after the 2016 storm, when she didnt have coverage. But she is not convinced it will help her that much. The process of filing a claim is daunting. Each lost item has to be documented with a photo and proof of value. Many of the items in the store washed away or are covered in debris, Jones said.She doesnt feel right asking the community for help again.How can we ask the public to support us a second time in less than two years? she asked. Its not fair. It not right. Its unethical. Our integrity is at stake here.Besides, she is not even convinced yet that she should rebuild.Its tough this time, she said. Its not, Of course we are coming back. FEMA and the Maryland Emergency Management Agency will begin conducting joint damage assessments Thursday, a preliminary step to potentially securing disaster assistance. Theyll be looking at the flood damage in Howard County, Baltimore and Baltimore County.Our administration is committed to helping those impacted by the recent devastating floods recover as quickly as possible, Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement. I have directed the Maryland Emergency Management Agency to work closely with regional representatives from FEMA to seek all available assistance to support our public safety partners and our citizens who were affected as they work to rebuild.The Maryland Insurance Administration is working to help people in the state deal with insurance claims, state Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer Jr. said.The administration reported that it aided 57 people in the state with flood-related claims in 2016, including 42 in Howard County, resulting in a total of nearly $882,000 in payouts. Only five had flood insurance. Others had claims through homeowners, auto or other insurance.Seeing so many people lacking proper insurance then and now, Redmer urged home and business owners to contact their agents or brokers and make informed decisions about what kind of coverage they should have.Kittleman told residents it appeared that utilities were not hit as badly as they were in the 2016 flood, and that 92 percent of gas connections had been restored by BGE.Jackie Scott, director of the department of community resources and services, told attendees about the local and state agencies and nonprofits available at the newly created Disaster Assistance Center, which opened this week at the Ellicott City 50+ Center.County officials told the crowd that no thefts had been reported following the flood, and that 198 vehicles had been removed.Baltimore Sun reporter Christina Tkacik contributed to this article.meredith.cohn@baltsun.comtwitter.com/mercohn2018 The Baltimore SunVisit The Baltimore Sun at www.baltimoresun.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.What's it Like?

How Fast?

Are they Dangerous?

The Basics

Cost

Recreation or Exercise?

Problems

Easy to Ride?

(TNS)  The streets of Sacramento, Calif., are suddenly dotted with a legion of slightly-cool, slightly-dorky looking candy red bicycles.What's up?The Jump Bikes are the first of 900 community bikeshare rentals coming to central Sacramento, West Sacramento and Davis this year. They're stationed at bike racks around town for people to use as they wish, mostly for short rides around urban areas.Bikeshare programs aren't new. But Sacramento's is notable. It's among the first motor-assist bikeshare fleets in the country.The motor kicks in automatically with the first pedal stroke. The bikes have been instantly popular, and have prompted questions and curiosity. Sotest rode them over the past few days. Here's our take:In a word, fun. For one, they just look jaunty. People waved at us. A woman in a pickup truck on Alhambra Boulevard shouted, "I love your bike!" and a guy on 19th Street near J Street stopped us so he could check the bike out.The bikes are a cross between a cruiser bike and a moped. You have to pedal, but as soon as you do, you get this "whoosh" feeling. It's the electric motor, silently kicking in to help out.Midtown resident Chelsey Payne is among those who've tried them. She was jazzed . "It was fast! I'm sold.The motor automatically stops when you hit 15 miles per hour. You can go faster than 15 mph, but at that point, it's all leg power. I tried one on the bike trail by Sacramento State and got up to about 18 mph, but that was a real push.The rentals do not come with helmets. I brought my own helmet on my rides. But many users are riding without helmets. Reader Dave Metcalf, a nurse, called us to express alarm. "Those things are going to be liabilities! Wait until the first subdural hematoma happens."But Jim Brown of the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates is not concerned. He says the bikes will encourage more riders, which will push the city to build more bike lanes , which will lead to safer city biking.Speed may be a safety issue in another way. While 15 mph isn't especially fast, it felt fast when I rode through some tight midtown intersections with limited cross-street sight lines. It leaves little reaction time if a pedestrian or errant driver cuts in front of you.On the plus side, the bikes' shiny "look at me!" red color can be seen blocks away, easy for drivers to spot. And the motor doesn't control the speed. The rider does. You can creep along at walking pace if you want.To use a bike, you download the Jump app onto your smartphone, then type in your credit card number. The app assigns you a user ID number. You add a PIN.The app displays a map showing where you are and where every nearby available bike is stationed. They are typically at bike racks. You can hit a button on the app and reserve a bike before you get to it. But your meter starts ticking immediately.When you get to the bike, you punch your PIN into a computer behind the seat to unlock it. Each bike has an identifying number on the back fender.You'll pay $1 for the first 15 minutes, then 7 cents per minute after that. That's $4 an hour.By comparison, a bus or light rail ride costs $2.75, and you'll pay $1.75 per hour to park your car at a Sacramento city parking meter.You can ride the bikes anywhere, but the app's map shows a large geographic zone that you are supposed to park the bike in. In Sacramento, that zone is basically the central city, East Sacramento, Sacramento State, UC Med Center, Oak Park, Tahoe Park, Land Park and Curtis Park. If you drop off a bike outside the zone, it will trigger a $25 fee.You also can sign up for a monthly $30 Jump Bike membership, which gives you a free hour of riding each day.Jump Bikes plans to set up a separate account with reduced fees for lower-income people who can show that they qualify for CalFresh, a housing voucher program or the Sacramento Municipal Utility District's low-income program.If you're looking for a workout, this isn't it. Pedaling is just too easy. That's good, though, if you are in work clothes. You get around without working up much of a sweat.There is a large basket up front for a few belongings and a water bottle holder. The bike seat is wide, slightly cushioned and adjustable. You sit upright. The tires are big. But some city streets are really bumpy. (33rd Street, yeah, I'm talking to you.)The bikes are popular enough that I've had to walk more than a half-mile to get to the nearest available bike. That left me worried that someone else would get to it first. (I reserved one bike in advance, when I was about three blocks away. It added 21 cents to my bill, three minutes worth.)So far, about 300 of the 900 bikes have hit the streets. The rest are due this summer.I've come across three bikes already that were out of service. It's possible the batteries on those bikes had run down, and the operator had not yet gotten someone out to recharge them. None of those out-of-service bikes were visible on my smart phone map. When they go out of service, they go dark.Your app will tell you how much of an electric charge each bike has. Each bike has a rough range of 30-40 miles at 100 percent charge.You are supposed to leave the bike locked to public bike racks in the street or on the sidewalk. But some users are leaving them locked to street signs, poles and even parking meters. Officials say they will be installing more bike racks.The city also has gotten some complaints of bikes left blocking sidewalks. You can report an illegally parked bike to the city by calling 311.I found the Jump bikes easy to adapt to. The motor was helpful, not scary. But a family member who doesn't ride bikes rode one around the block and felt unsteady. She dismounted OK, but said the bike was heavy.One of the bikes I rented didn't have nearly the same zip to its motor as others. That made it a bit harder to get going in traffic at intersections, given the bike's weight.A tip: When you come to a stop at a light, nudge one of the pedals up with your foot, so that you can get a good push when you restart. That allows the motor to give you a boost so you don't wobble into traffic.The bikes' weight makes them slightly cumbersome when you are guiding them into a rack or against a pole to lock it up.A big push

Driving collaboration

The Bob Bullock Award Goes to  This years Bob Bullock Award for Outstanding Public Stewardship went to Phil Wilson, general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority.



LCRAs mission is to enhance the lives of the Texans we serve through water stewardship, energy and community service. Technology plays an ever-increasing role in our efforts to fulfill our mission, Wilson said.



A former Texas Secretary of State, Wilson also served as the chief elections officer and the chief international protocol officer for Texas, as well as chair of the Governors Competitiveness Council. He took on his role with the Lower Colorado River Authority in 2014.



As LCRAs 11th general manager, Wilson serves as the organizations chief executive officer, managing LCRAs relationships with its customers and stakeholders, appointing and directing executive staff, and overseeing projects and operations that support the agencys public service mission.



Among his other accomplishments, Wilson helped land the agency a place in the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Leadership Circle, a group of organizations that have achieved recognition for their financial transparency.









Citizen service

IT on the move

Across Texas, IT leaders are finding new ways to make government more efficient, effective and responsive to citizen needs.This years Best of Texas Awards highlight a range of creative tech implementations, from a massive telecommunications network overhaul to a simple campus app that aims to heighten awareness around cybersecurity. There are tools to enhance interagency collaboration and a chatbot to boost citizen service.Some years a common theme emerges: Cloud, data, cyber. In 2018 , it was basic block-and-tackle for many in Texas IT. Rather than chase fads, these leaders sought out the tools they needed to get the job done. They streamlined forms, made critical information more readily visible, and pared back overly complicated processes, all through the intelligent application of IT.Governmental and educational leaders in Texas are leveraging technology to improve cybersecurity, enhance citizen service and advance emergency response, among many other things, said Teri Takai, executive director of the Center for Digital Government.* Congratulations to this years Best of Texas winners for the vital role they are playing in advancing information technology in Texas.This years award for Demonstrated Excellence in Project Management went to Jeff Kersey, a Senior IT Tech Analyst with the city of Fort Worth. While the biggest projects arent always the most noteworthy, there is something to be said for coping with the sheer scale of a major civic undertaking. Kersey oversaw a massive network infrastructure upgrade project in support of data and telephony services.The project brought about a complete overhaul of the telephone and network hardware, as well as upgrading many of the sites to a redundant fiber network backbone, said Kersey, who was responsible for network architecture design and hands-on network configuration changes, scheduling, coordination and installation of a fiber ring that connected 66 key locations. The project incorporated 180 uninterruptable power supplies, 300 network switches, 4,500 VoIP phones, and 5,000 patch cables. It resulted in a more reliable and secure network for more than 6,000 city of Fort Worth employees and many other users.Cooperative efforts also shone brightly in Texas this year and were highlighted in the two award-winning projects in the category of Best IT Collaboration Among Organizations.The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles eLICENSING System shifts licensing online, getting rid of burdensome paper applications and manual payment processing. In a broad collaborative effort, the department consolidated two standalone licensure systems into a single system and streamlined the process for ease of use. The resulting system speeds up and simplifies the licensing process for motor vehicle and salvage dealers, allowing them more time to focus on serving their communities, said Adam Shaivitz, a spokesman for the department.Harris County likewise looked to drive collaboration as it planned for Super Bowl 51 (SBLI) last year. Harris County Central Technology Services (CTS) worked with public safety stakeholders from the city of Houston and Harris County agencies to launch the first operational deployment of Public Safety LTE, bringing to multiple stakeholders a range of communications functions including picture and video sharing; group messaging; a global user directory; voice over Internet protocol (VoIP); and video conferencing. Features like this enabled seamless information sharing and interoperability across the various agencies supporting the event.While interagency coordination is always important, issues of interoperability become especially urgent in times of crisis. Emergency responders from disparate agencies need to have shared situational awareness and open lines of communication in order to operate effectively.During Hurricane Harvey, Harris County Central Technology Services implemented a collaboration app to deliver to collaborate share information among multiple agencies. One of this years Best Applications Serving an Agencys Business Needs, the app included features such as group messaging and media/file sharing, which enabled law enforcement agencies to coordinate high-water rescues. In the wake of the storm, community service officials used the same app to coordinate logistics for supplies, while engineering professionals leveraged it to manage clean-up and inspections of roughly 30,000 privately-owned properties that flooded during the storm.Also taking home an award for Best Application Serving an Agencys Business Needs is the Texas Military Department for its Texas State Guard J6 - Readiness Management System (RMS). The system provides a platform for data, inputs and outputs that help the Texas State Guard command understand "force readiness."With an effort underway to more than double the authorized State Guard member strength, the RMS provides a critical mechanism for tracking new personnel, with real-time displays of guard member data overlaid against a geographical map-view of Texas. That same data was used during Hurricane Harvey to support response planning and deployment. Bottom line: Speeding up the decision and response times for the Texas State Guard results in the faster delivery of emergency response personnel to our Texas communities, said Sgt. 1st Class John Gately, Texas State Guard  Army.While some turned to apps to enhance business process, others turned to data. Take for instance the Texas Workforce Commission, whose Texas Labor Analysis (TLA) won this years award for Best Business Analysis/Data Analytics Project.An online suite of labor analysis tools, TLA offers insight into Texas labor supply and demand, generating wage data and occupational projections, along with insights into the current labor supply, job posting data and other key metrics. TLA allows users to create in-depth regional reports detailing labor supply and demand, with downloadable reports as well as features that enable users to compare current labor supply and demand by occupation and by region.Just as some focused on internal-facing applications, others looked outward, leveraging IT to enhance citizen service. Both the city of El Paso and the Texas Workforce Commission earned recognition this year for the Best Application Serving the Public.El Paso IT officials implemented Ask Laura in 2017 on the citys Purchasing website as a way to provide an enhanced customer service experience. Driven by artificial intelligence, the chatbot has since been added to the citys Tax Office website, Planning and Inspections website and will soon be added to the Airport Departments website.The Texas Workforce Commission meanwhile addressed the public with its Texas Reality Check, an online application that allows students to describe their lifestyle choices, create a desired budget and then view the occupations and preferred education levels needed to support those choices.Its become the most popular application of the Labor Market and Career Information Department (LMCI) of the Texas Workforce Commission. The application gives students a clear sense of how much their desired lifestyle will cost and what it will take to get there.In addition to creative Web-based apps, various government entities have been looking to social media as a means of citizen engagement. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department won recognition for this years Most Innovative Use of Social Media/Citizen Engagement, with its Inland Fisheries Texas ShareLunker Mobile App.Seeking to increase public participation in its ShareLunker fisheries program, the department built a mobile and Web app that gives citizens an easy way to take pictures and enter a bass they caught into the program using Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. The mobile app has allowed the program to expand and include more participation and data without additional staff requirements, said Mark Miller, a team lead in Application Development. By enabling quick catch-and-release, the app is better for the health of the fish and for the anglers fishing experience, while still allowing the angler to be recognized and providing biologists valuable information.In the realm of mobility, this year saw Bell County and Texas A&M Division of IT each take home an award for Best Mobile/Wireless Project.Bell County won recognition for its Mobile Electronic Traffic Citation System, which replaced paper ticket books and got rid of cumbersome data entry work. A drivers license scan speeds the citation process, with wireless uploads cutting the processing time by as much as a week. The application runs on a variety of mobile devices, including laptops and tablets.The system is transformative, said Adam Ward, Bell County director of Technology Services. The application makes the process faster, more accurate and less expensive.Texas A&M Division of IT went mobile with a campuswide cybersecurity awareness game, Keep Tradition Secure. Players track a hacker known as Bad_Bull across campus by answering cybersecurity questions and riddles regarding Texas A&M traditions.The website, game and information campaign helped educate the entire Texas A&M campus community on the importance of cybersecurity and internet safety, said Communications Coordinator Bobby Bernshausen. Since universities are a prime target for cyberattacks, we hope the campus community and the entire state benefited from the campaign and the awareness it created.Government TechnologyThe Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) recently announced a comprehensive Managed Security Services (MSS) contract that gives state agencies, local governments, school districts and other public entities cost-effective access to powerful resources for helping to protect vital systems and data.Government Technology recently spoke with Texas CIO Todd Kimbriel and George Spencer, AT&T Public Sector Assistant Vice President  Texas, about how the MSS contract helps Texas agencies respond to an increasingly hostile security environment.Kimbriel: Cyber threats continually evolve and we now know that cybersecurity is a lifetime commitment. The sophistication of attacks requires thoughtful planning and response. This has led to a growing maturity and awareness across Texas. Our state leadership has made it clear that cybersecurity is a priority. We just had a 22-page cybersecurity bill pass that outlines 16 new requirements and is driving new activity for DIR around expanding reporting and managing risk. Cybersecurity is part of the underlying fabric of everything we do, and as a state we have decided we would prefer to respond rather than react.Spencer: The MSS offering consists of three major components  security monitoring and device management, incident response, and risk and compliance  each of which includes multiple services that agencies can choose to meet their IT security needs.Security monitoring and device management includes network and web application firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention, and end-user device management. Incident response includes services that help agencies plan and prepare upfront to manage security incidents. It also offers an automated service that lets agencies request incident response help through DIRs MSS portal. Risk and compliance includes penetration testing to analyze where security vulnerabilities might exist, enabling agencies to address weaknesses before cybercriminals exploit them. This category also includes services to help agencies understand and comply with complex security regulations.These capabilities are provided through a pre-vetted, pre-competed contract for security services. Agencies can go to the DIR portal, identify the services they need and place an order for them. This model also simplifies the management of security services because DIR monitors vendor performance and sees to it that contractors comply with contract terms.Kimbriel: Consistency of service and strategy is an important component for us. Some of our agencies have the resources and capabilities to manage cybersecurity in house and some dont, so how do you protect the state in that environment? One of the things we provide through this service is assurance that the contracts we issue with organizations like AT&T have been thoroughly vetted so the customers using these dont have to do that themselves. Another advantage is having a birds eye view of the whole environment. For instance, if our managed security services vendor delivers a certain cyber service to one agency and detects a threat, it immediately can apply a solution to all agencies who use its services. Or there may be an advanced persistent threat against several agencies but it only impacts each one minimally and wouldnt catch the attention of an individual CISO. The managed security services provider has the bigger picture to intervene and improve the overall security posture.Spencer: As a global network provider, were uniquely positioned to understand the cyber threat environment. The AT&T global network carries more than 200 petabytes of data traffic on an average business day. A single petabyte is like streamingan HD movie for 45 years  its a phenomenal amount of data. This traffic is monitored in our Global Network Operations Center, where we can see early warning signs and react quickly to threats. From that vantage point, we can spot changes inworldwide network traffic and identify potentially harmful activities, and then share that intelligence and take steps to help mitigate potential attacks. In addition, AT&T has eight Security Operations Centers (SOCs) worldwide that operate 7x24x365 to protect our managed security services customers. Theres really no way a single government agency is going to get that perspective on its own.Kimbriel: In addition to state agencies, the MSS contract is available to any taxpayer-funded organization in Texas. This was a key part of the strategy because smaller, funding-challenged organizations, for example, may not know what to do when they experience an attack. To have a qualified incident response team step in and guide their reaction is monumental. We dont expect everyone to be interested in the services, but its advantageous to those organizations that dont have a CISO or trained cyber professional on staff.Spencer: There was a time when agencies could do cybersecurity by obscurity because they were too small to be a target. But with the automation of threats, everyone is at risk. The bots and malicious programs aggressively come after all vulnerabilities.The MSS contract gives government entities throughout Texas easy access to powerful threat intelligence and security capabilities through a simplified procurement model. It also delivers long-term benefits because agencies only pay for theportion of a service they use, and they dont need to make a big capital investment in capabilities they may not need.Kimbriel: There is no particular type of infrastructure targeted for this. We have a consolidated data center program that many state agencies participate in thats based on an on-premises infrastructure, and this contract can deliver services to those customers. We also have our hybrid cloud where we connected the on-premises consolidated data center program to five cloud environments and these services are also available to any customers that participate in that. For the most part, the infrastructure environment is not relevant to the services available.Kimbriel: Cybersecurity will continue to be a key area for us; and mitigating risk associated with cyber will continue to be high on the priority list. We are looking forward to interacting with state leadership and giving them the information they need for informed policy decisions. The bill from last session required us to set up a Texas ISAO (Information Sharing and Analysis Organization), so we are looking for our cybersecurity coordinator to spearhead that effort. This ISAO will deliver threat dissemination services, forensic analysis and other services  many of the same capabilities offered through the MSS contract  but this is through a nonprofit organization that is primarily focused on the private sector. We havent seen anyone else put together something as broad or comprehensive as what we are envisioning, so its exciting to see that come to reality and bridge the gap between public and private sector.Hawaii Harvests Hackathon Innovation and Millions in Savings

A Look at Time Savings from the Department of Ags New Database and Website

HACC Challenges

Civic hackathons have been gaining steam in the past five years, but there is a connection between these government-sponsored, or quasi-government-sponsored, events and tangible results for public agencies.In the case of the Aloha state, Hawaii CIO Todd Nacapuy says the Hawaii Annual Code Challenge (HACC) clearly has yielded tangible results, in the form of millions of dollars saved and hundreds of worker hours shaved.Hawaii is reaping the benefits from taking the unusual approach of operating a monthlong hackathon, rather than a typical one-day or weekend hackfest , Nacapuy toldThe financial benefits are a perk on top of the original purpose of the monthlong hackathon, which aims to generate citizen engagement and help Hawaiis residents understand the challenges state governments face in resolving issues and innovating.Since HACC launched in 2016, it has attracted 300 participants who range from professional IT workers to code crunchers to residents who lack technology skills. The monthlong event affords time for participants to receive a range of training from boosting their technology skills to learning how to pitch their ideas to raise capital, Nacapuy explained.Each state agency can submit a request to have their problem or challenge reviewed by HACC participants to design a solution. And although state agencies flood Nacapuys office with requests to participate in HACC, only a dozen or so of the agencies will have their problem reviewed once their proposals are vetted.A number of state agencies have reaped substantial time savings or cost benefits with HACC ideas, which were either further developed by Nacapuys team or moved ahead to a proof of concept stage by the participants. In one case, the state wanted the website for the Hawaii Revised Statutes translated into eight different languages. Although the initial request for proposals resulted in estimates of over $6 million to develop such a website, Nacapuy said that figure was dramatically lowered to less than $900,000 after a HACC idea to use Googles translator tools was incorporated into a reworked request for proposals. The translated versions of the Hawaii Revised Statutes are currently in production.Although Nacapuy does not have a precise figure on the total amount of money the state has saved by using technology based on HACC projects, he said its in the millions.Hawaiis Department of Agriculture, for example, launched a new database and website for growers and producers in the state, based on technology developed by HACC participants.The Department of Agricultures market development branch upgraded its agriculture and food products directory with the HACC technology, saving the development branch 10 hours a week in having to find and connect local growers and producers with businesses and individuals who are seeking Hawaii-grown products and produce.Anissa Estrella, a spokeswoman for the Department of Agricultures market development branch, drilled down into the specifics of how the database and website are saving her branch time and money.One of the biggest challenges in operating the HACC has come from figuring out what kind of awards to distribute to winners, Nacapuy said.Some people want to be judged based on who has the best code, while others want it judged on who has the best idea, he explained. And some would prefer a gift card for the Amazon Web Services cloud while others want a laptop, he added. But by and large, monetary prizes do not seem the best way to award people, he said.Awards for HACC winners may ultimately be as diverse as the reasons why contestants participate.Some do it because they want to use the technology to build a company and some want to participate for the greater good, he said.(TNS)  Florida formally asked the federal government Wednesday for $19 million in election security money, one week after Gov. Rick Scott directed the state's top election official to request it and two months after the feds announced the money was available.Secretary of State Ken Detzner signed the letter that went to Washington.The Department of State released a three-page letter that made Florida the 17th state to apply for its share of a $380 million pot of money included in a spending bill that President Donald J. Trump signed two months ago.Elections officials across the state are taking unprecedented steps to secure voting systems in the face of warnings from federal homeland security experts and members of Congress that Florida is a likely target of more intrusions in the 2018 election.The letter surfaced on a day when U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio met privately in Orlando with a group of election supervisors on security issues.The state's letter said it will work with the 67 county election supervisors "to deploy the funds as rapidly as possible" for various purposes.The letter said the money will strengthen implementation of cybersecurity for election systems, enhance election technology, facilitate cybersecurity training for the state and counties, implement cybersecurity best practices for election systems, continue election activities such as voter education, poll worker training and standardizing of election results reporting, and upgrading voting systems to address cyber vulnerabilities and "all other election costs deemed necessary by the Department of State."Counties will receive money only after giving the state a detailed description of how they will spend it. A county that seeks money to pay for software or technology must ensure that that equipment has been certified by the Department of State.Detzner said last week that the money would not be available for use in the current election cycle, which prompted Scott's intervention. Detzner also has said that when the federal money arrives, it can't be spent without legislative authorization, which usually is provided by a vote of a joint legislative budget commission.AUSTIN, TEXAS  Electronic government is here to stay. But the question, presenters said during the first day of the Texas Digital Government Summit in Austin, is what comes next and how the public sector can do a better job of bringing in federated state agencies and residents alike.The state contracted Deloitte earlier this year to develop its Texas.gov online platform, and a new personal digital assistant, My Government My Way, is on the way. But thats not all the new services in the works, state CIO Todd Kimbriel told many of the roughly 300 attendees.The state has awarded several contracts in shared services in recent years, one of which is its enterprise multi-sourcing services integrator (MSI). The Texas Department of Information Resources was the second organization in the world to deploy that model in 2012 after Rolls-Royce, Kimbriel toldin an interview. But it was only offered as part of the consolidated data center program offered to state agencies.Whats new is that by Sept. 1, Texas.gov will be plugged in under this enterprise MSI. TEX-AN, the states telecommunications network, will join by 2021, Kimbriel, one of's Top 25 Doers, Dreamers & Drivers of 2018 , said.We found the efficiencies and the synergies to be really, really strong in that model. So, this change is that were actually extending it across all of our shared services programs. Most of our agency customers use several programs  they have to, by state law. For those organizations, its sort of a single pane of glass for consuming all our services, he said.E-government is very successful in Texas, the CIO said as he opened the event, and the state has migrated most of its commerce transactions online.But the challenge for all of us is how do we actually move the needle forward from here? I think going forward, everybody should be challenging yourselves. What are you doing to move your organizational deal forward in a digital environment and digitize your offices and your business processes? It really is the place that we all have to be focusing on going forward, Kimbriel said.The arrival this fall of the My Government, My Way initiative, Kimbriel said in his remarks, will enable a citizen portal through Texas.gov that will ultimately let residents set up a personalized online service experience with the state of Texas. It will be an early step toward ultimately facilitating a so-called single golden record or global unique ID for each citizen across participating agencies, though it will likely not be framed as a digital assistant yet.DIRs No. 1 priority, he said, will be cybersecurity and protecting citizen data first and foremost, and so the process will be opt-in for residents  not mandatory and not yet available via smartphone  but allowing those who do to create a personal profile with the state and leverage it.Its not really going to be the fully-enabled AI-enhanced digital assistant that we envision in the long run. In the long run, were seeing a digital assistant that is pro-active and anticipates what does a citizen need when they need it and engages, Kimbriel said.He emphasized that these types of changes dont happen overnight and require a deliberate process within your culture to make that decision.Improving agency process was the topic of a morning breakout session, Leading Modern Development Teams, led by William A. Butch Grote Jr., CIO at the state Department of Agriculture and Raj Polikepati, director of development at Texas NIC.Agencies may never be 100 percent agile, Grote said, but even adopting a hybrid waterfall-agile approach to development can not only streamline process  it can help attract the next generation of workforce: the millennial.This is the only way I think youre going to find that youre going to have success recruiting the new millennials. If you ban social media or if you fail to be very persuasive at telling them why they cant tele-work, you tell them youre a waterfall shop, theyre not going to work for you, I guarantee it, Grote said.Failing is part of the job. That is the (mindset) we need to change as well. We have been averse to failure all the way along. Its okay to fail, but fail quick and learn something from it and move on, said Polikepati, who highlighted a new developmental process identified by Gartner that he said could revolutionize the industry.Called high productivity application Platform as a Service (hpaPaaS), it's low on coding savvy  a key  and was already a $3 billion business in 2017, the NIC development director said, adding that Gartner predicts by 2022 more than 70 percent of apps will be based on these platforms.We are empowering them to build their own applications without knowing the code. Anybody who has some basic understanding of business analysis can go ahead and build their own applications. Its only going to pick up steam over the next few years and when it happens developers  will start to find some free time, Polikepati said.Robert Kubica has emerged as another potential replacement for struggling Toro Rosso driver Brendon Hartley.

Dr Helmut Marko, who heads Red Bull's driver programme, said recently he was not looking to oust New Zealander Hartley mid-season "at the moment".

He now tells Speed Week: "The situation around Brendon is not pleasing.

"We will go through this in peace and see what we can do in the future."

Linked already with the seat are Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Giovinazzi, who are stars of the respective Mercedes and Ferrari development programmes.

But another potential candidate is Kubica.

France's Auto Hebdo said Red Bull may actually prefer to promote Jake Dennis or Sean Galael, but neither has a super license.

The magazine noted, however, that Kubica has that credential already.

The former BMW and Renault driver may also be looking to join the apparent exodus at Williams. Amid the British team's current crisis, top design and technical chiefs Ed Wood and now Dirk de Beer have departed.

Kubica is currently the Williams reserve driver.

(GMM)Mangrove Global has launched JAH45, a new rum brand it claims will disrupt the rum category.

JAH45 is a range of Jamaican rums inspired by the country's music scene  specifically the sound system era of the 1950s and 1960s. Mangrove explains that JAH is slang for Jamaica and the 45 references the 45RPM record speed.

The brand will initially launch with five variants in the UK before rolling out to selected global markets.

The rums are blends of aged pot and column still rum from "famous Jamaican distilleries". JAH45 Dark and JAH45 18ct Gold (RRSP: 19.99, 70cl) are a blend of 3yo pot still rum with unaged column still rums.

JAH45 Spiced (RRSP 21.99, 70cl) is an aged 3yo rum that has been macerated for 48 hours with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus and a dash of pimento.

JAH45 Silver (RRSP: 19.99, 70cl) is an unaged pot and column still medium bodied white rum, while JAH45 White Overproof (RRSP: 26.99) is a blend of unaged pot and column still medium bodied white rum, cut at 63% bottling strength.

The rums will be available to UK bar and restaurant groups, specialist independent drink stores, and multiple retailers.

Carl Stephenson, CEO of Hellshire Club, a newly formed brand creation company and instigator of the JAH45 brand, said: JAH45 is a really exciting pure Jamaican rum brand, which reflects the spirit of sound system Jamaica in the fifties. Music brought the vibes, rum brought the soul!

Nick Gillett, managing director of Mangrove Global added: I am delighted to welcome the JAH45 range into the Mangrove portfolio. With the unique funk flavour, JAH45 are rums that go back to their Jamaican roots and offer an exciting addition to standard rum selections. With the global distribution rights, we look forward to working with JAH45 to launch and continue to grow into the UK and other markets.Hyundai will invest $388 million to construct a plant in Alabama dedicated to manufacturing engine heads and enhance existing operations to support production of new models of Sonata and Elantra sedans.

Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) is preparing for the next-generation Hyundai engine, which requires new technologies and components as a part of its assembly process. The capital investment will be spent on equipment for the engine head machining plant and updating technology in an existing engine plant.

It will cost approximately $40 million to construct the 260,000-square-foot building that will house the head machining equipment. Construction on the engine head machining plant is scheduled to be completed in November 2018. This project will free up space to expand engine assembly lines in one of HMMAs existing engine plants.

The new engine head machining facility will be operational by mid-2019. HMMA produces engines for Sonata and Elantra sedans and the Santa Fe crossover utility vehicle. HMMAs two engine plants are capable of producing approximately 700,000 engines per year to support the vehicle production at both HMMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia in West Point, Georgia.Following the market success of the SUV offensive led by its five brands, Groupe PSA is increasing its SUV production capacity in Europe to meet demand. Implemenetation of these expansion products will ensure high capacity utilization in each plant in the coming years, the company said.

The product offensive launched as part of the Push to Pass plans Core Model Strategy has led to the recent introduction of 11 SUV models by the Groups five brandsPeugeot, Citroen, DS Automobiles, Opel and Vauxhalltogether representing some 250,000 registrations in Europe in the first quarter of 2018. Over the same period, the Groups share of the European SUV market has risen sharply, to 16.9% beginning of 2018.

As of end-March, the Group was among segment leaders and the offensive was being pursued, with the upcoming roll-out of the Citroen C5 Aircross in September in Europe.

Accordingly, the Group has decided to increase its production capacity in Europe, using all its available resources and assets:

Citroen C5 Aircross starts its production in Rennes (France), along with the Peugeot 5008.

As soon as the production in Rennes reaches its full capacity, the Peugeot 5008 will be added to the Peugeot 3008 and the Opel Grandland X line in Sochaux, France, from March 2019.

As soon as the production in Sochaux plant reaches its full capacity, the Opel Grandland X will be progressively assembled in Eisenach, Germany as from mid-2019.

These production allocations, which were made possible by the performance plans, will be carried out in accordance with the undertakings in the New Momentum for Growth agreement, signed in July 2016 by five out of six French trade unions, and will maintain production in France at one million vehicles. The new allocations also reflect the agreements negotiated with employee representatives in Germany as part of the Opel/Vauxhall performance plan.

This European expansion scheme completes the worldwide and multi-site strategy of SUV production in the Group, enabled by the platform modularity:For many, Memorial Day weekend is the official start to summer.

The stream of campers, ATV trailers and vehicles, filled with eager occupants, on their way to the Flaming Gorge and other destinations is proof of how welcome Memorial Day and the three-day weekend it provides is.

However, others gather to remember the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their county and pay quiet tribute to their acts.

Every Memorial Day at Riverview Cemetery, members of the American Legion Post 28, VFW Post 2321 and others gather to pay their respects in a short ceremony.

"They still speak to us," Tom Niemiec, Commander of Post 28 said. "All you have to do is look around you to see their legacy."

That legacy, Niemiec said, are the people living as Americans.

Many remember the sacrifices paid by soldiers while on duty, with Niemiec speaking about 1st. Lt. Frank Luke, the first American airman to earn the Medal of Honor.

Luke, a brash pilot who often few alone, had recorded 18 victories over German airmen during the war. He achieved these air victories over the course of eight days and 10 attacks. While flying a mission to shoot down three German observation balloons behind enemy lines, Luke died Sept. 29, 1918, after being shot down near the small French village of Murvaux. Luke was severely wounded by light machine gun fire from a nearby hill and landed his plane. He then made his way to a stream where he would succumb to his injuries, but not before drawing his pistol and firing at German soldiers before dying.

Not all who were killed in action served as soldiers, as Niemiec mentioned while telling 1st Lt. Sharon Lane's story. Lane was a nurse serving in the 312th Evacuation Hospital at Chu Lai, Vietnam. Mortar attacks on the hospital were a regular occurrence, but Lane thrived at the hospital, according to the National Museum of the United States Army website. Lane died while working at the hospital. A 122mm rocket struck the ward she was working in. Lane was one of eight nurses to die while serving in Vietnam and the only nurse killed by hostile fire.

Niemiec said people don't need to be in a foreign country when they give their lives to their county, citing a recent incident where four marines died in a helicopter crash near El Centro, Calif., April 3. The Marines were killed during a training exercise. Niemiec described the people who have died in service to their country as a diverse group coming from a variety of backgrounds.

"We are here because of (them,)" he said.More than 20 dogs, puppies up for adoption

More than 20 dogs have been brought to the Green River Animal Shelter from New Mexico. The dogs are up for adoption and would have been euthanized if they were not transported to Green River.

In an effort to help save the lives of 20 New Mexico puppies and dogs, the Green River Animal Control officers are hosting an adoption event.

For several weeks, the Green River shelter has had few animals up for adoption, which is a good thing for this community. However, animal control officers Kim Wilkins and Tracy Wyant know all to well there are other shelters in other areas and states that are full. When shelters are too full, such is the case for several New Mexico shelters, those shelters have no choice but to euthanize animals to make room for more.

Wilkins has been in contact with an animal rescue group out of Ogden, Utah. They put her in touch with a shelter workers from the Noah's Ark Animal Shelter in Carlsbad, N.M., and the Valencia County Animal Shelter in Los Lunas, N.M., which are both facing overcrowding issues at their shelters.

Wilkins said they originally agreed to take 15 puppies and dogs, but then decided to take a litter of puppies that where just dropped off at one of the facilities for a total of 20.

She said these shelters have enough room for 110 dogs, but they are getting 30 to 70 dogs coming in every day.

"They don't have room for that many dogs," she said.

This isn't the first time the animal shelter has helped another shelter out. Wilkins said they have helped Riverton with its crowding issues in the past and will continue to do so if the Green River shelter has the space.

By working with Viva N.M. Rural Animal Rescue, the 20 dogs were loaded up and transported for 11 hours to Green River. This rescue mission all took place in three days, which Wilkins described as a whirlwind.

"We're saving lives," Wilkins said. "That's the whole idea of it all."

Wyant said the puppies and dogs range in age from eight weeks old to about four years and are all mixed breeds of chihuahuas, shepherds, heelers, pit bulls, collies and boxers.

Wyant said they made sure to hand pick every animal by looking at their photo and information on the New Mexico shelters' websites. Wyant said they wanted to pick dogs and puppies they new would easily find homes in Green River.

Once these puppies arrived in Green River, they were groomed, and inspected for fleas and ticks. Wyant said all of these animals have been vaccinated and have had a vet visit.

All of this is in preparation for the shelter's adoption event, which will take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

However, Wyant said with their summer hours going into effect, residents can adopt them sooner. The shelter's summer hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the weekends.

Wyant said the support for the animal control to do this has been amazing and residents have already been stopping by to look at the new arrivals.

"We've got a great community. We have a good rapport and I don't think it will be a problem finding them homes," Wyant said.Adolph Robert "Bob" Porenta, 74, of Rock Springs, passed away suddenly May 27, 2018, at his home.

He was born Jan. 24, 1944, in Rock Springs, the son of Adolph and Mary Wisniewski Porenta.

He attended schools in Rock Springs and graduated from Rock Springs High School with the class of 1963.

Bob married Iris Nadyne Vickrey June 18, 1970, in Denver. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Idaho Falls, Idaho LDS Temple Sept. 18, 1978. She preceded him in death April 29, 2000.

He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

He made a career with the U.S. Army, enlisting twice before being discharged with a disability.

He was proud of his service in the military.

Bob enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting and anything having to do with being outdoors.

Survivors include his brother, Raymond Porenta of Rock Springs; several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his wife Iris and his parents Adolph and Mary Porenta.

Funeral services will take place at 10 a.m. June 1, 2018, at Fox Funeral Home at 2800 Commercial Way in Rock Springs.

A viewing will be one hour prior to the services at the funeral home.

Interment with military honors will take place at the Viola Cemetery in LaBarge.

Condolences for family can be left at http://www.foxfh.com.The Sweetwater County Emergency Responders are hosting the fourth annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive from June 1114 in both Green River (June 11-12) and Rock Springs (June 13-14). This event is part blood drive, part competition. This year, the need hits close to home as a Jacob Carlson, a police officer in Casper, was critically injured this month in an officer-involved shooting.

Carlson was shot five times and required a significant amount of blood due related to his injuries and multiple surgeries. He is still fighting for his life. The Wyoming blood bank has been fully consumed and needs replenished. In the meantime, emergency blood from out of state is utilized where needed and multiple blood drives are being held across the state. We need to restock our blood bank.

There are a lot of good reasons to donate blood. One sample of donated blood can save up to three lives. Blood can be separated into its components: red cells, platelets, and plasma and used individually to treat specific conditions. Blood banks need a constant supply of blood as it can only be stored for a limited time before use. According to the World Health Organization Blood is the most precious gift that anyone can give to another person  the gift of life. It only takes about an hour to donate, and the collection of blood is only about 10 minutes of that. One hour of time donating blood can save multiple lives. Blood transfusions are often needed for complications in pregnancy and childbirth, children with severe anemia, trauma, complex medical and surgical procedures, and cancer patients.

Last years Battle of the Badges brought in 300 pints from Green River. This years goal for Green River is to reach more than 500 pints. The event will include door prizes and a raffle, and each person that donates gets a T-shirt and a vote for your favorite emergency responder agency. As you can imagine, the win is highly coveted among the emergency responders so the competition is high.

Residents who cant donate blood you can still help. Donations of refreshments for those who donate, and door prizes are needed. Refreshments needed include: fruit, cookies, snacks and beverages. Door prizes can include gift certificates and things that promote your business.

Contact Martha Holzgrafe at mholzgrafe@cityofgreenriver.org to donate or with any questions.The Sweetwater County Commissioners have no reason not to support horse wagering in Green River and should approve the upcoming request to for their support.

The Town Bar and Grill seeks to install both off track horse race wagering and historic horse race terminals within the bar. The Green River City Council voted to support Town Bar and Grills request to Wyoming Downs LLC, the company which would provide both services to the bar.

Cliff McCarlie, a representative of Wyoming Downs who spoke with us when after the request was heard by the city council said the companys board seeks support from municipal and county governments before deciding to expend operations.

This support has already been given to businesses in Rock Springs, two of which offer off track betting and historic horse racing. Rock Springs should not have a monopoly on this sort of business and business in Green River should have the choice of offering off track betting or historic race terminals to their customers.

A possible side effect of county opposition to Town Bar and Grills request would create this monopoly.

Worse yet for the incumbents seeking election, it could create an example of favoritism for Rock Springs a political opponent could use against them.

While criticism against historic horse racing can be levied because of how similar they are to slot machines, so much so that its hard to spot a meaningful difference between the two, those historic terminals are not illegal.

Objections to them should be made with members of the Wyoming Legislature, who are in a position to change state statute.

There are benefits to Green River as well. Green River would earn additional revenue from horse wagers. In January, the Wyoming Pari-Mutuel Commission paid the Rock Springs government earned $335,476.55 in 2017.

While Green Rivers revenue would be less than Rock Springs, it would still represent a sizable amount for the city. Revenue could help fund small improvements throughout the city or even be used to resurrect the an event like Crystal Classic.

The commissioners have no reason to refuse support for the Town Bar and Grills request for their support. If Rock Springs can profit from horse wagers and historic races, why shouldnt Green River have that same opportunity?The Dongning branch of Longjiang Bank in Mudanjiang city successfully transferred 15 million yuan ($2.33 million) in cash through Dongning inland port to Russia on May 29  the first time Heilongjiang province has executed a renminbi (RMB) cash cross-border transfer via road.

The cash will be delivered to Russia Asia-Pacific Bank, where it will be used for currency exchange and business settlements.

Demand for the RMB is growing in Russia thanks to bilateral trade and the internationalization of the yuan.

Sufficient supply of RMB in the Russian market will not only cut currency conversion costs and reduce foreign exchange risk to commercial banks, but also lower expenses and receipt fees by using RMB cash in Russia.

Convenient cross-border transfer of RMB cash between China and Russia will also play an important role in expanding the flow of RMB in the Russian market and increasing global acceptance  further boosting the development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

Government officials in Mudanjiang, Sui Fenhe, and Dongding, as well as bank representatives from China and Russia, attended a ceremony for the cross-border RMB transfer event on May 29.

In the future, cross-border cash transfers will be offered as a normal service of Longjiang Bank, said Zhang Jianhui, chairman of the company.

Government officials and bank representatives pose for a group photo at a ceremony to celebrate the successful transfer of Chinese currency to Russia via road on May 29. [Photo/ China Daily]

Dongning branch of Longjiang Bank in Mudanjiang city delivers 15 million yuan ($2.33 million) in cash to Russia Asia-Pacific Bank on May 29. [Photo/ China Daily]

Government officials and bank representatives pose for a group photo at a ceremony to celebrate the successful transfer of Chinese currency to Russia via road on May 29. [Photo/ China Daily]







52% of boys in Armenia are victims of bullying

According to research conducted in 2015, 52% of boys in Armenia are subjected to bullying, i. e. physical or psychological violence (mockery, humiliation). The members of a five-year-old public campaign against violence against children, "Replace Violence with Love," stress that violence is everywhere at school, at home, in the yard. "The types of violence are different. Among them is bullying This is a childhood violence that is ignored," says Aida Muradyan, World Vision Child Protection and Education Program Coordinator. Bullying is divided into several types: physical bullying (beating, heating), verbal, or psychological bullying (mockery, etc). Bullying victims are mostly people who have not found their place in society, or those who have certain physical, external defects, big nose, and so on. Aida Muradyan mentions that becoming a bullying victim depends on children's upbringing, family atmosphere, which also affects children's self-esteem. Victoria Ohanyan, Head of UNICEF Access to Justice Program, adds that the role of teachers is most importantly to prevent violence between children. "The problem is that children think that this is a normal phenomenon, they can ridicule to the other, and the one who is bullied believes that he has to endure," says Victoria Ohanyan. Moreover, in the video:Never ask this guy to say, Cheese. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Occasionally, picky eaters and English-language pedants can align under a common cause. For the past 48 hours, its been their undivided support for this anti-cheese diatribe written by Chicago Sun-Times columnist Phil Kadner. On Tuesday, he dedicated his entire column to restaurants that automatically put cheese on burgers, opening with this lede: A hamburger does not have cheese. A hamburger with cheese is called a cheeseburger.

Here, then, is the crux of Kadners, um, beef:

People who want cheese on their hamburgers should be forced to say, I want a cheeseburger. I should not be required to say, I want a hamburger, no cheese, or even answer a question such as, Do you want cheese on your hamburger?

Kadner argues that hes been doing battle with fast-food workers for at least 40 years, trying to teach them the difference between the two burger prefixes ham- and cheese-. Its a valid point, sort of, but if it also strikes you as something thats sort of come out of nowhere, know that it was written in response to the class-action lawsuit filed by two Floridians who claim that McDonalds breaks antitrust laws with its Quarter Pounders, charging people the same amount whether they want cheese or not. Customers, in Kadners view, simply shouldnt have to pay for cheese that isnt on their burgers. He explains:

This semantic battle became outright war at a fast-food franchise one day when I was charged for a cheeseburger after ordering a hamburger with no cheese. Yes, you have to pay for the cheese because our hamburgers come with cheese, I was told by a clerk who was rendered speechless when I asked if she would give me money for a diamond ring she did not request, and I planned never to give her. I slowly explained that I ordered a hamburger and was now being told I had to pay for cheese that I was not getting.

Kadner contends that hed be a millionaire if he got back all of the money hes spent on cheese that he had removed from burgers, fish sandwiches, turkey sandwiches, salads, etc. But even the attorneys who filed the Quarter Pounder suit estimate that their clients are losing, at max, 30 to 90 cents per burger. So keeping a running track can seem pretty petty  something that, of course, hasnt escaped the people of the internet:

Having worked in a restaurant before, I can confirm this issue is something old people are way over the top passionate about.  Dustin Haning (@dustinhaning) May 30, 2018

"For at least 40 years I have been doing battle with fast food clerks and restaurant waitresses over the diffrence between hamburgers and cheeseburgers" pic.twitter.com/CAhEpSZQlS  Coolsome's Awakening  (@CoolsomeXD) May 30, 2018

Have you ever been given a burger with ham on it?  RonLichtinger (@RonLichtinger) May 30, 2018

Don't get him started on whether a hot dog is a sandwich  Max Rieper (@maxrieper) May 30, 2018

It seems Kadner also has some new fans:

save local news pic.twitter.com/ApxFCg7NDR  Hayes Davenport (@hayesdavenport) May 30, 2018

This is literally the only local opinion column Ive ever agreed with. Hamburger guy, run for city council  Moog Cool Aunt (@buttpraxis) May 30, 2018

You are my hero, sir.  HM-2 (@deathxrogen) May 31, 2018

This is the crankiest thing Ive ever read. I love you.  Allison F. (@ablington) May 31, 2018

I am a fan of the cheeseburger, but I agree with this take. There are burgers, and there are cheeseburgers, and never the twain shall meat.  Sleepkins (@sleepkins) May 31, 2018Alt-milk ice cream and pastry specials from MeMes. Photo: Liz Clayman

Every month in New York, there are a bewildering number of new dishes to eat, drinks to imbibe, and food-themed events to attend. Often, the hardest part is just figuring out whats really worth your limited time. So Grub kicks off each month with a curated collection of dishes, drinks, and events that should absolutely be on your agenda. Make your plans now.

1. Go to an alt-milk ice-cream social at new Brooklyn favorite MeMes.

One of Brooklyns hippest and most enjoyable new restaurants, MeMes Diner, will host an alt-ice-cream social. No, not for moody teenagers with dyed hair and Lil Peep shirts. Its a pop-up, on June 10, inspired by classic soda foundations, but with all the treats made with alt-milks. Theyre throwing the event in conjunction with Queens Elmhurst Milked, whose peanut milk will be made into soft serve for a sundae with sweetened coconut-milk sauce, candied chilies, and other toppings. Other items on the menu include the Phosphate, with cashew milk, cocoa-cardamom syrup, dark rum, and seltzer. The people behind MeMes know how to do comfort food, and an ice-cream social is right up their alley.

2. Eat food, buy art, and listen to panels at an event celebrating all things Asian-American cuisine and culture.

For one day only on July 14, the Happy Family Night Market (tickets are $16 for all day, or $7 for night only) will take over 99 Scott Avenue in Bushwick for a day of all things Asian-American cuisine and culture. Among other food vendors, Kreung will serve Cambodian food, Bunker will bring its Vietnamese cooking, and Index will give snackers its Indian nachos. There will be art and merchandise to buy from the likes of Banana mag and Alison Kuo, and panels like Perspectives on Indian Cuisine and Authentically What? Hybridized Chinese Food in History and Today. An after-party hosted by Queer Asian dance-party Bubble_T will go from 11 p.m. to late night.

3. Get a slice of Di Fara pizza  in Williamsburg.

Since it opened in 1959, theres only been one place in New York to get Di Fara and only one making the pizza considered by, well, everyone to be some of New Yorks best. Thatll change June 4, when the pizzeria opens a location in the new North 3rd Street Market in Williamsburg. Food halls have multiplied around New York in recent years, often drawing from a similar pool of vendors. But Di Fara isnt the only reason North 3rd stands out: Its roster is largely unique and includes the inventive East Wind Snack Shop, the classic Corner Bistro, sub specialists Reginas Grocery, and Maharlika and Jeepney spinoff Tita Babys Panciteria. (The market opened on May 29, though not all vendors will be serving until June 4.)

4. Eat pasta with lamb belly and fava beans and other summer dishes at one of New Yorks most critically acclaimed new restaurants.

Ferris has been, arguably, one of the bigger hits of New Yorks restaurant scene this year. The restaurant has steadily evolved since opening in February, and its chef, Greg Proechel (who first made his name at Le Turtle), has caught the attention of critics like New Yorks Adam Platt, who praised his lobster toast and trophy crown of duck presented Ssam style. Over the last month, hes introduced a handful of new dishes that take advantage of spring produce, like the snap peas ($16) with clams, pickled green almonds, Sichuan fermented black bean, and sushi rice. Carb freaks will want to take note of the the alla gricia ($25) with lamb belly, buttermilk, and a condiment of fava beans, mint, pickled spring onion, lemon zest, and Calabrian chilies.

5. Try Moroccan pancakes at the new Smile to Go.

The last piece of the Freehand hotels culinary puzzle is a location of the Smile to Go. It borrows elements from its grown-up, sister-restaurant the Smile, and will serve all three square meals (plus brunch) and have a full liquor license. This newest location wont be a culinary clone: The menu includes new dishes like Moroccan beghrir, yeasted semolina pancakes that are porous like Swiss cheese and served with pistachio honey, homemade ricotta, and rhubarb compote.

6. Eat lamb skewers and fish in pepper spice at a Jewish dinner, and go to an annual street festival celebrating Jewish food and culture.

If you (a) have no plans tomorrow and (b) are craving North African food, youre in luck: the Jewish Food Society will put on its Fire, Drink With Me (tickets are $78.62) dinner at Andrew Tarlows new events space, the Castle. Youll be in good hands: Einat Admony will start the night with a ceremony to celebrate the Shabbat, and Caroline Fidanza (formerly of Saltie, now of Tarlows restaurant group) and Tel Aviv chef Nir Feller will cook dishes like grilled lamb and chicken skewers and chraime, spicy fish in pepper sauce. She Wolf will contribute a special challah, theyll pour Recanati Winery wines and cocktails from Galilees Jullius Craft Distillery. Later this month, the Taste of Jewish Culture returns for a fifth year on June 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a new spin: This year, theyve asked vendors to create mash-ups, like La Newyorkinas babka ice-cream sandwiches, and invited non-Jewish vendors, like Mysttik Masaala, to serve spins on Jewish dishes. Other participants include Bens Kosher, Breads Bakery, and Danny Macaroons.

Ferriss alla gricia pasta. Photo: Nitzan Rubin

7. Have a drink while watching movies like Get Out and Galaxy Quest at a great outdoor bar.

Its summer, the time of year for day-drinking, beach-drinking, park-drinking, and outdoor bars. Parklife is one of Brooklyns most pleasant places to have a cocktail under the sun, and theyre making it even more so with summer events like Movie Monday. First up is Get Out on June 4, followed by (the underappreciated) Galaxy Quest on June 11, The Sting on June 18, and Clueless on June 25. Whats better than a movie, drink, and nachos on a Monday night?

8. Head to Izakayas new lunch for a pork katsu sando, and try a few other summer sandwiches.

The East Villages popular and unassuming Izakaya has gotten in on the lunch game, and dipped its toes into New Yorks ramen fray. Its new noodles ($14 to $15) include a cheese curry mazemen with house shiso pork sausage and yuzu shio ramen, but the most eye-popping and trendy item is its premium pork katsu sando ($17, or $10 for half), the more wallet-friendly alternative to Tokyos wagyu katsu sando that has become a trend for the one percenters. Like at Ferris, its made with thinly breaded pork and katsu sauce pressed between toasted Japanese milk bread. Its not the only exciting new sandwich around town: Bushwick grocer Foster Sundry has added smoked barbecue pork shoulder ($12) on a toasted brioche roll to its menu, and Marlow & Sons now has a lunchtime broccoli melt ($15) made with cheddar, sauerkraut, and pickled chile mayo on She Wolf sourdough.

9. Brunch on the chorizo sandwich choripan at Metta.

Grub knows that youre flush with good brunch options right now. Will one more hurt? No. This weekend, Fort Greenes Metta serves its first brunch, which it will offer every Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. One highlight of the menu is the Argentine sandwich choripan ($17), grilled chorizo stuffed into a roll with chimichurri, lettuce, and mayo. Theres also a potato salad ($13) with yellow beans, roast chicken ($21) with salsa verde, and a rhubarb-strawberry tart ($8) for sugar fiends.

10. Add a pop-up from Milan, summer spritzes, and a soon-opening bars frozen cocktail to your summer drinking agenda.

Downtown Italian bar Dante is kicking off the summer by welcoming Tommaso Cecca, head bartender of Milans Camparino aperitivo bar, for a pop-up on June 12 and 13. The 151-year-old bar has been alternately run since 1943 by Zucca and Campari. The latter has run it since 2012. Ceccas menu, unsurprisingly then, is heavy on the bitter and sweet aperitif, and his drinks include a Camparinha (muddled kumquats, vanilla-sugar, crushed ice, and Campari) and a frothy Campari Shakerato. Itll also bring its summer of spritz menu this time, which means the return of its Sgroppino Spritz ($14; lemon and basil sorbetto topped with Prosecco) alongside new cocktails like the Summer 2018 ($14; gin, Luxardo bitter bianco, fresh watermelon, orange citrate, and Moscato dAsti). And for those who need an after-work refresher in midtown, the Up & Up team will cool you down with frozen Stay Cold (bourbon, IPA, ginger, and lime juice) when they open Stay Gold later this month.

11. Feast on luxury lobster at the NoMad.

The NoMad has brought back its lux lobster fest ($125, $55 beverage pairing optional), in case you dont get enough of the crustacean when you escape to Maine. As with last year, its a four-course meal of snacks like tempura, ceviche, and miso-glazed tail; lobster chowder with cheddar biscuits (shout-out to Red Lobster); and grilled lobster with runner beans, tomato, and artichoke. Its capped off, fittingly, with a rhubarb cobbler with ricotta ice cream.

12. Eat Taiwanese comfort food in Bed-Stuy.

Its been a good year for Taiwanese food in New York, and now it has hit Bed-Stuy. There, a small, casual restaurant named Fan Fried Rice Bar quietly opened this spring. Fried rice there is in both traditional versions, like bone-in pork chop ($11), and not-so-traditional variations, as in the fusion-y numb numb pastrami ($11). Theres an abbreviated list of comfort-food starters to go with your rice, including popcorn chicken ($7) and golden kimchee ($4).

13. Check out one of Junes most exciting specialty dinners.

At Marlow & Daughters, theyll have a yakitori pop-up on June 7 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Beers will be complementary and skewers will go for $4, get dressed with tare or sea salt, and come from all parts of the chicken: tenderloin, heart, gizzard, soft bone, and more. Then on June 12, pescatarian restaurant Gloria will host a five-course dinner ($98 for food and drink, reservations here) paired with wines from Californias Dirty & Rowdy. (Speaking of Gloria, theyll serve special Pride-month cocktails honoring individuals like Marsha P. Johnson whove helped the LGBTQI community.) Dominique Crenn is one of the worlds most celebrated fine-dining chefs. So its a treat for gourmands that shell come to New York to cook with Benoits Laetitia Rouabah. The two have teamed up for a five-course dinner on June 22, the first in a series that Rouabah will put on with other female chefs. Reservations can be made by calling 646-943-7373, and start at 5:30 p.m.

14. Eat Hungarian food and go to an all-star pastry-chef event at the Met.

Have a hankering for Hungarian food? Head to Eddy on June 5, where theyre hosting a dinner in honor of the late George Lang of Cafe des Artistes. Chef Jeremy Salamons five-course dinner ($65, reservations here) is inspired by Langs ideal final meal, and includes dishes like Hungarian biscuits with sour cherry, a choice of fisherman soup with soft-shell crab or stuffed poussin with apricot and lardo, and a dessert of Hungarian crepes or rose-sugared plum dumplings. Also on the radar: Yotam Ottolenghi and the Met will team up for another Feast event (tickets are $125) on June 19 and 20 at 7 p.m. (Plenty of tickets are still available for the second day.) The London chef will be joined by some of the worlds best pastry chefs, including Dominique Ansel, Ghaya F. Oliveira, and Janice Wong, who will create Versailles Courtinspired pastries. Expect Champagne, cakes, and a private viewing of Visitors to Versailles (16821789)American-Armenian physician is in Yerevan (video)

John Bilezikyan, an American-Armenian physician, Prof., does his best in order to visit Armenia at least twice per year. "I visited Armenia for the first time in 2007. My parents have never been in Armenia, they settled down in the USA after the Genocide. When coming to Armenia I felt obliged to support my country." John Bilezikyan, Vice President of international education, Director of the bone metabolic illness program at the Columbia University College of Medicine and Surgery, is not coming to Armenia as a tourist. He conveys his experience to local specialists. "I had two missions: to give the necessary knowledge to local doctors and bring the equipment which would help to diagnose the desease in its early stage and then prevent it. There was only one densitometer in the country. Today, eleven years later, there are ten such equipment in Armenia." Densitometer is an equipment that measures strength of bones. "Hologic" company has provided them. "I applied to them and saud that I was to take densitometers to Armenia but could not pay. Every year I applied to that company, asking to give one equipment. Armenia is one of the leading countries in the world in terms of the number of these devices per person." It is hard for the Prof. to assess preparedness of the Armenian doctors, but he is sure about one thing. "Eleven years ago, when we held seminaries, doctores did not ask any question, and today theere are a lot of questions, and many of the local doctors provide with consultation during the seminaries." "I am an academician, I teach more. My practical activity is limited but I have patients. My services are available as there is medical insurance in the US." In order to avoid the illness, the doctor advises using calcium-rich food, not to smoke cigarettes and use alcohol. By the way, on May 12, John Bilezikyan was awarded the Honorary Medal of the Island. It is granted to the US citizens who have dedicated their lives to serving the public. https://youtu.be/Gpt8kMdSzSoBenachrichtigung aktivieren Durfen wir Sie in Ihrem Browser uber die wichtigsten Nachrichten des Handelsblatts informieren? Sie erhalten 2-5 Meldungen pro Tag.

Fast geschafft Erlauben Sie handelsblatt.com Ihnen Benachrichtigungen zu schicken. Dies konnen Sie in der Meldung Ihres Browsers bestatigen.Polo Ralph Lauren Dress

I just got back from my Hawaii trip (and now en route to Spain!) and I already want to be back! My boyfriend and I had an amazing trip together and it was just what we needed. The weather was beautiful and just hot enough to want to want to hit the beach every day. It definitely felt like summer!



We like to stay near the end of the Waikiki strip, and one of our favorite beaches we always visit is Ala Moana. We can walk to it from our hotel and its far less crowded than Waikiki beach. I wore this Polo Ralph Lauren wrap dress to Ala Moana and it was the perfect dress for the warmer temp and as a beach cover up! Wrap dresses have to be one of my favorite dress styles since they are so feminine and flattering for every figure.

I also wore this red floral wrap dress out to dinner in Waikiki on our last night. Its such a gorgeous summer dress and the waiter even complimented me on my dress  Pippa Middleton was just seen wearing this dress at the French Open!

Polo Ralph Lauren Dress

One clothing item I always pack with me on every trip (even when I go somewhere hot!) is a sweater. A few years ago, I went on a trip to Cabo San Lucas and didnt bring any warm clothes with me (it was the middle of the summer). We ended up having rainy/chilly weather while we were there and not one single store sold jackets or sweaters. I was freezing the whole time!! Ever since then, Im sure to pack at least one sweater with me and this Polo Ralph Lauren one is so cute and perfect for the summer evenings!

Polo Ralph Lauren Sweater

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*Thank you to Polo Ralph Lauren for partnering on this post.



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By Darren Smith

The establishment of a new winery and vineyards on the Santorini sub-island of Thirassia is set to mark a new chapter in the production of Santorini assyrtiko.

Four Greek wineries are joining forces to revive the assyrtiko vineyards of Thirassia, Harpers can reveal. The move comes amid soaring prices for Santorini assyrtiko - with prices reported to have risen by 288% in the past six years - and the increasing difficulty of vineyard expansion on the main island.

The four wineries involved are Ktima Gerovassiliou from Thessaloniki, Biblia Chora from Kavala, Gaia Wines, which owns wineries in Nemea and Santorini, and Vassaltis Vineyards, the newest winery on Santorini.

The owners of Gaia, Gerovassiliou and Vassaltis have collectively purchased 8ha of vineyard land on Thirassia and have applied for EU approval to plant vines on that land. Meanwhile Vangelis Gerovassiliou of Ktima Gerovassiliou and Vassilis Tsaktsarlis of Biblia Chora have teamed up with Santorini-based oenologist Ioanna Vamvakouri to build a brand new winery on Thirassia, called Ktima Mikra Thira.

Expected to be built within the next 18 months, this will be the first ever commercial winery on the sparsely populated landmass.

Ktima Mikra Thira will produce its first vintage of Thirassia dry assyrtiko this year, using grapes from a 2ha vineyard Vamvakouri purchased one year ago, along with grapes purchased from selected Thirassia growers. The wine, which will be made on the main island, will still qualify for the Santorini PDO, however all of the grapes will come from Thirassia.

Thirassia is part of the Santorini island complex but became separated from the main island by the Thera eruption  the largest volcanic eruption in recorded history - in c.1628BC. Vines have long been cultivated on the island, however, and the volcanic terroir is much the same as on the main island. Around 30ha of land on Thirassia are currently planted to vine, with capacity for planting up to 90ha, according to Vamvakouri.

Thirassia is the new thing, says Iannis Paraskevopoulos, co-founder of Gaia Wines. We have all purchased land on Thirassia and we are hoping that the EU will allow us to plant. The idea is to go over there and revive the Thirassian vineyards. We hope well be successful. First we need to go by the EU legislation and finally get accredited for planting vines. Were not there yet. I hope this year that we will be given the right for planting.

The move comes amid huge global demand for Santorini assyrtiko and rapidly increasing grape prices on the island. In the past eight to 10 years, Santorini has become one of the most expensive places in the world to make wine. According to Paraskevopoulos, the price of grapes in Santorini has increased by 288% in the past six years.

Ktima Gerovassiliou, Biblia Chora and Gaia Wines are currently represented in the UK by Hallgarten & Novum Wines.U.S. national observatory and two extremely large telescope projects team up to enhance U.S. scientific leadership in astronomy and astrophysics

News Release from TMT.org, May 21, 2018

A new research frontier in astronomy and astrophysics will open in the mid-2020s with the advent of ground-based extremely large optical-infrared telescopes (ELTs) with primary mirrors in the 20-m  40-m range. U.S. scientific leadership in astronomy and astrophysics will be significantly enhanced if the broad U.S. community can take advantage of the power of these new ELTs.

In that context, the National Science Foundations (NSF) National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO), and the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory (TIO) have embarked on the development of a U.S. Extremely Large Telescope (US-ELT) Program.

Our shared mission is to strengthen scientific leadership by the U.S. community-at-large through access to extremely large telescopes in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. This two-hemisphere model will provide the U.S. science community with greater and more diverse research opportunities than can be achieved with a single telescope, and hence more opportunities for leadership.

Our immediate task is advocacy for frontier research programs led by U.S community scientists that can achieve exceptional advancements in humanitys understanding of the cosmos.

Our audience is the U.S. research community as represented by the upcoming Decadal Survey of Astronomy and Astrophysics (an enterprise of the U.S. National Academies).

As an essential part of that immediate task, we will work with the U.S. research community to develop exemplar Key Science Programs (KSPs) within major research areas including the dark universe, first stars & first galaxies, exoplanet atmospheres, the surfaces of satellites and other small bodies throughout Solar System, and/or other topics to be proposed and prioritized by community-based working groups.

Key Science Programs are envisioned to be open collaborations that gather observers, theorists, and data scientists together to exploit significant investments of Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) and Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) observing time, from tens to hundreds of nights. Some of these collaborations are expected to be international in nature. If well-justified by KSP plans, we envisage that at least 25% of the observing time at each international observatory will be available for the U.S. community.

The KSPs chosen for presentation to the Decadal Survey will not be the final programs. Astronomy and astrophysics will continue to evolve rapidly during construction of GMT and TMT, thanks to previous investments in ground and space-based observatories, such as the NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), the NASA James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), and the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST). Actual KSPs will be selected by peer-review before the start of GMT and TMT science operations.

NOAO, TIO, and GMTO are committed to enabling diversity within KSP collaborations. We seek to empower the best minds, no matter their gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or institutional affiliation.

More information about the U.S. ELT Program and how community scientists can join KSP development groups will be available after mid-June 2018.

Issued by the National Science Foundations National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), with concurrence of the Thirty Meter Telescope International Observatory (TIO) and Giant Magellan Telescope Organization (GMTO)

###

Best Comment : I think that the US should colonize Hawaii. It is an obviously important geostrategic location for US security. You should start to try to get some kind of influence over what is happening there. Or else someone else will.

SM May 11, 2018: House spending bill could brighten prospects for two giant telescopes

Representative John Culberson (RTX), who chairs a U.S. House of Representatives spending panel that sets funding levels for the National Science Foundation (NSF), is hinting that he wants NSF to get behind both the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), a $1.4 billion facility proposed for Mauna Kea in Hawaii, and the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), a 25-meter telescope already under construction in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile.

The first step could come Thursday, when the full House appropriations committee is expected to take up Culbersons $62 billion spending bill covering NSF and several other federal science agencies.

SM May 21, 2018: Rival giant telescopes join forces to seek U.S. funding

Two U.S.-led giant telescope projects, rivals for nearly 2 decades, announced today that they have agreed to join forces. The Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT), a 25-meter telescope under construction in Chile, and the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT), which backers hope to build atop Mauna Kea in Hawaii, have not finished acquiring the necessary partners and money. They will now work together to win funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Alexandria, Virginia, which could help the projects catch up to a third giant telescope, the 39-meter European Extremely Large Telescope (ELT), due to begin operations in 2024. It is a historic peace accord to end a conflict that has divided funders and delayed both projects.

This division has set back U.S. astronomy a decade, says Richard Ellis, an astronomer at University College London, and a former leader of the TMT effort. Lets turn the corner. Patrick McCarthy, a GMT vice president in Pasadena, California, adds, Its time for these two projects to come together behind a single vision.

The partnership, approved by the GMT board this month and by the TMT board last month, commits the two projects to developing a joint plan that would allow astronomers from any institution to use the telescopes; under previous plans observing time was available only to researchers from nations or institutions that had provided funding.Katainen views that the area's preparedness has improved following the adoption of instruments such as the stability mechanism but concedes that it is another question entirely whether the structures are sufficient and whether they can utilised effectively.

The euro area is clearly better equipped than before to react to the possible escalation of another eurozone crisis, Jyrki Katainen, a Vice-President at the European Commission, has stated to Kauppalehti.

It all starts with the member states determination and ability to take action, he reminded in an interview with the business-oriented newspaper on Wednesday.

Katainen declined, however, to comment specifically on the political situation in Italy, arguing that doing so would not promote positive development.

Concerns about a full-blown financial crisis in the eurozone have re-emerged this week due to the continuing political turmoil and prospect of snap elections in Italy, the fourth-biggest economy in the European Union.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Sunday vetoed the nomination of Paolo Savona, a euro-sceptic ex-official at the Bank of Italy, as the countrys finance minister in a move that led to the collapse the coalition talks between the populist winners of the general elections, the Lega Nord and Five Star Movement. The country has been without a government since the general elections in March.

On Monday, Mattarella appointed Carlo Cottarelli, an ex-director at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), to re-start the coalition talks in a bid to form an interim government. The Lega Nord and Five Star Movement, however, have announced they will reject the nomination in the Italian Parliament.

Cottarelli has said he will hold new general elections by early next year, possibly as early as in September.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: John Thys  AFP/Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi SuomiIltalehti on Wednesday revealed Soini participated in a demonstration against abortion while on an official visit to Ottawa, Canada, on 10 May. The news came only a few days after the minister for foreign affairs had expressed his disappointment with the outcome of the abortion referendum held in Ireland on Friday.

Timo Soini (BR), the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs, has sparked controversy for already the second time in the past couple of days because of his opposition to abortion.

Soinis state secretary, Samuli Virtanen, tweeted a photograph of himself and Soini participating in the National March for Life in Ottawa on 10 May.

Pro life also in Ottawa. On National March for Life with Foreign Minister Timo Soini. This is awesome! pic.twitter.com/CDAoZBHgA9  Samuli Virtanen (@SamuVirtanen) May 10, 2018

Ville Niinisto, an ex-chairperson of the Green League, views that Soini has demonstrated a lack of discretion by participating in a demonstration organised by what he says is a movement that opposes womens rights to abortion and autonomy.

It is absolutely inappropriate, he writes on Facebook. Finnish foreign policy seeks to promote equality and womens rights. We must demand an explanation from the government for minister Soinis actions and participation in a demonstration that contradicts Finlands foreign policy during an official visit.

Annika Saarikko (Centre), the Minister of Social Services and Family Affairs, underscores that she is an advocate of the right to abortion.

Allowing abortions is an example of responsible equality and human rights policy making. Finland is not intent on compromising this principle in any national or international arenas. The more challenging the environment for promoting sexual and reproductive health becomes, the more resolute Finland must be, she stated in a press release.

Soini himself has rejected the criticism.

I participated in a night vigil that started at 9pm. I was off-duty when the event was held. Its absolutely clear that everyone has the right to an opinion and the freedom of religion, he stated in a brief reply to Helsingin Sanomat.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Vesa Moilanen  Lehtikuva

Source: Uusi SuomiStaff Sgt. Drew Dix, U.S. Army

Medal of Honor

Chau Doc Province,

Republic of Vietnam

Jan. 31, 1968 to Feb. 1, 1968

Drew Dix, the first U.S. Army Special Forces noncommissioned officer to receive the Medal of Honor, was sent to South Vietnam as an adviser to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN). He was assigned to one of the toughest regions of the Mekong Delta: the provincial capital of Chau Doc, on the riverfront south of Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The Viet Congs extensive use of Cambodian safe havens and the Mekong River traffic ensured the citys strategic importance. Whoever controlled Chau Doc controlled the delta.

Dix led a provincial reconnaissance unit. PRUs were a CIA creation, combining elite strike capabilities with aggressive intelligence collection. Their mission was to capture VC leaders and thus cripple the insurgency.

Dixs PRU was on night ambush duty when the Tet Offensive began in late January 1968 and the VC launched its assault on Chau Doc. At first thinking the bright lights and explosions were part of the lunar new year celebrations, Dix knew otherwise when he heard the dull thump of VC mortars being fired within the city. He realized he had to regain contact with his base of operations at the Embassy House and with the ARVN tactical operations center in downtown Chau Doc. Dix needed a clear line to Saigon, the large ammunition stockpile at the Embassy House, reinforcements and a secure position from which to operate. He would need as many ARVN troops as he could rally to retake the city. Dix was unaware that the 510th VC battalion had already taken much of the city and that he was substantially outnumbered. Yet he never considered withdrawing to spare his own small detachment.

Dix later said it was a bit like Normandy when his force returned to Chau Doc. Accompanying his raiders were four heavily armed U.S. Navy patrol boats. While the patrol boats laid down smoke and heavy machine gun fire, his men stormed ashore and quickly established a small beachhead in the center of the city. After securing the Embassy House and the ARVN TOC, Dix learned that an American nurse, Maggie Frankot, was missing and that her quarters were occupied by VC. He acted decisively, mounting machine guns on two jeeps. Through a hail of AK-47 and B-40 RPG fire, Dixs small force fought their way to the house, killing several VC and rescuing a slightly wounded, but alive, nurse Frankot. Returning to the Embassy House, they again fought their way through the now alerted VC.

When word reached him that eight USAID workers were also trapped, Dixs force rescued them. When he was told the VC had isolated the police headquarters, he led his troops to retake the building, then ordered the police to begin clearing the city. After identifying the key strategic points, Dixs force recaptured the locations one by one. The VC seemed to have no idea what was hitting them. One moment, they had the city in their grasp; within hours, the ARVN was aggressively counterattacking, and that damned American and his gun jeeps were everywhere.

Dixs pickup army ultimately drove the VC from Chau Doc, the battle reaching a climax as it surrounded the captured villa of the ARVN deputy province commander (who believed his entire family had been caught and executed). Dixs men destroyed the remnants of the 510th VC Battalion, capturing a high-ranking VC official in the process. And they saved the ARVN commanders wife and children. After making contact with Saigon and ensuring that his force was resupplied by paradrop, Dix reestablished South Vietnamese control of the city.

One man, one decisive leader at a crucial moment, took aggressive action and defeated a vastly superior force. But Dixs personal courage was only part of the story: His decisive leadership had also inspired hundreds of South Vietnamese troops and police to retake their own city.

Staff Sgt. Drew Dix was awarded the Medal of Honor and a direct commission to 1st lieutenant. Retiring from the Army after 20 years, he moved to Alaska, where today he leads the states homeland security task force.

Originally published in the April 2008 issue of Military History. To subscribe, click here.Cynoscephalae was the first battle in the campaign of Roman imperialism against Macedonia and the eastern Mediterranean. It was also the first clash of two rival military systems: the Greek spear phalanx and the Roman sword legion. For 300 years cavalry used in concert with the spear phalanx had dominated Western battlefields. The Roman victory at Cynoscephalae marked the resurgence of disciplined infantry.

In the spring of 197 BC, a Greek army under Philip V of Macedon and a Roman army commanded by Titus Quinctius Flamininus closed on one another in Greece. For three days the armies probed opposite sides of a ridge called Cynoscephalae (Dogs Heads), each unaware of the others presence. Dawn of the third day broke with heavy rain followed by a thick fog that shrouded the hills. Livy recounts the fog was so dense that standard bearers couldnt see the road before them and soldiers marching in column became disoriented and drifted off the packed trail.

Fearing ambush, each commander sent out cavalry patrols in force to locate the enemy. Climbing opposite sides of the ridge, these advance units stumbled across one another and sent riders to inform their respective commanders. Reports from each side greatly exaggerated the number of enemy forces. Reinforcements soon bolstered the reconnaissance units, which were heavily engaged along the ridge. One of the Greek unit commanders chased the Roman cavalry from the ridge and reported to Philip that the whole Roman army was in retreat. Believing he had engaged the Roman main force, Philip decided to seize the ridge. He immediately led his own troops into action, ordering his other commander, Nicanor, to follow with his men as soon as possible.

As Philip crested the ridge, he encountered the Roman main force, already formed for battle. Flamininus had assembled his army in the valley and raced uphill to beat the Greeks to the crest. Philip ordered his phalanx to press the attack, hoping its momentum would shatter the Roman formations.

The Greek charge struck the Roman left head-on, but the legions simply broke into small groups and sidestepped the charge, absorbing its force. As the phalanx tried to push through, Roman swordsmen fell on its flanks and slashed it to pieces. When Nicanors troops crested the ridge, they ran directly into Flamininus right wing, which quickly overwhelmed the Greek reinforcements, killing everyone within reach. Nicanors phalanx broke, and his troops fled, leaving Philip exposed on the Roman left.

A tribune on the right grasped the peril in which Philip had placed himself. On his own initiative, he ordered 20 maniples of infantry to stop pursing the fleeing Greeks and pivot to the left rear. The maniples now faced downhill at an oblique angle to the rear of Philips engaged phalanx. A slaughter ensued.

When it was over, more than half of Philips 25,000-strong army had been killed. Roman losses numbered only a few hundred. For the next 600 years Rome would dictate the military history of the West.

Lessons:

Dont fight the prior war. Greek tactical doctrines at the time were drawn from past military experience with little concern for whether they could apply to new circumstances.

Scout thine enemy. Greece fell at the hands of Rome because it failed to anticipate the Romans new kind of formation: the sword legion.

Expect the worst. When securing an advantageous position, anticipate stiff enemy opposition.

Remember the fog of war and question initial field reports. They are often inaccurate, exaggerating both the scope and intensity of the battle. Flamininus and Philip each forgot this and tossed aside their battle plans.

Never commit your forces piecemeal, as Philip did, absent a clear picture of the overall tactical situation.

Act decisively. Once contact has been made, escalate the tempo of violence rapidly, as the Roman right did in bringing its full force to bear against Nicanors reinforcements.

Take the initiative. The Roman tribune who pivoted his maniples and ordered the attack on the rear of Philips phalanx crushed the enemy in a single blow. Be aware, however, of potential career risks if things dont work out.

Originally published in the April 2008 issue of Military History. To subscribe, click here.This article can only be read with a Premium AccountThe band have also released a new music video for 'Humility' which starts Jack Black.

Gorillaz have announced that their new album The Now Now will be released on June 29.

To coincide with the news they released the music video for Humility as well as making a new song 'Lake Zurich' available to stream.

School of Rocks Jack Black stars in the music video alongside 2-D, the virtual frontman of the group.

Damon Albarn, the man behind Gorillaz, had been hinting that the group were set to release their 5th studio album but it has now been confirmed.

The Now Now may mark a different style for the group. Their most recent album Humanz came out last year and featured 24 official collaborators.

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The new album only features appearances from Snoop Dogg, Jamie Principle and jazz guitarist George Benson, who plays on Humility.

The band, which consists of virtual members 2-D, Murdoch, Russel and Noodle, will play Malahide Castle on June 9 in what will be their biggest Irish gig to date. Support on the night will come from De La Soul, Little Simz and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.

Check out the video here:"I wanted to be the person who had written The Lord of the Rings."

Hearing your favourite author say these words, comes as a relief. Even Neil Gaiman  a man whose work has inspired millions of readers  started out as most authors do: Writing school essays and dreaming of following in the steps of his literary hero.

Fifty years later, Gaiman  who as a seven-year-old spent all his pocket money on books and read C. S. Lewis 'The Chronicles of Narnia' over and over again, has become one of the greatest authors of our time. With over 40 books to his name, including his epic modern fantasy novel American Gods (recently adapted into a TV series starring Ian McShane), as well as acclaimed collaborations with the likes of Terry Pratchett and Alan Moore, you might expect the success to go to his head.

However, Gaiman is still very down-to-earth, humbly describing himself an 'okay' writer, rather than great. With an award list twice as long as his bibliography, we cant help but be sceptical about such self-effacement, but Gaiman insists a lot of his success is down to ruthless editing. As soon as he has finished a piece, he puts it away for a week before coming back to it as a critic. "My wife Amanda is a fantastic and merciless reader," he adds.The track will be premiered on BBC Radio 1 at 7pm.

The 1975 are set to premiere their new single Give Yourself a Try at 7pm tonight on BBC Radio 1.

The band have been hinting at a new release for the last month via cryptic social media posts. Stock photos have been accompanied by messages such as I think Im getting better, Planned obsolescence and Soon to be picturesque ruins.

The heading on every post has remained the same.

The 1975. A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.

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The band are yet to confirm whether or not it is the name of an upcoming album.

I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It was the last album to be released by the Manchester group in 2016.As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content.

When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to.

After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code.

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The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those.Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print.

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If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create.The Humane Society of the United States provided much-needed help for a ranch owner in Chappell, Nebraska, whose property was used by neighboring communities to dump unwanted cats. This week, staff and volunteers, including the Colorado Animal Welfare League, helped spay/neuter the majority of the 150 free-roaming cats living on the ranch, and transported multiple kittens and nursing mothers to organizations where they will have a chance to find permanent homes.

The cats were well-fed, but the ranch owner reached out for help after realizing that she could not keep up with some of the animals basic needs, like sterilization and routine veterinary care. Four horses and four dogs also share the property.

Representatives from the Humane Society of the United States worked in partnership with the Nebraska Rescue Council to create a coalition of animal welfare professionals to address the needs and handle, transport and shelter the cats. A three-day clinic was set up at the ranch, with veterinarians Dr. Shannon Jensen of Grant, Nebraska, and Dr. Kenneth Cook of Sidney, Nebraska, working to spay, neuter, and vaccinate 100 cats. Volunteers from Joining Forces Saving Lives and Fur the Love of Paws assisted by trapping the cats and returning them to the property after sterilization. Of the cats trapped, 15 kittens and nursing mothers needed to be transported to affiliate rescues and shelters for rehabilitation and adoption, while the rest were able to be re-released, demonstrating the success of this Trap-Neuter-Return project.

We are pleased that the caretaker of these cats reached out for help. Many of these cats, having been dumped on her property, had likely never been handled and required veterinary attention, said Jocelyn Nickerson, Nebraska state director for the Humane Society of the United States. We are grateful for the local rescue and shelter groups working to support the efforts to improve this situation and help this initiative for the animals.

We are often called upon to assist with cat colony projects in rural communities and are happy to work collaboratively to save these animals, said Melissa Money-Beecher, NRC Member and executive director of Joining Forces Saving Lives in Lincoln. The cats arrived in good condition and will be placed up for adoption once a full veterinary evaluation is complete.

We bring these clinics to rural towns where pet overpopulation is rampant due to lack of low cost spay/neuter services. And, this is, by far, one of the largest Trap-Neuter-Return projects we have assisted with to date, said Lisa Petri, president of the Colorado Animal Welfare League. Petri drove the CAWLs new SNOW (Spay/Neuter on Wheels) mobile directly to the site for the three-day clinic.Translation:

Lideres de la aviacion se reunen en Sidney en la 74 Asamblea General Anual de la IATA (pdf)

Lideres da aviacao se reunem em Sydney para a 74 Assembleia Geral Anual da IATA (pdf)



Sydney - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that leaders of the global air transport industry are gathering in Sydney, Australia, for the Association's 74th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit. Hosted by Qantas, the event will include addresses by Sir Peter Cosgrove, Governor-General of Australia; Michael McCormack, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport; and Dr Fang Liu, Secretary General, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

"Sydney will be the capital of air transportation as aviation leaders gather for the 74th IATA AGM and World Air Transport Summit (WATS). The airline industry is in its ninth consecutive year of profitability. And solid progress is being made on the top priorities of safety, security and sustainability. The big issue of the day is infrastructure. A global infrastructure crisis is being complicated by governments considering an acceleration of private sector involvement in airports," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO.

The IATA AGM and WATS is expected to bring together more than a thousand leaders in the sector, including CEOs and senior management from IATA's diverse membership and the entire air transport value chain; as well as media..

A highlight of the World Air Transport Summit is the CEO Insight panel featuring Sir Tim Clark (Emirates), Peter Elbers (KLM), Rupert Hogg (Cathay Pacific) Christopher Luxon (Air New Zealand) and Calin Rovinescu (Air Canada). The panel will be moderated by CNN's Richard Quest.

Topics to be addressed at the gathering include sustainable aviation fuels, airport privatization, benefits and risks of tourism, gender equality, making the best use of data, next steps on aviation security, and preventing human trafficking.

Australia, a global success story, connected by aviation

"We are delighted to return again to Sydney. Australia has been a clear beneficiary of the boom in global connectivity, posting 27 years of uninterrupted economic growth. And with a total contribution supporting 668,000 jobs and US$62 billion in GDP, the aviation sector is a major force for the Australian economy," said de Juniac.

This is the third time that the IATA AGM will be held in Sydney. Previous AGMs were held in 2000 and 1961.

Attendance at the AGM is by invitation only. Accredited media are invited to attend, but must be pre-registered.

For more information, please contact:

Corporate Communications

Tel: +41 22 770 2967

Corpcomms@iata.org

Notes for Editors:Barry Coleman and Benjamin English presented their idea to the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night.

Second Marijuana Company Considering Lanesborough

LANESBOROUGH, Mass.  A second marijuana company is considering opening in Lanesborough.

Barry Coleman and Benjamin English told the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday night that they're looking for about a 20,000 square-foot establishment to grow cannabis. In the future, they'd like to expand into a retail operation as well.

"We want to be in the Berkshires. We love it out here. We'd love to do business. But properties are a little hard to come by. Ideally, we'd like to be in Lanesborough or Clarksburg or North Adams, somewhere," English said. "We are looking at Pittsfield and some other towns as well."

English and Coleman's son, Andrew Coleman, would be looking to run the cultivation operation knowns as Chilly Farms. Coleman said his son has been working in the cultivation business in California. He said they've assembled a team of lawyers, security, and consultants to help open here. Now, they are looking at property all over the state in hopes to find a match.

"We are getting embraced by a lot of towns. It is all up to the property," Coleman said.

Locally, the pair said they've met with officials in Clarksburg , Williamstown, and North Adams. In Lanesborough, one of the locations they looked at is the former Vacation Village. They said that building isn't ideal but could be workable. They are looking to start small and expand cultivation and open retail in the future  and retail doesn't necessarily have to be in the same town.

"There is a retail in mind but we'd be more comfortable for it to be in the second year of business," English said.

But before the company closes on a location to start, the pair said they are meeting with officials just to make sure they'd be embraced by the town.

A company needs to craft a host agreement with the town in order to open and Coleman said he already had sit-downs with officials in other towns who weren't too welcoming. He said he'd rather work with a town that is supportive of the business. After speaking with Town Manager Paul Sieloff, Coleman said they got the sense that Lanesborough was welcoming and decided to meet with the board.

"We had the feeling that the town really wanted to do it," Coleman said.

And that message was reiterated by the Board of Selectmen. The Selectmen said they know the marijuana businesses are coming and they'd rather be welcoming to help get some of the tax money flowing to Lanesborough.

Coleman too hopes Lanesborough could be a landing spot but it will depend on if the right property works out.

"We like the town, there is no question about it," Coleman said.

Chilly Farms is the second company to meet with the Board of Selectmen asking for their good graces for such a project. The Selectmen gave the same welcoming response to Developer Rob Wolf who is seeking to build 18 greenhouses at Gray Raven Farm, which will be leased to cultivators. Just over the border in Pittsfield, an array of companies had expressed interest in opening either cultivation or retail locations.

Coleman said the demand will likely be so high when July 1 comes, that there won't be enough to keep up with it. Massachusetts legalized marijuana for recreational use by ballot in 2016 and shops can open as early as this summer.

With such demand, Sieloff voiced concern with the legal costs associated with to the town. He said when an applicant applies, there will be an increased workload for town counsel. The Selectmen agreed and set a $4,000 fee for when an applicant applies to cover the legal services provided.

"You are looking at potentially multi-million investment here," Sieloff said.Democrat Quentin Palfrey is being endorsed by state Sen. Adam Hinds for lieutenant governor.

Hinds Endorses Palfrey For Lieutenant Governor

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  State Sen. Adam Hinds is putting his support behind Quentin Palfrey in the race for lieutenant governor.

The senator for Berkshire, Hampshire, Franklin, and Hampden counties announced his endorsement of the former White House official on Wednesday. On Monday, Hinds is expected to join Palfrey to make the formal announcement.

"I've known Quentin for a long time. We worked together in the trenches on John Kerry's campaign for president and since then I have watched him take on one serious challenge after another to stand up for working families. Quentin has the background and policy expertise that can make a difference, and that is why I am endorsing him as we head into the Massachusetts Democratic Convention," Hinds said.

Palfrey previously worked as a senior adviser for jobs and competitiveness in the White House under former President Barack Obama. He was deputy counsel for strategic initiatives at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He previously worked in the health-care division in the state's attorney general's office. He was also the executive director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab North America at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

"I am so honored to have been endorsed by Senator Adam Hinds. Adam has been an incredible leader for Western Massachusetts, and I am excited to have his support," Palfrey said.

"As lieutenant governor, I will join Senator Hinds in standing up for our working families and seniors to preserve and strengthen what makes this Commonwealth great. By collaborating with local leaders in our cities and towns, we can focus on the issues that impact residents every day -- investing in our schools, combating the opioid epidemic, and creating jobs. I will be a strong advocate for environmental sustainability, supporting the arts, and I will not rest until there is a clear plan for universal broadband access in Massachusetts."

Palfrey is up against Jimmy Tingle for the Democratic nomination. The winner will join either Jay Gonzalez or Bob Massie on the Democratic ticket. In the Republican primary, Gov. Charlie Baker is being challenged by Scott Lively. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito is unopposed.

Palfrey has already made a few campaign stops in the Berkshires. He attended the Pittsfield Democratic caucus and followed that with a meeting with Greylock Together in North Adams. Some of his stances on the issues include bolstering state aid for education, raising the minimum wage, paid family leave, passing the Fair Share Amendment, and moving toward single-payer health care.

Recently, he's racked up a series of endorsements including Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, state Sens. Eric Lesser, and Cindy Creem, the Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts and Progressive Massachusetts.'Lifelong dream fulfilled, I am on a stage at Shakespeare & Company with Tina Packer,' says Massachusetts Cultural Council Executive Director Anita Walker, with the company's founder on Thursday. Walker said her birthday was last week, and sharing a stage with Packer was her present. U.S. Rep. Richard Neal brings thanks to the Berkshires from the United States of America. State Rep. Smitty Pignatelli said Shakespeare & Company has stabilized an important property in the middle of Lenox. Shakespeare's Managing Director Adam Davis welcomes the gathering. The announcement was made in Shakespeare's Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre. PreviousNext

Neal Announces $348K in NEA Funding for Local Cultural Programs



Victoria Beaupre tells how her experience with the Fall Festival of Shakespeare changed her personally. LENOX, Mass.  State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli remembers when Lenox residents couldn't wait for the Tanglewood crowd to finally go home at the end of summer.

That was back when General Electric in Pittsfield employed 12,000 to 13,000 and the cultural attractions were more a matter of pride than the economy.

"Then General Electric and the papers mills started to cut back and go away," he said Thursday morning at Shakespeare & Company's Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre. "We transformed ourselves, we pulled in this creative economy, we recognized it could become an economic engine ...

"It is the No. 1 industry in Berkshire County. We need to continue to feed the beast, we need to continue to grow that industry."

That's what makes the gift Congressman Richard Neal came bearing on Thursday significant, he said: some $348,000 in National Endowment for the Arts funding.

"I've never seen an industry anywhere in Massachusetts in my 16 years that makes a dollar worth $10," Pignatelli said. "Would you make that investment today? ... That's what the cultural economy does."

The celebration of that announcement brought out cultural leaders from venues across the county to hear from the region's U.S. representative and Massachusetts Cultural Council Executive Director Anita Walker.

Walker thanked the region's federal and state lawmakers for understanding and supporting the arts and the organizations that provide access to the arts locally. The NEA, thought to be facing extinction from a hostile administration, instead got a $3 million bump from Congress; the Massachusetts Cultural Council could be looking at a $2 million hike from an amendment authored by Sen. Adams Hinds of Pittsfield.

This round of NEA funding will go toward the Shakespeare & Company, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in Becket, the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, the North Adams Public Schools (with Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art), the City of Pittsfield, Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, Barrington Stage Company in Pittsfield, the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the New England Foundation for the Arts.

Neal, representing the 1st Massachusetts, touted the region's high-quality artistic works, saying, "you've really established a national and international reputation."

"Because of the extraordinary things you do here, you've really established a national and international reputation," said Neal. "The Massachusetts Cultural Council, your constant advocacy and your constant work, with the almost $2,341,000 for the state Council on the Arts, that's a great testament to the advocacy you do every day."

Shakespeare's Managing Director Adam Davis said tourism in Berkshire County is a $462 million industry.

"We are a huge part of that, we are part of that economic engine," he said. "Four thousand jobs are created just because of what we do."

Shakespeare & Company will receive $20,000 to continue its Fall Festival of Shakespeare, an educational program that brings the Bard's works to the 10 local high schools and culminates in performances at the company's theater on Kemble Street in Lenox.

Veronica Beaupre, now patron services manager for the company, recalled how she had gone through the program in 2011. Shy, unsure, she didn't know how to express herself without a grade to achieve or direction from others.

"I realized I had absolutely no idea who I was a person ... luckily for me the education program handed you to the tools to fix that problem ... the complete works of Shakespeare," she said.

"When you work with Shakespeare's text you don't think of the characters as fictional people, they're complicated, dysfunctional, they've got relationships and ambitions, and perhaps most importantly, they feel everything at 100 percent of the feeling ... you're never just slightly angry, you're ready to murder someone."

Working with Shakespeare's characters allowed her to feel every emotion, and to see how they looked on others. The company's educational programs provide a safe environment for youth to reach a level of emotional intelligence that their elders may not think them capable, she said.

"I felt love and loss and anger and revenge in a way we really don't think high school students are capable of," Beaupre said.

"It taught me to be bold and speak for what I want. .. It made be a better person, a better friend, and a better employee."

Walker also referred to the company's Shakespeare in the Courts, a collaboration with the Berkshire Juvenile Court System, that also provides an outlet for that emotional intelligence learning.

"These are some of things that young people don't know what it feels like ... and when they feel it, their actions lead to consequences they could not have predicted," she said. "But Shakespeare helps those young people predict those consequences and perhaps prevent them in their real life."

Walker also pointed out renowned pianist Emmanual Ax, who works with young musicians through Berkshire Children and Families. These types of programs abound not only in the Berkshires but across the state, she said.

"The Creative Youth Development Program was born and raised in Massachusetts more than 25 years ago," Walker said. "It has literally transformed the lives of thousands of vulnerable teenagers here in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ... transformed if not saved the lives of these vulnerable young people."

Neal said he reads many newspapers to get different perspectives and is always heartened to find review and articles about local cultural venues when he turns to the arts sections.

"You quickly come to the conclusion that helps to establish our reputation in a civilized society and I would also use the moment to say it also promotes the civil tone of how we should speak to each other in America," he said. "And use that opportunity to educate ourselves about listening as well as talking."After Willie Mathis became a member of the Indianapolis alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in 2009, he noticed a void of online and brick and mortar Greek stores.

In 2011, Mathis, along with his wife, Starla, began PerfectApparel.com, a website for custom-ordered Greek clothing, out of their basement.

Revenue within the first few months was consistent enough to allow them to expand their services to other businesses and organizations.

After six years, the couple left their professions as an engineer and registered nurse to open a brick and mortar shop on the northwest side of Indianapolis.

Business has picked up significantly, Starla said. We have a lot of Greek members in the community. It may be from our word of mouth or connections within the area.

Charles A. Tindley Schools is one of Perfect Apparels partners. The website even features some of the schools customized T-shirts.

We look forward to building partnerships with other businesses in the area. We are excited about the future, Starla said.

Jaylan Anderson, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity was impressed with Perfect Apparels service.

My first visit, I was impressed with the setup and how in place everything was, Anderson said. I went a second time to place an order for a hoodie to be customized, and it was back within the promised 10 days. I would definitely recommend it.

Although there is another Greek store on the east side of Indianapolis, the couple believes that their store fills a different void in the community. They believe Perfect Apparel fills a niche by offering a variety of printing and embroidery options.

First-time visitor, Asiha Freeman, said she had a pleasant experience at the store.

I thought it was nice and had a nice variety of Greek clothing, Freeman said. The location of the store was a very convenient, and the owners and staff were very friendly.

Need Greek clothing or other customized apparel?

Check out Perfect Apparel.

Perfectapparel.com

(317) 389-5553

8770 Commerce Park Place, Suite C

Contact staff writer Loren Dent at 317-762-7853.Indian American Mainak Mookherjee (back row, right) was among five researchers at Florida State University to be honored with a 2018 National Science Foundation CAREER Award. The others were (from left) Daniel Hallinan, Justin Kennemur, Chen Huang and Ken Hanson. (fsu.edu photo)An Indian American former chief of staff for Rochester, N.Y., Mayor Lovely Warren, Jeremy Cooney, has announced his intentions to run for the state Senate in the 56th Legislative District. (LinkedIn photo)Businessman Sanjay Tripathy was convicted May 30 of sexually assaulting and choking a woman he met on the Seeking Arrangements Web site, a portal for wealthy men to meet sugar babies. His lawyer said Tripathy plans to appeal. (screen grab of YouTube/Fox News TV)The Myna Mahila Foundation, an Indian organization that works to improve menstrual health in India and founded by Suhani Jalota, was among seven charities  and the lone foreign organization  selected by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to receive donations from the royal wedding guests. (https://mynamahila.com photo)Conservative filmmaker and writer Dinesh D'Souza speaks during the final day of the 2014 Republican Leadership Conference on May 31, 2014 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Later that year, D'Souza was convicted on campaign finance fraud charges and sentenced to five years probation. President Donald Trump pardoned the high-profile Indian American May 31. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)What do mineral exploration companies Chalice Gold Mines, King River Copper, Technology Metals Australia, Vanadium Corp, Australian Vanadium, Six Sigma Metals, Tando Resources, TNG Ltd as well as lithium-miner Neometals all have in common? All of these companies are searching for vanadium, a now sought-after mineral used in vanadium redox batteries (VRBs).



According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), vanadium is traditionally used in steel alloy production and is predominantly mined in China, but also in South Africa, Russia and Brazil. As a consequence of the US import dependence, the USGS named vanadium on its final list of critical minerals, announced on May 18.



The VRB sector is expanding thanks to its wide range of energy applications. Their large storage capacity and high cycle performance and durability make these batteries particularly suitable for grid and large scale industrial and residential uses.



Another mineral that all of these companies have in common is titanium. This is because geologically speaking, vanadium and titanium commonly occur together in anorthositic, mafic to ultramafic rocks and are often referred to as vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM) deposits.



Recent market announcements, explored below, revealed that investors, explorers and miners are actively seeking to become the next vanadium producers, and therefore, also the next titanium producers.



These companies are flying under the radar in terms of titanium, due to their battery-industry focus. Of these companies, the most advanced projects are held by Australia Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed companies Neometals Ltd and TNG Ltd.



On May 8, Neometals, an established lithium producer, reported that its Western Australia-located titanium-vanadium Barrambie direct shipping ore (DSO) project was the subject of bulk-sampling and test work.



The companys titanium feedstock has been confirmed to be suitable for high-purity (>99%) titanium dioxide production, and can be precipitated selectively from a leach solution at recoveries greater than 90%. Barrambie's Eastern Band made a total mineral resource for Barrambie is estimated to be 280.1 million tonnes at 9.18% titanium dioxide and 0.44% vanadium pentoxide.



Elsewhere, TNGs Australian Northern Territory Mount Peake Vanadium-Titanium Iron Project was awarded federal environmental approval on May 15 of this year. The project, which contains 160 million tonnes of 5.31% titanium dioxide and 0.28% vanadium pentoxide as part of its resource (as of 2013), will now need a mine management plan in order to proceed to a stage where offtake, funding and construction may proceed.



A long list of early to mid-stage explorers also exist, and while they are a long way from production, present another potential source of titanium in the long term.



ASX-listed explorer Tando Resources commenced exploration on May 21 on its South African high-grade vanadium project, after acquiring it from Vanadium Resources Ltd on March 22.



The companys preliminary estimates on a concentrate indicate grades of 2% vanadium pentoxide and 13% titanium dioxide.



Likewise, ASX-listed explorer Chalice Gold Mines announced on May 23 that it had applied for a number of vanadium focused exploration licenses in Queensland and Western Australia. The company notes that the areas are "highly prospective" for nickel, copper platinum group elements and titanium.



Another Australia-based ASX-listed explorer, Six Sigma Metals, has recently agreed to acquire "highly prospective" vanadium-titanium and lithium assets located in Zimbabwe from Mirrorplex Ltd. The announcement, made on May 17, said that the acquisition was part of a strategy to "capitalize on the rising interest in the sector due to recent global [battery] technology advances". This company has likened its geology to that of ASX-listed Australian Vanadiums Western Australian Gabanintha deposit, as well as ASX-listed King River Coppers Western Australian Speerwah deposit.



Of these, King River Copper has conducted advanced metallurgical test work which has resulted in high purity titanium dioxide and vanadium pentoxide products. Australian Vanadium has also carried out test work on their project, resulting in the production of a combined concentrate yielding around 15% titanium dioxide.



In late February, ASX-listed Technology Metals Australia reported that it had recovered up to 97.8% vanadium in magnetic concentrates during metallurgical test work. While initial results focused on vanadium, early success may pave the way to future titanium production at this deposit, which contains 9.7% titanium dioxide.



Despite these companies focused on vanadium production, the potential volume of titanium dioxide that could be supplied into pigment markets is substantial.



Industrial Minerals reported prices for titanium dioxide pigment, high quality, bulk volume, cfr Asia, on May 24 at $2,800-3,100 per tonne, unchanged from the previous week. The price had been assessed at $2,720-3,100 per tonne a year earlier.



Titanium dioxide prices have been rising since early 2017 due to increased demand driven by the global economic recovery and the reduction in output due to environmental inspections in China, Industrial Minerals reported earlier in May.



While this may be the case, it remains to be seen as to whether vanadium-driven titanium dioxide production can provide any pricing relief.Spains Secretary of State for Defense (Sedef), Agustin Conde, sad on Tuesday during the inauguration of the European summit on RPAS for security and defense, UNVEX S&D, that this event held in the northwestern Spanish city of Leon represented an excellent opportunity to establish contacts between the public administration and the sectors industry.

Conde was accompanied by UNVEXs director, Angel Macho, and the mayor of Leon, Antonio Silvan. Between May 29-31, the summit will bring together at the citys congress hall over 45 institutions and domestic and international companies that will unveil the latest developments in the field of RPAS and analyze the sectors upcoming challenges in the years ahead.

Conde said during his speech that the fair was taking place at a crucial time for the Europe of the Defense (LEurope de la defense). In this regard, he underscored that remotely-piloted systems play a relevant role within the initiatives launched in the fields of security and defense. The aim, he added, was to reach strategic autonomy in key technologies for the security of member states.

The Sedef analyzed the latest advances in the Euromale program, in which Spain, Germany, France and Italy all take part. During last months ILA Berlin Air Show, the three companies participating in the project  Airbus DS, Dassault Aviation and Leonardo  unveiled a full-scale model of the future MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) RPAS.

Arrival of the Predator

Conde explained that at a domestic level, Spains Ministry of Defense was working to link together institutions and companies with the aim of establishing a network of contacts to boost the development of a Spanish industry with a large capacity for growth.

As to the challenges, he highlighted that the proliferation of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) implies a regulation of airspace, while adding the need to establish restricted flight zones and to train drone pilots according to the aircrafts size and reach.

At the same time, he reminded attendees that at the start of next year, the Spanish Air Force will receive General Atomics MALE Predator, an RPAS that will provide the force with a qualitative leap when it comes to its surveillance and intelligence capabilities.The United States-based company General Atomics, along with its Spanish partner Sener, will be exhibiting the capabilities of its Predator B system - a MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) aircraft that will be used by the Spanish Air Force starting next year - at this weeks European summit on RPAS for security and defense, UNVEX S&D, taking place in the northwestern Spanish city of Leon..

In interview with Infodefensa.com, GA-ASIs Vice President for Europe and NATO, Christopher Ames, dissected this RPAS main features.

What are the Predator systems characteristics?

Proven reliability is chief among the MQ-9A Reapers characteristics. More than 300 MQ-9A have been produced and have flown collectively more than 2 million flight hours with 90% of those flight hours flown in combat. MQ-9A has further achieved a greater than 90% system operational availability rate, the highest of any manned or unmanned aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory. Spain joins other European MQ-9A operators, including Italy, the United Kingdom, and France. The aircraft has a 20-meter wingspan, an 11-meter length, and a maximum gross takeoff weight of 5,310 kg. The MQ-9A can climb to an altitude of 14,325 meters and has an airborne endurance of 26 hours. Its turbo-prop engine delivers a speed of 240 knots. The aircraft can carry 1,361 kg externally across 6 wing hardpoints and an additional 340 kg on an external centerline hardpoint. This 1,700 kg external payload capacity allows the addition of sensors and other payloads that provide the MQ-9A with multi-mission capabilities to support maritime surveillance, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, boarder protection, and safeguarding of ground forces, to name a few.

What other systems does this MALE incorporate?

The MQ-9A also includes a triple redundant flight control system, redundant flight control surfaces and a redundant high-capacity electrical power system. The aircraft is equipped with dual ARC-210 UHF/VHF radios with wingtip antennas and LED navigation lights. It is designed with a separate payload computer to simplify payload installations. The MQ-9A system includes a Mobile Ground Control Station (MGCS) where the flight crew pilot the aircraft (remotely or fully autonomously) and sensor operators collect Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) data for analysis. The MQ-9A can be operated via line-of-sight data link control, or via beyond line-of-sight/satellite (SATCOM) data link control. SATCOM control allows the flight crew to operate the aircraft and its sensors from half a world away.

Which sensors and radars does the system count with?

The MQ-9A system is equipped with a powerful electro-optical/infrared sensor that streams high-definition color or infrared video day or night. The Lynx Multi-mode Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) complements this video capability, providing radar imagery. The Lynx radar enables the ability to see through clouds and provides wide-area surveillance over land or sea, as well as ground moving target indicator capabilities. The MQ-9A Remotely Piloted Aircraft System will provide Spain with the proven, reliable and highly effective persistent situational awareness.

Which company will take care of the equipments maintenance?

That decision resides with the Spanish MoD. My understanding is that SENER will be working with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and the Spanish Air Force to support the aircraft. SENER is a technology partner of GA-ASI for the integration of the RPAS MALE MQ-9 Predator B in Spain, as well as for providing the support during the life cycle of the program, as required by the Spanish Air Force. This is part of a robust industrial cooperation effort weve taken on in Spain.

Of what interest is UNVEX S&D to you?

UNVEX S&D is a standout event that deserves high regard for its consistently superb quality, organization and execution. Its multi-dimensional program is dynamic and impactful, offering expert speakers on unmanned systems, specialized workshops, exhibitions of leading-edge technology and live unmanned systems demonstrations. This rich and diverse program is certain to satisfy expectations while attracting leaders from military, civilian, industry and technology sectors. UNVEX 2018 promises to be a rewarding and worthwhile event.The Spanish Air Forces Virgen del Camino airbase on Tuesday hosted the first day of flight exhibitions at the European summit on RPAS for security and defense, UNVEX S&D, which is taking place this week in the northwestern Spanish city of Leon. During the demonstrations, up to seven remotely-piloted systems from various companies flew over the facilities while showing attendees their capabilities for obtaining images.

The systems that took part included Elistairs Orion, Alpha Unmanned Systems Alpha 800, Flir UAS Black Hornet; Indra Sistemas Mantis, Aeroenvironments Snipe Nano and PUMA AE, as well as SCRs Tucan. In addition, Dedrones anti-drone system, RF 100/RF 300, was also showcased.

It is worth noting that Tuesdays demonstrations constituted one of the largest drone air shows for the general public performed in Spain to date, due to both the number of systems used and their unparalleled diversity.

Rotary-wing RPAS

Orion is an electrically-powered rotary-wing system weighing 10.5 kilograms (23 pounds). It is a tethered drone connected through a cable to a feed-and-control system. The Alpha 800 is another rotary-wing aircraft that weighs 14 kilograms (31 pounds) and has a cruise speed of 45 kilometers per hour (28 miles per hour). For the demonstration, it was equipped with an Epsilon 140 sensor so as to display its streaming capabilities.

The Black Hornet is one of the smallest systems available on the market, weighing only 18 grams (0.63 ounces). This RPAS is already being deployed alongside the special forces of the Spanish militarys three branches. It can reach a cruise speed of 5 meters per second (16.4 feet per second) and a takeoff speed of between 1-2 meters per second (3.3-6.6 feet per second).

Indra and SCR systems

The multinational corporation Indra showed off the abilities of its fixed-wing and electrically powered Mantis system, equipped with a visible payload. This drone weighs 6.3 kilograms (14 pounds) and has a wingspan of 2.1 meters (6.9 feet). Meanwhile, SCR unveiled its Tucan fixed-wing system with a dual Night Hawk 2 camera that has been tested in up to eight campaigns within the Rapaz (Predator) program developed by Spains Armament and Material Office (DGAM). This aircraft has a span of 2.7 meters (8.9 feet), weighs 5 kilograms (11 pounds) and is capable of flying at a cruise speed of 65 kilometers per hour (40.4 miles per hour).

CETA exhibited two models developed by Aeroenvironment: Snipe Nano and Puma AE. The former weighs 140 grams (5 ounces), reaches a cruise speed of 20 kilometers per hour (12.4 miles per hour) and was mounted with an infrared and electro-optical camera. The latter, a fixed-wing system, spans 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) and weighs 6.3 kilograms (13.9 pounds). This aircraft can incorporate a day-and-nighttime electro-optical sensor with laser illuminator.May 30, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Vladimir Putin will have paid very close attention to the location of the Syrian artillery battery where four Russian soldiers lost their lives at the weekend. The desert around Deir ez-Zour remains a dangerous place  politically as well as physically  in which the Americans and Russians play an extremely risky game of war.

Putin still suspects the Americans helped the artillery guidance of a mortar battery which killed the commander of the Russian Far East 5th Army in Deir ez-Zour, lieutenant general Valery Asapov, less than a year ago. Was the mortar fired by pro-American Kurdish fighters? Or by Isis? The Russians say that Isis mobile attackers stormed the Syrian artillery position this weekend at night  the Islamists normal routine, streaming out of the desert wadis in suicide trucks and motorcycles  even though the little Syrian forts, hillocks of sand and cement strewn across the vast sand plateaus, are supposed to be invulnerable.

So now the Russians are directing artillery. First they were the air component to the Syrian army, their forward air observers on the ground with Syrian troops directing the Sukhois onto Assads enemies. Then the Russians were the de-miners of Palmyra and Deir ez-Zour, Homs and Aleppo. Then the Russian military police escorted the beaten jihadists to the wastelands of Idlib province or the Turkish border. The Russians liaise between the Syrians and the pro-American Kurds on the Euphrates River.

Twelve months ago, Putins top artillery technicians were searching through the rubble of eastern Aleppo to draw up painstaking maps of the fall of shot  the exact bomb crater and blast effects of air-dropped Russian munitions. I met one of their teams. Its reports were circulated, of course, to Russian military intelligence. But they first go directly to the Kremlin.

Putin reads them. He is a micro-manager. There will be no Brezhnev-style Afghanistan disasters in Syria  or so the Russians pray  no slovenly retreats across the Amu Darya by political generals, no Kremlin lethargy. Russian officers speak good Arabic (and quite good English)  products of the Moscow School of Foreign Languages  and, like the Syrian army, their officers go to the front lines.

Thats why Asapov was killed. Putin decided to pursue his Chechen and Russian jihadi enemies all the way to Syria  and kill them all. He saved his ally, Bashar al-Assad. But at the very same time  give or take a warning or two and one downed Russian jet courtesy of a later-to-repent Erdogan  he remained a trusted friend of Israel, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and so on.

Refusing to join his insane counterpart in Washington in a sectarian war between Sunnis and Shias, Putin deploys the one phrase which unites every dictator, prime minister, mafiosi autocrat, king, president, mass-murdering tyrant, public relations hack or fawning editor: the war on terror. I reckon Putin and Trump use this circumlocution about the same number of times. Its a cracker for the masses, and it doesnt matter if its uttered by a cynic in the Kremlin or a guy in the White House who is completely bananas. But Putin, of course, is a man for all seasons.

He accepts the praise of Bashar al-Assad for saving Syria. He calls Israels racist defence minister Avigdor Lieberman brilliant. Indeed, one Russian translation of a Kremlin meeting quoted Putin as claiming that Lieberman  a former nightclub bouncer from the ex-Soviet Union  was a great Russian. Netanyahu is always welcome at the Kremlin, even when hes bombing the Iranians in Syria. Sultan Erdogan of Turkey, whose air force shot down one of Putins jets, scurried to befriend Putin when the Russians ordered their holidaymakers to dry up Turkeys seaside tourist industry. When Putin travelled to Erdogans golden palace in Istanbul, he stationed a helicopter-carrier bang in the very centre of the Bosphorous, right opposite the Topkapi.

Egypts Sisi takes Putin to the opera in Cairo. In the Kremlin, Putin welcomes King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. He welcomes the Qataris. He pays court to Irans Rouhani. He listens  glowering, to be sure  as the Supreme Leader Khamenei explains the evils of American interference in the Middle East (this only two years ago).

Mercifully, the Iranian did not mention the Russian invasion of northern Iran in the Second World War, nor its setting up of Soviets in Azerbaijan and Mahabad in Iranian Kurdistan when the war was over. No more than Sisi recalled how Sadat threw the Russians out of Egypt in 1972. No more than Putin would have mentioned to Assad how the younger Lion of Damascus flirted with the West and attended the Bastille Day parade with Nicolas Sarkozy in 2008  Trump was equally hooked by this military flummery last year  and declined to respond publicly to Russian requests in 2000 about Chechen rebels who had fled Russia.

But after the Libyan debacle, Putin was going to take no nonsense when his western partners tried to unseat Assad. There would be no more humiliating Russian retreats from the Mediterranean.

When the Russians later wanted to talk to the American-trained anti-Islamist Libyan military seigneur de guerre Khalifa Haftar, they simply airfreighted him onto a Russian carrier off shore. When the Americans complained that Russian airstrikes in Syria were only hitting the CIAs favourite (and fairly mythical) Free Syrian Army rebels, Russias foreign minister Sergey Lavrov grimly replied that if it looks like a terrorist, if it acts like a terrorist, if it walks like a terrorist its a terrorist.

Putin sheds as few tears over the Russian mercenaries who die in Syria fighting the Kurds as he did over the Kurds who died defending Afrin from the Turkish army and its Isis cohorts. That deal seems to have been simple. The Turks could have Afrin province  for the time being  if they let the Syrians and Russians clear the Islamists out of Idlib province in the future (note: watch out for this war).

And a bigger compromise seems to have been achieved with the Israelis. They could hit the Iranians if they wished, but no war on Syria, no Israeli (or American) no-fly zones, and  above all  no war with Iran. The Iranians dont want a war with Israel (neither side would win, as Netanyahu knows), and in Tehran, Putin is the voice of common sense. Once it was the State Department which called for restraint on all sides  usually when the Israelis were invading or bombing Lebanon or Gaza  but now its the Kremlin which calls for restraint between Israel and Iran.

So to what degree has Putins shrewd, hard, sardonic character brought all this about  and how much did Trumps instability and unpredictability hand Russia its political triumph in the Middle East? Its tempting to say a bit of both. But I suspect that an Obama might have provided a regional equilibrium which Putin has now claimed for himself. When Moscow is now the interlocuteur valable in the Middle East, its difficult to take the gift of equilibrium politics away from Putin. Europes case is hopeless.

Europe cannot engage with a Kremlin that still occupies part of Ukraine and annexes the Crimea. It showers sanctions upon Russia. But it grovels like the Americans to an Israel which occupies the West Bank and annexes Jerusalem and Golan; and the very word sanctions  or disinvestment  cannot be mentioned in Europe without accusations of anti-Semitism.

Israel can fire off its missiles into Syria after claiming that Iranian missiles had fallen on Golan  actually Israeli-occupied Syrian Golan, although that got a little lost in the telling  but Putin is not going to order an end to Golan attacks. There is a strong suspicion that it was the Syrian army which fired those missiles at the Israelis  in retaliation for the constant Israeli bombing of Syrian forces (never Isis forces, of course) over the last three years. Thus the Israelis, fearful of a reopening of the South Lebanese Front in a future war with Hezbollah, have unthinkingly opened a Golan Front  along a border which has been largely silent for 45 years. Its the kind of equation Putin can savour. Be sure, hell be there to intervene if anyone needs him.

And hes insisting that its the Syrians who move onto the Golan plateau on their own. No Iranians. No Hezbollah. The Syrians cant object if theyre back on their border with occupied Golan. And the Israelis cant object if Russia keeps the Iranians and the Hezbollah out. Deconfliction, the Russians like to call this. Everyone backs off. No war on Golan. Thats the hope.

As for what the experts like to call geopolitics, Putin immediately understood the need to uphold the Iranian nuclear accord when Trump tore it up. At one stroke, he became a closer ally of Iran, he could sympathise with Europe and he was able to present himself as steadfast in a treaty he signed with China. But he is entering a potential market war with the US  a dollar war  alongside a Europe whose governments may be prepared to stand up to Washington (some of them, at least), but whose big businessmen are already showing their usual cowardice in the face of American profit and loss.

There is something scornful about all this. Putin is not going to worry about Russian mercenary deaths in Syria; their activities are intended to test American military willpower in Syria. Nor does America weep for its Kurdish mercenaries, or protect them in Afrin.

Putin is not going to scream about human rights abuses in Gaza  the shooting down of unarmed demonstrators or the Israeli destruction of clinics or hospitals  when his own jets have been destroying clinics and hospitals in Syria. He sticks to the war on terror  and being an ally of all. The children may rattle their toys, but the tsar has the keys to the nursery. The crackpot in the White House neither knows nor cares nor, one suspects, understands. He long ago opened the door for Putin  and Putin walked straight through it.

This article was originally published by "

The Independent

-May 30, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - On July 4, 1821, John Quincy Adams delivered a speech that summarized Americas founding foreign policy of noninterventionism. Having gone down in history with the title In Search of Monsters to Destroy, Adams pointed out that one of the best things about the United States was that the U.S. government did not embroil itself or meddle in the affairs of other nations.

Adams issued an interesting warning. He said that if America were ever to abandon her founding principle of noninterventionism, she would become the dictatress of the world.

One nation that can certainly attest to the reality of that phenomenon is Iran, which is currently experiencing the full force of the worlds dictatress.

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In a speech on Iran delivered to the conservative Heritage Foundation, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the CIA director who recently took control over the State Department, manifested the classic attributes of a dictator. According to the New York Times, Pompeo issued orders to Iran to not engage in nuclear enrichment programs, admit that it had military purposes for its now-dead nuclear weapons program, end its support for Hezbollah, Hamas, and Yemens Houthis, and withdraw all its forces from Syria.

It was quite a laundry list of dictates and commands, as Pompeo himself acknowledged.

What happens if Iran doesnt comply with Pompeos orders? Two things: First, the U.S. government will resume and expand on its system of brutal sanctions, which is designed to produce massive economic suffering, including death, among the Iranian populace. Second, the possibility of a U.S. military attack, especially if Iran resumes its nuclear program in the wake of President Trumps abrogation of the agreement between the United States, Europe, and Iran by which Iran gave up its nuclear program in return for the U.S. governments promise to lift sanctions.

What is a dictatress or a dictator? It is someone who wields omnipotent power and issues dictates and orders to people enforced by that power. Recipients of the dictates or orders are expected to comply or else suffer the forceful wrath of the dictator or dictatress.

When we think of dictatorships, dont we also think about things like arbitrary arrests, indefinite detention, torture chambers, executions, and assassinations?

It is undeniable that Adams has been proven right. While the Iranian regime is obviously a dictatorship within Iran, no one can reasonably deny that the U.S. government, as a result of having abandoned Americas founding foreign policy of noninterventionism, has become the dictatress of the world. The Times wrote that Iran described Pompeos speech as the type of American arrogance and bullying behavior that has alienated other nations, not just the Iranians. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani put it well. Referring to the dictatress, he asked, Who are you to decide for Iran and the world?

What is Pompeo really up to with his humiliating orders, dictates, and demands on Iran? Hes obviously taking a page out of President Franklin Roosevelts playbook by trying his best to provoke a war with Iran, just as FDR did with Germany and Japan and, for that matters, just as U.S. officials did with Iraq.

Lets face it: The U.S. national-security establishment has never forgiven the Iranian people for what they did in 1979, when they ousted their U.S.-installed dictator, the Shah of Iran, from power. After all, the CIA had gone to a lot of trouble to secretly initiate the 1953 coup in which Irans democratically elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, was ousted from power and replaced by the CIAs dictator, the Shah of Iran. Over the next 25 years, the CIA invested a lot of time, money, and effort into supporting, training, and fortifying the Shahs brutal tyranny over the Iranian people. U.S. officials have hated Iranians ever since they ousted the Shah from power, which is why they have done everything they can to destroy the Iranian populace economically and even kill them with one of the most brutal systems of sanctions in history.

What U.S. officials are hell-bent in achieving in Iran is what they were hell-bent on achieving in Iraq with their sanctions there (which contributed to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children): regime change, one that will bring another pro-U.S. tyrant to rule Iran, like the Shah, one who will agree to follow the orders and dictates issued by the worlds dictatress, who, in turn, will help the pro-U.S. dictator maintain his tyrannical hold on power within the nation (as U.S. officials did with the Shah and as they currently do with Egypt and, for that matter, as they did in Chile after they installed military tyrant Augusto Pinochet into power).

Will U.S. officials succeed in provoking a war with Iran? Well, FDR certainly succeeded in his quest to provoke a war with Japan and Germany.

Knowing that the American people were overwhelmingly opposed to entering the war against Nazi Germany, given the horrific consequences of World War I, Roosevelt schemed and connived to provoke Germany into attacking the United States. But Germany refused to take FDRs bait, much as Iran has so far.

So FDR went into the Pacific and began provoking Japan, in the hopes that he could get Japan to attack the United States, which would enable him to say: We have been attacked! I am shocked! I had no idea! We are innocent! We were just minding our own business! Its a day of infamy! Now, give me my declaration of war! Americans now have no choice but to go to war!

FDR used two principal methods to provoke the Japanese into attacking the United States: First, he imposed an oil embargo on Japan and persuaded other nations to comply with it, which was the same thing in principle as the U.S. sanctions on Iran, and, second, FDR issued humiliating demands and orders on Japan, much like the ones that CIA Director turned Secretary of State Pompeo issued against Iran.

FDRs plan worked brilliantly. The embargo prevented Japan from acquiring oil to fund its military machine in China and there was never any reasonable possibility that proud Japanese officials would comply with FDRs humiliating dictates. Thus, Japan attacked U.S. Navy vessels at Pearl Harbor not as a first step in an invasion and conquest of the United States, as Americans are taught, but simply as a way to be able to acquire oil in the Dutch East Indies without U.S. Navy interference.

FDR knew that it was a virtual certainty that Nazi Germany would come to the aid of Japan, which it immediately did with a declaration of war against the United States. The wily Roosevelt had gotten what he wanted with his sanctions and humiliating orders and dictates issued against Japan.

Will CIA Director-turned-Secretary of State Pompeo be as successful with Iran as FDR was with Japan and Germany? Time will tell. But one thing is indisputable: the prediction that John Quincy Adams issued back in 1821 if America were to abandon its founding principle of noninterventionism has come to pass. The U.S. government has truly become the worlds dictatress.Israeli Snipers Kill Unarmed, Defenseless People: Isnt That Murder?



By William Boardman May 30, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Israels deliberate, methodical, selective assassination of unarmed, peaceful Palestinians in Gaza has gone on for years, punctuated by periods of deliberate but random killing with air strikes and artillery. Gaza is a prison, Gaza is a concentration camp, Gaza has been blockaded for a decade, Gazas occupation is a perennial crime against humanity, but most of all Gaza is a target. Gaza is a target because it suits the Israelis to have two million captive Palestinian men, women, and children (half of them are children) to despise, starve, deny medical supplies, reduce to inescapable and unlivable conditions, kill, and then brand as terrorists for not surrendering and disappearing from the face of the earth 70 years ago. From an Israeli perspective, Palestinians committed original sin by merely existing. From a Palestinian perspective, Israelis committed original sin by merely existing. They are both right, in a narrow sense that is useless for moving forward. Neither has any moral authority in a wider perspective. But where does one go to find any wider perspective? After weeks of Israeli snipers killing unarmed, nonviolent civilians, the official view of the United States is as narrow, distorted, and misleading as its been for years. On May 14, the day that Israelis killed some 60 people and wounded thousands more, White House representative Raj Shah recited the US view with robotic repetition (with no supporting evidence) throughout his press briefing: MR. SHAH: The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas. Hamas is intentionally and cynically provoking this response. we believe that Hamas is responsible for these tragic deaths; that their rather cynical exploitation of the situation is whats leading to these deaths. And we want them to stop. we think that we shouldnt lose sight of the fact that Hamas is the one that, frankly, bear responsibility for the dire situation right now in Gaza. We believe that Hamas is responsible for whats going on. Q: So theres no responsibility beyond that on the Israeli authorities? Kill at will? MR. SHAH: What Im saying is that we believe that Hamas, as an organization, is engaged in cynical action thats leading to these deaths. as I said earlier, we believe Hamas bears the responsibility. Look, this is a propaganda attempt. I mean, this is a gruesome and unfortunate propaganda attempt. I think the Israeli government has spent weeks trying to handle this without violence, and we find it very unfortunate. Q: But people were throwing rocks 50 meters from the wall [perimeter fence] and were faced with sniper attack. I mean, is the White House in denial of the split-screen reality thats occurring? MR. SHAH: Again, we believe that Hamas is responsible for this. Surely Raj Shah and most of the people in the Trump administration know that this is such a distortion of reality as to constitute a Big Lie in the traditional Nazi propaganda sense. Whatever argument might be made to the contrary, the Palestinians are perennially and incontrovertibly the victims here and have been for 70 years, since the Nakba of 1948. The White House blames the victim. Israel, the enduring monument to a successful terrorist campaign, wages terrorism to fight the terrorism used against it. The White House also singles out Hamas for blame, which is a form of straw-man demonization of long standing. The White House offers no evidence that Hamas can be, much less is, an all-controlling manipulator of two million Palestinians. But blaming Hamas is a way to ignore the conditions Israel has imposed on these two million prisoners who have no choice but to slowly poison themselves with contaminated water in conditions that are literally unlivable (according to a 2017 UN report). Hamas is an easy scapegoat, but it is also the only Palestinian political party that actually won an election (2006) that the US, Israel, Fatah, and others prevented from taking effect. Hamas had effective control of Gaza, Fatah of the West Bank. In 2005, in an unusual form of ethnic cleansing, Israel had forcibly removed (with $200,000 individual compensation) all Jewish residents from Gaza creating a Palestinian ghetto: a fenced-in occupied territory controlled by Israel, choked by an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, cut off from humanitarian intervention by the US veto at the UN Security Council. Even so, the US and Israel conspired with Fatah to undo Hamass election victory by force, setting the stage for Hamas to take control of Gaza by removing Fatah in a week of fighting (estimated 118 dead, 550 wounded) in June 2007. The White House chooses just to ignore the year-old proposal by Hamas to create a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with Israel. Singling out Hamas when a broad spectrum of Gazan civil society is turning out to demonstrate at more than a dozen locations along the roughly 15-mile perimeter fence helps US/Israeli officials (and media) depict a false reality. The unspoken subtext of Shahs comments is that Palestinians have no right to engage in massive, nonviolent civil disobedience. This is so patently false that he really cant say it out loud. And hes helped by the undisciplined fringe of Palestinians who dont seem to get that nonviolent civil disobedience really doesnt include rock-throwing, fire-bomb kites, and the like, no matter how ineffectual those tactics are (causing no Israeli casualties or reported damage). More disciplined, sustained, nonviolent protest would frame Israeli conduct far more starkly, and cold-blooded murder would be seen for the terror tactic it truly is, especially now that snipers are targeting doctors and other medical personnel. Gaza is a continuing crime against humanity in which the US is complicit with the perpetrators (as in Yemen and elsewhere). For decades the US has postured as a peace-maker, sometimes with actual good effect. Those days are long gone, as White House representative Shah made clear at his May 14 briefing: Q: Raj, on the issue of peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians, when was the last time the White House reached out to Palestinian leadership? And will  given the high numbers of casualties, Palestinians calling what has happened today a massacre, will the White House be reaching out? MR. SHAH: Well, I dont honestly have an answer for you on that. Ill get back to you. What he means is that the White House has no peace plan, there is no coherent policy beyond supporting Israel no matter what, and as far as the US goes, peace is not an option. Senior Advisor to the president and son-in-law Jared Kushner, an Orthodox Jew, has reportedly developed a US peace plan that hes reluctant to present publicly for fear the Palestinians might reject it (even though the president calls it the deal of the century). On May 14, when Israeli killing in Gaza peaked, Kushner spoke obliquely of his peace plan at the US embassy ceremony in Jerusalem, claiming that the president:  was very clear that his decision and todays celebration, do not reflect the departure from our strong commitment to lasting peace, a peace that overcomes the conflicts of the past in order to give our children a brighter and more boundless future. As we have seen from the protests of the last month and even today, those provoking violence are part of the problem and not part of the solution. The United States is prepared to support a peace agreement in every way we can. We believe that it is possible for both sides to gain more than they give. None of this corresponds well to the actual behavior of the Trump administration, which has consisted mostly of provocations and subsidies (that pay for maintaining the unlivable conditions of Gaza and the bullets that kill Palestinians, among other crimes of Israels illegal occupation). Who can Kushner possibly mean by our children? The real message from Kushner, highlighted above, comes down to blame Hamas  nonviolent civil disobedience provokes violence, doesnt everyone know that, have we learned nothing from Alabama, South Africa, India? The White House scrubbed that highlighted passage from its official transcript of Kushners remarks. But Ambassador Nikki Haley was even more absurd at the UN. While the US was blocking any Security Council action, such as an independent and transparent investigation, or even a resolution of outrage and sorrow, Haley characterized Israels one-sided killing as restraint and lied about Israels border: I ask my colleagues here in the Security Council, who among us would accept this type of activity on your border? No one would. No country in this chamber would act with more restraint than Israel has. The fence enclosing Gaza is not a border. Both sides of the fence are in Israel. The fence is a demarcation line, with a Palestinian concentration camp on the inside and murderers, maimers, and mutilators on the outside. Some Israelis are even proud of this, as an Israeli Defense Force (IDF) spokesman tweeted on March 31: Yesterday we saw 30,000 people; we arrived prepared and with precise reinforcements; everything was accurate and measured, and we know where every bullet landed. When your bullets are landing on civilians, on men, women, and children, on doctors and medical personnel, that tweet is a confession. More recently a Knesset member promised that the IDF has enough bullets for everyone. What can possibly justify hunting unarmed Palestinians in the unspeakable conditions of Gaza, conditions created and enforced by Israel, conditions roughly equivalent to the Warsaw ghetto of 1943? Israel is perpetrating a continuing crime against humanity. Elsewhere in the world, there is an outcry against state-sanctioned shooting fish in a barrel. The US blames the fish. This is an obscene response to an endless atrocity in which the complicit United States is once again up to its eyeballs in innocent blood. This article was originally published by " RSN " - The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. ====== 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.The CIA & Torture With John Kiriakou

Watch

John Kiriakou, the CIA whistleblower, discusses the atrocities of the CIA and its torture program with Chris Hedges

Posted May 30, 2018

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The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.

======

Join the DiscussionMay 30, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Fifty years ago, exactly one month after John Kennedy was killed, the Washington Post published an op-ed titled Limit CIA Role to Intelligence. The first sentence of that op-ed on Dec. 22, 1963, read, I think it has become necessary to take another look at the purpose and operations of our Central Intelligence Agency.

It sounded like the intro to a bleat from some liberal professor or journalist. Not so. The writer was former President Harry S. Truman, who spearheaded the establishment of the CIA 66 years ago, right after World War II, to better coordinate U.S. intelligence gathering. But the spy agency had lurched off in what Truman thought were troubling directions.

Sadly, those concerns that Truman expressed in that op-ed  that he had inadvertently helped create a Frankenstein monster  are as valid today as they were 50 years ago, if not more so.

Truman began his article by underscoring the original reason why I thought it necessary to organize this Agency  and what I expected it to do. It would be charged with the collection of all intelligence reports from every available source, and to have those reports reach me as President without Department treatment or interpretations.

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Truman then moved quickly to one of the main things bothering him. He wrote the most important thing was to guard against the chance of intelligence being used to influence or to lead the President into unwise decisions.

It was not difficult to see this as a reference to how one of the agencys early directors, Allen Dulles, tried to trick President Kennedy into sending U.S. forces to rescue the group of invaders who had landed on the beach at the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, in April 1961 with no chance of success, absent the speedy commitment of U.S. air and ground support.

Wallowing in the Bay of Pigs

Arch-Establishment figure Allen Dulles had been offended when young President Kennedy had the temerity to ask questions about CIA plans before the Bay of Pigs debacle, which had been set in motion under President Dwight Eisenhower. When Kennedy made it clear he would NOT approve the use of U.S. combat forces, Dulles set out, with supreme confidence, to mousetrap the President.

Coffee-stained notes handwritten by Allen Dulles were discovered after his death and reported by historian Lucien S. Vandenbroucke. They show how Dulles drew Kennedy into a plan that was virtually certain to require the use of U.S. combat forces. In his notes, Dulles explained that, when the chips were down, Kennedy would be forced by the realities of the situation to give whatever military support was necessary rather than permit the enterprise to fail.

The enterprise which Dulles said could not fail was, of course, the overthrow of Fidel Castro. After mounting several failed operations to assassinate him, this time Dulles meant to get his man, with little or no attention to how the Russians might react. The reckless Joint Chiefs of Staff, whom then-Deputy Secretary of State George Ball later described as a sewer of deceit, relished any chance to confront the Soviet Union and give it, at least, a black eye.

But Kennedy stuck to his guns, so to speak. He fired Dulles and his co-conspirators a few months after the abortive invasion, and told a friend that he wanted to splinter the CIA into a thousand pieces and scatter it into the winds. The outrage was very obviously mutual.

When Kennedy himself was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963, it must have occurred to Truman as it did to many others that the disgraced Dulles and his unrepentant associates might not be above conspiring to get rid of a president they felt was soft on Communism and get even for their Bay of Pigs fiasco.

Cloak and Dagger

While Truman saw CIAs attempted mousetrapping of President Kennedy as a particular outrage, his more general complaint is seen in his broader lament that the CIA had become so removed from its intended role  I never had any thought that when I set up the CIA that it would be injected into peacetime cloak and dagger operations.  It has become an operational and at times a policy-making arm of the government. Not only shaping policy through its control of intelligence, but also cloak and dagger operations, presumably including assassinations.

Truman concluded the op-ed with an admonition that was as clear as the syntax was clumsy: I would like to see the CIA restored to its original assignment as the intelligence arm of the President, and that whatever else it can properly perform in that special field and that its operational duties be terminated or properly used elsewhere. The importance and prescient nature of that admonition are even clearer today, a half-century later.

But Trumans warning fell mostly on deaf ears, at least within Establishment circles. The Washington Post published the op-ed in its early edition on Dec. 22, 1963, but immediately excised it from later editions. Other media ignored it. The long hand of the CIA?

In Trumans view, misuse of the CIA began in February 1953, when his successor, Dwight Eisenhower, named Allen Dulles as CIA director. Dulless forte was overthrowing governments (in current parlance, regime change), and he was quite good at it. With coups in Iran (1953) and Guatemala (1954) under his belt, Dulles was riding high by the late Fifties and moved Cuba to the top of his to-do list.

The Truman Papers

Documents in the Truman Library show that nine days after Kennedy was assassinated, Truman sketched out in handwritten notes what he wanted to say in the op-ed. He noted, among other things, that the CIA had worked as he intended only when I had control.

Five days after the op-ed appeared, retired Admiral Sidney Souers, whom Truman had appointed to lead his first central intelligence group, sent a Dear Boss letter applauding Trumans outspokenness and blaming Dulles for making the CIA a different animal than the one I tried to set up for you.

Souers specifically lambasted the attempt to conduct a war invading Cuba with a handful of men and without air cover. He also lamented the fact that the agencys principal effort had evolved into causing revolutions in smaller countries around the globe, and added: With so much emphasis on operations, it would not surprise me to find that the matter of collecting and processing intelligence has suffered some. (Again, as true today as it was 50 years ago.)

Clearly, the operational tail of the CIA was wagging its substantive dog, a serious problem that persists to this day.

Fox Guarding Hen House

After Kennedy was murdered in Dallas, the patrician, well-connected Dulles got himself appointed to the Warren Commission and took the lead in shaping the investigation of JFKs assassination. Documents in the Truman Library show that Dulles also mounted a small domestic covert action of his own to neutralize any future airing of Trumans and Souerss warnings about covert action.

So important was this to Dulles that he invented a pretext to get himself invited to visit Truman in Independence, Missouri. On the afternoon of April 17, 1964, Dulles spent a half-hour one-on-one with the former president, trying to get him to retract what he had written in his op-ed. Hell No, said Harry.

Not a problem, Dulles decided. Four days later, in a formal memorandum of conversation for his old buddy Lawrence Houston, CIA general counsel from 1947 to 1973, Dulles fabricated a private retraction for Truman, claiming that Truman told him the Washington Post article was all wrong, and that Truman seemed quite astounded at it.

A fabricated retraction? It certainly seems so, because Truman did not change his tune. Far from it. In a June 10, 1964, letter to the managing editor of Look magazine, for example, Truman restated his critique of covert action, emphasizing that he never intended the CIA to get involved in strange activities.

Dulles and Dallas

Dulles could hardly have expected to get Truman to recant publicly. So why was it so important for Dulles to place in CIA files a fabricated retraction? I believe the answer lies in the fact that in early 1964 Dulles was feeling a lot of heat from many who were suggesting the CIA might have been involved somehow in the Kennedy assassination. Columnists were asking how the truth could ever be reached, with Allen Dulles as de facto head of the Warren Commission.

Dulles had good reason to fear that Trumans limited-edition Washington Post op-ed of Dec. 22, 1963, might garner unwanted attention and raise troublesome questions about covert action, including assassination. He would have wanted to be in position to dig out of Larry Houstons files the Truman retraction, in the hope that this would nip any serious questioning in the bud.

As the de facto head of the Warren Commission, Dulles was perfectly positioned to protect himself and his associates, were any commissioners or investigators, or journalists, tempted to question whether Dulles and the CIA played a role in killing Kennedy.

And so, the question: Did Allen Dulles and other cloak-and-dagger CIA operatives have a hand in John Kennedys assassination and in then covering it up? In my view, the best dissection of the evidence pertaining to the murder appeared in James Douglasss 2008 book, JFK and the Unspeakable. After updating and arraying the abundant evidence, and conducting still more interviews, Douglass concludes that the answer is Yes.

Obama Intimidated?

The mainstream media had an allergic reaction to Douglasss book and gave it almost no reviews. It is, nevertheless, still selling well. And, more important, it seems a safe bet that President Barack Obama knows what it says and maybe has even read it. This may go some way toward explaining why Obama has been so deferential to the CIA, NSA, FBI and the Pentagon.

Could this be at least part of the reason he felt he had to leave the Cheney/Bush-anointed torturers, kidnappers and black-prison wardens in place, instructing his first CIA chief Leon Panetta to become, in effect, the agencys lawyer rather than leader.

Is this why the President feels he cannot fire his clumsily devious Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, who had to apologize to Congress for giving clearly erroneous testimony in March? Is this why he allows National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander and counterparts in the FBI to continue to mislead the American people, even though the intermittent snow showers from Snowden show our senior national security officials to have lied  and to have been out of control?

This may be small solace to President Obama, but there is no sign that the NSA documents that Snowdens has released include the Senate Intelligence Committees 6,300-page report on CIA torture. Rather, that report, at least, seems sure to be under Obamas and Senate Intelligence Committee chair Dianne Feinsteins tight control.

But the timorous President has a big problem. He is acutely aware that, if released, the Senate committee report would create a firestorm almost certainly implicating Obamas CIA Director John Brennan and many other heavy-hitters of whom he appears to be afraid. And so Obama has allowed Brennan to play bureaucratic games, delaying release of the report for more than a year, even though its conclusions are said to closely resemble earlier findings of the CIAs own Inspector General and the Constitution Project (see below).

Testimony of Ex-CIA General Counsel

Hat tip to the New Yorkers Jane Mayer, who took the trouble to read the play-by-play of testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee by former CIA General Counsel (2009-2013) Stephen W. Preston, nominated (and now confirmed) to be general counsel at the Department of Defense.

Under questioning by Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colorado, Preston admitted outright that, contrary to the CIAs insistence that it did not actively impede congressional oversight of its detention and interrogation program, briefings to the committee included inaccurate information related to aspects of the program of express interest to Members.

That inaccurate information apparently is thoroughly documented in the Senate Intelligence Committee report which, largely because of the CIAs imaginative foot-dragging, cost taxpayers $40 million. Udall has revealed that the report (which includes 35,000 footnotes) contains a very long section titled C.I.A. Representations on the C.I.A. Interrogation Program and the Effectiveness of the C.I.A.s Enhanced Interrogation Techniques to Congress.

Preston also acknowledged that the CIA inadequately informed the Justice Department on interrogation and detention. He said, CIAs efforts fell well short of our current practices when it comes to providing information relevant to [the Office of Legal Counsel]s legal analysis.

As Katherine Hawkins, the senior investigator for last Aprils bipartisan, independent report by the Constitution Projects Task Force on Detainee Treatment, noted in an Oct. 18, 2013 posting, the memos from acting OLC chief, Steven Bradbury, relied very heavily on now-discredited CIA claims that enhanced interrogation saved lives, and that the sessions were carefully monitored by medical and psychological personnel to ensure that detainees suffering would not rise to the level of torture.

According to Hawkins, Udall complained and Preston admitted that, in providing the materials requested by the committee, the CIA removed several thousand CIA documents that the agency thought could be subjected to executive privilege claims by the President, without any decision by Obama to invoke the privilege.

Worse still for the CIA, the Senate Intelligence Committee report apparently destroys the agencys argument justifying torture on the grounds that there was no other way to acquire the needed information save through brutalization. In his answers to Udall, Preston concedes that, contrary to what the agency has argued, it can and has been established that legal methods of interrogation would have yielded the same intelligence.

Is anyone still wondering why our timid President is likely to sit on the Senate Intelligence Committee report for as long as he can? Or why he will let John Brennan redact it to a fare-thee-well, if he is eventually forced to release some of it by pressure from folks who care about things like torture?

It does appear that the newly taciturn CIA Director Brennan has inordinate influence over the President in such matters not unlike the influence that both DNI Clapper and NSA Director Alexander seem able to exert. In this respect, Brennan joins the dubious company of the majority of his predecessor CIA directors, as they made abundantly clear when they went to inordinate lengths to prevent their torturer colleagues from being held accountable.

(Also, see CIA Torturers Running Scared, Sept. 20, 2009; or Are Presidents Afraid of the CIA? Dec. 29, 2009)

Ray McGovern works with Tell the Word, a publishing arm of the ecumenical Church of the Saviour in inner-city Washington. He was as an Army Infantry/Intelligence officer in the early 60s and then a CIA analyst for 27 years. He now serves on the Steering Group of Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS).The first time it was reported that our friends were being butchered there was a cry of horror. Then a hundred were butchered. But when a thousand were butchered and there was no end to the butchery, a blanket of silence spread. When evil-doing comes like falling rain, nobody calls out stop! When crimes begin to pile up they become invisible. When sufferings become unendurable the cries are no longer heard. The cries, too, fall like rain in summer.  Bertolt Brecht, Selected Poems

May 30, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - There are days I wake up, and Im not sure what country I live in anymore.

There are days I wake up and want to go right back to sleep in the hopes that this surreal landscape of government-sanctioned injustice, corruption and brutality is just a really bad dream.

There are days I am so battered by the never-ending wave of bad news that I have little outrage left in me: I am numb.

And then I get hold of myself, shake myself out of the doldrums, and remind myself that its not yet time to give up: America needs our outrage and our alertness and our tenacity and our fierce determination to remain a free people in a land where justice matters.

This is still our country.

Dont just sit there.

Do something.

When you hear that the U.S. government lost 1,475 migrant children within its care over a three-month period, in some cases handing them off to human traffickers, dont just chalk it up to incompetent bureaucrats. The Trump Administrations plan to separate immigrant children from their parents at the border should outrage anyone with a moral conscience, especially in light of the governments latest revelation that it is unable to account for the whereabouts of 1500 of those children.

Mind you, this is not just a Trump problem. A recent report indicates that under President Obamas watch, migrant children were allegedly beaten, threatened with sexual violence and repeatedly assaulted while under the care of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials. According to Newsweek, Border authorities were accused of kicking a child in the ribs and forcing a 16-year-old girl to spread her legs for an aggressive body search. Other children accused officers of punching a child in the head three times, running over a 17-year-old boy and denying medical care to a pregnant teen, who later had a stillbirth.

ACT. It doesnt matter what your politics are or where you stand on immigration issues. There are some lines that should never be crossedsome government actions that should never be tolerated or justifiedno matter what the end goal might be, and this is one of them. Demand that Congress stop playing politics and endangering childrens lives.

When you read that Attorney General Jeff Sessions wants police to use stop and frisk tactics randomly against Americans without even the need for reasonable suspicion, dont just shake your head disapprovingly.

ACT: Call the Justice Department (202-353-1555) and read them the Fourth Amendment: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

After you watch the video of how the Transportation Security Administration, unfailingly tone deaf to the spirit of the Fourth Amendment, subjected a 96-year-old World War II veteran in a wheelchair to a patdown that left no part of her body untouched, dont just seethe in silence.

ACT: Contact your representative in Congress and file a complaint on the TSAs egregious practices. When old women and little children are being groped by government agents, things have gone too far. In light of revelations that the TSA has created a new secret watch list to monitor people who may be targeted as potential threats at airport checkpoints simply because they have swatted away security screeners hands or otherwise appeared unruly, you can expect even more headache-inducing behavior in the near future.

When you find out that Amazon is selling police real time facial recognition software that can scan hundreds of thousands of faces, identify them, track them, and then report them to police, dont just shrug helplessly.

ACT: Harness the power of your wallet to urge Amazon to favor freedom principles over profit motives. Its only a matter of time before these programs are used widely here in the U.S. They are already being used and abused abroad. For instance, Amazons Rekognition software was used by broadcasters to identify attendees at the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Chinese police have used similar facial recognition tools to scan crowds at rock concerts, malls and gas stations in order to catch alleged lawbreakers. Just recently, Chinese police used the technology to capture a suspect who had been living under a pseudonym after he failed to pay for $17,000 worth of potatoes. Chinese schools are even employing the facial recognition cameras in classrooms to alert teachers to students who arent paying attention.

When you hear Sessions bragging about how much he loves civil asset forfeiture, which allows the government to seize Americans personal propertymoney, cars, homes and other valuableswithout having to first prove that any criminal conduct has taken place, dont just take his word for it.

ACT: Do your own research. Youll soon discover that because of the corruption that surrounds this abusive program, countless innocent Americans have been robbed blind by government agents out to get rich at their expense. Billions of dollars have been taken without probable cause. Anthonia Nwaorie, a Texas nurse who had saved up $41,377 to start a medical clinic for women and children in Nigeria, had her life savings seized by Customs Agents who refused to return the money unless she agreed to pay their expenses. Six months later, even though Nwaorie was never charged with a crime, shes still waiting to get her money back.

When you hear about armed Denver police pulling a gun on a school official and conducting a classroom-to-classroom search for a missing student at an area high school, dont just thank your lucky stars your childhood was more idyllic. Likewise, when you hear that the lieutenant governor of Texas thinks the solution to school shootings is fewer school doors (entrances and exits), dont just marvel at the short-sightedness of government officials.

ACT: Say enough is enough to government-sponsored violence. The systemic violence being perpetrated by agents of the government has done more collective harm to the American people and our liberties than any single act of terror or mass shooting. Violence has become the governments calling card, starting at the top and trickling down, from the more than 80,000 SWAT team raids carried out every year on unsuspecting Americans by heavily armed, black-garbed commandos and the increasingly rapid militarization of local police forces across the country to the surveillance drones that are already crisscrossing American skies.

When you read about how 28-year-old Andrew Finch of Kansas answered a 5 pm knock on his front door only to be shot in the head and killed ten seconds later by a police sniper because a SWAT team responded to a prank swatting phone call with full force, dont just tsk-tsk over the senseless tragedies arising from militarized and police and overzealous SWAT teams. Not only did police refuse to identify the officer who pulled the trigger, but he was also never charged with Andrews death.

ACT: Demand accountability. If any hope for police reform is to be realized, especially as it relates to how SWAT teams are deployed locally and holding police accountable for their actions, it must begin at the community level, with local police departments and governing bodies, where citizens can still, with sufficient reinforcements, make their voices heard.

The rise of SWAT teams and militarization of American policeblowback effects of the military empirehave unfortunately become entrenched parts of American life. SWAT teams originated as specialized units dedicated to defusing extremely sensitive, dangerous situations. As the role of paramilitary forces has expanded, however, to include involvement in nondescript police work targeting nonviolent suspects, the mere presence of SWAT units has actually injected a level of danger and violence into police-citizen interactions that was not present as long as these interactions were handled by traditional civilian officers. Nationwide, SWAT teams have been employed to address an astonishingly trivial array of criminal activity or mere community nuisances: angry dogs, domestic disputes, improper paperwork filed by an orchid farmer, and misdemeanor marijuana possession, to give a brief sampling. In some instances, SWAT teams are even employed, in full armament, to perform routine patrols. All too often, botched SWAT team raids have resulted in one tragedy after another for American citizens with little consequences for law enforcement.

When you find out that police and other law enforcement agencies are accessing the DNA shared with genealogical websites and using it to identify possible suspects, dont offer up your DNA without some assurance of privacy protections.

ACT: Protect your privacy. Its not just yourself you have to worry about, either. Its also anyone related to you who can be connected by DNA. These genetic fingerprints, as theyre called, do more than just single out a person. They also show who youre related to and how. As the Associated Press reports, DNA samples that can help solve robberies and murders could also, in theory, be used to track down our relatives, scan us for susceptibility to disease, or monitor our movements.

By accessing your DNA, the government will soon know everything else about you that they dont already know: your family chart, your ancestry, what you look like, your health history, your inclination to follow orders or chart your own course, etc. Capitalizing on this, police in California, Colorado, Virginia and Texas use DNA found at crime scenes to identify and target family members for possible clues to a suspects whereabouts. Who will protect your family from being singled out for special treatment simply because theyre related to you? As biomedical researcher Yaniv Erlichwarns, If its not regulated and the police can do whatever they want ... they can use your DNA to infer things about your health, your ancestry, whether your kids are your kids.

In the face of DNA evidence that places us at the scene of a crime , behavior sensing technology that interprets our body temperature and facial tics as suspicious, and government surveillance devices that cross-check our biometrics, license plates and DNA against a growing database of unsolved crimes and potential criminals, we are no longer innocent until proven guilty.

Finally, when you hear someone talking about how two American citizens in Montana were detained by a Border Patrol agent because he overheard them speaking Spanish at a gas station, dont just shake your head in disgust.

ACT: Remind yourself (and those around you) that despite the polarizing, racially-charged rhetoric being tossed about by President Trump, this is still a nation whose strength derives from the diversity of its people and from the immigrants who have been seeking shelter on our shores since the earliest days of our Republic. As President Ronald Reagan recognized in one of his last speeches before leaving office:

We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our peopleour strengthfrom every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so we continuously renew and enrich our nation Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we're a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier. This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost Those who become American citizens love this country even more. And that's why the Statue of Liberty lifts her lamp to welcome them to the golden door. It is bold men and women, yearning for freedom and opportunity, who leave their homelands and come to a new country to start their lives over. They believe in the American dream. And over and over, they make it come true for themselves, for their children, and for others. They give more than they receive. They labor and succeed. And often they are entrepreneurs. But their greatest contribution is more than economic, because they understand in a special way how glorious it is to be an American. They renew our pride and gratitude in the United States of America, the greatest, freest nation in the worldthe last, best hope of man on Earth.

As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People, if the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, are to mean anything anymoreif they are to stand for anything ever againthen we the people have to stand up for them.

We cannot allow ourselves to be divided and distracted and turned into warring factions.

We cannot sell out our birthright for empty promises of false security.

We cannot remain silent in the face of ugliness, pettiness, meanness, brutality, corruption and injustice.

We cannot allow politicians, corporations, profiteers and war hawks to whittle our freedoms away until they are little more than empty campaign slogans.

We must stand strong for freedom.

We must give voice to moral outrage.

We must do somethinganythingeverything in our power to make America free again.

As Reagan recognized, If we lose this way of freedom, history will record with the great astonishment that those who had the most to lose did the least to prevent its happening.May 30, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Upon returning to the United States from Venezuela and reading the terrible media reporting of the election, it was evident that the people of the United States are being lied to. The Intrepid News Fund and Venezuela Analysis invited me and others to come to Venezuela for the election to see first hand what actually happened so we could report what we saw and break the media blockade against Venezuela.

The US is leading an economic war against Venezuela that is causing tremendous damage, but there is also a media blockade preventing the truth from being told. Mayor Carlos Alcala Cordones of Vargas, speaking to foreign delegations, told us the media blockade was more damaging than the economic blockade.

Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) summarized the biased and inaccurate media coverage, writing,

Western media have taken an entirely different outlook to the [elections], unanimously presenting them as seriously flawed, at best, and at worst a complete sham presided over by a dictator. The New York Times (5/20/18) presented the election as a contest that critics said was heavily rigged in his favor, Huffington Post (5/21/18) christened it a vote denounced as a farce cementing autocracy in the crisis-stricken OPEC nation, while NPR (5/21/18) stated: Nicholas [sic] Maduro has easily won a second term, but his main rivals have refused to accept the results, calling the polling fraudulenta view shared by the United States and many independent observers.' [Emphasis in original]

In reality, Venezuela had free, fair and transparent elections and manages the most sophisticated and accurate voting system in the world. Former President Jimmy Carter, whose Carter Center has a Democracy Program, said, As a matter of fact, of the 92 elections that weve monitored, I would say that the election process in Venezuela is the best in the world. This is consistent with others who have monitored Venezuelan elections. In the recent election, there were 150 international observers from over 30 countries who also noted the advanced nature of the election system and validated the results.

The opposition and the United States faced two choices in this election: (1) run against President Maduro and the Bolivarian Revolution, or (2) seek to undermine the election by not participating. The US decided the latter approach was the best alternative and directed its vassals in Venezuela to boycott. Henri Falcon, the leading opposition candidate, did poorly, falsely declaring the election a fraud. Not only did the boycott hurt him, but he also advocated succumbing to the United States, e.g. dollarize the economy and seek loans from the IMF and western financiers. This was not popular because such loans end up being a disaster for national sovereignty as the financiers dictate neoliberal policies that send money to the capitalists while cutting essential services for the people

Despite the boycott, Maduro received the vote of 28% of the eligible electorate, around the same as Barack Obama received in 2008 and more than he got in 2012 or Trump in 2016. The 46% turnout is similar to US turnout and much higher than countries like Chile and Switzerland.

The economic punishment is not related to democracy. There is no economic blockade of Honduras, where a coup was followed by questionable elections, or Brazil, where there was a coup, or Saudi Arabia, a monarchy without national elections. Granma, the official voice of Cuba, which has a lot of experience with US economic war, describes ten examples of efforts to destabilize the government since the election.

Why Maduro was supported by the electorate in the midst of an economic crisis

The people of Venezuela are suffering from serious impacts of the economic war being fought against them. The US sanctions combined with the drop in oil prices has sent the Venezuelan economy reeling. This election was important because Venezuela withstood the attack of the US and western powers, who refused to accept the election and tried to oust Maduro.

The Venezuelan people are well aware of who is causing their problems. When we took a tour of the Metro Cable, a Chavez-built gondola that brings people in poor neighborhoods down the hillside, we were stopped by a grandmother who had a message she wanted us to share with people in the United States. She said, We know you want our oil, but stop punishing the people of Venezuela.

When the Bolivarian Revolution had money from high oil prices, it was used to improve the lives of the poor. The results were marked decreases in poverty and illiteracy and increased access to health care and housing. The economic war has put stress on all of these programs, but Maduro persists despite it.

One of the great successes of the Maduro era is the Housing Mission, which built two million homes for the poor. Each home houses four to five people, meaning eight to ten million people received housing, which included furniture. This is quite an accomplishment in a nation of 32 million people. The program began in 2011 after there were devastating mudslides and hopes to reach 3 million homes by 2019.

Compare this to the United States, which is in a housing crisis, where the 2,461 people are evicted every day, and poor and middle-class families are housing-insecure. Consider the US response to the storms in Puerto Rico, where nine months later the island is still in crisis, or cities like my hometown of Baltimore, where we have thousands of homeless and 16,000 abandoned homes.

The economic sanctions are creating food shortages in Venezuela with blockades of food and medicine purchases and with some wealthy Venezuelans adding to the problem by hiding food or sending it to Colombia. In response, Maduro announced an expansion of the Local Provision and Production Committees (CLAPs), to distribute food to six million people.

The Bolivarian Revolution is seeking food sovereignty in response to the injustices of the global food supply system, a goal made more difficult but also more essential due to the economic war. Food production is a long-term problem in Venezuela due to its oil-based economy, which caused farmers to move to urban areas in the 20th Century.

Maduro has also fought off agribusiness by banning GMOs and the privatizing of seeds, protecting indigenous food knowledge from corporate capture and seeking to create a democratic food system. Venezuela is an example of ecosocialism, where food systems are socialized and developed in an economically sensible and sustainable way.

These are just some of the social programs that Venezuela has sought to expand under Maduro. Maduro has also tried to break the financial blockade with oil-backed cryptocurrency.

US sanctions have had the effect of causing the people to blame the United States and unify around Maduro and the current government.

Deep Democracy Not Dictatorship

US leaders and the media describe Maduro as a dictator. It is absurd on its face when the election history of Venezuela is examined. Not only does Venezuela have lots of elections, but it is seeking to develop participatory democracy at the local level.

The Chavistas have won almost all elections since 1998, but lost two national elections. In 2007, the opposition defeated Chavez-supported constitutional amendments. In 2015, the opposition won the national assembly. In the last presidential election, Maduro narrowly defeated Henrique Capriles by 1.49%. This history shows consistently free and fair elections, not a dictatorship.

The National Constituent Assembly is pointed to as an example of dictatorship. When the opposition won a large majority, they showed their true colorsby removing portraits of Hugo Chavez and Simon Bolivar. Then they passed an amnesty law for themselves where they listed all 17 years of crimes in seeking to overthrow the government. This law was found unconstitutional by the court.

The opposition promised removal of Maduro within six months and incarceration of Chavista leaders when they took power. Violent opposition protests followed that led to over 125 deaths. The Supreme Court found that three of the right wing legislators were elected by fraud and until they left, the Assembly could not act. The Assembly refused the courts decision and in the midst of a stalemate, Maduro used his constitutional power to activate the National Constituent Assembly. The opposition tried to block the vote and 200 polling stations were besieged on election day, but it went forward. Chavistas were elected but the opposition claimed the turnout of over eight million voters was too high to be credible.

The National Constituent Assembly has an interesting democratic makeup. Two-thirds of the members are geographically based and one-third represent different constituencies, including trade unions, communal councils, indigenous groups, farmers, students, disabled people, and pensioners. They are currently writing amendments to the constitution, which will be voted on.

The communal councils show the participatory nature of Venezuelan democracy. The 2006 law on Community Councils allowed groups of citizens to form Citizen Assemblies that represent 150 to 400 families in urban areas, 20 families in rural areas, and 10 in indigenous communities. More than 19,000 councils have been registered. They elect their leadership, meet and decide on projects needed for the community. They have received $1 billion in funding for various projects and have established nearly 300 communal banks, which provide micro-loans. Communes are combinations of local councils that work on larger projects.

These councils are the frontline of participatory democracy, but are ignored by the western media, as they are inconsistent with the claims of dictatorship. For the Bolivarian Revolution, the councils are intended to ultimately replace the democratic liberal state by bringing together citizens, social movements, and community organizations, to practice direct participatory self-governance. They are a main pillar in the transition to an ecosocialist, communal state. They are a work in progress, striving toward these goals based on a belief in the sovereignty of the people, which take on more functions of the public sector as they demonstrate competence. Maduro recognizes Venezuela is still a capitalist-based economy and has identified the commune as the centerpiece of democratic socialist governance.

The example of creating real democracy, working to break from capitalism and moving to a socialized economy by and for the people, is what the United States and oligarchs fear. That is why Maduro is called a dictator and the US calls for a military coup to restore democracy, which really means restore the pre-1998 oligarchy and protect capitalism.

The presidential election, originally scheduled for the end of 2018, was moved up to April when the US State Department, OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro, other regional conservative governments and opposition parties called for 2018 presidential elections to be brought forward. Then, they claimed April was too soon. To appease the opposition, the government agreed to move the elections to May 20, signing an agreement with right-wing candidates Henri Falcon and Javier Bertucci that included a host of electoral guarantees. Despite this, the US and its allies said the elections were illegitimate. In the end, the elections went forward and Maduro won an easy victory.

Maduro Takes First Steps After Election

While Maduro won the election against Venezuelan candidates, he was really running against US imperialism. Maduro overcame great challenges to win a mandate to continue the Bolivarian Revolution. After the election, he urged dialogue with the opposition, seeking to move Venezuela to peace. Maduro also ordered the US Charge dAffaires Todd Robinson and head of political affairs (who he described as the head of the CIA), Brian Naranjo, to leave Venezuela. He accused them of being involved in a military conspiracy against Venezuela. This is consistent with calls for a military coup by former Secretary of State Tillerson and Senator Rubio as well as Trumps claims of a military option for Venezuela.

Maduro must confront the economic war and build an independent economy, alongside and often led by the communes. Grassroots activists are calling for a National Emergency Plan on food, the electric system and Internet, health care and education. China and Russia recognized Maduros victory. He needs their support for major projects.

Maduro and the Venezuelans still face significant obstacles. The internal traitors, who seek a return to the pre-Chavez era, have been exposed as more loyal to the US and international finance than to Venezuela will need to be held accountable. The problems of corruption and crime will continue. And, Maduro will be under threat of attacks from US-allied Colombia and Brazil.

To show solidarity, people in the US should call for an end to sanctions and threats of regime change in Venezuela. Let Venezuela be independent and pursue its Bolivarian revolutionary path. We may learn something about democracy from them.May 31, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - As Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman meets his Russian counterpart Thursday in Moscow to discuss the arrangements for keeping Iran and its proxies away from Israels border with Syria, they will be merely formalizing an understanding between the two countries that has long been in the making. It should have been clear from the beginning of the Russian involvement in Syria nearly three years ago that, when forced to choose between Israel and Iran, Vladimir Putin would come out on Israels side.

This has little if anything to do with Putins own special brand of philo-semitism. The Russian president is not the sentimental type. He favors Israel because it is currently the only regional power capable of ruining his plans. Putin, who wanted to ensure that the Bashar Assad regime survived in Syria, had a shared interest with Iran, which sees Syria as part of its axis of influence in the region. Iran supplied the ground forces to prop up the Assad regime, which in mid-2015 was very close to collapse. Not so much its own troops, but its proxy Lebanese militia Hezbollah and tens of thousands of Afghan refugees, who were paid or press-ganged into joining the Fatemiyoun brigades, that Iran financed, armed and sent to Syria.

Putin, for political reasons, did not want to risk too many Russian soldiers in Syria. Coffins coming home would have eroded his popularity. Moscow supplied the air-power and the combination of Russian Sukhoi fighter jets bombing rebel enclaves from thousands of feet, and Iranian-paid Shi'ite fighters mopping up the survivors, saved Bashar Assad. Now that the war in Syria has been decided in Assads favor, the Russians have less need for Tehrans boots on the ground.

Russia of course has no plans to leave Syria. It is its client state and thanks to the Assad regime, Russia has its coveted warm-water ports on the Mediterranean. Iran wants to remain as well, but Israel sees the Iranian long-term presence as a strategic threat and since Russia has little need for Iran either, the choice is clear.

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Throughout Russias presence in Syria, Israel didnt attack the Iranian-backed ground forces  just the convoys and depots of advanced missiles that could be used in the future by Hezbollah or Iranian officers to strike Israel. Jerusalems circumspection in not targeting the elements that Russia needed to prop up Assad, along with Israels assurances to Moscow that it has no intention in intervening in the battle for power in Damascus, ensured that the two countries were never on opposite sides of the war.

Now that Assad is back in control of most of Syria and rolling back the few remaining pockets of rebels, Putin is keenly aware that the only regional force that can seriously ruin his plans, should it choose to do so, is Israel. Iran cant and wont jeopardize Assad. In addition, Iran cant turn against Russia since it needs its commercial ties with Moscow more than ever, now that the Trump administration has pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and re-imposed sanctions on Tehran.

The week after the first Russian aircraft landed at Syrias Khmeimim airbase in September 2015, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Moscow, agreeing on ground-rules with Putin. Ever since, Israel has continued carrying out its periodic airstrikes on Iranian and Hezbollah assets in Syria, with barely an occasional bland diplomatic protest from the Kremlin. Effectively Israel was allowed free rein to attack targets that were ostensibly under Russias air-defense umbrella. The understanding was clear  Israel would not do anything that could hamper Russias campaign to save Assad. Everything else was fair game.

Netanyahu was the first to understand that as soon as former U.S. President Barack Obama had broken his own commitment and decided not to respond to Assads use of chemical weapons against Syrian citizens, the United States had ceased to become a serious player in the region. Putin inserted himself into the vacuum created by Obama and Netanyahu moved quickly to establish his own arrangement with the Russian leader. As the Sukhois landed in Syria, many Israeli security officials and experts fretted that Israels freedom of operation over Syria was over. But one of their colleagues in Moscow said: Youll see. Putin respects Israels military force. And Putin and Netanyahu understand each other. They will find a way to get along.May 31, 2018 " Information Clearing House " -Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview on Thursday that the only way to stop Israeli air strikes is by improving the country's air defenses. "We are doing that," he said.



In a televised interview to RT in Damascus, Assad denied Iranian troops are in Syria, saying there are only Iranian officers who are working with the Syrian army.



Assad, echoing Russia from earlier in the week, said the United States must exit the war-torn country. "The Americans should leave, somehow they are going to leave," he said.

Responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's description of him as "Animal Assad," the Syrian leader said: "What you say is what you are."

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Assad said he would recover areas of Syria held by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), and that U.S. forces should learn the lesson of Iraq and leave the country.

Assad also said the government had "started now opening doors for negotiations" with the SDF, a Kurdish dominated militia alliance that controls parts of northern and eastern Syria where U.S. forces are stationed.

"This is the first option. If not, we're going to resort to ... liberating those areas by force," he said, adding "the Americans should leave, somehow they're going to leave."

Trump said in April he wanted to withdraw American troops from Syria relatively soon, but also voiced a desire to leave a strong and lasting footprint.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on April 30 the United States and its allies would not want to pull troops out of Syria before diplomats win the peace.Rebellion or Counter-Revolution: Made In US In Nicaragua?



By Achim Rodner

May 31, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Many things can change for the better in Nicaragua, but it must be the work of the Nicaraguans themselves and not the United States, writes Achim Rodner.



Many wonder if the United States is involved in the student protests of the past month in Nicaragua which attempted to destabilize the country. Western media writes nothing about the issue, while at the same time similar scenarios have played out in Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba, Honduras, Bolivia and other countries in which the left has made progress. At this moment, three Nicaraguan students are touring Europe and Sweden in search of support for their campaign. At least one of the students represents an organization funded and created by the United States. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter

The student protests in Nicaragua are described in the Western media as legitimate protests by young Nicaraguans who have spontaneously united to fight the supposed dictatorship. Surely there are many young people who have joined the fight with these ideas. Surely many people here in Sweden have joined and support that struggle. But there is much that indicates that these are not just spontaneous protests. There are many indications that organizations led by the United States waited for the right moment to create chaos, and exacerbate the contradictions to destabilize the democratically elected government of Nicaragua.

Changing Society

One of the three students on tour in Sweden right now is Jessica Cisneros, active in issues of integration and youth participation in political processes. She is a member of the Movimiento Civico de Juventudes (MCJ). That organization is financed, created by and an integral part of the National Democratic Institute. The NDI is an organization that works to change society in other countries. The president of the NDI is Madeleine Albright, former U.S. secretary of state. The general secretary of the MCJ, Davis Jose Nicaragua Lopez, founder of the organization, is also the coordinator of the NDI in Nicaragua and active in a series of similar organizations in Nicaragua and El Salvador.

Excerpt from the NDI website: "The Civic Youth Movement (MCJ) has been part of an NDI project that began in 2015 with the aim of expanding youth leadership and political commitment by providing hands-on training in organizational techniques. Several of the group members are graduates of the Leadership and Political Conduct Certification (CLPM) program that the NDI has supported in conjunction with Nicaraguan universities and civil society organizations."

Yerling Aguilera is from the Polytechnic University (UPOLI) of Managua and has specialized in research on the revolution and the feminist movement. She has also been an employee and consultant for IEEPP in Nicaragua, which works to strengthen the capacity of political, state and social actors for a better informed public through creative and innovative services. IEEPP has received support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) of US$224,162 between 2014 and 2017.

Madelaine Caracas participates in the national dialogue currently taking place in Nicaragua. She is also active in the feminist and environmental movement.

From 2015 on, the United States expanded its support to Nicaragua, especially through support for leadership courses and money for young people in universities, schools, NGOs and political parties. Organizations that work with feminist movements and women, human rights and the environment have been prioritized.

This from the NDI website: "To ensure that the next generation of leaders will be equipped to govern in a democratic and transparent manner, since 2010 the NDI has partnered with Nicaraguan universities and civic organizations to lead a youth leadership program that has helped prepare more than 2,000 youth leaders, current and future, throughout the country. The NDI has also contributed to Nicaragua's efforts to increase women's political participation and initiatives to reduce discrimination against LGBT people, as well as shared best practices for monitoring electoral processes." Is foreign interference in democracy and elections good for Nicaragua, but unacceptable for the United States and Sweden?

Foreign Interference

It is also interesting to compare what happens in Nicaragua with what happens in other countries. The NDI also works in Venezuela, also with subversive tasks. The activity of the United States and the NDI in Latin America should be compared with the debate on the interference of powers in the electoral systems of the United States, Sweden or Europe. For example, would those countries accept that Russia form and support organizations that train political leaders in Sweden or the United States?

This is how the NDI describes its activities in Venezuela on its website: "The NDI began working in Venezuela in the mid-1990s in response to requests to exchange international experiences on comparative approaches to democratic governance. After closing its offices in Venezuela in 2011, the NDI has continued  based on requests  offering material resources to democratic processes, including international approaches on electoral transparency, monitoring of political processes and civic and political organization, and the Institute promotes dialogue among Venezuelans and their civic and political peers and politicians at an international level on topics of mutual interest. "

Organizations from the United States work towards the development of democracy and foreign interference in Nicaragua. According to its website, the Instituto Democratico Nacional (NDI) has 2,000 young leaders in Nicaragua. The National Foundation for Democracy (NED) is another organization that, according to its own version of events, since the 1990s has been dedicated to doing the work that the CIA used to do in secret. It promotes the destabilization of other countries. The NED works with a number of other organizations, media, websites and NGOs in Nicaragua. Officially, its support for Nicaragua amounted to US$4.2 million between 2014 and 2017.

USAID officially works with medical and disaster relief, but the NDI and the NED support a number of organizations that work with issues concerning women, children, the environment and human rights. On their website, they write that they want to "Promote democracy by training young and emerging leaders and giving them technical help so that they strengthen civil participation and improve local leadership." They do not say whose democracy they want to strengthen: whether it is the vision of democracy in the United States and the CIA, or the people of Nicaragua.

Previously, USAID worked in Bolivia but it was expelled in 2013 for carrying out destabilizing activities. In the same raid, a Danish organization was also expelled. That does not mean the organization necessarily engaged in illegal activities, but that it did work with an organization that received money from the United States. USAID also works in Venezuela, and also says there is work to strengthen "civil society." Its budget in Venezuela in 2015 was US$4.25 million. Its partners in Venezuela are, among others, Freedom House and the NDI.

Creating Change

Who will create change in Nicaragua? And will it be violently or through elections? USAID, NDI and NED have extensive activities in Nicaragua, with thousands of activists trained to "change society," and hundreds of NGOs, universities and political parties that receive money and material for these organizations. The United States participates in this process and its interests are to destabilize the democratically elected Sandinista government.

Believing that the United States is not involved in the riots in Nicaragua is naive. The situation in Nicaragua is serious and a dialogue for peace is necessary. Those responsible for the violence, the criminal fires, the riots, the destruction and the looting must answer for them, both on the side of the demonstrators, as well as on the critical elements, the political groups of young people and the responsible politicians. If, as the student leaders say, Daniel Ortega has ordered the police to shoot to kill, go ahead and have the president tried. And if there has been foreign interference in the internal affairs of Nicaragua, those responsible for it have responded, both from activists in Nicaragua and from politicians in the United States. Many things can change for the better in Nicaragua, but it must be the work of the Nicaraguans themselves and not the money and agenda of the United States determining the changes.

This article was originally published by "teleSur" - ===

The item below was posted in our comment section and has relevance to this article

By hmmm....

commented on Venezuela Defeats US in Election, Now Must Build Independent Economy

Take a look at what happened in Managua, Nicaragua, yesterday. The US is still fooling around with CIA pushed revolution attempt.

Yesterday was Mother's Day so the opposition against Daniel Ortega had a march to 'remember the mothers who lost their children during the protests. Guess what happened? Somewhere around 17 were shot and killed by unknown snipers in 2 or three different cities, Managua, maybe Leon, and another place. The hospitals are giving injured free medical care and one of the bullets found inside one of the victims was a (supposedly) a bullet from a Russian sniper rifle.

I'm sure the organizers of this black op make sure no evidence leads back to them.

I understand the Modus Operandi, but I can't help but see how effective these evil people are. Now the two main sides of the citizenry are fighting one another not realizing they are manipulated but third party of outside actors.

Peace and love, everyone. Do not fight each other because what we think we are fighting for may just be an illusion, and the reality may be completely different than what we think it is.

Nicaragua, please do not destroy yourself, it is not too late. There are legitimate criticisms of the current government, but who would you rather have, Saddam or Qadaffi before the complete destruction of the State, or after the removal of these leaders and the resulting societal meltdown and dead littering the streets?

Tourists are gone and goods and cannot reach the outlying towns through roadblocks put up by the opposition.

Go home, go back to work, and let your children go to school. Hate no longer and love one another.

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.

======

Cuba regrets CIA veteran died in Miami without facing trial for terrorist crimes

Join the DiscussionHome Search ICH Moscow Details Subversive NGO Activities in Russia and Around the World



Western funded NGOs meddle in the affairs of sovereign nations



By Frank Sellers May 31, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Its no secret that the CIA and some wealthy business magnates have been funding and using Non Governmental Organizations to alter the political landscapes inside nations all around the world, whether through meddling in elections or through plotting coups. A detailed report has come out the Russian Parliament about how these NGOs attempted to meddle in recent elections in Russia. RT reports: A special commission report on foreign meddling in the 2018 presidential election has been unveiled in Russias Upper House. The document highlighted the main methods of the elaborate campaign, spearheaded by the US. The report, presented on Wednesday in Russias Upper House (the Senate), was prepared by the Commission for State Sovereignty Protection in cooperation with leading experts and analysts. The publicly available document was presented by the head of the commission, Senator Andrey Klimov. The document pinned the blame for the meddling in Russias election directly on Washington, linking the ongoing surge in hostile activities with the domestic political struggle in the US. Attempts to interfere in internal Russian affairs, however, are not new, as they have been going on since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter The US has been the main violator of international law since the founding of the United Nations, and has interfered more than 120 times in the affairs of 60 countries on all continents. Washingtons closest allies  the UK, Germany, France, NATO, and European countries  are also to blame, since they either participate directly or support US activities, according to the document. We tried to show the areas in which the subversive work took place. Weve named 10 such areas. We have concrete examples for all of them based on absolutely reliable facts. Its not someones guess, its not highly likely, its something we can prove anywhere, it is backed up by testimonies, documents and it is, by great margin, not disputed by the other side [the US], Klimov said at a press conference, which followed the hearings in the Upper House. The main purpose of the commissions report, according to Klimov, is to show the public  both Russian, and international  the scale and systematic nature of the efforts to undermine Russias electoral sovereignty. The ultimate goal of these activities is to force changes of Russias political course, destroy its territorial and economic integrity, he said. Direct election meddling & stirring dissent The West has been trying to de-legitimize each and every election in Russia, routinely dismissing them as undemocratic. Ahead of the 2018 presidential election, both the US and EU condemned the barring of opposition figure Aleksey Navalny from the election. Ignoring his criminal conviction that bars Navalny from running for president, a US State Department representative called it a move to suppress independent voices. The EU foreign office went even further and stated that barring the politician from the election due to an alleged past conviction casted serious doubt on political pluralism in Russia and the prospect of democratic elections. Such calls for democracy completely disregard Russian law and constitute a blatant attempt at election interference. While one may view Navalnys conviction as they please, it is certainly not an alleged but a very real one, Klimov noted. The election meddling also included wide-scale cyberattacks on government electronic resources, primarily the Central Election Commission. All in all, roughly one-third of such attacks are conducted from US territory, according to the report. More discreet methods include stirring dissent by intensifying the activities of foreign-based Russian-language media outlets and independent bloggers. The use of modern technology and communication methods apparently yielded some results, since the latest protests, while much smaller than those of 2011-13, increasingly attracted younger and even underage activists into the streets. Generous NGO funding NGOs operating in Russia have enjoyed a steady flow of funding from abroad, which spiked following the failure to discredit the 2012 presidential election. In 2015, for instance, politically active NGOs received 80 billion rubles (around $1.3 billion) from the US alone, the report says. Although Russia limited the activities of foreign NGOs within the country, requiring them to openly register as foreign agents, the flow of funds did not stop. Various grey schemes came into use, such as providing large sums in cash or transferring funds to private individuals. In the meantime, Russia-based subsidiaries of foreign NGOs flourished  their funding in 2017 almost doubled compared to 2016. The total amount of NGO funding greatly surpasses the upper limit for a presidential candidates campaign in Russia. The scale is comparable to the entire budget for holding elections in the entire country, according to the report. Apart from directly financing civil activists in Russia, the US and its allies spent money on more covert activities. Ahead of the election, several unsanctioned socio-political surveys were conducted in Russia, which were sponsored by foreign government structures  including the Pentagon  the report stated. Targeting top Russian leadership, and Putin personally A large part of the foreign efforts to interfere in domestic affairs targeted Russian President Vladimir Putin directly. This was observed as early as 2004, but spiked ahead of the 2012 election, according to the report. Then-US Vice President Joe Biden visited Russia and met with opposition figures, and told Putin that he should not run for a new term, since Russia was tired of him, the report says. A similar pattern was seen in the following years, with Putin being portrayed as the only obstacle to the growth and prosperity of the Russian economy, and the man who deprives the people of the democratic achievements of the 1980-90s. Apart from smear campaigns, the report said some media also tried to demonize the Russian president in the eyes of the public by exaggerating certain problems to provoke Putin into making unacceptable mistakes. Proposed countermeasures The foreign activities outlined, however, failed to yield any tangible effect on the election, proving not their ineffectiveness, but the strength and stability of Russias socio-political system, the report concludes. The commission prepared a set of recommendations on countermeasures against future foreign meddling, primarily by tightening up the laws. The proposed measures include prohibiting foreign-printed election campaign handouts, banning the participation of non-Russian citizens in the campaigns in any form, and barring dual-citizenship individuals from becoming trustees of candidates. Other recommended measures include introducing a special relationship format with countries that impose sanctions or meddle in Russian affairs. The recommended measures are not limited to restrictions. The report called for other countries and international organizations to become united in jointly opposing US meddling practices. On the home front, special attention will be given to education work, aimed primarily at young people, who are deliberately targeted with foreign propaganda, Senator Lyudmila Bokova told the press conference. The classified version of the report, according to Klimov, contains additional recommendations for countering foreign meddling. Russia isnt the only country to recognize the ways in which Western funded NGOs meddle in the affairs of other sovereign nations. Hungary has recently begun taking up legislation to crack down on NGOs funded by George Soros and those which relocate migrants into and within Hungary, potentially altering its demographic makeup, religious traditions, social homogeneity, and political environment. This article was originally published by "The Duran" - The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. ====== Join the Discussion It is not necessary for ICH readers to register before placing a comment. We ask that you treat others with respect. Take a moment to read the following - Comment Policy - What Or Who is Information Clearing House and Purpose and Intent of this website: It is unacceptable to slander, smear or engage in personal attacks on authors of articles posted on ICH. Those engaging in that behavior will be banned from the comment section. Search Information Clearing House === Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Your support has kept ICH free on the Web since 2002. Click for Spanish , German , Dutch , Danish , French , translation- Note- Translation may take a moment to load.Journalists and Academics Expose UKs Criminal Actions in the Middle East





By Julie Hyland

May 31, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Media on Trial held a successful event in Leeds on Sunday, in the face of sustained efforts to prevent the meeting taking place.

The group was formed by Frome Stop War, based in Somerset. Working with academics, investigative journalists and other interested parties and individuals, and drawing on the illegal 2003 invasion of Iraq, Media on Trial seeks to cultivate public scepticism when faced with establishment and corporate medias partisan reporting at times of conflict. It held well-attended meetings in Frome and London last year. Its success in exposing the ongoing regime-change operations in Syria, and government/media propaganda to this end, has made its members the subject of an organised media smear campaign, culminating in efforts to silence it altogether.

Government propaganda and the war on terror from 9/11 to Syria was booked at Leeds City Museum. But in an assault on free speech, Labour-run Leeds City Council in West Yorkshire cancelled the event.

Sheila Coombes (From Stop War) has reported that the ban, made on May 3World Press Freedom Daycame after a series of attacks on several of the featured speakers by the Huffington Post, Guardian and Timesnewspapers as Assad Apologists.

Among those targeted were Professor Piers Robinson (University of Sheffield), Professor Tim Hayward (University of Edinburgh)both of the Working Group on Syria, Propaganda and Media (WGSPM)and investigative journalist Vanessa Beeley.

Having travelled to Leeds to check out the venue, Coombes was told that Leeds City Council had cancelled the event, suggesting that security issues were involved. She was informed that it was a blanket ban and that no other council-run venue would host it.

Less than an hour after she had been informed, the Yorkshire Post ran an online article welcoming the ban, followed by a similar report in the Huffington Post. The speed of publication suggests that these media outlets were aware of the ban before Coombes herself had been informed.

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Coombes reports that she was in contact with police regarding security arrangements for the event and that she had been informed by the police officer in charge that he had advised Leeds City Council there was no intelligence to assess a threat. A second alternative private venue was also cancelled.

Media on Trial was forced to keep details of the third venue secret until shortly before it was due to open and restrict entrance to those who had already purchased tickets. The panel was eventually able to go ahead on Sunday at the Baab-ul-llm Islamic education centre, one of the few venues prepared to stand in defiance of this campaign of censorship. Approximately 200 people attended.

The reports delivered during the four-hour meeting provided a devastating exposure of the connection between propaganda and censorship by the media and the warmongering of governments in Britain, the United States and across the world.

Professor Piers Robinson (Chair in Politics, Society and Political Journalism) spoke on the rebranding of government propaganda as public relations. Drawing on his research into the Iraq war, he cited material from the Chilcot Inquiry into the war confirming the systematic manipulation and exaggeration of intelligence on Iraq's supposed Weapons of Mass Destruction. This included discussions between the US and British governments over how the 9/11 terror attacks could be used for regime change operations, under the slogan of the war on terror, which Robinson described as a propaganda slogan for mobilising support for military operations.

Robert Stuart is an independent researcher whose interview with UK Column on the irregularities in the BBC Panorama documentary, Saving Syria's Children, encouraged film producer and writer Victor Lewis-Smith to tear up his BBC contract in disgust and announce his intention to make a film about "Saving Syria's Children."

Stuart gave a presentation on his examination of film recorded by BBC personnel at Atareb Hospital in Aleppo on August 26, 2013, purporting to show the aftermath of a napalm-style bombing by Syrian government forces. The footage was broadcast the same evening that parliament delivered a shock vote against a military attack on Syria. He showed that much of it was staged. Not only did this potentially include the use of military casualty trauma simulations, but BBC personnel were travelling in a vehicle bearing the emblem of an Islamist jihadist group, Ahrar al-Sham (Islamic Movement of the Free Men of the Levant).

Professor Tim Hayward (Environmental Political Theory) questioned the morality of the media presenting information that was untrue and its implications for democracy and society. He questioned the media's complicity in glorifying jihadi figures, despite this being in contravention of the British government's own anti-terror laws. He drew attention to broadcasts on Channel 4 that provided flattering accounts of British women signing up for jihad. The media were guilty of inverting the truth and placing a lockdown on information that breached the rudiments of journalistic integrity.

American journalist and broadcaster Patrick Henningsen (21st Century Wire), drew attention to the unprecedented conditions in which the meeting was being held, in secret, in a tent.

It was impossible to have a functioning democracy without a functioning Fourth Estate, he said. This had been the gold standard but was no longer the case. Henningsen noted widespread popular opposition to war in the US that successive presidential candidates had sought to manipulate, only to betray once in powerfrom George W. Bush to Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

The mainstream media have enormous assets and resources but claim democracy is threatened by fake news, when they are the purveyors of fake news and the real threat to democracy.

Peter Ford is a former UK ambassador to Syria (20032006) and now Director of the British Syrian Society. He noted that the government had been forced to convene the Leveson Inquiry into the media after the phone-hacking scandal involving Murdoch's News of the World. But those actions were trivial in comparison with the real charge sheet that needed to be presented against the media: that of war mongering and aiding and abetting war mongering.

Vanessa Beeley is an international investigative journalist and photographer who had reported from inside Syria (including East Aleppo), Egypt and Palestine. She played an important role in exposing Syria's White Helmets as an arm of western propaganda and regime-change operations.

She delivered a moving account of the situation within Syria and the capital Damascus. In addition to detailing the role of the White Helmets and other institutions financed and backed by Western governments, Beeley noted that, especially following the Second World War, pro-war propaganda was deemed a threat to peace. The Nuremberg Trials in 1946 characterised propaganda to facilitate war as a serious crime against humanity; one of the gravest that could be committed. Today, those who advocate peace and the defence of international law are smeared and silenced, while those who promote war are being lauded in the media.

In the short time available for questions, contributions were made, including the possibility of practical action against war-mongering.

Julie Hyland, speaking for the World Socialist Web Site, was greeted warmly by the audience for raising that the high point of the international campaign of smears and censorship is the attack on Julian Assange, the WikiLeaks founder who is in grave danger of eviction from the Ecuadorian Embassy and extradition to the United States.

Henningsen replied that the embassy had determined to cut Assanges internet access and personal communications while Syria was being targeted for military strikes: I dont underestimate the influence of Julian Assange at those critical times. His own website was taken offline as the air strike by the US, Britain and France were happening, along with several other web sites. He added, Julian Assange is being silenced because they dont want someone like him to have a platform.

Video of the Media on Trial Leeds event can be viewed here.

This article was originally published by "WSWS" -

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.

======

Join the DiscussionMEKs Money Sure Cant Buy Love But It Can Buy A Lot Of Politicians





By Philip Giraldi

May 31, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Irans radical Marxist cult Mohajedeen e Khalq, better known by its acronym MEK, is somewhat reminiscent of the Israel Lobbys American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in that it operates somewhat in the shadows and is nevertheless able to punch well beyond its weight by manipulating politicians and understanding how American government functions on its dark side. MEK promotes itself by openly supporting a very popular hardline policy of democratic opposition advocating regime change for Iran while also successfully selling its reform credentials, i.e. that it is no longer a terrorist group. This latter effort apparently convinced then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on 2013 as she and President Barack responded to the groups affability campaign by delisting MEK from the government list of terrorist organizations.

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This shift in attitude towards MEK was a result of several factors. First, everyone in Washington and the Establishment hates Iran. And second, the Executive Order 13224, which designates Irans Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization, ipso facto defines any group fighting against it as one of the good guys, justifying the change

MEK is best described as a cult rather than as a political movement because of its internal discipline. Its members are, according to the testimony of those who have somehow escaped, subjected to considerable indoctrination best described as brainwashing. Though not exactly imprisoned, adherents are kept isolated and separated insofar as possible and cannot contact their families. Their possessions are collectivized so they have no money or other resources. If they are in contravention of the numerous rules that guide the organization they are punished, including physically, and there are reports of members being executed for trying to escape.

The current head of the group is Maryam Rajavi, the wife of the deceased co-founder of MEK, Massoud. She is reported to be politically savvy and speaks excellent English learned in part to enable her to communicate with adoring American politicians. The group itself was founded in 1965. Its name means Peoples Holy Warriors, derived from its Marxist/populist roots and its religiosity. It was not unlike the Taliban which developed in adjacent Afghanistan. During the 1970s it rebelled against the Shah and was involved in bombing and shooting American targets. It executed U.S. Army Lt. Col. Lewis Hawkins in 1973 as he was walking home from the U.S. Embassy and in 1975 it killed two American Air Force officers in their chauffer driven car, an incident that was studied and used in CIA training subsequently as an example of how not to get caught and killed by terrorists. Between 1976 and 1978 the group bombed American commercial targets and killed three Rockwell defense contractors and one Texaco executive.

MEK welcomed the Iranian revolution and also the occupation of the U.S. Embassy but soon fell afoul of the Ayatollah Khomeini regime. It eventually moved to join Irans enemy Saddam Hussein in Iraq and participated on the Iraqi side in the bloodletting that followed when the two countries went to war in 1980-8. For that reason alone, MEK is particularly hated by most Iranians and the repeated assertion that it is some kind of Iranian democracy alternative is ridiculous as the people in Iran would never accept it. In terms of the duplicity surrounding its marketing, it is reminiscent of Iraqi con artist Ahmed Chalabi, who also had little following inside Iraq but was able to convince Pentagon geniuses like Paul Wolfowitz that he represented some kind of democratic movement. At the time Chalabi was also secretly working for Iran.

MEK was protected by Saddam and later by the U.S. invaders who found a weapon to use against Iran useful. They were housed in Camp Ashraf near Baghdad, and later, after Ashraf was closed, at so-called Camp Liberty. In 2013, when the Iraqis insisted that they go elsewhere the President Barack Obama facilitated their removal to Albania under the auspices of the United Nations refugee program, with the $20 million dollar bill being footed by Washington. The organizations political arm, the National Council of Resistance or Iran (NCRI), meanwhile established itself in Paris under the control of Maryam Rajavi, in part to place it closer to the American and European sources of its political legitimacy and financing. In 2001, to make itself more palatable, the group had renounced violence.

The MEK folks in Albania have become a bit of a problem. Through various additional migrations they have multiplied and now number around 3,000 and have largely adhered to their cultish ways even though one of the original objectives of the move into Europe was to somehow deprogram and deradicalize them in an environment far removed from Iran-Iraq. Part of the problem is that the Albanian government likes the U.N. subsidies used to support the MEK associates, but it will not let them work as they have no legal status and they cannot resettle or lead normal lives. So they resort to criminal activity that includes promotion of fraudulent charities, drug trafficking and even a form of slavery in which their own people are sold and traded as laborers. The temporary solution has been to move the MEK out of a rundown university property in the capital Tirana to a more remote site in northern Albania dubbed Ashraf-3, but local people believe that that is just kicking the can down the road and that MEK should be forced to go somewhere else, preferably in the United States, which seems to like them so much.

Also, Albania is majority Muslim and has been subjected to the same Saudi Arabian ultra-conservative wahhabi promotion backed by lots of money that has plagued many states in the Middle East. Albanians accustomed to the mild form of Turkish Islam suddenly found themselves confronting the Sunni-Shia divide and also the MEK as agents of both Saudi Arabia and Israel. Many outraged Albanians see the unreformed MEK in their midst as a terror time bomb waiting to go off, but the government, under pressure from the U.S. Embassy has not sought their removal.

Meanwhile back in the United States everything involving the non-deradicalized MEK is just hunky dory. MEK and the NCRI are enemies of Iran and also seem to have plenty of money to spend, so they buy high ranking American speakers to appear at their events. Rudy Giuliani and John Bolton have appeared regularly, as have Senators John McCain, Lindsey Graham and Jeanne Shaheen. At a 2015 appearance in Paris, Giuliani brought the crowd to its feet by calling for Regime change! after shouting out that the Ayatollah must go! In August 2017, Senators Roy Blunt, John Cornyn, Thom Tillis and Carl Levin met with Rajavi in Paris. Newt Gingrich also considers himself a friend of the Iranian resistance while Elaine Chao, Secretary of Labor and wife of Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell spoke in Paris for five minutes in 2015 and was paid $50,000. The payments made to the other politicians have not been revealed.

And then there is the Saudi and Israeli angle. Saudi Arabia is now the major funder of MEK/NCRI. Its intelligence chief Turki al-Faisal spoke before the group in 2017. Israel funded the group in its early days and its external spy service Mossad continues to use MEK stay-behinds in Iran to assassinate scientists and tamper with computer systems. The CIA, which recently expanded its anti-Iran task force, it also working closely with MEK. And Giuliani, Bolton, Chao are all in the White House inner circle, which, not coincidentally, is baying for Iranian blood.

Lost in all of the above is any conceivable American interest. It is difficult to even make the claim that Iran threatens the United States or any vital interest and the drive to decapitate the Mullahs, both literally and figuratively, really comes from Riyadh and Tel Aviv. And there is potential collateral damage where it really might matter as MEK cultists continues to sit and fester in a holding pattern maintained by Washington in the heart of Europe. What comes next? War of some kind with Iran is appearing to be increasingly likely given recent remarks by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, threating to crush the Iranians. Is Washington intending to send the MEK warriors on sabotage missions inside Iran, something like the resistance to the Germans in World War 2? Maybe Giuliani and Bolton know the answer to that question.

Philip Giraldi is Ph.D., Executive Director of the Council for the National Interest. A former CIA Case Officer and Army Intelligence Officer who spent twenty years overseas in Europe and the Middle East working terrorism cases. He holds a BA with honors from the University of Chicago and an MA and PhD in Modern History from the University of London.Nigerian lawmaker Femi Gbajabiamila, came under serious backlash on social media after he gifted his wife a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon on her 50th birthday.

While reacting in a statement on Thursday, Gbajabiamila said the gift was not one of flamboyance but an expression of appreciation of deep love for his wife.

He said;A Nigerian man has opened on his weird experience encountered during his romance with his partner. According to him, he doubts it has much to do with his girlfriend because she is a prayer warrior.

Read the post below.

There is this girl I meet in while leaving school. I love her so much but after a while I discovered when we sleep together in the room I will see fresh human blood stain on the floor.

Most times two drops of blood stains. I ask her she said she never knew how it got there. Later she pointed accusing fingers to almost every one sharing the apartment with us so we started praying hoping that God will intervene.

She is a good prayer warrior who speaks in tongues; in fact that attracted me to her because she prays a lot. At times, in the hostel she can lock her self indoors praying.

As the year came to an end, all occupants packed out remaining just my friend and I, but still yet we still see the blood on the floor.

Then recently I got a place in another state then invited her to come and see me that same night I saw fresh blood on the floor. It continued for 3 nights she spent.

When she left all blood stop, of recent I invited her again then it continued. I told her I wont continue with the relationship again.

She started accusing me of being responsible or I know something about this blood stain. She cried all through the night and slept out side.

This blood stains drop around 10:30pm to 12pm thats what I noticed. I have seen her trying to check if am asleep by touching at some point. I have seen her looking at me at middle of night (when got up flash touch saw fresh blood blood).

Each night if I wake her to see it, after discussing she will just open her leg for all night s*x (she gives me s*x to forget all about that).

Before I sleep I will make sure I check every where, use net to sleep, mob the tiles, and check around for clues.

But if am awake through the night no blood stains will occur. This blood stain is bigger than 3 mosquitoes combine, so I have ruled out the possibility of that.

It appears in same spot, at times on my power bank. Most times if I woke up to clean first blood. Another fresh ones drops before morning.

-GistreelRenowned writer Chimamanda Adichie has said Igbos in Lagos (Ndi-Igbo Lagosians) are too ashamed to speak Igbo. According to the writer, Igbos who grew up in Lagos run away from their Igbos -ness especially in public.

She added that they Igbos lost the war because they became ashamed.

See what she said

What reactions from some Nigerians were like

Go to top offices in both public and private sectors in Lagos to see a fellow Igbo in one big position,as soon as you start with Igbo greeting,most will immediately form unfamiliarity with you and respond in English especially where there are non Igbos there in his environment  Consigliere (@NICCOLO_25025) May 31, 2018

Chimamanda is obviously saying the truth. Its not just igbos resident in Lagos alone, its worldwide. Igbos have abandoned their heritage and the language is gradually eroding. You need to be igbo to understand what she is saying  Chukwuemeka Nnadozie (@ChNnadozie) May 31, 2018

Been having this conversation on my TL.She should have framed it better because i have encountered some who did not have the opportunity to speak as fluently or due to integration have to learn other languages.Some others i know have not bothered to care. But Ashamed i think not.  ijeoma miriam (@ijeoma_miriam) May 31, 2018

My name is Churchill Obinna Okonkwo. I am Igbo, I lived in Lagos, but was never ashamed of speaking Igbo even in the office environment. #WeAreIgbosWeAreNotAshemed  Churchill Okonkwo (@Churchillnnobi) May 31, 2018

She should go to Ladipo or come to my area in Okota.

Blatant and hasty generalization  Mr Man (@MisterOrimoloye) May 31, 2018Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal Capital Territory High Court is the judge that found former governor of Taraba State, Reverend Jolly Nyame guilty for criminal breach of trust and misappropriation of N1.64 billion while he was in office. She sentenced him to 14 years in prison without fine.

Justice Banjoko was so appalled at Nyames brazen theft of public money that she said angrily ;

Theres no moral justification for the level of outright theft, and the Court must therefore, impose a statement, hopefully as a deterrent to other public officers, who may be similarly inclined. From the totality of facts before the court, Nyame approved N250 million for purchase of stationery, but is found to have no intention to fulfil the purpose, .

Justice Banjoko also noted that Nyame, a clergyman, as governor of Taraba, breached the trust reposed in him by the indigenes of the state, when he misappropriated N250 million which he approved purportedly for the purchase of stationery for the state.

In a ruling which lasted more than 4 hours, Justice Banjoko found Nyame guilty of 16 counts, bordering on criminal breach of public trust.

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commentsPrince Harry and Meghan Markle are returning hundreds of wedding gifts believed to be worth more than 7m.

Following strict palace guidelines, royal aides are trying to stop companies from using the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a bid to get publicity.

As a result, they are returning gift sent by business organizations.

Kensington Palace on receiving freebies from businesses say:

When gifts are accepted, the consent of the Member of the Royal Family should be contingent upon the enterprise undertaking not to exploit the gift for commercial purposes.

Kensington Palaces guidelines state: Gifts offered by private individuals living in the UK not personally known to the Member of the Royal Family should be refused where there are concerns about the propriety or motives of the donor or the gift itself.

Harry and Meghan specifically requested well-wishers did not send gifts and instead donate to a list of chosen charities that champion issues that are close to their hearts.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau granted their request by issuing a statement on the couples wedding day to say the country would donate 29,000 to a youth charity called Jumpstart.

New Zealands Prime Minister Jacinda Arden told reporters that on behalf of the country, New Zealand was making a 2,500 donation to a charity the supports children and families of prisoners called Pillars.

The Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the country will make a donation to the Invictus Games charity, which is hosted in Sydney this year.

Leave a Comment

commentsDino Melaye, senator representing Kogi west resumed today, Wednesday after weeks spent recuperating. Melaye was arrested in Arpil to answer questions on allegations of arming thugs to commit robbery and kidnapping.

Speaking during plenary, Melaye, who was wearing a neck brace, said the police attempted to kill him twice while he was in their custody. He said:

Mr President I want to say that the Nigerian police attempted to kill me twice, one through the application of a chemical substance and the second time through injection. They actually came with an injection but God intervened. Having appreciated God for his love and kindness and protection upon my soul, I want to specially acknowledge the Nigerian senate under the capable leadership and irremovable president of the senate. I want to thank you for your love, for your concern, for speaking for me and the course of democracy. I will not also conclude my appreciation without appreciating the indomitable speaker of the house of representatives and indeed the house of representatives. I thank them immensely for showing that an injury to one is an injury to all. The national chairman of PDP and the executive of the PDP in Kogi state I salute you. I thank Nigerians for their support. The battle to salvage this country from financial scavengers and economic cankerworms, to me, is a battle of no retreat, no surrender. We must salvage this country together we dont have any other to call our own. As my voice gets better, it will get louder. I shall not cease to ask questions where necessary.

Melaye asked Senate President Bukola Saraki for permission to leave his allotted seat and move to the opposite side of the chamber.Tribune

VICE President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday noted that comparing the performance of this administration with past governments shows that the administration is doing well.

The Nation

Senate President Bukola Saraki yesterday said his trial before the Code of Conduct Tribunal was never part of Mondays reconciliation talks between the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the defunct New Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP).

Punch

President Muha-mmadu Buhari on Wednesday insisted that he inherited security challenge and ailing economy at the inception of his administration in 2015.

Vanguard

WITH the persistent attacks by herdsmen in Nigeria, Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State and human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday, urged state governors to take urgent steps at nipping the attacks in the bud, saying it was not the Federal Governments duty to maintain law and order in states.

The Sun

When on Tuesday, May 16, 2018, Mr. Peter Adebayo, 32, a police officer attached to the Chairman, Ekiti South West Local Government, Olanrewaju Omolase and late Mr. David Adeyemi Otitoju, 30, an official of an old generation bank in Ilawe-Ekiti, in Ekiti West LG, set out from their respective homes for the days work, little did they know there was tragedy lurking around for them at the offices.

Thisday

A popular blogger and member of the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), Abubakar Sidiq Usman, yesterday, picked the nomination and expression of interest forms to contest the position of national publicity secretary of the ruling APC.

Daily Times

The administration of the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by President Muhammadu Buhari, has been rated low on national economy as the Country celebrates its democracy day with political parties and politicians giving their assessment of the state of affairs in Nigeria with the impression that the party has not done well.

Daily Trust

It was drama galore wednesday when the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Dino Melaye, stirred the Senate on the very first day of his resumption with a special request at plenary that he should be allowed to sit among PDP Senators.President Buhari has signed the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill into law. The president signed the bill this afternoon inside Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja. President Buhari had, in his Democracy Day broadcast on Tuesday, pledged to sign the bill.

The bill was passed by the National Assembly last year to alter Sections 65, 106, 131, 177 of the Constitution to reduce the age qualification for President from 40 to 30; Governor from 35 to 30; Senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives membership from 30 to 25 and State House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25.

Watch video of him signing the bill into law:

At 2.30pm today May 31, 2018, I signed into law the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill, a landmark piece of legislation that was conceived, championed and accomplished by young Nigerians. The Bill has now become an Act of Parliament. It is a historic day for Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/yDbiQUX6l5  Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) May 31, 2018

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commentsThe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus has said that President Muhammadu Buhari has just celebrated his last Democracy Day as president.

In a statement issued by Ike Abonyi, his Special Adviser on media in Abuja on Tuesday, Secondus said for democracy to survive in Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress must be done away with.

In the statement to mark Democracy Day, the PDP National Chairman, Nigerians are anxiously looking forward to the opportunity to dispense with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President.

If Democracy must survive in our country we must do away with APC and Nigerians are ready and willing to do just that because they cherish democracy as the best form of government. Going by their poor record of performance in the last 36 months, and the determination of Nigerians to put the country in the right footing, this is the last Democracy Day this President will mark. Their agenda now is to intimidate, harass and scare opponents to create a Police state with the aim of turning the country into one-party state but it must be resisted by Nigerians who passed similar road before and came out victorious. The next Democracy Day May 29, 2019, which Nigerians and indeed all lovers of democracy are anxiously looking forward to would be the smooth transition from confusion and purposeless governance to real democracy which the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is returning to gift to the Nation.

Prince Secondus said that the democracy PDP established and nurtured for 16 years has been bastardized and grossly undermined by the intolerant and drifting APC administration in the last three years.

He, therefore, called on the international community to show more than passing interest in the events leading to Nigerias general election in 2019 as the APC rigging strategy has already started through intimidation and harassment of political opponents across the country.Jeremy D. Morley concentrates on International Family Law. The firm works with clients around the world from its New York office, with a global network of local counsel. Mr Morley is the author of "International Family Law Practice", the leading treatise on international family law in the U.S., and "The Hague Abduction Convention", published by the American Bar Association. He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and a former law professor.Vancouver, British Columbia - May 31, 2018 (Newsfile Corp.) (Investorideas.com Newswire) iCo Therapeutics (TSXV: ICO) (OTCQB: ICOTF) ("iCo" or "the Company"), reported financial results for the quarter ended March 31, 2018. Amounts, unless specified otherwise, are expressed in Canadian dollars and presented under International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS").

"Recently, we dosed our first subject with our novel Oral Amphotericin B (Oral AmpB) formulation. Strong recruitment has resulted in our dosing of all subjects in three of four cohorts, representing 24 of 32 Phase 1 study participants. We remain on track to finish dosing of all subjects by the end of Q2 2018" stated Andrew Rae, Chief Executive Officer of iCo Therapeutics. "Full analysis of study data is expected shortly afterwards in Q3 2018."

Summary of First Quarter 2018 Results

We incurred a total comprehensive loss of $414,926 for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 compared to a total comprehensive loss of $381,123 for the quarter ended March 31, 2017, representing an increased loss of $33,173. The increase in the loss for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 is primarily the result of higher other income recognized in the prior year, which related to grants for the Company's Oral AmpB program.

Research and development expenses were $415,729 for the quarter ended quarter ended March 31, 2018 were consistent with $413,194 for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. In the current quarter, R&D expense related to the preparation for our Phase 1 single, ascending dose, clinical trial in healthy subjects. On April 17, 2018, the Company dosed the first patient in its Phase 1, single ascending dose, clinical trial in healthy subjects with its Oral AmpB formulation. Full results from the Phase 1 study are expected in Q3 2018.

With the initiation of the Phase 1 study we expect higher research and development costs for the duration of this Australian Phase 1 clinical trial, which will be partially offset by refundable cash tax credits we expect to receive. Currently, Australian R&D reimbursement rates for qualified companies may be up to a maximum of 43.5%. At March 31, 2018 we have accrued an estimated R&D refundable cash tax credit of $202,327, assuming full reimbursement rates. For the quarter ended March 31, 2018 general and administrative expenses were $151,211 consistent with $154,195 for the quarter ended March 31, 2017.

Liquidity and Outstanding Share Capital

As at March 31, 2018, we had cash and cash equivalents of $632,129 compared to $1,127,934 as at December 31, 2017.

As at May 30, 2018, we had an unlimited number of authorized common shares with 84,457,713 common shares issued and outstanding.

For complete financial results, please see our filings at www.sedar.com.

About iCo Therapeutics

iCo Therapeutics identifies existing development stage assets for use in underserved ocular and infectious diseases. Such assets may exhibit utility in non-ophthalmic conditions outside the Company's core focus areas and if so the Company will seek to capture further value via partnerships, such as its partnership with Immune Pharmaceuticals, which is in several Phase 2 studies involving iCo-008. iCo shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "ICO" and on the OTCQB under the symbol "ICOTF".

For more information, visit the Company website at: www.icotherapeutics.com.

No regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the content of this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulatory Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements included in this press release may be considered forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will," and similar references to future periods. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on iCo's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to iCo and relate to, among other things, anticipated financial performance, business prospects, strategies, regulatory developments, market acceptance and future commitments. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which are based only on information currently available to iCo and speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by iCo in its public securities filings and on its website, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. iCo disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Andrew Rae, CEO

778-772-7775

rae@icotherapeutics.com

More Info:

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Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.aspAlibaba's Cainiao G Plus's "G Plus" Unmanned Logistics Vehicle is Equipped with RoboSense MEMS Solid-State Laser Radar -- Costs as Low as a Few Hundred Dollars

Hangzhou, China - May 31, 2018 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Alibaba Group's Cainiao Network and RoboSense jointly released today G Plus, the world's first solid-state LiDAR unmanned logistics vehicle. Announced at Alibaba Group's Cainiao Network 2018 Global Smart Logistics Summit held today in Hangzhou, China, the most important feature of the newly announced G Plus driverless delivery vehicles is the solid-state LiDAR technology, the RS-LiDAR-M1Pre, developed by China's RoboSense. This is the first time that solid-state LiDAR has been officially used in the development of an unmanned vehicle, heralding the beginning of a new solid-state LiDAR era in driverless vehicles.

RoboSense has reached a strategic partnership with Alibaba to provide delivery vehicles with solid-state LiDARs for all G Plus unmanned logistics cars, drastically reducing the cost of the driverless vehicles. The vehicles can be mass-produced, allowing the rapid expansion of unmanned logistics vehicles and streamlining mass market delivery logistics, for the rapid popularization of the vehicles. The unmanned cars and trucks can also be equipped with different smart devices according to demand, turning the vehicle into a courier vehicle, a mobile self-pickup station, a mobile coffee vending cart, etc., which can be applied to various new retail scenarios.

3D Perception of the Driving Environment

The Alibaba's Cainiao G Plus unmanned delivery vehicle is equipped with three RS-LiDAR-M1Pres, two in the front and one in the rear, to ensure the most powerful 3D perception of the driving environment. This allows unmanned delivery vehicles to clearly see the direction of travel, including the shape, distance, azimuth, travel speed, and direction of travel of pedestrians, cars, trucks, and other obstacles, as well as the exact areas on which roads can be driven, etc., to ensure the smooth flow of unmanned logistics vehicles in a complex road environment.

RoboSense LiDAR Costs as Low as a Few Hundred Dollars

The RS-LiDAR-M1Pre is the first MEMS solid-state LiDAR launched by RoboSense. The world's first solid-state LiDAR equipped in an unmanned vehicle, the technology was first publicly presented and demonstrated at CES 2018 in Las Vegas. The technology's outstanding results and advancements have already attracted widespread attention in the industry. The core technology of the MEMS solid-state LiDAR is disruptive to traditional mechanical multi-beam radars. The MEMS micro mirror scanning scheme used in the RS-LiDAR-M1Pre requires only a few laser emitters and receivers to scan through the MEMS micro-mirror in both directions because of the swing angle. The resolution is a very fine, high angle and vertical angle resolution that reaches 0.2 throughout the angle of view.

In contrast, for traditional mechanical multi-beam LiDAR to achieve the same effect, they require more than a hundred laser transmitters and receivers to rotate and scan at the same time, which greatly increases material and human costs and reduces yield and reliability, making the advantages of MEMS solid-state LiDAR technology obvious. While improving the performance of LiDAR, the cost savings is also great, and at the same time the miniaturization of the scanning structure greatly improves the stability of LiDAR.

RoboSense LiDAR

"The LiDAR is an indispensable sensor for advanced autonomous driving above L3, and on this, industry has reached a consensus. The solid-state laser has the advantages of high stability, high resolution, and low cost, and it can well meet the demand for OEMs," said Mark Qiu, Co-founder and COO of RoboSense. "Reducing logistics costs and improving logistics efficiency is the mission of autonomous driving technology in the logistics industry. Alibaba and RoboSense both agree with this direction and we hope to increase our strengths jointly to promote mass production of unmanned logistics vehicles and put them into operation so that everyone from the community can benefit as soon as possible."

Also announced at the 2018 Global Smart Logistics Summit, the Alibaba Cainiao Network Technology Logistics Laboratory announced a plan named "Hump Project," joining a number of companies, including FAW Jiefang, Beihang University's Drone Team, RoboSense, and Dian Wo Da, to mass produce unmanned equipment for a new three-dimensional intelligent logistics network that includes unmanned vehicles and drones. The first members participating in the plan include vehicle and drone manufacturers, LiDAR companies, and companies with the need for unmanned equipment. "We want to build a three-dimensional distribution network. After a package enters the network, artificial intelligence will automatically distribute routes and unmanned vehicles will relay deliveries," said Zhang Chunhui, director of the Cainiao Network E.T. Logistics Laboratory. "We plan to have 100,000 unmanned vehicles in the next three years."

About RoboSense

Established in 2014, RoboSense is world's leading autonomous driving LiDAR environment perception system provider, the first company in China to bring autonomous driving LiDAR into mass production. The company is based on its research, development, and continuous technological innovations to achieve its world leading stature. RoboSense strives to deliver cutting edge robotic perception solution products to the world, which can perfectly integrate premium LiDAR sensor hardware, 3D environment perception algorithms, and deep learning technologies to sense the environment beyond human eyes. Through constant technology innovation, the company has made it possible for robots to "see" the world with excellent environment perception capability. RoboSense has created a large number of autonomous driving partners in China and around the world, such as Alibaba, Jingdong, Tusimple, Next Future Mobility, ZMP and others.

The RoboSense R&D and Operations Center is located in Nanshan District, Shenzhen, China, with offices in Beijing, China and Silicon Valley, California. At present, the company has more than 200 full-time employees (excluding production site employees) and the core research and development team is more than 60% graduate students. In addition, the company has maintained long-term cooperation with top universities and research institutes, such as MIT, HKUST, Tsinghua University, and HIT.

About Cainiao Network

Founded in May 28, 2013, Cainiao Network Technology Co., Ltd. was established by the Alibaba Group and eight other companies. G Plus is an Internet technology company focusing on logistics platform services through big data, smart technology, and efficient collaboration, together with partners to build a global logistics network, improve logistics efficiency, accelerate business inventory turnover, reduce logistics costs, and increase consumption  everything to provide the full logistics experience.

Tmall is a great example of Cainiao Network's use of logistics technology. Since the establishment of the Cainiao Network through the promotion of smart logistics, the volume of Tmall's orders climbed on a single day from 152 million to 812 million, with the delivery time for 100 million packages dropping from 9 days to 2.8 days. It has created a miracle in the world-wide logistics industry. Before 2022, Alibaba and Cainiao Network will also invest 100 billion yuan to upgrade the global smart logistics network and accelerate the realization of "24 hours in the country and 72 hours in the world."

For more information about RoboSense, please visit the website: http://www.robosense.ai

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RoboSense - Alibaba's Cainiao G Plus : http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/robosensegplus.html

RoboSense - Alibaba's Cainiao G Plus 2: http://www.thomas-pr.com/136/photos/robosensegplusphoto2.html

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Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country. Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: https://www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.aspTelegrams CEO has notified its users that some of the features of its apps like stickers might not work correctly under iOS 11.4 despite the issue being fixed weeks ago. This is because Apple is preventing Telegram from updating its iOS App globally ever since Russian authorities have asked the company to remove Telegram from the App Store.

Since Telegram has not been able to roll out an update to its iOS app since mid-April, it has been unable to fully comply with GDPR for EU users by the May 25th deadline. Telegrams founder Durov says that the company is continuing its efforts to resolve the situation.

Apple has been preventing Telegram from updating its iOS apps globally ever since the Russian authorities ordered Apple to remove Telegram from the App Store. Russia banned Telegram on its territory in April because we refused to provide decryption keys for all our users communications to Russias security agencies. We believe we did the only possible thing, preserving the right of our users to privacy in a troubled country.

In April, the Russian telecom regulator asked Apple to remove Telegram from the Russian App Store. Apple has not yet removed the app from the store which led the regulator to issue a 30-day notice to the company to respond to its request for removing Telegram.

While Apple has not yet removed Telegram from the Russian App Store, it is a strange move from the company to block Telegram from updating its app outside of the App Store. Inadvertently, Apple is also putting pressure on Telegram to hand over the encryption keys of its app to the Russian government thereby putting the privacy of its users at risk.This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.HEAD OF THE (IC37) CLASS A family-oriented crew from Jamestown has been crowned the North American champion for the IC37 class after finishing atop the fleet during the New York Yacht Clubs final regatta of...

Council endorses offer to buy 12 acres The town council has endorsed a grant application that will plow the way for the final two lots of vulnerable farmland to become protected in perpetuity. Bob Sutton, manager of...

Coyote expert says improved human behavior is evident The coyote population in Jamestown, as well as encounters with the wild canines, seem to be decreasing, according to a local biologist who monitors the packs. Numi Mitchell, the founder...05/30/2018





The JSU Drama Department and the Calhoun County Area Chamber & Visitors Center are joining forces to present a professional performance of Shakespeares Julius Caesar at Anniston High Schools Performing Arts Center in August.

The intent of these performances is to complement the required reading curriculum of high school students reading the play and is meant to enhance their study of not only the work of Shakespeare, but theater and literature in general.

I think it is a worthwhile project and will be a benefit to many of the local high schools, JSU Drama Department Head Randy Blades said.

The idea for this project began when Emily Duncan, the Chambers Marketing & Tourism Director, worked alongside with JSU Assistant Drama Professor and Salt Lake native Carrie Colton.

Utah is well known for the arts, particularly the Shakespeare Festival at Southern Utah University, which is where Carrie went to school, Duncan said. While personally collaborating on a project for CAST, Carrie shared the idea to conduct a performance of Shakespeares works within our community. The conversation grew to include others, who reminisced about the Alabama Shakespeare Festivals origins in Anniston, from 1972 until 1985.

Colton pointed out that the projects mission was to spotlight the accessibility of art.

Emily and I went into it with the mission that art and access to professional art should not be saved for the elite or upper class, she said. Shakespeare himself was a playwright for the common man. Julius Ceasar will be free of charge to both student and community in the hopes of bridging this artistic and economic gap.

It was a natural fit since the Anniston Performing Arts Center at Anniston High School was built for the Shakespeare Festival.

As the Tourism and Marketing director for the Chamber and Visitors Center, our work focuses on education, workforce development, marketing and community development, creating programs to enhance our schools and communities, and leverage businesses, Duncan said. The Shakespeare Project was established to enhance the understanding of performing arts and literature by presenting free professional productions of classic works, including Shakespeare.

Members of JSUs faculty are participating as the director, performers and technical staff for the performance funded by grants and patron contributions. Plus, several JSU students will assist by serving as college interns for the production. The company will also rehearse in Stone Center and build scenery and costumes in the Drama Department shops before loading in to the Anniston Performing Arts Center.

We knew from day one we needed to assemble a group that was already involved in the arts, so naturally, we reached out to JSU and Randy in the Drama Department, Knox Concert Series, CAST, members of the original Alabama Shakespeare Festival Boards, and many others, Duncan said. The Drama Department has been crucial to help us secure rehearsal and build space this summer in their facilities on campus, and whether referring to the English Departments Dr. DiBiase and Mrs. Roe offering their educational and dramaturgical support or other departments volunteering to help any way they can. Were grateful to have the universitys resources and assistance during this project.

The production will also include professional actors coming from all over the country, including Los Angeles and New York.

Shakespeare is incredibly difficult to perform and if the students of Anniston are going to benefit from the experience, we needed to bring in the professionals, Colton said.

School performances will be August 15-17 and public performances are set for August 18-19. Performance times to be announced. Admission will be free, but donations will be accepted to fund future productions.

The endeavor also includes hosting an invitation-only two-day workshop for teachers that will be run by the American Shakespeare Center from Staunton, Virginia, in August. It will be open to area high school teachers to assist them in teaching the show and the life and history of Shakespeare in general.

Schools interested in registering for the performances should email emilyd@calhounchamber.com or call (256) 237-3536.The European Court of Human Rights [official website] found Thursday that Lithuania and Romania had violated articles of the European Convention on Human Rights [text, PDF] by allowing secret CIA prisons.

Lithuania violated [press release] the article against torture, the right to liberty and security, the right to respect for private life and the right to an effective remedy. Lithuania had allowed the CIA to open a black site on its territory, where the CIA subjected the applicant, Zayn Al-Abidin Muhammad Husayn, to ill-treatment and arbitrary detention. Lithuania failed to properly investigate the allegations made by the the applicant. Lithuania must pay Husayn 130,000 euros (over USD 150,000).

Romania also violated [press release] the article against torture, the right to liberty and security, the right to respect for private life, and the right to an effective remedy. In addition, the court found that Romania violated the right to a fair trial within a reasonable time, the right to life, and the abolition of the death penalty. The applicant in this case, Abd Al Rahim Husseyn Muhammad Al Nashiri, was transported to a black site on Romanian territory, and he faced capital charges in the US. The court apprehended Romania for transferring Al Nashiri from its territory when it was likely he would face the death penalty. Romania must pay the applicant 100,000 euros (over USD 115,000). Unlike Husayn, Al Nashiri did not ask for costs and expenses.MEDFORD, Ore.  Extra patrols over Memorial Day weekend saw Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO) deputies arrest three people for impaired drivingtwo men and a woman between the ages of 32 and 35 years-old. But the weekend doesn't spell the end for those increased patrols, according to JCSO.

There will be two more weeks of a "Summer Kick-Off" DUII patrol event, according to JCSO. Deputies on grant-funded overtime will be on watch throughout the county, but particularly areas frequented by minors using alcohol and drugs, as well as routes to popular recreation areas.

JCSO provided the following tips to help prevent or deter impaired driving:

DRINK OR DRIVE: Once you know where you'll spend your time, decide whether you're drinking or driving - choose only one. GETTING AROUND: Before you take your first sip, leave your keys at home or give them to a friend. Get a ride from a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation. HAVE A BACKUP PLAN: Save the number of a taxi company in your phone so you are always ready. In some areas, you can use ride share services such as Uber or Lyft. CAMP OUT: Rural areas may not have cell phone service. Take an overnight bag with you so you can spend the night if youre too intoxicated to drive. PASSENGERS, TOO: Drivers aren't the only ones at risk. Only accept a ride from a sober driver. HELP A FRIEND: If you know someone who is about to drive while impaired, help them to make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely. SAY SOMETHING: If you suspect an impaired driver on the roadway, call police immediately. It is okay to call 911 to report an impaired driver.

For more information or statistics on impaired driving, you can check here.SALEM, Ore.  Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency for Marion and Polk counties on Thursday, following an alert from officials in Salem that the municipal water was unsafe to drink.

Right on the heels of the governor's announcement, state Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum issued a warning regarding price gouging in the wake of the emergency.

We have already received consumer complaints from Oregonians who believe they have been the victim of price gouging in the last 48 hours," said Rosenblum.

According to Rosenblum's office, price gouging refers to a dramatic price increase following an 'abnormal disruption of the market'such as the Governor's declaration of a state of emergency. Under state law, merchants and wholesalers are barred from increasing their prices 15 percent or more above the amount charged immediately prior to a state of emergency.

Our states price gouging law protects people impacted by an emergency from illegal price gouging on food, shelter, bottled water, fuel and other items necessary for the health, safety and welfare of Oregonians, said Rosenblum.

Included with Governor Brown's emergency declaration was an order for the Oregon Military Department (OMD) to deploy free, clean water stations within Marion County. Currently the number of planned stations stands at 10, spread throughout Salem and Stayton.

"I want to ensure safe drinking water is available to all residents of Salem and Marion County," said Governor Brown.

The unsafe water alert stems from 'low levels of toxins' caused by algae blooms discovered in Detroit Lake, which serves as the source for Salem's water supply, according to Attorney General Rosenblum's office.

Young children and people with 'compromised health and immune systems' could be harmed by the toxins. Officials have said that boiling tap water or using a camping or faucet filter would not be adequate to eliminate the presence of those toxins.

CLICK HERE to find out why the unsafe water alert in Salem had residents concerned for something much worse.By TOM JAMES , Associated Press

SALEM, Ore. (AP)  Oregon's emergency alert systems blasted a cryptic alert to cellphones around the capital city, panicking residents by telling them simply "Civil Emergency" and "Prepare for Action" and leaving off that the threat was toxic algae at a local water supply.

Officials wanted to warn Salem-area residents Tuesday night that elevated levels of a natural toxin caused by the algae bloom had made area tap water unsafe for children and people with compromised immune systems. But that information got cut off, and a more ominous-sounding default message went out in its place, said Andrew Phelps, head of the state emergency management agency.

Officials sent a second message 31 minutes later with more information and a link to a municipal website.

Within hours of the first alert, residents stripped the aisles at one supermarket in the city's downtown center of bottled water, and a shopping cart lay tipped on its side in front of the empty shelves. Workers brought out a pallet of sparkling water, which they placed at the front of the store, and told customers they hoped they'd get more regular water in the morning.

The incident marked a high-profile glitch in authorities' use of emergency alert systems, following a false alarm sent out by Hawaii officials in January warning of an incoming ballistic missile.

In Oregon, confusion surrounded the initial alert even within the emergency management agency, with an official telling reporters the message had caught them unaware and state police asking residents via a Facebook post not to call 911 about the alert.

And when officials directed residents to the city of Salem's municipal website for more information, the site briefly crashed under the load.

"The integrated public alert warning system inadvertently defaulted to a generic message," Phelps said in a video posted on social media by the Office of Emergency Management. "I apologize for the confusion and the anxiety this incomplete message has caused."

Phelps said the message had also been broadcast via local television stations.

Cole Mahaffey, a Salem resident, set down a case of bottled water Wednesday he was carrying down the sidewalk and described the uneasy feeling of seeing the first alert arrive on his phone, with an ominous warning but no other information.

"It almost made me not want to go outside," Mahaffey said, adding that the alert caught him at the gym, and that he had interrupted his exercise routine to ask staff at the front desk if they knew what it was about. "I didn't know if there was something going on in the area, or if there was a shooter, you just had no way of knowing."SALEM, Ore.  Lake County will join the growing list of Oregon's southeastern counties facing a drought emergency, Governor Kate Brown announced on Thursday. Similar drought emergencies have already been declared for Klamath, Harney, and Grant counties.

"Forecasts are predicting severe drought and wildfire conditions for much of Oregon," Governor Kate Brown said. "The conditions in Lake County are already concerning, and I'm directing state agencies to prioritize assistance in the area to help minimize the impacts drought conditions could have on the local economy."

The forecast for water conditions in Lake County are not expected to improve, according to the Governor's office. Those conditions could have dramatic impacts on agriculture, livestock, natural resources, and the local economy.

The declaration comes at the behest of county officials, who cite low snowpack, precipitation, and streamflows in combination with warming temperatures. The county's official request was sent to Salem on March 21, where it was weighed by the Oregon Drought Council before coming to the Governor's desk.

Drought declarations are essentially an administrative toolallowing the state to be more flexible in managing water resources efficiently, and making those impacted by drought in the county eligible for state and federal aid.

"Oregons state agencies will continue to work with local governments and other partners to coordinate efforts and mobilize actions to address drought-related issues. The Governors drought declaration authorizes state agencies to expedite water management tools that users would not otherwise have access," said a statement from the Governor's office.

CLICK BELOW for more background on Klamath County's drought emergency, the first declared in Oregon this year:

- Millions Coming to Klamath Basin for Emergency Drought Relief

- Governor Brown Visits Klamath Falls; Confirms Drought Emergency

- Rep. Walden Discusses Short-Term and Long-Term Drought Solutions

- Klamath County Declares Drought EmergencyBy JENNIFER PELTZ , Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP)  Harvey Weinstein was indicted Wednesday on rape and criminal sex act charges, furthering the first criminal case to arise from a slate of sexual misconduct allegations against the former movie mogul.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said the indictment brings Weinstein "another step closer to accountability."

The announcement came hours after Weinstein's lawyers said he'd decline to testify before the grand jury because there wasn't enough time to prepare him and "political pressure" made an indictment unavoidable.

A statement issued through a Weinstein spokesman said the 66-year-old film producer, who has denied the allegations, learned of the specific charges and the accusers' identities only after turning himself in Friday. With a deadline set for Wednesday afternoon to testify or not, his request for more time was denied, the statement said.

"Finally, Mr. Weinstein's attorneys noted that regardless of how compelling Mr. Weinstein's personal testimony might be, an indictment was inevitable due to the unfair political pressure being placed on Cy Vance to secure a conviction of Mr. Weinstein," the statement said.

Vance said in a statement that the Weinstein camp's "recent assault on the integrity of the survivors and the legal process is predictable."

"We are confident that when the jury hears the evidence, it will reject these attacks out of hand," Vance said.

Weinstein was charged Friday with raping one woman and committing a criminal sex act by compelling oral sex from another. A grand jury continued hearing evidence in the case, as it had been doing for weeks.

Defendants have the right to testify in a grand jury's secret proceedings but often don't, for various reasons.

Freed on $1 million bail and electronic monitoring, he was due back in court July 30, though that date may now be moved up in light of the indictment.

Beyond the two women involved in the case, dozens more women have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct ranging from harassment to assault in various locales.

He has denied all allegations of nonconsensual sex, and his lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, said Tuesday that Weinstein was "confident he's going to clear his name" in the New York prosecution.

Brafman called the rape allegation "absurd," saying that the accuser and Weinstein had a decade-long, consensual sexual relationship that began before and continued after the alleged 2013 attack.

The woman, who hasn't been identified publicly, told investigators Weinstein confined her in a hotel room and raped her.

The other accuser in the case, former actress Lucia Evans, has gone public with her account of Weinstein forcing her to perform oral sex at his office in 2004. The Associated Press does not identify alleged victims of sexual assaults unless they come forward publicly.

Vance, a Democrat, came under public pressure from women's groups to prosecute Weinstein after declining to do so in 2015, when an Italian model went to police to say Weinstein had groped her during a meeting.

Police set up a sting in which the woman recorded herself confronting Weinstein and him apologizing for his conduct. But Vance decided there wasn't enough evidence to bring charges.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, also a Democrat, ordered the state attorney general to investigate how Vance handled that matter.PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)  A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order, barring an Oregon high school from preventing a student from wearing a pro-border wall T-shirt to school for the rest of this school year.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports Liberty High School in Hillsboro had prohibited senior Addison Barnes from wearing his "Donald J. Trump Border Wall Construction Co." shirt on school grounds. But U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman found Tuesday that the Hillsboro School District could not justify its censorship.

Barnes can wear the shirt for the rest of the school year. He is scheduled to graduate June 7.

Barnes earlier this month sued the high school, the principal and district, arguing they violated his First Amendment rights when he was told to go home or cover up the shirt in class.

___

Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.comWHITE CITY, Ore.  One man is in jail and large amounts of drugs and cash in police custody after a K9 unit discovered the contraband during a traffic stop late Tuesday night, according to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO).

JCSO says that a deputy pulled over a blue Ford Mustang for a traffic violation just after 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday, near the intersection of Antelope Road and Division Road. The deputy was assisted by K9 Jack, who began indicating the presence of drugs in the vehicle.

Deputies began searching the vehicle after Jack's urging, finding an ounce each of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaineas well as drug packaging materials and about $11,000 in cash.

The driver of the Mustang was identified as 48-year-old Patrick Jaynesonce an Eagle Point native, but currently a resident of Ketchikan, Alaska. Jaynes was arrested and lodged in the Jackson County jail on a number of drug charges related to the possession, manufacture, and delivery of drugs.

Jayne's bail was set at $3,025,000, according to JCSO.

A detective with the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement unit (MADGE) assisted with the investigation, which is ongoing. JCSO says that anyone with information related to the case can call Deputy Tim Kennedy at (541) 774-6800, referencing Case #18-10750.HILO, Hawaii-- Jerry Hall out of Klamath Falls is no stranger to traveling to helping those in need during natural disasters.

I do this a lot and enjoy being able to give my time to help other people," said Hall.

He's been an American Red Cross volunteer for nine years now and has been across the United States giving aid, from Texas for flooding to New York for Hurricane Sandy. Right now, he's in Hawaii and not on a relaxing, tropical vacation. Kilauea and its devastation brought him to the big island.

"In the evening, there is a beautiful red glow from the lava in the sky but the beauty is out done by the devastation it's causing," Hall added.

He works 12 hours a day making sure all evacuees are comfortable and have everything they need, from food, water, shelter to both mental and physical health services.

"Some of the shelter people have lost everything. Some people don't have any idea if they have anything left and a lot are just waiting to get back into evacuated areas. The uncertainty is hard of our clients."

He's a retired firefighter now but sees himself with the Red Cross for a long time.

You can donate to the Red Cross by heading here, by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or by texting REDCROSS to 90999MEDFORD, Ore. -- The Oregon Liquor Control Commission has released a report on how one month's liquor revenue is funding local cities, counties, and programs. In March 2018, the OLCC reported a $24 M revenue from liquor sales, taxes, license fees, and other means.

It's no secret that alcohol is a big money maker. The OLCC reports that between 2015 and 2017 the state gained $1.22 billion in liquor revenue with a net revenue of $465.2 M.

Funds from every month are distributed among the general fund, city revenue sharing account, cities, counties, the Oregon Wine Board and Mental Health, Alcoholism, and Drug Services.

For the month of March 2018, Jackson County received $115,441 while Medford received $123,308. Josephine County received $45,585 and Grants Pass $57,532. The OLCC report gives a breakdown of how much money every county and city received with this liquor revenue. You can find the full list here.Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe discusses the province's 2018 budget at the Legislative Building in Regina on April 10, 2018. Saskatchewan's premier says that steel and aluminum tariffs imposed by the U.S. will have a significant impact on a steel plant in Regina.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Mark TaylorFormer prime minister Jean Chretien participates in an interview, Tuesday, March 7, 2017 in Ottawa. Former prime minister Jean Chretien's decision to simply ignore a provincial letter asking him if he was lobbying over a port proposal in Nova Scotia doesn't appear to be worrying the province's premier. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin TangIn this artist's sketch, Dellen Millard (left) appears in court in Toronto on Thursday, May 31, 2018 for his judge-only trial for the murder of his father, Wayne Millard. Also shown are (from left) Justice Maureen Forestell, Millard's lawyer Ravin Pillay, witness Janet Campbell and Crown Jill Cameron. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Alexandra NewbouldDried wolfberries displayed at the Chinese Wolfberry Museum in Ningxia Hui autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

As China's largest home to gouqi, or wolfberry, Ningxia Hui autonomous region has many stories about the tiny red fruits.

One is about two foreign travelers finding a young woman beating an aged man when they came to Ningxia. The travelers tried to stop the woman, who showed no respect to her elders.

However, the woman said: "It's none of your business. I am teaching my son a lesson."

The travelers were taken aback by her young looks and later found she was over 100 years old.

Her secret? Consuming Chinese wolfberries every day.

A tourist checks a bag of dried wolfberries at the Chinese Wolfberry Museum in Ningxia Hui autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The story sounds like a bit of an exaggeration, yet the fruit does have a lot of healthy benefits according to scientific research and traditional Chinese medicine.

Its name, gouqi, is from Shi Jing, or The Book of Songs, the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry dating from the 11th to 7th centuries BC.

As an important ingredient, the dried red fruit often appears in Chinese cuisine, including chicken soup and date porridge.

Chinese people also use the dried fruit and dried chrysanthemum to make tea, which is good for the liver and kidneys in traditional Chinese medical theory.

A tourist uses the steam of wolfberry shoot tea to warm her eyes at the Chinese Wolfberry Museum in Ningxia Hui autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The best way to fully absorb the nutrition from dried Chinese wolfberries, according to locals, is to have some immediately before breakfast.

Both the fruit and the shoot of the plant are rich in nutrition.

The dried leaves are often made as a tea. When the tea is hot, people can use its steam to warm their eyes, which can improve eyesight. After tea, the leaves can be stirred with eggs and become a wolfberry shoot omelet.

Wolfberry shoot tea. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Many places in Northwest China produce the fruit, including Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and Gansu province.

Yet the one grown in Ningxia is different from other kinds of wolfberries in China. The former has taller plants and blossoms from May to October, while the latter one blooms from June to November.Marie Mielke, a victim of abuse by a seminarian who later became a priest, explains what the settlement with the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis means to her and her children during a press conference in the Jeff Anderson & Associates office in Saint Paul, Minn., on Thursday, May 31, 2018. (Lacey Young/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)In this image provided by the Prince of Wales Foundation Romania, Prince Charles, second from right, looks at home made food products in the Transylvanian village of Viscri, central Romania, Thursday, May 31, 2018. Britain's Prince Charles arrived at his house in Romania's Transylvania region, where he advised honey and jam producers on how to market their goods. (Prince of Wales Foundation Romania via AP)Israel Film Festival 2018 in Hanoi

Free tickets (Max. 2 tickets/person) are being available at Hanoi Tower (No.49 Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi) from 9h30-11h30 on May 28th, 29th, 30th and Counter First and Diamond Class, BHD Star Vincom from May 24th.

The festival is held by the Embassy of Israel in Vietnam to mark the 25th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Israel and Vietnam, contributing to tightening the cooperation as well as friendship between the two peoples.

Accordingly, different genres of films that describe different aspects of life will be introduced. Some movies present issues of daily life; some are more monumental. One of the films is a touching documentary, and there is even one movie for kids.

Through the films, Vietnamese audience will have a chance to contemplate the beautiful landscapes of Israel, as well as learn more about the culture, tradition and identities of the Israeli people./.Participants at the launch ceremony

In his speech at the launch ceremony, Mr. Tran Huu Huynh, Head of VIAC, said that the promulgation of the Civil Procedure Code 2015 and Decree 22/2017/ND-CP on Commercial Mediation institutionalized the Politburos Resolution 49-NQ/TW dated June 2nd, 2005 on the Judicial Reform Strategy until 2020, in which it emphasized encouraging the settlement of some disputes through negotiation, mediation, arbitration and court support by deciding to recognize the settlement.



With the launch of VMC and announcing the mediation code and organization regulations; the center will be one of the first organizations in Vietnam to function as a service provider for dispute settlement related to trade issues through mediation on the basis of Decree 22/2017/ND-CP.

The mediation code, drafted by the VMCs editorial team, with the participation of the WB Groups IFC mediation specialists, includes 15 articles, describing the sequences, steps, instructions and mandatory principles of a mediation procedure at the VMC.

Founded in 1993 under the initiative of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, VIAC gradually completed arbitration procedures which nearly meet international standards to provide better business and investment activities for the business community./.Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang (Photo: VNA)



All activities of Taiwan in Vietnams Truong Sa archipelago, including its live-fire drill on Ba Binh island from May 23rd-25th, seriously violated Vietnams sovereignty over the archipelago, threatened peace, stability and maritime safety and security, caused tensions and complicated the situation in the East Sea, she stressed.

Hang underscored that Vietnam resolutely protests the activities and requests Taiwan not to repeat such acts again.

Regarding Vietnams reaction against Chinas live-fire drill in Vietnams Hoang Sa (Paracel) archipelago, Hang stated that from May 9th-12th, China continued carrying out its live-fire drills in the islands, severely infringing Vietnams sovereignty over the archipelago, and running counter to the agreement on basic principals guiding the settlement of sea-related issues between Vietnam and China as well as the spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of the Parties in the East Sea (DOC).

The acts have complicated the situation in the East Sea, and affected negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) between ASEAN and China as well as the maintenance of peace, stability and cooperation in the waters, she added.

Vietnam asks China not to conduct similar activities, respect Vietnams sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos as well as common perspectives reached by senior leaders of the two countries and international law, while ending all moves escalating tensions and complicating situation in the region, Hang said.

Vietnam has sufficient legal foundations and historical evidence proving its sovereignty over Hoang Sa and Truong Sa archipelagos, she declared./.HILLSBORO, Ore. -- A judge has ruled in favor, for now, of a Liberty High School student's wish to wear a "Border Wall" T-shirt to school.

Addison Barnes was told by school officials that he couldn't wear the shirt because those school officials claimed it violated the school's dress code which forbids clothing with disruptive phrases.

The judge ruled that the school couldn't prove the shirt was disruptive, even though some students said they were offended by the shirt.

Stay with KEZI 9 News as this court case develops.EUGENE, Ore.  Several Red Cross workers in Oregon are helping people affected by the Kilauea volcano eruption in Hawaii, both on the frontlines and online.

Ten disaster responders from Oregon are on the ground in Hawaii, working in shelters, providing food and water, and helping with healthcare.

The Red Cross has five shelters open on the Big Island, where more than 130 people spent Monday night. More than 70 homes have been destroyed by the lava so far.

In Eugene, one volunteer is providing tech support from more than 2,500 miles away.

Hannah Bean is an in-take processor. When people sign up to volunteer with the Red Cross, she helps guide those applicants through the volunteer process.

Its a specialized position, Bean said. You have to have quite a bit of training.

Bean said shes processed dozens of volunteer applications for help in Hawaii. She said the Red Cross created in-take positions like hers about two years ago.

To donate to the volcano relief efforts, call 1-800 RED CROSS or text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate $10.EUGENE, Ore. -- Senator Ron Wyden visited the students of North Eugene High School on Wednesday, May 30, to talk about issues they feel are plaguing our schools as part of a program called Listening to the Future.

Senator Wyden said he was very impressed with the thoughtful and eloquent questions the students presented. He said they covered many topics he expected and brought up some he didnt, but that made him stop and think.

Wyden said this is an important program because it allows the leaders and policy-makers of today an opportunity to listen to and learn from the leaders of tomorrow.

"Some of the most creative solutions, when you have these tired debates that don't seem to go anywhere, come from students, Wyden said.

The most popular topics students wanted to discuss were the issues of mental health and gun violence. Overall, the students said they just wanted more transparency and access when it comes to mental health resources, and they wanted more protective measures to keep them safe from gun violence.

Another popular topic was DACA and whats going to happen to the undocumented students.

But students also brought up a couple other issues, like school lunches and the idea of teachers being able to share their opinions more openly with students.

Students said they also appreciated this opportunity to share ideas with a state leader because it allowed them to get their foot in the door and start making a change.

"I mean, especially now, we've noticed the youth are rising up and speaking about what they think about and what they believe, said Jessica Cruz, a senior at North Eugene. I think that having us being the future, it's important for us to talk about what we want our future to look at."At the talks (Source: VNA)



At their talks in Tokyo on May 31st during President Quangs State visit to Japan, the leaders noted with pleasure pragmatic and rapid developments of the Vietnam-Japan relationship across fields, with many similarities in strategic interests.

They agreed that 2018 will begin a new development phase of the bilateral ties.

PM Abe described President Quangs visit as a very important political event in the Vietnam-Japan relationship.

He said Japan highly values Vietnams socio-economic achievements as well as its increasingly important position and role in the region and the world at large.

Japan attaches great importance to Vietnam in its foreign policy, the host emphasised.

President Quang affirmed: Vietnam consistently considers Japan a leading, long-term partner.

He appreciated the countrys effective cooperation and support for Vietnam in various realms.

Host and guest consented to continue to enhance mutual political trust by maintaining high-level visits and meetings, and intensifying cooperation and exchanges between the two parties and legislative bodies.

They also agreed to beef up economic links in the spirit of mutual benefits, increase Japans investments in Vietnam and join hands in major projects on high-quality infrastructure, energy, personnel training and climate change response, as well as in implementing Vietnams industrialisation strategy.

The two sides will work together in order to raise bilateral trade revenue and facilitate the entry of Vietnamese seafood and fruits like litchi and longan into the Japanese market.

PM Sinzo Abe affirmed that Japan will continue supporting Vietnam in socio-economic development by providing official development assistance (ODA), strengthening cooperation in high quality infrastructure projects, and committing the provision of JPY16 billion (USD142 million) in ODA for a project to enhance vocational training capacity of Vietnam.

President Tran Dai Quang hailed contributions of Japanese ODA to Vietnams socio-economic development and the improvement of the countrys competitiveness. He agreed that the two countries need to coordinate closely in using the resource.

Both sides concurred to foster affiliation in security and defence as well as in implementing the declaration on joint vision in defence cooperation between the two countries.

They will bolster cooperation in various areas such as cyber security, defence equipment, military medicine, UN peace-keeping operations, war consequence settlement through landmine clearance and support of Agent Orange/dioxin victims in Vietnam, improve the capacity of law enforcement at sea, and share experience on maritime policy.

The leaders lauded the launch of negotiations for an agreement on mutual criminal legal support and another on transfer of sentenced persons.

Vietnam and Japan agreed to promote coordination in education, human resources training, agriculture, health care, labour, urban building and development, administrative reform, and partnership among localities.

PM Shinzo Abe pledged to assist Vietnam in high-ranking official training, administrative reform, while continuing receiving apprentices from Vietnam.

The leaders affirmed that the two countries would closely coordinate in organising activities celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties, as well as promoting culture, sport and people-to-people exchanges, towards further deepening mutual trust and understanding between their people.

They stressed that this is an important foundation for sustainable development of the Vietnam-Japan relations in the future.

President Quang asserted Vietnams consistent policy of actively coordinating with international partners, contributing to maintaining peace, stability and cooperation in the region and the world.

The two sides agreed to enhance their coordination at global and regional forums in the issues of their common concern.

Talking about the Korean Peninsula issue, the leaders affirmed the support for efforts for peace, stability and denuclearization in the peninsula, and stressed the importance to resolve disagreements by diplomatic and peaceful measures.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides agreed on the importance to ensure peace, security, navigation and aviation freedom and safety in the sea, and the peaceful settlement of disputes by peaceful means without the use of force or threat to use force, exercising self-restraint and avoiding all actions that would harm trust, and strictly abiding by international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They also underlined the need to respect diplomatic and legal processes, fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and strive to reach a framework of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in a practical and effective manner with legal effectiveness.

At the end of the talks, President Tran Dai Quang and PM Shinzo Abe witnessed the signing of four documents between the two countries ministries and sectors.

The documents include a diplomatic note on a non-refundable aid worth JPY745 million (equivalent to USD6.77 million) for human resources development scholarships; a diplomatic note on a non-refundable aid worth JPY1.96 billion (equivalent to USD17.8 million) for the upgrade of downgraded water drainage ditches in Ho Chi Minh City; a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in land and water resource management, measurement, mapping and information on geographical space, hydro-metrology and remote sensing between the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Vietnam and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan; and the minutes on cooperation on urban construction and development in the 2018-2021 between Vietnams Ministry of Construction and Japans Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

On the occasion, the two sides adopted the joint statement on the State visit to Japan of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Late on the day, President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse attended the official banquet hosted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his spouse./.MASON CITY, Iowa  Codie Matz, accused of killing his grandparents in 2017, has informed the court that he intends to plead guilty. The new information was filed Wednesday.

A plea change hearing has been scheduled for June 5 at 2 p.m. in the Cerro Gordo County Courthouse.

A trial date had been set for Oct. 15.

Related: More information on the Codie Matz case.

Matz is accused of stabbing to death 61-year-old Kenneth Hackbart and his wife, 64-year-old Kathleen Hackbart at their Mason City home at 327 27th St. SW in early November.

Matz is facing two counts of first-degree murder.

Matz was found competent to stand trial Feb. 13. A court filing by his attorney said he may use a defense of insanity, intoxication, or diminished responsibility at trial.ELDORA, Iowa  A man convicted of sexually abusing a child has now lost in civil court.

A judge has sided with Dean Hilpipres victim and her mother and granted a default judgment in their lawsuit. Hilpipre pleaded guilty to lascivious acts with a child for abusing the girl and was sentenced to five years of probation.

After pleading guilty, Hilpipre claimed a $100,000 prize from the Iowa Lottery and was sued for those winnings. The plaintiffs filed a motion in Hardin County District Court that Hilpipre had not responded to their lawsuit within the specified time limit and asked the judge to rule in their favor.

The judge has now granted a default judgment against Hilpipre and a hearing will be scheduled to determine what sort of damages he will have to pay.BUTLER COUNTY, Iowa  A lockdown was put into place at around 10:30 a.m. at North Butler after the district was made aware of a possible outside threat to the building by the Butler County Sheriffs office.

The building was placed into lockdown to restrict access, the district said on social media.

The district added the following:

All students who were working outside were brought into the building. Within minutes a deputy from the sheriffs department arrived on scene as an extra precaution. Sheriff Johnson and his team quickly located the subject, which allowed us to go back to normal function within about a forty-minute timespan. The safety of our students and staff are our highest priority, Superintendent Joel Foster said.

The Butler County Sheriff's Office said a press release is upcoming.MASON CITY, Iowa  Human remains were recently discovered in rural Mason City, but authorities say they are not Jodi Huisentruit.

The Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Office was called on May 20 about human remains found in the 22000 block of 275th Street. Deputies went to the scene and called for assistance from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. The skeletal remains were sent to the Iowa State Medical Examiners Office where an autopsy was performed on May 23. The results of the autopsy are not being released.

The Iowa Department of Public Safety says an anthropologist determined the remains were of a white female between 20 and 45 years old, between 5-feet and 5-feet-7 inches tall, and had been at the location from between 5-15 years.

The Iowa State Medical Examiners Office says a forensic examination of the teeth found as part of the remains definitively proved they are not the remains of Huisentruit, a KIMT anchor who disappeared on June 27, 1995.

The Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation ask anyone with information about a missing person matching this description to call 641-421-3000.ROCHESTER, Minn. -- Brigid Burke was sexually assaulted in Rochester in 2015. That same year, legislature required the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to conduct a survey of how many untested rape kits each Minnesota law enforcement agency has. They found 3,482 reported untested kits in the state.

Rape kits are an evidence-collecting process that can be used to convict people of sex crimes.

Of the 3,482, the Rochester Police Department reported 56 untested kits; The Olmsted County Sheriff's Office reported 14; and the Austin Police Department reported 5. There was no reported number for Albert Lea.

Now, a group of organizations including the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault are partnering to apply for an almost $3 million Sexual Assault Kit Initiative grant. The grant would help get resources to test the backlog of untested kits. The efforts would begin in Anoka County, but MNCASA tells KIMT the plan would be to eventually have every kit in the entire state tested, including Southeast Minnesota.

After her assault, Burke tried to get a rape kit in Rochester but due to miscommunications between agencies, she never got one. That experience makes her skeptical of how effective processes after the grant will be.

"It's not just a DNA issue. It's also a law enforcement and judicial system issue so if they can't get on board with testing and prosecuting based on the rape kits, it's going to be worthless," she explains.

She wants to see more education for people who handle sexual assault reporting and rape kit collecting. "The appropriate things to say, to not victim blame, to not suspect lying. I think every single person who potentially could come into contact with a survivor should have to go through trainings," Burke says.

The SAKI grant has been effective in other parts of the state. Duluth, the city with the most untested rape kits as reported by the BCA, received a grant. As of May 18th, they announced that all of their eligible rape kits were submitted for testing.

MNCASA and the other partnering organizations will find out in September if they are receiving the grant.ALBERT LEA, Minn. - A man has been charged with a gross misdemeanor in the case of a Waseca County girl who went missing.

Oscar Harold Mehus, 47 of Albert Lea, is accused of contributing to a need for protection or social services. On May 8, Grace Cummins, 16 of New Richland, was reported as missing to authorities. Her family received an anonymous tip on May 10 and found Grace at a home in Albert Lea.

The Waseca County Sheriff's Office interviewed Grace on May 11. According to court documents, she said she left school and withdrew money from the bank to pay for a ride from a truck driver. Grace ended up in Albert Lea and reportedly said she wandered around until she met Mehus at a fast food restaurant.

Grace said she told Mehus she was 18 years old and he invited her back to his home, where Grace said she saw Mehus sell methamphetamine to multiple individuals. Grace also told law enforcement Mehus gave her meth, which she ingested. Court records also state the teen said Mehus tried to "cuddle" with her and she pushed him away.

The Albert Lea Police Department says when it interviewed Mehus, he said Grace claimed to be 18 years old at first and then said she was 17. Albert Lea police say Mehus did not contact them about encountering the girl or taking her to his home.CLEAR LAKE, Iowa - Clear Lake will soon become home to an 'inclusive playground.'



The playground is intended to have stronger safety features such as soft padding on the ground to prevent injury and equipment designed to allow those with or without special needs to have fun.

Grant Maulsby and his wife got the idea from an existing playground in Ankeny. They are parents of two young boys who have autism, who have served as an inspriation for the project.

"We just saw a need for kids with special needs. They need to be sociable with their peers and you can't get that at some playgrounds because it's just not safe for kids. And so we want to get this for not just kids with special needs, but for everybody because we want our kids to be able to socialize with their peers."

Maulsby says that in addition to the playground being a unique addition to the area, he wants to keep the project growing even after it's built, as long as funds are in place.

"What we can do is constantly grow this. We're not gonna stop when it's built. We can keep raising funds, writing grants, and adding on to our playground."

The 'Everybody Plays' foundation is hosting a fundraiser for the playground Thursday evening from 6 to 11 p.m. at the Surf District Rock 'n Roll Grill. Tickets are $25, and will include live and silent auctions, and live music from the band Brazilian 2wins.President Tran Dai Quang meets with Japanese King Akihito on May 30th (Photo: VNA)



President Quang hoped that his State visit to Japan will open up new development phase in the Vietnam - Japan ties towards a more intensive and effective manner, bringing practical benefits to people of both sides and for regional and global peace, stability, cooperation and development.

The State leader and his spouse expressed their impression on the visit to Vietnam made by the Japanese royal couple in 2017, adding that their visit has deepened mutual trust and understanding between the two countries people, contributing to elevating the bilateral ties to a new height.

On the occasion, they invited members of the Japanese Imperial Family to visit Vietnam in a proper time.

For their parts, the Japanese royal couple thanked President Quang and his spouse for giving them warm welcome during their visit to Vietnam last year. They affirmed that they treasure the Vietnam-Japan cooperation and friendship and will do their utmost to further develop the ties.

Japanese King Akihito underlined that cultural and people-to-people exchanges, particularly during the year the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations, are very important for the development of the bilateral ties as they serve as a boost to mutual trust and understanding.

On May 30th night, President Quang and his spouse were scheduled to attend a national banquet hosted by the King and Queen at the Imperial Palace.

In the morning, the Japanese royal couple hosted an official welcome ceremony for President Quang and his spouse. President Quang is the first foreign State leader to pay a State visit to Japan this year./.GREENE, Iowa  A 19-year-old Greene man is facing a felony threat of terrorism charge connected to Wednesdays lock-down at North Butler.

Andrew Corwin has been charged in Butler County after the Charles City Police Department said it received information that Corwin told a student at Charles City that he would shoot up North Butler High School in Greene.

The Butler County Sheriffs Department and deputies were dispatched to the schools while awaiting more information.

The school lock-down lasted around 45 minutes.

Authorities went to Corwins apartment in Greene where he told them he was sorry and he wouldnt say anything like that again.FORT MYERS, Florida - A new court date has been set for a Minnesota woman accused of murder in two states.

Video of Lois Riess arrest

Authorities react to arrest of Lois Riess

Riess captured after nationwide manhunt ends

Authorities: Details on murders, hours before and after

Lois Ann Riess, 56 of Blooming Prairie, is charged with 2nd degree murder, two counts of grand theft, and criminal use of personal identification information in Lee County, Florida. Authorities say she murdered Pamela Hutchinson in April and stole the woman's car, cash, and identity. Riess is also a suspect in the March killing of her husband David Riess in Blooming Prairie.

A case management conference for Lois Riess has now been scheduled for July 11 in Lee County Circuit Court. The prosecution has also submitted a list of 95 potential witnesses against Riess.ROCHESTER, Minn.  The Salvation Army is celebrating two of their leaders.

Majors James and Paulette Frye are retiring this year after 40 years of service.

The two leaders said after more than a decade in Rochester, the Salvation Armys programs continue to help with the growing communitys needs.

As DMC is here and they continue to grow, more people come, there's going to be challenges we face with that, and one of them is affordable housing, Major James Frye said. Are people being able to find some place to live? And of course, that always creates a challenge.

The Salvation Army has over 30 programs that help people in the community.

This isnt goodbye for the Majors, they said they plan to keep serving. Thats because they say volunteers are what keep the programs going.

That's the only way the Salvation Army is gonna continue to survive and do that work is people coming forward, Major James Frye said, giving their time, talents, and treasures to be able to do that and help others.

Their retirement service is set for Sat., June 16. It starts at 11:00 a.m. and will be held at 20 First Avenue NE.ROCHESTER, Minn. - The City Council voted to approve the next Fire Chief to be Battalion Chief Eric Kerska.

Kerska served in the Army for 32 years, has been with the Rochester Fire Department since 1994, and was also a captain. Leadership and holding a team together is nothing new for him.

The Rochester City Council spoke fondly of Kerska before approving him to take over as Fire Chief following the retirement of current Chief, Greg Martin at the end of June.

Kerska was one of the final two candidates, along with Deputy Chief R. Vance Swisher. The Commission says its recommendation "is based upon the applicant that aligned with the competencies required to be successful in this position."



Eric KerskaDECORAH, Iowa - The South Carolina woman arrested in northeast Iowa with her missing daughter has been sentenced for 5th degree theft.

Jessica Ray, 36, and William Ray, 44, were picked up in Winneshiek County on May 17. They disappeared from South Carolina in April with their daughter, Dakota, after they knew she was going to be removed from their home by social services.

Jessica Ray was accused of stealing a woman's purse in Le Mars. She pleaded guilty and was ordered Thursday to spend 14 days in the Winneshiek County Jail, with credit for time served, and pay a $65 fine.

William Ray is scheduled to stand trial on August 1 on 2nd degree theft. Authorities say he was arrested while driving a stolen van.

Both Rays are facing charges in South Carolina for vanishing with their daughter.WATERLOO, Iowa (AP)  Iowa wildlife experts have released two squirrels after a vet removed electrical zip ties from around their necks, including one with a bell attached.

Dreama Bartz with the Black Hawk Wildlife Rehabilitation Project said Wednesday that she trapped the animals this month after a Waterloo resident called to report the apparent cruelty.

A vet helped to remove the ties and determined the squirrels were not hurt before they were released back into the neighborhood where they were found.

Bartz thinks a resident captured the squirrels as infants and let them go months later, after realizing the frisky pair wouldn't works as pets.

She thinks the zip ties and bell were ways to keep track of them.

Bartz says the squirrels could have been choked by the ties as they grew.FREEBORN COUNTY, Minn.  Around 7,400 turkeys died during a severe storm Tuesday, according to Freeborn County Sheriff Kurt Freitag.

The turkeys were at a facility in Geneva at 31627 820th St. before it was completely demolished as severe thunderstorms with high winds blew through the area.

The storm Tuesday was so severe it caught the attention from the National Weather Service, which said straight-line wind speeds reached 80 miles per hour.

The owners of the farm are currently trying to recover in the hospital. So family friends Linda Dewey and Caris Maloney came in to help clear the debris from the property.

The facility is located just east of Geneva.

The severe storm knocked power out to many in Geneva and left debris in many locations around the town.

There are reports that three people were also inside a camper that flipped over a the turkey facility. One woman reportedly suffered three broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and a possible concussion. Anothter woman suffered a leg injury and a male victim had minor scrapes and bruises.

The owners of the farm are currently trying to recover in the hospital. So family friends Linda Dewey and Caris Maloney came in to help clear the debris from the property.

Maloney said there's no way thousands of baby turkeys could survive this weather.

Maloney added that recovery for the farm is going to be difficult but shes happy things didn't end worse.

It'll hurt him but his family is alive and i know he's going to feel that.LIMA (Reuters) - Canadian miner Bear Creek Mining Corp (BCM.V) will likely make a public offering for its Peruvian unit on the bourse in Lima to help finance its $550 million Corani silver project, the companys chief financial officer said on Wednesday.

Bear Creek would also consider selling a stake in the Corani project in southern Peru to help pay for the project, said Paul Tweddle.

Everythings on the table, Tweddle said on the sidelines of the International Gold & Silver Symposium in Peru.

This is the first step before future rounds of financing for the project, Tweddle said of the upcoming IPO.

Tweddle estimated Bear Creek would issue its shares on the bourse within three months and declined to estimate how much it might raise.

Corani is expected to produce 11 million to 12 million ounces of silver once fully operational. If construction begins in 2018 as scheduled, production would kick off in 2022, Tweddle said.

Bear Creek had initially planned to finance Corani with earnings form its proposed silver project Santa Ana, also in southern Peru. But a previous presidential administration revoked Bear Creeks right to build Santa Ana in 2011 after deadly protests against the proposed mine.

Late last year, Bear Creek won the right to develop Santa Ana after suing Peru. The current government of President Martin Vizcarra must now pay the company $31 million.

Tweddle said Bear Creek was waiting to talk with the current government about Santa Ana before taking any next steps on the project. Right now Santa Ana is still in our portfolio as a concession, Tweddle said.BEIJING (Reuters) - China will lower import tariffs for some consumer products from most favored nations from July 1, the finance ministry said on Thursday, as part of efforts to open up the consumer market.

The reduced tariff will apply to 1,449 items, with the average rate dropping to 6.9 percent from 15.7 percent, the finance ministry said in a statement on its website.

The ministry said it would also scrap temporary tariff rates on 210 imported products from most favored nations from July 1.

The news comes a day after Chinas state council, or cabinet, said it would reduce import tariffs on a range of consumer goods such as cosmetics, apparel and home appliances to force its industries to upgrade and boost competitiveness.ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday it may take more than one meeting to seal a denuclearization deal with North Korea and that he would like Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons program as quickly as possible under any agreement.

Trump, in a brief interview with Reuters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Texas for Republican fund-raising events, said he was still hoping to hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on June 12 in Singapore.

He said he will most likely be visited by North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol on Friday at the White House after the official wraps up meetings with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in New York. The North Korean official is carrying a letter to Trump from Kim Jong Un.Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh and Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono (Source: VNA)



Both sides stressed the significance of the visit on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and agreed to successfully hold activities celebrating the occasion.

Deputy PM Minh affirmed that Vietnam attaches importance to extensive strategic partnership with Japan, and considers Japan the top important and long-term partner.

Speaking highly of Japans supply of official development assistance (ODA) to the country, Minh suggested Japan continues joint work in high-quality infrastructure, climate change response, as well as effective and proper use of ODA.

He proposed increasing Japanese investment in Vietnam in potential fields of labour, high-tech agriculture, locality-to-locality cooperation and people-to-people exchange.

Stressing that Japan highly values ties with Vietnam in its policy, Kono noted that Japan will continue assisting Vietnam in economic development via high-quality infrastructure and human resources training projects.

The host expressed wish to further reinforce bilateral ties in diverse areas, and facilitate cultural and people-to-people exchange on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties.

On regional and global issues, including the East Sea issue, they pledged to offer mutual support at the United Nations, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and ASEANs related meetings.

Kono lauded Vietnam for successfully holding APEC Year 2017 and thanked its close and active liaison in the negotiations and signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

He wished that both sides would accelerate internal procedures to soon realise the deal.

Minh vowed to work closely with Japan in the role of coordinator of ASEAN - Japan ties for 2018-2021 to push forward their practical and effective relations./.LISBON (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she would communicate with a new Italian government in an open-minded way amid political turbulence in Rome that has stirred fears of another euro zone crisis.

She spoke in Lisbon after talks with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who urged swift action by Europe to prevent Italys ructions spreading elsewhere in the euro zone.

At the end of a two-day trip to Portugal, Merkel praised the countrys recovery from its 2011-14 debt crisis, saying there was now a more optimistic situation than when she last visited five years ago.

But Italys turbulence this week, as the anti-establishment Five-Star Movement and the far-right, anti-EU League party have tried to form a ruling coalition, has unnerved markets and prompted reminders of the euro zone crisis by pushing Portuguese and other southern European bond yields higher.

Costa said Italy showed that Europe has to stand together to avoid turbulence. The euro zone crisis prompted bailouts of Greece, Ireland, Spain, Cyprus and Portugal, financed in large party by Germany, Europes biggest creditor.

Italy (illustrates that) when we react too late to the causes of crises, we generate undesirable phenomena like populism, extremism and nationalism, Costa said, standing next to Merkel. Europe needs to work quickly to avoid and prevent situations like this.

On Wednesday Italian President Sergio Mattarella gave more time to the leaders of the far-right League and anti-establishment Five Star Movement to make another attempt at forming a government after months of crisis.

Global financial markets were more stable on Thursday after falling earlier this week on the specter of another Italian election dominated by debate over Italys future in the euro zone.

Sadly (Italy) has shown that we are all indirectly hit when there is a specific problem in one of our countries, Costa said.

Merkel said she would work with a new Italian government.

In Italy were waiting for the government to form, I want to reach out to the new government in an open-minded way, she said.

Portugal became a poster child for adopting harsh austerity during its bailout, which has resulted in strong economic growth and rising foreign investment, including from German companies.

Bosch ROBG.UL has invested more than 300 million euros in the last two years on a plant in the city of Braga, which Merkel visited on Wednesday.

Volkswagen is the biggest German company in Portugal, having invested around 3 billion euros over the past 20 years in its Autoeropa plant near Lisbon, including last years expansion worth 700 million to make the new T-Roc sport utility vehicle.(Kitco News) - Swiss trade data show that physical gold demand in many key nations has been soft so far this year, said Metals Focus.

Switzerland is a major gold-refining hub, thus the countrys trade statistics are closely monitored as a barometer for global physical demand.

Switzerlands gold exports rose by 2% year-on-year to 478 tonnes from January through April.

However, this growth is almost entirely driven by robust growth in China. Excluding that country, Swiss exports were actually down by almost a third, Metals Focus said in a report released Wednesday.

Further, combined shipments to Hong Kong and mainland China were 43 tonnes in April, down by 46% from the prior month and the lowest level since October, Metals Focus said.

During the first four months of 2018, Swiss exports to the region totaled 172 tonnes, up 65% year-on-year, Metals Focus said. However, the consultancy explained, the dramatic rise was due to a weak comparison level from a year ago.

It is worth stressing that part of these gains came as a result of the tightening regulations on gold bullion imports imposed by the Chinese central bank in 2017, which led to a temporary slowdown in Chinese imports early in the year, the consultancy continued.

One positive for physical gold demand, however, is that Chinese gold-jewelry consumption has picked up, analysts said. First-quarter buying was 7% higher than the same period a year ago.

Meanwhile, Swiss gold exports to India totaled 80 tonnes from January to April, which Metals Focus noted was less than half of the total from the same period in 2017.

A number of factors contributed to this hefty fall. First, Indian bullion imports in H1.17 were boosted by stock replenishments by the trade ahead of the introduction of the GST [goods and services tax], Metals Focus says. Second, both jewelry sales and retail investment posted lower volumes in Q1.18.

That said, feedback from the industry has confirmed a pick-up in demand in April, while the local market also moved to a modest premium over the London price. Indeed, most jewelers we recently spoke to confirmed higher sales y/y on Akshaya Tritiya, one of the most auspicious days to buy gold in India.

Swiss shipments to other key physical gold markets have been generally lower so far this year, Metals Focus said. Weakness in the Middle East was the result of poor economic conditions, and there has been softer demand for gold bars among European retail investors, the consultancy said.

Finally, it is worth noting that Swiss exports to the U.K. remained low at 7 [tonnes], highlighting lackluster interest in the yellow metal among institutional investors, Metals Focus said.

Metals Focus also noted that January-April imports into Switzerland were down by over 30% from the prior year to 443 tonnes.BERLIN (Reuters) - There are no signs of a de-escalation in the trade dispute between Europe and the United States, German Finance Minister Olaf Scholz said in a Reuters interview published on Thursday, adding the EUs response to any U.S. tariffs must be strong.

U.S. President Donald Trump has granted the European Union a temporary exemption from hefty tariffs on steel and aluminum imports which will expire on Friday.

Asked if there were signs of a de-escalation in the dispute, Scholz told Reuters: No, there are no such signs.

EU member states have become more willing to underline their unity and sovereignty by acting in a determined way, Scholz said, adding: Our response should be clear, strong and smart.LONDON (Reuters) - Petropavlovsk has said it will remove the board member representing the Russian gold miners biggest shareholder Kenges Rakishev, ratcheting up tensions between rival investor groups over management of the company.

In a notice for its annual meeting on June 29, London-listed Petropavlovsk proposed removing Rakishevs nominated director Bektas Mukazhanov.

Upon delivery of the notice to Mr Mukazhanov, the office of his directorship will be vacated, and he will cease to be a director of the Company, Petropavlovsk said in a statement.

Rakishev, a Kazakh entrepreneur, and two other investors CABS Platform and Slevin, have been pushing for Pavel Maslovskiy to return as CEO of the company. He resigned in July last year after a shareholder revolt.

But Petropavlovsk wants to keep the current management and does not want Maslovskiy back as CEO.

The miner wants to remove Mukazhanov from the board because he also works for Fincraft Holdings Ltd, a company owned by Rakishev, which Petropavlovsk says is a conflict of interest.

Mukazhanov told Reuters he was surprised at his removal and said that the ongoing conflict was a distraction for the board.

The duty of the board is to develop the business, not focus on conflicts and relationships with shareholders, he said.

The conflict they see is not from a business perspective - its from personal positions.

Petropavlovsk also said its board wanted to know the identities of the parties behind CABS and Slevin, which together own 9.1 percent of the company and have offshore addresses in Panama and Anguilla, according to Thomson Reuters data.

Reuters has not been able to reach them.

It is simply not credible that two entities, organized in tax haven jurisdictions, and apparently not otherwise involved in any other business dealings and particularly not involved in the mining industry, have invested approximately 20 million pounds ($26.64 million) out of the blue in a Russian gold mining company, a Petropavlovsk spokesman said in an email.

Petropavlovsks share price has collapsed from highs in 2008, although it has rallied from its lows in 2015-16 when commodity markets crashed. It was down 1.2 percent at 1143 GMT.

Rakishev said on Thursday he had lobbied for the return of Maslovskiy before the current Chief Executive Roman Deniskin was appointed in February.

Since I acquired a stake in Petropavlovsk I have said repeatedly that I am concerned the company lacks vision, Rakishev said.

Rather than seeking to damage Petropavlovsk further, I encourage the board to recognize they have lost the support of the majority of shareholders and step down.

The battle is heating up just as the company is on the verge of completing a decade-long quest that will allow it to start extracting previously trapped gold.

Petropavlovsk is close to bringing on technology to boost profits from the treatment of refractory gold ore, which is very hard to process using traditional methods.

The company has asked British regulators to investigate CABS and Slevin to see whether they have a relationship with any of the companys other shareholders, or the three nominee directors: Maslovskiy, Roderic Lyne and Robert Jenkins.

Maslovskiy has said he was not connected to the two investors. The other two nominees could not immediately be reached for comment.MADRID, May 31 (Reuters) - The leader of Spains socialist party Pedro Sanchez on Thursday said he would stick to the budget approved by current Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy if he won a no-confidence vote in parliament.

I commit myself to fulfil the obligations of the EU, we want to maintain the budget approved by this assembly, Sanchez told the parliament at the start of the no-confidence debate.

Socialist leader Pedro Sanchez needs an absolute majority of 176 votes to become Spains new Prime Minister, and information from various parties suggested he had secured 175 as the parliamentary session got under way. (Reporting By Jesus Aguado Editing by Julien Toyer)WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will hold a news briefing at 9 a.m. (1300 GMT) to announce Section 232 national security-related tariff modifications, the U.S. Commerce Department said in a statement on Thursday. The announcement comes after two sources said Washington will announce plans to impose tariffs on EU steel and aluminum imports as early as Thursday. A magazine separately reported that President Donald Trump wanted to push German cars out of the United States. Reporting by Susan Heavey and Tim Ahmann; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.WASHINGTON/PARIS (Reuters) - Washington will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, Canada and Mexico from midnight on Thursday, ending months of uncertainty over potential exemptions and sharply escalating the risk of a trade war.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross told reporters in a telephone briefing that Washington would proceed with plans for a 25 percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum imports, although he said the door was still open for negotiations without specifying what measures could be taken.

We look forward to continued negotiations, both with Canada and Mexico on the one hand, and with the European Commission on the other hand, because there are other issues that we also need to get resolved, Ross said.

The tariffs, which have prompted several challenges at the WTO, are aimed at allowing the U.S. steel and aluminum industries to increase their capacity utilization rates above 80 percent for the first time in years.

Worries about a U.S. trade war with the European Union weighed on Wall Street stocks at the open, but shares of U.S. steel and aluminum makers were up strongly.

President Donald Trumps administration has threatened to impose tariffs on car imports, is engaged in negotiations with China to reduce Americas yawning trade deficit and has said it will punish Beijing for stealing its technology by imposing tariffs on $50 billion of imports from China.

Ross himself heads to Beijing on Friday where he will attempt to get firm deals to export more U.S. goods in a bid to cut Americas $375 billion trade deficit with China.

After months in which it appeared the Trump administration had been backing away from tariffs amid infighting between the presidents top economic advisers, Washington has over the past week ramped up its threats on trade.

German magazine Wirtschaftswoche reported on Thursday that Trump had told French President Emmanuel Macron he wanted to stick to his trade policy long enough that Mercedes-Benz cars were no longer cruising through New York. That share prices of BMW (BMWG.DE), Daimler (DAIGn.DE) and Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE).

The Trump administration launched a national security investigation last week into car and truck imports, using the same 1962 law that he has applied to curb incoming steel and aluminum.

Frances Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire had met with Ross on Thursday in a bid to end the stand-off over steel and aluminum, a move that ultimately failed to sway the U.S. administration.

Its entirely up to U.S authorities whether they want to enter into a trade conflict with their biggest partner, Europe, Le Maire told reporters after the meeting.

Europe did not want a trade war, he said, but Washington had to back down from unjustified, unjustifiable and dangerous tariffs. The European Union would respond with all necessary measures if the United States imposed them.

The European Commission, which coordinates trade policy for the 28 EU members, has said the bloc should be permanently exempted from the tariffs since it is an ally and not the cause of steel and aluminum overcapacity.

The EU has threatened to retaliate with tariffs on Harley Davidson motorcycles and bourbon, measures aimed at the political bases of Republican legislators who they wanted to stand up to Trump.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the European Union would give a smart, determined and jointly agreed response to new U.S. tariffs that she said would break World Trade Organization rules.

EU countries have given broad support to the Commissions plan to set duties on 2.8 billion euros ($3.4 billion) of U.S. exports, including whiskey and motorbikes, if Washington ends the EU tariff exemption. EU exports potentially subject to U.S. duties are worth 6.4 billion euros ($7.5 billion).

However, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier appeared with Le Maire in Paris on Wednesday, pledging a unified line.

We are prepared to react in a united and clear way whatever the decision of the (U.S.) president, he said.

The Trump administration has given permanent metals tariff exemptions to several countries including Australia, Argentina and South Korea, but in each case set import quotas.

Fridays deadline for exemptions also affects Mexico and Canada, which are in negotiations with the United States on the North American Free Trade Agreement that Trump has said he wants to revamp, or abandon if the talks fail.WHISTLER, British Columbia (Reuters) - A U.S. move to impose tariffs on aluminum and steel imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union overshadowed a gathering of G7 finance ministers and central bankers on Thursday, amid fears a trade war will imperil global economic growth.

The meeting of top financial policymakers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations in Canada is set to focus on reducing income inequality, but trade concerns have made U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin the top target for bilateral complaints and lobbying from disgruntled allies.

The United States on Thursday said it was moving ahead with imposing the steel and aluminum tariffs, ending months of uncertainty about potential exemptions and sending a chill through financial markets.

Concern about Trumps hardening approach to trade dominated the discussion panel as top policymakers from the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada gathered in the alpine village of Whistler, British Columbia, Canada.

(Trade) is not our direct responsibility. But ... this focus on goods trade, bilateral goods is not the right focus in a hyperconnected world where most of the economic activity, most people work, most small businesses, most women work in the service sector, Bank of England Governor Mark Carney said.

If we were to liberalize services to the same degree as we have liberalized (trade in) goods, these balances would be cut in half for the United States and for the UK, he added.

International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde said if trade is massively disrupted, the level of public trust in leaders will be severely damaged.

First of all, those who will suffer most are the poorest, the less privileged people, those who actually rely on imported goods to have their living, she said, adding that longstanding supply chains also would be disrupted.

The three-day finance leaders meeting is set to conclude on Saturday, but U.S. moves on trade policy, which also include potential tariffs and investment restrictions on China and a national security probe that could lead to tariffs on auto imports, are expected to also dominate the G7 summit of world leaders in Quebec next week.

Facing up to the rise of counterproductive nationalism is a major issue that the G7 cannot avoid, former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin told the panel.Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh made the remark at a gathering of Vietnamese businesses in Cambodia on May 30. The event, organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia, aimed to help Vietnamese entrepreneurs share their experience in doing business in the country.

He said the event affords participants a chance to raise ideas to build support policy and facilitate their effective operations in the near future.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cambodia Vu Quang Minh (Photo:VOV)

Vietnamese Commercial Counsellor in Cambodia Le Bien Cuong said the Vietnamese Party, State and people always encourage the development of Vietnamese firms in Cambodia.

Vietnam ranks sixth among countries investing in Cambodia, mostly in agriculture, services, banking, insurance and consumer goods.

Participants shared advantages and disadvantages in doing business in the country and wished that their difficulties would be removed by the two countries ministries and agencies.

Concluding the event, Ambassador Minh vowed to gather businesses feedback to submit to Vietnamese and Cambodian authorities, thus facilitating their operations.It is part of the second stage of the mural village project, namely Art for a Better Community, a joint initiative of the Korean Community Art Exchange Programme and the Peoples Committee of Quang Nam to support the growth of local tourism industry.

On May 10, a group of Korean volunteers, comprising painters and fine arts teachers, together with local young people started working on the murals, depicting portraits of Vietnamese people, the nature, cartoon characters and the Vietnam - RoK friendship, in Thuong Thanh village.

The second phase of the project was inspired by the success of the first phase which saw Korean artists turning the old walls of 100 houses in Tam Thanh village, Tam Thanh commune into colourful murals in 2016. (Photo: NDO)

They also put on new clothes for more than 50 houses in the villages with many paintings after 20 days of work.

The second phase of the project was inspired by the success of the first phase which saw Korean artists turning the old walls of 100 houses in Tam Thanh village, Tam Thanh commune into colourful murals in 2016.

Photographers from the RoK, the Philippines and Turkey flocked to take photos at the village for an exhibition in Seoul and other cities last year.The hand-over ceremony was attended by Marco de Niet, deputy director of the Leiden University Libraries; Marije Plomp, librarian for the South and Southeast Asian collection; Jonathan London, a lecturer at Leiden University; Ngo Lam, the person in charge of the collection on Vietnam; and a delegation of five officials of the Vietnam Film Institute (VFI), who are on a working trip to the Netherlands.

In her speech, Vietnamese Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa expressed her belief that the book titles presented will work to enrich Leiden Universitys documents on Vietnam in the early modern and modern periods, while providing Dutch and international students and scholars with an insight into the Vietnamese country, and its people and culture.

The event is also part of the practical activities to mark 45 years of Vietnam-Netherlands diplomatic ties in 2018, she said.

For his part, Marco de Niet stated that the books on Vietnam were delivered to the Leiden University Library at the right time as its Asian Library has only recently been launched and the Vietnamese book space is in need of new materials.

The Leiden University Library has one of the worlds largest collections on Southeast Asia, with the collection of Vietnamese documents reaching three million artifacts, he said, adding that the new book titles on Vietnam presented by the Vietnamese embassy will be a good source of references for readers, helping to improve the understanding of international scholars and students regarding Vietnam and its relationships with the world.

In addition to the 41 books, Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa and VFI Director Vu Nguyen Hung handed over five DVDs of Vietnamese films as supplements to the Vietnamese collection at the Leiden University Library.

After the book hand-over, the diplomat and VFI officials held a discussion with Dr. Jonathan London and officials of Leiden University and its Library about some of the lecturers recent studies on Vietnam, while listening to the recommendations from the Leiden side concerning activities to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Accordingly, the two sides will work together to implement activities of the Vietnam Year 2019 at the Leiden Asia Centre. Ambassador Hoa voiced her support for the initiatives and pledged to join the Leiden University Library and the VFI in implementing those ideas at an appropriate time.Red Velvet / Korea Times



K-pop boy band EXO and female quintet Red Velvet will rock Busan's annual K-pop festival to be held in October, its organizer said Thursday.

The two highly popular bands will be part of the lineup for the Busan One Asia Festival (BOF) to be held from Oct. 20-28 in major public spaces in the second-biggest South Korean city, according to the organizer's release of an initial lineup.

This year's BOF, the third of its kind, will encompass a range of K-pop concerts and cultural events to be held at the Busan Asiad Main Stadium, the Busan Cinema Center, Haeundae Beach and other symbolic public areas in Busan.

Since its debut in 2012, EXO has made its name globally with a number of hit songs like "Growl," "Call Me Baby," "Monster" and "Ko Ko Bop."

EXO's first full-length Japanese album was released on Jan. 31, which topped the weekly Oricon chart.

Having debuted in 2014, Red Velvet's three records "The Red," "Rookie," and "The Red Summer" topped the Billboard World Albums. The girl group was also among the South Korean pop musicians who performed in a historic joint inter-Korean concert in Pyongyang in April. (Yonhap)Artistic director Son Yeol-eum of PyeongChang Music Festival & School presents during a press conference held in Seoul, Tuesday. / Yonhap



By Yun Suh-young



The 15th annual PyeongChang Music Festival & School to be held from July 23 through Aug. 5 faces a few changes this year.



It will be the first festival under a new artistic director, pianist Son Yeol-eum who took the helm of the annual event in March, after the retirement of virtuoso artistic directors Chung Myung-wha and Chung Kyung-wha who have led the event since 2011. Prior to that, Professor Kang Hyo of The Julliard School was the first artistic director from 2004.



The festival will also be rebranded as "MPyC" which is an abbreviation of "Music in PyeongChang."



"We wanted to be called by a friendlier name so we created a nickname," Son said during a press conference in Seoul, Tuesday.



This year's festival carries a special meaning, according to Chairman Kim Sung-hwan of Gangwon Art & Culture Foundation.



"The PyeongChang Music Festival was initially launched to attract the Olympics in PyeongChang. This year's festival is the first even in the town after the Olympics. It's also the first with a new artistic director to carry on the work of previous artistic directors," Kim said.



"If we look at the trends these days, there are many young artistic directors of classical events. So we believed it was right to appoint Son. She is from the region, so it will be helpful for the festival to have a local artistic director to harmonize with the locals."



Many questioned whether the festival would continue after the Olympics, but it will, according to Kim.



"Both the summer and winter music festivals will continue. However, financially it's more difficult since the Olympics is over. We're tightening our belt and planning to create a sponsorship committee," he said.



This year's festival is organized with more diverse programs, according to Son.



"We have special lectures on a variety of topics and also plan to hold concerts in well-known locations in Gangwon Province such as Museum SAN. We will be touring around the Gangwon region. Also, the first week of the festival will showcase music that has never before been performed at this festival," Son said.



"They are well-known pieces such as Schubert's piano trio and Brahms' piano trio. I was surprised they hadn't already been played in chamber music concerts. We plan to continue to find pieces like this."



There will also be specially formatted performances such as an improvisation concert on July 28 where performers will create music requested by the audience on the spot. There are also more recitals this year.



The theme for this year is "Curiosity."



"I think what is amazing about classical music is its ambiguity. Anything is imaginable with classical music, compared to other art genres. We can transcend space and time. I think that is the power of creativity. So I didn't want to limit the theme from our previous regional repertoires but wanted to focus more on what classical music can do for us now," Son said.



The 32-year-old initially refused the artistic director position, but accepted to give a helping hand to the event which needed many changes to level up. "I just hope I can be helpful," Son said.



Visit mpyc.kr for more information.





By Kim Yoo-chul



Commercial lenders are scrambling to prepare for a reduction in working hours, with KB Kookmin, Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK) and KEB Hana setting up taskforces.



The National Assembly Environment and Labor Committee approved a bill recently that cuts the maximum statutory working hours from 68 to 52, with support from both the governing and opposition parties. The law comes into force in July and will apply to large firms before being rolled out to smaller businesses.



Slashing working hours was a "central campaign promise" of President Moon Jae-in. With hours cut, businesses will need to spend up to $11 billion each year to keep up with production, according to the Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI), a local think tank.



But the lenders have no "big objections" to the initiative, as its purpose is aimed at improving quality of life and boosting employment.



"The bill mandates the IBK introduce the 52-hour workweek next year, but upon agreement with the bank's union, it plans to introduce the system this July," a bank official said. He added that the IBK has been operating a taskforce since March.



"Introducing a PC-Off system will automatically be applied to employees who exceed the maximum statutory weekly working hours. The IBK is also considering offering more flexible working hours systems. Employees will be allowed to start their working day anytime between 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.," the official said.



Trial tests will be completed by the end of June and the bank plans to officially launch the new working hour policy with updates in the latter half of the year.



Shinhan Bank said it was in discussions with its union to explore measures that would fit with the new working hours.



"What to add or drop is the main point. But one thing is employees will no longer perform tasks that are unnecessary. As the bank is on track to upgrade systems due to the extreme need for digitalization of banking systems, we plan to allocate more capital and human resources for greater efficiency," a Shinhan Bank official said.



KEB Hana Bank said its taskforce has been collecting data from business units to analyze their employees for signs of stress from overtime work and other issues that could affect their workplace performance.



"When an issue is detected, workers in question will be told to take additional benefits or reassigned to a less challenging job. The bank plans to apply updated measures unit-by-unit," a KEB Hana official said.



KB Kookmin and Woori Bank also said they are planning to find ways to increase worker efficiency. One of the examples being studied is adjusting the length and number of breaks to be more in sync with their employees' individual needs.



"There was no discord between management and the union for an early introduction of the new working hours, while the system can't be effective in all branches and business units due to the unique differentiation of given tasks and roles," said Kim Tae-young, head of the Korea Federation of Banks.





By Yoon Ja-young



The government and lawmakers are moving to revise the commercial act to better represent small shareholders, but it is triggering concern among businesses that it will enable speculative funds to hurt their managerial control.



The Ministry of Justice recently submitted a report about the commercial act revision plan to the legislation and judiciary committee of the National Assembly, which focuses on enhancing the rights of small shareholders while restricting the power of large shareholders.



It includes obligating companies listed on the bourse with over 2 trillion won of assets to adopt a cumulative voting system in elections of new board members. According to Chaebul.com, a business information provider, only 10 percent of the top 138 listed firms here have adopted the system. In cumulative voting, shareholders are given votes equal to the number of board members to be elected. If the company is to choose three board members, for instance, the shareholders will be given three votes for each share they have. The shareholders can freely exercise their votes, including casting all their votes to a single candidate. Previously, they could only vote "yes or no" on each candidate. As a result, large shareholders could fill the whole board with the persons of their choice. With the adoption of the cumulative voting system, however, small shareholders will be able to elect a board member they want by joining forces, reining in power abuses of large shareholders.



The revision would also allow multiple derivative actions. A shareholder with more than a 0.1 percent stake in the mother company can raise suit against executives of subsidiaries where the mother company holds over a 50 percent stake.



It also plans to increase the independence of company auditors from large shareholders. According to commercial law, listed companies with over 2 trillion won in assets should designate at least three of the board members as auditors. Following the revision, one of the auditors should be selected independently from the board members. Since the law will also restrict the voting rights of the largest shareholder to 3 percent when electing new auditors, at least one auditor will be selected according to the will of the small shareholders.



The revision is also likely to obligate companies to use electronic voting systems, so that small shareholders can have their say even if they do not attend the general shareholders meetings.



The move for the commercial law revision comes amid growing social anger toward the power abuse scandals of conglomerate owner families. The country's top 10 conglomerate families hold on average of only a 2.5 percent stake in their businesses, but they have been controlling the whole group by filling the board room with their people.



The alleged abuse of Korean Air employees by the family members of company chairman Cho Yang-ho added to these voices. The governing Democratic Party floor leader Woo Won-shik said that the scandal symbolically shows how the conglomerates despise law and order due to the lack of restrictions and supervision. "To prevent similar incidents, the commercial law revision is essential," he said.



Businesses, however, are concerned about the revision which would deprive them of being shielded from outside attackers. They can be exposed to hostile M&As when speculative funds take seats at the board.



"While the revision of the commercial law will lessen the power of the large shareholder, businesses will be threatened by speculative funds from overseas. It is dangerous to discuss the revision of commercial law without equipping businesses with measures to protect their managerial control," said Sohn Kyung-shik, chairman of the Korea Employers Federation.



The country's conglomerates have a history of being threatened by speculative funds. For instance, U.S. billionaire investor Carl Icahn purchased a 6.59 percent stake of the tobacco and ginseng company KT&G in 2006 in collaboration with other hedge funds. As the company had a cumulative voting system back then, he could name a board member he wanted. He made diverse demands that the company could not accept through this system. KT&G had to pour in 2.8 trillion won to protect its managerial control, and the investor walked away with a 148 billion won profit.



"Previously, hedge funds used to maximize short-term profit by selling off core assets after taking over half of the seats on the board through a hostile M&A. Recently, however, they purchase the minimum amount of a stake in a company with which they can name new board members, who will then demand the company sell its key assets or businesses to lead to a rise in stock prices. They then leave after cashing in on their gains," said Shin Seok-hoon, a senior researcher at the Korea Economic Research Institute.



According to the institute, hedge funds are expected to be allowed to name at least one new board member in at least four out of the top 10 conglomerates here, including Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors and Hyundai Mobis, following the revision.



Some experts point out that the revision plan adversely discriminates against large shareholders. The three percent rule which restricts the voting rights of the largest shareholder to 3 percent when electing new auditors is cited as an example. Yoo Ju-seon, a professor at Kangnam University, pointed out that a hedge fund may divide its stake into small pieces to avoid such a restriction, freely exercising its right as a shareholder. Large shareholders, meanwhile, will have their rights infringed upon.



"Though these measures intend to protect the rights of small shareholders, they may lead to diverse side effects. The administration thus should be cautious in the introduction the new regulation," he said.



Other developed countries initiated cumulative voting in the 1950s, but they started scrapping it or leaving the decision to the businesses due to side effects such as conflict between shareholders, inefficiency, and intervention by speculative funds.



Those supporting revision, however, say the conglomerates' fear is groundless.



"The problems conglomerates that have faltered or suffered crisis had, stem from a poor decision-making system, coupled with the power abuse and incompetence of the owner family," said Rep. Chae Yi-bae of the centrist opposition Bareun Mirae Party.



"Small shareholders and institutional investors should have stronger rights. Even if one or two people recommended by small shareholders enter the board, they won't dominate the board."



The concern of conglomerates, however, is turning into a reality, as the U.S. activist hedge fund Elliott Management _ known to have around a $1 billion stake in Hyundai Motor Group _ recently demanded the group adopt a cumulative voting system and restrict the voting rights of large shareholders. Conglomerates have been demanding adoption of shields for them, such as poison pills and golden parachutes, but it remains to be seen whether they get approval at the National Assembly.

By Yoon Ja-young



As the government is expected to further inject funds to pull up income for low-income households, concern is growing that it is sticking to policies that have already proven to have failed.



President Moon Jae-in presided over an emergency meeting to examine household income Tuesday, following the report that the income of the bottom 20 percent of people has dipped in the first quarter. Those who participated in the meeting agreed that special measures should be taken to pull up their income, according to Cheong Wa Dae, implying that government measures will follow.



"There is a need to expand public jobs for senior citizens, strengthen the earned income tax credit (EITC) and raise the basic pension," said Doh Kyu-sang, head of the economic policy bureau at the finance ministry last week, regarding how the government will cope with the falling income.



The administration seems to be startled by the latest income data since the condition has worsened for low-income households despite its "income-led growth" strategy. Unlike previous administrations which focused on supporting conglomerates in expectation that the fruits will be shared by the working class through the trickle-down effect, the current administration put priority in increasing income of the working class, believing that it will lead to more consumption and more corporate profit, thereby pulling up the economic growth rate.



The monthly income of the bottom 20 percent of Korean households, however, stood at 1.28 million won in the first quarter, decreasing 8 percent from a year ago. It is the steepest fall since 2003 when the government started compiling such data. The income of the top 20 percent, meanwhile, surged 9.3 percent to 10.15 million won a month.



The disappointing figures come despite the government's injection of 17 trillion won to create jobs and increase income of low-income households. It includes an 11 trillion won supplementary budget set last year for job creation, a 3 trillion won job stabilization fund which aims at supporting small businesses hit by the minimum wage hike, and 3.8 trillion won in extra budget to create jobs for young people.



Experts have pointed out that the steep minimum wage hike most likely negatively affected income. The bottom 20 percent of Korean households earned income plunged 13.3 percent and business income fell by 26 percent, reflecting that they are more affected by the minimum wage which was raised by 16.4 percent to 7,530 won an hour.



Lee Joon-koo, professor emeritus of Seoul National University, said that the government should slow down the pace of reform.



"It is difficult even for economists to precisely calculate how the steep minimum wage hike will affect employment and income of low-income households," he said.



"There is need to carefully monitor the wage hike while gradually raising it. The administration should start reforms one by one instead of trying to change everything all at once."

BOSCoin CEO Yezune Choi responds to a question during an interview in Seoul, last week. / Courtesy of M&K PR



By Kim Yoo-chul



Blockchain technology is something new but it is definitely promising and has huge growth potential on multiple fronts with companies dedicating themselves to it.



Facebook and Samsung, for example, have recently created teams to study how the blockchain technology behind bitcoin, the most popular cryptocurrency, could be used in developing new products.



A few other options are also being explored. The project financing industry is one example that could benefit from distributed ledgers, as well, with BOSCoin CEO Yezune Choi pushing hard to bring credit and blockchain together in the years to come.



While it's true that there's been a lot of buzz about the pros- and cons- of blockchain in the digital currency community, Choi claims public blockchains are an appropriate application of the protocol in terms of the creation of a relevant ecosystem.



A public blockchain is basically the model used by bitcoin, ethereum and litecoin, and could be regarded as the original distributed ledger structure. The technology can receive and send transactions from anybody in the world. They could also be audited by anybody, and every node has as much transmission power as any other.



Bitcoin / Reuters



By Kim Hyun-bin

Korea's top court confirmed Wednesday a previous appellate court order to confiscate the 191 bitcoins from a person named Ahn, worth 2.4 billion won ($2.3 million) earned from running an online pornography website.

In doing so the Supreme Court recognized cryptocurrency as an "asset with measureable value."

It said Ahn increased the value of his bitcoins by running the pornography website.

Ahn was previously sentenced to 18 months in prison and fined 696 million won by a lower court, confirmed by both a high court and the Supreme Court.

This marks the first time a cryptocurrency has been subject to confiscation.

"The crytocurrency is recognized to have value so it can be confiscated," the Supreme Court stated.

The 33-year old Ahn was arrested and indicted in May 2017 for violating the Protection of Children and Juveniles From Sexual Abuse Law.

His case gained the spotlight as he also made profits via a bitcoin trading platform.

From 2013, Ahn distributed 235,000 obscene pictures online and made 1.9 billion won.

After his sentencing, prosecutors also claimed that the 216 bitcoins in his possession were earned illegally and urged they be seized as cyber assets. However, a lower court ruled against them, stating bitcoins only existed electronically and had no physical form.In a dialogue with leaders of Japanese large corporations in Tokyo on May 30, President Quang noted that Vietnam always welcomes Japanese investment in the fields of Vietnams interest and Japans strengths like infrastructure construction, support industry, high-tech agriculture, energy, environment, finance, banking, and the equitisation process of state-owned firms.

The Vietnamese state commits to creating favourable conditions for Japanese groups to invest and operate effective, stable and long-term business in Vietnam, he underlined.

The President informed the Japanese businesses that Vietnam is striving to maintain an annual GDP growth of 6.5-7 percent during 2016-2020 along with macro-economic stability while working to promote sustainable development coupled with environmental protection.

The moves will help Vietnam maintain its position as a dynamic nation and attractive destination for investment in the ASEAN bloc.

He stressed that the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative is an important channel to help Vietnam complete its policies and regulations, improve investment climate and attract high-quality foreign investments to Vietnam, particularly those from Japan.

Chairman of the Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) Sadayuki Sakakibara and Chairman of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation Yoshimitsu Kobayashi expressed their delights to welcome President Quang on his first state visit to Japan.

Speaking highly of Vietnams significant roles in the development of Japanese firms, they believed that the fruitful political relations will bolster bilateral trade and investment.

Japanese corporations lauded Vietnams participation in various economic deals like Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).



Poster for the 2018 Seoul International Book Fair

NK cuisine part of refugees' migration to South Korea



By Kang Hyun-kyung



"E-han-chi-han" or "let the cold dish beat the cold weather" was once the motto of Korean food therapy.



People in the northwestern part of the Korean Peninsula enjoyed cold noodles in the last month of the lunar calendar when extreme winter weather hit the nation.



The noodles were made with buckwheat and potato starch and were served in radish water with kimchi broth. Due to the cold weather, the broth takes the form of slush as kimchi storage jars were put outside the home and endured cold weather during the winter. People feel freezing as they finish a bowl of noodles. They rush to a heated ondol room to warm up.



"What a feeling! I wonder if those who haven't tasted cold noodles could possibly imagine what it's like," Kim So-jeo wrote in an noodle article published in the Byulgongeon magazine on December 1, 1929. The magazine was a current affairs periodical that circulated in Korea between 1926 and 1934.



Cold noodles were a joyful culinary experience that helped people overcome the monotony of long, cold winter nights.



Until the 1910s, cold noodles were a seasonal dish available only in winter, quite a contrast to current trends. Today cold noodles are a year-round dish, although the peak season is summer.



"Like other countries, Korea was an agricultural society and most people were farmers," food columnist Hwang Young-chul said. "Farmers were busy all year round, except winter, sowing seeds, and growing and harvesting crops. They were able to find time in winter to make and enjoy cold noodles together with their neighbors."



Back then, noodles were a slow dish. Making noodles was a time-consuming, painstaking work as there were no automatic noodle makers like the ones used today.



"Noodle-making was not something one person could possibly do because people used a heavy wooden-framed machine to knead and extrude noodles after mixing buckwheat powder. And usually three or four healthy men were needed to operate the traditional noodle maker," Hwang said. "So unlike today when a person can make noodles at home in just 10 minutes if they use an automatic machine, noodle-making in the past was a tough job that needed teamwork."



Technological advancement, however, made cold noodles available all year round. Among others, refrigerators and noodle makers were two major game changers that streamlined the time and procedure to make noodles.

Ice-making machines were available in Korea in the 1910s when the nation fell under Japanese colonialism. The invention of noodle makers came in the 1930s, helping people cut hours and labor in making noodles.



Cold noodles South Koreans enjoy today are different from the authentic dish when it comes to texture and overall taste of the dish.



In North Korea, Pyongyang and Hamhung, 307 kilometers northeast of North Korea's capital, are two well-known cities having their own authentic noodles.



The texture of the North Korean cold noodles is chewier than the dish South Koreans enjoy, according to So Jae-pyong, a North Korean defector from South Hamgyong Province.



"The cold noodles in Pyongyang are chewier than cold noodles in South Korea. Hamhung cold noodles have an even chewier texture than those from Pyongyang. They are so chewy it's almost difficult to bite through the noodles with our teeth," he said.



Ingredients determine the texture. In Pyongyang, buckwheat is the main ingredient and wheat powder is added in order to make the texture chewy.



Cold noodles from Hamhung are made purely with wheat starch, making their texture extremely chewy.



Unlike Pyongyang cold noodles, Hamhung noodles are served with spicy source made with red pepper and vinegar among other ingredients.



So, secretary-general of the North Korean Defectors' Association in Seoul, said the overall taste of cold noodles in South Korea was different from the authentic North Korean noodles, too. "Cold noodles from Pyongyang, for example, are bland, whereas the taste of cold noodles here is sweeter. Like southerners, however, North Koreans also add a drop of vinegar as well as mustard sauce."



"I think cold noodles have gradually adapted to southerners' tastes," he said.



In North Korea, cold noodles are served in a radish kimchi broth. Older Koreans put a chunk of steamed beef or pork into the radish water and kimchi broth and this makes it full of sodium glutamate. Those who are accustomed to it feel it is tasty. In South Korea, cold noodles are served in a clear beef broth.



It remains uncertain where cold noodles originated.



Joo Young-ha, a professor of the Academy of Korean Studies, indicates in his book "Korean Food History" that cold noodles could have begun in North Korea's Pyongan and Hwanghae provinces. People there enjoyed cold noodles as they had wheat production in spring and the regions were located near the northeastern part of China where wheat was produced all year round.



However, food columnist Hwang presents a different view. According to him, there are three prominent locations that are believed to be birthplaces of cold noodles_ Pyongyang, Seoul and the southeastern city of Jinju, defying the popular belief that cold noodles were originally exclusively from North Korea. In Jinju, cold noodles are served in a seafood broth.

"Buckwheat, the main ingredient of cold noodles, grows everywhere in the South," he said.



The Hungnam Evacuation, the massive North Korean refugees' evacuation into the South during the Korean War, was a milestone event which fueled the spread of the northerners' food culture in the South. The evacuation was part of a massive amphibious operation which lasted for 14 days from Dec. 10, 1950, months after the outbreak of the bloody war. ted in the evacuation of 100,000 North Koreans into South Korea.

Some of them settled in in Gangwon Province and some were disembarked in the southern port city of Busan.



Most of the refugees in Gangwon Province were from Hamgyong Province and they cooked what they ate in the North. Hamhung cold noodles were spread to the South by the refugees. "Abai sundae" or blood sausage made by steaming cow or pig intestine stuffed with various ingredients, is one of the North Korean refugees' dishes that has also become popular in the South.



North Korean envoy Kim Yong-chol arrives at a hotel in New York, Thursday (local time). / Reuters

A senior North Korean official and the top U.S. diplomat had dinner in New York on Wednesday as President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un try to salvage prospects for a high-stakes nuclear summit. It's the highest-level official North Korean visit to the United States in 18 years.

Kim Yong-chol, the former military intelligence chief and one of the North Korean leader's closest aides, landed midafternoon on an Air China flight from Beijing. Associated Press journalists saw the plane taxi down the tarmac before the North's delegation disembarked at JFK International Airport.

During his unusual visit, Kim Yong-chol had dinner for about an hour-and-a-half with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who traveled from Washington to see him. The two planned a ''day full of meetings'' Thursday, the White House said. Their talks will be aimed at determining whether a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un, originally scheduled for June 12 but later canceled by Trump, can be restored, U.S. officials have said.

The talks come as preparations for the highly anticipated summit in Singapore were barreling forward on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, despite lingering uncertainty about whether it will really occur, and when. As Kim and Pompeo were meeting in New York, other U.S. teams were meeting with North Korean officials in Singapore and in the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone.

''If it happens, we'll certainly be ready,'' White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of the Singapore summit. Regarding the date for the meeting, she added, ''We're going to continue to shoot for June 12th.''

North Korea's flurry of diplomatic activity following a torrid run in nuclear weapons and missile tests in 2017 suggests that Kim Jong Un is eager for sanctions relief to build his economy and the international legitimacy the summit with Trump would provide. But there are lingering doubts on whether Kim will ever fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his only guarantee of survival in a region surrounded by enemies.

Trump announced that Kim Yong-chol was coming to New York for talks with Pompeo in a tweet on Tuesday in which he said he had a ''great team'' working on the summit. That was a shift from last week, when Trump announced in an open letter to Kim Jong-un that he had decided to ''terminate'' the summit following a provocative statement from the North.



Pompeo, Trump's former CIA chief, has traveled to Pyongyang twice in recent weeks for meetings with Kim Jong-un, and has said there is a ''shared understanding'' between the two sides about what they hope to achieve in talks. South Korean media speculated that Pompeo could make a third trip to Pyongyang and that Kim Yong-chol was carrying a personal letter from Kim Jong-un and might push to travel to Washington to meet with Trump.

North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York is its sole diplomatic presence in the United States. That suggests Kim might have chosen to first go to New York because it would make it easier for him to communicate with officials in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital. North Korea and the United States are still technically at war and have no diplomatic ties because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Trump views a summit as a legacy-defining opportunity to make the nuclear deal that has evaded others, but he pledged to walk away from the meeting if he believed the North wasn't serious about discussing dismantling its nuclear program.

After the North's combative statements, there was debate inside the Trump administration about whether it marked a real turn to belligerence or a feint to see how far Kim Jong-un could push the U.S. in the lead-up to the talks. Trump had mused that Kim's ''attitude'' had changed after the North Korean leader's surprise visit to China two weeks ago, suggesting China was pushing Kim away from the table. Trump's letter, the aides said, was designed to pressure the North on the international stage for appearing to have cold feet.

White House officials maintain that Trump was hopeful the North was merely negotiating but that he was prepared for the letter to mark the end of the two-month flirtation. Instead, the officials said, it brought both sides to the table with increasing seriousness, as they work through myriad logistical and policy decisions to keep June 12 a viable option for the summit.

Kim Yong-chol is a vice chairman of the North Korean ruling party's central committee. The last official of his stature to visit the United States was Jo Myong Rok, the late first vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, who visited Washington in 2000, South Korea's Unification Ministry said.

The White House emphasized that it has remained in close contact with South Korean and Japanese officials as preparations for the talks continue. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan on June 7 to coordinate their thinking ahead of the summit. Trump hosted South Korean President Moon Jae-in last week.

Moon, who has lobbied hard for nuclear negotiations between Trump and Kim Jong Un, held a surprise meeting with the North Korean leader on Saturday in an effort to keep the summit alive. (AP)South Korea on Thursday approved a visit next month by a Buddhist monk to North Korea, the first such decision on civilian exchanges since the Moon Jae-in government took office last year.

Seoul's unification ministry sand that Monk Cheondam, a senior official of the World Peace Foundation, a civic group headquartered in Seoul, will embark on a five-day trip to Pyongyang on Saturday. It said the monk had applied for the visit with an invitation from the North.

Ven. Cheondam will visit the North via China and plans to meet with North Korea's leading Buddhists to discuss issues related to the restoration of a temple on Mount Kumgang, the ministry said.

The travel approval came as the two Koreas are seeking to enhance bilateral ties that had been strained amid Pyongyang's provocations.

President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held summits on April 27 and May 26, and agreed to enhance cooperation, reduce military tensions and seek the "complete denuclearization" of the Korean Peninsula and a peace treaty. (Yonhap)Russia's top diplomat arrived in North Korea on Thursday, the North's state media reported, amid a flurry of diplomacy under way between the North and the United States for a summit.

The Korean Central News Agency reported the arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang at the invitation of North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong-ho.

Lavrov is the first Russian foreign minister to visit North Korea in nine years. His visit comes as the North is preparing for an unprecedented summit between its leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump, which will likely take place in Singapore on June 12.

Russia's foreign ministry earlier announced the two ministers will have bilateral talks to discuss issues of mutual concern and other developments unfolding around the Korean Peninsula.

Lavrov is likely to hear from Ri on the outcome of a surprise second inter-Korean summit held last week between Kim and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.

During the summit that followed their first meeting ever in April, Kim reaffirmed his willingness to denuclearize and hold a summit with Trump. (Yonhap)This handout photograph obtained courtesy of the U.S. Department of State shows Kim Yong-chol (R), vice chairman of North Korea, during his dinner meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) in New York, Thursday (local time). / AFP

/ AFP



A senior North Korean official and the top U.S. diplomat had dinner in New York as President Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un try to salvage prospects for a high-stakes nuclear summit. It's the highest-level official North Korean visit to the United States in 18 years.

Kim Yong-chol, the former military intelligence chief and one of the North Korean leader's closest aides, landed midafternoon Wednesday on an Air China flight from Beijing. Associated Press journalists saw the plane taxi down the tarmac before the North's delegation disembarked at JFK International Airport.

During his unusual visit, Kim Yong-chol had dinner for about an hour-and-a-half with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who traveled from Washington to see him. The two planned a ''day full of meetings'' Thursday, the White House said. Their talks will be aimed at determining whether a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong-un, originally scheduled for June 12 but later canceled by Trump, can be restored, U.S. officials have said.

The talks come as preparations for the highly anticipated summit in Singapore were barreling forward on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, despite lingering uncertainty about whether it will really occur, and when. As Kim and Pompeo were meeting in New York, other U.S. teams were meeting with North Korean officials in Singapore and in the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone.

''If it happens, we'll certainly be ready,'' White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of the Singapore summit. Regarding the date for the meeting, she added, ''We're going to continue to shoot for June 12th.''

North Korea's flurry of diplomatic activity following a torrid run in nuclear weapons and missile tests in 2017 suggests that Kim Jong-un is eager for sanctions relief to build his economy and the international legitimacy the summit with Trump would provide. But there are lingering doubts on whether Kim will ever fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his only guarantee of survival in a region surrounded by enemies.

Trump announced that Kim Yong Chol was coming to New York for talks with Pompeo in a tweet on Tuesday in which he said he had a ''great team'' working on the summit. That was a shift from last week, when Trump announced in an open letter to Kim Jong-un that he had decided to ''terminate'' the summit following a provocative statement from the North.











North Korean leader Kim Jong-un shakes hands with Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang, Thursday. / AFP



Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang on Thursday invited North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to visit Russia, Moscow said, during the first meeting between the head of the reclusive state and a Russian official.

"Come to Russia, we'll be very happy to see you," Lavrov told Kim in remarks released by the Russian foreign ministry.

Lavrov passed greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim, saying he wished him success in the "major undertakings that have been initiated on the Korean peninsula", the ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov was the first Russian official to be received by Kim, Russian news agencies said. "It was the first official meeting with him face to face," TASS quoted a source in the minister's delegation as saying.

The Russian foreign ministry also released pictures of the two men shaking hands and smiling.

Russia's top diplomat arrived in Pyongyang earlier Thursday, ahead of a landmark summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.















By Jung Min-ho







Admiral Harry Harris, who is expected to become the next U.S. ambassador to South Korea, said Wednesday that China's "dream of hegemony" is Washington's biggest long-term challenge, CNN reported.





Harris made the comment as he handed over the reins of the U.S. Pacific Command to Adm. Phil Davidson at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Harris has been at the helm of the most expansive U.S. military command for three years.





"North Korea remains our most imminent threat and a nuclear-capable North Korea with missiles that can reach the United States is unacceptable," he was quoted as saying.





But, he also noted, "China remains our biggest long-term challenge. Without focused involvement and engagement by the United States and our allies and partners, China will realize its dream of hegemony in Asia."





Harris, who was born in Japan to a Japanese mother, is known for his tough military posture toward China. Emanuel Pastreich, director of the Asia Institute in Seoul, described him as "one of the central players in the military driving the push for massive military confrontation with China" in his recent Korea Times column.





Many questions remain over what role Harris will play from South Korea in the Trump administration's efforts to denuclearize North Korea and deal with China's challenges in the region.

Investigators from teams formed by five ministries raided workplaces nationwide to search for foreigners without valid working visas. / Courtesy of Ministry of Justice



By Ko Dong-hwan

The government has nabbed more than 8,300 foreigners without valid working visas in a bid to stop illegal migrants taking jobs from Koreans.

The Ministry of Justice and four other ministries formed four teams of investigators and targeted selected urban areas. The operation continued for 11 weeks from Feb. 26, catching 8,351 illegal migrants  1,297 of whom came from construction sites  and 1,369 employers who hired them.

The joint investigation, including the National Police Agency, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, searched for illegal aliens who found jobs mostly through friends, employment agencies and brokers.

The investigative teams each comprised seven to 12 officers. A team covering Seoul and Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces monitored Seoul's Namguro Station in Guro-gu and Ansan Station in the city of Ansan, Feb. 27, where foreigners without valid working visas often seek work.

Other teams each watched Chungcheong provinces, Gyeongsang provinces and Jeolla provinces, keeping a special watch on construction and other sites for weeks. Manufacturing firms, salons, massage parlors, farms, restaurants and lodges were also targeted.

The justice ministry refused to reveal the nationalities "because of diplomatic ties and customs among advanced countries that statistics about illegal aliens are kept confidential."

In March, the Presidential Committee on Job Creation, headed by President Moon Jae-in, met public commissioners and construction bosses to discuss how to curb the hiring of foreigners without work visas. The high-profile roundtable was joined by the ministries of justice, employment and labor, and land, infrastructure and transport.

The number of illegal aliens caught this year is up 14 percent from last year. In the construction industry, the figure has increased 44 percent. The government targeted the industry in its latest raids because more migrants than Koreans have been hired in recent years.

Foreigners caught are deported while those who employed them can be jailed for up to three years or fined up to 20 million won ($18,600).

The investigation also found that 10,729 illegal migrant workers left voluntarily, up from last year's 8,142, thanks to the government's campaign that encouraged them to leave without an immigration infringement record.

The justice ministry plans another crackdown in the second half of this year, expanding the investigative teams to six to monitor Daegu and Yangju.Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and lawyer Kim Jong-chul from Advocates for Public Interest Law, sixth from right, demand prosecution of the Korean captain and his family who allegedly abused Vietnamese sailors for months aboard a fishing vessel working near Seogwipo, Jeju Island. They are pictured in front of the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on May 29. / Yonhap







By Ko Dong-hwan





This still from a video shows a Vietnamese fisherman who was allegedly thrown into the ocean by a Korean fishing boat's captain. A fellow Vietnamese fisherman shot the video in March this year. / Screen capture from YouTube

Civic groups have called for the punishment of a Korean fishing boat captain after he and others allegedly assaulted and abused two Vietnamese fishermen.



The groups took to the streets in front of the South Korean presidential office and the Jeju Employment and Welfare Center earlier this week. They demanded the suspects be prosecuted and their licenses revoked.



The fishermen, in their early 20s, were on a vessel that left Seogwipo on Jeju Island. They claimed they were frequently physically abused, sexually harassed and thrown into the ocean on the captain's orders over a period of nearly six months.





PM Phuc congratulated the Sudanese diplomat on his new mission in Vietnam when the two countries relations are advancing. He expected that the new ambassador will do his utmost to foster the bilateral ties during his term of office.

The PM also conveyed his congratulations to Sudan over the lifting of US economic sanctions against the African country last year and hoped that it would be a good opportunity for Vietnam and Sudan to promote two-way trade.

Mohamed Elmurtada Mubarak Ismail Siraq expressed his honour to be the new Ambassador of Sudan to Vietnam, saying the Sudanese people admire Vietnams socio-economic development and want to learn from its experience and promote cooperation with the Southeast Asian country.

With huge potential in oil and gas, Sudan is ready to work with Vietnam in this industry which can benefit both sides, he said.

The ambassador said he wishes to receive support of PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc in his mission in Vietnam and hopes that the Government of Vietnam will soon send a delegation to Sudan to explore opportunities for partnership between the two sides.

PM Phuc affirmed that Vietnam treasures the traditional friendship and cooperation with the Government and people of Sudan and is delighted at what the Sudanese people have achieved during the national building and development.

He agreed that the two nations have much potential to further enhance the effectiveness of their cooperation, hereby increasing the two-way trade turnover. He wanted the ambassador to foster more trade promotion activities, increase exchange of business delegations and promote investment in the fields of telecommunications, agriculture, aquaculture and petroleum.

He suggested the two sides continue to work closely and support each other at international forums and soon sign agreements to improve legal framework for the bilateral cooperation.

Vietnam and Sudan set up diplomatic ties on August 26, 1969. Next year, the two countries will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their relations.The Lee Myung-bak Lounge at Korea University Business School / Korea Times file



By Kim Hyun-bin



Korea University's business students have been avoiding using a lounge inside the business school building.

This is because the lounge is named after former President Lee Myung-bak.

Lee, who was president from 2008 to 2013, was indicted April 9 and faces 16 charges including bribery, abuse of power, embezzlement, breach of trust and tax evasion as well as violations of the election and presidential records laws. He graduated from Korea University with a business degree in the 1960s.

Its students are showing discomfort toward the lounge. They want the school to rename it.

"If he is found guilty later on, coming to this lounge will make me feel uneasy," said Kim, who currently attends Korea University.

Most universities have named some of their facilities after well-known political and business leaders.

Sometimes their actions make universities contemplate whether to change or maintain the names of the facilities in the campus.

The Lee Myung-bak Lounge was established in 2003 when he was mayor of Seoul. Then, there was a debate within the school on naming it after someone who was still active in politics.

After a long discussion, the university decided to name the 100-seat room the Lee Myung-bak Lounge.

After the indictment of the former president, students have started to raise concerns through social media, urging the university to change it to a different name.

Many students are posting comments saying it would be dishonorable to keep the lounge's name, while questioning the university's integrity.

They say the name needs to be changed so students can "feel a sense of pride when using the space."

However, Korea University said it has no plans to hold a discussion on this matter or change its name.

"Lee Myung-bak's name was put up as he gave a large donation to the institution," a Korea University spokesman said.

"We have no plans to take down the name."

Yeungnam University, meanwhile, has erased traces of former President Park Geun-hye after she was ousted in 2017. She was charged with multiple offences including abuse of power, extortion, bribery and mishandling state secrets.

The university was established by Park's father  former President Park Chung-hee  and had been operated by his daughter.

The university's union has erased both Park and her father's names on campus.First Lieutenant Yang Jung-hoon of the Republic of Korea Air Force. / Courtesy of the Republic of Korea Air Force



By Jun Ji-hye



First Lieutenant Yang Jung-hoon, a graduate of Harvard Law School, was commissioned into the Republic of Korea Air Force on March 30 after deciding not to apply for a green card in the United States.



His decision drew attention as more Korean men are leaving for other countries to dodge mandatory military service.



Yang, 28, who passed the bar exams in New York and Massachusetts in 2017 after graduating from the law school in 2016, is serving at the Air Force headquarters, taking charge of reviewing international laws, agreements and treaties.



He migrated with his family to the United States when he was an elementary schoolchild, but has kept thinking about the importance of obligation to serve in the military as a Korean man, he said.



"I also thought it would be great if I could utilize what I learned to serve the nation," he said.



Yang said he decided to become a lawyer to help those in need, based on his experience of his family being scammed when they arrived in the United States.



"We were swindled by our E-2 visa sponsor and suffered financial difficulties," he said. "We had difficult years as we were unable to receive proper legal assistance because of a lack of funds to hire an attorney."



At the time, he worked at a restaurant during the day and studied at night.



When studying at Harvard, he participated in volunteer activities aimed at supporting those in vulnerable social groups.



He was a student representative of the Harvard Tenant Advocacy Project, designed to offer legal support to tenants of public housing at hearings. He also participated in the Greater Boston Legal Service, an organization providing free legal services to low-income earners.



"I am glad I can share my knowledge when serving the nation," Yang said. "After completing my military service, I want to become a public interest lawyer to help those who are unable to receive proper legal aid due to financial difficulties."

By Lee Min-hyung





The United States has deployed 14 F-22 Raptor stealth jets to an air base in Japan in an apparent move to increase diplomatic pressure on North Korea before the planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-un, Japanese media reported Thursday.







The tactical combat aircraft are among the world's most powerful fighter jets, posing a serious military threat to North Korea. The move comes about four and a half years after the U.S. deployed the fighter jets in Japan in early 2014.







According to the Sankei Shimbun, U.S. armed forces will station the 14 F-22 jets at the air base on Okinawa for a month. The newspaper said the decision reflects that Washington aims to intensify pressure on Pyongyang and grab the upper hand before the planned leadership meeting slated for June 12.







On Tuesday, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan left the naval base in Japan's eastern port city of Yokosuka for a patrol mission in the western Pacific Ocean.







In recent weeks, North Korea has reacted angrily to the joint Max Thunder air drills between Seoul and Washington, urging a stop to the exercises to maintain the ongoing peace momentum on the Korean Peninsula.

By Kim Bo-eun







The unification ministry said Thursday it approved a visit by a South Korean monk to North Korea, to discuss restoring a temple there. It will be the first civilian exchange to take place since the launch of the Moon Jae-in administration in May last year.







Monk Cheondam of the Seoul-based World Peace Foundation will visit Pyongyang from June 2 to June 6, a unification ministry official told reporters. He will make the visit alone.







The visit was arranged after the North's invitation and the monk's subsequent application to make the visit, the official said.







Monk Cheondam will meet Buddhist figures in the North, and discuss restoring a temple at Mount Geumgang, which was damaged during the 1950-1953 Korean War.







"The visit is for the purpose of a religious exchange, and the ministry approved it as a means to boost other exchanges," the official said.







Private exchanges are expected to increase after Monk Cheondam's visit.







The visit comes at a time inter-Korean relations are making progress. The leaders of the North and South agreed at the inter-Korean summit on April 27 to "boost cooperation and exchanges in diverse sectors at various levels to develop the mood of inter-Korean reconciliation."







By Lee Kyung-min



Oh Keo-don, who recently resigned as a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea pledged to pursue the construction of a new airport on Gadeok Island in Busan, reigniting the long-disputed, political issue in the country's southeastern region ahead of the upcoming June 13 local elections.



His opponents accused the apparent "vote-seeking" campaign pledge from the former maritime minister running for Busan mayor as a "mere attempt" to give "false hope," seeking only to upset an earlier agreed-upon plan to expand the existing Gimhae International Airport.



Gadeok Island, Oh said, should be considered again as a viable alternative to Gimhae Airport, the expansion of which would have little prospect of becoming the country's major gateway due to a fundamentally limited capacity. "A new airport should be built on Gadeok, understandably, the most feasible choice considering the future planning of the city. An around-the-clock operation will not be feasible at Gimhae airport, either, due to noise complaints from nearby residents," he said in election campaign pledge on the website of the National Election Commission (NEC).



Such a "wasteful" political discourse only diverts focus from the key policy debate and will end up worsening the emotional rift of the residents, according to a former Busan Mayor Suh Byung-soo who recently resigned as a lawmaker of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party, Oh's major contender. "Why is Oh putting forth the already settled matter that continued the conflict among residents in and around Busan for 15 years?" he was quoted as saying. "Who among the residents would oppose what is surely a lucrative deal? The earlier decision to expand the Gimhae airport took into consideration all factors reviewed by feasibility assessment. If this issue continues to mar the election, the plan concerning the airport might be scrapped altogether."



2016 assessment



A 2016 feasibility study conducted by the French company Aeroports de Paris Ingenierie (ADPi), a unit of ADP (Paris Airport Group) concluded Gimhae's airport would be the best option, an announcement that cooled down a much-heated conflict between those who supported the construction on Gadeok Island and the inland town of Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province.



The study commissioned by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said the expansion of the existing Gimhae airport will help deal with the increasing number of passengers with an estimated cost of 4.1 trillion won ($3.8 billion), about less than half the cost of building one in either of the two other locations.



The expanded airport, it added, will be able to accommodate 40 million passengers annually, an over six-fold increase in capacity from 5.9 million in 2016, with completion of construction expected around 2026.



The comprehensive study, which factored in air safety, commercial viability, accessibility and the environment, recommended building new runways and terminals at the airport to improve transportation connectivity.



Mudslinging continues



Election campaign officials for Oh filed a complaint recently with the Busan District Prosecutors' Office against Suh for spreading what they called a slew of false, defamatory information. The motion followed a claim made by Suh that Oh pushed for the issue due to "deeply vested interest," alleging Oh's family-run steel manufacture was to greatly profit if he becomes mayor. Oh maintains building the airport in Gadeok was a major campaign pledge of President Moon Jae-in.



By Choi Ha-young





Yang Sung-taeBy Kang Aa-young





Busan is again on a killer ant alert after two red fire ants were found in dried bamboo imported from China.







The Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency said Wednesday the ants were identified during an inspection at the port. The species is known as Solenopsis invicta.







The container the ants were found in was shipped from China's Fujian Province.







Emergency quarantine steps were taken to prevent the ants spreading.







Killer ants were first discovered at Gamman Pier in Busan last September. Two days ago, another killer ant was found at Busan Port.

By Kim Jae-kyoung



North Korea demolished its nuclear test site in Punggye-ri, May 24, ahead of a historic summit between its leader Kim Jong-un and U.S. President Donald Trump.



It was part of Pyongyang's efforts to reaffirm its determination to pursue denuclearization. All six of its nuclear tests were carried out at Punggye-ri.



Experts, however, have shown mixed reactions to the North's destruction of the nuclear test site.



Some argue it should be taken as the first step toward the North's denuclearization, while others claim it should not be taken as a sign that the reclusive regime is willing to give up its nuclear weapons.



Siegfried Hecker, a senior fellow at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Stanford University, is one of the supporters for the dismantlement of the Punggye-ri site.



"It is an important step in the direction of denuclearization," said Hecker, who has visited North Korea several times since 2004 to assess its plutonium program at the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center.



The expert on the North Korean nuclear program believes President Trump should sit down with Kim to discuss denuclearization in order to manage risks associated with the North's nuclear development.



In an analysis of the history of North Korea's nuclear program released May 26, Hecker, together with his colleagues Robert Carlin and Elliot Serbin, stressed the importance of diplomacy to resolve the nuclear crisis.



"As bad as it was in 2017, the situation could get worse. The U.S. has missed several opportunities in the past by not managing the incremental risks," they said.



"The U.S. must approach any denuclearization talks with an awareness of this history and a desire to manage the incremental risks so as to prevent the situation from worsening."



They pointed out that U.S. diplomacy since 2000 has been sporadic, reactive and often motivated by a desire to avoid risk rather than manage it.



On the other hand, some critics downplayed the significance of Punggye-ri's destruction, saying there were no experts to inspect the sites.



"The demolition likely buried any evidence. North Korea is trying to portray it as a major concession, but it's not," said Tara O, an adjunct fellow at the Pacific Forum and author of "The Collapse of North Korea."



"Experts said another test would collapse the mountain and release radiation into the air. So the test site's usability was already in question."



She said, to even have a summit, North Korea needs to be sincere about its denuclearization.



"One way is for Kim to actually say North Korea will denuclearize and announce it through its official media, such as the Korea Central News Agency, to his people using the term North Korea, not the Korean Peninsula, after the word denuclearization," she said.



"There are other steps the U.S. has already laid out, such as sending the nuclear scientists and families out of North Korea."



William Brown, an adjunct professor at Georgetown School of Foreign Service, said closing the site certainly does not indicate it is willing to give up its weapons.



"Of far greater importance would be a willingness to close all of its facilities used to produce fissile material, that is plutonium and highly enriched uranium plants and reactors," he said.



"North Korea wants everyone to think it has completed its development of nuclear weapons and thus there is no need for the test facilities."





U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice Chairman of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party Central Committee Kim Yong-chol will meet in New York this week amid intensifying U.S.-North Korean summit preparations. / AFP

By Kim Bo-eun

Key North Korean and U.S. officials will meet in New York, Wednesday (local time), to possibly draw up the draft of an agreement on denuclearizing the North ahead of a summit between their leaders in Singapore, June 12.

Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the North Korean Workers' Party Kim Yong-chol is set to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo Wednesday and Thursday to finalize the deal in which North Korea is expected to be guaranteed security in exchange for giving up its nuclear program.

Kim will visit the U.S. as the de-facto special envoy of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The official is reportedly carrying a letter from Kim Jong-un to U.S. President Donald Trump, and, if this is true, could fly to Washington to deliver it. This speculation is based on the fact that Trump said in his May 24 letter to Kim cancelling the summit not to hesitate to call or write if the North Korean leader wanted the meeting to take place.

Kim Yong-chol, considered Kim Jong-un's right-hand man, has been in charge of negotiations for the Pyongyang-Washington summit. He held meetings with Pompeo when the U.S. official visited Pyongyang in March and May.

Meanwhile, working-level talks that began Sunday at the truce village of Panmunjeom ended Wednesday between delegations led by the North's Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, who was a former ambassador to South Korea and a special envoy for the six party talks on North Korea's denuclearization.











NHK, Japans largest broadcasting organisation, said during his first-ever visit to Japan as a national guest from May 29 to June 2, President Quang toured Gunma prefecture and hosted a reception for Gunmas Governor Masaaki Osawa.

Gunma prefecture has maintained close cooperative ties with Vietnamese localities. The partnerships between Gunma and Vietnamese localities will significantly contribute to exchanges between the two countries, NHK quoted President Quang as saying.

Osawa, who visited Vietnam in 2016 and 2017, expressed his honour to welcome the Vietnamese leader, stressing that Gunma has actively promoted people-to-people exchanges and economic links with Vietnam, according to NHK.

Following his meeting with Osawa, President Quang made a field trip to Koganei Seiki Co., where many Vietnamese engineers are working.

Osawa said Gunma will continue cooperation with Vietnam in the time to come to ensure human resources for the prefecture, NHK said.

According to Tokyo Shimbun, more than 7,000 Vietnamese had lived and worked in Gunma by February 2017. Thirty nine out of 240 engineers working in the Koganei Seiki Co. are Vietnamese.

It cited Osawa as saying that Vietnam is a friendly and hospitable country and he wishes that the fruitful relationship between Gunma prefecture and Vietnam will be deepened.

Jomo Shimbun also said President Quang and Gunmas Governor Osawa agreed to consolidate partnerships between Vietnamese localities and the Japanese prefecture, especially their economic links.

President Quang hoped for enhanced collaboration with the locality in agriculture, high-tech and infrastructure construction which are of Gunmas strength, the newspaper said.

Both shared the same view on the significance of intensifying connections between Japanese businesses and universities in Vietnam to ensure the supply of human resources for the firms, according to the newspaper.

It said with high demand for young and low-cost human resources, many Gunma businesses have invested in Vietnam. As of March 2018, 66 firms from Gunma have operated in Vietnam, up from 27 enterprises recorded five years ago.The United States and North Korea have made "real progress" toward a fruitful summit between their leaders on dismantling the North's nuclear weapons program, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday.



Pompeo held two days of meetings with a senior North Korean official in New York as both sides push to salvage a June 12 summit in Singapore between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.



"Through these series of meetings, I'm confident we're moving in the right direction," he said at a news conference, also mentioning parallel talks in Korea and Singapore. But the top U.S. diplomat was unable to say if it will be known by Friday whether the summit will happen. Trump called it off last week, citing "open hostility" from the regime, and then put it back on track.



"We've made real progress in the last 72 hours toward setting the conditions," the secretary of state said. "The conditions are putting President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong-un in a place where we think there could be real progress made by the two of them meeting."



Trump said hours earlier that he is hopeful the summit will take place June 12, but that he wants it to be "very meaningful." There could be more than one meeting and there could also be none.



The North Korean delegation in New York, led by Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party's Central Committee, will travel to Washington to deliver a personal letter from Kim Jong-un to Trump on Friday.



The U.S. president said he looks forward to seeing "what's in the letter" and thinks it will be "very positive."



Pompeo declined to provide details of what any denuclearization agreement with the North would look like. Still, he said the North Koreans appear to be "contemplating a path forward where they can make a strategic shift, one that their country has not been prepared to make before."



"There will be tough moments, there will be difficult times," the secretary of state said, noting that the nuclear issue is a decades-old challenge. "I've had some difficult conversations with them as well. They've given it right back to me, too."



Speaking of the challenges to come, he said, "Our mission is to bridge them so that we can achieve this historic outcome."



The U.S. wants to see complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization, while the North demands CVIG, where G stands for security guarantees for the regime.



Negotiations are expected to focus on the sequencing of the denuclearization-for-security exchange as the U.S. seeks quick dismantlement and North Korea a "phased and synchronous" process.



"Make no mistake about it. President Trump, this administration completely understands how hard this problem is," Pompeo said. "There is a long history where North Korea has viewed its nuclear program as providing the security that it needed for the regime."



The task at hand is to convince the North Koreans that a bright future lies ahead and their security will be greater by giving up "all elements" of its nuclear program.



"Many conversations have been had about how we might proceed, what the path might be forward so that we can achieve both the denuclearization that the world demands of North Korea and the security assurances that would be required for them to allow us to achieve that," Pompeo said.



In terms of coordinating policy with South Korea and Japan, key U.S. allies in Asia, the secretary said there is "no daylight" between them.



"We understand their concerns. We understand the risks that can be posed to them. And an agreement that we reach will provide an outcome that each of those countries can sign on to as well," he said.



Trump hosted South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House last week. Moon, who has engineered the expected U.S.-North Korea summit, has held two summits with Kim since April to push for "complete denuclearization" and a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War that ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the two sides technically at war.



"The proposed summit offers a historic opening for President Trump and Chairman Kim to boldly lead the United States and the DPRK into an era of peace, prosperity and security," Pompeo said, using an acronym for the North's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.



It would be "nothing short of tragic to let this opportunity go to waste," he said. It would also take "bold leadership" from Kim, something both he and Trump believe the young leader has.



In the coming weeks and months, "we will have the opportunity to test whether or not this is the case," Pompeo said.



If held, the Trump-Kim meeting would be the first summit between the two countries that have long been at odds over the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles capable of striking the U.S.



Trump has said he will walk away from the summit if it doesn't promise to be fruitful.



His administration has also vowed not to repeat the failures of past denuclearization agreements that collapsed as the North continued its nuclear and ballistic missile development. (Yonhap)

A 400-member civic participation group will decide on the 2022 college admissions reform. Graphics by Cho Sang-won



By Kim Hyun-bin

Public opinion will play a key role in selecting the 2022 college admissions reform.



The Presidential Committee on National Education's announced it will use the same selection method that was implemented to resume operation of the nuclear reactors in the country.

The Moon Jae-in administration pledged to halt the Shin Gori five and six nuclear reactors, but after a civic participation group voted in favor, the government resumed operations.



"As you can see Shin Gori 5 and 6 we have successfully gathered public opinion, we are at a time when it's more important to find consensus from the public," said President Moon Jae-in in January.

The decision was made by 471 people that were selected from a pool of 20,000 to vote on whether to resume construction.



At the end, the regular citizen group voted 59.5 percent in favor to resume.



A similar method will be used to select the 2022 college admissions reform.

However, the process is much more complex than deciding to build and operate nuclear reactors.



"Shin Gori 5 and 6 was a two dimensional decision as they had to be for or against the building of nuclear reactors. However, there are scores of scenarios and combination of variables when selecting a college admissions reform," said Kim Hak-lin, member of the public opinion committee.

The college reform has scores of combinations variables and models that need to be simplified. The reform includes combining regular and non-scheduled admissions, and changing the evaluating method of College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT). However, just the two alone have dozens of variables that need to be put into consideration. Also there is no guarantee a single reform will have popularity among other models.



Hard to increase regular admissions



The Moon administration has been seeking to expand the regular admissions. However, eight out of ten high school seniors applying for university this year enter through non-scheduled admissions. This categorizes students based on their academic grades and school reports correlated to the majors they apply for.

The head of the committee says it is nearly impossible to select a reform standard that suits all universities in the nation as they have different procedures in admitting students.

"It is difficult to have a standard ratio of regular and non-scheduled admissions," said Kim Jin-kyung, head of the Presidential Committee on National Education. "Rural and private universities hardly ever accept students through the College Scholastic Aptitude Test (CSAT), (most go through non-scheduled admissions) if the government slightly increases regular admissions to 20 percent that itself could be troublesome."

The reform model will be selected at a workshop consisting of parents, teachers and 20 to 25 education experts. They will evaluate on the pros and cons of the different models and narrow down to four to five.

"People who have prior experience in the college entrance exam reform should be in the decision making process. Those people's opinions must be put in through surveys," said Kim a mother of two middle school children.



Afterwards, 400-member civic participation group will be in charge of voting for the best reform to be implemented for the 2022 school year.

"400 participants will study for a month four or five college admission models and afterwards will take part in a survey and will vote for the best reform," said Han Dong-sup, spokesman for the committee.

Shifting responsibility

The Ministry of Education has tossed its decision-making responsibility for reform to the Presidential Committee on National Education, as any decision made is likely to meet public backlash.

The education ministry will honor the decision made by the committee. The committee has set up a public opinion committee, which will technically have the last call in selecting the 2022 college admissions reform./ Yonhap



Top military officials of South Korea, the United States and Japan have held talks over joint efforts to ensure regional peace and stability, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Wednesday.

Seoul's JCS Chairman Gen. Jeong Kyeong-doo and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Gen. Joseph F. Dunford and Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, attended the meeting at the U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) headquarters in Hawaii on Tuesday (local time).

Outgoing PACOM chief Adm. Harry Harris and his successor, Adm. Philip Davidson, also joined the meeting. Such three-way talks were last held in October 2017.

"(They) discussed multilateral cooperation in establishing military readiness to promote peace and stability in Northeast Asia and prepare for all possible contingencies," the JCS said in a joint press release.

At the talks, Dunford reaffirmed that Washington will provide extended deterrence to ensure the security of its key Asian allies. Extended deterrence refers to the U.S. commitment to defend its ally by mobilizing all military capabilities against an adversary's aggression.

The talks came amid fast-paced diplomacy aimed at denuclearizing North Korea and establishing a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap)By Lee Min-hyung





Defense Minister Song Young-moo will attend Asia's annual security forum in Singapore to discuss denuclearization and peace on the Korean Peninsula with his overseas counterparts.







For three days, starting Friday, Song will join the 17th Asia Security Summit: the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue where he will give a speech on the rapidly-changing defense situation on the peninsula amid rare peace gestures from North Korea







Under the theme "Denuclearization, peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula," Song will explain the achievements of the historic inter-Korean summit last month and its influence on peace and security in neighboring countries, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.







"Song will also hold dialogue with defense chiefs from other participating countries, calling on them to support the ongoing inter-Korean peace momentum for the complete denuclearization of the peninsula," the ministry said in a statement.







This year's event is expected to draw plenty of attention from the world, as it comes shortly before the first-ever summit between United States President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un slated for June 12 in Singapore.







For this reason, the upcoming Washington-Pyongyang summit will top the list of agenda topics during the so-called Shangri-La Dialogue. As of now, nothing official has been unveiled about whether high-level negotiators from the two sides have narrowed their differences ahead of the summit.







The security forum started in 2002 in Singapore, with high-ranking defense officials from 30 countries including the U.S., China, Russia and Japan taking part in the event annually.







After ending his schedule there, Song plans to fly to Vietnam for three days from Sunday for a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart Ngo Xuan Lich, the defense ministry said.







They are going to share their ideas to enhance defense acquisition partnerships and tighten their security alliance.







Song will also pay a courtesy call on Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang to share up-to-date matters on security affairs on the peninsula and request support for denuclearization here.



/ Yonhap



Strict law leaves Korean police helpless against violence



By Jung Min-ho



In some parts of the world, police are often criticized for excessive use of force. Here, it is the opposite: they are frequently blamed for their reluctance to use force.



On May 1, seven people assaulted a man, 31, in Gwangju for taking a taxi they had hailed first. They repeatedly punched him  and even poked a twig into one of his eyes. He eventually lost the sight of the eye.



Video footage of armed police helplessly watching him being assaulted on the street sparked massive public outrage. Many people wondered why they did not use their guns and batons.



Korean law allows police to use weapons to protect citizens and themselves. But in practice, police rarely take advantage of the law, even when threats are imminent.



"Many police officers have faced lawsuits as a result of using weapons," HMP Law lawyer Eom Yoon-ryung told The Korea Times. "Although it is rare that police end up being convicted for using weapons, some lose money after a civil suit or face disciplinary measures."



Under the law, police are allowed to use weapons when a suspect, who has committed a serious crime that would result in at least three years in jail, resists or tries to flee; or when a suspect with a deadly weapon refuses to surrender three times



"But to stay out of legal trouble and complications, many police do not use weapons even when they need to," said Kwak Dae-kyung, a professor of police administration at Dongguk University.



Because of this police weak spot, some criminals are not afraid of police officers. When the attackers in Gwangju faced police officers, they did not step back  instead, they pushed the officers away and continued to assault the victim until he got into a police car.



Some people believe the law should change to give police more power to carry out their duties.



"I think their judgment should be more respected by the law," Kwak said.



Last week, a young police officer urged Cheong Wa Dae and the National Assembly to revise the law to give police more protection.



"Over the past three years, I have been assaulted more than 20 times for no reason," he said on the presidential office petition website. "I was slapped, punched in the face and spat at  I'm not an exceptional case. Many police officers deal with such problems every day. But we hold still. We need your help."



The officer called on lawmakers to revise the law so criminals who targeted police officers would face heavy penalties. He also asked for financial support for police who faced lawsuits. The petition has garnered more than 43,000 signatures.

Cho Won-tae / Yonhap



The education ministry will send a team of officials to a local university next week to look into suspicions that the son of Korean Air Chairman Cho Yang-ho gained illicit admission to the school 20 years ago.

Cho Won-tae, president of the national flag carrier, is the latest member of the Cho family to come under public scrutiny after his two sisters and mother underwent police questioning over alleged abuse of employees and others under their influence.

Cho, 43, is suspected of entering Inha University in Incheon, west of Seoul, in 1998 by transferring from a two-year college in the United States, even though he didn't meet the credit requirement for such a transfer. The school is run by a foundation established by the family's Hanjin Group.

The suspicions were investigated 20 years ago and the then education ministry determined that irregularities were involved in Cho's admission. The ministry demanded disciplinary action against school officials involved in the admission but didn't go as far as to cancel Cho's admission.

The case drew renewed public attention as the family came under public outrage.











Seen above is a panoramic view of Dockyard and Engineering Words Limited (DEW) shipyard based in Bangladesh's city of Narayanganj. DEW, established in 1922, is the country's oldest shipyard operated by the Bangladesh Navy. / Courtesy of DEW



Dhaka-based shipbuilder seeks stronger grip on small-sized ship market



By Lee Min-hyung



DHAKA  Bangladesh has the potential to become the next Asian economic powerhouse driven by cheap labor and a population of more than 163 million.



The country has reported an average economic growth rate of six percent for the past five years, outperforming that of other underdeveloped countries. In particular, the country is ranked 17th out of 134 nations in terms of its potential growth rate of 6.4 percent or more in 2017 and 2018, according to the World Bank's Dhaka office.



The rapid growth has long been attributable to exports in mostly primary industries in areas such as garments and agricultural products.



One lesser-known industry with huge growth potential for the country, however, is shipbuilding. As a riverine country, the country has taken advantage of shipbuilding as a major form of transportation for trade.



Bangladesh has 700 rivers, providing 24,000 kilometers of waterways. Driven by this geographical feature, the country holds more than 100,000 skilled and 150,000 semi-skilled workers in the shipbuilding industry.



But it was not long before the country began exporting its ships, due to weak infrastructure for building info-tech facilities.



For this reason, Bangladesh has in recent years shifted its focus into selling small- and medium-sized ships to other countries.



Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited (DEW) is particularly one of the biggest and oldest dockyards in the country. The facility, established in 1922, boasts 21.78 acres of land on the eastern bank of the River Shitalakshya in Narayanganj in central Bangladesh.



One noteworthy historic chapter of DEW dates back to the country's independence in 1971 when the facility was run by Bangladesh Steel and Engineering Corporation of the Ministry of Industries.



DEW continued with a decent performance in terms of sales and management until 1980s, but had to be laid off at the end of 2002. The country then handed the shipbuilder to the Bangladesh Navy in 2006. Combining the Navy's knowhow and expertise, DEW has since been able to stand on a progressively rising curve.





DEW's inshore patrol vessel is seen in this file photo. The ship is capable of carrying up to 45 persons on board with sanitary facilities. / Courtesy of DEW



The dockyard has since diversified its product lineup to meet growing needs from local and international buyers with a keen focus on its engineering capability for steel and aluminum.



In 2012, the dockyard achieved a major breakthrough by developing a water jet-powered aluminum boat for the country's coast guard. This was the first time for the country to develop such a ship with the technology.



The shipyard's capabilities are not limited to shipbuilding expertise, but also repairs. So far, the facility has manufactured hundreds of vessels, mostly small ones, and repaired thousands of ships.



For now, DEW aims to acquire a composite technology to manufacture state-of-the-art medium-sized vessels by 2025. In a shorter period of time, the company also hopes to build 6,000 deadweight tonnage (DWT) boats by 2020.





DEW officials repair the Bangladesh Coast Guard's patrol vessel. DEW does not just manufacture ships, but offers repair services for small- and medium-sized vessels. / Courtesy of DEW



Strong focus on small- and medium-sized ships



DEW has a wide variety of vessels encompassing patrol crafts, high-speed boats and small ferries and survey boat, providing them for a number of governments and private organizations.



The Dhaka-based shipyard, however, understands the fierce market competition. To survive in the growing market uncertainty, DEW plans to focus solely on enhancing its competitive edge in building small- and medium-sized vessels.



"For example, China is building large-capacity ships, but we are building small- and medium-capacity ships," DEW Deputy General Manager Enamul Hassan told reporters last month on the sidelines of the "Visit Bangladesh" program.





The front view of DEW shipyard's head office in Narayanganj, 32 kilometers away from the country's capital city of Dhaka. / Courtesy of DEW



By Jung Min-ho







Animal rights activists have welcomed lawmakers' moves to ban dog farms in Korea.





The Animal Liberation Wave has expressed support for the bill that, if it passes the National Assembly, would remove the legal basis for factory-style mass breeding of dogs.





The bill, which was proposed by Rep. Lee Sang-don of the minor Bareunmirae Party earlier this month, aims to exclude dogs from what the Livestock Industry Act defines as livestock.





"There are more than 3,000 dog farms where a million dogs get slaughtered every year," the group said. "We hope the bill will become a law to take the first step to end the dog meat industry in Korea."





The legal status of dog is complicated. Under the livestock industry law, farmers can pursue profit with livestock, which includes dogs and many other animals. But according to the Livestock Processing Act, dogs are not categorized as livestock  a reason why dog meat cannot be traded through major distribution channels like other meat.





But it is legal for people to breed dogs and sell the meat, as long as they do not kill dogs in open areas or in front of other dogs, and trade the meat directly.





Regardless of its legal status, the culture of eating dog meat is dying slowly. According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the number of restaurants serving dog meat soup, known as "bosintang," decreased from 528 in 2005 to 329 in 2014.

North Korea has completely dismantled its Punggye-ri nuclear test ground "to ensure the transparency of discontinuance of nuclear test," state news agency KCNA said on Thursday (May 24).

The dismantling of the nuclear test ground "completely closed the tunnel entrances," it said, adding that two tunnels there had been ready for use in "powerful underground nuclear tests".

In video provided by South Korean media on Friday (May 25), the nuclear testing facilities were seen being demolished and North Korean staff told reporters that there was no leakage of radioactive material or adverse impact on the surrounding environment.

The discontinuing of nuclear tests is an important process in moving towards global nuclear disarmament, the state news agency added. (Reuters)The mobilisation for the establishment of Party units and the development of Party members in FDI enterprises is a difficult issue that requires the active participation of veteran Party members, workers, union officials and the retired who dare to engage in new things and hard work.

Devoted to Party building work

The 600ha Nam Tan Uyen Industrial Park in Tan Uyen district (Binh Duong province) has been filled by 204 investment projects, mostly of foreign origin. Thanks to initiatives in Party development, up to now, the Industrial Parks Party Committee has expanded into eight branches with 73 Party members, including five that are working in FDI enterprises owned by Japan and the Republic of Korea. Comrade Nguyen Quan Si, Secretary of the Industrial Parks Party Committee said that: "The most difficult task is to encourage business owners to agree on the establishment of a Party unit in their companies. To meet them, we must seek help from the labour union staff or through the customer care department. We have to exchange with them on management and investment first, before discussing the Party building work.

In industrial zones Party officials are on concurrent duty without any additional allowance. The biggest motivation for them is the enthusiasm and high sense of responsibility from Party members who are also workers. Si emphasised that Party members in industrial zones are very rare and precious. Everyone is looking forward to joining the scheduled regular meetings of their Party organisations. In FDI enterprises, workers strive to stand in the Party completely because of their sentiment towards the Party, their love for the country, and the desire to follow the revolutionary tradition of their predecessors.

Beside enthusiastic people such as comrade Si, there are also Party development collaborators such as Duong Vinh Thanh, 85, who has 50 years of experience operating in the Party and is wholeheartedly devoted to the Party building work. Thanh often joins Si to examine the profiles of outstanding candidates for admission to the Party. The long distance or hardships could not prevent the two friends from devoting themselves to the development of the Party.

In the Hai Phong Economic Zone, home to 300 FDI enterprises and over 100 private domestic enterprises, all staff under the EZs Party Committee are tasked with mobilising support for the establishment of sub-Party units and to verify profiles for the Party's admission. So far, 28 Party branches have been established in the EZ, with 270 Party members, including 17 Party units in FDI enterprises. To achieve this result, the EZs Party Committee relies on its Party members for Party membership development. It has built a team of collaborators responsible for Party building work. They are Party members with a good knowledge on the regulations of FDI enterprises, as well as having the ability to contact employers and employees, and being good at foreign languages. The support allowance for such collaborators is only enough to cover the costs for travel or telephones, so their work efficiency is largely based on their enthusiasm and personal sense of responsibility.

One among the effective collaborators is Bui Huy Thang, a veteran Party official who served as Vice President of the EZs Labour Union. Thang is very close to the staff in charge of human resources in enterprises. He has his own ways of mobilising for Party building, with the from-the-bottom-up approach. Thang often visits workers hostels and the personnel in charge of human resources at enterprises to exploit further information. When he finds outstanding representatives eligible for the Partys enrollment, Thang and his committee ask the business owners to make a comment on them. After carefully reviewing the list of members, business owners have to admit that they are typical, well-behaved workers. Knowing the Party's activities does not affect the time and benefit of enterprises, several business owners have agreed to set up a Party unit within their companies. The director of Kyocera Mita Company (Japan) told Thang: "There are no problems with such good Party members. Let's nurture more Party members like them." Many business owners have been convinced in this way, such as Regina Miracle International (China) and Lite On Vietnam (Chinese Taipei).

The Trade Union of Chinfon Cement Corporation - Hai Phong reaches an emulation agreement.

In order to reach foreign business owners, a number of the EZs Party Committees have translated the Partys principles and regulations into English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean for the owners of companies to understand the Partys purpose and meaning. However, according to Party Secretary of the Hai Phong EZs Party Committee Nguyen Cong Thanh, the direct exchange with business owners still faces difficulties due to linguistic differences and interpreters who cannot fully explain the contents to the owners.

Demands from the real situation

To make the Party building adaptable to the characteristics of FDI enterprises, Le Van Huan, Secretary of the Party Committee of Dinh Tram Industrial Zone (Viet Yen district, Bac Giang province), has actively applied IT in various forms of Party activities. Through social networks such as Facebook, zalo and viber, Huan became a bridge connecting the entire staff of Sung Woo Vina, where he held the position of human resource management. In addition, he and his Party Committee have connected with workers in the entire Dinh Tram IZ, thus admitting 31 Party members from six local FDI companies to the IZs Party Committee.

To facilitate the Party members, Party meetings and activities take place outside working hours. Documents, resolutions, directives, regulations and other papers are delivered to the Party members via email and social networking. Since 2015, the ceremonies held by the IZs Party Committee to admit new Party members have been published on social networks and the enterprises websites. Huan wondered: "There are more than 80,000 workers in Bac Giangs IPs but only 200 Party members have been admitted. Many people and workers want to be in the ranks of the Party. For that reason, it is necessary to enroll more Party members so that each of them could become Party active elements in their businesses."

After 30 years of international economic integration, by the end of 2017, the country had more than 23,000 active FDI projects with a total registered capital of over US$300 billion. The FDI sector has attracted more than 1.7 million direct workers and created jobs for about 2.5 million indirect labourers. However, according to the Party Central Committee's Commission for Organisation, up to now, there are only 188 Party units set up in FDI enterprises, including 37 Party committees and 151 subordinate branches, gathering 5,784 Party members. Of which, enterprises that are 100% foreign-invested have established 129 units with 3,859 members. On average, there is only one Party agency in over a thousand FDI projects. The number of Party members is very small compared to the total number of employees, while the performance of Party institutions in FDI enterprises is still confusing, ineffective and "out of step" with the industrial production environment.

In order to make the Party building work in FDI enterprises become properly respected and achieve higher results, the provincial and municipal Party Committees should be closer to their local units in order to give directions more frequently to remove difficulties in their sub-establishments. Local higher Party commissions should set up information channels to grasp the local situation at grassroots Party committees and difficulties of local enterprises, while forecasting the production and business operations. On that basis, the grassroots committees should proactively propose solutions to remove difficulties for enterprises, as well as organising dialogues between labourers and socio-political organisations in enterprises with business owners and related agencies.

In the immediate future, it is necessary to clarify the budget, conditions and mechanism of operation for Party activities to suit the production and business environment in foreign-invested enterprises. The competent agencies should guide the expenditures in support of the Party units and other socio-political organisations in the FDI enterprises, while regulating specific provisions on the allowance for Party members and providing funding for the examination and admission of the Party members, training expenses, and other expenditures for Party cells in FDI enterprises. The Party model in businesses should be flexible, ensuring the best conditions for Party members to operate. Party units under medium-sized and larger enterprises should be directly affiliated with the provincial or municipal Party Committees or under the IZs Party Committees.

In addition to the establishment of new Party organisations in the FDI enterprises, the provincial and municipal Party Committees should strengthen and improve the quality of the activities for Party units in non-State enterprises towards ensuring the quality of Party members in line with the Partys regulations. Furthermore, along with the increase in the number of specialised Party cadres working in the business community, it is necessary to formulate specific policies for the Party staff in FDI enterprises and models of developing Party branches in workers boarding-houses and collective zones should be replicated.





South Korean President Moon Jae-in held a surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Saturday (May 26) to ensure a summit between Kim and U.S. President Donald Trump goes off successfully, South Korean officials said.

It was the clearest sign yet that the on-again off-again summit between Trump and Kim is likely to be held as initially agreed, in Singapore on June 12.

The unannounced meeting at the Panmunjom border village between Moon and Kim came a month after they held the first inter-Korean summit in more than a decade at the same venue and declared they would toward a nuclear-free Korean peninsula.















The wife of Korean Air Lines Chairman, Lee Myung-hee, arrived at a Seoul police station on Monday (May 28) for questioning over assault and abuse allegations.

Lee is accused of shoving and cursing at construction workers in 2014, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported.

The South Korean airline conglomerate has faced mounting public outrage after the chairman's youngest daughter Cho Hyun-min  the younger sister of the notorious "nut rage" heiress of the airline  was accused of throwing a drink at people at a business meeting last month.

In response to growing public backlash, Cho Yang-ho, the company chairman, made his daughters step down from their positions at the airline and made a public apology for the behaviour of his daughters.By Heo Mane





The international community is often shrouded in more animosity than international morality. International morality has withered to a greater degree, due to the intensified animosity in many corners of the world. So the good has been often shadowed by the bad on the international stage struggling for more power and prestige.



The international community is easily depicted as a world of evil rather than that of good. Humanity has so far lived amid confrontations between the good and bad that does not end in the long processes of struggle for power and prestige.



Pyongyang-Washington relations and Seoul-Pyongyang ties are cases in point because the planned summit between Trump and Kim was abruptly cancelled by the former's change of mind.



The cancellation resulted from war-like rhetoric of North Korea's First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye-gwan and Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui. The harsh rhetoric showed that in a practical sense, the North lacks international morality and even responsibility for the summit talks.



Animosity  a long-accumulated hatred  prevails over a moral sense to maintain peace and stability around the world that can help prevent the Korean Peninsula from coming closer to a nuclear confrontation. All Koreans  both from the South and the North  do not want to see Armageddon taking place on the peninsula. Once it happens here, a nuclear war will most likely be staged here.



The Trump administration has long desired to carry out a complete denuclearization of North Korea by applying the Libyan model, through which the U.S. can remove all nuclear weapons, fissile materials and ICBMs from the North, with its nuclear scientists banned from engaging in research and development.



This demand is characterized as a speedy comprehensive deal, while Pyongyang may try to protect its regime and people with a small number of nuclear weapons at hand even after the Pyongyang-Washington summit ends.



Pyongyang has repeatedly hinted at step-by-step and reciprocal denuclearization particularly after the second summit between Kim Jong-un with Xi Jinping. Pyongyang has thus declined to accept the Libya model that may threaten its regime and people. The Libyan regime collapsed eight years after it concluded a denuclearization pact with the U.S.



Moammar Gadhafi was ousted from power in the wake of the fall of Tripoli by rebels in August 2011 amid the Arab Spring. You should clearly know that his collapse did not result from denuclearization but from a popular uprising.



Both Pyongyang and Washington should have respected international morality rather than seeking to gain the upper hand in negotiations. Denuclearization is not a matter of both parties alone. It is closely linked to peace and stability on the peninsula and Northeast Asia.



Nuclear weapons and missiles are classified as weapons of mass destruction (WMD). We must not forget the history that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki killed 129,000 people in a moment, most of whom were innocent civilians including children and the elderly.



The bombings destroyed 70 percent of the two Japanese cities in 1945 to end World War II. Viewed from this historic tragedy, North Korea must commit to a complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) and Pyongyang's security should thus be secured. This formula is a compelling demand.



Pyongyang has kept its promise to demolish its Punggye-ri nuclear test site May 24 in the presence of some 20 journalists invited but without nuclear experts. The blasts, however, showed a minimum degree of sincerity.



On the other hand, there is growing skepticism over whether the blasts destroyed the innermost parts of all the tunnels at the Punggye-ri site. Journalists watched the event standing on an observatory tower 35 meters away from the site. The lack of nuclear experts raised doubts about the genuine intention of the event.



Animosity pursuing a higher position may derail the Washington-Pyongyang summit, which was revived after Trump decided to cancel it last week. International morality needs to prevail over animosity to open a new era of peace, stability and co-prosperity.



U.S. Vice President Mike Pence warned that Kim Jong-un would not play President Donald Trump at the Singapore summit. It would be a great mistake for Kim to think he could play Trump. He clearly warned that Trump would walk away from the meeting.



In the meantime, President Moon Jae-in held his latest tete-a-tete meeting with Trump in Washington to tone down the words of his advisers to make a successful summit with Kim and to persuade Trump to keep his first stance unchanged.



Moon held his second summit with Kim at Tongilgak on the North's side of the truce village of Panmunjeom. The meeting certainly helped Moon mediate as a peacemaker to get the Singapore summit back on track.



Pyongyang's brinkmanship tactics, which was apparently aimed at securing a higher position in talks with Washington, can no longer work at this critical juncture. Animosity will only increase tension and overshadow the prospects for peace not only on the peninsula, but also across the globe.



Promoting international morality based on the respect of life is pivotal to building trust and confidence between the U.S. and North Korea. The more international morality prevails in the international community, the more trust and confidence it will foster.





Heo Mane (mane398@naver.com) is a professor emeritus and adviser of the Korea-EU Forum.

Lawmakers should turn policy recommendations into action



The National Assembly special committee for the Fourth Industrial Revolution has come up with 152 policy and legislative recommendations in a report wrapping up its six months of operation.



When the parliamentary panel was born a half year ago, there was strong skepticism about whether it would play an appropriate role. Now, however, it deserves compliments for producing a bipartisan report through open debate, a rarity in Korea's political landscape.



Most noticeable in the committee's report is the suggestion on the use and protection of personal information, which has hindered the development of new industries, such as big data and artificial intelligence. The report made it clear the "principal agent of innovation is the private sector," and called for easing administrative red tape in areas such as crowd-funding and corporate mergers and acquisitions as well as introducing regulation-free zones.



These recommendations are in line with the demands long made by market players. At stake, however, is how many of these recommendations will be put into action. Rep. Kim Sung-shik, who chaired the panel, was right to say, "What I am afraid of is not technological innovation but the delay in improving our economic and social systems and institutions. We have no more time to waste."



The Korea Economic Research Institute, after comparing major economic powers' comparative advantages in 12 areas that lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution, said recently, "If we do nothing, Korea will have an advantage over China in none of the 12 fields five years from now."



In other words, the institute said, the nation can ill afford to waste any more time in carrying out bold regulatory reform.



The committee report has been made with the agreement of both ruling and opposition parties. The Assembly's standing committees, which will start activities in July for the next two years, should put a priority on turning the panel recommendations into reality.



Lawmakers need to dispel the public's doubt about the usefulness of their institution by putting what's good for the nation and people ahead of partisan politics for at least just once.



By Donald Kirk





It does look like Singapore is on again. You can't have so many emissaries going back and forth, between Pyongyang and New York, between Washington and Singapore, between Pyongyang and Singapore, between Manila and Panmunjeom, without thinking these guys are serious, something's up.



What, between Manila and Panmunjeom? What's that all about? Oh yes, Sung Kim, remember him? He was U.S. ambassador to Korea for three years during the Obama administration, and before that, he was the chief negotiator responsible for dealing with the North Koreans. Tough job. It need hardly be said he got nowhere. In fact, between 2006 and last September, they conducted six nuclear tests.



Sung Kim has got to know all about confronting the North Koreans. He's faced not only vice foreign minister Kim Kye-gwan but also assistant foreign minister Choe Son-hui. Those were the authors of the nasty statements that got Trump so riled up that he cancelled the Singapore summit last week. Then, a day later, he thanked Kim Kye-gwan for his "gracious" note in which Kim practically begged him to go through with the summit.



But what's Sung Kim got to do with all that? He was ambassador to the Philippines, trying to deal with another problem, that of the anti-American rants of the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, when he got the summons to fly to Seoul and then go up to Panmunjeom. It was as if an old pro were suddenly called in to show what he could do when all else failed. It was an admission that the State Department does not have that many, if any, senior diplomats knowledgeable enough to deal with the North Koreans since the recent retirement of Joseph Yun, the last person to serve as the negotiator on North Korea.



Sung Kim had a job to do, namely to talk to the same Choe Son-hui, whom he had last seen in the old days of up-and-down, ultimately useless talks with the North Koreans before Obama sent him off to South Korea as ambassador. From Manila he had to make it to the truce village of Panmunjeom, where President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un had met the day before, and explain just what Trump meant when he talked about CVID, complete, verifiable, irreversible denuclearization.



Of course, Choe knew all about CVID. She just wasn't buying it. Who would expect her to say, Oh yes, we see what you mean.



All the North Koreans can talk about is "complete denuclearization," meaning something entirely different. For one thing, they won't say "complete denuclearization" of North Korea at all. They are implying that the South Koreans and the Americans also need a dose of denuclearization. They know perfectly well South Korea has no nukes and the Americans withdrew theirs in 1991 before North and South Korea came through with that mostly forgotten agreement on a "nuclear-free Korean Peninsula."



A sign that Sung Kim, the veteran negotiator, was really getting nowhere at Panmunjeom, aside from the fact that the North Koreans were reluctant to go on talking to him after that first conversation between him and Choe, was their decision to send Kim Yong-chol off to New York to talk to the Americans, presumably Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. On the way, of course, he had to stop off in Beijing and pay obeisance to the Chinese or at least tell them what he planned to do and say in the U.S.



It's unlikely Kim Yong-chol's mission is to tell the Americans, "We finally see what you mean about CVID and we're willing to do it." There was good reason to be highly suspicious of him. Remember, he's believed to have been the man who ordered the torpedoing in 2010 of the South Korean navy corvette the Cheonan with a loss of the lives of 46 sailors. He's viewed as a tough guy in no mood for compromise.



In fact, compromise isn't in the playbook of the North Koreans. Kim Jong-un is making a show of friendship with Moon Jae-in while drawing Trump into talks that can only leave Trump looking bad. Suppose Trump says, nice meeting you but we simply have to get you to agree to CVID? As Sung Kim should have learned, yet again, that's one compromise the North Koreans aren't going to make.





Donald Kirk (www.donaldkirk.com) has been covering the furor over North Korea's nuclear program since writing about the 1992 agreement to create a "nuclear free" Korean Peninsula.

By Do Je-hae



During a recent weekend, I was in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. The main purpose of the visit to the satellite city was to spend the day at Wangsong Lake Park, which is famous for its rail bike experience, the nation's first rail bike that circles around a lake.



The wait was too long so we gave up on the rail bike and settled for a walk. The lakeside scenery was more than I had expected, and the park was beautifully designed, with ample space for families to have a picnic lunch on the lawn with a full view of the lake, and children to run around.



Everywhere you go in Uiwang, you can easily see signs proudly proclaiming Uiwang as the "city of rail." While getting around the city, I learned that it is home to several relevant establishments, including the Korea National Railroad College and the Korean Railroad Museum. Uiwang's first railroad opened in 1905.



The railroad museum which sits right next to the Wangsong Lake Park was actually the highlight of my first trip to the "city of rail." The museum is worth a visit if you are interested in two things: trains, and Korean history before and after the 1910-1945 Japanese rule of Korea. As someone who enjoys trains, it was very interesting to learn about the roots of Korea's railroad system which dates back to the late 19th century.



I first developed affection for trains during my first backpacking trip to Europe. I travelled through several countries with the Eurail pass and had the opportunity to see some of the most breathtaking views of my life from the train. Train rides are more enjoyable than being on airplanes, which are noisy, uncomfortable and are devoid of any good views.



The entrance fee for the railroad museum is pretty cheap, 2,000 won per adult, and 1,000 won per child. The museum has an outside display of old trains used from the onset of Korea's rail industry through those used during the 1950-53 Korean War and afterwards. The outside display also features model trains used by VIPs, such as former presidents Syngman Rhee and Park Chung-hee.



Unlike highways which were built during late 1960s, railways have more than 120 years of history in Korea. The most interesting part of the museum is the first floor, where visitors can see relics related to the major rail lines, such as the Gyeong-in, Gyeong-bu and Gyeong-ui lines which were all constructed during the Japanese occupation.



A timetable for the Gyeong-ui line, which opened in 1904, was very interesting because it reminded people that it was once possible to travel to China by train from Seoul. The railway line ran from Gyeongseong, the old name for Seoul, to Sinuiju in North Korea, which was then connected to the South Manchuria Railway. The line stopped operating between the south and north of the Korean Peninsula after the Korean War.





A photo of the Gyeong-ui line at the railway museum in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province / Korea Times photo by Do Je-haeBy Zaki Laidi





PARIS  Europe has a new German problem. Unlike in the past, it stems neither from hegemonic ambitions nor from the sort of weakness that might tempt aggression.







Instead, it is rooted in Germany's abdication of any sense of shared responsibility for Europe, despite boasting as robust an economy as it has had since 1945. The result of Germany's approach  "do as we do, or leave us alone"  is inertia, at a moment when Europe desperately needs momentum.







For a long time, Europe was at the center of German concerns. In 1994, for example, Wolfgang Schauble  then parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic Union, and now president of the Bundestag  and his CDU colleague Karl Lamers wrote a paper calling for the EU's "core" countries, including France, to move swiftly toward closer integration, including political union.







France resisted German pressure because it was extremely suspicious of political federalism. Then President Francois Mitterrand did not want to move beyond the Maastricht framework. After the 2010 eurozone crisis, the debate shifted toward structural reforms.







France advocated for more economic integration, but Germany conditioned any discussion of the eurozone's future on French structural reforms. President Francois Hollande agreed in principle to that trade-off, but lacked the time and political support to implement it.







Today, however, France is finally undertaking Germany's long-expected domestic reforms  and pressing for change at the EU level. French President Emmanuel Macron wants to create not a federal Europe  nobody is proposing that  but a sovereign EU capable of resisting the pressure of figures like U.S. President Donald Trump, Russia's Vladimir Putin, China's Xi Jinping, and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan.







Unfortunately, Germany is once more resisting French proposals. Though Chancellor Angela Merkel often lavishes Macron with praise for his courage and policy goals, she seems reluctant to agree to any action to strengthen the EU.







German leaders concede that French reforms are good for France, but now argue that eurozone reform is a separate issue. Although disappointing, this stance is not unexpected. Merkel is politically weakened, and German public opinion remains deeply influenced by the false narrative that the country is Europe's paymaster.







Schauble, a former euro federalist, has scaled back his ambitions dramatically. While he still dreams of a European Monetary Fund, it would only resemble a solidarity mechanism. Its main purpose would be to monitor and punish fiscally lax states for the purpose of reducing further the European Commission's budgetary oversight responsibilities.







The truth is that Germany aspires to live in a minimalist Europe that lacks any political union, but is tied to intergovernmental disciplinary mechanisms designed by its most prosperous countries. In other words, Germany wants to eliminate from the EU all traces of community spirit, and the politics that go with it, and replace them with an austere idyll of rigid rules.







And current events in Italy are reinforcing the position of German hard-liners. It is probably no coincidence that three days after the new Italian government revealed its economic plan  which, if implemented, will blow up the eurozone  154 German economists published a manifesto strongly opposing any substantial eurozone reform.







But this stance also reflects the so-called ordoliberal principles that underpin German thought and that shape Germany's understanding of the eurozone crisis.







Along with the Netherlands and the Baltic states, Germany blames that crisis on some member states' budgetary imprudence and insufficient monitoring of private debt, and thus refuses to examine properly the eurozone's systemic problems. Eight years later, Europeans still embrace divergent narratives about the crisis. How can we expect them to move toward the future if they strongly disagree on the past?







To acknowledge that the eurozone can function only on a foundation of solidarity and interdependence would be to engage in precisely the kind of thinking that German ordoliberals have always rejected. They see the national economy as the sum of microeconomic decisions, and a supranational economy as the sum of national economies. For them, solidarity is founded on consistent management. This reasoning leads to three lines of argument that preclude basic strategic analysis.







First, Germany embraces the self-serving fiction that it owes nothing to others for its prosperity. Yet we know very well how much Germany's economy depends on European demand, and how much it benefits from the undervaluation of the "German euro" (whereas the "Italian euro," for example, suffers from overvaluation).







Germany also gains the most from European Central Bank policy. As the German economist Marcel Fratzscher recently tweeted, "The unbearable cynicism of some German politicians and economists: they attack ECB policy, yet Germany's government is its biggest beneficiary  294 billion euro in interest savings since 2007. Compare that to risks assumed in the crisis, and it is an excellent deal for Germany."







Second, Germany insists that any slowdown should be met with greater discipline and tighter austerity, not countercyclical policies. According to German leaders, no matter how severe the effects of that approach may be, they are simply the price of redemption after committing the sin of accumulating excessive debt.







Finally, Germany is convinced that, in a market economy, the state's responsibility is to set rules, not to steer the choices of economic actors.







In fact, a recent report from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy portrays Germany's enormous current-account surplus as a reality that policymakers cannot change, and that thus must be accommodated. This ignores the fact, highlighted by a recent study by Guntram B. Wolff, that Germany's current-account surplus is the result not of aging households' frenzied desire to save more, but of underinvestment by businesses seeking to resist wage pressure.







This presents France with a serious challenge. One option for overcoming German obstinacy would be to pursue a series of small compromises. But, as some critical German observers, such as the Financial Times' Wolfgang Munchau, have pointed out, this could lead to minimal and even illusory concessions.







The alternative would be a showdown that brings the debate to the European public. Perhaps this is what Macron was trying to initiate at Aix-la-Chapelle earlier this month, as he collected from Merkel the Charlemagne Prize for his pro-European efforts. Such a confrontation need not block progress on other issues, such as border security, investments in industries of the future, taxation of U.S. tech giants, and the defense of multilateralism.







European integration owes much to France's Robert Schuman and Germany's Helmut Kohl, both of whom prioritized strategic European interests (through the European Steel and Coal Community and the eurozone, respectively) over the pursuit of immediate national advantage.







Today, Macron is prepared to establish himself as a similar leader, but he needs a reliable German partner willing to challenge ordoliberal rigor in the name of Europe-wide prosperity. Unfortunately, it is not at all clear that he has such a partner in Merkel.











Zaki Laidi, professor of international relations at Sciences Po, was an adviser to former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate ( www.project-syndicate.org ).Minimum wage revision bill angers workers





The nation's two umbrella unions, irrespective of their political inclination, are all out to fight the government to protest the passage of a revision bill at the National Assembly, Monday, that allows regular bonuses and welfare payments to be calculated as part of an employee's basic salary.



Industrial peace, the sweet fruit of labor-management harmony, is definitely the basis of economic development. In particular, the pressing need of today amid worsening economic circumstances is to raise productivity based on a concord between employers and employees.



The bill aims at easing the burden of rising labor costs on employers following the sharp increase of the minimum wage by more than 16 percent this year, from 6,470 won to 7,530 won per hour. President Moon Jae-in has vowed to raise the wage to 10,000 won ($9.30) by 2020. The unions argue the bill reduces the effect of raising the minimum wage.



To our regret, however, the unions are even boycotting meetings of the Economic and Social Development Commission, which was formerly the 20-year-old Korea Tripartite Commission of Labor, Management and Government, an apparatus to seek compromise through negotiations.



The three groups are required to narrow their differences over pending labor issues, including the minimum wage increase, through dialogue eight years after the meetings were stopped. Now the forum for the three-way talks is on the brink of being shut down again.



The three are the principal agents of the Korean economy. They have to come up with a resolute will to help revive the sagging economy. The progressive Federation of Korean Trade Unions and the conservative Korean Confederation of Trade Unions are required to acknowledge that cooperative labor-management ties are crucial to overcoming the current economic difficulties.



We expect the two unions to return to the tripartite talks without condition as soon as possible and discuss all pending problems with the government and management, thus seeking a way out of the current economic hardship.





US, NK should finalize details of denuclearization





A visit to the U.S. by a top North Korean official is likely to bode well for the planned June 12 summit between President Donald Trump and the North's leader Kim Jong-un. This visit is crucial for both Washington and Pyongyang as it will set the tone for the historic summit to be held in Singapore.



Kim Yong-chol, vice chairman of the Central Committee of North Korea's ruling Workers' Party, arrived in New York City and will meet with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday and Thursday. The two need to finalize details of how to denuclearize the North and what Washington will offer Pyongyang in return. Kim is the highest Pyongyang official to set foot on U.S. soil since Vice Marshal Jo Myong-rok visited America in 2000.



Kim and Pompeo are required to make tangible progress and agree on the denuclearization roadmap if they want to raise expectations for the upcoming summit. Kim may also travel to Washington to have a meeting with President Trump. If the meeting is realized, the North Korean official could deliver a letter from Kim Jong-un to Trump ensuring the North's commitment to giving up its nuclear program.



Kim Yong-chol's visit comes at a time when preparations for the unprecedented summit are gathering pace. The U.S. and the North held working-level meetings at the truce village of Panmunjeom to set the summit agenda. Both sides are also having talks in Singapore to discuss details about protocol and security matters.



It appears that Kim Yong-chol and Pompeo will make last-minute efforts to narrow their differences over the denuclearization issue. The U.S. wants North Korea to realize complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization (CVID) quickly. On the other hand, the North prefers a step-by-step and reciprocal denuclearization so that it can get compensation for every step it takes down the road.



Thus, the fate of the Singapore summit will depend on how the two sides compromise and accommodate each other's demands. Pyongyang is strongly demanding U.S. security guarantees as well as sanctions relief in exchange for abandoning its nuclear arsenal. A positive sign is that the Trump administration may offer a "complete, verifiable and irreversible guarantee" (CVIG) to the Kim Jong-un regime.



The idea of CVIG could help ease Kim's worries about a potential U.S. bid for regime change. It might have a positive effect on the nuclear summit. But there are still many thorny issues standing in the way of the Kim-Trump meeting. This means that no one can rule out the possibility of either side boycotting the summit as seen in Trump's brief decision to cancel the talks citing the North's "tremendous anger and open hostility" last week.



Therefore it is important for Washington and Pyongyang to convince each other that they are serious about the summit and ready to clear any obstacles through dialogue and compromise. Most of all, the North should show its genuine intention for denuclearization.







/ Yonhap



South Korea's major tech giants, Samsung Electronics Co. and LG Electronics Inc., were named as two of the most admired brands in Africa this year, an industry tracker said Thursday.

According to the latest "Most Admired Brand in Africa" report released by Brand Africa, Samsung Electronics took the No. 2 spot in terms of popularity.

It marked a notch down from a year earlier, paving the way for U.S. apparel firm Nike Inc. to become the top player.

Samsung, however, still maintained its lead against U.S. archrival Apple Inc., which came in fifth, Brand Africa said.

The report also showed Samsung took the No. 1 spot in eight of the 23 African countries surveyed.

LG Electronics also moved four notches down on-year to stand at the 10th place.

With Samsung and LG both still being included in the top 10 list, however, industry watchers said the report indicates South Korea maintains a solid reputation for the IT industry in Africa. (Yonhap)President Quang expressed his delight at strongly developing relations in all fields, 45 years after the two countries established diplomatic ties.

Japan has been the leading economic partner, the biggest official development assistance provider and the second largest investor of Vietnam. It also ranks third in terms of the number of tourists to the Southeast Asian nation.

The two countries have coordinated closely at regional and international forums, reflected through the success of the APEC Economic Leaders Week in Vietnam in 2017 and the signing of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), he stated.

President Quang thanked the party for supporting Vietnams nation building cause and developing Vietnam - Japan relations.

He asked the party and Chief Representative Natsuo Yamaguchi to continue making contributions to the bilateral Extensive Strategic Partnership, particularly in economy, investment, human resources training, hi-tech agriculture and climate change response.

Welcoming the Vietnamese President, the Komeito leader said that the visit will contribute to strengthening rapport in all fields, especially in the context of the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

He affirmed that his party will make efforts to deepen Japan-Vietnam relations in all aspects and coordinate with the Vietnamese side in regional and international issues of shared concern.Hanwha Q Cells Chief Strategy Officer Kim Dong-kwan, the oldest son of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn

Merger to help chairman's sons avoid intra-subsidiary trading rules



By Park Jae-hyuk



Hanwha S&C will merge with Hanwha Systems in a move to reduce the control of Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn's three sons, the nation's eighth-largest conglomerate said Thursday.



The two companies' boards of directors agreed on the merger plan and will launch the new corporation in August, Hanwha said.



The new firm will continue to use the name Hanwha Systems.



"Hanwha Aerospace will hold a 52.9 percent share in the new Hanwha Systems. H Solution and a financial investor, STIC consortium, will hold a 26.1 percent share and a 21 percent share, respectively," a Hanwha Group official said. "After the merger, H Solution will reduce its stake to 14.5 percent, by selling 11.6 percent of its shares to the financial investor."



H Solution is entirely owned by the Hanwha chairman's three sons  Dong-kwan, Dong-won and Dong-seon.





Hanwha Life Chief Innovation Officer Kim Dong-won, the second-oldest son of the Hanwha chairman

The heirs had previously held all shares in Hanwha S&C, but they sold their 44.6 percent stake in the IT service provider to STIC Investment for 250 billion won ($236 million) last August, after spinning off the affiliate into H Solution and Hanwha S&C.



If a conglomerate owner family's shares in an unlisted affiliate exceed 20 percent, the conglomerate should be subject to regulations, according to the nation's Fair Trade Act.



The Fair Trade Commission (FTC), which has demanded reform drives for domestic conglomerates since FTC Chairman Kim Sang-jo's inauguration, has suspected the deal between the Hanwha heirs and STIC was made for the owner family to avoid the regulations.



The antitrust watchdog has been investigating the company for the past few months because the conglomerate has been suspicious of special treatment given to Hanwha S&C through unfair inter-affiliate business transactions.



Hanwha S&C has been regarded as a tool for the succession of the chairman's control of the group to his sons.



The Solidarity for Economic Reform, a civic group established for economic justice, has urged Hanwha Group to eradicate its intra-affiliate business transactions.



Hanwha Group vowed H Solution will sell all stakes in the new Hanwha Systems.



In addition to the merger plan, Hanwha said it will disband the group's strategy office to guarantee more rights to the board of directors and affiliates.





Kim Dong-seon, the youngest son of Hanwha chairmanBy Nam Hyun-woo





/The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) will hold its fifth photo contest, offering 100 million won ($92,824) in prizes.



According to the KCCI, Thursday, it will receive applications for the annual contest from June 1 to Sept. 30. This year's theme is "The workplace and life of businesspeople," and anyone interested in the contest can apply for either press or non-press divisions.



The submission fee is 1,000 won for each entry, and all profits will be donated to charity.



The KCCI said judges will look for originality, freshness and rarity in photos, but will not allow computer graphics or rendered images, as well as other works found to be plagiarized.



"As the contest meets its fifth year, we now have more than 10,000 photos," said Lee Kyoung-ryul, a professor at Joongang University who will be judging the photos. "The judges will try to exclude the same old works, such as a flying flag on high-rise office buildings or welding flames at construction sites."



The KCCI contest is one of Korea's largest photo contests. The winner of the grand prize will receive 30 million won; the two second-place winners will get 5 million won each; and each of the five third-place winners will receive 2 million won. Thirty fourth-place winners will each get 500,000 won.



Winners will be announced in November and their works will be exhibited and produced as a video clip.



Participants can submit their photos at kcciphoto.korcham.net by computer or smartphone. Photos taken by smartphone can also be uploaded.



"We are trying to capture the lives of businessmen, who are the engine of corporate businesses," a KCCI spokesman said. "We expect many works portraying hidden moments or fresh views into business."



For more information, visit kcciphoto.korcham.net or call 02-2143-5836.



Photographer Francesca Moscheni poses with children with hearing problems who participated in the "Silent Yangon" project in Yangon, Myanmar. The children took pictures of the city with Samsung smartphones, which will be published in a photo book. / Courtesy of Samsung Electronics



By Yoon Ja-young



Link for Aid, a charity organization based in Italy, and photographer Francesca Moscheni gathered with four businesses including Samsung Electronics in Myanmar to publish a special photo book titled "Silent Yangon."



Yangon, the former capital of Myanmar, is known as one of the most attractive and vibrant cities in Asia. The essence of Yangon is shown in quiet but vivid photos, which were taken by hearing impaired children. They took the photos with Samsung smartphones.



Link for Aid started "The Sound of Images" project to promote images of the country through the eyes of Myanmar children with hearing problems. The organization selected eight children from the Mary Chapman School for the Deaf located in Dagon for the project.



Samsung Electronics contributed by providing smartphones and helping the children learn how to use them. The children learned diverse camera functions of the smartphones, including "food mode," pro mode, low light shots, slow motion, panorama and hyper-lapse.



Children hit the road with their smartphones in their hands during the week of Easter. Their first destinations were Shwedagon Pagoda, a major Buddhist relic and Bogyoke Market.



"I want them to know they have ways to communicate with the world even if they can't hear," said Moscheni who accompanied the children through their photographic journey. A dozen engineers from Samsung Electronics in Myanmar also provided technical support. Brand ambassadors also posed as models so the children could take diverse photos.



"Silent Yangon," which includes pictures and commentary by the children, will be published at the end of the year and distributed around the world. Profits will be used for the children at the Mary Chapman School for the Deaf as well as the Parami Orphanage in Dala and the Nawarat Monastic School at Shwe Pyi Thar. The whole process will also be filmed as a documentary until the completion of the book. For this, film producer Marco Armando Piccinini joined the children.



Pamela McCourt Francescone, founder of the organization, said that she wanted to make people understand that they can communicate through images even if they can't hear. "Samsung's technology helped the children capture the world in their cameras with detail. I hope that the children could pull out their hidden potential and talent through the medium called photography," she said.



Soe Thura, a PR manager for Samsung Electronics in Myanmar, said the company will continue to support local communities.



"I think the special perspectives of the talented children reflected in the pictures will deeply move anyone."This image captured from Google shows the search results when the keyword "street surreptitious snapshots" in Korean is searched.



By Jun Ji-hye



Internet giant Google is facing criticism here for not taking technical measures to prevent minors and teenagers from being exposed to obscene material such as intrusive pictures of body parts.



When the words "surreptitious street snapshots" written in Korean is searched on Google, a number of pictures of women's body parts, apparently taken illicitly by hidden cameras, appear in the results. A user does not need to go through an age confirmation process to access such information.



This is in contrast to what Korean portals Naver and Daum are doing. When a user attempts to search for "surreptitious street snapshots" there, the portals automatically exclude information unsuitable for minors and teenagers from the search results until a user confirms their age.



Criticism against Google's failure to filter out harmful contents to minors is growing as voyeurism crimes have recently become a serious issue here after a female model was arrested for secretly taking pictures of a male nude model during a nude drawing class at Hongik University in Seoul and spreading the pictures on the internet.



According to the Juvenile Sex Protection Act here, owners of online service providers can face up to three years in prison or a 20 million won ($19,000) fine if they do not take proper technical measures regarding "sexual material," being seen by minors, even after the firms become aware of such information being distributed.



Also, the law regarding the promotion of information and communication network use and protection of information requires an age confirmation process in distributing obscene material.



Commenting on the issue, an official from the Korea Communications Standards Commission said the commission is not authorized to block certain keywords to be searched in portals as it is tasked with deliberating on search results.



"We are monitoring various search results created through various keywords," the official said. "Once any illegal obscene material is discovered, we will deliberate on it and take proper action."



The official noted that foreign companies are required to comply with relevant Korean laws as long as they offer services to Korean users. But there have been some limitations to effectively taking disciplinary actions, such as the imposition of fines or criminal punishment, as the firms' corporations are not in Korea.



He added that the commission has set up a cooperative system with Facebook and Twitter as well as Google since 2015, under which the service providers voluntarily delete illegal obscene material.



"There are some differences in the legal systems and regulations between countries, so we are working with foreign companies to adjust standards," the official said.



Google Korea said anyone can make a report to the firm when they discover improper images, and a releated team of the firm takes measures such as deletion after conducting a review.



By Kim Yoo-chul







Leading chemical company LG Chem said Wednesday that it has started selling etanercept biosimilar products in Japan after obtaining regulatory approval to market the products there. The drug is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.







"Regulatory hurdles were fixed," C.S. Song, head of LG's public relations team, said. "The Etanercept BS is the first biosimilar product containing etanercept material which is available in Japan. LG Chem teamed up with Mochida Pharmaceutical for joint marketing campaigns."







LG Chem will supply the products made in the company's plant in the regional city of Osong to Mochida Pharmaceutical. Mochida Pharmaceutical will supply them to Ayumi Pharmaceutical for retail sales.







LG Chem is also developing an adalimumab biosimilar, LBAL, referencing the drug Humira. According to its website, LG Chem is in phase 3 development of the adalimumab biosimilar. The company is also developing novel drugs targeting inflammatory diseases, type 2 diabetes, cancer and myocardial infarction.







A recent study evaluating the biosimilar in comparison with its reference drug found that etanercept had stable clinical efficacy and a comparable safety profile and was well tolerated. Its latest study, conducted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Japan and Korea, found that injection-site reactions occurred in fewer patients receiving the biosimilar than patients receiving the reference drugs.







"Given the strong sales channels that our Japanese business partners have and their price merits, LG Chem expects to increase its market share in Japan at a faster pace," the LG Chem official said.





By Jung Min-ho







China has tightened regulations on religious freedom, cracking down on construction of large outdoor religious statues of all kinds.





With churches and other religious facilities being demolished in China amid the Communist Party's increasing restrictions on religion, the Korean government has warned citizens in China to take special care.





"China's government has been tightening regulations on religious groups and their activities," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on Facebook on May 23.





"Some Koreans have been caught violating the rules. We urge Koreans who are residing or visiting China to take special precautions."





In a message to Christian missionaries, the ministry warned that China had banned missionaries from targeting Chinese.





The Constitution of China states that it protects freedom of religion  but with a caveat: the government only protects "normal religious activities" that take place within government- sanctioned religious organizations and registered places of worship. In other words, there is no protection for religions the government does not like.





Chinese authorities increasingly see religions, especially Christianity, which is growing more quickly in China than in most parts of the world, as potential rivals and crack down on them.





Concerned about any organized movements outside their control, the Chinese government has harassed and detained church members. But in many places, house churches have been flourishing.





In an extra effort to limit the growing influence of Christianity, the government recently banned online retailers from selling the Bible, according to the New York Times. As a result, Christianity has become the only major religion whose holy text cannot be sold through normal commercial channels there.





By Jung Min-ho







A group of Chinese men assaulted a British man who had the word "Taiwan" tattooed on his forehead for refusing to say "Taiwan is part of China."





Paul Farrell, who has lived in Taiwan for 14 years, lost two teeth, received a fat lip and ended up with bruises all over his body after 10 Chinese men beat him during his holiday in the southern Cambodian city of Sihanoukville, the Taiwan News reported Sunday.





According to the report, he became embroiled in an argument with them after they tried to pick a fight over the tattoo at a bar.





One of them suddenly shouted "Taiwan-China!" In response, Farrell said, "Taiwan-Taiwan!" And then they "went insane, grabbed poles and started attacking me," he said.





He said at least 10 Chinese men savagely assaulted him, forcing him to say "Taiwan is part of China," as hundreds of bystanders watched the attack.





Fearing for his life, Farrell eventually said: "OK, you think Taiwan is China, I'll say Taiwan is China. I just want to leave."





According to local media, Farrell received widespread attention last October when photos of his Taiwan tattoo were posted on social media. He said he became a naturalized Taiwanese citizen after marrying a local woman seven years ago.

Women embrace during a prayer vigil following a shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, Friday (local time). Seventeen-year-old Dimitrios Pagourtzis is charged with capital murder in the deadly shooting rampage. / AP



At least eight people were killed when a male student opened fire at a Texas high school on Friday, a local sheriff said, as President Donald Trump expressed his "heartbreak" over the "horrific" shooting.

Dimitrios Pagourtzis / AP

The incident took place at Santa Fe High School in the city of the same name, located about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southeast of Houston.



"There are multiple fatalities," the sheriff of Harris County, Ed Gonzalez, told a news briefing. "There could be anywhere between eight to 10, the majority being students."

The male teen suspect in custody was not immediately identified. A second possible person of interest was being questioned, Gonzalez told reporters.

A somber Trump, who was speaking at an event on prison reform at the White House, expressed "sadness and heartbreak" over the deadly shooting spree.

"This has been going on too long in our country," Trump said. "We're with you in this tragic hour."

The shooting was the latest in what has become an all-too-familiar situation in American schools, where gun violence has become a part of everyday life.

Earlier this year, 17 students and staff were killed in a shooting at a Florida high school -- a massacre that prompted survivors to launch a grassroots campaign against gun violence.

The US president, who has previously shied away from gun control measures in favor of arming teachers, said his administration was "determined to do everything in our power to protect our students, secure our schools, and to keep weapons out of the hands of those who pose a threat to themselves, and to others."

Multiple shots

The shooting erupted before 8:00 am, as the school day was beginning.

"There was someone that walked in with a shotgun and started shooting, and this girl got shot in the leg," an eyewitness identified as Nikki told local television station KTRK.

She said students fled the school in a panic, and several other students told local media they heard multiple gunshots.

The school district, which quickly imposed a lockdown, cleared the students from the campus, with television footage showing them leaving in a single file. No other schools had been affected.



Some students were evacuated to a nearby auto shop, where parents were picking up their children, according to CBS affiliate KHOU-TV.

Parent Richard Allen told KTRK he arrived at the school soon after the shooting and reported seeing a number of victims being taken away in ambulances.

"My son said someone went into the art room and started shooting a lot of the kids," Allen said.

Student Paige Curry told local media that she heard gunshots and then a fire alarm, after which students were taken out by teachers to a nearby gas station.

"I saw some girl -- she had, you know, she got shot in the kneecap, I guess. So she had a bandage around it. She was limping and then the firemen came and got her," another student, who gave his first name as Tyler, told CBS.

A large contingent of police as well as agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were responding to the incident. (AFP)This Sunday, May 27, 2018, photo shows a sign displayed at a Starbucks cafe in Portland, Maine, reminding customers that the store will be closed Tuesday for training. / AP



Starbucks, trying to put to rest an outcry over the arrest of two black men at one of its stores, is closing more than 8,000 stores for an afternoon of anti-bias training, a strategy some believe can keep racism at bay.



After the arrests in Philadelphia last month, the coffee chain's leaders apologized and met with the two men, but also reached out to activists and experts in bias training to put together a curriculum for its 175,000 workers.



That has put a spotlight on the little-known world of ''unconscious bias training,'' which is used by many corporations, police departments and other organizations to help address racism in the workplace. The training is typically designed to get people to open up about implicit biases and stereotypes in encountering people of color, gender or other identities.



The Perception Institute, a consortium of researchers consulting with Starbucks, defines implicit bias as attitudes _ positive or negative _ or stereotypes someone has toward a person or group without being conscious of it. A common example, according to some of its studies, is a tendency for white people to unknowingly associate black people with criminal behavior.





In this April 15, 2018, file photo, demonstrators protest outside the Starbucks cafe in Philadelphia where two black men were arrested three days earlier for waiting inside without ordering anything. On Tuesday, May 29, 2018, the company plans to close more than 8,000 stores nationwide to conduct anti-bias training, a move intended to show how serious the company is about living up to its now tarnished image as a neighborhood hangout where all are welcome. / APAdolf Hitler died in April 1945, as confirmed by a newly published scientific study. / AP



Adolf Hitler definitely died in 1945 in Berlin, from taking cyanide and a bullet, according to French researchers who were given rare access to fragments of the dictator's teeth held in Moscow.



"The teeth are authentic, there is no possible doubt. Our study proves that Hitler died in 1945," professor Philippe Charlier told AFP.



"We can stop all the conspiracy theories about Hitler. He did not flee to Argentina in a submarine, he is not in a hidden base in Antarctica or on the dark side of the moon," Charlier said.



The study, which Charlier co-authored with four other researchers, was published Friday in the scientific magazine European Journal of Internal Medicine.



The analysis of Hitler's bad teeth and numerous dentures found white tartar deposits and no traces of meat fibre -- the dictator was vegetarian, Charlier said.



In March and July 2017, Russia's secret service the FSB and the Russian state archives authorised a team of researchers to examine the bones of the dictator, for the first time since 1946, he said.



The French team was able to look at a skull fragment presented as being from the Fuhrer, which showed a hole on the left side which was in all probability caused by the passage of a bullet.



The scientists were not authorised to take samples from this fragment.



As it stands, the fragment's morphology was "totally comparable" to radiographies of Hitler's skull taken a year before his death, the research found.



If this study confirms the generally accepted view that Hitler died on the 30 April, 1945, in his Berlin bunker with his companion Eva Braun, it does also shed new light on the exact causes of death, Charlier said.



"We didn't know if he had used an ampule of cyanide to kill himself or whether it was a bullet in the head. It's in all probability both," he said.



The examination of the teeth did not find any traces of powder, which indicates there was not a revolver shot to the mouth, more likely the neck or the forehead.



Equally, bluish deposits seen on his false teeth could indicate a "chemical reaction between the cyanide and the metal of the dentures," the researcher said.



Charlier, a specialist in medical and legal anthropology, was also involved in the analysis of the mummified heart of Richard Lionheart. (AFP)At their talks in Tokyo on May 31 during President Quangs State visit to Japan, the leaders noted with pleasure pragmatic and rapid developments of the Vietnam-Japan relationship across fields, with many similarities in strategic interests. They agreed that 2018 will begin a new development phase of the bilateral ties.

PM Abe described President Quangs visit as a very important political event in the Vietnam-Japan relationship. He said Japan highly values Vietnams socio-economic achievements as well as its increasingly important position and role in the region and the world at large.

Host and guest consented to continue to enhance mutual political trust by maintaining high-level visits and meetings, and intensifying cooperation and exchanges between the two parties and legislative bodies. They also agreed to beef up economic links in the spirit of mutual benefits, increase Japans investments in Vietnam and join hands in major projects on high-quality infrastructure, energy, personnel training and climate change response, as well as in implementing Vietnams industrialisation strategy. The two sides will work together in order to raise bilateral trade revenue and facilitate the entry of Vietnamese seafood and fruits like litchi and longan into the Japanese market.

PM Sinzo Abe affirmed that Japan will continue supporting Vietnam in socio-economic development by providing official development assistance (ODA), strengthening cooperation in high quality infrastructure projects, and committing the provision of JPY16 billion (US$142 million) in ODA for a project to enhance vocational training capacity of Vietnam.

President Tran Dai Quang hailed contributions of Japanese ODA to Vietnams socio-economic development and the improvement of the countrys competitiveness. He agreed that the two countries need to coordinate closely in using the resource.

Both sides concurred to foster affiliation in security and defence as well as in implementing the declaration on joint vision in defence cooperation between the two countries. They will bolster cooperation in various areas such as cyber security, defence equipment, military medicine, UN peace-keeping operations, war consequence settlement through landmine clearance and support of Agent Orange/dioxin victims in Vietnam, improve the capacity of law enforcement at sea, and share experience on maritime policy.

The leaders lauded the launch of negotiations for an agreement on mutual criminal legal support and another on transfer of sentenced persons. Vietnam and Japan agreed to promote coordination in education, human resources training, agriculture, health care, labour, urban building and development, administrative reform, and partnership among localities. The two sides agreed to enhance their coordination at global and regional forums in the issues of their common concern.

Talking about the Korean Peninsula issue, the leaders affirmed the support for efforts for peace, stability and denuclearization in the peninsula, and stressed the importance to resolve disagreements by diplomatic and peaceful measures.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides agreed on the importance to ensure peace, security, navigation and aviation freedom and safety in the sea, and the peaceful settlement of disputes by peaceful means without the use of force or threat to use force, exercising self-restraint and avoiding all actions that would harm trust, and strictly abiding by international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also underlined the need to respect diplomatic and legal processes, fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and strive to reach a framework of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in a practical and effective manner with legal effectiveness.

At the end of the talks, President Tran Dai Quang and PM Shinzo Abe witnessed the signing of four documents between the two countries ministries and sectors. On the occasion, the two sides adopted the joint statement on the State visit to Japan of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Late on the day, President Tran Dai Quang and his spouse attended the official banquet hosted by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his spouse.PM Abe was speaking at a meeting with the press together with President Tran Dai Quang following their talks in Tokyo on May 31. The PM said he and President Quang agreed to step up cooperation in the areas that directly benefit Vietnamese people like medical collaboration within the framework of the Asian health initiative, and cultural and sport exchanges, including Japanese language teaching programmes.

He described President Quangs visit as a symbol of cooperation and friendship between the two countries. The host said he and the Vietnamese State leader will take advantage of the visit in order to join hands to further boost the Vietnam-Japan relationship across sectors. PM Abe thanked President Quang for successfully hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders Meeting in the central city of Da Nang last year. He applauded Vietnams very important role in completing the negotiations of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) to which both Vietnam and Japan are signatories.

President Quang showed his delight at the growth of the Vietnam-Japan partnership over the past 45 years, with rapid and practical development recorded in all fields and similarities in strategic interests. He agreed that 2018 is an important year opening a new phase of development in bilateral relationship, matching the benefit of both sides. The Vietnamese leader said Vietnam highly values the leading role of Japan and PM Shinzo Abe in the negotiation and signing of the CPTPP. He said that leaders of Vietnam and Japan concurred to enhance political trust through maintaining regular high-level visits and meetings, strengthening parliamentary exchange, and fostering cooperation in defence, security as well as people-to-people contact, especially in 2018.

The two sides will continue promoting connectivity in economy for mutual benefit, he stated, adding that Japan will increase investment in Vietnam, create favourable conditions for Vietnamese agricultural products to be sold in Japan and strengthen cooperation in major projects in infrastructure, high-quality human resources training, climate change response, as well as in the implementation of Vietnams industrialization strategy. The two countries will coordinate closely in using Japanese ODA.

Leaders of Vietnam and Japan also agreed to focus on affiliating in agriculture, health care, environment, labour, urban construction and development, administrative reform, culture, and local cooperation. Vietnam and Japan will start the negotiation for agreements on criminal mutual legal assistance and transfer of sentenced persons.

Regarding regional and international issues, the two leaders agreed on the importance of a free, open, stable, rules-based and peaceful Indo-Pacific region. They committed to mutually supporting as the candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in 2020-2021 for Vietnam, and 2023-2024 for Japan. The two countries will closely coordinate when Vietnam is the coordinating country for the ASEAN-Japan relationship from August 2018.

While affirming the need to ensure peace, security, navigation and aviation freedom and safety in the East Sea, the leaders agreed to promote the peaceful settlement of disputes without the use of force or threat to use force, and the stringent respect for international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They also underlined the importance to respect diplomatic and legal processes, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and striving to reach a framework of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) in a practical and effective manner.This is the first direct flight between Vietnam and Switzerland, helping to shorten travel times and stimulate demand for tourism and trade between two destinations.

As part of its flight expansion plan for Asia, the first direct flight between Vietnams southern economic hub and the largest city in Switzerland will begin in mid-November, with twice weekly flights. Some airline ticket agents have already accepted bookings for the flights and the airline is preparing to put the tickets on its online ticketing system.

This direct flight will depart on Mondays and Thursdays from Zurich, and Tuesdays and Fridays from HCM City, using Airbus A340-300 aircraft with a capacity of 314 passengers.

Bernd Bauer, Edelweiss Air CEO, said that Vietnams exciting holiday destinations have become increasingly popular in the Swiss community. In particular, Swiss tourists tend to spend more time and money than those from other countries. It is expected that the airlines will serve around 10,500 visitors per year from Switzerland to HCM City, contributing more than US$32 million in annual revenue.

The new route is expected to bring Vietnam closer to Swiss and European travelers, while offering many alternate routes from Zurich to other popular destinations via SWISS.

As the leading leisure airline in Switzerland, Edelweiss operates flights to 68 destinations in 33 countries, of which Vietnam is considered an increasingly popular destination for tourism with impressive economic growth and increased trade potential with Switzerland.

The airline is working with Vietnams travel businesses to build tours between the two countries on the direct flight. Edelweiss forecasts that by 2020, the growth rate of passengers on this direct flight will be around 10% per year.

According to the General Statistics Office of Vietnam, in the first five months of 2018, more than 16,500 Swiss visitors came to Vietnam, up 4.2% over the same period of last year. Switzerland is one of the markets with high spending and long stays when traveling to Vietnam.The Paris meeting between the rival Libyan factions took place under the auspices of the United Nations (UN), as a continuation of the efforts made by the international community and the UN since 2011, seeking to open up a new stage of stability and cooperation for all Libyan people. The Libyan officials and international delegates were invited to attend this rare event to work out a political path towards ending the seven-year-old turmoil, which has already severely affected Libya and the region.

The opposition parties having agreed to conduct the parliamentary and presidential elections this December 10 is a surprising result, as there still remain many differences. At the end of the four-hour peace conference in Paris, representatives of the factions, including Prime Minister Fayez Seraj, the head of the Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli; Khalifa Haftar, the leader of the eastern-based opposition government; Aguila Saleh, the speaker of Libyas Tobruk-based House of Representatives; and Khaled Al-Mishri, president of the High Council of State, signed a joint declaration. Accordingly, the parties agreed to lay down a constitutional basis for the elections and will pass the necessary voting rules this September 16. The declaration emphasised that the parties pledged to accept the election results, while ensuring security and agreeing to improve the atmosphere in preparation for the upcoming elections.

A path towards peace is gradually developing for Libya after a long period of deadlock. The North African nation has fallen into a serious crisis since the wake of the Arab Spring and the war launched by the West to overthrow the Muammar al-Gaddafi regime. Seven springs have gone by, but Libya has yet to restore security and stability due to the divisions among the factions and tribes. Libya has at times been divided by two governments, two parliaments and many military groups, with each of them reigning in a different region. Regardless of the peace agreement reached in 2015, Libya is still engulfed in violence, chaos and political divisions. There are currently two governments in the country with their own armed forces, including the GNA, led by PM Fayez Seraj, operating in Tripoli, and Khalifa Haftars opposition government in the eastern part of the country.

French President Emmanuel Macron shakes hands with Libyan Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, after the participants of the International Conference on Libya listened to a verbal agreement between the various parties regarding the organisation of a democratic election this year at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, May 29, 2018. (Reuters)

Many areas in Libya continue to be caught up in a circle of conflict, as rebel groups repeatedly launch attacks on oil bases, causing serious impacts on the production of the previously third largest oil exporter in the region. The eastern army recently set the highest level of security alert against the threats of terrorist attacks on oil mines and oilfields in the country. Meanwhile, the southern region is also becoming the centre of conflict. The spokesperson of the UN-backed Libyan government said that the Libyan government was willing to work with all parties in order to ensure security for the southern region against the cross-border penetration of foreign smuggling and cockroach networks. The Tripoli administrations failure in taking control of nationwide security has made Libya a terrorist training centre of the region, as well as a transit hub for the ships trafficking migrants from Africa to Europe. Libyas Mediterranean Coast is no longer peaceful as it has become the origin of illegal migrants.

Libyas neighbors, including Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt are concerned that the delay in finding a political solution in Libya will escalate violence and threaten regional stability. They have consistently supported the implementation of the UNs peace roadmap in Libya. French President Emmanuel Macron affirmed that the rival Libyan factions reaching an agreement in Paris on the organisation of elections in December is a significant step towards reconciliation. He emphasised that the gathering of the four rival leaders of Libya at the Paris conference was a historic meeting under the auspices of the international community. A new door of hope for peace in Libya is being opened, despite the thorny path ahead.WASHINGTON, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The White House said on Wednesday that the multi-track talks between Washington and Pyongyang went on well so far and it still expected a June 12 meeting between leaders of the United States and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

The U.S. delegation, led by U.S. veteran diplomat Sung Kim, met with the DPRK officials earlier on Wednesday at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and their talks will continue, said the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders at a daily briefing.

The spokesperson also noted that the U.S. advance team, which was in Singapore for logistics preparation for the summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and the DPRK top leader Kim Jong Un, met with a DPRK team on Wednesday and the meetings were expected to continue on Thursday.

Sanders said that the ongoing conversations were centered on the "denuclearization of the peninsula."

"So far, the readout from these meetings has been positive, and we'll continue to move forward in them," the spokesperson added.

On Tuesday, the White House announced that Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the DPRK's ruling Workers' Party of Korea Central Committee, was traveling to New York and will meet with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Sanders revealed at the briefing that Pompeo will be headed to New York for a dinner with Kim on Wednesday night and they were expected to have a full-day meeting on Thursday.

The White House press secretary remained optimistic about the prospect of an off-again, on-again Trump-Kim meeting.

"We're going to continue to shoot for the June 12 and expect to do that," Sanders said.

The latest positive progress for the summit, originally scheduled for June 12 in Singapore, came after Trump canceled the meeting in a letter to Kim Jong Un last Thursday, citing "tremendous anger and open hostility" displayed by Pyongyang recently.

In response to Trump's letter, the DPRK's First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan said early Friday that the country is ready to sit down with the United States any time in any manner for talks to solve the problems existing between them.

Trump then reversed course, saying both sides wanted the meeting to happen and it could still go ahead after productive talks. He also confirmed on Sunday that a U.S. official team had arrived in the DPRK to talk about the preparation for talks.China Wednesday expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to a U.S. State Department report on Hong Kong affairs.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said the principle of "one country, two systems" and "Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong" with a high degree of autonomy had been faithfully enforced since Hong Kong returned to the motherland.

"China's determination to fully implement the principle of 'one country, two systems' will not change," Hua said.

"Hong Kong is China's special administrative region. Hong Kong affairs are China's internal affairs and no other country should interfere," Hua said, adding that China was strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed to the report, urging the United States to be cautious on issues related to Hong Kong and stop the wrong practice.Brussels, May 31 - The European Court of Justice on Thursday ruled that Italy will have to pay a fine of 25 million euros for failing to comply with EU laws by not adequately collecting and treating urban waste water in 100 areas. Italy will need to pay an additional 30 million euros for each semester it fails to ensure that the measures are fully implemented, the court said. The European Commission, which started an infringement procedure on the issue in 2004, took Italy back to the Court of Justice in 2016 over its failure to fully comply with the Court's previous ruling in 2012.Brussels, May 31 - European Economic Affairs Commissioner Pierre Moscovici said Thursday that no one from outside should meddle in Italy's democratic process. "The democratic process is ongoing (in Italy)," Moscovici said. "We'll see when and what arrives at the end. It would be unacceptable to speculate and even more so to interfere. Democracy has the last word. There must be no plans here of there that contradict it. We are ready (in the Commission) to work with new partners as soon as they take office, as with all European governments".Cai Meng/For China Daily

China urged the United States on Wednesday to abide by an earlier trade resolution so it can maintain its international standing.

"When it comes to international relations, every time a country does an about-face and contradicts itself, it's another blow to, and a squandering of, its reputation," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a news briefing.

She called on the US to work with China to resolve the simmering trade issues, adding China will take resolute and powerful steps to safeguard its legitimate rights if the US insists on acting recklessly.

"We urge the US to keep its promise and meet China halfway, in the spirit of the joint statement," Hua said.

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying. [Photo/fmprc.gov.cn]

The ministry's comments came after US President Donald Trump's administration announced on Tuesday it will impose a 25 percent tariff on $50 billion of goods imported from China that use industrially significant technology.

The announcement came just ahead of US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross' visit to China from Saturday to Monday. The statement goes against the consensus the two countries reached in Washington about two weeks ago.

Also on Wednesday, the Ministry of Commerce confirmed that a US trade delegation arrived in Beijing for negotiations.

Over the next few days, the US delegation of more than 50 people will talk with China's team about implementing the consensus reached in the joint statement, the ministry said on its website.

US-China Business Council President John Frisbie said: "We would like to see both sides put the threat of sanctions on hold and quickly get into negotiations to resolve these important issues. Tariffs and restrictions on commerce will have a real and negative impact on the economy and jobs.

"We need solutions that will put the trade relationship on a sounder path for mutual prosperity, not sanctions that will do more harm than good. We encourage both sides to use the coming weeks to achieve that goal," he said.

In light of the renewed tariff threat from the US, analysts expect a tough job ahead for the third round high-level economic and trade meeting starting on Saturday in Beijing. The US intends to put more pressure on China with this move to gain more economic interests before the talks start in Beijing, said Zhou Qiangwu, director of the international economics and finance institute at the Ministry of Finance.

"The US-China trade friction could evolve into far-reaching disputes," Goldman Sachs analysts said in a report. "Furthermore, such trade tensions may not fade away easily, given the urgency possibly being felt by US policymakers who had expected more political convergence from China."

The US threats came just over a week after trade tensions between the two countries had seemingly eased. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on May 20 that the trade dispute was "on hold". His comment followed a commitment by China to significantly increase its purchases of US farm goods and energy products.

Mei Xinyu, a researcher at the International Trade and Economic Cooperation Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, said China should prepare for the worst, as US trade policies toward China have been so capricious. The country must carefully observe the US government's behavior no matter what kind of bilateral consensuses or deals have been reached.

It is unfair to impose sanctions on China, as the country's exports that are subject to potential US tariffs have low added value, said Teng Jianqun, director of the Department for American Studies at the China Institute of International Studies, after checking the latest list renewed by the US.Rome, May 31 - Finance police on Thursday arrested the acting deputy prefect of the island of Elba and an alleged member of a clan of the Calabria-based 'Ndrangheta criminal syndicate operating in Piedmont that ordered the 1983 assassination of Turin prosecutor Bruno Caccia, according to investigative sources. Seven other suspects have been placed under house arrest as part of the operation, which reportedly involves a total of 30 people and is coordinated by Livorno prosecutor, Ettore Squillace Greco. The suspects face charges including criminal association and illegal detention of explosives with the purpose of committing an intimidating act. Finance police are also searching locations across Italy, including in Livorno, Turin, Asti, Padua, Ravenna, Forli, Pisa, Pistoia, Campobasso, Naples, Salerno, Lecce and Brindisi. The nationwide operation is still ongoing. Acting Deputy Prefect Giovanni Daveti, 66, and 'Ndrangheta boss Giuseppe Belfiore, 61, allegedly conspired to commit tax fraud and other crimes, police said. Belfiore is the brother of the 'Ndrangheta boss who ordered Caccia's assassination in 1983, they said. He is affiliated to an 'Ndrangheta clan that operates across northern and central Italy as well as in France and Spain, police said.Vatican City, May 31 - Pope Francis is to send sex-abuse sleuth Msgr Charles Scicluna back to Chile, the Vatican press office said Thursday. This time Scicluna will go to Osorno diocese, where Bishop Juan Barros is accused of covering up for notorious abuser Ferando Karadima. The pope will also shortly meet Chilean priests who were victims of sex abuse, the office said. Earlier this month Chile's bishops resigned en masse over the abuse scandal that has roiled their country.Rome, May 31 - Anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio and anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini met in Rome Thursday for talks on a possible new government, 88 days after the inconclusive March 4 general election. The talks were said to be focusing on a possible new post for anti-euro economist Paolo Savona, whose rejection as economy minister by President Sergio Mattarella led to the collapse of the first M5S-League government formation bid on Sunday. There has been speculation as to who would take Savona's place at the economy ministry. Bank of Italy Deputy Director General and economist Pierluigi Ciocca denied he was the candidate. Ciocca said rumours to that effect were "devoid of any foundation". Salvini and Di Maio may be joined by far-right nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader Giorgia Meloni, who met Salvini earlier and is a candidate for a ministry if the FdI join the government majority. Di Maio is said to be wary about having another far-rightist as well as Salvini as his partner, since polls show the M5S has been bleeding voters it gained from the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) on March 4 because of the possible new government's rightward drift. Rightwing policy points in the "contract for a government of change" the League and the M5S drew up include a 'flat tax' with two rates, 15% and 20%, which would allegedly disproportionately benefit the better off, and a huge crackdown on migrants, with Salvini vowing to eject over half a million of them and set up detention centres across Italy. Salvini, for his part, is said to be looking at criticism from his voters about his perceived unwillingness to join a government and instead bank on benefitting from a surge in support in fresh elections. Meanwhile law professor Giusepe Conte left his post as lecturer in Florence to travel down to Rome on Thursday afternoon. Conte was to be the premier of the M5S-League executive that self-destructed after Mattarella vetoed Savona, citing the threat to Italians' savings because of market turbulence that would ensure from having an economy minister who was openly against the euro and Germany. Since then, both Di Maio and Salvini have repeatedly stressed they do not want to leave the euro. Meanwhile ex-IMF official Carlo Cottarelli is waiting in the wings as a possible stopgap premier to lead Italy to new elections at the end of this year.Milan, May 31 - Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano is to be the first Italian, and second European, to command the International Space Station (ISS), the Italian Space Agency (ASI) announced Thursday. Parmitano will take up the post during the second part of his second long-term mission next year, ASI said. It will be the latest feather in Parmitano's cap. He is already the first Italian to have walked in space.Rome, May 31 - Rome Tor Vergata University economics lecturer Giovanni Tria is now being touted as a possible economy minister in a government formed by the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) and the anti-migrant Euroskeptic League, sources said Thursday. Original economy pick Paolo Savona, rejected by President Sergio Mattarell as anti-euro, would move to European affairs and Enzo Moavero Milanesi, a former EU affairs minister, would be foreign minister, the sources said.Rome, May 31 - Anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio and anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini met in Rome Thursday for talks on a possible new government, 88 days after the inconclusive March 4 general election. They were later joined by their potential premier pick, law professor Giuseppe Conte. The talks were said to be focusing on a possible new post for anti-euro economist Paolo Savona, whose rejection as economy minister by President Sergio Mattarella led to the collapse of the first M5S-League government formation bid on Sunday. There has been speculation as to who would take Savona's place at the economy ministry. Rome Tor Vergata University economics lecturer Giovanni Tria is now being touted as a possible economy minister, sources said. Savona would move to European affairs and Enzo Moavero Milanesi, a former EU affairs minister, would be foreign minister, the sources said. Salvini said he was engaged in the "last hours" of talks to form a government with the M5S. "Last hours of work for the government, we're putting everything into it! Meanwhile the news takes us back to harsh reality, with an immigrant picking off the feathers of pigeons in broad daylight and in the middle of the street...Go home!" he wrote on Facebook. Far-right nationalist Brothers of Italy (FdI) leader Giorgia Meloni met Salvini earlier amid speculation she might be a candidate for a ministry if the FdI joined the government majority. But Meloni said Di Maio had ruled this out, and FdI would abstain in a confidence vote. She also said she could rule out there being any FdI ministers "without our knowledge". Di Maio was said to be wary about having another far-rightist as well as Salvini as his partner, since polls show the M5S has been bleeding voters it gained from the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) on March 4 because of the possible new government's rightward drift. Rightwing policy points in the "contract for a government of change" the League and the M5S drew up include a 'flat tax' with two rates, 15% and 20%, which would allegedly disproportionately benefit the better off, and a huge crackdown on migrants, with Salvini vowing to eject over half a million of them and set up detention centres across Italy. More leftwing policies, advanced by the M5S, include a universal basic income for job seekers. Salvini, for his part, was said to be looking at criticism from his voters about his perceived unwillingness to join a government and instead bank on benefitting from a surge in support in fresh elections. Meanwhile law professor Conte left his post as lecturer in Florence to travel down to Rome on Thursday afternoon. Conte was to be the premier of the M5S-League executive that self-destructed after Mattarella vetoed Savona, citing the threat to Italians' savings because of market turbulence that would ensure from having an economy minister who was openly against the euro and Germany. Since then, both Di Maio and Salvini have repeatedly stressed they do not want to leave the euro. Meanwhile ex-IMF official Carlo Cottarelli, who had been waiting in the wings as a possible stopgap technocrat premier to lead Italy to new elections at the end of this year, was said to be poised to give up his bid, paving the way for the new executive which could be sworn in as early as Friday. Cottarelli had informal talks with Mattarella on Thursday.Milan, May 31 - Anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini said Thursday he was "happy" that anti-euro economist Paolo Savona was in the new government deal with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement. Savona, 82, is said to be headed for the European affairs portfolio having been rejected as economy minister by President Sergio Mattarella last Sunday.Rome, May 31 - Law professor Giuseppe Conte on Thursday presented a list of ministers to President Sergio Mattarella with Rome Tor Vergata University economic professor Giovanni Tria, seen as close to Silvio Berlusconi's Forza Italia party, at the economy ministry instead of rejected first pick Paolo Savona, seen as too anti-euro. Former European affairs minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi is set to be foreign minister. Moavero was formerly first-grade judge at the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg and a collaborator of the European Commission as director general of the Bureau of European Policy Advisors. The two government partners, anti-establishment 5-Star Movement (M5S) leader Luigi Di Maio and anti-migrant Euroskeptic League leader Matteo Salvini, have set aside key ministries to roll out flagship policies. Di Maio will head a newly merged industry and labour ministry to oversee the implementation of a basic income while Salvini will crack down on undocumented migrants, making good on a vow to deport 600,000 of them, from his post as interior minister. Both leaders will be deputy premiers. Savona, a top academic seen as anti-euro and anti-Germany, gets the Euroepan Affairs ministry. Former foreign ministry political advisor and army reserve officer Elisabetta Trenta gets the defence portfolio while Di Maio ally Alfonso Bonafede, a lawyer, gets justice. There will be a handful of other women: former Andreotti defence lawyer and League Senator Giulia Bongiorno will be civil service minister; medical doctor and M5S MP Giulia Grillo will be health minister; League lawyer Erika Stefani will be at regional affairs and Barbara Lezzi, a Lecce native and long-time M5S member, will get a new ministry for the south. League member Lorenzo Fontana will get a new ministry for the disabled and the family, a strong Salvini desire. Riccardo Fraccaro, a close Di Maio ally, will get relations with parliament and Gian Marco Centinaio of the League will get a new superministry combining agriculture and tourism. The transport and infrastructure portfolio goes to Danilo Toninelli, until today the M5S Senate Whip; League PE teacher Marco Bussetti gets the education portfolio; Sergio Costa gets the environment ministry; and Alberto Bonsoli, an expert in training and design and creator of international projects, of the M5S, will get the culture ministry.BEIJING, May 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese mainland will continue to carry out more and better preferential measures for students from Taiwan in the future, a mainland spokesperson said Wednesday.

"The mainland will create better environments and more opportunities for Taiwan students to study, undertake internships, obtain employment or start up businesses in the mainland," said An Fengshan, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, at a press conference.

"It's a natural choice and an irresistible trend for Taiwan students to apply for mainland colleges," An said, noting that Taiwan students were going after better chances to realize their dreams, and their parents also wanted them to have better educational opportunities.

"As the mainland develops its economy and carries out preferential policies for Taiwan, an increasing number of Taiwan youngsters are willing to explore opportunities on the mainland," An said.

"We have always encouraged communication and cooperation in various fields across the Taiwan Strait, including educational exchanges," An said.

An noted that the mainland had achieved prosperous development and made significant progress during the past decades of reform and opening up, which had changed Taiwan compatriots' view on the mainland.

"As a result, more and more residents of Taiwan, especially those from the grassroots, are willing to come to the mainland for future development," An said.For a few months, Roseanne Barr put ABC back on top of the television world.

The stunning success of her rebooted sitcom Roseanne  reaching nearly 22 million viewers with its debut  reminded the industry of its ability to deliver mass audiences and drive the countrys cultural conversation.

On Tuesday, the turnaround for the Walt Disney Co. unit quickly became one of the most humiliating moments in its history as the top-rated Roseanne was canceled following her racist tweet about former Obama administration official Valerie Jarrett. Disney Chief Executive Bob Iger called Jarrett to apologize for the slur.

Depending on a provocative and often unpredictable star such as Barr  who had the benefit of mass success in the pre-digital TV era of the 1990s  was a gamble and ABC executives knew it. The fact they were willing to take such a risk demonstrates just how hungry they were to recapture some of the networks past glory that had been dimmed in recent years by the publics shift to streaming online video and on-demand viewing.

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ABC held firm in its decision Wednesday amid criticism from President Trump, an ardent fan of the show, who said Iger had never apologized to him for the HORRIBLE statements made and said about me on ABC.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders elaborated on Trumps statement, suggesting there was a double standard for liberal commentators such as The View co-host Joy Behar and ESPNs Keith Olbermann who have ridiculed Trump or his supporters. Both work for Disney-owned media entities.

But Disney ABC Television Group President Ben Sherwood stood by the cancellation decision in an email to staff. In the end, it came down to doing whats right and upholding our values of inclusion, tolerance, and civility, he said.

ABC will take a financial hit from the abrupt loss of Roseanne, which was the most-watched program of the last season among the advertiser-coveted audience of 18-to-49-year-olds and became the centerpiece of the networks 2018-19 prime-time schedule. But the cancellation is not expected to significantly dent the profit of its Burbank-based parent.

It wont be noticeable, said Brian Wieser, media analyst at Pivotal Research Group. Its not a given it was going to be a profitable show in its own right.

The network was set to pay about $4 million an episode to license Roseanne from Carsey Werner Co.  more than twice as much as it would typically pay for a sitcom from a studio outside of Disney, according to people familiar with ABCs deal for the program.

Kantar Media estimated that Roseanne took in $45 million in ad revenue during its brief run this last season, and pegged it to take in $60 million over 13 episodes next year.

But even a modestly profitable Roseanne would have the additional value of bringing well over 10 million viewers into the Tuesday 8 p.m. time period and boosting ABCs audience circulation through the rest of the night. That would have helped launch the networks new series The Kids Are Alright, another family-based comedy, and The Rookie, a broad-appeal police drama fronted by an established TV star, Nathan Fillion.

She blew up their schedule on Tuesday nights, said analyst Laura Martin of Needham & Co. Theres more uncertainty about what the ratings will be in that slot.

In the months leading up to the launch of Roseanne in March, executives knew that there was the possibility that Barr could immolate her program with an ill-timed tweet, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Barr had indulged in social media discussions about right-wing conspiracy theories that circulated on the web in recent years. Despite presenting a liberal progressive viewpoint on her original show that ran from 1988 to 1997, she had become an ardent Trump supporter.

Barr was also not a walk in the park her first time around as an ABC star. She alienated a large chunk of her audience in 1990 when she delivered an off-key version of the Star Spangled Banner  followed by some crotch grabbing  at a San Diego Padres game.

In the early 1990s, she threatened to walk away from Roseanne unless ABC gave her then-husband Tom Arnold his own show that would air after her program, getting the benefit of its massive audience lead-in. Iger, who was president of the network at the time, was well aware of that history.

In 2013, Barr compared National Security Advisor Susan Rice to an ape, similar to the racist slur she used against Jarrett.

Still, the idea of a Roseanne revival became more appealing as revived versions of past TV hits such as Full House, Gilmore Girls and Will & Grace were drawing viewers. Title recognition became a way to cut through in the increasingly crowded program environment where viewers have more than 400 scripted series at their fingertips.

Barr also had the ability to speak to working-class viewers in a way that they were not hearing in sitcoms and dramas, where writers are more likely to come from Ivy League universities than the hinterlands.

The woman still has an authentic voice that America responds to, said Ted Harbert, a veteran network TV executive who worked with her in the 1990s at ABC . Roseanne understood the working class - struggling for money, things are always tough and still we laugh about it at the end. The big cackle at the end of the main title is the key to the show. Things are rotten, but we still laugh about it.

The power of that formula was still potent when the rebooted Roseanne debuted in March after a massive publicity blitz that pulled at the nostalgia strings of the 1990s. Subway cars in New York were decorated to look like the Conner family living room depicted in the program.

Barrs Twitter habits were monitored and discussed with growing concern by ABC executives in the weeks leading up to the Roseanne launch and afterward. She used social media to blast Trumps opponents and pushed the boundaries  such as falsely accusing Parkland, Fla., shooting survivor David Hogg of giving a Nazi salute  which reportedly led to some warnings but no apparent sanctions.

While the short-lived success of the rebooted Roseanne showed the power of TVs established brand names, it also demonstrated that formulas from the industrys past may not always be built for todays social media filter, where every statement from a star can be analyzed and debated.

Barr came from an era of TV when sitcoms were built around the personas that stand-ups created in smoky, private comedy clubs not subject to social media scrutiny. Having her name in the title also made her de facto boss of the program, giving her tremendous control over its creative direction.

After Roseanne and other shows built around stand-ups moved on, networks have favored ensemble comedies in recent years  How I Met Your Mother, The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family  which are not dependent on eponymous stars  or their regrettable tweets.

When youre talking about the star of the No. 1 show, youll put up with a lot of crazy, said a top television executive who works for an ABC rival. There may be a nagging voice in the back of your head about her past behavior. But you see the numbers and you say, The public likes it. 

stephen.battaglio@latimes.com

Twitter: @SteveBattaglio

Times Staff Writer Ryan Faughnder contributed to this report.A CBS stockholder group in Pennsylvania filed a class-action lawsuit in Delaware on Thursday, an attempt to open the legal floodgates in the bitter dispute between the venerable broadcasting company and its controlling shareholder family, the Redstones.

The lawsuit asks a judge to rule that nonvoting shareholders are entitled to a special dividend that would give them a voice in CBS affairs. CBS has two classes of stock, but only the Class A shares have a vote.

The Redstone family, which owns 10.3% of CBS, has 80% of the Class A voting shares. The Pennsylvania fund owns Class B stock.

The lawsuit also alleges that Shari Redstone, who serves as CBS vice chair, has breached her fiduciary duties to Class B shareholders.

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The action was filed by the Westmoreland County Employees Retirement System against the Redstone family investment vehicle, National Amusements Inc., Shari Redstone and two board members who have been aligned with her.

Defendants breached and continue to breach contractual, implied obligations and fiduciary duties that they owe to CBS Class B stockholders, according to the suit filed by Michael Hanrahan of the Prickett, Jones & Elliott law firm in Delaware.

The latest lawsuit comes just two days after National Amusements sued CBS, arguing that the companys board members are overstepping their authority. National Amusements believes the dispute is an illegal power grab by a board acting in lockstep with its longtime chief executive, Leslie Moonves, who has been chafing over Shari Redstones input in the companys affairs.

CBS independent board members on May 17 unanimously voted for a measure that would dilute the Redstone familys voting control of CBS to 17%. The New York company owns the nations most-watched television network, a chain of television stations and the Showtime premium network.

But a day before the CBS board members voted to issue the dividend that would give the Class B shareholders a vote, National Amusements abruptly amended CBS bylaws to require a 90% board vote for any dividends.

The invalid bylaw amendments refute Ms. Redstones claims to be a strong voice for good corporate governance, to refrain from using her voting control to interfere with the management of CBS and to have an independent board at CBS, the Westmoreland County employees fund said in the suit.

The lawsuit seeks to represent shareholders who own 341.5 million shares of CBS Class B stock.

National Amusements, in a statement, said it had the right to amend CBS bylaws.

The efforts of the CBS directors to unilaterally dilute the voting rights of its controlling shareholder are extraordinary, unjustified and unlawful, the statement said. We are confident the court will uphold NAIs action.

The suit also names two board members  David Andelman and Robert Klieger  as defendants. Both are attorneys who have represented Sumner Redstone, who recently marked his 95th birthday and is in poor health. Shari Redstone is president of National Amusements, which controls CBS and Viacom Inc.

The current tensions have centered around Shari Redstones increasing involvement in CBS management and her desire to merge the two companies. CBS has resisted the effort, and a special committee of its board said the merger would not be in the interests of CBS shareholders.

National Amusements has said that Shari Redstone dropped her interest in the CBS-Viacom merger the week before CBS began its campaign to dilute the influence of the Redstones, a maneuver that analysts have called the nuclear option.

meg.james@latimes.com

@MegJamesLAT

UPDATES:

2:50 p.m.: This article was updated to include a statement by National Amusements.

This article was originally published at 2:30 p.m.Wu Xiaohui, former chairman and general manager of Anbang Insurance Group, has lodged an appeal against his 18-years-in-prision sentence for fundraising fraud and embezzling corporate funds, said his lawyer.

Wu has lodged an appeal against his first-instance sentence and has pleaded not guilty. Shanghai High People's Court has formed a collegiate bench for the second-instance trail, Chen Youxi, Wu's lawyer in the case, told the Global Times on Wednesday after a posting on Sina Weibo he made on the matter earlier in the day.

Wu was sentenced on May 10 by the Shanghai Municipal No.1 Intermediate People's Court to 18 years in prison, deprived of his political rights for four years, and had 10.5 billion yuan ($1.63 billion) of his assets confiscated for fundraising fraud and embezzling corporate funds.

According to the court, Wu embezzled 10 billion yuan from Anbang's insurance fund.A California anti-tax group is suing California Treasurer John Chiang as it tries to put the kibosh on a program that would provide retirement savings accounts to millions of California workers whose employers dont offer a pension or 401(k).

In a lawsuit filed Thursday in federal court in Sacramento, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn.  which championed the landmark property tax law Proposition 13 and continues to fight tax measures  argues that the retirement savings program is illegal under federal law and should be stopped before workers start signing up for accounts next year.

Beyond that narrow argument, association President Jon Coupal said he believes the savings program  called CalSavers  is a massive government boondoggle waiting to happen. He also said workers who want retirement accounts are free to open them on their own without the states help and suggested that workers not saving for retirement are acting irresponsibly.

This is Big Brother government coming down and saying, You shall do this, he said. I think most people are focused on their retirement funds. There are some who are irresponsible. We believe in a society that does impute some degree of personal responsibility on individuals to look out for their own interests.

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Chiang called the lawsuit shortsighted and said his office will continue working on the program, which is set to debut in a small pilot program this year before launching statewide next year.

The CalSavers program, originally called California Secure Choice, was approved by the state Legislature in 2016 and would offer a state-run retirement account to the estimated 6.8 million California workers who are not offered a pension or 401(k) account through their employers.

Companies with more than five employees would have to sign their workers up for CalSavers if they do not offer their own savings plan. Workers would automatically have between 2% and 5% of their pay deposited into a CalSavers account unless they opt out.

Coupal called the program a camels nose under the tent creeping toward the creation of something akin to the states giant pension funds  the California Public Employees Retirement System and the California State Teachers Retirement System. He suggested that taxpayers could be on the hook if the CalSavers program goes under.

Its not to the taxpayers benefit to have a bunch of employees suddenly without their retirement benefits they have promised, because that leaves the taxpayers at risk, he said.

The Investment Company Institute, one of a few Wall Street trade groups that lobbied against the program, raised that concern in a letter urging Gov. Jerry Brown to kill the program. Investment trade groups also argued that state-run programs would provide unfair competition and crowd out private plans.

But unlike CalPERS and CalSTRS, which are backed by the state and guarantee retirement payments to beneficiaries, CalSavers accounts would not be guaranteed by the state, meaning that if retirement savers lose money, the state would not have to cover those losses, Chiang said.

Any comparison to public pension funds is a red herring, he said, noting that by law CalSavers cannot rely on public funding other than a start-up loan that will be repaid over the programs first several years.

CalSavers wont cost the state or taxpayers a single dime, nickel or penny, he said.

Coupal called CalSavers the latest instance of Californias government interfering with the free market.

We see no need for another state program when there are readily available all kinds of alternatives for private-sector employees to  open up their own individual retirement accounts, he said.

But backers of the program, including Chiang and former state Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), the author of the legislation that created CalSavers, say the program is necessary because most workers dont set up retirement accounts on their own.

Only about 10% of all workers contribute to a plan outside of work, and about 39 million U.S. workers arent offered a pension or 401(k) by their employer, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Most workers are eligible for Social Security, but that wont provide enough income for many retirees. The National Institute on Retirement Security estimated in 2013 that about 40% of American households have no retirement savings and that Americans have saved $6.8 trillion less than they will need in retirement.

Chiang called the lack of retirement savings a crisis that will soon degenerate into a humanitarian catastrophe, foreseeing a situation where retirees without savings become wards of the state wholly dependent on public assistance for their most basic needs.

De Leon said if Coupal and the taxpayers association are worried about the risk to taxpayers, they should consider what might happen if workers dont boost their retirement savings and state lawmakers are pushed to boost spending on safety-net programs.

We have senior citizens who wont have enough to pay for their roof, for their medication, for their food, he said. Thats when the state and federal government are going to have to intervene. The taxpayer will ultimately end up footing the bill.

Though Coupal takes issue with the states involvement in the retirement savings market and in potential state obligations, the lawsuit itself makes a narrower argument, saying that the CalSavers program falls under the jurisdiction of a federal retirement savings law called the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, or ERISA, that governs pensions and other employer-sponsored plans.

If thats the case, employers could be on the hook for a raft of administrative and compliance work and potentially be liable if the savings program is mismanaged.

Chiang said he expected a lawsuit over this issue, which was made more likely by actions taken last year by Congress.

Several states working on similar savings programs asked the Department of Labor under the Obama administration to specify that state-managed retirement savings programs would not be subject to ERISA. The department obliged, but Congress repealed the rule last year.

Officials in California, Oregon, Illinois and other states plan to press ahead anyway, saying the new rule was helpful but not legally necessary. They point to a 1975 Department of Labor rule that said certain savings plans are exempt from ERISA if they meet certain requirements  ones that CalSavers and other programs have been structured to meet.

Marcia Wagner, a Boston attorney who specializes in ERISA law, said that the repeal complicates the issue but that states still have a reasonable argument that CalSavers and similar plans dont fall under ERISA. De Leon said hes confident the lawsuit wont stop the program.

The lawsuit comes a day after CalSavers, which is run by a board within the state Treasurers office, started seeking investment firms to manage the retirement savings program. If the program rolls out as planned, the state will run a small pilot program later this year with a limited number of employers and then launch statewide in 2019.

Employers with 100 or more workers would have until the following year to sign up their employees or start offering a savings plan of their own. Companies with at least 50 workers would have another year to comply, and those with as few as five workers would have another year after that.

In its lawsuit, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Assn. notes that it has between five and eight workers and does not offer a retirement plan to its employees, meaning it would eventually have to participate in the CalSavers plan if its lawsuit is not successful.

We offer a very good medical plan, but no retirement plan, Coupal told the Los Angeles Times. I think every single one of our employees has an IRA.

james.koren@latimes.com

Twitter: @jrkorenSoftBank is pouring $2.25 billion into General Motors Co.s autonomous-vehicle unit as the worlds biggest technology fund and Americas largest automaker join forces to take on Google in the battle to dominate the self-driving car business.

SoftBank Vision Fund will invest in GM Cruise Holdings LLC in two phases, with $1.35 billion going in as soon as Cruise autonomous vehicles are ready to be deployed into an app-based ride-hailing service next year. Once SoftBank completes the investment, itll own 19.6% of GM Cruise, valuing the unit at $11.5 billion. GMs shares surged in early trading.

The deal combines two key players in the emerging technology of self-driving cars and services. GM intends to be the first automaker to bring an autonomous taxi service to public roads next year, positioning the company alongside Waymo, the unit of Google owner Alphabet Inc., among the leaders in the burgeoning field. SoftBank, based in Tokyo, also can lend expertise and connections to fuel GMs ambitions, as its invested in major ride-hailing companies including Uber Technologies Inc. and Chinas Didi Chuxing.

This gives GM Cruise the capital necessary to commercialize at scale, GM Chief Executive Officer Mary Barra told reporters at a briefing in Detroit. An additional $1.1-billion investment by GM will boost the total injection for Cruise to $3.35 billion.

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GM shares climbed as much as 11% in early trading. The stock was down 7.7% this year through Wednesdays close.

Run by SoftBank Group Corp. CEO Masayoshi Son, the SoftBank Vision Fund has about $100 billion in contributions, mostly from sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In addition to Uber and Didi, the fund has invested in the likes of Indias ride-hailing leader Ola, chipmaker Nvidia Corp. and driver-behavior tracker Nauto Inc.

We were blown away by the ability of the Cruise team to integrate quickly, said Michael Ronen, managing partner of SoftBank Investment Advisers. The ability of GM to put production to work and make this a success was the last piece of the due diligence.

The capital raised and invested will carry GM and Cruise through the phase of making a business out of self-driving cars, GM President Dan Ammann said.President Trumps decision Thursday to slap tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada, Mexico and the European Union sharply escalated global trade tensions and widened a rift with Americas closest allies.

The Trump administrations announcement that its once-delayed tariffs would take effect starting Friday was met with swift condemnation and promises of dollar-for-dollar retaliation as well as a multilateral challenge at the World Trade Organization.



For the record: A previous version of this story reported that Canada would impose tariffs on $16.6 billion worth of U.S. goods. That figure referred to Canadian dollars. In U.S. dollars, the amount would be about $12.8 billion.

Canadian leaders reacted particularly angrily to the tariffs, 25% on steel and 10% on aluminum. Trump had justified the import levies on the grounds of national security  a line of reasoning that Canadian officials called absurd, illogical and illegal.

Canada, the largest exporter of steel and aluminum to the United States, said it would apply counter-tariffs of 25% and 10% on about $12.8 billion worth of American metals, farm goods and other products, to take effect July 1.

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That Canada could be a national security threat to the U.S. is inconceivable, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, noting the many Canadians who have died alongside U.S. soldiers in joint military operations over the years. These tariffs are an affront to the longstanding security partnership between Canada and the United States.

Mexico responded to the news by announcing immediate retaliatory tariffs on U.S. products including pork bellies, apples, grapes, blueberries and flat steel.

EU leaders already had drawn up a list of American imports worth several billions of dollars that would be subject to tariffs, including blue jeans, Kentucky bourbon and Harley-Davidson motorcycles  goods aimed at applying maximum political pressure as they are produced in home states of top lawmakers.

This is protectionism, pure and simple, said Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the EU Commission, which represents the 28-member states in the union. He said the U.S. now leaves us with no choice but to impose duties on American imports, although he did not specify the exact amount or timing of the retaliation.

European officials on Thursday met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in Paris in a last-ditch effort to dissuade the U.S. from going through with the tariffs, arguing among other things that the administration was directing its aim at the wrong target. They said the source of the problem of excess global steel production is China, not Europe.

Trump first announced plans to tax imported steel and aluminum from all countries in March, but delayed applying the tariffs on the EU, Canada, Mexico and a handful of other countries as the administration sought voluntary quotas or other trade concessions from them. Ross indicated that negotiations could continue even after the tariffs are imposed, but EU officials insisted that the threat of metal tariffs be removed before broader trade discussions could take place.

The EU as a bloc is the United States largest trading partner, with exchange of goods and services exceeding $1 trillion. Steel and aluminum make up a tiny fraction of the overall trade: U.S. steel imports from all countries totaled about $29 billion in 2016  a fifth of that from the EU.

As such, if the U.S. and its trading partners confine the tariffs and counter-tariffs to steel and aluminum, trade experts say, the threat of an expanding global trade war could pass, even as trans-Atlantic relations have been strained by Trumps pullout of the Paris climate accord and nuclear deal with Iran.

But what worries analysts now is how Trump might react to the trade retaliation. In a separate trade battle with China, Trump initially threatened tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese goods for intellectual property theft, but after Beijing vowed it would match the tariffs, the president proposed tripling the duties on $150 billion of Chinese imports.

If the U.S. ups the ante and this doesnt remain just a steel issue, particularly with Canada, Mexico, and the EU, then that would be a signal to me that we are spinning out of control, said Douglas Irwin, an economics professor and trade historian at Dartmouth College. He added: I can understand, in some sense, the administration starting a trade war with China, but it is enormously damaging and counterproductive to start a trade war with Canada, the EU, and Mexico.

That sentiment was shared by lawmakers from both parties, many businesses and to some degree even by the United Steelworkers union. Congressional Republicans blasted Trumps move to levy steel and aluminum imports, predicting it would hurt domestic companies and lead to higher prices for American consumers.

This is dumb, said Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, adding that similar protectionist measures contributed to the Great Depression in 1929.

House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) said that he disagreed with the decision. Instead of addressing the real problems in the international trade of these products, todays action targets Americas allies when we should be working with them, he said.

Some U.S. aluminum producers and groups supporting domestic steel manufacturers and Trumps America first agenda applauded the action.

But the steel and aluminum tariffs are likely to complicate, if not hamper, ongoing negotiations with Canada and Mexico to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement, a major economic goal for the administration. Trump has made it no secret that the threat of steel and aluminum tariffs was intended as a lever to win concessions from Canada and Mexico.

The most likely impact is the stalling of the negotiations, said Christopher Wilson, deputy director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington.

The new tariffs come one month before Mexicos July 1 presidential elections, and on Thursday, the countrys presidential candidates bristled at the news. Dont play with Mexico, tweeted Jose Antonio Meade, of the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party. We will defend our jobs, our markets and our workers.

Front-runner Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, of the National Regeneration Movement, warned the Mexican government not to fall into the trap of a trade war because Mexicos economy is very weak.  Therefore we have to act firmly, but at the same time maintain trade relations with the United States, and so dialogue is very important.

Trudeau said he had spoken with Trump last Friday about meeting with the president to finalize a deal on a revised NAFTA, as the parties appeared to have the makings of an agreement. But Trudeau said that Vice President Mike Pence contacted him Tuesday and said that Canada would have to accept a five-year sunset clause as a precondition to a NAFTA deal. A sunset provision would automatically dissolve NAFTA after five years unless the partners all agreed to extend it. Trudeau said that was unacceptable to Canada.

Last week Ross said his agency would consider whether imported cars and car parts are harming U.S. national security and as such should be subject to new tariffs. The department initiated the investigation by tapping the same rarely invoked provision of U.S. trade law, called Section 232, that was the basis for levying taxes on imported steel and aluminum.

In the metals case, the administration concluded that the rise of foreign steel and aluminum over the years had hurt domestic producers and presented an economic and national security risk to the country because it had resulted in fewer American sources for military armor and infrastructure, such as the electric power grid.

Trumps renewed hard-line moves on trade, including his plan to proceed on tariffs against China, threatened to scuttle ongoing talks with the Chinese, but Ross said Thursday that he would be going to Beijing this weekend, as scheduled, for another round of negotiations.

South Korea had earlier won a permanent tariff exemption on steel after it agreed to a quota, and similar deals have been cut with Brazil, Australia and Argentina. Japan, another major steel supplier to the U.S., earlier was slapped with steel duties as it has steadfastly declined the Trump administrations overtures to sit down and negotiate a trade deal.

The latest from Washington 

More stories from Don Lee 

Lee reported from Washington; Linthicum reported from Mexico City.

don.lee@latimes.com

Follow me at @dleelatimes

UPDATES:

3:50 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction from experts.

12 p.m.: This article was updated with Canadas reaction.

8:25 a.m.: This article was updated with reaction from Mexico and GOP lawmakers.

7:20 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details about China.

This article was originally published at 6:45 a.m.President Trump wanted more U.S. solar manufacturing  and now hes getting it.

Hanwha Q Cells Korea on Wednesday said it will build a factory in Georgia. JinkoSolar Holding Co. of China is planning one in Florida. And U.S. companies SunPower Corp. and First Solar Inc. say theyll boost production in Oregon and Ohio.

The expansion underscores how immediate the reaction has been to the tariffs Trump imposed on imported panels in January to spur domestic manufacturing.

The duties could increase production capacity in the United States by at least 3.4 gigawatts, compared with 1.8 gigawatts at the end of last year, and would add to even more capacity already planned, based on Bloomberg New Energy Finance data.

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It remains to be seen whether these factories will create the jobs Trump is after, but analysts say his policies are having a clear impact.

Absent the Trump tariffs, this wouldnt be happening, Jeff Osborne, an analyst at Cowen & Co., said in an interview.

The push for tariffs began in April 2017, when Suniva Inc., a bankrupt Georgia-based panel maker filed a trade complaint arguing that it had been crippled by a flood of imports. Trump responded in January, imposing duties of as much as 30%, saying they were necessary to protect American manufacturers and create jobs.

While the plants announced by Hanwha and others will boost U.S. production, theyre unlikely to employ armies of workers, analysts said. As panel prices have declined, solar factories have become increasingly automated.

While the Trump administration will claim this as a win, Americas victory is modest, said Hugh Bromley, a New York-based analyst at Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The profits will flow offshore, and the highly-automated production lines will bring few jobs.

The White House didnt respond to a request for comment.Ed Wedbush, a fixture of L.A.s finance industry for more than half a century, is stepping down as president of Wedbush Securities, the stock brokerage he co-founded in 1955 that has lately been accused of several irregularities.

Wedbush, 85, will remain chairman of Wedbush Inc., the securities firms parent company. The firm said Thursday it will be led by co-presidents Richard Jablonski and Gary Wedbush, the founders son.

I have given much serious thought about this very important and natural advancement for Wedbush Securities, for my own career, and for the many valued services for which our clients depend on our company, Ed Wedbush said in the companys statement. Im confident that Gary and Rich are ready and able to take on this tremendous challenge and responsibility.

Wedbush and his firm have weathered immense changes in the financial markets business in the decades since he and colleague Robert Werner founded the company. It started as a mutual fund brokerage, later branched out into investment banking and more recently became a big player in processing stock transactions for high-speed trading firms.

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It is one of the only stock brokerages remaining in Los Angeles, surviving the closure of the citys stock exchange and waves of consolidation that saw other local and regional financial firms bought up by bigger rivals.

But over the last few years, the firm has run afoul of regulators, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, and been hit with numerous lawsuits and fines.

In March, the SEC filed a lawsuit alleging Wedbush Securities ignored or didnt properly investigate warning signs that a broker was pushing clients to invest in a pump-and-dump scheme. The agency also called Wedbush a recidivist for its history of recent problems.

In February, the firm agreed to pay $1 million to settle another SEC suit in which the agency alleged Wedbush had significantly underestimated the amount of cash it needed to hold in an account to pay customers if the firm collapsed.

In that action, the SEC noted Wedbushs history of compliance issues and said the firm until recently did not have adequate personnel for a regulated entity of its size and import.

The companys lean operations appear to mirror the personal thriftiness of its founder.

In 2010, the elder Wedbush was sued by Los Angeles County over the dilapidated roof on his Ladera Heights home. He told the Times he wanted his employees to know he pinches pennies.

The image I convey here is that Ed Wedbush watches the expenses, he said.

And he once advised a Times reporter, Buy your straw hats in the winter.

In Thursdays statement, Wedbush Securities did not give a reason for leadership changes at the company. Eric Wedbush, chairman of Wedbush Securities and another of the founders sons, said management succession planning is a high priority for the firm.

james.koren@latimes.com

Follow me: @jrkorenIts a high-flying success story: A self-taught artist and immigrant defies the odds to create what is now one of the most prized illustrated books in the world, worth an estimated $8 million to $12 million.

Ornithologist John James Audubon labored over his lifes masterwork, The Birds of America, from 1827 to 1838. He created about 200 copies of the 3-foot-tall, four-volume set, each featuring 435 hand-colored prints of 1,037 birds. Today only 120 complete sets remain, and only 13 are in private hands. One of those is scheduled for auction June 14.

American Flamingo (Christies )

Sven Becker, head of books and manuscripts at Christies New York, said the book represents so much more than a careful study of birds.

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When you look into Audubons own life story and the history of the publication of this book, you come to realize its about the American experience, Becker said.

Audubon was born in the French colony of Les Cayes in what is now Haiti, the product of his fathers dalliance with a chambermaid. With a slave revolt brewing, Audubons father returned to France in the midst of the French Revolution (during which the family spent time in a dungeon for being politically suspect).

Fearful that his 18-year-old son would get conscripted in Napoleons army, the elder Audubon sent John on a ship to America, where his classic immigrant story began.

A self-taught artist with a fascination for birds, he dedicated himself to painting their naturalistic beauty, a manner that was considered revolutionary for a time when birds were depicted with cold, scientific precision.

Great Blue Heron (Christies )

After the War of 1812, Audubon lost his precious paintings when rats invaded his storage trunks, shredding the work and using the scraps to line their nests. Undeterred, Audubon started over, always with the thought of creating his comprehensive book.

When he finally tried to get it published in Philadelphia, however, he was rebuffed.

Here comes this country bumpkin with pantaloons and long hair that he held down with bear grease, with these life-like birds, Becker said. The Philadelphia establishment literally blackballed him.

Success wouldnt come until Audubon left his wife and two sons behind for five years and voyaged to Europe, where the wild success of James Fenimore Coopers The Last of the Mohicans had created a thirst for the wilds of America.

He came with these drawings of a land, that for Europeans, was incredibly exotic, Becker said. Within a month, he was dining with Sir Walter Scott and Charles Darwin.

Black-bellied Darter (Christies )

A British publisher agreed to print the engravings, which were sent to subscribers who paid Audubon in installments.

Sometime after 1838, the fourth Duke of Portland acquired the set that Christies will auction off. That set stayed in the same family  in the same library  for 200 years, Becker said, explaining why its condition is impeccable.

The books second owner, the fifth Duke of Portland, was a famous eccentric, Becker said. The duke didnt want to see anybody, or have anybody see him, so he built a network of tunnels big enough for his horse and carriage beneath his English estate.

There was an underground library and an underground ballroom, where presumably, no one was ever invited, Becker said.

The better to keep a lovely book in excellent condition.

Blue Jay (Christies )

jessica.gelt@latimes.com

@jessicagelt

MORE ART:

Damien Hirsts sharks: From the Met to a Vegas casino bar

Five decades of Broadway posters in one book

From 14 million photos in the Library of Congress, she chose 440The Orange County Museum of Art unveiled plans Thursday for its future home, a Thom Mayne-designed building at Costa Mesas Segerstrom Center for the Arts that represents a move 10 years in the making.

The new 52,000-square-foot building will increase exhibition space by 50% compared with the museums current location in Newport Beach, officials said. The 25,000 square feet of gallery space will be complemented with 10,000 square feet dedicated to educational programs, performances and other public events.

The view from the existing Argyros Plaza toward OCMAs main entrance, located near the Richard Serra sculpture Connector. (Morphosis Architects )

The modern building will have an open-air roof terrace covering 70% of the museum site. The plaza, with indoor art galleries tucked beneath it, will host film screenings and outdoor art installations, among other events. The outdoor space will be key to the museums identity, said Mayne, the Pritzker Prize winner who founded the Culver City-based firm Morphosis.

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Rather than building an icon, we chose to expand the public space, which the building supported. Id say we gave the site back, Mayne said, adding that his vision is for the museum to be intimately stitched into the Segerstrom campus, the largest arts hub in Orange County. The center includes three other buildings that together host eight performance venues, including the outdoor Argyros Plaza.

The project was interested, very early on, in its relationship to the urban setting as well as its relationship to the community, Mayne said. It faces the plaza that connects us to the campus  were the last component of the cultural center were part of. So its part of a broader idea.

OCMAs ground floor and mezzanine will hold open, flexible galleries for permanent collection installations and temporary exhibitions. (Morphosis Architects )

In the entrance lobby, light-filled atrium space will be crossed by bridges to an educational hall and mezzanine galleries. (Morphosis Architects )

Segerstrom Center is home to the Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, and it also hosts major touring productions; Hamilton ended its Orange County run there Sunday. The center is also adjacent to the South Coast Repertory theater.

The new building will be very site specific, Mayne said. However, in designing the staircase that leads from Argyros Plaza to the art museums terrace, Mayne said, he took inspiration from the Metropolitan Museum of Arts entrance stairs, where visitors often gather for conversation.

The Met stairs, he said, are a social conduit. Its a very urban piece. And we were interested in developing a very urban idea in a suburban environment.

The roof terrace at OCMA will provide a space for events and gatherings. (Morphosis Architects )

OCMA Director Todd D. Smith called the museum design accessible and dynamic  all the things you want of a 21st century art museum.

The increase in exhibition space, he said, will allow OCMA to showcase work from its collection  more than 3,500 objects of modern and contemporary art from California and Pacific Rim artists gathered since the late 1960s  while simultaneously hosting traveling exhibitions.

The story of this museum has only ever been told in episodes and moments, not in one story, he said. This is a much newer way to look at the collection, and trends emerging around it, and trends that preceded it. The new space gives us the freedom to show our collection as a core exhibition. And to have a core identity.

A timeline was also part of Thursdays reveal: The museum will close its home at 850 San Clemente Drive in Newport Center, by the Fashion Island shopping center, where it has resided for 41 years, on June 17. Groundbreaking of the new building will take place in mid-2019 with the goal of opening in 2021. In the interim, OCMA will present exhibitions and public programs starting Oct. 6 in a former retail space in South Coast Plaza Village in Santa Ana.

Hovering above the atrium lobby will be a dynamic space for education events and performances. (Morphosis Architects )

The sale of the Newport Beach property to Vivante Newport Center, a subsidiary of Nexus Development Corp., has been finalized  one step in a long road of challenges for OCMA.

Exhibition space has long been an issue at the museum, which has tried intermittently over the last 30 years to expand. Multiple building projects, for different locations, have been complicated by leadership changes, financing challenges and disagreements over architects, among other issues.

The plan for OCMAs move to Segerstrom was set in motion about a decade ago. In 2008, 1.64 acres of Segerstroms campus was donated to OCMA. But fundraising efforts were set back by the recession. In 2011, the project picked up steam and a second design was conceived.

In 2016, OCMA attempted to sell its land to Related California, which proposed building a high-rise condominium, dubbed Museum House, on the site. Proceeds from the sale would go toward the museums move to Segerstrom. But local activists opposed the plan and, in February 2017, following a petition by opponents, the city council revoked its development approval. Earlier this year, the city of Newport Beach settled two lawsuits involving the museum and local activists.

But its important to remember: In 2016, works in our collection that went to exhibitions around the U.S. and Europe were seen by 1.2 million people, Smith said. Theres this whole other side to our history that hasnt been allowed to shine because so much of the news has been about real estate. Now we get to start a new conversation about what our future looks like.

The Times has reported previously that OCMAs building and relocation costs were in the ballpark of $50 million. Smith said that figure refers to a previous design  the current one is Maynes third  and isnt accurate. He would not comment on the cost of the new building or how much the museum has raised.

Well announce the campaign and our progress on the campaign later this year, he said.

In March 2015, OCMA laid off five staffers, including chief curator Dan Cameron. Today the museum has 13 full-time employees and about six part-time employees, Smith said. Smith said the staff will be growing as the museum assesses its needs.

Well add to our curatorial team as we get further along in the interim period as we look to open the new building, he said. I can see, going forward, other curatorial positions we might add that are new to the museum and theres an opportunity to build the educational team.

The new location and added space will allow OCMA to play a more prominent role in the SoCal arts scene, Smith said.

That means giving young and emerging artists from California and around the Pacific their first U.S. exhibitions, he said, as well as ongoing exhibitions of its permanent collection and national and international traveling exhibitions.

Our donors are very excited about the designs over the last few months and the museums ability to go forward, Smith said, adding that the move will help to make Segerstrom a world-class performing and visual arts complex.

deborah.vankin@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @debvankin

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The Cold War as a museum: Inside the new home of the WendeA family in Gurna, Luxor west bank, Egypt. (Photo: VCG)

Cairo (People's Daily) - Egypt's Ministry of Social Solidarity launched on Saturday a national project for birth control to limit overpopulation, dubbed "two are enough", as part of the Takaful and Karama program, according to a statement from the cabinet.

The program, which will be funded through the ministry's NGO support fund and a UN Population Fund grant, aims to curtail the birth rate by specifically targeting around 1.15 million women enrolled in the ministry's Takaful program. The first phase will be implemented in the 10 governorates most in need of family planning services, including Aswan, Luxor, Qena, Sohag, Assiut, Minya, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Giza, and Beheira.

The Egyptian population hit 104.27 million, both domestically and abroad, according to the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics' (CAPMAS) latest census in 2017. Those living inside the country number 94.8 million, while expats are estimated at 9 million, which is said to grow to 128 million by 2030 if fertility rates of four births per thousand women continue, according to statistics from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The two biggest dangers Egypt faces throughout its history are terrorism and population growth, and this challenge decreases Egypt's chances of moving forward," the Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said at the Fourth National Youth Conference last year.

He also said that the population dilemma was a threat to both Egyptians and the government, with each having a role to perform, although the benefits of the appropriate actions would not be immediately visible.

Abu Bakr el-Gendy, the head of Egypt's state statistics bureau which carried out the latest census, described the current rate of population growth as a "catastrophe".

The rate must be at least three times lower than economic growth for people's living standards not to deteriorate, according to Gendy.

Population control is linked to solving the problems of illiteracy, unemployment and poverty.

Wafa Ahmad, a 31-year-old schoolteacher, said she had already decided to have only two children. "My husband, who is an accountant, and I can hardly meet the needs of our family with the nearly 4,000 Egyptian pounds we earn every month," she added.

"Also, it has become difficult these days to find affordable good schools. Meanwhile, prices of other essential items like food and housing constantly go up. Wafa says it's irresponsible to have many children, given the economic conditions in the country.

But some women still want to have more children. "I grew up in a big family and I realize now that I am really happy with that. It becomes a good psychological support system," a young mother said.

"It is important to raise awareness on this matter and persuade families to have two or three children at most," an obstetrics and gynecology professor at Cairo University said. She added that the problem needs to be taken more seriously with constant media campaigns on radio and television to raise awareness on the importance of family planning.

It appears that the government is seeking to develop solutions to curb population growth in Egypt. But limiting population growth in Egypt requires more efficient efforts and cooperation between the government and civil society organizations. So getting this program to get off the ground has a long way to go.Theres much a filmmaker could do with a cast like the one All Summers End has  led by Tye Sheridan and Kaitlyn Dever as love-struck teens, and Paula Malcolmson and Annabeth Gish as their moms  but writer-director Kyle Wilamowski smothers his bid for nuanced emotion in the cardboard mechanics of bad-decision drama. The stars bring effortless believability as gently exploratory 16-year-olds Conrad and Grace, who become close over a summer in which Grace loses her older brother Eric in a car accident.

Conrads sensitive but no innocent, however  he bears the terrible secret of having been party to the reckless shenanigans, instigated by his mean-spirited friends, that led to Erics death. With the languid air of suburban malaise and North Carolina greenery as an evocative backdrop, Wilamowskis sensitive yet predictable rollout of ill-fated love under a cloud of sadness and one-way immense guilt might have remained suitably so-so.

But with the terrible decision to bracket it all as the ruefully narrated remembrance of the older Conrad (Pablo Schreiber), were subjected to Captain Obvious contextualizing marked by mood-shattering interjections like I was furious (because Sheridan isnt already communicating that?) and Some of us grow wiser, some of us dont. (Oh really?) Its the kind of ersatz, actor-undercutting stab at authorial seriousness that makes it as regrettable a choice as Conrads when he indulges in a night of vandalizing that goes horribly wrong.

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All Summers End

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 27 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills

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calendar@latimes.comEnglish actor and martial artist Scott Adkins combines raw physical power and everyman charm in ways that can be tricky for filmmakers to showcase properly. His new movie, The Debt Collector, isnt great, but its an ideal vehicle for Adkins, who gets to spend almost the entire film cracking skulls or chatting with a mate.

Adkins plays French, a gym owner who gets so far behind on his bills that hes forced to take a job as a mob enforcer. Hes paired with veteran goon Sue (Louis Mandylor), who schools him on which of their appointments will likely turn violent and which merely involve terrifying unprepared L.A. yuppies into paying what they owe.

Writer-director Jesse V. Johnson keeps the setup simple before pivoting to the films plot. French and Sue are hired by one of their boss untrustworthy associates, who asks them to track down somebody who maybe doesnt deserve to be hassled.

The story is slim and uninvolving. The Debt Collector is better when its staying in a Quentin Tarantino/Pulp Fiction vein, following two bruisers as they cruise through ironically sunny suburbs and office parks, beating up pasty losers.

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Johnson tries too hard to make all his mayhem meaningful, to minimal effect. Still, this picture should entertain Adkins growing base of fans, who ought to appreciate that the star gets more freedom than usual to be delightful as well as dangerous.

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The Debt Collector

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Playing: Starts June 5 at the Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica

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calendar@latimes.comThe opposite of taking a walk on the wild side might be to hoof it across the 500 or so reflective, slow-going miles that form the Camino de Santiago, the renowned medieval Catholic pilgrimage route that spans northern Spain.

This scenic and sacred path, which typically starts in the French Pyrenees and moves west to the venerated Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (reputedly the final resting place of St. James the Apostle), is warmly profiled in the often captivating, 2014-shot documentary Strangers on the Earth.

First-time feature director Tristan Cook follows an array of backpack-toting pilgrims as they walk the meandering Camino, sharing reactions and philosophies mostly via disembodied voice-overs rather than in more traditional on-camera interviews. (A better mix of both wouldnt have hurt.)

Divided into seven chapters  one per leg of the journey  the movie nominally revolves around Cleveland Orchestra cellist Dane Johansen (also the films producer), whose goal is to record Bachs Cello Suites in 36 churches en route. It doesnt quite work out that way, though his haunting cello playing is captured in public concerts and proves key to the films soundtrack.

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Johansen also gains major commitment points for schlepping across the Camino with that enormous cello strapped to his back.

Unfortunately, as with all the hikers seen here, we learn little if anything about Johansens personal background or history. It too often feels as if this talented musician and his co-pilgrims simply dropped onto the Camino from such far-flung spots as Australia, Germany, Brazil and Canada and landed in front of Cooks cameras.

Thats a drawback for this beautifully shot movie, which relies primarily on travelogue-like footage of the areas vast, verdant landscape as well as the Caminos distinctly subjective spiritual quotient to engage the viewer. That may suffice for certain stretches, but it can leave us feeling disconnected from some of the deeper, more relatable human elements that drive these approximately 30-day tours. Certain practical issues get short shrift as well.

Although the Camino de Santiago has been heavily traveled since the Middle Ages (an estimated 300,000 people now make the trek each year), it gained a more recent boost in bucket list popularity after the release of writer-director Emilio Estevezs 2010 feature drama The Way.

Nicely integrated clips of that well-reviewed movie, which starred Estevezs father, Martin Sheen, as a doctor who walks the Camino to honor his late son, are seen here along with a hikers fannish admission that seeing the film roused her to take the trip. (The Camino was also the setting of Luis Bunuels surrealistic 1969 road movie The Milky Way.)

Following the pilgrims arrival at the routes traditional end, the gorgeous, mainly Romanesque Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (masked by renovation scaffolding at the time of shooting), the film then tracks a group of travelers on an extension trip to the mysterious Cape Finisterre.

Prior to the discovery of the Americas, this rocky peninsula, which juts out into the Atlantic, was once thought to be the edge of the known world. Today it serves as a kind of bonus to the Camino walk; a dazzling, remote spot where clothing is ritually burned in oceanfront bonfires and a famed, 1800s-era lighthouse illuminates the dangerous coast.

This stirringly captured sequence provides a memorable coda to a largely inspiring and transporting portrait.

-------------

Strangers on the Earth

In English, Spanish and German with English subtitles

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 36 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Music Hall, Beverly Hills

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

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@LATimesMoviesToni Collette wasnt looking for darkness when Hereditary came calling. But when the darkness found her  in the form of the unnerving saga of the Grahams, an American family haunted by tragedy, mental illness, and perhaps something supernatural  the opportunity was too delicious to pass up.

I wasnt interested in doing anything heavy, but I picked up the script and I couldnt stop reading it, the Australian native explained one May morning, slipping into the same busy Westside eatery where, just over a year ago, writer-director Ari Aster convinced her to take the plunge and play a woman who begins to unlock cryptic family secrets after the death of her own estranged mother.

The result, a claustrophobic chiller that distributor A24 releases June 8, features one of the most dynamic and memorable performances of Collettes career, in what critics are calling the scariest film in years.

Collettes Annie Graham is many things. A miniatures artist who fills her home studio with dioramas of her own life, she recreates memories as a means of reclaiming control. A mother of two with a strained relationship with her own mom, she is overprotective of one of her children, and coldly resentful of the other. And when the unthinkable strikes, she struggles to cope with a sense of powerlessness that gives way to relentless dread as Aster spins his crumbling, nightmarish narrative.

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The film has had audiences cowering in terror since it premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival, jangling nerves with its potent visceral scares and leaving viewers rattled with the deeper psychological concerns baked into its DNA.

Theres this trend especially among American family tragedies, or family dramas, where people suffer a loss, and they go through a very tumultuous time together, but ultimately it brings them together and strengthens their bonds, explained Aster. Thats just not always what happens. Sometimes something happens and it takes one person down in a family, and it ends up taking the family down. I wanted to make a film about that.

Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff and newcomer Milly Shapiro co-star as the husband and children, respectively, whose lives are also upturned by revelations following the passing of the eccentric family matriarch; The Handmaids Tale Emmy winner Ann Dowd also excels in a supporting role as an overzealous stranger from a support group for grief counseling.

Toni Collette in a scene from Hereditary. (Reid Chavis / A24 )

But at the center of Hereditarys quietly raging, rapidly crescendoing storm is Collette, delivering a powerhouse performance so riveting it could  and, some pundits say, should  earn her awards-season attention. (She earned one Academy Award nomination, for The Sixth Sense, in 2000.)

Its pretty crunchy, she laughed, describing the complicated dynamic that emerges between Annie and her family, making for some razor-tipped exchanges at the dinner table. My character had such an unfortunate relationship with her own mother, much of her own ability to mother her own children and to be selfless is difficult for her. And I think part of being a present mother is learning how to be somewhat selfless. But there are so many idealized myths about what motherhood should be, and I love that both my character and the character of my mother have nothing to do with these myths.

On paper Hereditary might have seemed somewhat of a risk, even with A24 onboard early, being a strikingly ambitious piece of genre filmmaking and Asters first feature after helming several provocative shorts at AFI.

Collette, too, admits she isnt one to watch scary movies. But it isnt simply a horror film. Its quite natural and emotionally raw and honest. For those qualities to blend in a film like this is really unusual, and I loved that.

To prepare, Aster didnt screen horror classics for his actors but instead pointed them to searing family melodramas, films like Ordinary People, The Ice Storm, and Mike Leighs All or Nothing. Although Aster knew he had to nail the horror movie moments in Hereditary, his intention was to cleave deeper than superficial jump scares.

The idea was to create a film that collapsed under the weight of its own emotions, he explained. Its so packed with extreme feelings that the fabric of the film tears open, and the film itself goes crazy.

 Milly Shapiro, Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne and Alex Wol star in Hereditary.

Collette had her hesitations. Over the years the veteran actress realized that slipping into the skins and psyches of others was a job that sometimes came home with her. She has two young children, now aged 7 and 10, with musician husband Dave Galafassi. Did she really want to volunteer to live inside a punishing nightmare about motherhood, trauma, compulsion, and grief for the duration of filming?

I kind of know immediately if I want to do something or not; its very apparent. I was looking for reasons not to do it, laughed Collette, who had to be sure the emotional toll would be worth it. So I thought Id speak to [Aster] and see if he was a [jerk]. But hes actually the kindest, most humble, dear human being. It was so evident that he knew exactly what he was doing.

The two clicked over the material. Thoughtful and soft-spoken with a rebellious inclination to defy convention  and unimpressed with most contemporary horror  Aster had already spent years preparing his vision for Hereditary and had a detailed shot-list drawn out, firmly plotting out every frame and composition of the film. And he had a big ask of Collette.

I had loved her work since Muriels Wedding, and Toni is always great  but I also realized I had never seen her chew apart the scenery in this way, and I just knew that she could, Aster recalled. I think I said, I need a kamikaze performance  I need you to jump off the deep end.

She took the role, bringing the character of Annie Graham to life. During the week she played out Asters tragic tale on a meticulously custom-crafted set in Utah alongside Byrne as Annies psychoanalyst husband, Wolff as their teenage son Peter, and Shapiro as Charlie, the 14-year-old daughter with a knack for crafting morbid totems and a mysterious connection to her dearly departed grandmother.

I think there are some jobs where you egg yourself on and allow yourself to get really caught up in it, but with this I was pushing it away constantly until it was time to shoot. Until they called Action! I just didnt want to really think about it, Collette said, sipping green tea to combat the overcast day.

Was that part of her methodology? She laughed.

I think its just called survival.

It isnt simply a horror film. Its quite natural and emotionally raw and honest. Toni Collette on Hereditary

On weekends Collette would return to Los Angeles, decompressing on the flight home, leaving the heaviness in the air across two states. I think it was both good for me to have that solitude during the week and also to have a complete departure from the experience that I was embedded in on the weekends, she said.

Often while discussing Hereditary, she gives generous credit to Asters writing. The script was very clear, but there was also room for interpretation, she added. It felt very real; it felt heartbreakingly real. It [made] me appreciate Ari so very much because he just understands what it is to be human.

But also kind of worry about him, she added half-jokingly, because, why does he have this information?

Collette brings a relatable skepticism to Annie as shes drawn deeper toward buried truths, anchoring some of the films most horrific moments in a narrative that doesnt depend, as many horror films do, on gory shocks. One of Hereditarys most disturbing images is simply a close-up on her face, twisted in a drawn-out scream, her mouth agape in grief and shock.

Collette describes the scene as stomach-turning but delights in the thought that it might terrify audiences for years to come. She watched the film with an audience for the first time recently, which gave her a kick.

It was really fun, she said, her eyes lighting up. It really made me laugh. There is some levity to this movie, and I think there has to be because it is really very, very dark, and it doesnt let up; the sense of dread and suspense is always there.

Chills and thrills: 7 scary movies to see this summer 

A curious performer, she says she always watches her own films to see how the magic of moviemaking comes together in the end. One exquisitely timed sound effect in Hereditary, she reports, made her jump in her seat, even though she was the only actor onscreen. I knew what was happening and I still jumped!

Collettes intense commitment to character and ability to access a spectrum of relatable human experiences have long been present in her work, from the ABBA-obsessed misfit of her 1994 breakout film Muriels Wedding to that Oscar-nominated turn in The Sixth Sense, in which she played another mother dealing with supernatural mysteries that lay just a hairs breadth beyond comprehension.

Her performance in 2006s Little Miss Sunshine earned a Golden Globe nomination, and the following year she dove into the lead role on Showtimes The United States of Tara, for which she won a Golden Globe and an Emmy playing a housewife and her multiple alters living with disassociative identity disorder over the course of three seasons.

Lately shes been working at a breakneck pace, and had half a dozen feature films premiere theatrically or at festivals in 2017 alone. But Hereditary stands out from the pack.

Rewarding as Collette describes it now, a year after filming, making Hereditary was nonetheless a draining experience  part and parcel with the job, she says.

A lot of this is so intensely emotional, and my job as an actor is to make it completely transparent and as honest as possible, she shrugged. Ive been to drama school, Ive been doing this a long time, but ultimately the most important thing is to empathize. In order for the audience to feel it, you need to feel it. Its all energy. You cant fake it.

And so she followed the Hereditary shoot with a role in the much lighter, Brooklyn-set musical pic Hearts Beat Loud, playing the landlord of a record store that births Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemonss father-daughter band. That film also opens in limited release on June 8, marking the first time Collette has had two movies out on the same day.

I had such an incredible time on both films and they are polar opposites, said Collette, who got to rock out in a karaoke scene in the indie drama. They couldnt be more different from each other  and yet, there are similarities. A bit of it is about grief and loss, deep change.

Next up for Collette: A family road trip this summer across the American south, maybe a stop in Dollywood. ([Dolly Parton] is incredible. If theres an amusement park in her honor, I am so excited to be there.)

After that, shes eyeing new roles on the horizon: Producer, writer, director. Collette, who sought to work with female directors long before Hollywood placed new emphasis on supporting women behind the camera, says she sees the industry changing in response to conversations around inclusion.

Last year she launched a production company, Vocab Films. Shes enthusiastic to have greater creative control in the development of her projects and is mulling the right moment to make her own directorial debut.

Im still open to working with anybody and everybody, and I always have been, she added. Im open to what life brings me.

jen.yamato@latimes.com

@jenyamato

ALSO

Summer movie survey: Four indie debuts worth watching out for

From Leave No Trace to RBG, Times critics discuss their favorites of the Sundance Film FestivalAs the death toll from the nations opioid crisis swells, California officials have launched an experiment: paying for people to test their drugs for fentanyl.

Fentanyl, an opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin, is responsible for a growing number of overdose deaths each year. Typically manufactured as a white powder, it can be mixed into other drugs such as heroin and cocaine without the user knowing, but with extreme consequences.

Fentanyl can kill you at first use  thats why theres incredible urgency, said Dr. Kelly Pfeifer, who studies the opioid epidemic at the California Health Care Foundation.

Experts are unsure why fentanyl is showing up in so many drugs, and it appears to be happening more often. Reported deaths from fentanyl in California tripled between 2016 and last year.

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Amid the fentanyl epidemic, test strips that detect the opioid are growing more popular not only in California but nationwide, with New York state and several overdose prevention programs across the country already using them.

But experts warn that theyre an imperfect solution. The tests havent been approved by federal regulators, and some experts have concerns about the accuracy of the results. Some public officials are reluctant to offer them.

Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, a UC San Francisco professor who studies heroin use, said the tests popularity, despite limited evidence of how well they work, underscores the severity of the opioid epidemic and the emerging problems with fentanyl.

The crisis that is fentanyl is rapidly evolving and increasingly deadly, and it hasnt turned around, Ciccarone said. I just see desperation.

In May last year, the California public health department began paying for needle exchanges to distribute the strips to drug users.

The tests, which are manufactured by a Canadian company and cost $1 each, function similarly to a pregnancy test. Users mix a little bit of a drug with water and then dip the strip in for several seconds. Five minutes later, theyll see their result.

One line, theres fentanyl. Two lines, theres not.

Michael Marquesen, executive director of needle exchange Los Angeles Community Health Project, said the tests have shown that 40% of the heroin in Hollywood contains fentanyl. Dealers sometimes add fentanyl to heroin to provide a stronger high, experts say, but too much can quickly stop someones breathing.

The overdose rates in Hollywood are through the roof, Marquesen said. They keep rising every month.

Marquesen said that giving out the strips allows him to warn people about the dangers of fentanyl and also teach them how to use naloxone, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose.

Two pink lines on the test strip means theres no fentanyl in the drug tested. One line means there is. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times )

About half of Californias 45 needle exchanges distribute the fentanyl strips, according to state health officials. The state has so far spent about $57,000 on the tests, officials say.

But many believe the strips shouldnt be at just needle exchanges.

Fentanyl is increasingly showing up in nonopiates, including methamphetamine, MDMA and counterfeit prescription pills. Three men who died in Los Angeles late last month are believed to have overdosed on fentanyl-laced cocaine.

Marquesen said the growing presence of fentanyl in party drugs mimics the trend that has played out in other cities.

Were a little bit behind everybody else, but were still following the same timeline, he said. Im sure its going to show up everywhere.

Dr. Gary Tsai, medical director of Los Angeles Countys health departments substance abuse prevention and control division, said officials are considering offering the test strips more widely, but he worried about their accuracy.

Fentanyl was first developed as a pharmaceutical painkiller, and is still prescribed to patients. The test strips were developed to test for the medication in patients urine, and havent been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for testing drugs directly.

Tsai pointed out that the tests were made for pharmaceutical-grade fentanyl, so the kind available on the street might not be an exact match.

I wish I could have more confidence in the fentanyl test strips, he said.

Ciccarone, the UCSF professor, shared some concerns. He said the tests appear to detect minuscule amounts of fentanyl that a person wouldnt be affected by. He worries that users will ultimately begin ignoring the results if they always come back positive, he said.

Its too darn sensitive, he said.

Others, though, pointed to promising evidence. A recent Johns Hopkins University study found that the strips could detect when fentanyl was present in drug samples nearly 100% of the time.

They might be a little bit on the sensitive side  but from a practical point of view its better to have a drug user exercising caution, said Dr. Peter Davidson, who studies opioid overdose prevention at UC San Diego. I dont think thats a huge problem.

The study also found that 70% of drug users would modify their behavior if they knew fentanyl was in their drugs, including not taking the drug or buying it from a different dealer.

Ken Osepyan, harm reduction manager at the Pacific Pride Foundation, which runs needle exchanges in Santa Barbara County, said most users are unlikely to throw out their drugs completely, but may decide to take extra precautions. He said that 75% of heroin in the region has come back positive for fentanyl.

To avoid overdoses, Osepyan reminds users to start with just a little: You can always do more, but you cant do less.

The test strips, developed by Toronto-based biotechnology company BTNX, were originally repurposed by a clinic in Vancouver a few years ago. But sales in the United States have been skyrocketing in the last year, said company CEO and founder Iqbal Sunderani.

Already, Sunderani has sold 205,000 test strips to American customers in 2018, with the state of California as his biggest customer and with continued interest from all corners, he said.

Its quite heartbreaking when you hear the stories, he said. We have people calling when theyve lost children.

However, Sunderani sells only to governments and harm reduction programs, not to individuals. Though hes encouraged by early evidence showing the tests work directly on drugs, hes still worried about the possibility of someone getting a false negative and then overdosing.

The tests are designed for urine and not for substance, he said. You dont want to give people a false sense of security.

soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com

Twitter: @skarlamanglaIn the race for state superintendent of public instruction, standard party affiliations dont much matter. The two major players here are teachers unions and charter schools  and their big spending tends to blur a clear picture of the front-runners.

The charter camp supports Marshall Tuck, an education consultant and Democrat who formerly managed turnaround efforts at a group of low-performing Los Angeles public schools. The pick of the teachers unions is state Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, also a Democrat, who represents the Richmond area, north of Oakland.

Spending by outside groups has surpassed $10 million  even though Californias schools mostly are managed by local school boards.

With the superintendents race comes a proxy for competing visions for what the education system ought to look like, said David Plank, a professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

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The state schools chief runs the California Department of Education, which oversees standardized testing, the collection of student data and the use of state and federal funds. The person in the job also manages the state accountability system, which is supposed to identify low-performing schools and districts and help them improve. Another duty of the post is to interpret new education laws and develop regulations, including those that affect charter schools.

Because this race is designated nonpartisan, election rules dont automatically require a November face-off between the top vote-getters. The contest will end Tuesday if one candidate claims more than half the vote.

The teachers unions have long been a powerhouse in state elections. Skilled at protecting their members, they also say they are looking out for students. The sheer number of dues-payers has sustained their clout, though the growth of mostly non-union charter schools has been a threat. Their vision of education includes putting the brakes on charter school growth as well as increased funding and limits on standardized testing.

The pro-charter money for Tuck  much of it collected through a political action committee called EdVoice for the Kids  has come from a relatively small group of wealthy donors, including philanthropist Eli Broad and former L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan, and was significantly greater than union spending through the latter part of May.

Some Tuck supporters are strongly anti-union, some more narrowly focused on weakening teachers unions or pushing for faster charter growth and less regulation. Charters are free from many of the regulations that govern traditional campuses. Their supporters say they provide families with badly needed options.

Two non-aligned candidates also want the job: Lily Espinoza Ploski, who teaches high school students in a program at Mills College, and Steven Ireland, a television producer and Los Angeles parent who served as PTA president at his childrens elementary school.

Both Tuck and Thurmond present themselves as moderates. Both want more money for public schools, oppose for-profit charter schools and support some form of tenure for teachers.

Thurmond says the education system is failing some students. Tuck says simply that it is failing, even if some students are doing well.

The school system doesnt work well and we have data to back it up, Tuck said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.

Tuck, 44, puts more emphasis than Thurmond on accountability for performance and on extending the time required for teachers to earn tenure. Hed also like to see teachers receive higher pay if they agree to work at more challenging schools.

Thurmond, 49, wants all teachers to earn more money as part of a strategy to combat a teacher shortage. In the Legislature, he has focused on programs that provide more funding to children with special needs. He would consider limits on charter growth.

Both California natives have backgrounds that could help them in the job.

Thurmonds mother  a Panamanian immigrant who was raising him on her own  died when he was 6. He grew up with a foster parent in Pennsylvania.

A great public education changed my life, he told The Times.

He went to Temple University and became student body president. He then worked for 20 years as a social worker and nonprofit manager, often in schools, trying to help the kind of at-risk student he once was. He entered politics and served on the Richmond City Council and the local school board before moving to the Legislature.

Tuck put aside a promising start in finance and a tech start-up to turn to education. In 2002, he was brought in to lead Green Dot Public Schools, a rare unionized charter group.

Then, for six years, Tuck was chief executive of fhe Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, which was set up to turn around a group of low-performing schools. The Partnership schools made progress under Tuck, although they could not catch up to state averages.

Tuck ran second behind incumbent Tom Torlackson four years ago, and since then has worked as a consultant for school districts.

Ploski, 44, a former Democrat not registered with a political party, said she identifies as a progressive. The state needs someone who understands and can unify the educational systems various parts, she said: Neither of my opponents have been a teacher.  Neither have a formal education in education.

All four candidates have school-age children, but Ireland, 59, a Democrat, said his role as a parent leader is his distinguishing credential.

Im not opposed to anything that works, he said. Id like to see us shake things up.

howard.blume@latimes.com | Twitter: @howardblume

joy.resmovits@latimes.com | Twitter: @Joy_ResmovitsThe 8-year-old foster child who was abducted early this week by his biological mother from a Carson elementary school has been found at a police station and the mother has been arrested, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department.

Authorities said the suspects boyfriend dropped the child off at a police station in Inglewood on Thursday morning. The mother, 29-year-old Dariia Kostenko, was arrested and booked on suspicion of kidnapping.

Authorities said the kidnapping happened around 2:40 p.m. Tuesday, when Dylan Kostenkos foster mother arrived at Towne Avenue Elementary School to pick the boy up. The mother was told by school personnel that Dylan had been picked up by his biological mother, according to the Sheriffs Department.

The boy and his biological mother were last seen walking northbound from the school in a residential area. Authorities had been searching for the pair since Tuesday until he appeared in Inglewood.

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The boy had been taken away from Kostenko in May 2017 and placed under the care of the Department of Children and Family Services. Under a court order, Kostenko has monitored visitations with Dylan but is not allowed to pick him up from school, authorities said.

It was unclear why Dylan had been taken away from Kostenko. She remains in jail pending $150,000 bail.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_Mejia

UPDATES:

3:25 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the boy being found and the arrest of his mother.

This article was originally published at 6:15 a.m.QINGDAO, May 31 (Xinhua) -- In 1984, Haier's predecessor, Qingdao Refrigerator Factory, was on the verge of bankruptcy, but a change began to emerge after Zhang Ruimin took the helm of the factory that same year.

Zhang, founder of Haier Group, introduced technology from Germany and the plant started its rise to become the world's leading white goods brand. Last year, Haier raked in 241.9 billion yuan (37.7 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue, up 20 percent year on year, while its profit surged 41 percent.

Haier's success epitomizes the strong vigor of Qingdao thanks to the country's opening-up. The coastal city will be put under the media spotlight as it will host the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit from June 9 to 10.

In 1984, Qingdao was designated as one of the 14 Chinese coastal cities to open up to foreign investment as a new measure of the country's reform and opening-up drive which began in 1978.

"In that year, Qingdao made it a priority to use foreign investment and technology, and transform old companies in its opening-up," said Xu Jian, a Qingdao Commerce Bureau official.

Since then, a group of Qingdao-based manufacturing companies including Haier and Hisense have grown into famous brands and gone global.

Since the first joint venture, a leasing company, was set up in Qingdao in the early 1980s, the city has attracted 271 projects with investment from 141 of the world's leading firms such as Volkswagen, Siemens, and Bombardier.

By the end of last year, the city's actual use of foreign investment accumulatively exceeded 60 billion U.S. dollars.

Meanwhile, Qingdao had had trade ties with 215 countries and regions from around the world and overseas investment in some 1,500 projects with a combined value of nearly 30 billion dollars by the end of last year, official statistics showed.

The city's GDP reached 1 trillion yuan in 2016.

In the high-speed rail sector, about 60 percent of China's operating bullet trains, or electric multiple unit (EMU) trains, and one-quarter of China's city subway trains are produced in Qingdao, where CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd is based.

High-speed trains are an example of the fruit of opening up, which has greatly improved the innovation capability of the sector in China, whose rail equipment has been exported to different countries.

In April, CRRC Qingdao Sifang Co., Ltd inked a deal for 200 cars and related parts from Argentina, the third EMU train order won from the country. The contract was worth 278 million dollars.

A major port city in eastern China, Qingdao is building closer economic and trade ties with other countries, especially the SCO member states, through the Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013.

Also last month, the Ministry of Commerce decided to support Qingdao in building the country's first demonstration area for China-SCO regional trade and economic cooperation.

The demonstration area is located in the Eurasian Economic and Trade Industrial Park, initiated by Qingdao and the Business Council of the SCO in 2015.

"This will further expand the influence of the Eurasian Economic and Trade Industrial Park among SCO countries," said another senior official with the Qingdao Commerce Bureau.

Last year, the trade volume between Qingdao and SCO member states hit 4.6 billion dollars, up 9.8 percent year on year. Qingdao firms have invested 74 projects in SCO member states. Firms from other SCO members have invested in 162 projects in Qingdao.

On Monday, FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. opened a new production base in Qingdao with a total capacity of 300,000 vehicles every year, marking an expansion of the leading European automaker in the world's biggest auto market.

"The biggest advantage of Qingdao's development is opening-up," said Meng Fanli, mayor of Qingdao.

Qingdao gets ready for the SCO summit, which is expected to inject strong impetus into cooperation in various fields among its member countries.

In this regard, "Qingdao's geographical advantage will be given full play and it will see many opportunities," said Liu Shuguang, professor in economics at Qingdao-based Ocean University of China.

About 2,000 volunteers have started offering services in Qingdao for the SCO summit.

"Through our efforts, I hope to help friends from around the world feel the dynamic and fashionable Qingdao," said Zhao Shujuan, a volunteer at the event.After three years of precipitous increases, homelessness dipped slightly this year, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority reported Thursday, providing a hopeful sign that new money flowing into housing and services is having an effect.

But in releasing results of the 2018 count, officials also warned that the number of people falling into homelessness for the first time increased, holding back the potential gains.

And the report noted that three out of four homeless people in the county live on the street, a figure unchanged from last year.

Im not happy every day walking through the city, knowing that theres as many people that are homeless, but I think its showing our strategies are working, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. Its good news, its real results, its real progress, but theres a real challenge.

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Garcetti joined two county supervisors at the East Hollywood headquarters of the homeless services agency PATH to make the announcement with a mixture of celebration and restraint.

Weve gotten a bit of good news that will give us encouragement to run on and see what the end will be, Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said. But beloved, this is no time to rest. Let me just tell you, you need to put your work clothes on and get ready to go do the work.

Supervisor Janice Hahn said she saw neighborhood acceptance as the biggest obstacle ahead.

Moving forward, our biggest challenge wont be funding. It will be NIMBYism, Hahn said. We need to build more supportive housing and homes people can afford across the county and we need to realize that if we are ever going to solve this problem in a big way, we need every community to commit to being part of the solution.

In a statement, City Councilman Jose Huizar said more help is needed from the state. He urged Gov. Jerry Brown and other California elected officials to match ours and the countys efforts and help us get people off the streets and into emergency and long-term housing and services as quickly as possible.

The new estimate of 53,195 people living without homes across the county was about 3% lower than the year before. For the city of Los Angeles, the estimate of 31,516 was down about 5%.

(Jon Schleuss / Los Angeles Times )

The changes were not spread evenly across the county. The report said homelessness was up 6% in the San Fernando Valley, up 5% in the San Gabriel Valley and up 3% in the South Bay, but down 17% on the Westside, down 17% in the Antelope Valley and down 8% in South L.A. The homeless authority posted a separate report on skid row showing a 7% decline.

City and county officials credited the modest decreases to more housing placements made possible by reserving more federal housing vouchers for homeless people, and new local money going to rental subsidies.

About 16,500 homeless people were placed in housing last year, the report said, a year-over-year boost of almost 30%.

Veteran homelessness, which had also increased over the last two years, was down 18%. About 3,900 veterans remained homeless.

Another bright spot was a 16% decrease of the chronically homeless population. About 14,400 of those counted were deemed to have met the federal definition of being homeless either for a year or four times over three years and having a physical or mental disability or substance abuse disorder.

While the estimate of 3,306 homeless youths was up slightly, more than half were in shelters, an increase of 20%.

The most significant demographic change was a 22% increase in the number of people 62 and older. Twenty-seven percent reported a serious mental illness and 15% a substance abuse disorder, with 10% reporting both. Six percent reported domestic violence as the cause of their homelessness.

The African American homeless population declined to 35% of the total, matching that of Latinos, while homelessness among whites increased to 25% from 20% of the total.

Phil Ansell, director of the countys Homeless Initiative, noted that the beefed-up programs got a head start in 2016 when the Board of Supervisors committed $100 million to increase spending on outreach, emergency shelter and rapid rehousing.

An additional $57 million in Measure H sales tax money was rolled out in the last half of 2017.

This funding from the county and the successful deployment of our interconnected strategies played a key role in the January 2018 homeless count results, Ansell said.

But others found the small improvement disappointing.

Former homeless authority commissioner Mike Neely saw the change as more of a leveling-off than a decrease.

The issue of homelessness has been a problem that weve been trying to deal with for many, many years and weve had limited success, said Neely, who now sits on the Los Angeles County Commission for Older Adults. Through a great effort, we have managed not to have an increase. Outreach is working, but we dont have places to put people. 

Neely said officials need to look to new ideas: Weve lost the innovation in the field. Were doing the same old thing.

(Jon Schleuss / Los Angeles Times )

Daniel Flaming, president of the Los Angeles-based research nonprofit Economic Roundtable, said he was encouraged by the drop in the number of veteran and chronically homeless people, but called for quicker action to plug the homeless pipeline.

I think it would be a good idea for us, the analysts and providers, to move our desks onto the sidewalk so the problem becomes more immediate and urgent for us, Flaming said.

Jerry Jones, public policy director at the Inner City Law Center, said the rise in newly homeless people underscored the need for action to fix the regions severe rental housing shortage.

The 2018 count estimated that more than 9,000 people became homeless for the first time, up from 8,000 the year before, and nearly half of them cited job loss or another financial setback as the cause.

Its not as if over five years theres been an upsurge in mentally ill people or people with substance abuse issues, Jones said. People are winding up in the streets because they cant afford the rents.

The new count incorporated a correction to last years total announced two weeks ago. The USC statisticians who prepare the report for the homeless authority said they detected an error that resulted in an over-count of homeless youth by about 2,700.

The authority initially reported 57,794 homeless people in the county last year but lowered the number to 55,048.

The change highlighted the inherent uncertainty of the methodology. Though the count is reported down to the individual person, it is actually an estimate drawn from a statistical analysis of individuals, tents and vehicles counted over three days in January.

The tabulations made by thousands of volunteers fanning into every census tract in the county are processed by the Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at USC.

Statisticians use results of a separate, in-person survey to estimate the number of people living in each vehicle or tent counted. A separate youth count is made by surveying selected tracts.

Some researchers have suggested that the methodology leads to an undercount. The real estate research firm Zillow said the tally missed almost 3,000 people.

Zillow, which forecast a 4.5% rent increase for 2018, also said a 5% hike would drive 2,000 more people into homelessness.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation President Michael Weinstein, who has been sharply critical of how the city has handled housing and development, told reporters that the newly released count was not credible, based on what we see with our own eyes every single day.

Theres been some uptick in programs for the homeless, but at the same time, the displacement is continuing and actually accelerating because of rising rents, Weinstein said.

Homelessness in the city of Los Angeles declined by 5% over a year ago, according to the annual count that took place in January. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times )

doug.smith@latimes.com | Twitter: @LATDoug

gholland@latimes.com | Twitter: @geholland

dakota.smith@latimes.com | Twitter: @dakotacdsmith

UPDATES:

4:40 p.m.: This article was updated with amended figures by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and reaction from the president of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

3:55 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reaction.

This article was originally published at 1 p.m.In the eastern stretches of the San Fernando Valley, an empty lot sits alongside Sun Valley High School, strewn with discarded bits of Styrofoam and paper.

A nonprofit group had envisioned a new building rising on the Sheldon Street site, one that could house 25 homeless people. Los Angeles voters had approved a $1.2-billion bond, Proposition HHH, to help fund the construction of thousands of units of homeless housing across the city.

But to have a shot at that money, the housing developer needed to get a key document  a letter from a local lawmaker.

And she turned it down.

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Each L.A. City Council member has the power to help or halt plans for HHH housing in his or her district, by deciding whether to hand over the required letter.

Council members have argued that requiring the letter of acknowledgment helps ensure that homeless housing is welcomed in the community. But critics say the rule can create an arbitrary barrier to needed housing, and they complain that the decision routinely happens outside public view.

In many cases, lawmakers have handed the letters over with little fuss, according to hundreds of pages of documents obtained by The Times through a public records request.

But council members have also withheld letters for a range of reasons, reflecting the broad latitude they have to determine whether plans for homeless housing can move forward.

Last year, when Councilwoman Nury Martinez declined to provide the letter for the proposed building in Sun Valley, her aide Ackley Padilla told housing developer Many Mansions in a brief email that we would not support an HHH application.

Many Mansions declined to comment. Martinez told The Times that Sun Valley had been doing more than its fair share, saying there were already three other homeless housing projects underway in the neighborhood. Those three projects, plus a new building nearby in North Hollywood, will include 191 units of supportive housing, Padilla said.

Sun Valley has already borne the burden of really poor zoning and land use decisions that put polluting industries near homes and schools, Martinez said, arguing that the area needed a balance of housing and that other parts of my district could be doing more.

I want to make sure that no community in my district has to shoulder the burden of the collective obligation of all neighborhoods, the councilwoman said.

Councilman Mitch OFarrell refused to issue a letter for a proposed project in Westlake amid concerns that it may have received an inflated appraisal  one that the housing department warned would not meet city criteria.

I would hope that your office will not issue a Letter of Acknowledgment so that we can avoid a very public appeals process on this, housing department staffer Timothy Elliott wrote in an email to an OFarrell aide.

The aide, Craig Bullock, replied that he told the applicant that the councilman wouldnt provide the letter, but that the firm might have a shot if it fixed the appraisal and did more community outreach.

A woman sells her wares in front of a fenced lot on Florence Avenue, where a developer had proposed a homeless housing project. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times )

This office would not be doing its fiduciary due diligence by advancing this proposal, OFarrell spokesman Tony Arranaga told The Times.

And earlier this year, Councilman Curren Price blocked HHH funding for a proposed project on Florence Avenue in South Los Angeles.

Price complained that it was short on community amenities, looked boxy and lacked the right mix of bedroom units. The developer, LINC Housing Corp., said that it tried to address his concerns but that bigger apartments were not financially feasible on the site.

The letters give lawmakers the power to approve, stymie or push for changes to homeless housing based on their own standards. Price, for instance, has supported some projects that consist solely of single or one-bedroom units, but has argued that in newly constructed buildings, a mixture of bedroom counts prevents single adults from being isolated from families.

Under a written policy for assessing HHH proposals, Price requires projects on commercial corridors to include community benefits such as pocket parks and businesses that serve the neighborhood, and suggests checking how many other 100% affordable housing projects are in the area.

In some cases, lawmakers have used the letter as leverage to get housing developers to adjust their building plans. In Sylmar, Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez pushed to change the building facade and color scheme of a Foothill Boulevard housing project.

And when a group that assists foster youth sought a letter for a possible project on Crenshaw Boulevard, staffers for Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson first connected them with established developers and nonprofits to mentor them on how to apply.

Nonprofits that assist poor and homeless people have lamented the letter requirement, arguing that it allows politicians to thwart projects without public scrutiny and without relying on any commonly agreed standards. Dozens of groups, including Skid Row Housing Trust and Venice Community Housing, have urged L.A. to reconsider the requirement.

These projects already get vetted through a complex web of standardized rules and regulations. But at least we know what those rules are, said Shashi Hanuman of the nonprofit law firm Public Counsel.

With no standards to govern when the letter is issued, in one district a developer could get a green light; in another, the exact same project meeting objective criteria could be killed for no stated reason, Hanuman argued.

Alan Greenlee, executive director of the Southern California Assn. of Nonprofit Housing, said he was troubled that council members had no obligation to respond to requests quickly  or at all. Records show that nonprofits frequently had to pester lawmakers for an answer.

Council members say the letter is a valuable way to alert lawmakers early in the process and make sure that proposed projects account for neighborhood concerns. Before HHH, the city had also required such letters to obtain other funding for affordable housing.

They give us an opportunity, on the front end, to raise questions, ask for changes, get a better understanding of what the developer is trying to accomplish, and go to neighbors  so that neighbors hear about it before its in the newspaper, said Harris-Dawson, who represents part of South L.A.

Requiring the letter can also help prevent projects from being torpedoed by the council at the end of the process. For council members like Martinez, the rule is seen as a safeguard against concentrating homeless housing in areas with cheaper land.

Its a critical component of oversight, said Councilman Gil Cedillo, who heads a council committee focused on housing. As the elected representatives of each district, we have a sense of what developments are appropriate and where they are appropriate. One size doesnt fit all in the city of Los Angeles. What works for us may not work in Bel-Air.

Although housing advocates have raised concerns about rejected projects, politicians have often handed the letters over readily. In the southernmost stretches of the city, staffers for Councilman Joe Buscaino provided the letter to a social entrepreneur despite some qualms about her experience.

She was formerly a commercial fisherman, Buscaino senior advisor Alison Becker wrote to other aides. It is really not likely that she would qualify for serious consideration of her proposal.

A few weeks later, after calling for a staff huddle on the decision, Becker sent the woman the letter and wished her luck. The council office didnt take a position on the proposed project but provided the letter so the entrepreneur could apply, Buscaino spokesman Branimir Kvartuc said.

The letter requirement was included in an annual set of HHH regulations passed last year, which are slated to go up for council approval again this summer. Mayor Eric Garcetti and his staff are not seeking to change the requirement, his spokeswoman Anna Bahr said.

The L.A. requirement has raised concerns in Sacramento: Assemblyman David Chiu (D-San Francisco) said in March that he planned to amend a proposed bill to block such requirements for funding homeless housing. As of Friday, he had yet to make that change.

We were under the impression that local officials were working to address this issue, Chiu said in a statement. If they are unable to take action in this area, I will pursue a state legislative fix.

emily.alpert@latimes.com

Twitter: @AlpertReyesA stunt actor in the film Black Panther is being praised by authorities after donating $700 to a family who had been robbed of their rent money in Lancaster.

Tony Todd, hailed as a real hero by authorities, donated the money after the robbery Monday at a local Lancaster business. The robbery took place during a dispute between patrons, according to the Lancaster Sheriffs Station.

The argument had escalated, resulting in several family members being assaulted and one woman having her wallet taken. The $700 had been earmarked for the familys rent, authorities said.

News outlets reported that the brawl was caught on video at a 7-Eleven. It was unclear what sparked the argument. The family earns a living selling fruit out of their truck, according to media reports.

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The story had been reported by various media outlets, authorities said, and caught the attention of Todd, a stunt actor with the Border Tribe in the movie Black Panther. He was so moved by the familys story that he decided to donate the money, authorities said.

It just really touched me to think that the young lady was selling fruit for a living and she was feeding a family of five, Todd said in an interview with KTLA. I just told myself I needed to do something about that.

Todd drove from Santa Monica to Lancaster to give the money in person.

While Mr. Todd and other actors may portray heroic characters on screen, it is people like him who show us every day that there are real heroes among us, the Lancaster Sheriffs Station wrote in a statement. Thank you, Mr. Todd, for being a role model for our community.

KTLA reported that two women have been arrested in connection with the attack and investigators are still looking for two more persons of interest.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Departments Lancaster Station at (661) 948-8466.

brittny.mejia@latimes.com

Twitter: @Brittny_MejiaInvestigators with the Los Angeles County district attorneys office served search warrants Thursday morning at the home and business of Malibu Mayor Pro Tem Jefferson Wagner, according to authorities.

Greg Risling, a spokesperson for the district attorney, said the search warrants were issued for three locations: two in Malibu and one outside the city.

Our office declines further comment because of the ongoing investigation, he said.

According to City News Service, investigators arrived at Wagners home in the 26900 block of Old Chimney Drive to serve a warrant.

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TWO DAYS after voting against the @CityMalibu City Managers contract extension Mayor pro-tem Zuma Jay Jefferson Wagners home is raided by the D.A. Unmarked units served a search warrant by a judge on his premises.

DEVELOPING STORY #malibu @LATstevelopez @CBSLA @DanielleGersh pic.twitter.com/oyFI3PYGB6  Cece Woods (@Cece90265) May 31, 2018

At least six officers were seen searching the home on a mountainside above Escondido Canyon, according to CNS. Video uploaded on Twitter showed officers standing outside the officials home.

Investigators were also serving search warrants at Wagners business at Zuma Jays Surf Shop in Malibu, CNS reported. Details of the investigation are not known.

Malibu Councilwoman Laura Rosenthal said she had heard about the search warrants but did not know what triggered the investigation.

Im shocked over it, she said.

Assistant City Manager Lisa Soghor said no search warrants were served at City Hall.

I have no idea what the search warrants are about but none of it involves the city of Malibu, she said.

Wagner, who is serving his second term on the Malibu City Council, could not immediately be reached for comment.

An author and former stuntman, Wagner was elected to the City Council in April 2008 and served through April 2012. He was elected for a second term in November.

The search warrants were originally reported by KBUU Radio.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter.A woman was found dead Wednesday in a stairway of the power plant building on the grounds of Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, officials said.

A hospital staff member made the discovery about 1 p.m., according to the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

We dont know how this woman gained access to the area where she was found, and we are absolutely looking into that, Rachael Kagan, a spokeswoman for the health department, told reporters.

Officials did not name the woman, but the womans daughter identified her to KRON-TV as Ruby Anderson, a 76-year-old with dementia. Charlene Roberts told the station that her mother went missing from a mental health facility May 20.

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I dont even know why, how she died, Roberts said. I dont know if she had a stroke, fell? I dont know what happened.

Wednesdays discovery evoked a similar incident at the city-owned hospital five years ago that raised questions about safety and security at the sprawling hospital campus. In 2013, a patient was found dead in an emergency stairwell 17 days after she vanished from her hospital room.

Lynne Spalding, 57, had arrived at the hospital with an infection and went missing from her bed two days later. The San Francisco Sheriffs Department searched the hospital while the womans family and friends distributed hundreds of fliers.

Eventually, a hospital worker discovered Spaldings body in an exterior stairwell enclosed by wire mesh on the fourth floor of the hospital.

San Franciscos medical examiner determined that Spalding died from dehydration and complications from alcoholism. After Spaldings death, San Francisco General revamped security and implemented new procedures to prevent a similar incident.

A claim brought by her family was settled in 2014 for $3 million, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

UPDATES:

10:20 p.m.: This article was updated with statements from the womans daughter.

This article was originally published at 7 p.m.Further investigation into a shooting on YouTubes campus in April reveals that the woman who opened fire had been on the property just a day earlier talking with workers, San Bruno, Calif., police said Thursday.

About 12:40 p.m. on April 2, Nasim Najafi Aghdam visited the campus for about 10 minutes and spoke with YouTube employees, authorities said in a news release.

Aghdam asked for directions to the main office and was directed to the front desk, where she inquired about employment, the statement said. She then left.

About 24 hours later, Aghdam returned.

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In this April 3 image from a video provided by Mountain View, Calif., police, Nasim Aghdam is questioned by officers after being found asleep in her car hours before the shooting. (Associated Press )

In their release, police describe what happened next:

Aghdam entered the campus and walked into a courtyard next to one of YouTubes buildings through a parking garage. A company employee asked her for her YouTube ID card and she pulled a 9-millimeter handgun out of her purse.

As the employee ran off, Aghdam walked east through the courtyard and began firing indiscriminately into a crowd of employees eating lunch.

She emptied her pistol of ammunition, reloaded another magazine, and continued firing at the building and the crowd. As she approached the entrance to the building, Aghdam turned the pistol on herself, firing it into her chest.

Police recovered 20 shell casings from the scene and said one round remained in the gun after Aghdam was dead. Three employees were wounded, but all survived.

Aghdams primary motive, authorities concluded, was displeasure with YouTube business practices. There is no evidence that her actions were intended to support any specific cause or ideology.

For weeks before she opened fire at YouTube headquarters, the San Diego woman had made her rage at the video platform clear to anyone who would listen. She believed YouTube was intentionally suppressing her quirky collection of dance, recipe and exercise clips.

Her account had been shut down due to multiple or severe violations of the companys policies, but it was unclear when that ban took effect.

In a screed posted to a website that became a subject of the investigation, Aghdam complained that YouTube employees had purposefully limited the number of people who viewed her videos, and criticized the practice of paying for likes and views on other social media platforms such as Instagram.

Mountain View, Calif., police made contact with Aghdam about 11 hours before the shooting, when they found her sleeping in a car with a license plate connected to a missing persons report that her family had recently filed. Officers contacted the San Diego County Sheriffs Department, which described Aghdam as at risk because she had never gone missing before, according to a statement issued by the Mountain View Police Department.

Aghdam told police that she had left home because of family issues and was living out of her vehicle until she found a job. She did not mention anything about YouTube, if she was upset with them, or that she had planned to harm herself or others, according to the statement.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.This year, California became the latest state to allow the farming and selling of marijuana for recreational use, opening doors to one of the largest markets in the world and marking a milestone for the cannabis industry.

But with every high comes a low.

As a limited number of licensed shops have tried to keep up with demand, illegal dispensaries have continued to do business, undercutting those playing by the rules.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer and Los Angeles police officials announced the filing of 36 criminal cases involving 140 people and 32 shops as part of a citywide crackdown on unlicensed marijuana dispensaries.

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If youre operating an illegal cannabis shop and selling recreational marijuana, youre going to be subject to prosecution, Feuer said at a news conference.

Lt. Stacy Spell of the LAPDs Gang and Narcotics Division said the department since Jan. 1 has made 160 arrests, served 54 search warrants, seized about $300,000 and removed 29 guns from the street.

Spell said investigators are focusing on storefronts where crime appears to increase and working with other agencies such as the Los Angeles Fire Department and the Department of Water and Power to help shut down illegal businesses.

Feuer said businesses operating illegally will face a $1,000 fine per violation and up to six months in jail. He said he hopes the announcement of the citys enforcement will encourage some illegal operators to shut down and not risk being prosecuted.

Feuer said his office is preparing to send cease-and-desist letters to many more unlicensed pot shops. He could not immediately say how many businesses would get the letters.

City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, whose district includes a portion of South L.A., where a third of the illegal pot shops were operating, said constituents have been complaining for years about illegal dispensaries.

This is a problem all over the city of Los Angeles, from Venice to the West Valley, down to San Pedro, Harris-Dawson said.

For cannabis industry figures, the enforcement is crucial to their success.

We applaud the city for doing this, said Adam Spiker, executive director of the Southern California Coalition, a marijuana industry group. You cant have a regulated industry without strong enforcement.

If youre not licensed, you should shut down or be shut down, he added.

Alex Traverso, a spokesman for Californias Bureau of Cannabis Control, said the bureau has issued 354 licenses for recreational retailers and 413 for medicinal. Separately, the Department of Food and Agriculture has issued about 3,900 licenses to cultivators.

In Los Angeles, licenses have been issued to more than 100 marijuana retailers, but police officials estimate that there are at least two times that number operating illegally in the city.

City and police officials urge the public to go to one of the 147 licensed retailers in L.A. if they want to purchase recreational marijuana.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter.An attorney representing former USC medical school dean Carmen Puliafito acknowledged at a state medical board hearing Wednesday that the physician used hard drugs while employed by the university, but argued that the doctor has been in recovery for months and should be allowed to practice medicine.

The hearing marked the first time Puliafitos version of events has been aired publicly since The Times detailed his double life of using drugs and partying with criminals, causing upheaval at USC and prompting the medical board to investigate the Harvard-trained ophthalmologist.

Attorney Peter Osinoff also argued that the 67-year-old physician suffers from a mental illness that makes him brilliant and leaves him with immense energy, but instills an ugly side in Puliafito that drove him to be infatuated with a young prostitute. That woman, Sarah Warren, introduced the doctor to street drugs and ultimately caused his downfall, Osinoff said.

Osinoff insisted at the hearing that Puliafito was addicted to his former companion and to a lesser degree the drugs, but that the former dean has since been able to manage his diagnosed bipolar disorder.

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Compared to [Sarah Warrens] use of drugs and alcohol, his use was light. She was a hardcore addict. He used drugs so he could be close to her, Osinoff said.

The medical board alleged that Puliafito would return to his medical office to see patients within hours of using methamphetamine and supplied drugs to Warren and her then-minor brother Charles Warren, among others. Puliafito provided Charles Warren with methamphetamine and pipes for smoking the drug when he was only 17, the filing said. Osinoff said Wednesday the doctor never illegally supplied drugs, was never high while seeing patients and has never been the subject of a patient complaint. He stopped using methamphetamine last July, Osinoff said.

The lawyer described Puliafito as a man spellbound by his own manic state and a fantasy in which he would rescue Sarah Warren from a life of drugs and prostitution.

Blinded by his mania and oblivious to the consequences, Puliafito spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Warren, paying for housing, clothing, rehab and other expenses, Osinoff said, even as she stole from him and drugged him without his consent.

Her parents also tried to shake him down for money under threat of making her available to reporters for interviews and exposing the former deans lifestyle, Osinoff alleged at the hearing. Paul Warren, Sarahs and Charles father, denied this in an interview with The Times.

Administrative law judge Jill Schlichtmann ruled that the Warrens were confidential witnesses who could be identified only by their initials in the hearing. However, The Times is naming them in its coverage of the proceeding because they earlier gave the newspaper their accounts in on-the-record interviews.

In February, a lawyer for Puliafito sent The Times a letter saying there was no evidence that Dr. Puliafito used any drugs of any kind while he was working at the medical school.

This is a case about mental illness and its effects upon a very high-functioning person who managed it well, largely without treatment, for 64 years, Osinoff told Schlichtmann.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Rebecca Smith argued that Puliafito is unfit to practice medicine because of a substance abuse disorder, is a danger to the public and engaged in egregious conduct at the expense of his female companion and her minor brother.

The first witness Smith called Wednesday, Devon Khan, was reservations supervisor at a Pasadena hotel where Sarah Warren overdosed in Puliafitos room in March 2016. Khan, who no longer works at the DusitD2 Hotel Constance, described being summoned to the room by a colleague and finding Warren unconscious  completely unresponsive. Warren had been placed in a wheelchair by the hotel staff because Puliafito wanted to move her to another room, Khan said.

I was trying to rouse the young lady, the witness said. Maam, maam, can you hear me? He said Warren was slumped in the wheelchair like a rag doll.

Khan said he found a bag of small metal tanks or cartridges on the floor, a container for a small butane torch and burn marks on the bedding. Later, a security employee opened a safe in the room and discovered a baggie with a white substance inside, Khan said.

He said he told Puliafito that he intended to call paramedics and the physician identified himself as a doctor and tried to dissuade him. He told me that he didnt believe it was necessary, said Khan, who added that Puliafito told him Warren had merely drunk too much alcohol.

On cross-examination, Osinoff asked Khan if Puliafito nevertheless agreed to call 911. Somewhat reluctantly, Khan said. I didnt ask for permission.

Khans account of the overdose mirrored The Times reporting of the incident.

Puliafito was present at the hearing. Also present were Sarah Warren, Charles Warren and their mother, Mary Ann Warren. Sarah Warren and Charles Warren were excused after the attorney representing them cited their 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination.

The medical board began looking into Puliafito and suspended his license after The Times last year revealed the deans behavior with the Warrens and other younger people who used drugs, a report that kicked off almost a year of scandal at the university. The hearing will determine whether he can keep his medical license.

The Times interviewed several of Puliafitos much younger associates and reviewed photos and video showing him using drugs.

One showed Puliafito smoking a giant glass pipe outfitted for methamphetamine use while Warren sits next to him and smokes heroin from a piece of foil. In another, Warren can be heard asking Puliafito to prepare for her a hot rail, a method of snorting methamphetamine.

Absolutely, Puliafito replies. Later, Warren is shown bending over a tray with several lines of white powder.

A source with knowledge of the Pasadena overdose called the office of the USC president and told two people who took the call about Puliafitos involvement. USC President C.L. Max Nikias later said the employees didnt pass along the message to superiors because the caller didnt seem credible.

Less than a month after the overdose, Puliafito stepped down as dean. But USC didnt report him to the medical board, and he remained on the faculty and continued to see patients at USC clinics until The Times published its story. He was then fired and banned from campus.

When the medical board finally learned of the accusations against Puliafito and launched an inquiry, investigators returned with damning allegations that led to the suspension of his license.

The board also alleged Puliafito consumed heroin and methamphetamine at the Keck School of Medicine campus and other locations in 2015 and 2016, according to the accusation.

Puliafitos successor to the deanship, Rohit Varma, also stepped down as The Times was preparing to publish a story about a sexual harassment allegation against him that resulted in a $135,000 payout to his alleged victim.

Then earlier this month, The Times reported that USC allowed Dr. George Tyndall, a gynecologist at the student health center, to continue practicing on campus despite a record of complaints about him that spanned more than two decades.

The revelation sparked more than a week of turmoil at the university that culminated with Fridays announcement that Nikias would be stepping down.

Like the Puliafito case, USC at first did not report Tyndall to the state medical board. Instead, the university allowed him to quietly resign with a settlement payout. USC filed a belated report in March and acknowledged the physician should have been reported much earlier.

Tyndall, 71, has denied wrongdoing. In earlier interviews with The Times, he said he dedicated his career to Trojan women and provided care that was more thorough than that of many colleagues, but never inappropriate.

Since The Times article about Tyndall was published, more than two dozen women have filed lawsuits against the university alleging misconduct by the physician during gynecological exams. More than 410 called a USC hotline to report their experiences with the doctor, and the Los Angeles Police Department launched a criminal investigation.

adam.elmahrek@latimes.com

paul.pringle@latimes.comLas Vegas police Wednesday released aerial and traffic camera video taken in the wake of last years mass shooting that killed 58 at a country music festival.

The release was the fourth batch of materials doled out by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The department had been ordered by the courts to make the items public after media outlets  including the Los Angeles Times  sued for their release under public records requests.

The aerial footage begins at 12:24 a.m. on Oct. 2  almost 2 hours after Stephen Paddock opened fire from his Mandalay Bay hotel suite on the 32nd floor down onto a crowd of 22,000 attending the Route 91 Harvest country music festival.

In addition to those killed, hundreds more were injured as they fled for cover in the midst of a set performed by Jason Aldean.

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Much of the early aerial video released Wednesday shows flashing red lights of emergency vehicles parked on and around the Las Vegas Strip. There is footage of the concert site as well, but the distance of the camera  along with the lighting  makes it difficult to see details on the ground.

Other video images show wide camera angles of the Strip.

The traffic camera video on Tropicana Avenue shows police cars blocking southbound traffic around 10:17 the night of Oct. 1, and ambulances begin appearing with lights flashing at a little after 10:30.

After that, the traffic on Tropicana is illuminated with red and blue lights from emergency vehicles throughout the night. The marquees of the casinos and restaurants visible in the video remain lit until the sun rises around 6:20 a.m. Normal traffic appears to resume between 7:35 and 8 a.m.

There is no audio with the footage.

Police have been rolling out documents and video related to the shooting since the beginning of May.

Last week, more than 2,000 pages of police reports and witness statements were made public. They included deeply moving accounts by law enforcement officers sharing the fear and uncertainty they felt as the massacre unfolded.

The week before that, about 1,200 pages of witness statements and interviews with victims were released by police. The first wave of public items to be released included several hours of police body-camera footage  including that from officers who breached the door to Paddocks suite.

Police have not determined a motive for why Paddock shot up the concert site, but they have said he was the lone shooter and responsible for the crime. Paddock killed himself with a gunshot wound to the head before police were able to enter his hotel room.

Police have said the large volume of items will continue to be released throughout the coming weeks.

david.montero@latimes.com

Twitter: @davemonteroGood morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Thursday, May 31, and heres whats happening across California:

TOP STORIES

The First Congregational Church of Oakland is doing something different. We can no longer tolerate the trauma inflicted on our communities by policing, Nichola Torbett, a white church volunteer, said in front of churchgoers who held photos of African Americans shot dead by law enforcement. The church, she promised, would never call the cops again in nearly every circumstance. Dozens of members had agreed to do the same. Los Angeles Times

Former deans case is heard

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An attorney representing former USC medical school dean Carmen Puliafito acknowledged at a state medical board hearing Wednesday that the physician used hard drugs while employed by the university, but that the doctor has been in recovery for months and should be allowed to practice medicine. The hearing marked the first time Puliafitos version of events has been aired publicly since The Times detailed his double life of using drugs and partying with criminals. Los Angeles Times

Speaker McCarthy? Not so fast

More than a month after House Speaker Paul D. Ryan anointed his second lieutenant as his heir apparent, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is still struggling to lock down the support he needs to secure the job. The same House conservatives who blocked the Bakersfield Republican from ascending to the coveted post in 2015 do not appear any more convinced that hes their guy. Los Angeles Times

Get the Essential California newsletter 

Fog was a major factor in a series of crashes on the southbound 15 Freeway in the Cajon Pass on Wednesday. (San Bernardino County Fire Department )

L.A. STORIES

New development alert! On a steep, barren hillside next to the landmark Angels Flight railway, developers plan to erect a $1.2-billion residential, hotel and retail complex anchored by a skyscraper of at least 80 stories that would be one of the tallest buildings west of the Mississippi River. Los Angeles Times

Corridors of power: How L.A. lawmakers use their power over homeless housing. Los Angeles Times

Speaking out: At L.A.s only school for the deaf, parents want leaders who are fluent in American Sign Language. Los Angeles Times

Scary stuff: More than a dozen people were injured in a chain-reaction crash in the Cajon Pass on the 15 Freeway on Wednesday morning as thick fog drastically reduced visibility, authorities said. Los Angeles Times

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

Crossing the line: A Los Angeles city commissioner violated city standards of conduct when he called staffers gorgeous, or said they look good in a suggestive tone, an investigation has found. Los Angeles Times

Big news: Independents have surpassed Republicans to become the second-largest voting bloc in California, according to a firm that analyzes county voter registration information for campaigns. Sacramento Bee

Worrying about next week: California Democrats are agonizing over the House primaries. Politico

A prickly problem: Why San Francisco is stuck with a deluge of needles. San Francisco Chronicle

What?!? California lawmakers added fuel to Elon Musks entrepreneurial fire last week when they cleared the way for sales of the investors newest  and probably hottest  product: personal flamethrowers. CalMatters

Fighting back: The California Senate voted on Wednesday to approve a bill that would reinstate the net neutrality regulations repealed by the Federal Communications Commission in December. The Verge

Our future: Why tiny brains are getting massive attention in the California governors race. KPCC

CRIME AND COURTS

Police shootings: An attorney for the family of a 14-year-old boy killed by a Los Angeles police officer released body camera footage Tuesday of the 2016 encounter, arguing that the recordings show that the boy had tossed his gun and was unarmed when he was shot. Los Angeles Times

Awaiting extradition: A Perris man accused of taking part in an illegal street race in Mead Valley two weeks ago that resulted in the deaths of two young brothers has been arrested in the state of Washington. Los Angeles Times

Charge dropped: Prosecutors have dropped an assault charge against a former Los Angeles County sheriffs jail guard who was accused of allowing a man to be beaten by other inmates. Los Angeles Times

THE ENVIRONMENT

More California versus Trump: State Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra joined his counterparts in New York and Maryland on Wednesday in filing another in a string of lawsuits against the Trump administration, this time challenging a decision to suspend safeguards for agricultural workers. Los Angeles Times

A water fight: Environmentalists lawsuit to drain Hetch Hetchy Reservoir heads back to court. Mercury News

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Out of work: ABCs decision to cancel the Roseanne show will have a ripple effect on the hundreds of crew members who worked on the L.A.-based show. As many as 400 workers who had it made working on the most popular show on TV are now out of work in the wake of the stars racist comments. Los Angeles Times

Plus: With a racist tweet, Barr not only lost a job but also silenced a vital voice: Roseanne Conners. Los Angeles Times

No LiAngelo, please? The Lakers shouldnt want another (less-talented) Ball in their court, writes columnist Bill Plaschke. Los Angeles Times

Slow down: How Waze and Google Maps turned an Encino neighborhood into a speedway. Los Angeles Times

Valley talk: How a Pentagon contract became an identity crisis for Google. New York Times

Great story: This transgender student shows his true colors in a black-and-white short film. Desert Sun

T-shirt talk: L.A. artist Sonya Sombreuil is building a best-kept-secret merch outfit into a fully-fledged fashion brand. GQ

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: partly cloudy, 68, Thursday; sunny, 73, Friday. San Diego: partly cloudy, 67, Thursday; sunny, 68, Friday. San Francisco area: cloudy, 60, Thursday; sunny, 67, Friday. Sacramento: partly cloudy, 74, Thursday; sunny, 87, Friday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Todays California memory comes from Bonnie Metzger:

In 1970 I left Boston to follow on the heels of the Summer of Love. The smell of roasting coffee in North Beach, and the sight of hanging Peking ducks in Chinatown; exotic Moroccan, Russian and Japanese foods convened with the sound of fog horns, the sense of freedom in a simpler place where I changed apartments yearly to devour the neighborhoods and architecture of a city and people that had completely stolen my heart. The times were wild, fun and simple, the rents affordable; taxis were cheap, as were the restaurants, and there was no traffic and abundant parking. It is not my city now, but the memories and longing for San Francisco then will haunt me forever.

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.Top DPRK envoy dines with US Secretary of State Pompeo ahead of official talks

Senior Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) official Kim Yong Chol met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday over dinner, ahead of the planned high-level talks on Thursday.

Kim and Pompeo dined for roughly 90 minutes and exited without providing any detailed remarks to reporters waiting outside. Pompeo said the dinner "was great" and that the two men had "American beef".

The talks between the two are seen as a prelude to a potential summit between DPRK leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump.

The two were originally scheduled to meet on June 12 in Singapore, but Trump sent shock waves across the globe last week when he called off the meeting in a letter sent to Kim. Hopes were since revived after Trump announced the meeting could still happen, with the US sending a "pre-advance team" for Singapore and carrying out talks with the DPRK at the Demilitarized Zone.

A full-day meeting

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said during a daily press briefing that Pompeo, who traveled to New York, will have a full-day meeting with Kim Yong Chol on Thursday.

The spokesperson also noted that just a day ago, a US delegation  led by US veteran diplomat Sung Kim met with the DPRK officials at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and their talks will continue.

"So far, the readout from these meetings has been positive, and we'll continue to move forward in them," she added.

Trump also tweeted on Tuesday, calling Kim Yong Chol's visit to New York a "solid response" to his letter.

Who is Kim Yong Chol?

General Kim Yong Chol, vice chairman of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) Central Committee, is the highest-ranking DPRK official to have visited the United States since 2000.

He is officially banned from traveling to the US  due to sanctions against him for supporting DPRKs weapons programs  and likely received a waiver to enter the country.

The 72-year-old former intelligence chief, who is known to be close to the DPRK leader, has recently become a high-profile diplomatic figure.

He accompanied Kim Jong Un to all four of his summits with foreign leaders in recent months  twice with the Republic of Korea President Moon Jae-in and twice with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Earlier in February, he made an appearance at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, where Trump's daughter Ivanka was also in attendance.Housing for homeless people cant be built fast enough in Los Angeles to fill the desperate need. So after voters approved Measure HHH to subsidize the construction of 10,000 units of permanent supporting housing, the City Council passed an ordinance to streamline the review process for projects that meet certain criteria. Under the ordinance, developers are allowed to build up to 120 units (and 200 downtown) without conducting an environmental review, provided the projects meet zoning and other requirements. The council also passed an ordinance to speed the conversion of motels into temporary apartments for homeless people.

The efforts to cut red tape, however, have drawn lawsuits by two community groups, which claim that the councils actions violated the California Environmental Quality Act. The lawsuit contends the city, which did extensive studies of the ordinances environmental effects, should have done a much more expansive environmental impact report analyzing the cumulative effects of both measures.

The groups legal filings havent yet laid out the details of their arguments. But their lawyer, Jamie T. Hall, contended in letters to the city that, among other faults, the citys study of the housing ordinance underestimated the number of units that it will allow to be built and failed to consider the potential increase in crime. He also claimed that the city ignored the potential environmental consequences of changes in property values, citing a 1999 study that found that a supportive housing project in a highest-value white neighborhood in Denver had a negative effect on housing prices.

The California Environmental Quality Act was enacted to protect the environment, however, not property values or public safety. Nor is the fear of housing developments for homeless people an environmental issue. As with so many CEQA suits, the real motive here appears to be plain old NIMBYism.

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Hall insists that his clients  an organization dubbed Fight Back, Venice and the Oxford Triangle Assn.  are not NIMBYs. However, both groups assert that Venice is taking more than its fair share of proposed homeless housing. There are proposals to put a total of 232 units of homeless housing on two city-owned lots in Venice; neither is eligible for a streamlined environmental review.

An industrious lawyer can find scores of ways to legally use the act as a tool to slow down or stop projects that a community doesnt like.

Members of Fight Back, Venice  as if the name doesnt give you a hint  adamantly oppose various proposals for homeless housing, storage and bathroom facilities in Venice, which has one of the areas highest concentrations of homeless people. (The groups website accuses Councilman Mike Bonin of building Skid Row West and claims the housing ordinance will strip working families of the legal right to challenge oversized projects.) The Oxford Triangle Assn., which represents single-family residents in a Venice neighborhood bearing that name, opposes any dense multi-family development on the adjacent Thatcher Yard, a city-owned site where a supportive housing project is set to go up.

A court will decide whether the city has violated CEQA. But an industrious lawyer can find scores of ways to use the act to slow down or stop projects that a community doesnt like for reasons having nothing to do with their effect on the environment.

The city, for its part, says the environmental studies it conducted for the ordinances were exhaustive and complied with all CEQA regulations. As for the study cited by Hall showing a rise in crime around supportive housing, the residents of the supportive housing were the victims, not the perpetrators.

Meanwhile, other studies show that supportive housing does not lead to an increase in crime rates or necessarily reduce property values. And homeless people who become housed have been shown to use police, fire and emergency services less than when they were homeless. In other words, contrary to Halls contention, housing developments for the homeless reduce the drain on city resources.

The supportive housing ordinance is a reasonable and smart measure. More to the point, this is the council instituting a new land use policy, as it has the authority to do. Both disputed ordinances reflect the city governments goal of encouraging the development of badly needed housing. If community groups continue to parse how many units one neighborhood is taking over another and hire lawyers to twist CEQA to fashion a lawsuit, here is what will happen: Homeless people will be on the streets in tents in their communities for even more years to come.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or FacebookWeve come a long way since Season 1 of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, when Khloe was arrested for driving drunk and held in an L.A. County jail. When Kim explained that Khloe was in the clink, their mother Kris Jenner shouted: You dont leave somebody in jail!

Kim Kardashian West took her mothers scolding to heart, apparently. On Wednesday she met with President Trump to ask for clemency for Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old woman serving a life sentence for her first offense, convictions for selling drugs and money laundering. Kardashian West isnt leaving Johnson in prison. She has said she will do whatevers necessary to get Johnson out.

But social media, news outlets and even justice reform advocates wont have it.

CNN reporter Jim Acosta said Kardashian West shouldnt be here talking about prison reform, adding that Its very nice that she is here, but thats not a serious thing to have happened here at the White House.

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The Twittersphere was equally dismissive, collectively wondering, Who does Kim think she is? The only people that this administration should be meeting with to discuss prison reform are men & women that have been in the system or closely studied it tweeted one user. Prison reform is an issue that the black community has been behind for decades since they are disproportionately affected by it.. kim kardashian has no personal connection nor formal education on the matter. Yall will give a rich white women any platform she wants huh, another wrote.

The main objection to Kardashians visit is that she is not an expert on justice reform. Its true she has never done time, not even minutes in jail like sister Khloe. She hasnt paraded her Jimmy Choos into criminal courtrooms, like her famed lawyer father. But shes as qualified as anyone to fight for another persons inherent human dignity and freedom. And I am an expert in the field, both because of my professional work now and because I served more than six years in a maximum-security prison.

Its as if wed rather a nonviolent drug offender perish in prison than allow a Kardashian to step on this platform.

The United States currently incarcerates 2.2 million people, more than any other country. Many of these people have lost chunks of their lives to prison because they became addicted to drugs or they grapple with untreated mental illness.

A good number of them broke the law in serious ways. Their crimes make any pitch for prison reform or lenient sentencing a hard sell. They are rightly punished, although even for them, the punishment itself may not be right. In any case, policymakers are often deaf to appeals for prisoners human rights. To make the case for criminal justice reform, then, advocates often reduce the problems of a flawed system to numbers and statistics that we think will sway those on the outside, who have no real knowledge of prison life or what led people to end up there.

We say, Mass incarceration costs you billions in tax dollars and makes you less safe, instead of making the plain argument that it is wrong to warehouse people in industrial buildings because theyre sick, abused or needy.

Kardashian gets this. She is affected by the pure inhumanity of a life sentence for a nonviolent first offense. Thats the kind of reaction justice reform advocates want to have on people in power but often cant achieve. We have no business shunning her. Its as if wed rather a nonviolent drug offender perish in prison than allow a Kardashian to step on this platform.

Its possible that this will be a one-and-done deal for Kardashian West. If she gets Johnson freed, will she also care about how women are the fastest growing correctional population? Or that splitting up families in immigration detention facilities is nothing new; its been done to U.S. citizens for years in criminal courthouses.

Or it might be the case that one of the cultures most powerful influencers has joined the justice reform team. She may use her wealth and power to inform herself about prison reform more broadly. She could, for example, convene a summit to hear the experiences of incarcerated women and men. She has also said she will keep fighting for the jailed one at a time.

Kardashian Wests high profile, privileged work one at a time may succeed. I think we need to thank her for trying. And if we cant muster any gratitude, we can at least leave her alone. Shes allowed to care about a fellow human being.

Chandra Bozelko writes the blog Prison Diaries, which recently won the Peoples Voice Webby Award.

Twitter: @aprisondiary.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookFranklin Graham, the evangelical preacher and son of Billy Graham, is in the midst of a 10-city tour of California in the run-up to Tuesdays primary election, rallying conservatives to turn this state around. That may seem like a pipe dream, given the dramatic shifts in Americas religious landscape: In 2003, 21% of Americans were white evangelicals; by 2017, that number had dropped to 13%. Meantime, those identifying with no religion  the so-called nones  grew from 12% to 22%.

But Graham is banking on something else besides sheer numbers. Evangelical churches have maintained their core institutional strengths, including megachurches that still can coordinate blocs of voters, wealth amassed over decades, media outlets and donors ready to fund candidates. The nones? They have none of that.

Although a shrinking voter base should mean less influence, thats not how political power works in the United States. A cohesive and reliable base often can impose its will on a larger but less-organized portion of the electorate. (If political power were solely a numbers game, the fact that 7 in 10 Americans support tighter gun laws would have motivated corresponding action on the part of legislators.) In 2016, 80% of white evangelicals supported Donald Trump, pulling his presidential campaign to victory in key states.

Despite fewer people in the pews, no other grass-roots group rivals the evangelicals. In churches in neighborhood after neighborhood, Sunday after Sunday, evangelical preachers tell congregants just how important it is to get involved in social issues and to be active in shaping society around their moral vision, just as Graham did at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena last week.

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Indeed, evangelicals numerical decline has produced a leaner, and perhaps meaner, church. The most moderate voices  people who have tempered extremes in politics and policy with commonsense and compassion  are the most likely to vacate the pews. Research shows that the rates of new nones are rising most quickly in Republican states. The evangelical church is left with its most conservative, least compromising members in charge of vast amounts of money and influence.

A shrinking voter base should mean less influence, thats now how political power works in the United States.

By contrast, despite their growing numbers, the nones have no cohesive group identity, and therefore no leaders, speakers or rallies drawing thousands to talk about the transformation of America. They lack the gathering spots, social connections and radio and TV channels that would shape them into a cultural voice. Until the nones can get organized  not just into loose digital social networks, but into strong, real world institutions  they will remain a large minority with almost no political leverage.

The paradox of the new nones is that they often are driven away from organized religion by the political stances of their churches  and yet they now find themselves politically adrift. Nones need some kind of tightly organized political machinery to effect change but are generally uninterested institutions. Instead, they favor their own personal networks and the freedom that comes with political and spiritual independence.

Even if they wanted organizational membership, the institutions that speak to their beliefs and aspirations for the country probably dont exist. To wield political power and accomplish goals, they will have to grow new groups from the ground up  undertakings they may not have the taste for, especially if they just detached from their churches in the past decade.

For nones to begin to grasp even a fraction of the political power of a Franklin Graham, they will have to conceptualize of themselves as a cohesive group, yet one representing a wide swath of diverse interests. They will have to build strong but flexible institutions that can speak to all of these various constituents. Or  the more likely path  they will have to take on the laborious task of reimagining and transforming old institutions, such as the churches they used to attend, into new ones that can produce social connections and eventually political power.

Until this happens, nones will continue to outnumber white evangelicals, but politically, the evangelical church will keep punching above its weight.

Rebecca Sager is the chair of the sociology department at Loyola Marymount University and a fellow with the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture. Brie Loskota is the executive director of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookOrange County isnt an exclusive club where only the wealthy can live. Were 3 million people who have problems just like everyone else in California: We work hard to pay for housing, were overtaxed and were trying to eke out a safe existence in a county where many cities are facing an increase in property crime.

We put a premium on our quality of life. Law and order are our priorities. We are not complacent about our problems. Maybe thats why people want to live here, including a large homeless population.

As a supervisor for the countys 3rd District, I see Orange Countys struggles and its achievements clearly, so I was particularly offended when Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti weighed in on our homeless relocation efforts. I think that Orange County is a few years behind what weve gone through [in L.A.], he said. Its not that we dont have any NIMBYism, but we have much less. He also said that Orange County cities would eventually realize that they have a homeless problem.

Orange County is neither heartless nor unaware of its homelessness problem. Over the last six months, we cleared the encampments along the Santa Ana River of nearly 700 homeless people, helping them into temporary housing, getting them mental health support and job training.

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We have set aside $55 million for homeless services in the current county budget, plus $1.6 million for those with extreme mental health problems and an additional $90.5 million for housing.

The county operates two fall/winter shelters and two year-round facilities, including the well-planned transitional housing at the Bridges at Kraemer Place. The latter opened a year ago in my district and has operated successfully without incident despite initial community concerns.

We dont accept homelessness as a way of life, and we dont enable the homeless population.

Los Angeles Countys homeless population numbers well over 50,000; Orange County has about 5,000 homeless people. Los Angeles total population is three times larger than Orange Countys. If our rate of homelessness matched L.A.s, we would have about 15,000 people on the streets. Perhaps Mayor Garcetti should be looking to us for solutions for his homeless problem, instead of taking potshots.

We dont accept homelessness as a way of life, and we dont enable the homeless population. We are dedicated to pulling the homeless out of that existence. A lawsuit on behalf of homeless people who wanted to continue living along the river has resulted in monitoring by a federal judge, who is requiring additional shelters throughout the county. Still, we have an anti-overnight camping ordinance, and we can use it to arrest lawbreakers.

In contrast, Los Angeles does not have an anti-camping ordinance, and it has decriminalized sleeping on the streets. The citys essentially hands-off police presence beckons homeless people from across the nation like a neon sign. L.A.s skid row encompasses 50 blocks, and its spreading.

One of Mayor Garcettis solutions is a pilot program to place homeless individuals in the backyards of homeowners (a huge liability lawsuit waiting to happen). The city and county are trying to build thousands of private-public housing units with no guarantee that the homeless will undergo mental health or job training to make them productive members of society.

In the meantime, the mayor wants to erect a large tented temporary shelter in Koreatown (and in every city council district). Koreatown has reacted with multiple protests and a petition against the shelter with more than 9,000 signatures on it to date. Orange County residents dont accept housing alternatives that arent carefully thought out in order to minimize the impact on residential areas.

Between general funds, donated land and bond money, the city of Los Angeles alone is budgeting $430 million for homelessness in 2018-19, more than double the 2017-18 figure for a problem that keeps getting worse.

San Francisco is in similar straits. The edges of its freeways and open spaces are tent cities for an intractable population of homeless people. Open drug use on city streets among homeless individuals is common. When the city tried to clean itself up before the Super Bowl in 2016, do-gooders handed out tents instead. These cities and their residents arent solving their problem, they are fueling the cycle of homelessness.

When Orange County cleared the Santa Ana River encampments, workers found 315 tons of trash, 2.5 tons of hazardous waste and 13,950 hypodermic needles. I was there during the cleanup. I talked to numerous homeless individuals, urging them to use the countys services. Many people told me they didnt want the help; they liked living at the riverbed. Our social workers have identified them and keep going back to ask, hoping that one day they will say yes to what we offer.

But renters and homeowners in Orange County have rights too  such as the right to a peaceful, safe existence. When they object to another shelter nearby, they should be heard. They dont deserve to be punished with increased crime and depreciating property values.

Mayor Garcetti may look upon Orange County with disdain for our NIMBY stance, but there is a reason people want to live here. We will fight to prevent Orange County from becoming a replica of Los Angeles. We will not accept a permanent skid row.

Orange County Supervisor Todd Spitzers district includes parts of Santa Ana, Anaheim, Irvine, Tustin, Orange and Yorba Linda.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand FacebookTo the editor: I am a second-language Spanish speaker. I have worked very hard to learn to understand and speak Spanish and still work hard to improve my fluency. (You need to speak English: Encounters in viral videos show Spanish is still polarizing in the U.S., May 28)

I remember when I had a major breakthrough in Spanish: I was in line at the checkout at a grocery store and I overheard and understood a conversation between a little girl and her mom. The girl wanted some candy, and the mom told her no but she could earn another treat that evening if she was good.

All at once, I realized that when we hear people speak in languages we dont understand, what they are saying is both pedestrian and, in most cases, boring. We all talk about the same everyday things in whatever language we choose. There is nothing to fear.

Paul Andersen, Santa Ana

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..

To the editor: Someone shouting at a Spanish-speaking child proves there are rude people on every side of every debate. Besides citing a few incidents of Spanish speakers being accosted in a country of more than 300 million people, there is no real evidence of how common this is.

It is nice to learn a language other than English. Im on my third. But it is not necessary. For decades I was able to deal with many Spanish-speaking clients, even though I dont speak Spanish.

English is the worlds language. When Italians meet and do business with Japanese people, English is spoken. Doctors in many countries need to know English because medical texts are not translated into many languages.

Fluent English is more necessary here, and the sooner children learn to speak it, the better. This is why my father and father-in-law didnt speak their parents native languages as children.

David Goodwin, Pasadena

..

To the editor: As an American, I am embarrassed that some of us denigrate those who speak another language in public.

English is my first language, but I also proudly converse in Spanish, some German and a bit of French, and I read Hebrew and can muddle along in Yiddish. When visiting other countries, I try and learn enough of their language so I can converse with locals. Sometimes, English may be the common currency.

I say I proudly speak Spanish, because it gives me pleasure to speak to people I may not otherwise have a chance to know. As a result, my life is richer for it.

If youre offended by someone speaking another language in your presence, that makes you a fool.

Ricc Bieber, Northridge

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and FacebookAllies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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Watch Live: White House holds surprise news briefing amid government shutdown Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt mPresident Trumps announcement on Thursday that he is giving a full pardon to conservative provocateur Dinesh DSouza and considering clemency for Martha Stewart and imprisoned former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has underscored the relish he takes in that power  in ways that break norms dating to the nations founding.

The DSouza pardon would be Trumps fifth, and the latest in a pattern of using the presidents near-absolute authority to benefit individuals in legal trouble based on his political whim or convenience.

Trumps critics suggested the pardons could amount to a signal from the president to associates implicated in the Russia investigation that he would consider pardoning them. Among the critics on Thursday was Sen. Mark R. Warner of Virginia, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is investigating Russias election interference and possible Trump campaign cooperation.

The Presidents ad hoc use of the pardon power is concerning enough, Warner wrote on Twitter. But the possibility that he may also be sending a message to witnesses in a criminal investigation into his campaign is extremely dangerous. In the United States of America, no one is above the law.

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The pardon power under Article II of the Constitution is one of a presidents most absolute. That has made it particularly appealing to Trump, given his penchant for decisive acts and his evident frustration with the checks and balances that, for most actions, require a president to share power with Congress and the federal courts  and potentially be blocked by those other two branches of government.

Since George Washington, however, presidents have, for the most part, voluntarily accepted restraints on their ability to pardon. Starting in 1789, government lawyers have been designated to review pardon applications. And since 1865, presidents have typically relied on a review by the Justice Department before granting clemency.

Trump, so far, has sidestepped that process. Of the five people he has announced pardons for, including DSouza, just one had a pending clemency application at the Justice Department: former Navy sailor Kristian Mark Saucier, who was convicted in 2016 of unauthorized possession of classified data. Sauciers case got Trumps attention because the sailor had used a so-called Clinton defense to argue that his acts were no worse than Hillary Clintons use of a personal email server when she was secretary of State.

Trump has seemed to act on impulse or at the urgings of friends and celebrities in making his clemency decisions. Three of his pardons have gone to people backed by his conservative political allies  DSouza; Joe Arpaio, the former Maricopa County sheriff; and I. Lewis Scooter Libby, the former aide to Vice President Dick Cheney who was convicted in 2007 of perjury and obstruction of justice.

Actor Sylvester Stallone lobbied Trump to pardon Jack Johnson, the late African American boxer, who was convicted in 1913 on charges stemming from his sexual relations with a white woman. On Wednesday, Kim Kardashian West visited Trump at the White House and urged him to pardon a woman sentenced to life in prison for a nonviolent drug charge, her first offense.

The White House would not say who urged Trump to pardon DSouza, but gaining clemency for him has been a cause for Trump confidant Sean Hannity, the Fox News host, and Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who say DSouza was targeted for his caustic, sometimes racist, criticism of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Similarly, Blagojevichs allies have lobbied extensively for his 14-year sentence to be reduced.

Another pattern is that Trump has seemed to favor clemency for people prosecuted by his nemeses: DSouza was prosecuted by Preet Bharara, whom Trump fired as U.S. attorney in Manhattan. Stewarts prosecution was directed by one of Bhararas predecessors in that job, James B. Comey, whom Trump later fired from his job as FBI director.

Blagojevichs prosecutor was Patrick Fitzgerald, a friend of Comeys who also prosecuted Libby.

For Trump, the days pardon action began early Thursday, when he tweeted: Will be giving a Full Pardon to Dinesh DSouza today. He was treated very unfairly by our government!

DSouza pleaded guilty in 2014 to campaign finance fraud.

Trump did not explain how DSouza had been treated unfairly, but the White House, in a statement, said that DSouza was, in the presidents opinion, a victim of selective prosecution for violations of campaign finance laws.

The federal judge in the case decided otherwise in 2014 when DSouza raised that claim in court, saying DSouza had no evidence for his contention. At DSouzas sentencing, the judge admonished him, saying, It is still hard for me to discern any personal acceptance of responsibility in this case.

DSouza admitted to having illegally used straw donors, including a woman with whom he was having an affair and who has since become his wife, to contribute to a Republican Senate candidate in New York in 2012. He was sentenced to five years of probation, including eight months at a community confinement center in San Diego, and ordered to pay a $30,000 fine.

Bharara denied any political influence took place, tweeting that the facts are these: DSouza intentionally broke the law, voluntarily pled guilty, apologized for his conduct & the judge found no unfairness. The career prosecutors and agents did their job. Period.

DSouza fired back in a tweet later in the day saying that Bharara wanted to destroy a fellow Indian American to advance his career. Then he got fired & I got pardoned.

Talking to reporters on Air Force One as he flew to Texas for fundraisers, Trump said of DSouza: I never met him, I called him last night  first time Ive ever spoken to him  I said Im pardoning you. Nobody asked me to do it.

Ive always felt he was very unfairly treated, and a lot of people did, Trump said, adding that DSouza should have gotten a quick minor fine, like everybody else with the election stuff.

Stewart, the lifestyle entrepreneur, was convicted in an insider trading case in 2004.

The president said of Stewart: She used to be my biggest fan in the world  before I became a politician.

Blagojevich, a Democrat, was impeached and removed from office, and convicted in 2011 of corruption, for seeking to benefit from making an appointment to fill the Senate seat vacated by Obama after he became president.

Trump mentioned on Air Force One that he knew Blagojevich from the presidents former reality TV show. Blagojevich was a contestant on Celebrity Apprentice in 2010. The president was dismissive of the allegations that Blagojevich solicited bribes from potential Senate appointees.

If you look at what he said, he said something to the effect like what do I get, Trump said. Stupid thing to say. And it was foolish.

But what he did does not justify 18 years in a jail, Trump said, misstating the sentence. Plenty of other politicians have said a lot worse.

I am seriously thinking about  not pardoning  but I am seriously thinking of a curtailment of Blagojevich, he added, apparently referring to a commutation of the sentence.

jackie.calmes@latimes.com

UPDATES:

4:55 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reaction and details on the clemency cases.

This article was originally published at 9 a.m.John Coxs campaign to be Californias next governor follows an unsurprising formula for a Republican running in 2018: one part anti-tax warrior and another part Trump-inspired hard-liner on immigration.

But when he started his gubernatorial run in March 2017, he offered a more unorthodox pitch. His campaign launch centered on an idea to revamp the state Legislature and add thousands more local representatives in order to squelch the influence of moneyed interests in politics.

I have a plan to make legislative districts small enough that anyone can run  and they wont need special interest money to do it, Cox said in his announcement video.

In the run-up to the June primary election, Coxs neighborhood Legislature idea has largely disappeared from his stump speech. Nevertheless, the idea is central to his political profile in California.

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Since first proposing the plan in 2011  one of Coxs first forays into Golden State politics  the Rancho Santa Fe businessman has invested millions of his own money to turn his brainchild into a statewide initiative. He has failed in his multiple efforts to qualify it for the ballot.

This quixotic journey laid the groundwork for Coxs gubernatorial bid  which, like the initiative campaigns, depends heavily on his personal wealth. And for a candidate with a scant resume in public service, the initiative offers the best look into Coxs approach to politics, at once idealistic and unyielding to change.

Coxs campaign declined to make him available for an interview for this article.

The idea hasnt changed much since Cox first floated it seven years ago, not long after he moved from Illinois to the San Diego area.

The state would be carved into 40 Senate districts and 80 Assembly districts  as it is now  and then further divided into neighborhood districts of about 5,000 people per Assembly member, or 10,000 people for every senator. Assembly districts currently comprise about 450,000 residents and Senate districts contain just under a million people.

Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox holds a press conference at the Republican Party Headquarters in Fresno. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times )

The nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office estimated Coxs plan would result in about 3,900 state senators and 7,800 Assembly members. The neighborhood representatives in a district would then elect one senator and one Assembly member to serve in each chambers working committee  a group of 40 senators and 80 Assembly members, equal to the number in the current system, would hold committee hearings and craft bills. But nearly all legislation, including budget bills, would have to be approved by the full, nearly 12,000-member Legislature.

By dramatically reducing the size of districts, Cox has said it would make running for office cheaper, reducing the need to raise lots of money.

Legislators are largely responsive not to the voters, but to the funders and the lobbyists whose bills they are going to vote on, Cox said in his 2017 video. You couldnt have designed a system more fraught with temptation or ripe for reform.

These smaller, neighborhood districts will allow elections to be decided on issues and character  not 30-second commercials or vicious mail pieces, he continued.

Republican John Coxs effort to create 12,000 neighborhood lawmakers in California fails to make the ballot 

Cox has also pitched his plan as a money saver. Legislators get paid more than $100,000 annually, plus per diem costs for travel and lodging while in Sacramento. Under the most recent iteration of the proposal, the neighborhood lawmakers would make $1 per year, while working committee members would be compensated at 120% of the median state income.

The plan also included a spending cap, limited to two-thirds of the prior years spending. In all, the legislative analyst estimated state spending would decrease by $100 million annually, but increased county costs could total in the tens of millions each election year.

Tim Rosales, Coxs campaign manager and a consultant on the most recent attempt to qualify the initiative, said the proposal underscores Coxs broader view of government.

It reiterates everything hes been about his whole career: government reform, Rosales said. He believes, and I think a lot of people believe, the system isnt working.

Coxs proposal first failed to qualify for the ballot in 2012. Undeterred, he made another attempt the next year. The second time, he participated in a handful of symposia across the state focused on government reform efforts to increase voter participation and tackle the influence of money in politics. Other participants recalled Cox as an enthusiastic and forceful salesperson for his outside-the-box plan.

At face value, the idea of dramatically increasing the number of politicians in California is going to be met with a lot of skepticism. Over the course of the program, John was able to explain to the audience why it was a potentially plausible solution, said Dan Schnur, a former Republican consultant, now registered with no party preference, who teaches at USC and UC Berkeley. He convinced some people, he didnt convince others. But very few people left thinking it was a ridiculous idea.

Among government reform enthusiasts, Coxs sales pitch could be well-received  or at least not dismissed out of hand. But the proposals complexity made it a hard sell to most California residents.

Anyone who hears the sound-bite automatically assumes the Legislature will have to meet in the Rose Bowl, Schnur said. It takes a while to explain that is not what this is about.

Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause, an advocacy group that participated in the 2013 meetings, said she could see the appeal in creating a system that brings constituents closer to their elected officials. But she said her group had questions about how the proposal would be implemented.

Our biggest challenge in thinking about this was the logistical one  how one convenes something that has several thousand people, and how you have manageable decision-making on things that require some level of homework and expertise, Feng said. It wasnt clear to us that it had been fully fleshed out.

Common Cause did not take a position on Coxs idea.

He had really made up his mind about the proposal. He had moved beyond an editing mode, Feng said. Our feedback was received very politely, but without much impact.

Trump endorses Republican John Cox for California governor 

Coxs campaigns for the neighborhood Legislature proposal picked up a handful of other donors, but the engine was predominantly his personal wealth, accumulated from his work in venture capital and real estate management. Between 2013 and 2017, he gave or loaned nearly $3 million to committees backing the initiative.

The investment has yet to land the idea a spot on the ballot. Cox has tried and failed to qualify the initiative five times, most recently coming up short this February.

Another unconventional plan by Cox  a ballot initiative to require lawmakers to wear emblems of their biggest donors on their clothes, much like NASCAR drivers displaying their sponsors  also has not gotten far. Cox has dedicated nearly $400,000 to that effort, but has not qualified the initiative to put it before voters.

Coxs eager spending on his initiatives set the template for his current gubernatorial run. He has poured more than $4.9 million into his campaign to be Californias chief executive, accounting for around 75% of his total fundraising haul.

And if Cox is successful in becoming the next governor, Rosales said Californians should expect more talk of government reform to follow  but stopped short of saying the neighborhood Legislature would be at the top of his agenda.

Whether or not there was merit to the idea, there is merit to the idea that reform was needed in some way, Rosales said. Even if this isnt the right idea or the idea that everybody necessarily rallies around, it gets the discussion going.

melanie.mason@latimes.com

Follow @melmason on Twitter for the latest on California politics.China exceeds U.S. in healthy life span for first time, says WHO

GENEVA, May 31 -- Chinese people can look forward to a longer healthy life than Americans for the first time since records began, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) data.

Chinese newborns in 2016 can expect 68.7 years of healthy life, compared with 68.5 years for American babies, the figures show.

American babies can still expect to live longer overall, dying at 78.5 years compared to China's 76.4. but during the last decade Americans are likely to suffer from ill health.

"The lost years of good health that are a factor in calculating healthy life expectancy at birth are lower for China, Japan, Korea and some other high income Asian countries than for high income 'Western' countries," said WHO spokeswoman Alison Clements-Hunt.

The United States was one of five nations, along with Somalia, Afghanistan, Georgia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where healthy life spans beginning at birth fell in 2016, according to the WHO data, which was published in mid-May.

"Chinese life expectancy has increased substantially and is now higher than for some high-income countries," said Clements-Hunt.

The U.S. life span is decreasing, having peaked at 79 years in 2014, the first such reversal for many years, she said.

The world's longest living people are the Japanese. Babies born in Japan in 2016 were forecast to live for 84.2 years.Newport Beach officials are asking an Orange County Superior Court judge to block a marijuana business from operating in two homes in violation of city law.

A civil lawsuit filed May 4 seeks an injunction to forbid the business  known as OC Healing House, Bud Man OC and Bud Man Newport Beach  from operating at a home on Drakes Bay Drive in Corona del Mar and a home on Promontory Drive in Newports Promontory Point community.

The city attorneys office says the business was using the homes for marijuana delivery and distribution. The lawsuit calls the business a public nuisance.

Cultivation, processing, distribution and delivery of cannabis has been banned in Newport Beach since 2016. Brick-and-mortar dispensaries also are prohibited, according to the municipal code.

The decision was made years ago in Newport Beach that were not going to allow that type of activity, City Attorney Aaron Harp said Wednesday. Were just enforcing the laws.

In response, Bud Man has stopped operating in the residential neighborhoods and is talking with the citys attorneys, according to Harp.

Nicholas Frank, who is listed in court papers as the operator of Bud Man, did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

Bud Man Newport Beach is listed on Weedmaps  an online marijuana forum that allows users to review cannabis strains and local dispensaries  as a delivery-only business selling marijuana herbs, wax, extracts, edibles, topical products and tinctures. Customers on the website give it 4.8 out of a possible five stars.

Police and city officials began investigating the matter in February after officers received a tip from a neighbor Jan. 29 about suspicious activities at the Drakes Bay Drive home, including people coming and going at odd hours, according to police spokeswoman Jennifer Manzella.

It isnt clear how the city determined the Promontory Drive property was involved.

A hearing on the lawsuit has not been set, according to court records.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCN

UPDATES:

5:15 p.m. Aug. 6: This article originally included the specific addresses of two homes that city officials alleged were being used for marijuana delivery and distribution. The article has been updated to remove the house numbers for privacy reasons.

This article was originally published at 4:15 p.m. May 30.Though Costa Mesas preliminary budget for 2018-19 is only fractionally larger than the current one, some residents and officials at a pair of public meetings this week urged the city to find ways to tighten its belt.

The call for fiscal conservatism was one of the more common refrains during hearings Tuesday and Wednesday about the citys initial $163.7-million spending plan for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1.

Staff will review the comments that residents and City Council members made during those meetings and use the feedback to further refine the budget before its expected adoption June 19.

Overall, the preliminary budget is about $568,000 more than the amount approved for 2017-18. City Manager Tom Hatch described it Tuesday as a continuation of what weve been doing over the prior year and said theres not a long list of changes.

Thats not to say everything is identical, however. One difference is the upcoming election in November, which will expand the council from five members to six plus a directly elected mayor as a result of the citys move to district-based voting. Having a larger council will mean higher related costs, Hatch said.

The city also anticipates tapping into an additional revenue stream: a 6% annual gross-receipts tax assessed on marijuana businesses under the voter-approved Measure X. Projections show Costa Mesa will collect an estimated $1.56 million in tax revenue from permitted marijuana research, processing, testing, manufacturing and distribution facilities in the next fiscal year.

Despite that additional money, Hatch said the citys expenses are expected to grow faster than revenue over the next five years, which he attributed partly to increases in retirement, existing contracts and utility costs.

Mayor Sandy Genis said she thinks the preliminary budget is a little optimistic and that she wants to make sure the city is prepared for potential scenarios that could harm its pocketbook, such as an economic downturn or the possible repeal of recent increases to the states gas taxes.

Obviously, we cant plan for every eventuality, she said Tuesday. We cant say, Oh, what if a meteor hits City Hall? Thats ridiculous, but there are reasonably foreseeable potential outcomes  that we need to think about.

One sticking point for the council Tuesday was whether to support budgeted fee increases for several parks, recreation and community services programs. Among them are a new $5-per-person administrative levy for trips provided through the Costa Mesa Senior Center and a proposal to start charging for the currently free Recreation on Campus for Kids, or ROCKS, summer program.

Councilwoman Katrina Foley said she opposes raising those kinds of fees because she worries doing so could price senior citizens and working families out of beneficial programs.

Its less than $200,000, Foley said, referring to the estimated revenue the fees would generate, and I dont think we should be trying to find $200,000 on the backs of our young kids and families and seniors. Find the $200,000 in the budget.

Councilman Jim Righeimer, however, said this whole idea that were never going to raise these fees doesnt make any sense, and he accused Foley of political posturing, which she denied.

I dont want to charge a fee just to charge a fee, but I dont want to subsidize everybody, Righeimer said.

Potential hotel occupancy tax boost scrapped

The council nixed a recommendation from the citys Finance & Pension Advisory Committee to raise the local transient occupancy tax  charged for motel and hotel stays  to 10% from 8%.

Placing the potential increase on Novembers ballot for a public vote would require support from at least four of the five council members. However, Righeimer and Mayor Pro Tem Allan Mansoor said Tuesday that they oppose doing so, which effectively killed the proposal.

Council members said theyre interested in studying ways to assess the tax on short-term rentals  such as those booked through websites such as TurnKey and Airbnb  and possibly even sober-living homes, which typically house recovering alcoholics and drug addicts for limited periods of time.

luke.money@latimes.com

Twitter @LukeMMoneyThe city of Huntington Beach is asking for dismissal of its Orange County Superior Court lawsuit seeking to stop a resident who was trying to put a proposed local gun ban on the citys Nov. 6 election ballot.

City Attorney Michael Gates said he submitted the request Wednesday after receiving an email from Jerry Friedman, the attorney for resident Daniel Horgan, saying Horgan wouldnt submit signatures from his gun petition, making the case moot.

Gates request comes about a month after he filed a lawsuit April 24 contending that the petition by Horgan, a local real estate agent and mortgage broker, was unconstitutional, invalid and not entitled to a place on the ballot.

Horgans proposed law would make possession and sale of semiautomatic and automatic firearms in Huntington Beach a felony by April 1. Such weapons already in circulation would have to be surrendered to the Police Department by Jan. 1, though there would be a three-month probationary period to comply.

In a notice of intent to circulate the petition that Horgan filed with the city in November, he called such weapons a clear and imminent danger to our community.

Gates suit contended the petition placed the city at odds with the Constitutions Second Amendment, which protects the right to keep and bear arms. Gates also argued the proposal wasnt presented as legislation the city could adopt.

A case management hearing on the issue was scheduled for June 4 in Superior Court but no longer appeared on the docket Thursday.

According to city officials, Horgans Committee to Reduce Gun Violence, which has three members, needs about 12,000 signatures from Huntington Beach registered voters by Saturday for the measure to qualify for the November ballot.

Horgan said Thursday that the petition had 587 signatures and that he had given up on collecting more.

He called his proposal too extreme and said he doesnt anticipate taking further action immediately. But he added that changes in society are needed and that he plans to champion that effort.

On May 17, Friedman filed an anti-SLAPP motion on Horgans behalf, saying Huntington Beach was violating his clients free-speech rights by trying to stop the petition. SLAPP stands for strategic lawsuit against public participation and is considered an attempt to intimidate critics by burdening them with the costs of a legal defense. California is one of 28 states that have anti-SLAPP laws.

Friedman, who is running for Gates seat in this years election, contended the city did not face injury while Horgan was collecting signatures and thus shouldnt have filed a lawsuit filed against his client.

In an interview Thursday, Friedman said they might move forward with the anti-SLAPP motion, depending on whether the court approves the citys request for dismissal of the lawsuit. If it is granted, Friedman said, the case would end and the sides would deliberate over attorney fees.

The city dismissed its own lawsuit a month after they filed it, Friedman said. Had they waited a month, they would have saved my client from the anguish of being sued by his own city, saved the court from the hassle of a doomed lawsuit and saved themselves from the wasted city resources and embarrassment of violating my clients right to petition.

Gates has said he has a legal duty to uphold the Constitution and was looking to the court for direction since such a flagrantly unconstitutional proposal places city leaders in a tough spot.

If the anti-SLAPP motion moves forward, Gates said, the city remains confident in its case and believes the motion has little merit.

An anti-SLAPP hearing is scheduled for June 22 in Superior Court.

Huntington Beachs lawsuit received mixed reactions from legal experts and community members.

UC Irvine law professor Richard Hasen said the city was using a very large weapon against a weak threat, while USC law professor Michael Jenkins said theres nothing illegal about it and that a goal of blocking a proposal that is clearly and unequivocally invalid could be to avoid wasting everyones time and money on an unnecessary election.

Priscella.Vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscellaTwo men who pleaded guilty to kidnapping a drug dealer after a marijuana transaction ended in a robbery last year at a Newport Coast resort will serve time in state prison.

Nicholas Andres Hernandez, 30, of Murrieta was sentenced Wednesday in Orange County Superior Court to 11 years after he pleaded guilty to a felony count of kidnapping. He also admitted to sentencing enhancements for having a firearm and a 2009 felony burglary conviction in Riverside, according to court records.

Steele Malone Burnside, 29, of Anaheim pleaded guilty May 10 to a felony count of kidnapping and was sentenced to five years.

Prosecutors dismissed two felony charges against Burnside and one against Hernandez in exchange for the guilty pleas, court records show.

According to authorities, the case unfolded Feb. 18, 2017, when Thomas Prince of Anaheim met with an unidentified drug dealer in the parking lot of the Newport Coast Shopping Center to buy marijuana.

The man brought 30 pounds of marijuana to the center to sell to Prince, but Prince wouldnt move forward with the deal until 60 pounds had been delivered, Det. Joshua Vincelet testified during a preliminary hearing in Princes case last year.

Thomas Prince was convicted last year of robbing marijuana sellers at the Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Coast. (File Photo )

Later that day, authorities said, the dealer and Hernandez met Prince at the shopping center with the rest of the marijuana. Prince instructed them to follow him to the Resort at Pelican Hill to complete the sale, according to court records.

When they arrived, Vincelet testified, the sellers put 60 pounds of marijuana in Princes Range Rover. Prince directed them to a suite where he said he had cash, but when they entered the room, several men with guns jumped out and ordered them to the floor, Vincelet said.

The armed men said they were police officers and searched Hernandez and the dealers pockets, taking cellphones, wallets and cash. Eventually the gunmen left. When Hernandez and the dealer left the room, Prince was gone.

Hernandez and Burnside, whom authorities identified as the dealers associates, kidnapped the dealer to seek a ransom of $130,000, the estimated value of the marijuana lost in the robbery. They took him to an apartment in Anaheim and told him to call his father and request money for the ransom, prosecutors said.

Newport Beach detectives launched an investigation after the mans father reported him missing.

Police arrested Burnside and Hernandez shortly after midnight Feb. 20 near the apartment where the dealer was being held.

Prince was identified as a suspect in the robbery and was arrested March 29. In October, a Superior Court jury found him guilty of four counts of robbery. He was sentenced in December to 21 years in state prison.

hannah.fry@latimes.com

Twitter: @HannahFryTCNLocal streets were packed with law enforcement personnel Thursday morning, but crime fighting wasnt on their agenda.

Groups braved the chilly morning air to run through Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and Costa Mesa carrying a torch as part of an annual effort to raise money and awareness for the Special Olympics of Southern California.

Laguna Beach Police Department employees ran the first leg along Coast Highway before handing off the torch to the California Highway Patrol, which took it from Newport Coast Drive to Jamboree Road.

Newport Beach police then grabbed the torch and made their way north on Dover Drive to Irvine Avenue, where they handed it off to Costa Mesa police.

The Torch Run, which went through San Diego County into Orange County on Tuesday, will wind across several cities before reaching Cal State Long Beach for the June 9 opening of the Special Olympics Summer Games.The Russo and Steele Collection Automobile Auction will be held from June 8 through 10 at Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort. The auto collector auction, now in its sixth season in Newport Beach, will display and sell some 400 incredible works of engineering art before the show concludes Sunday evening at 7:30 p.m.

The public is invited, with admission priced at $20. To learn more, go to russoandsteele.com.

Film, fashion and fame

Womens Wear Daily editor and style director Alex Badia jetted into Newport to join forces with Cheresse Pentella, style artist with Neiman Marcus, to produce a trend-setting runway fashion show in support of this seasons Newport Beach Film Festival.

The triad were brought together by Visit Newport Beach. The Saturday afternoon fashion event attracted a chic crowd seated on the terrace fronting Neiman Marcus in Fashion Island. Badia addressed the audience speaking on fashion in film. He was joined by costume designers Nadia Haders and Paco Delgado who were later honored at an evening reception hosted by the film festival. Kudos were delivered to both designers with the Breakout Award going to Haders for work on the film Get Out and the Icon Award to Delgado for his work on films A Wrinkle in Time and Les Miserables.

Lauras House to the rescue

They call it their Brighter Futures luncheon and its all about ending domestic violence.

Lauras House may not be able to stop the violence and alleviate the anger, but it can and will offer shelter and protection to those escaping the horror. The organization held its third annual Brighter Futures luncheon at Balboa Bay Resort welcoming more than 220 guests and raising $106,000 in support of Lauras House programs.

The luncheon featured guest speaker Clayton Cranford, a cyber cop discussing the dangers of the internet relating to the curse of domestic violence. In the crowd were Lauras House Executive Director and CEO Margaret Bayston, who welcomed honored guests including Vikki Shepp, CEO Girl Scouts of America, Orange County, Ali Shimabuku, a youth ambassador and volunteer, and honorary event chair Anne MacPherson.To learn more, go to laurashouse.org.

Old, but still gold

Heritage Pointe, an independent Jewish senior care assisted living and memory care facility in Mission Viejo, gathered the younger generation in support of the older generation for its 28th annual spring luncheon and fashion show at Irvine Marriott hotel. Co-chaired by Donna Markovitz and Gail Taleisnik, with a fashion show produced by Susan Stein, the luncheon brought in significant dollars of support for Heritage Pointe.

Featured in the show were the designs of Newports Grayse of Fashion Island.

Fashion icons Marie Gray and daughter Kelly Gray greeted the crowd and opened the show, which also focused on the formal custom attire from Bohimi of Palm Desert. Mike Silverman, CEO of Heritage Point, joined Beth Slavir, director of philanthropy, in welcoming the large attendance and praising underwriting sponsors such as My Mothers Flowers and Yorba Linda Pharmacy. Events such as the annual luncheon raise approximately $1.5 million and support residents of Heritage Pointe in financial need. To learn more, go to heritagepointe.org.

B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.On Nov. 9, 2016, I failed my calculus midterm. I knew the material, but I had just witnessed the election of Donald Trump and my mind could not focus on finding the derivative of a tangent graph.

Nope, I was thinking of the future, the future my peers and I are inheriting. The future of Americas environment, our women, our bodies, our immigrants, our diplomacy, our economy, our values, our humanity and how the future which had always looked so bright to me, suddenly was replaced with an alternate, dystopian reality.

Out of that pit of despair and disillusionment emerged a person committed to harnessing all the power she has to create a world that will endure the travesty of a Trump administration.

I returned to Newport Beach from UC Berkeley in May 2017 filled with the rage and hopelessness I felt since November. Im not a socialist, and I believe radicalism from the left and right is counterproductive.

On my quest to channel my angst productively, I got connected with the Harley Rouda for Congress campaign. Apparently this guy was a family friend whom I had never met, and he was running for Congress as a moderate Democrat in our historically Republican district. I joined the team in the early stages of the campaign, mostly doing social media work and attending events.

Throughout this time, I got to interact with and listen to Rouda. This candidate belongs in Washington. He is an imposing figure, who carries himself with confidence and, when speaking, connects with and commands the attention of a room. Hes damn near presidential.

Despite his professional disposition, Rouda, as every effective legislator should be, is extremely personable, approachable and receptive to the cares, questions and wishes of others.

Multiple times throughout the 2017-18 school year, he emailed me and the other interns, checking up on us and thanking us for our work and our activism. During the two months working on his campaign, I witnessed him making genuine connections with so many people of different ages, income brackets, races, backgrounds, identities and collecting input on how to tailor his legislative stances to those of his constituents.

The grassroots nature of his campaign foreshadows the way in which he will legislate  for his people. Not for the corporations, not for the party, not for foreign interests (cough, cough Russiabacher).

No, he will listen to his constituents and the 48th Districts needs. Rouda will fight for us in Congress. This is especially important regarding the environment  an issue near and dear to my heart. Rouda was recently endorsed by the Sierra Club and has made combating climate change one of his main legislative priorities. He will fight for the protection of our beautiful California coastline by advocating for stricter environmental protection laws.

He stands in strict opposition to offshore drilling projects. We can and will debate healthcare, taxes, immigration and infrastructure for years, but time is running out on our environmental debate. Its not even a debate. Its science, its facts, its the future of human civilization. We must protect our Earth. Protect it for the generation who could inherit a world of shortages, famines, natural disasters if current global warming deniers persist. Its time to stop harnessing the greatness of the past and elect leaders who understand the vulnerability of our future.

The 48th cannot have another two years of inaction in Congress. We need action, we need common sense and we need hope. Thats why Im voting for Rouda. He, more than any other candidate, gives me hope.

HANNAH CRANE, a graduate of Corona del Mar High School, is entering her third year at UC Berkeley.A Glendale brother and sister were arrested Thursday after authorities conducting a routine probation check allegedly found a weapons cache that included several rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Around 8:46 a.m., officers from a multiagency task force arrived at the home of 31-year-old Selin Charmaholi in the 300 block of Chester Street to see if she was complying with the terms of her probation.

The Assembly Bill 109 Task Force, which includes members of the Burbank and Glendale police departments, was established to deal with the local impact of the states criminal realignment law. AB 109 aims to decrease prison overcrowding by releasing some lower-level offenders.

Although Charmaholi was not home, she was still subject to search and seizure conditions, according to Glendale Police Sgt. Dan Suttles.

Suttles said task force officers recovered five handguns, three assault-style rifles, six other style rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Also recovered were six AR-15 lower mechanisms, which can be used to build a rifle.

During a routine probation check, authorities found a weapons cache that included several rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. (Courtesy of the Glendale Police Department )

Officers seized high-capacity magazines, a pair of nunchucks and cocaine, according to Suttles, who said Selin Charmaholis brother, Sergey Charmaholi, 34, was allegedly responsible for supplying the drug.

The siblings were soon arrested on weapons and narcotics violations.

Selin Charmaholi remains in police custody while her brother has since made bail.

andy.nguyen@latimes.com

Twitter: @Andy_TrucGlendale residents will have the opportunity to vote Tuesday on whether to consolidate local elections with California primaries.

The City Council placed Measure P on the ballot in February because of low voter turnout and rising election costs. If passed, the measure would amend Glendales charter so that it complies with the California Voter Participation Rights Act.

The act prohibits local governments from holding a municipal election on a date other than on a statewide election day if the voter turnout for the previous four local elections is at least 25% less than the average voter turnout for the previous four statewide elections.

Glendale voter turnout has fluctuated between 20% and 25% in the last several elections.

Measure P also includes changing the charter to exclude references to the Glendale Unified School District, which would clarify that district elections, such as those for school board, dont have to coincide with municipal elections.

City elections are currently the first Tuesday in April of odd-numbered years. Changing the dates to March 2020 and 2022, respectively, would extend the terms of council members Vartan Gharpetian, Paula Devine, Vrej Agajanian, Zareh Sinanyan and Ara Najarian by 11 months.

Los Angeles County estimates that moving the election would reduce Glendales costs to about $250,000. If Glendale were to continue holding elections in April, the cost would be $1.3 million to $2.3 million, according to a city staff report.

The rising cost of elections is partly due to the fact that other cities have been complying with the California Voter Participation Rights Act, said City Clerk Ardy Kassakhian. Cities share the fixed cost of a county-run election, so with fewer cities holding elections in odd-numbered years, the cost for each increases

The council considered moving its elections to match the date of the November general elections, but ultimately decided against it because some council members believed that national or statewide issues could overshadow local issues. Doing so also would have extended council members terms 18 months instead of 11.

Though the city is required to hold an election to amend the charter, Glendale must comply with state law anyway.

Regardless of the outcome, it is very likely we will have to comply with state law, and the date is going to change moving forward, Kassakhian said. The purpose [of the election] is to clean up language of the citys charter.

Eligible voters can cast a ballot on Measure P between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. Tuesday at their designated polling place, which can be found at www.lavote.net/locator. Those who received mail-in ballots can mark and drop them off at the Downtown Central Library or the Glendale Police Department.

alejandra.reyesvelarde@latimes.com

Twitter: @r_valejandraSchools along La Canadas Foothill Boulevard were on alert Thursday after learning a young bear was prowling among houses on Daleridge Road, but tensions eased after the animal hunkered down in a tree and was later tranquilized and relocated.

Lt. DeMarkus Smith, a watch commander for the Crescenta Valley Sheriffs Station, said the initial call came in at around 11:55 a.m. Thursday. Units responded, and nearby schools, including St. Bede the Venerable Elementary, St. Francis High, Flintridge Preparatory and Crestview Preparatory, were informed of the bears presence.

A representative from St. Bede, the campus closest to the bear sighting, said a security guard was actively monitoring the situation. Across the street at St. Francis, Dean of Students John Jordan said the gates were temporarily locked as a precaution.

It was pretty much a ghost town, Jordan said of the campus, mostly vacated at the end of a half-day finals schedule. We closed the front gate and had two security guards out front. Outside of curiosity there was no real danger.

Flintridge Prep officials reported that while few students and faculty were on campus Thursday, precautions, including alerting staff members and ensuring all gates were locked, were taken.

When the 2-year-old bruin ran up a tree on the 4800 block of Daleridge, sheriffs deputies turned the matter over to California Department of Fish and Wildlife warden Kory Collins and members of the Los Angeles Fire Department, who sprayed water at the creature to get it to descend.

When he came down, they tranquilized him, Smith said. He ran and went up another tree, and they had to tranquilize him again.

The watch commander said the bear was taken from the scene for relocation, likely somewhere deep inside Angeles National Forest.

Hes gone, Smith said.

sara.cardine@latimes.com

Twitter: @SaraCardine

UPDATES:

5:15 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the bears capture and relocation.

This article was originally published at 2:25 p.m.Thanks to the regular training and guidance offered by sci-tech commissioners, the 51-year-old woman Wu Xiufeng from Zhangdun Village in Nanping of southeast Chinas Fujian Province has now grown into an expert of viticulture from a farmer that knew nothing about grape planting more than a decade ago.

Wu Xiufengs mother works at the vineyard. Photo by Liu Lingling from Peoples Daily

The sci-tech commissioner system was firstly implemented in Nanping in February 1999. The city sent 225 sci-tech personnel to 215 administrative villages, bringing technology to the countryside and laying solid foundation of human resource for targeted poverty alleviation.

The commissioners taught me everything step by step from seedlings selection and growing to cultivation, Wu recalled. Under the technical guidance, she has built her own vineyard.

Apart from planting techniques, Wu has also been taught marketing. Now she earns nearly 100,000 yuan ($16,000) each year from her prospering grape business. Her family has moved into a spacious and bright house because of this.

Wu is not the only farmer in Nanping that has shaken off poverty by learning technologies, and Cikou Village in Chuanshi Township that traditionally relies on bamboo growing is a great example.

The bamboo forest in Cikou Village Photo by Liu Lingling from Peoples Daily

Low bamboo production, late shooting season and low industrial profits had long been bothering the villagers. It was the sci-tech commissioners sent there who promoted scientific management of the crops that have helped advance shooting season, increase bamboo yields, and benefit more than 30 impoverished villagers.

Now Cikou is home to 1,086 mu, or 72.4 hectares of bamboo, with each mu of bamboo making a pure profit of 15,000 yuan. The crops have made economic value totaling 16 million yuan.

The Nanping sci-tech commissioner system has been promoted to national level as a reference for the rest of the country after the city held a national sci-tech commissioner meeting in 2017.

So far, Nanping has sent 10 batches of 9,483 sci-tech commissioners to all villages under its administration. In 2017 alone, 1,282 people were sent to the countryside.

In addition, the city has established partnerships with 60 institutions and organizations such as Chinese Academy of Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Tsinghua University.

Currently, the sci-tech commissioner system is expanding its coverage from issues related to agriculture, rural areas and rural people to sectors of high-tech and rural tourism.

Yuan Yi, Secretary of Nanping Municipal Party Committee introduced that Nanping is a city where nearly 80 percent of the land is covered by forest. According to him, planning experts and ecologiests will be prioritized in the next round of selection of sci-tech commissioners.The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, one of Hawaiis most popular tourist attractions, has been closed indefinitely for repairs.

Boat transportation to the USS Arizona Memorial is temporarily suspended until further notice, due to a recently detected crack in the supporting structure for the visitor loading ramp, according to a National Park Service statement on Facebook.

Meanwhile, the National Park Service and U.S. Navy are operating free boat tours of Pearl Harbor that pass close to the sunken battleship, where nearly 1,200 crew members are entombed.

Free tour tickets are available at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 7 Hawaii Standard Time each morning.

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The USS Arizona burns amid ships on the afternoon of Dec. 7, 1941. (National Park Service )

The floating memorial closed May 27. It follows two previous suspensions of tours because of safety concerns.

The first, in May 2015, occurred when the Navy hospital ship Mercy struck the memorials dock and damaged it.

The memorial briefly closed again for repairs earlier this month because of concerns about the loading ramp.

It is unknown how long the memorial, which sits atop the battleship sunk by Japanese forces on Dec. 7, 1941, will be off limits. The Arizona Memorial, built in 1962, welcomes 1.8 million visitors each year and is part of the Valor in the Pacific National Monument.

All other attractions at Pearl Harbor  including the submarine Bowfin submarine, the battleship Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum are unaffected and operating normally.

travel@latimes.com

@latimestravelNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un met Thursday with Russias foreign minister, who was in Pyongyang on a visit that Moscow hopes will reassert its role as a force to be reckoned with ahead of Kims expected summit with President Trump in Singapore next month.

Moscow has remained largely on the sidelines as Kim has made a major diplomatic outreach to Seoul, Beijing and Washington over the last several months. But Sergei Lavrovs visit suggests that Russia wants to make sure it is informed of North Koreas intentions and is mindful of Moscows concerns.

Lavrov relayed President Vladimir Putins warmest regards and best wishes for Kims big endeavors on the Korean peninsula. He also expressed Moscows support for an agreement Kim reached with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at a summit last month that focused on measures to ease hostilities and increase exchanges between the two Koreas.

Video of the beginning of their meeting showed Lavrov inviting Kim to Moscow and complimenting the North Korean leader on the many new projects that have brightened up the capital.

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According to Russian media, he also discussed ways to expand relations during a meeting with Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho.

We welcome the contacts that have been developing in the recent months between North and South Korea, between North Korea and the United States, Lavrov said in comments to the media. We welcome the summits that already took place between Pyongyang and Seoul as well as planned meetings between North Korean and U.S. leadership.

He vowed Russias support for denuclearization and a broader effort to create a stable and long-lasting peace in the region, but indicated that Moscow believes sanctions can be eased while the process is in progress, which diverges from the U.S. position that denuclearization must come first.

Despite having a border with North Korea and relatively cordial relations that Putin has seemed to want to develop further, Russia has kept a surprisingly low profile as Kim has emerged onto the world stage this year, meeting twice with Chinese President Xi Jinping and South Koreas Moon.Syrian President Bashar Assad threatened to attack a region held by U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters in northeastern Syria, saying in an interview broadcast on Russia Today on Thursday that American troops should leave the country.

The remarks reflect that despite pressure on multiple fronts, Assad is seeking to consolidate control after seven years of civil war.

With military backing from Russia and Iran, he has reclaimed most of the territory lost to rebels in the wake of the popular uprising that swept the country in 2011 and quickly descended into all-out civil war. But large patches of territory remain beyond his control, including the expansive region north of the Euphrates River that is administered by the Syrian Kurds.

Speaking to the Russian channel, Assad said he has opened the door to negotiations with the Kurdish-run administration while also preparing to liberate by force.

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Forces loyal to Assad and the Syrian Kurds have clashed sporadically over the eastern oil province of Deir el-Zour. Last year, they led rival campaigns against the Islamic State group and maintain a protracted front against each other along the Euphrates.

The United States, which supports the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces, operates air bases and outposts in the Kurdish-administered region.

The Americans should leave, Assad said. Somehow, they are going to leave.

The Syrian president also is under pressure from Israel over growing Iranian influence in Syria. Iran, in conjunction with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, now operates a network of militias recruiting from across the Mideast to fight on Assads behalf and maintains a command structure separate from the Syrian government. Israel in recent months ramped up its strikes on reported Hezbollah and Iranian positions and weapons depots inside Syria, sparking fears of a regional war.

In the TV interview, Assad maintained there are no Iranian troops in Syria, only Iranian officers advising the Syrian army. He denied reports that Iranians have been killed in Israeli strikes.

Actually, we had tens of Syrian martyrs and wounded soldiers, he said.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war through a network of activists on the ground, says at least 68 Iranian and pro-Iranian forces have been killed in Israeli strikes since April.

Assad said Israeli strikes destroyed a big part of Syrian air defenses, but added they have been rebuilt, stronger than before, thanks to Russian support.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his government wont accept a permanent Iranian presence anywhere in Syria.

Also Thursday, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman visited Moscow for talks focusing on Syria. Liebermans Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, said the two would discuss the situation in southwestern Syria, along its border with Israel.

The Syrian governments plans to recapture rebel-held parts of the region have raised Israeli concerns that its backers  Iran and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah  could take up positions along the frontier.

Russian news reports said Moscow wants to cut a deal that would see Russian military police deployed to areas near Israel. The agreement envisages Iranian forces pulling out from the entire area and Syrian rebels there surrendering heavy weapons.

The Observatory said Thursday that Iranian troops and Hezbollah fighters are preparing to withdraw from southern Syria, namely the regions of Daraa and Quneitra near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.A brand new, 50-meter-high multi-story car park has been built in Taiyuan, capital city of north Chinas Shanxi province, to ease rising traffic and parking pressure.

The 26-story building covers an area of only 56 square meters, and is able to accept 50 vehicles.On May 29, a Chinese military expert rebuked Hong Kong media over their untrue remarks regarding Chinas frequent simulated nuclear tests, Chinese newspaper Global Times reported Wednesday.

An article published by Hong Kong English-language newspaper South China Morning Post on Monday, said that China had carried out around 200 laboratory experiments to simulate the extreme conditions of a nuclear blast between September 2014 and last December.

China is aggressively developing its next generation of nuclear weapons, said the newspaper, citing a major Chinese weapons research institute and adding that the country is conducting an average of five tests a month to simulate nuclear blasts.

Although an international ban prevents nuclear weapons from being tested, the major nuclear powers have been able to continue conducting simulated tests, the report said. The newspaper goes on to say that over the past three years, Chinese nuclear scientists have performed more of these tests than their American counterparts have in 15 years.

Chinese military expert Yang Chengjun responded to the report on Tuesday. He told Global Times that he had no idea where the figures in the report came from. The expert introduced that many world powers such as the U.S., Russia, the U.K. and France, are conducting similar nuclear experiments, but the reported five tests a month is over exaggerated. Such a high frequency is not necessary for any simulated test, he explained.

Apart from conducting related studies, simulated tests are also used to verify the effectiveness of nuclear weapons, since all these weapons have a designated life expectancy of 30 years, the expert reasoned.

The South China Morning Post said that as China joins the U.S. and Russia in pursuing more targeted nuclear weapons as a deterrent against any potential threat, the looming arms race could in fact serve the opposite purpose by increasing the risk of nuclear conflict.

However, Yang stressed that China possesses the least number of nuclear weapons among the five nuclear-weapon states under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. China will never compete with other nuclear powers, he said, adding that the country will never change its current policy that refuses to be the first to use nuclear weapons in any circumstance.Last May, a Bethlehem man tried to get a passport using the name, birthday and social security number of a dead man, federal prosecutors said.

This week, Francisco Santos was indicted in federal court on charges of passport fraud and making a false statement to a federal law enforcement official.

In a hearing Wednesday, Santos pleaded not guilty and will be held on pretrial detention.

Prosecutors allege Santos used the name and information of a man with the initials A.C.M. on his passport application on May 16, 2017 in Northampton County.

It's an identity Santos allegedly used before. Police records show Santos used the A.C.M. name when he was arrested in 2010, 2011 and 2014 in Pennsylvania. He was sentenced under that name to county prison on theft and drugs charges, and state prison in a robbery case, prosecutors said.

A.C.M. died in 2017 in Pennsylvania.

Prosecutors said in two interviews with federal agents, after the passport application was submitted, Santos maintained the stolen identity.

Santos then allegedly told agents that he had never used another name besides Francisco Santos and the dead man's name.

Prosecutors say Santos used the alias Luis Colon when he was arrested in 2002 and 2006 in New York on drug and bail jumping charges.

In 2002, Santos purchased a firearm in Pennsylvania using the Santos name, and did not report his arrest as Luis Colon in New York, prosecutors said.

"He has a lengthy record of arrests and convictions in at least three different names, and his actual identity is not known with certainty at this time," court papers say. "The government cannot be certain of his true identity because the social security number he has been using as Santos belongs to a person named Francisco Santos, who is from Puerto Rico and is much older than the defendant."

Prosecutors said they are not certain of Santos' citizenship, and that people close to him do not appear to know his true identity.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Trauma prevention.

That's Bill McQuilken's job and the focus of "Safety Town," a 12-station program that Lehigh Valley Health Network takes to local elementary schools to better prepare children for the dangers that surround them.

The 45-minute educational effort, which stopped Wednesday morning at Williams Township Elementary School, takes a child through a day in their life, McQuilken, LVHN's Trauma Prevention Program coordinator, explained Thursday morning.

"It's very friendly," he said, although the scenarios presented are quite serious. "It's not designed to frighten children."

The school sent 206 kindergarten through third-grade students in shifts to the gym at 2600 Morgan Hill Road so they could learn about how tall they must be not to use a booster seat, how best to prevent burns, the importance of bicycle helmets and playground safety, he said.

Trooper Nathan Branosky, from the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Plainfield Township, ran the 911 station.

The children were well prepared by their parents before they entered the room, he said. The program "is a great opportunity to reinforce these safety things with the children," he added.

It was Branosky's first time working with Safety Town and "it's a very good program," he said.

In teaching the 911 station, the trooper presented each child a situation -- a household accident, a fire, a parent falling -- and the child would have to dial 911.

Once a connection was made, Branosky would come on the line and allow the caller to experience what an actual 911 operator might ask -- their name, their address and the nature of the emergency, for example.

"The majority of the kids were eager to do it," he said. "They were looking forward to the situation. They did very, very well."

If a child didn't know their address, at least they knew they lived in Williams Township, Branosky said.

In addition to developing safety skills, the experience also allowed the children to interact with a uniformed police officer, he said.

With a trooper in the room, the students likely would become more serious about the activities, but "We want to make sure the kids aren't afraid of us," Branosky said. "They can see us and not be fearful."

Interaction is a key, said McQuiken, who is in his 12th year at the health network, one year less than the program has been around.

"We're talking to the children and they're talking back to us," he said.

The program starts in the driveway at home with safety in and around the car, then on to the school bus, the school experience -- highlighting bullying and courtesy -- on to the playground, then after school for stranger danger, pedestrian safety, bicycle and animal safety -- such as what to do if a dog attacks -- and then back home for burn safety and what to do and not do around a lawn mower or snowblower, McQuilken said.

At the end, the children get goody bags, coloring books and a pediatric safety guide for their parents, McQuilken said.

Health network staff -- and, on Wednesday, Bethlehem Health Bureau personnel along with Cedar Crest College nursing students -- joined McQuilken and Branosky at the elementary school.

A quality-improvement study of students who have been through the program proves its success, McQuilken said.

"A lot of children knew what to do during a fire, they knew to look left, right then left again before crossing the street. A lot of them remembered they had to be 4 foot 9 inches before moving on from a booster seat, he said.

"We got very positive results from the schools I've gone to," he said. "It never hurts to reemphasize these safety things with children. For some children, it might be the only way they receive the safety information."

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.UPDATE: Lehigh Valley procession honors fallen firefighter (PHOTOS)

Emergency responders in three Pennsylvania counties were set Thursday to honor the firefighter killed in a motorcycle crash last week.

A procession of fire department apparatus was planned along the route to bring Erik Hirner's remains from Reading to a funeral home in Northampton.

The departure from Reading Hospital Medical Center was anticipated for between 1 and 2 p.m., en route to Schisler Funeral Home, 2119 Washington Ave. in Northampton, the Lehigh County Fire Chiefs Association said in a Facebook post.

Organizers said the route would follow Route 61 to Interstate 78 in Berks County, through Lehigh County on the interstate to Route 22, then Route 145 into Catasauqua, North Catasauqua and finally Northampton.

"Departments are encouraged to line bridges, and roadsides along the route and offer a salute as the procession passes by," the fire chiefs association said.

***UPDATED ROUTE GUIDANCE FOR BROTHER HIRNER'S RETURN HOME TOMORROW 5/31/2018*** Anticipated Departure from Reading... Posted by Lehigh County Fire Chiefs Association on Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Hirner was an 11-year veteran of the Reading Fire Department, and assistant fire chief in North Catasauqua. He was a lifetime member of the Charotin Hose Co. No. 1 in North Catasauqua, a borough in Northampton County.

"Assistant Chief Hirner was a true fireman in every sense of the word," the fire chiefs association said on Facebook. "He was a dedicated firefighter and officer, as well as a loving husband, father, son, and uncle. He was a true warrior on the fireground and he will be deeply missed."

A wake and memorial service are planned 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home, followed by a memorial service 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, also at Schisler, according to the fire chiefs association. A reception open to all firefighters follows at the American Club, 300 Cherry St. in Coplay.

Hirner, 38, was riding a motorcycle Friday afternoon when he was struck by an out-of-control SUV. He died Sunday night at Reading Hospital, The Reading Eagle reports.

Northern Berks Regional police were continuing to investigate the crash but said the SUV driver, 57-year-old Miguel A. Mejia, of Lancaster, crossed the center line on a stretch of road in Maidencreek Township and hit another vehicle before striking Hirner's motorcycle, according to the Eagle.

Hirner was on his way to work at the time.

Gov. Tom Wolf on Thursday ordered the Pennsylvania flag at the Capitol and all state facilities in Lehigh and Berks counties to fly at half-staff through sunset to honor Hirner.

.@GovernorTomWolf has ordered the Commonwealth flag at the Capitol Complex and at all Commonwealth facilities in Lehigh and Berks counties to fly at half-staff to honor fallen firefighter Erik Hirner. https://t.co/4i9HngVc0M  The Press Office (@GovernorsOffice) May 31, 2018

The order did not initially mention Northampton County but would be updated to correct the omission, said J.J. Abbott, spokesman for the governor's office.

"All Pennsylvanians are invited to participate in this tribute," a news release on the flag order states. "The United States flag shall remain at full staff during this tribute."

A gofundme.com account is set up to help his family with expenses.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @KurtBresswein and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.BEIJING, May 31 -- China's latest opening-up measures of easier trade policies and increased import orders will benefit its high-quality development and boost world economic growth.

China announced Wednesday a series of opening-up measures to create a fairer, more transparent and easier investment environment for foreign-funded companies.

The measures include relaxing market access, enhancing investment and better protecting the interests of foreign investors, according to an executive meeting of the State Council chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.

At the meeting it was decided that investment facilitation would be enhanced based on international standards. The negative list on market access for foreign investors will be revised and released before July 1.

"These measures are China's concrete moves to fulfill its commitment of wider opening-up and also meet the demand of its own development goals," said Bai Ming with the research department of the Ministry of Commerce.

"Attracting foreign investment is very much in line with China's supply-side structural reform, which calls for higher-quality resources," said Yang Changyong, a senior researcher from the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research.

Since China began reform and opening-up four decades ago, foreign investment has created an important boost for economic growth.

Foreign direct investment in the Chinese mainland rose 7.9 percent to reach 878 billion yuan (138.6 billion U.S. dollars) in 2017, an all-time high.

"As China transitions from high-speed growth to high-quality development, the quality of foreign investment should also be improved," Yang said. "To attract more high-quality investment, China should create a more encouraging environment, with mechanisms such as the negative list approach pushed forward."

Besides wider market access, China pledged to expand imports, as it aligns with the country's goal of increasing consumption.

During Wednesday's meeting, the premier announced further cuts of import tariffs for consumer goods starting July 1, including clothing, shoes, home appliances and cosmetics, to meet demand and boost quality and industrial upgrading.

The announcement came on the heels of China's plan last week to cut import tariffs on vehicles and auto parts from July 1 to upgrade the auto industry.

"As people's incomes increase, the demand for healthy food, healthcare products and creative cultural goods is showing rapid growth, and imports in these fields will meet such demand," said Li Dawei, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Macroeconomic Research.

He said tariff cuts would help China achieve balanced trade, upgrade the domestic industrial chain and boost technology innovation.

"Expanding imports is an important way to achieve mutual benefit," said Li, noting that China's huge market potential would enable other countries to achieve common development and prosperity.

"These measures signal that China wishes to not only improve itself, but to inclusively share the benefits derived from China's development model," Li said.A Phillipsburg High School graduate is planning a concert Friday at her alma mater to raise money for a classmate's Marine Corps unit.

Julianna Sweeney, 19, of the Stewartsville area, and her band will be in town for what she calls the One-Stop Tour concert, which Sweeney started last year as a senior project. Last year's show raised about $500 to help a local boy with cancer, according to a news release.

The event is student-run as much as possible, providing a taste of what goes into the background of the music industry.

"Throughout the process, they learn about live sound, lighting, and being a part of stage crew, as well as other aspects of live performance," said Sweeney, who is attending the College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York, where she also performs original music. "It's important to me to spread awareness on the music industry as a viable career choice with a plethora of specialized fields and not simply a distant dream."

This year's concert is to benefit a Marine unit in which a friend and former classmate of Sweeney's is serving.

The concert is scheduled to begin 7 p.m. Friday at the high school auditorium. Doors open at 6 and opening acts start at 6:30 p.m. There is a $5 entry fee.

You can listen to some of her songs below.

Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.Telecommunications CEBIT 2018: Snom presents a number of innovations at the Business Festival

Real lookers: the white Snom telephones will debut at CEBIT

31.05.2018 12:22:59 -



(live-PR.com) - Berlin, 31 May 2018  Snom, the IP telephony specialist from Berlin, will be presenting numerous functional and design innovations at the first CEBIT expo (hall 13, stand C84) to be held in its new format and on its new date. Alongside the product highlights, the Berlin premium brand will also be giving information about its new partner programme and - Berlin, 31 May 2018  Snom, the IP telephony specialist from Berlin, will be presenting numerous functional and design innovations at the first CEBIT expo (hall 13, stand C84) to be held in its new format and on its new date. Alongside the product highlights, the Berlin premium brand will also be giving information about its new partner programme and the new Snom as a Service rental model, which provisions a cost-saving alternative to both buying or leasing telephones.

The new series of elegant white telephones, predestined for the most stylish of locations, will surely turn a few heads this year. Models D785, D7, D735 and D715 form a complete range from basic to high-end phones, with the D785 forming part of the companys next generation of equipment. With a stylish design, comes a large high-resolution colour display, along with a practical second display for dynamic contact management and integrated Bluetooth functionality. This telephone we believe, has it all.



The D735 IP telephone with sensor is pure magic ! simply moving your hand closer to the phone activates the menu function on its 11cm (4.3) TFT colour display. When idle, the screen displays user-defined images and information such as company logo, time, identity etc. The Snom D735 is part of the new generation of VoIP telephones for businesses that need quick access to their most important data (e.g.: caller lists with name and company affiliation).



Also showcased will be the new flagship of the 3xx series  the D385 sporting a large, bright colour display. Just like its brother from the 7-series, the D385 is one of Snoms newest and technically most advanced telephones. Thanks to its integrated second screen, frequently used functions can be accessed quickly and easily. The display allows for up to 24 shortcut keys to be programmed  for easier access to caller groups, speed dial or other functions  all information is clearly presented in a concise and vibrant manner. Again the second screen provisions dynamic contact management and an integrated Bluetooth compatibility. All in all, we believe we have crafted a telephone fit for even the most discerning of user !



The A230 DECT dongle, on the other hand, is the perfect accompaniment to every Snom table top telephone. This USB dongle can be linked to the C52 hands-free unit with ease, making difficult and expensive conference calls a thing of the past. The connection is established via DECT, meaning the telephone and the hands-free unit can be positioned independently of each other  ideal in cases where a conference call is convened spontaneously around a table in an office. The A320 is the perfect solution for areas where installing an extra extension line via a conference telephone would prove challenging or expensive.

With an indoor range of up to 50m (164), the A170 USB DECT headset offers both flexibility and mobility. The device can be used both at the PC and with a Snom telephone.



Just as the CEBIT has completely reinvented itself for 2018, so have we over the course of the last 18 months, says Gernot Sagl, Snom CEO. Just looking at how our profits have increased shows that the extra work that has gone into Snoms new beginning has been worth it. At CEBIT we are going to present exciting innovations that will surely cause quite a stir in the market.



Snom at CEBIT: hall 13, stand C84



About Snom Technology GmbH

A leading global premium brand for innovative professional and enterprise VoIP phones, Snom is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1997, Snom is a pioneer in the VoIP industry, launching the worlds first IP phone in 2001. Today, Snoms product portfolio meets the full spectrum of business communications requirements of call centers, conference rooms and executive management through to safety-conscious industrial environments.

A subsidiary of VTech Holdings Limited since 2016, Snom has offices in Italy, the UK, France and Taiwan and enjoys an excellent global reputation in the Voice-over-IP market. Snoms products are renowned for their technical innovation, aesthetic design, user-friendliness and outstanding audio quality. The current product portfolio is universally compatible with all leading PBX platforms and Snom products have won numerous awards around the world from independent experts.

Engineered in Germany, Snoms IP solutions also make an excellent choice for vertical markets, such as healthcare and education, when searching for specialized solutions in business communications, IoT and smart technologies.

Visit

the new Snom as a Service rental model, which provisions a cost-saving alternative to both buying or leasing telephones.The new series of elegant white telephones, predestined for the most stylish of locations, will surely turn a few heads this year. Models D785, D7, D735 and D715 form a complete range from basic to high-end phones, with the D785 forming part of the companys next generation of equipment. With a stylish design, comes a large high-resolution colour display, along with a practical second display for dynamic contact management and integrated Bluetooth functionality. This telephone we believe, has it all.The D735 IP telephone with sensor is pure magic ! simply moving your hand closer to the phone activates the menu function on its 11cm (4.3) TFT colour display. When idle, the screen displays user-defined images and information such as company logo, time, identity etc. The Snom D735 is part of the new generation of VoIP telephones for businesses that need quick access to their most important data (e.g.: caller lists with name and company affiliation).Also showcased will be the new flagship of the 3xx series  the D385 sporting a large, bright colour display. Just like its brother from the 7-series, the D385 is one of Snoms newest and technically most advanced telephones. Thanks to its integrated second screen, frequently used functions can be accessed quickly and easily. The display allows for up to 24 shortcut keys to be programmed  for easier access to caller groups, speed dial or other functions  all information is clearly presented in a concise and vibrant manner. Again the second screen provisions dynamic contact management and an integrated Bluetooth compatibility. All in all, we believe we have crafted a telephone fit for even the most discerning of user !The A230 DECT dongle, on the other hand, is the perfect accompaniment to every Snom table top telephone. This USB dongle can be linked to the C52 hands-free unit with ease, making difficult and expensive conference calls a thing of the past. The connection is established via DECT, meaning the telephone and the hands-free unit can be positioned independently of each other  ideal in cases where a conference call is convened spontaneously around a table in an office. The A320 is the perfect solution for areas where installing an extra extension line via a conference telephone would prove challenging or expensive.With an indoor range of up to 50m (164), the A170 USB DECT headset offers both flexibility and mobility. The device can be used both at the PC and with a Snom telephone.Just as the CEBIT has completely reinvented itself for 2018, so have we over the course of the last 18 months, says Gernot Sagl, Snom CEO. Just looking at how our profits have increased shows that the extra work that has gone into Snoms new beginning has been worth it. At CEBIT we are going to present exciting innovations that will surely cause quite a stir in the market.Snom at CEBIT: hall 13, stand C84About Snom Technology GmbHA leading global premium brand for innovative professional and enterprise VoIP phones, Snom is headquartered in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1997, Snom is a pioneer in the VoIP industry, launching the worlds first IP phone in 2001. Today, Snoms product portfolio meets the full spectrum of business communications requirements of call centers, conference rooms and executive management through to safety-conscious industrial environments.A subsidiary of VTech Holdings Limited since 2016, Snom has offices in Italy, the UK, France and Taiwan and enjoys an excellent global reputation in the Voice-over-IP market. Snoms products are renowned for their technical innovation, aesthetic design, user-friendliness and outstanding audio quality. The current product portfolio is universally compatible with all leading PBX platforms and Snom products have won numerous awards around the world from independent experts.Engineered in Germany, Snoms IP solutions also make an excellent choice for vertical markets, such as healthcare and education, when searching for specialized solutions in business communications, IoT and smart technologies.Visit www.snom.com to find out more about Snom Technology GmbH. Contact information:

Snom Technology GmbH



Wittestrae 30G

13509 Berlin





Contact Person:

Heike Cantzler

Head of Marketing

Phone: +49 30 78 90 76  0

eMail: eMail



Web: http://www.snom.com

Author:

Peter Link

e-mail

Web: http://www.united.de

Phone: +49 30 7890760 31.05.2018 12:22:59 -

Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party.Computer & Technology Gopher (OTCQB: GOPH) Forms Joint Venture to Pursue #AI -BlockChain Based Smart Contracts



31.05.2018 17:15:00 - Breaking #Blockchain News: Gopher (OTCQB: GOPH) Forms Joint Venture to Pursue #AI -BlockChain Based Smart Contracts Industry in #LatinAmerica



(live-PR.com) - Breaking #Blockchain News: Gopher (OTCQB: GOPH) Forms Joint Venture to Pursue #AI -BlockChain Based Smart Contracts Industry in #LatinAmerica



Santa Monica, CA, May 31, 2018- (Investorideas.com Newswire) Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB: GOPH) ("Gopher"), a company specializing in the creation of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence enabled mobile technologies, formed a joint venture with the formation of a limited liability - Breaking #Blockchain News: Gopher (OTCQB: GOPH) Forms Joint Venture to Pursue #AI -BlockChain Based Smart Contracts Industry in #LatinAmericaSanta Monica, CA, May 31, 2018- (Investorideas.com Newswire) Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB: GOPH) ("Gopher"), a company specializing in the creation of Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence enabled mobile technologies, formed a joint venture with the formation of a limited liability company, Gopher Protocol Costa Rica Sociedad De Responabilidad Limitada (Gopher CR), in Costa Rica with the Lara Group with both parties owning 50% of Gopher CR, which will be managed by Mauricio Lara Ramos, Esq. Gopher CR intends to invest and develop AI-BlockChain assets or businesses in Latin America with initial efforts focused on smart contracts.

Read this news in full at

I am looking forward to working with Gopher and using their technological resources, intellectual property and financial backing to find new solutions for the underserved and under-banked markets of Latin America that represent an approximate market of 250 million people. The applications for blockchain solutions are unlimited and I look forward to combining local assets with the Gophers platform to potentially create new revenue streams for Gopher CR stated Mr. Lara.

About Lara Group

The Lara Group is a leading firm in Costa Rica.



Mr. Lara is a Costa Rican attorney. He specializes in providing legal consulting in international tax planning and real estate development for individuals and companies from Latin America investing in the US and US individuals and companies investing in Latin America. He is a member and partner of InterTax, a legal and accounting services firm with offices in Weston, Brickell and Orlando, Florida and San Jose, Costa Rica. Mr. Lara has been at the forefront of the financial technology landscape in Latin America since the formation of the Lara Group. He is a frequent speaker in industry conferences in the region.

laralegalcorp.com/en/



See bios on



About Gopher Protocol Inc.

Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB: GOPH) (Gopher) (



Corporate Site:

Press page/ press kit -

Consumer and product website for Guardian Patch:



About Guardian Pet Tracker

The Guardian Pet Tracker (Sphere Internal name - the "Sphere") system is a derivative technology of Gopher's Guardian Patch technology. The Sphere is designed to provide its users with local tracking capability using a re-chargeable/replaceable battery source. Gopher intends to release pre-production units in limited test in the near future.



GOPH disclosure: More info: SEC link /technology abstract:



Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors as disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission located at their website (



Contact:

Mansour Khatib, CEO

Gopher Protocol Inc.

VM Only 888-685-7336

Media:



Gopher Protocol, Inc. (OTCQB:GOPH) is a featured tech stock on

Investorideas.com



More info on GOPH at Investorideas.com Visit:



Get News Alerts on Gopher Protocol Inc. GOPH



This news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leaders



Disclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Disclosure: GOPH is a PR, social media and publishing client and compensates Investorideas.com (effective April 4, 2016 - three thousand five hundred per month) Amended February 2018 five thousand per month. More disclaimer info:



Additional info regarding BC Residents and global Investors: Effective September 15 2008 - all BC investors should review all OTC and Pink sheet listed companies for adherence in new disclosure filings and filing appropriate documents with Sedar. Read for more info:



Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy:

company, Gopher Protocol Costa Rica Sociedad De Responabilidad Limitada (Gopher CR), in Costa Rica with the Lara Group with both parties owning 50% of Gopher CR, which will be managed by Mauricio Lara Ramos, Esq. Gopher CR intends to invest and develop AI-BlockChain assets or businesses in Latin America with initial efforts focused on smart contracts.Read this news in full at www.investorideas.com/CO/GOPH/news/2018/05311AI-BlockChain.asp I am looking forward to working with Gopher and using their technological resources, intellectual property and financial backing to find new solutions for the underserved and under-banked markets of Latin America that represent an approximate market of 250 million people. The applications for blockchain solutions are unlimited and I look forward to combining local assets with the Gophers platform to potentially create new revenue streams for Gopher CR stated Mr. Lara.About Lara GroupThe Lara Group is a leading firm in Costa Rica.Mr. Lara is a Costa Rican attorney. He specializes in providing legal consulting in international tax planning and real estate development for individuals and companies from Latin America investing in the US and US individuals and companies investing in Latin America. He is a member and partner of InterTax, a legal and accounting services firm with offices in Weston, Brickell and Orlando, Florida and San Jose, Costa Rica. Mr. Lara has been at the forefront of the financial technology landscape in Latin America since the formation of the Lara Group. He is a frequent speaker in industry conferences in the region.See bios on laralegalcorp.com/en/team/ About Gopher Protocol Inc.Gopher Protocol Inc. (OTCQB: GOPH) (Gopher) ( gopherprotocol.com/) is a development-stage company which consider itself Native IoT creator, developing Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence enabled mobile technology. Gopher has a portfolio of Intellectual Property that when commercialized will include smart microchips, mobile application software and supporting cloud software. The system contemplates the creation of a global network. The core of the system will be its advanced microchip technology that can be installed in any mobile device worldwide. Gopher envisions this system as an internal, private network between all enabled mobile devices providing shared processing, advanced mobile database management/sharing and enhanced mobile features.Corporate Site: gopherprotocol.com Press page/ press kit - gopherprotocol.com/?page_id=228 Consumer and product website for Guardian Patch: www.guardianpatch.com/ About Guardian Pet Tracker www.guardianpettracker.com/ The Guardian Pet Tracker (Sphere Internal name - the "Sphere") system is a derivative technology of Gopher's Guardian Patch technology. The Sphere is designed to provide its users with local tracking capability using a re-chargeable/replaceable battery source. Gopher intends to release pre-production units in limited test in the near future.GOPH disclosure: More info: SEC link /technology abstract:Forward-Looking StatementsCertain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements". Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors as disclosed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission located at their website ( www.sec.gov) . In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic conditions, governmental and public policy changes, the Companys ability to raise capital on acceptable terms, if at all, the Companys successful development of its products and the integration into its existing products and the commercial acceptance of the Companys products. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release.Contact:Mansour Khatib, CEOGopher Protocol Inc.VM Only 888-685-7336Media: press@gopherprotocol.com Gopher Protocol, Inc. (OTCQB:GOPH) is a featured tech stock onInvestorideas.comMore info on GOPH at Investorideas.com Visit: www.investorideas.com/CO/GOPH/ Get News Alerts on Gopher Protocol Inc. GOPHThis news is published on the Investorideas.com Newswire - a global digital news source for investors and business leadersDisclaimer/Disclosure: Investorideas.com is a digital publisher of third party sourced news, articles and equity research as well as creates original content, including video, interviews and articles. Original content created by investorideas is protected by copyright laws other than syndication rights. Our site does not make recommendations for purchases or sale of stocks, services or products. Nothing on our sites should be construed as an offer or solicitation to buy or sell products or securities. All investment involves risk and possible loss of investment. This site is currently compensated for news publication and distribution, social media and marketing, content creation and more. Contact each company directly regarding content and press release questions. Disclosure is posted for each compensated news release, content published /created if required but otherwise the news was not compensated for and was published for the sole interest of our readers and followers. Disclosure: GOPH is a PR, social media and publishing client and compensates Investorideas.com (effective April 4, 2016 - three thousand five hundred per month) Amended February 2018 five thousand per month. More disclaimer info: www.investorideas.com/About/Disclaimer.asp Additional info regarding BC Residents and global Investors: Effective September 15 2008 - all BC investors should review all OTC and Pink sheet listed companies for adherence in new disclosure filings and filing appropriate documents with Sedar. Read for more info: www.bcsc.bc.ca/release.aspx?id=6894 . Global investors must adhere to regulations of each country.Please read Investorideas.com privacy policy: www.investorideas.com/About/Private_Policy.asp Contact information:

Gopher Protocol



Santa Monica, CA



Contact Person:

Mansour Khatib

CEO

Phone: 888-685-7336

eMail: eMail



Web: http://gopherprotocol.com

Author:

Dawn VanZant

e-mail

Web: http://www.investorideas.com

Phone: 800-665-0411 31.05.2018 17:15:00 -

Disclaimer: If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact the author. Please do not contact Live-PR.com. We are not able to assist you. Live-PR.com disclaims content contained in this article. Live-PR.com is not authorized to give any information about content and not responsible for content posted by third party.Stock Market News

Bezant raises 0.8m as its seeks to progress Philippines project 31-05-2018 16:25



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Broker tips: Go-Ahead, Britvic, Ophir Energy 31-05-2018 14:54



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Business giants press for 'frictionless' Brexit trade agreement 31-05-2018 09:29



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Europe open: Traders hold fire as League's Salvini heads to Rome 31-05-2018 08:44



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Spectris completes disposal of EMS into Macquarie JV 31-05-2018 09:18



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TomCo Energy's investee secures contractor for Utah project 31-05-2018 11:16



Stock News headlines are gathered from financial news sources around the web. Views and opinions on each item are from their respective authors and website. They are not opinions of LiveCharts.co.ukBEIJING, May 31 -- China's manufacturing sector grew at the fastest pace in eight months in May.

The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector came in at 51.9 in May, up from 51.4 in April, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Thursday.

A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while a reading below reflects contraction.

The May figure was also higher than the 51.2 for the same period last year, and the highest since October last year, according to the NBS website.

"The manufacturing sector expanded at a faster pace, with growth momentum further strengthened," said NBS senior statistician Zhao Qinghe.

China's official manufacturing PMI in May was well above forecasts, given Japanese securities brokerage Nomura said it had expected official PMI to come in at 51.5 in May, above the consensus of 51.4.

Nomura said the rebound in May was mainly driven by the "factory output" sub-index, especially by ferrous metal processing.

Both production and demand saw steady expansion as the sub-index for production and the new order sub-index rose to 54.1 and 53.8, respectively.

"Today's data confirm our view that suppressed production over the winter and restocking in Q2 could support a rebound in the PMI and industrial production," said Nomura in its report Thursday.

Among sub-indices by enterprise size, big enterprises led the rise, said the Nomura report.

Sub-indices for the raw materials inventories and employment softened slightly to 49.6 and 49.1 respectively.

The NBS data also showed that the non-manufacturing PMI edged up from 54.8 in April to 54.9 this month, and the composite PMI output index rose from 54.1 in April to 54.6 this month.

The non-manufacturing business activity index for services rose to 54 this month, the second highest reading this year.

Consumption and related sectors including air transportation, express delivery, telecom and internet software continued strong expansion in May.

The World Bank remains optimistic about China's economy, leaving its estimate for the country's GDP growth unchanged at 6.5 percent for 2018.

"Economic activity in China remains resilient, with GDP growing by 6.9 percent in 2017 and 6.8 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2018. Consumption continues to drive growth. Growth is projected to moderate to 6.5 percent in 2018 and 6.3 percent in 2019-20," according to the World Bank's new China Economic Update released Thursday.Lifestyle / Travel

In a world where its harder to unplug, the luxury of a private island retreat secluded from the rest of the world is becoming increasingly appealing.

May 31, 2018 | By Shirley Wang

Fitness executive Jim Worthington had one goal for the luxury trip he was planning to celebrate the birthday of his girlfriend, Kim Levins: privacy. So he booked into Gladden Private Island, a tiny hotel off the coast of Belize that opened in December.

Tropical getaways are getting so exclusive, you and your partner will be the only ones at the resort for your private island retreat.

The accomodation was a cosy, single two-bedroom villa. In fact, the whole island is less than an acre. You could walk from one tip to the other, and it would take less than 30 seconds, Worthington reccounted, laughing. It was like being Robinson Crusoeyou have no idea the staff is even there.

He and Levins spent their days basking in solitude, spending peaceful hours at the edge of the water. The beauty of where you are is unbelievable, Worthington says. The stay was so memorable, that the couple plans to make the island a regular vacation spot, taking a week to decompress there every 18 months or so.

It might sound like a risky proposition: rather than a vacation villa, a personal hotel with a full cadre of staff to cater to a couples every whim (from $2,950 per night for two, all-inclusive).

This is the hottest new niche in high-end travelnot a penthouse suite, but an entire island just for you.

Gladden is the brainchild of Chris Krolow, the host of HGTVs Island Hunters, with 2 decades of expertise in selling and leasing private islands. His concept was simple: Create the ultimate couples-only hotel, a luxe hideaway for barefoot sojourners with the tracks of any other humans concealed.

The journey to Gladden is no easy route, making it more ideal for at least a long weekend getaway. Set on a pair of mangrove-fringed islands a few miles off the southern coast of Belize, Gladden is accessible from the capital, Belize City, itself a nonstop flight from several hubs in North America. From there, a 30-minute helicopter ride will transport you finally to the resort.

The setting of the resort is superb. The coast of this Central American nation is fringed with a low-lying archipelago of more than 400 atolls set in crystal blue waters reminiscent of the Maldives or the South Pacific. Krolow describes the beauty of the island to be like a jewelry box of blue all the way around, especially the color, the clarity of the waterits like nowhere on the planet.

Having two islands is key to pulling off the private island retreat concept, he says. One houses staff accommodations, buildings for generators, and other infrastructure, while the second, smaller island will be the resort where guests can feel completely alone. The employees consist of two couples who tag-team on everything from cooking (one of the women is a certified Le Cordon Bleu chef) to spa treatments (massages are offered, gratis, as often as guests wish). And to prevent visitors from getting startled by the staff, there are small warning lights in every room that flash red when support team members are crossing over from their standalone islet.

Although Gladden offers two bedrooms that can accomodate four guests, more than half of Krolows bookings are couples celebrating birthdays or anniversaries.

In an overconnected world, seclusion has become almost a benchmark of luxury travel.

Among other private-island resorts, also located in Belize, is Little Peter Oasis ($4,995 for a four-night package). It offers a similar accommodation for up to four guests in a two-bedroom villa, built over the edge of a private lagoon protected by a reef.

In the Maldives, Cheval Blanc Randheli, the tropical offshoot of French resort Courchevel 1850, has 45 traditional villas on one site but also operates a three-bedroom owners villa on a nearby private island. Just a short five-minute sail away from the main island, there are thirty staff available to tend to your fancies or leave you to your devies, whichever your prefer.

The 14-acre Dolphin Island in Fiji ($2,790 for two nights) sleeps eight, and a local fisherman will stop by every day to drop off his freshest catch for the on-site chef to prepare. Satellite Island ($2,730 for four people for two nights) is a rugged, high-end hideaway with a lodge for one family off the coast of Tasmania. Its ideal for outdoors types keen to hike in isolation or swim in crisp, clear waters. In northeast Ireland, the lakeside Trinity Island Lodge is a converted granary that once served the now ruined Trinity Abbey in nearby Cavan. Starting from $1,297 per week for six, it features its own sauna and game room, as well as miles of forest trails.

Chris Laugsch who runs the high-end villa rental agency Welcome Beyond, is confident of the new demand. People have seen and done the five-star hotelsthats the usual stuff. More and more, people really want to disconnect during their holidays, and what better way to do that than on a completely private island? Laugsch has also added an entirely private island to his portfolio, an eight-person hideaway off Nicaraguas coast.

The growing trend is indeed reflecting on the popularity of such private island getaways. Gladden is almost sold out for next year, and Krolow is planning a sister property on a similar island in nearby Nicaragua. But he isnt sure hell ever be able to indulge his ultimate goal, which he mulled before beginning construction on Gladden.Taika Waititi has confessed to being a time traveller after a fan noticed his likeness in an 1862 oil painting by Edouard Manet.

A man resembling the Thor: Ragnarok filmmaker with a grey beard appears in Manet's 'The Old Musician', which was pointed out on Twitter.

The Kiwi filmmaker took to his Twitter to share the photo with the caption:Ann De Clercq 168

It is hard to know if you have the requisite traits to be an IP lawyer or whether the career path is right for you. Managing IP spoke to four leading female IP practitioners about their professional trajectories and the advice they would give to those who are considering a career in IP.

Dont be afraid to try again

Hanna-Maija Elo is partner and co-founder of the Finnish firm Properta Attorneys, but speaking to Elo it is clear that the road to success is not always straightforward.



I would recommend practising in the IPRs field as the significance of IPRs is always growing, and it is a very interesting area of law Hanna-Maija Elo

I didnt get into law school the first time round, she says. I didnt pass the entrance exam, but I had also done an exam for technical university that year and accepted a place to study chemistry. The whole time I was there I knew I wanted to be at law school, so the next year I tried again, studied harder and was finally accepted.

After graduating from the Law Faculty of Helsinki University, Elo worked as a trainee judge in the Tuusula District Court. She then found a position at a trade mark agency and continued her work in the field from there. Now Elo is one of the founders of Properta Attorneys and has protected brands for companies such as adidas.

Speaking about barriers for women in law in Finland, she says that there were no hurdles that were particular to women: In Finland the majority of students in law schools for many years have been women. Of course as partners in law firms women are still in a small minority.

She explains this disparity is probably due to the responsibility of childcare, which can be difficult to balance with the workload of a partner. However, she also explains that in Finland, in order to be a partner, a practitioner must be a member of the Finnish Bar Association. Only about 30% of the members in this association are women, and she therefore suggests that women are choosing to avoid this type of work altogether. Instead, many are working as counsel for companies or following other paths in law.

When asked about advice for students thinking of a career in IP, Elo says: Legal studies and graduating from law school provide an excellent grounding for many different kinds of work, and it is therefore something I would strongly recommended. She continued: I would recommend practising in the IPRs field as the significance of IPRs is always growing, and it is a very interesting area of law.

Challenges make you a stronger lawyer

Few know from a young age that their destiny will be in IP. But Julianna Tabastajewa, partner at Gowling WLG in Russia, was one of them: My father was a Minister of Arts and Science in the Republic of Khakassia (Siberia) and supported theatres, museums, painters, publishing houses in their activities. For this support, he needed a good IP lawyer. He found it difficult to find anyone, but I was more than willing to help him. I always had a strong sense of wanting to protect peoples work.



You should be open to new knowledge and not be afraid of challenges as they make you stronger. To be successful, qualifications are what matter, not your gender Julianna Tabastajewa

She went on to study law and completed a PhD focused on intellectual property aspects in unfair competition. During her career, Tabastajewa has worked on high-profile cases for car manufacturers in Germany and has been involved in ground-breaking cases in the Russian courts.

Tabastajewa speaks positively about gender in the workplace in Russia: I dont think there are any real obstacles in the legal profession for women in Russia. In fact, most of the judges in Russian courts are women. If you are professional you can achieve anything. She adds that during an internship in Germany, she noticed a slight difference. She enjoyed her time just as much and was never discriminated against, but there were noticeably fewer women than men.

To succeed in IP, you definitely need a certain mindset, she says. You should be open to new knowledge and not be afraid of challenges as they make you stronger. To be successful, qualifications are what matter, not your gender. She also suggests that having a mentor is a great tool in your career.

Acquire experience

Ann De Clercq is the owner and founder of De Clercq & Partners. She has a PhD in plant molecular biology and spent time working in Munich before building her firm in Belgium.



To be successful in IP you need to be sociable, outgoing and able to express yourself both orally and in writing Ann De Clercq

De Clercq explains how she decided IP was the right choice for her: I didnt know what IP was when I started university. I was doing a PhD in collaboration with a company that had a patent department and found the combination of legal and technical matters interesting. She realised this could be an interesting avenue to pursue and so after finishing her PhD, De Clercq became an examiner at the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich. She recommends this to others thinking of a career in IP: It helped me a lot to be in the EPO first. Knowing how the office works makes an understanding of IP very natural.

When asked about being a woman in IP and any advice she had for students thinking about a career in this area, she says: In general I would not say that women face particular barriers. It is a business with a lot of female professionals. She advises students to take some extra courses in IP during their degree and adds: To be successful in IP you need to be sociable, outgoing and able to express yourself both orally and in writing.

To those uncertain about IP she says: Talk to a patent attorney and get a hands-on sense of what they do. She also suggests that studying law is not the only path, reminding students that we need a lot of students from multiple disciplines in IP.

Have a good support structure

There is an imbalance and though there are certain areas that are more open to women, generally it does remain a mans world Louise Myburgh

Louise Myburgh is a partner at Spoor & Fisher in Cape Town, South Africa. She did not consider IP law before university. She did a business degree and a degree in industrial psychology. It was while studying that she had her first taste of law working as a judges registrar. From the outset I found the work really interesting, she says. When I began doing law I found it enjoyably challenging and IP gave me a tremendous amount of satisfaction as you can see what youve been working on in the marketing on the shelves.

Talking about inclusivity in the legal profession and IP, Myburgh says: I do not think the legal profession, broadly speaking, is inclusive. There is an imbalance and though there are certain areas that are more open to women, generally it does remain a mans world. She added: Men are traditionally seen as more successful, but that is changing.

Myburgh comments on the challenges of the job: One of the things is the pace at which you have to perform. You are expected to be available 24/7 and it is very difficult to switch off. This makes it hard to find a balance and make time for other things you may be interested in. However, she continues to emphasise that despite this, she loves her work because you can see how things develop and work with very interesting people.

She leaves some parting advice to future lawyers: It is very important to have a strong support structure but you must also believe in yourself. Be sure it is what you want to do. If you are uncertain, it is very difficult to be successful.

The material on this site is for law firms, companies and other IP specialists. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws.  2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQs.

Share this articleMalacanang said it was counting on the promise of the Tulfo brothers who earlier said that they would return the P60 million paid by the Department of Tourism for the botched television advertising contract. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque is confident that both Ben and Erwin Tulfo would return the money since they were the ones that voluntarily declared to give back the money to the DoT. The controversial P60-million advertisement placed by the government television network on Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teos brothers led her to resign from her post as DoT chief. We are counting on their word of honor that if they said that, they will really return it, Roque said in a news briefing at the Palace.The Palace spokesperson said Ombudsman Conchita Morales has already ordered an investigation on the controversial advertising contract between PTV4 and DoT. Roque said its now up to the Ombudsman to decide the fate of the Tulfo brothers and resigned DoT secretary Teo. The Commission on Audit had reported that the Peoples Television Network Inc. has no memorandum of agreement or contract between the state-run media network and Bitag Media Unlimited Inc. of Tulfo, which produces the Kilos Pronto program, to air DoT advertisements.To share with friends and brethren The Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (the Everlasting Gospel), and to prepare a people to stand when He returns to redeem His remnant. Also, to share relevant information of current events, and to show how they relate to prophecy; By means of articles, editorials, opinions, scripture readings, and poetry.

Disclaimer

Endrtimes does not necessarily endorse or agree with every opinion expressed in every article/video posted on this site. The information provided here is done so for personal edification; It's up to the reader to separate truth from error, and to examine everything (like the Bereans) from a Biblical perspective. Let the Holy Scriptures be you guide! - - - FAIR USE NOTICE: These pages/videos may contain copyrighted () material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Such material is made available to advance understanding of ecological, POLITICAL, HUMAN RIGHTS, economic, DEMOCRACY, scientific, MORAL, ETHICAL, and SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES, etc. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior general interest in receiving similar information for research and educational purposes.SECURITY CONCERNS. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. clarifies some issues Wednesday regarding the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay. He gave assurances the country has not abandoned the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea disputes, stressing the Philippines will take full advantage of the tribunals ruling at the proper time. Norman Cruz

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said Wednesday the Philippines has filed close to 100 diplomatic protests against Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea in two years even as National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. insisted that the country is not abandoning the favorable ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration. In a briefing with the House special committee on the West Philippine Sea, Cayetano said the Philippines has been filing diplomatic protests for two years already, but they chose not to announce these regularly. The critics want us to announce it loudly and to confront China each and every time to the media. That is not conducive [to] the ongoing talks, he said. He also said he has assured acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpioan outspoken critic of the administrations West Philippine Sea policiesthat the department is fighting for the countrys interests, without making a fuss over it. During the meeting, Cayetano also fended off a call from Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano that he resign, for constantly appeasing the Chinese. Were not asking you to trust us blindly. Were asking you to trust us because that is the work of diplomats, Cayetano said. If you assign someone in your organization, may it be Magdalo, to do the negotiation, if you dont trust him, replace him. But were in a democracy. We elected President Duterte, he was transparent that he will be going bilateral [in his approach to the South China Sea dispute]. And we have been reporting to you and the public, he added. At the same meeting, Cayetano said any missiles China has deployed on three Philippine reefs in the West Philippine Sea form a defensive system and it is not against the Philippines. He said he had assurances from Beijing that the missiles deployed at Fiery Cross (Kalayaan), Subi and Mischief reefs are aimed at Chinas potential enemies and not at the Philippines. China also assured us with our good relationship that we are not their enemy, he said. Since he assumed office in June 2016, President Duterte has sought to strengthen ties between Manila and Beijing that were strained by the maritime dispute. Dutertes predecessor, Benigno Aquino III, questioned Chinas claims before a United Nations-backed arbitration court. The Philippines won, but the verdict was handed down during Dutertes term. Esperon on Wednesday assured the country that the administration has not abandoned the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in favor of the Philippines in the South China Sea dispute. This administration does not and will not abandon the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea disputes. This is merely set aside in the meantime, in line with the efforts of government at promoting peace, stability, and cordial relations among claimant countries in the region, Esperon said in a statement sent to media Wednesday. In order for the country to exercise its sovereignty and jurisdiction over Philippine territorial waters, Esperon said the country will take full advantage of the tribunal ruling at the proper time. Esperon also clarified that Duterte administration still observes the actions of the various claimants in the disputed South China Sea.We note with serious concern the growing militarization in the area, such as the deployment of military assets especially on features near the Philippine territory, said Esperon, saying that the Philippine government is not neglectful in undertaking diplomatic actions against any nation. The government has started the construction of five lighthouses on its claimed features in the disputed region in the West Philippine Sea or the South China Sea to ensure safety navigation not only to Filipino ships but and other foreign vessels that might pass near the islands, according to National Security Esperon. In a forum held in Manila, the NSA chief said the government is building lighthouses on Pag-Asa, Likas, Parola, Patag, and Kota islands, all part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands, at an estimated cost P10 million. Lighthouses are also now being constructed on features held by the Philippines to ensure the safety of navigation, Esperon said.He said the government is also upgrading its military facilities on Pagasa Island, the largest of nine features the Philippines occupies in the West Philippine Sea. This is necessary for trade, the preservation of the livelihood of the fisherfolk, and the timely delivery of basic necessities of the community in the municipality of Pag-Asa, he said. The upgrading of the Pag-Asa runway would also allow the government to send regular supplies to troops guarding the territory and its residents. What is more important is upgrading facilities for the comfort of our people, he said. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis vowed Tuesday that the US would keep confronting China over its territorial claims in the South China Sea, where Beijing has established a significant military presence on contested islands. Mattiss remarks came after Beijing voiced strong dissatisfaction Sunday after two US warships sailed by an island in the disputed Paracel Island chain. Youll notice theres only one country that seems to take active steps to rebuff [such operations] or state their resentment of them, but its international waters and a lot of nations want to see freedom of navigation, so we will continue that, Mattis told reporters as he flew to Hawaii. The US Navy periodically conducts freedom of navigation operations in the contested waterway, where it sails close to island features China has built into military facilities as a way of showing it rejects any territorial claims. We are going out of our way to cooperate with Pacific nations, thats the way we do business in the world, but we are also going to confront what we believe is out of step with international law, Mattis said. Sundays operation was conducted just over a week after Beijing flew nuclear-capable bombers to a disputed island, drawing immediate criticism from the US. Last week, the Pentagon pulled its invitation to China to join maritime exercises in the Pacific over Beijings continued militarization of the South China Sea. Beijing has been building artificial islands to reinforce its claim over most of the resource-rich South China Sea, despite protests from Southeast Asian countries. Its neighbors, particularly some of those involved in maritime disputes over the waters, have expressed fears China could eventually restrict freedom of navigation and overflight. Our diplomats are robustly engaged on this, Mattis said. The concerns have come to me not just from American government circles, but also from foreign nations that are concerned, very concerned about this continued militarization of features in the South China Sea. Mattis was heading to Hawaii to attend a change-of-command ceremony for the US militarys Pacific Command. The current head, Admiral Harry Harris, has been nominated to be the new ambassador to South Korea. He will be replaced by Admiral Philip Davidson. Mattis is then due to attend a regional security conference in Singapore.Philippines, China agree to properly manage maritime disputes

posted June 01, 2018 at 01:00 am by Manila Standard June 01, 2018 at 01:00 am

The Philippines and China on Thursday agreed to conduct dialogues to address issues in the disputed waters, according to Chinese state media, citing a statement from Chinas Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs. They also agreed to properly manage maritime disputes. The statement followed a meeting between Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs Director General Yi Xianliang with Foreign Affairs Chief Alan Peter Cayetano and Undersecretary Enrique Manalo. Both sides agreed that Beijing and Manila should follow the spirit of consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries and properly manage maritime disputes through dialogue and negotiation, Xinhua said.Manila and Beijing also agreed to protect peace and stability of the South China Sea, Xinhua said. China recently stepped up its militarization efforts in the disputed waters, installing military-grade runways, hangars, hardened storage for ammunition, and retractable roofs for anti-cruise missiles, prompting the Philippines to beef up its force in the area and file a protest.

COMMENT DISCLAIMER: Reader comments posted on this Web site are not in any way endorsed by Manila Standard. Comments are views by manilastandard.net readers who exercise their right to free expression and they do not necessarily represent or reflect the position or viewpoint of manilastandard.net. While reserving this publications right to delete comments that are deemed offensive, indecent or inconsistent with Manila Standard editorial standards, Manila Standard may not be held liable for any false information posted by readers in this comments section.Related Israel-Gaza border falls quiet after Egypt brokers ceasefire Egypt will host a diplomatic meeting Thursday at the level of foreign ministers and heads of the intelligence services of Egypt, Jordan and Palestine to discuss ways to halt the recent Israeli escalation in the Gaza Strip, Ahram Arabic news website reported.

The meeting in Cairo comes one day after recent military flareup between Palestinian militants and Israel subsided following a ceasefire brokered by Egypt.

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On 23 May, more than 70 students and workers gathered at Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada for Fightbacks event on the Sexual Revolution in the Soviet Union. Presenting on the topic was Fred Weston, editor of the In Defense of Marxism website and author of a recent series of articles on sexuality in the USSR. While over 100 years later the social advances made by the Russian Revolution of 1917 are still widely misunderstood, if not entirely erased by mainstream and pro-capitalist versions of history, Freds presentation cut through all the misinformation and laid bare both the real gains and limitations of the revolution. He explained that to learn the real lessons for the struggle against oppression today, we have to start with an honest appraisal of what the Russian Revolution was able to achieve in the early stages of the revolution, and why and how these achievements came to be reversed under Stalinism, placing all of these developments in their historical context.

Fred began his presentation by explaining that homosexuality was decriminalized in some of the republics of the Soviet Union in 1922, well in advance of most advanced capitalist countries, and bringing an end to the brutal repression of homosexuals that took place during the Tsarist era. Fred explained that contrary to the claims of some anti-communist historians, as well as Stalinists, this was a deliberate policy decision of the young Soviet government. Although conservative views on sexuality were still held by many individualsremnants of the repressive past which stamped their mark on social consciousnessdecriminalization of same-sex relations was part of the general trend of liberalization and openness that characterized the early period of the revolution.

Fred iterated that this was demonstrated in other areas of Soviet life as well, as can be seen by the flourishing of culture and the expansion of womens rights during this period. Fred gave examples of how the revolution began to make gains toward emancipating women from the constraints of domestic servitude, such as accessible divorce, abortions, public canteens, laundries, and daycares. As a result, there was the beginning of a reshaping of and experimentation with interpersonal and sexual relations, with some instances of individuals living more openly as homosexual. According to Fred, these advances were met with hostility in the West, and often a heavy dose of homophobia, and it was claimed that communism would destroy the family.

As the ascendant period of the revolution came to an end, the Stalinist bureaucracy asserted its interests and clawed back many of the gains that had previously been made. Homosexuality was recriminalized in 1934 and a wave of repression unleashed. In his presentation, Fred explained that this cannot simply be attributed to conservative viewpoints, as during the previous decade sexual relations between consenting adults were an area where the government did not intervene, no matter the personal opinions of individuals in power. Rather, it was part of a reactionary policy geared towards reasserting the role of the traditional family. The isolation of the revolution and the conditions of material scarcity led to regression on all fronts, from democratic rights to the right to have an abortion. Even divorce, although not removed as a right, was rendered more difficult. From that point on, the previous position towards the rights of homosexuals was buried and forgotten, and homophobia spread throughout the Communist International. Once this position had been established the world over, it created a huge divide between the left and the rising gay rights movements in the post-war period, which would only be overcome decades later.

Fred finished his presentation by explaining that both the gains made by the Bolsheviks in the early stages of the revolution, and the Stalinist clawbacks that would follow, show that oppression and the emancipation from it are inherently linked to how society is organized around production, exchange, and the development of the productive forces. Capitalism, which is based on production for private profit, forces people into competition and makes the majority fight for crumbs while the minority accumulates most of the wealth and uses oppression and discrimination to keep the majority divided. The Russian Revolution began to eradicate the social and economic roots of oppression by putting the means of production under collective ownership and control, which allowed for the gains previously discussed. However, the isolation and economic backwardness of the country meant that those gains were not sustainable without international revolution, and were eventually clawed back. Fred explained that this shows very clearly that the only way to abolish homophobia and all forms of oppression once and for all is to abolish the capitalist system and all the divisions it entails, which was met by thunderous applause from the crowd.

A lively discussion followed Freds presentation, with more than a dozen people intervening and covering topics from the current oppression of LGBTQ people to the historical origins of oppression, and the most effective ways of fighting all forms of oppression and discrimination today. Some speakers contrasted the ideas of feminism, queer theory and intersectionality which are popular in the universities to the Marxist approach to understanding and fighting oppression. The former largely emphasizes individual thought and language as the main target for understanding and ending oppression, but divorces these from their material and social origins. Marxism, on the other hand, explains that our thoughts and behaviours are shaped by our social realities; therefore, trying to change the way people think without ending the material root of social division and oppression, namely scarcity and competition, is a limited way of fighting oppression.

Another speaker talked about how the first Pride march was a riot that involved fighting back against police brutality toward the LGBTQ community, and which included radical left-wing demands to fight sexual and gender-based oppression. He criticized the corporatization and lack of political content of Pride today, and called for Pride to return to its radical roots. Several speakers talked about the most effective ways to fight oppression, such as mass demonstrations and strikes, that draw in all layers of the working class and challenge the entire capitalist system.

A common thread throughout the discussion was the need for class unity; one oppressed group cannot achieve emancipation on their own, because as long as the capitalist system exists, so too will all the forms of oppression it upholds. Furthermore, every layer of the working class has an interest in fighting all forms of oppression whether they experience it personally or not, because all forms of oppression sustain the capitalist system which exploits and oppresses all of us. Multiple speakers linked this reality to the need for class struggle and the socialist transformation of society. There was an electric mood in the room and it was clear that those in attendance were ready and eager to apply what they had learned in the broader movement. After the event most in attendance headed to a nearby pub to continue the discussion, where several new people expressed an interest in getting involved with Fightback in order to fight oppression by fighting for socialism!

In conclusion, although the rights achieved for LGBTQ people in the Soviet Union were of a limited character, based on the scientific understanding of the time, they were a significant step forward and very advanced for that period. This is part of the legacy of socialism that Marxists should be proud of. We have a vastly more thorough understanding of sexuality and gender today, allowing us to set our sights higher in the struggle for equality. However, true liberation will require once again the overthrow of capitalism and its replacement with a socialist society that is based on the needs of the majority.Federal Housing and Urban Development secretary Ben Carson will visit Connecticut Monday morning to see first-hand the damage to a home caused by deteriorating concrete contaminated with pyrrhotite.

He's coming at the request of Connecticut lawmakers -- U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney -- who are pushing the federal government to rescue homeowners in Connecticut and in Massachusetts left with crumbling homes and no way to finance repairs that can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Carson, who rose to fame as a pioneering brain surgeon, will tour the home of Maggie and Vincent Perracchio in Willington, a town about an hour's drive from Springfield.

Glad that @SecretaryCarson accepted my invite to come to CT and see the damage of crumbling foundations firsthand. We need all hands on deck to help homeowners. https://t.co/s7shx59KCV  Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) May 31, 2018

Willington was also the home of Becker Quarry, which sold the gravel with naturaly occurring pyrrhotite to sister company JJ Mottes Concrete. The now-defunct Mottes used the concrete in building projects in Connecticut and Massachusetts from 1983 until 2017, when companies stopped using concrete from the quarry at the request of Connecticut authorities.

The problem first showed up in Connecticut, where officials believe as many as 34,000 homes are affected. While there are no estimates in Massachusetts, the problem has shown up in Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Ware, Monson, Wales, Palmer and other communities.

Laura Maloney, a spokeswoman for Murphy, said the Connecticut delegation wants the administration of President Donald J. Trump to see first-hand the extent and severity of the problem.

Repairs can involve jacking up a home , removing the old foundation and putting in a new one, with costs as high as $300,000.

Homeowners often find it hard to borrow money for repairs because the problem means their biggest asset -- their home -- is worth only the value of the land, minus the cost of removing the crumbling structure.

Insurance companies won't cover losses until the walls collapse all the way. Insurers exclude coverage for deterioration even if it will lead to collapse.

Banks fear owners will walk away, leaving them holding paper on worthless properties. Towns fear the loss of taxable value.

The two pieces of federal legislation would address the need, both senators said in news releases.

The Aid to Homeowners with Crumbling Foundations Act introduced by Murphy and cosponsored by Blumenthal would provide $100 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to states like Connecticut or Massachusetts that have created nonprofit assistance funds to repair pyrrhotite-related damage.

The Crumbling Foundations Small Business and Homeowners Assistance Act introduced by Blumenthal and cosponsored by Murphy would create a similar grant program through the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Springfield, and the Connecticut lawmakers worked last year to extend an IRS provision that lets homeowners deduct repair expenses from their federal income taxes. The provision was killed in the GOP-backed tax reform. But they must claim it by 2020 and only then by filing an amended return for tax year 2017, before the tax reform took effect.Sears Holdings will close another 72 stores.

The department-store chain has been trying to close low-performing stores to stop losing money from declining sales, according to

.

Sears said it will share a full list of the closing stores later Thursday.

The company, which owns Sears and Kmart stores, said it identified about 100 stores that were not profitable, which included the 72, set to be closed in the "near future." It's not clear if the other 28 locations will also close, according to Business Insider.

The closings will happen before the end of the company's third quarter which ends in early November. Sears Holdings said its sales at stores declined 11.9 percent overall in the last year.

Earlier this month, Sears announced it would close the Kmart location at 180 Main St. in Saugus. It's not clear if any other Massachusetts locations will be affected.Sears Holdings announced Thursday that it will close its store at the Eastfield Mall in Springfield in September and its auto center there in July.

It will also close its Peabody store in July.

They are just two of the 72 stores across the country troubled retailer Sears Holdings will shut down.

The Eastfield Mall's owners, New Jersey's Mountain Development, have said their plan is to "demall" the property on Boston Road, demolishing most of the buildings and replacing it with a mixed-use housing, shopping, dining and office complex.

Those were the only two Massachusetts or Connecticut locations included in the closing list.

Sears Holdings made the closings announcement Thursday along with a set of brutal quarterly earnings. The stores posted a first-quarter loss of $3.93 a share. Revenue fell due to fewer stores and a 12 percent drop in same-store sales.

Sears said it has identified 100 unprofitable stores, and 72 of them will begin store-closing sales in the near future.

Sears Holdings has been shrinking its network of Sears and Kmart locations for years, shuttering Kmarts in Fitchburg, Newburyport, Great Barrington and Springfield and Sears stores in Burlington, Dedham and Lanesborough in the Berkshire Mall.

Sears closed its store in the Enfield Square Mall two-and-a -half years ago.

Heading into Thursday's announcement, Kmart and Sears had 30 stores in Massachusetts.

Kmart has stores in Acton, Billerica, Brockton, Holyoke, Hyannis, Palmer, Somerville and Webster.

Sears has stores in Auburn, Braintree, Brockton, Cambridge, Fall River (outlet), Hanover, Holyoke (both an outlet and a store), Hyannis, Leominster, Marlborough, Natick, North Attleboro, North Dartmouth, Peabody, Saugus, Shrewsbury (outlet), Springfield and Taunton. All but the Cambridge and Peabody Sears stores also have an auto center. The Auburn store has the last service center in the state for appliances and the like.

There are also independently owned Sears Hometown stores in East Wareham, Great Barrington and Hadley.

Sears Holdings closed its Kmart location at 180 Main St. in Saugus on earlier this month.

Sears also said it will at least explore selling its DieHard brand of auto parts and accessories and its home improvement products and PartsDirect businesses.

This isn't the first time Sears has sold off a brand name it made famous. It sold Craftsman to Stanley Black & Decker in in January 2017 for $775 million. Stanley, based in New Britain, Conn., now makes Craftsman saw blades and other tools at its plant in East Longmeadow. That plant is the former Lenox American Saw.

Rather than blaming online retailing, Sears is apparently, belatedly, embracing the trend at least when it comes to car parts and hardware.

It's working with Amazon to provide full-service tire installation and balancing at its locations for customers who purchase any brand of tires on Amazon.com.

That way consumers can have their tires shipped to Sears and put on locally, but get Amazon prices, according to Sears' earnings announcement..

Sears is also selling its DieHard all-season passenger tires on Amazon.com. Sears Kenmore and DieHard products on Amazon.com.

Kmart and Sears stores that will close by Jim Kinney on ScribdA Boston Public School teacher was held on $10,000 bail Wednesday at his arraignment on two attempted rape charges.



Alfred Johnson, 35 of Brockton, was charged with two counts of indecent assault and battery and two counts of assault with intent to rape a child in West Roxbury court Wednesday, according to Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney's office.





Prosecutors say Johnson assaulted a young teenager with whom he had an "inappropriate relationship" in the winter. Johnson is a seventh and eighth-grade math teacher at the Codman Academy Charter Public School in Dorchester. The alleged assaults happened outside of school, prosecutors said.



"Alfred Johnson is on leave," Head of School Thabati Brown said in a statement. "As this is a confidential personnel matter I can't comment any further. I'm confident the issue will be handled by the police. We are cooperating with the investigation."



At his arraignment, Johnson was asked to surrender his passport and have no contact with the victim. He is being represented by Kelli Porges and is scheduled to return to court Thursday for a bail review.A Suffolk Superior Court jury on Thursday found former Boston high school dean Shaun Harrison in the nearly fatal shooting of an ex-student over marijuana sales.

Harrison, 58, is scheduled to be sentenced on Friday by Judge Christopher Muse. The main charge, armed assault with intent to murder, has a maximum penalty of 20 years in state prison.

After a week-long trial, Harrison, nicknamed "Rev," was also convicted of aggravated assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, and unlawful possession of a firearm, among other charges.

Prosecutors alleged Harrison, dean of academies at English High School in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood in 2015, "used his position of trust to ingratiate himself to an at-risk 17-year-old student he was assigned to work with," according to Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley's office. Harrison pressed the student to sell marijuana on his behalf.

"Displeased with the victim's sales, Harrison first arranged for the victim to be assaulted at school on March 3, 2015, then texted him to meet near Harrison's Pompeii Street apartment that evening, cell phone records proved," Conley's office said in a release. "Surveillance cameras captured footage of the two walking together on Magazine Street when Harrison fell behind the victim and raised a gun, firing one shot into the back of the victim's head that traveled to his cheek."

The victim survived and after getting transported to Boston Medical Center, he pointed to Harrison as his shooter.

"This defendant presented himself as a man of faith dedicated to helping young people," Conley said in a statement. "Instead he exploited his position to earn the trust of vulnerable youth and prey on them."

Conley added that Harrison "betrayed" the local community as well as the victim.

"It was only by sheer luck that the victim survived this attempted execution to identify Harrison for what he is - a violent predator and a fraud," Conley said.MBTA and state transportation officials on Wednesday christened a new catamaran, a 150-passenger addition to the public transit agency's fleet of ferries.

The Glory, as they're calling the boat, was built by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding in Somerset, Mass. It's the second of two new ferries to go into service in the last year.

Gov. Charlie Baker's transportation chief Stephanie Pollack, and the MBTA's general manager, Luis Manuel Ramirez, boarded the boat, which was docked at Hewitt Cove in Hingham, a community south of Boston.

The Glory then zipped across Boston Harbor in less than 40 minutes, letting off its small band of passengers at Long Wharf, close to the city's Financial District.

The new ferry will serve Hingham, Hull and Logan International Airport in East Boston.

A similar vessel, dubbed Champion, was added to the fleet in October 2017.

Other high-speed ferries include the Lightning and the Flying Cloud.

"The Glory is named to honor the legacy of Master Shipbuilder Donald McKay's Glory of the Seas clipper, which set a record for the fastest day's run in twenty-four hours in 1854," the MBTA said in a release. "With the original Glory of the Seas designed in east Boston, the MBTA's new Glory honors this idea as the new ferry will service the same community."A civilian observing a firearms training session at the Athol Police Department firearms program was accidentally shot and wounded Wednesday, the Northwestern District Attorney's Office said in a release.

Spokeswoman Mary Carey said the victim was transported to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to the "upper rear leg area."

Massachusetts State Police detectives attached to the district attorney's office are investigating while the Town of Athol will be conducting its own internal review.The Minister of Environment ordered monitoring teams in South Sinai to track all movements of the whale

Egypt's environment ministry said in a statement on Thursday that a rare blue whale has been sighted for the first time in the Gulf of Aqaba in the Red Sea.

The Minister of Environment Khaled Fahmi ordered monitoring teams in all the Egyptian nature reserves in South Sinai and the Red Sea to track all movements of the whale.

The Blue Whale is the largest animal ever to have lived on earth.

According to the ministry statement, the subspecies that has emerged in Red Sea waters is a 24-metre-long pygmy blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda).

"This type of whale does not constitute a danger to humans and does not attack humans, but the ministry advises people not to approach it," the statement read.

The Ministry of Environment urges citizens to swim away from the marine mamal if they see it. The ministry has also ordered the monitoring units to determine possible causes for the whale's appearance in the Red Sea.

Blue whales spend most of their time in the ocean and rarely come into sea waters according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

These magnificent marine mammals rule the oceans, growing up to 100 feet long and upwards of 200 tonnes.

Blue whales look like a true blue underwater, but on the surface their coloring is more a mottled blue-gray.

Aggressive hunting in the 1900s by whalers seeking whale oil drove the animals to the brink of extinction. Between 1900 and the mid-1960s, some 360,000 blue whales were slaughtered. They finally came under protection with the 1966 International Whaling Commission, but have managed only a minor recovery since.

Blue whales have few predators but are known to fall victim to attacks by sharks and killer whales, and many are injured or die each year from impacts with large ships.

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HOLYOKE -- The long-closed Mater Dolorosa Church will avoid the wrecking ball after all, with the city announcing Thursday that it will buy the 117-year-old building.

Mayor Alex B. Morse and Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, made the announcement about the $50,000 purchase at City Hall, concluding negotiations Morse began in October to save the church.

The city plans to use the facility at Maple and Lyman streets to house a transition program for special needs students and to hold banquets and other events, officials said.

The Diocese owns the church at 71 Maple St. It was closed in 2011 because of declining parishioner numbers and concerns about the steeple's stability, diocese officials said, though others have said the church structure is sound and will last for years.

In closing the church, the diocese combined Mater Dolorosa with the former Holy Cross Church to form Our Lady of the Cross at 23 Sycamore St.

Attendance issues aside, opponents of demolition say Mater Dolorosa Church is special, having been built and paid for by Polish immigrants in 1901.

Controversy erupted immediately after the closing, with parishioners occupying the church in round-the-clock vigils for a solid year. They said they distrusted the claims of diocese officials that there were no plans to demolish the church.

Friends of Mater Dolorosa and parishioners appealed the closing to the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome, the Catholic Church's highest court. That court ruled in 2015 the church officially could close.

After diocese officials said pieces of the steeple had broken off and fallen to the ground, they sought permission from the city to take down the church in January 2017.

Instead, Holyoke Building Commission Damian J. Cote said demolition didn't have to be inevitable. He referred the matter to the city Historical Commission.

Cote also said that whatever weaknesses might be evident in the structure were at least partly because the Diocese had failed to continue with routine maintenance.

In October, the diocese obtained a permit from the city Building Department to demolish only the steeple part of the church.

At the same time, the Holyoke Local Historic District Commission had scheduled a public hearing for Oct. 30 to consider a proposal filed by City Councilor Michael J. Sullivan to make the church a historic district. Such a designation was intended to prevent the diocese from demolishing the church.

That's when Morse began talks with Rozanski.

Acquisition of a property and appropriation of money for the purchase require City Council approval.In a video recorded hours before bullets were sprayed inside his former high school, Nikolas Cruz described a planned attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

"My name is Nik, and I'm going to be the next school shooter of 2018," he says in a cell phone video.

The teen described plans to take an Uber to the school and set a goal for how many he hoped to kill.

"My goal is at least 20 people, with an AR-15," he says on the video before identifying the location.

The teen said it would be "a big event" and said "when you see me on the news, you'll all know who I am." He added, with a laugh, "you're all going to die."

Nikolas Cruz Shooting: Florida's Stoneman Douglas High School attacked by teen gunman 154 Gallery: Nikolas Cruz Shooting: Florida's Stoneman Douglas High School attacked by teen gunman

Cruz is accused of the attack that resulted in the deaths of 14 students and three school employees at the Parkland, Florida school. An additional 17 were wounded.

Florida officials tried to commit Cruz a year prior to the shooting after he told a classmate he wanted to buy a gun and use it after a breakup with his girlfriend.

Cruz, 19, faces the death penalty if convicted.A heavy police presence was established around a Page Blvd. home late Wednesday night. But, officials are not saying what is being investigated.

Police spokesman Ryan Walsh said the scene at 1333 Page Blvd. is the subject of a Major Crimes unit investigation with Capt. Trent Duda heading it up.

Additional details about the incident will be posted as they become available.SPRINGFIELD -- Stewart Weldon, the 40-year-old man who lived at the Page Boulevard property where at least two suspected homicide victims were found this week, has an extensive criminal record that includes convictions in Massachusetts and guilty pleas in New Jersey.

His most recent arrest occurred in Springfield following a police chase and crash Sunday night. He faces charges for allegedly kidnapping, raping and brutalizing a woman. He has not been charged in connection with two bodies found at 1333 Page Blvd.

According to a report obtained by The Republican from the Massachusetts Department of Criminal Justice Information Services, Weldon's criminal history in Springfield includes a 2005 charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.

He was incarcerated in that case, and was released in 2008, according to the records.





In 2010, Weldon was charged with breaking and entering at night with intent to commit a felony and assault with a dangerous weapon. He served time in this case as well, and was released in Jan. 2012.

The report did not offer details of those cases.

Weldon's arrest this week was preceded most recently by an arrest following a traffic stop on Oct. 14, 2017.

The 10 charges against him in that case included failure to stop for police, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, four counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery on police officer and breach of peace.

According to New Jersey state records reviewed by The Republican, Weldon pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a jail term in connection with a 2006 burglary case. In 1997, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to probation for unlawful possession of a firearm.

After he was arrested this week, Judge John Payne revoked Weldon's release in three open cases involving charges of speeding, failing to stop for police and multiple counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

The investigation is ongoing at the Page Boulevard home and the property, as of Thursday afternoon, was still cordoned off with yellow police tape.

Stewart Weldon Massachusetts CORI by The Republican/MassLive.com on ScribdWHATELY -- Long Plain Farm on Christian Lane could become the site of a marijuana cultivation facility.

Land owner Scott Hutkoski, along with Urban Grown Inc., held a required "community outreach meeting" on Tuesday. The corporation, which includes UMass Amherst agronomy professor Stephen Herbert, plans to apply for a state cultivation license, according to The Greenfield Recorder.

Herbert presented his business plan along with Northampton attorney Michael Cutler and former state agriculture commissioner Scott Soares, who's now a consultant.

The entity plans to grow its cannabis in two preexisting greenhouses, as opposed to the large indoor warehouses proposed by other potential cultivators across the state.

The indoor industrial setting is not "farmer friendly," Soares said.

Herbert said he would like to be licensed for 10,000 square feet of cultivation. He said he's looking at partnerships with farmers in Hadley, as well.

Issues of odor, light pollution, and security were addressed at the meeting, attended by local residents, Whately Police Chief James Sevigne Jr., and town officials

"We want to be your friends. We don't want to be your enemies. We want to make it work for everybody," Herbert said, according to The Recorder.

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission plans to start issuing recreational marijuana licenses June 1 with the first retail licenses due on July 1.HOLYOKE -- The future of the closed and battled-over Mater Dolorosa Church will be discussed today at a 10:30 a.m. press conference at City Hall with Mayor Alex B. Morse and Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski.

Details were unavailable about whether a buyer for the property has been found or whether the plan of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield to demolish the 117-year-old church will proceed.

The Diocese closed the church at Maple and Lyman streets in 2011 because of declining parishioner numbers and concerns about the steeple's stability.

But parishioners and others have said the church structure is sound, will last for years and should remain intact in honor of its being a centerpiece built and paid for by Polish immigrant. It opened in 1901.

The Diocese merged Mater Dolorosa with the former Holy Cross Church to form Our Lady of the Cross at 23 Sycamore St.

In October, the Diocese obtained a permit from the city Building Department to demolish only the steeple part of the church.

At the same time, the Holyoke Local Historic District Commission scheduled a public hearing to consider a proposal to make the church a historic district. Such a designation was intended to prevent the Diocese from demolishing the church.

That's when Morse began talks with Rozanski about finding a way to save the church.Mohegan Sun is asking a judge to throw out the Boston-area casino license awarded to Wynn Resorts in 2014, saying the Massachusetts Gaming Commission did not properly investigate the casino and its now-former CEO Steve Wynn, who is accused of sexual harassment.



Court records show that Mohegan Sun filed an amendment to a 2014 complaint May 28. Records were not available for viewing at Suffolk Superior court on Thursday morning.



The Boston Herald reports the casino is claiming that the Gaming Commission did not give the Connecticut casino a fair chance at the license in the Boston area. The casino says the Gaming Commission failed to thoroughly vet Wynn in its 2014 background check, the newspaper reports.



"There were multiple sources -- including books, reported lawsuits, and documents stemming from those lawsuits -- available to the Commission during the suitability determination, licensing proceeding, and after the license award which discussed and disclosed Mr. Wynn's sexual misconduct and mistreatment of employees," the amended complaint reads, according to the Herald. "Despite this poorly-kept secret, nowhere in the IEB's report on Wynn's suitability is there any indication that the issue of sexual harassment was investigated, even superficially."

The complaint has not yet been accepted by a judge, the Herald reports.



"Wynn's failure to disclose this information, and the Commission's inability to uncover information that was, by all accounts, hiding in plain sight, raises significant questions regarding the scope of the suitability review of Wynn and goes to the heart of Plaintiffs claim that the Commission was irrevocably biased in favor of the Wynn application," Mohegan wrote in the document, the Herald reports.



The Gaming Commission filed a reply brief this week opposing the motion by Mohegan. The Commissioner says its investigation into Steve Wynn and Wynn resorts is ongoing.





"The (Investigations and Enforcement Bureau) plans to issue its suitability report to the Commission sometime this summer, and the Commission will then conduct an adjudicatory hearing," the commission wrote, according to the newspaper.



Steve Wynn resigned in February after the Wall Street Journal reported a number of women said Wynn harassed or assaulted them. One case led to a $7.5 million settlement.NORTHFIELD --A fully-accessible nature trail will formally open to the public on June 2, National Trails Day.

The Gunnery Sergeant Jeff Ames Accessible Nature Trail provides a half-mile loop at the Alderbrook Meadows Wildlife Sanctuary, located off Rt. 63 near Homer Road in Northfield.

The trail meanders through five acres of woods, with a deck overlooking a beaver pond. The land was donated to Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust by Bill and Nancy Ames.

Sgt. Jeff Ames, their son, served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 22 years in Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, Somalia and the Ukraine.

"We are grateful for his service, which resulted in his being 80 percent disabled, and wanted to honor that service by naming the trail after him," said Jeff's parents.

Last fall, Mount Grace hosted the first wheelchair test of the trail by volunteers from the Carson Center for Human Services and North Quabbin Trails Association.

Many organizations, businesses, and individuals contributed to the project, and the state awarded $49,725 to Mount Grace to create the accessible nature trail.

The accessible trailhead is near a historic place, according to Doug Harris, Deputy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Narragansett Indian Tribe. Harris said tribal and colonial leaders met at the site "to actually discuss whether their path forward with the Colonials would be one of conflict or peace."



The Wampanoag Aquinnah, Abenaki, and Narragansett Nations worked with Mount Grace, the Nolumbeka Project, and the Northfield Historical Commission to describe the cultural importance of the area.

"The new trail will provide a place for families with young children, seniors, and people of all levels of mobility access to a beautiful hidden pond," according to Mount Grace.

The celebration of the Gunnery Sergeant Jeff Ames Accessible Nature Trail is free and open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 2. All are welcome.NORTHAMPTON -- A Ware man accused of raping three women and assaulting another has a "history of violence," Northwestern Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Suhl said in Hampshire Superior Court Thursday.

Arthur E. Salsbury Jr.'s history includes at least eight prior convictions for assault and battery, three previous incarcerations, five separate probation violations and three past restraining orders, the prosecutor said at a dangerousness hearing.

"It's pretty consistent throughout and there's not many gaps in between," Suhl said, of Salsbury's violent background.

Judge John Agostini ordered Salsbury held until a scheduling hearing on June 20.

Salsbury, 42, is accused of assaulting four different women in Granby and South Hadley in 2009 and 2018. He was indicted on charges related to the assaults on May 17, which transferred the case to the Northampton courthouse from Eastern Hampshire District Court in Belchertown.

On Tuesday, Salsbury pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape, four counts of aggravated rape, two counts of assault by means of a dangerous weapon and individual charges of kidnapping, unarmed robbery and assault and battery.

At his arraignment Salsbury was ordered held without right to bail. Suhl argued Thursday he should remain in custody for the sake of the "safety of the victims as well as the safety of the community."

The three rapes allegedly happened at Dufresne park in Granby Suhl said. In two incidents, Salsbury wielded a knife "to compel sexual intercourse," Suhl said.

In all the cases, Salsbury allegedly picked up the women in Holyoke with his tow truck, or with a vehicle registered under his wife's name, Suhl said.

In the South Hadley incident, Salsbury is alleged to have met with a prostitute, engaged in consensual sex, then robbed her of the money he paid her before also assaulting her with a knife and injuring her, Suhl said.

In two of the cases, Suhl said, Salsbury assaulted women who were "essentially strangers" to him.

In all of the cases Salsbury was "under the influence of cocaine" or alcohol or both, with several of the alleged victims indicating he had been "snorting cocaine while driving" and drinking whiskey, Suhl said.

Salsbury had previously admitted to police that he met up with prostitutes in Holyoke, but denied anything but consensual sex with them.

Suhl said that at the time of three of the alleged crimes Salsbury was on probation out of East Brookfield District Court for assault and battery and malicious destruction of property. According to Suhl, a police report connected to the case alleges that the assault involved Salsbury using "brass knuckles" on someone.

Salsbury's attorney David Mintz said "documentary evidence" shows Salsbury was in Boston with family on the date of one of the alleged assaults. "We may have an alibi situation with one of these offenses," Mintz said.

While Mintz admitted that "four separate accusations makes it difficult to defend," he argued that if one of the alleged incidents turns out to be "uncertain" then the case could take a different turn. "Who knows what could happen from there?" Mintz said.

Mintz also commented that Salsbury has "substantial" ties to the community, gesturing to the crowd of friends and family who had shown up in court to support him. "Everyone in his family is here supporting this man," Mintz said.

Mintz asked that his client be given a $1,500 cash bail.

Suhl, meanwhile, advised for a $20,000 cash bail, as well as GPS tracking and house arrest conditional to release. She also asked the judge to order he have no contact with the alleged victims, that he not use alcohol or drugs and submit to random drug testing and drug treatment.

"The issue here is, are there less restrictive alternatives?" Mintz said, referring to Suhl's recommendations, while also agreeing that in the case of release GPS tracking and house arrest was reasonable.

Salsbury has been held at the Hampshire County jail since April 24. He has been segregated from the other prisoners because of an "incident," Mintz said.

The charges, locations and dates of alleged offenses are as follows:Reports on convicted sex offender Wayne Chapman, who is scheduled to walk out of prison, should be released, Gov. Charlie Baker said.

Two qualified examiners say Chapman, who was sentenced in 1977 for the rapes of two boys in Lawrence, can be released.

Chapman, 70, spent 30 years in state prison and then repeatedly was civilly committed because he was deemed a sexually dangerous person. But the examiners now say he can be released, drawing outrage and concern, including from the governor.

The Boston Herald reports that a Superior Court judge ordered the full reports on Chapman to be released by Friday. The reports were initially made public, but with heavy redactions, according to the newspaper.

"The reports that were done on him by the two independent reviewers need to be redacted and the full information associated with that needs to be made public," Baker told reporters on Thursday.

"And I've said several times that I believe the recommendation here - which that he is no longer a danger, which is based on his physical condition and not on his state of mind - is enormously problematic," Baker said.

He reiterated his plans to file a bill to alter the process for release, so it would not just be up to two experts. Baker wants serial sex offenders who are civilly committed to go before a jury or a single justice before getting released.

"The idea that a report by two people, expert or not, is all it takes for somebody like him to get back into the community is a problem," Baker said.

The legislation would not alter Chapman's situation, Baker acknowledged.Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi discussed on Thursday in Cairo with a delegation from the US Congress Egypt's ongoing anti-terror Operation Sinai 2018, according to a statement by the presidency spokesman.

El-Sisi said that Egypt's fight against terrorism is part of "an integrated strategy that also includes reforming religious discourse in a way that reflects the noble values of the Islamic religion, as well as instil the principles of citizenship, equality and acceptance of others."

Operation Sinai 2018 was launched in February to combat terrorist activity in North Sinai and other parts of the country.

The Thursday meeting was attended by members of the US congress, including the head of the US delegation Darrell Issa, as well as Egypt's acting head of intelligence Abbas Kamel and Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry.

El-Sisi highlighted the progress that has been achieved militarily and in development projects undertaken to serve the economic and social needs of families living in Sinai.

The Egyptian president stressed that his government is giving top priority to development projects in Sinai as a major part of combating terror.

The officials also discussed the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with El-Sisi highlighting Egyptian efforts to ease the pressure and suffering of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip. The president also stressed the importance of reaching a just and comprehensive political settlement to the conflict.

The congressmen also met with Egyptian FM Shoukry, who expressed that US support for Egypt reflects the distinct ties between the two countries as well as their common interests.

Shoukry apprised the delegation of the political, security and economic developments in Egypt, as well as the country's ongoing reform programme.

The foreign minister also answered questions the congressmen had about developments in the region, especially the Syrian crisis and the prospects for a political solution to the conflict, as well as the situation in Libya and the achievement of national consensus.

Shoukry also talked about Egypt's assessment of the risks of the ongoing escalation in the occupied Palestinian territories and the dangers of the continued stalemate in the peace process.

The FM also apprised the congressmen about the latest developments concerning the deadlock in the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam talks.

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NORTH ADAMS -- A school bus driver in the tiny town of Savoy is accused of indecently assaulting a child over a span of several years.

Peter Miner, 63, is accused of touching the student's buttocks and attempting to kiss the child, according to a criminal complaint filed by state police and viewed by the Berkshire Eagle.

The assaults allegedly began when the child was in third grade, and continued through sixth grade. The student told investigators the behavior happened many times. Most recently, Miner allegedly hugged the student and would not let go.

Miner pleaded not guilty Friday in Northern Berkshire District Court to two counts of aggravated and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, and a single count of enticing a child. He was released on personal recognizance with the condition that he have no contact with the student.

The Department of Children and Families on May 2 advised the Berkshire District Attorney of a sexual assault beginning five years ago that was only recently reported by a student. The child was interviewed by police and the Berkshire County Sexual Assault Intervention Network, according to the Pittsfield newspaper.

A representative from the bus company, DuFour Tours, told The Eagle that Miner is on leave until the proceedings are complete. He said DuFour conducts criminal record checks on its drivers annually, and license checks with the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Miner is due back in court June 27 for a pre-trial hearing.WESTFIELD -- Cases in Westfield District Court reviewed by The Republican offer further glimpses into the life of the kidnapping suspect who lives at an East Springfield home where investigators found at least two decomposing bodies late Wednesday night.

Stewart R. Weldon Jr., 40, was arrested Sunday after police attempted to pull his car over because of a broken taillight. A chase ensued and he rammed a police cruiser before his arrest. A female passenger in the car told officers Weldon had been holding her against her will for a month, beating and raping her.

Police sources say Weldon and the woman had a prior relationship and have two children together.

Weldon lives at 1333 Page Blvd. in Springfield, where the discovery of the bodies unfolded with a massive police presence overnight into Thursday. While Weldon was held on $1 million cash bail and charged with eight criminal counts including kidnapping, he has not been charged in connection with the bodies.

Public records searches conducted by The Republican show Weldon had a criminal record in both Massachusetts and New Jersey.

Weldon also had a number of run-ins with police in Westfield, where he lived as recently as 2016, court records show.

In 2015, Weldon was charged with assault and battery and assault with a dangerous weapon. A brief description of that incident said Weldon was at a bar, where he threatened to shoot several people.

"During the struggle with bar staff one bouncer was punched by Weldon," a police report says.

Police did not recover a gun from Weldon during that arrest. The bouncer obtained a restraining order but the case was later dropped, court records show.

On New Year's Eve the same year, Weldon made a 911 call but was uncooperative with police when they arrived at his 112 Main St. apartment.

Police discovered Weldon had an outstanding arrest warrant -- the records do not say for what -- and locked him up that night as well. No further information was available regarding that incident.

On May 6, 2016, Weldon was spotted by a patrolman speeding down Main Street around 1:30 a.m., according to one document. Weldon allegedly told the officer -- who spotted a open, half-full can of beer in the car -- he was driving despite having a suspended license.

He was charged with driving with a suspended license, driving a car with an expired inspection sticker, speeding, and an open container violation.

An arrest report notes that Weldon has a scar on his back from a gunshot wound. He also has tattoos on his arms and chest, one of which reads "Cynthia" and is embellished with a rose.

Most of the motor vehicle charges were dismissed in that case, according to the records. While he missed at least one court appearance and was arrested on a default warrant, Weldon ultimately settled the case with a $725 fine in 2017.

Sources familiar with the ongoing investigation in Springfield say police visited Weldon's home Wednesday evening after his mother called to report a foul odor at the address.SPRINGFIELD -- A Springfield man is being held on $1 million bail after allegedly kidnapping a woman and then raping, stabbing and beating her with a hammer and other weapons.

Stewart Weldon, 40, pleaded not guilty Tuesday in Springfield District Court to kidnapping with serious bodily injury, threat to commit a crime (murder), resisting arrest and five related charges.

The high cash bail was requested by Springfield police following Weldon's arrest Sunday night after a chase through the Six Corners neighborhood.

When Weldon was first pulled over for a broken tail light, he drove off as two officers got out of their cruiser. The second stop came after he raced through a half dozen streets and, after being boxed in, slammed into a cruiser while trying to escape, according to the arrest report.

Pulled from his car at gunpoint, Weldon began to wrestle with the officers while a female passenger remained in the vehicle, the report said.

Once the suspect was handcuffed and placed in a cruiser, the woman told police she had been held captive for a month at a home on Page Boulevard, where Weldon beat and sexually assaulted her and repeatedly threatened to kill her.

The woman was "extremely distraught ... and crying uncontrollably" and had bruises, scabbed-over wounds and other signs of prolonged physical abuse, the report said.

At Baystate Medical Center, she was treated for a possible fractured jaw, stab wounds to her abdomen, marks from being hit with a blunt object, bruises, scrapes and a festering leg infection, officer Daniel Moynihan wrote.

Moynihan cited the "grotesque and violent nature" of Weldon's alleged actions, along with his past criminal history, while recommending that prosecutors request $1 million bail.

Held over the holiday weekend, Weldon appeared to be laughing to himself as he sat in the defendant's dock Tuesday awaiting arraignment.

Hampden Assistant District Attorney Frederick Burns requested the bail figure sought by the arresting officers. He also asked Judge John Payne to revoke Weldon's release in three open cases involving charges of speeding, failing to stop for police and multiple counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Defense lawyer Ivonne Vidal agreed to the bail on the condition Weldon could seek a lower figure later in the case.

Payne set bail at $1 million and revoked Weldon's release in the three open cases, effectively jailing him for 90 days.

Weldon is due back in court for a pretrial hearing on June 29.

Weldon is described in court records as a single, unemployed New York City native with five aliases, including Corey Bosella and Stewart Weldon Jr.Springfield police are investigating suspicious deaths that are being treated as homicides at a Page Boulevard home, a source familiar with the investigation said Thursday morning.

Throughout Wednesday night, multiple police cruisers and a forensic van lined the roadway outside 1333 Page Boulevard, a low-slung house now cordoned off with police tape.

Police officers and crime scene technicians could be seen examining a garage set behind the house. Around 4:20 a.m., a subcontractor for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner arrived in a minivan. Flashes from the cameras of investigators lit the driveway as police helped moved a body bag out of the garage.

Police first announced the investigation shortly before 10 p.m. on Wednesday, with spokesman Ryan Walsh saying on Twitter that there was no threat to public safety. The inquiry is being led by the Springfield Police Department's Major Crimes Unit.

MassLive has reached out to the Hampden County District Attorney's Office for additional information. This is a developing story.A small group of Springfield and Boston student activists gathered outside Smith and Wesson headquarters on Roosevelt Avenue Wednesday afternoon to offer to take company CEO P. James Debney to prom and, not incidentally, to discuss gun violence.

The Pioneer Valley Project made its second attempt to meet with Debney. It had gone to the gun manufacturer's headquarters April 24. Debney did not meet with them then, either.

Paul Lumpkin is a 6th-grader at Chestnut Accelerated Middle School in Springfield and a member of the Pioneer Valley Project. He said he wants to put an end to gun violence so he can concern himself with getting an education.

"I don't want to go to school worrying about if someone will kill me instead of worrying about what my grades will look like," he said.

Paul's older sister, Key-Aurah, a 7th-grader, agreed that school safety is the prime reason students need to speak out.

"A classroom is a place where we are supposed to feel safe," she said. "If we can't feel safe there what are we supposed to do?"

The eight activists who gathered in front of Smith and Wesson crossed Roosevelt Avenue to enter the visitor's center at the company's front gates. There they signed in with security personnel and were politely, but firmly, asked to leave the property.

The Pioneer Valley Project is a Springfield-based grassroots organization dedicated to building, "collective power for racial and economic justice."

This time the PVP was joined by members of the Boston-based B-Peace for Jorge, a youth group created by the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

B-Peace for Jorge was created after Jorge Fuentes, a 19-year-old soon-to-be-Marine was gunned down on a Dorchester street while walking his dog.

Fuentes had grown up in the church and become a mentor for youth through various Episcopalian organizations he was involved with.

When he was shot and killed, then-Bishop Thomas Shaw convened a group of clergy and laymen to find ways for the church to take meaningful action to address violence in the community. That became the Jorge Fuentes Antiviolence Task Force, or B-Peace for Jorge which joins the programs he worked with, B-Safe and B-Ready.

Central High School senior Johemy Vilchez said gun violence has not hit her, her family but that is not a reason to not take action.

"On the Mother's Day just passed someone was shot in front of one of my friend's house and it was very gruesome and very traumatic. It should stop and we want to find a solution and that is why we are here today."A 27-year-old man has been arrested in Virginia in connection with a fatal drive-by shooting in Haverhill earlier this month.

Authorities arrested Eddy Manuel Almonte of Haverhill during a traffic stop in Winchester, Virginia, the Haverhill Police Department announced in a news release.

A warrant for murder had been issued for Almonte in connection with the fatal shooting of Nike Colon, 20, that occurred in the Mount Washington area of Haverhill on May 17. Colon was sitting in the front passenger seat of a vehicle when he was shot.

Almonte will be extradited back to Massachusetts where he will be arraigned on charges in connection with the shooting.

PRESS RELEASE An arrest has been made in the homicide investigation of Nike Colon (20) that occurred in the Mount... Posted by Haverhill Police - Official on Wednesday, May 30, 2018

Almonte was taken into custody Wednesday after an unrelated motor vehicle stop.

He is awaiting the extradition process and will be brought back to Massachusetts to face prosecution.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted by Haverhill Police Department in conjunction with the Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Essex County District Attorney's Office.If only that pesky and annoying Jefferson Sessions hadn't recused himself from oversight of the probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election, all would be just fine and dandy.

No special counsel. No witch hunt. No problem.

That's how President Donald Trump sees things, anyway. Incorrectly. Foolishly. Obsessively.

The president has spent a lot of time and wasted lots of words striking out at the Russia probe. He's worked overtime to discredit the efforts of Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel who was appointed some two months after Sessions' recusal. He's termed the investigation a "hoax," a "witch hunt" and has repeatedly asserted that there was no collusion between his campaign and the efforts of Russian operatives seeking to tilt the 2016 presidential election his way.

Now comes news that back in March 2017, after Sessions had recused himself from the Russia investigation and other matters related to Trump's presidential campaign, the president worked to get the attorney general to change his mind. Further, Mueller is looking into those efforts and Trump's subsequent attempts to undermine Sessions' authority and perhaps, in so doing, to push him out of his post atop the Justice Department.

One question keeps on bubbling to the surface: If Trump truly believes that there was no collusion, no significant connection between his presidential campaign apparatus and Russia, then why spend so much time whining about the unfairness of it all? Why not let Mueller's probe play out, with Trump and his campaign associates being cleared in the end?

The answer most folks would come up with is easy: Because he's actually got something to hide and he knows it. If that were indeed the case, his unceasing efforts to discredit the probe and to undermine the investigators would, in fact, add up.

So too would his work to keep onetime loyalist Sessions from recusing himself 15 months back.

Sometimes, it's the guilty ones who scream loudest about their innocence. And who rant and rave about the unfairness of things.

In an interview on "CBS This Morning" on Wednesday, Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., said he understood the president's frustration with Sessions' recusal, and added, "There are lots of really good lawyers in the country; he could have picked somebody else."

Later, Trump, on Twitter, quoted Gowdy and wrote: "I wish I did!"

It shouldn't come as any real surprise to find that the president, who cherishes personal loyalty above all else and seems to have little understanding of the clear line between politics and the law, would still feel that he'd been betrayed by Sessions. After all, the former senator from Alabama had been Trump's first mainstream supporter in Washington, and the pair had once been close. Until Sessions opted to do what he felt was right rather than simply standing by Trump no matter what.

And in Trump world, that, it seems clear, is the unforgivable sin.NEW YORK - A federal judge on Wednesday gave attorneys for Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's longtime personal lawyer, a little more than two weeks to finish reviewing material seized from his office and residences to determine what is protected by attorney-client privilege.

The June 15 deadline was set during a hearing in Manhattan that focused on the status of these seized materials and featured sparring between Cohen's attorneys and Michael Avenatti, an attorney for Stormy Daniels, an adult-film actress to whom Cohen paid $130,000 after she alleged she had an affair with Trump.

Avenatti had sought to join the case but withdrew his motion after U.S. District Judge Kimba Wood warned that Avenatti would have to end his "publicity tour" if she granted him standing.

Avenatti did not elaborate on his decision in his motion to withdraw, noting that he could refile it "if necessary, at a later time," depending on what happens with Daniels' motion to intervene in the case. That motion has been held pending discussions between Avenatti and federal officials, according to court records.

Avenatti pointed to that motion, rather than the judge's skepticism Wednesday, in explaining why he suddenly withdrew.

"It is no longer necessary in light of the motion to intervene, which may not be necessary, being delayed," Avenatti wrote in an email. "We will refile it when and if the motion is taken up."

Cohen, who attended the hearing but did not speak, is being investigated for possible bank and wire fraud and campaign finance violations as part of a probe looking at his efforts to suppress damaging stories about Trump - such as Daniels' claims of a sexual encounter with him years earlier - just before the 2016 presidential election.

As part of the probe, federal agents seized Cohen's records and documents on April 9, prompting a legal fight over who would get access to the materials and when. Cohen and Trump both argued that their attorneys should get to review the materials to see what is privileged before investigators get them. Wood appointed Barbara Jones, a former federal judge, as special master to go over the documents before they are turned over to federal prosecutors.

Jones wrote in a filing submitted Tuesday night that after her reviews so far, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York has been given access to more than 292,000 items, and more than 1 million items "not designated privileged or highly personal" were expected to be released Wednesday.

Attorneys for Cohen and Trump had said many of the seized documents and records could be protected by attorney-client privilege. Jones noted that so far, only 252 items had been flagged as privileged by attorneys for Trump or Cohen in two of the four sets of material she'd reviewed, and she said she expected to make a recommendation about those materials by Monday. The number of documents flagged as privileged in the other sets, if any, is not known.

Jones also reported having received additional electronic data over the past two weeks, including "data from a video recorder, two computers, and mobile storage devices" that "includes various video, electronic communications and documents as well as data typically associated with computer usage."

A significant amount of material still needs to be reviewed. In court Tuesday, Todd Harrison, an attorney for Cohen, said his team had received 3.7 million files, about 1.3 million of which had already been turned over to Jones.

Harrison argued against a mid-June deadline, saying that "we are moving heaven and earth" to rapidly complete a privilege review. He said his firm had 17 people evaluating the materials, which came from 13 mobile devices and 19 other digital-media devices.

"We have people who are working all night," Harrison said. "We have people who are sleeping on couches."

Wood was not persuaded, dismissing Cohen's concerns and those of an attorney for the Trump Organization who argued that a faster pace might degrade the review.

Rachel Maimin, an assistant U.S. attorney, said her office was still trying to access files from two Blackberry devices, which Cohen believed belonged to his wife nearly a decade ago, and the contents of a shredding machine. This material, she said, would be turned over to Cohen's team as soon as possible.

Wood set the June 15 deadline for attorneys for Cohen, working with attorneys for Trump and his company, to determine what is privileged and turn it over to the special master. Anything not sent to Jones by that date gets handed over instead to a "taint team" of prosecutors who are not part of the investigation into Cohen and would work to determine what is covered by privilege.

Wood also heard arguments about whether Avenatti - who represents Daniels in other lawsuits she has filed against Trump and Cohen - could join the case, providing the hearing's main drama. Cohen's attorneys and Avenatti have engaged in an extended back-and-forth over the question, filing dueling letters Tuesday night and then arguing in court Wednesday.

When he entered the courtroom Wednesday, Avenatti approached the bench to find out where he should sit. He was pointed to the back of the room, where he approached Alan Futerfas, attorney for the Trump Organization.

"I was told to pull up a seat and share this table," Avenatti said with a chuckle before sitting down.

Avenatti said in court that a reporter called him to describe hearing a recorded conversation between Cohen and Keith Davidson - who as an attorney for Daniels negotiated the $130,000 payment she received from Cohen before the 2016 election - and said this could only have been released by Cohen's team. He said this was "very surprising and disturbing to me" as an attorney for Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford.

Stephen Ryan, a Cohen attorney, said he was unaware of the release of any audio file. He focused instead on Avenatti's disclosure earlier this month of financial information related to Cohen.

"The reason I rise today is because I've never seen an attorney conduct himself in the manner Mr. Avenatti has," Ryan said. Avenatti's motion, he said, was "sidestepping his intentionally malicious and prejudicial release of that information."

Ryan added, "It was a premeditated drive-by shooting of my client's rights."

Avenatti defended his release of the financial information, which prompted the Treasury Department's inspector general to launch an investigation.

"There's no evidence we did anything improper," he said. "We haven't been contacted by the Treasury Department. We haven't been contacted by the FBI."

In their letter Tuesday night, Cohen's attorneys also pointed to a tweet from Avenatti about Cohen's finances and to a recent bankruptcy court decision against Avenatti's law firm. Ryan said that was raised because it showed that "Mr. Avenatti cannot keep his agreements."

Joanna Hendon, a Trump attorney, said she shared the concerns raised by Cohen's team about Avenatti. She said that while Avenatti argued that the firm in the bankruptcy case was not involved with Daniels' litigation, it had sent emails regarding her case.

In response, Avenatti noted that "Mr. Trump had his own fair share of bankruptcies" and added that the president has "tweeted about Mr. Cohen in great detail."

Avenatti's enthusiasm for media attention also drew criticism from Ryan and Hendon, and Wood suggested that she shared those concerns. The judge told him that if he is allowed to participate in the process, he would "not be permitted to use this court as a platform for anything" and said he could no longer declare that Cohen is guilty of potential charges.

If Avenatti had been given standing in the case, Wood said, he would have to "stop in its tracks your publicity tour on television and elsewhere."

After leaving the hearing, Avenatti offered an energetic condemnation of Cohen to the press assembled outside the courthouse. He withdrew his motion to join a short time later.

(c) 2018, The Washington Post. Written by Philip Bump and Mark Berman.Sen. Adam Hinds, D-Pittsfield, has endorsed Democrat Quentin Palfrey for lieutenant governor.

Hinds' endorsement comes days before the Democratic State Convention this weekend, where state Democrats will decide whether to endorse Palfrey or comedian Jimmy Tingle for the nomination.

Palfrey also announced endorsements from state Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, and Democratic state Reps. Bill Driscoll of Milton, Natalie Higgins of Leominster and Russell Holmes of Boston.

"I'm proud of our grassroots network of support that reaches across each and every corner of Massachusetts, and I look forward to continuing working together to stand up for our shared priorities -- investing in our schools, combating the opioid epidemic, fighting climate change and promoting environmental sustainability, and creating jobs," Palfrey said in a statement.

Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, said previously that he will introduce Palfrey at the convention.

Palfrey is a former Obama official who worked in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and at the Department of Commerce.

The primary will be held Sept. 4. The winner of the nomination for lieutenant governor will run on a Democratic ticket with either Jay Gonzalez or Bob Massie.

Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito are running for reelection.LENOX -- Despite recent threats to federal arts funding, Western Massachusetts cultural organizations will receive nearly $350,000 in National Endowment for the Arts grants to support theater, dance and other projects throughout the Berkshires and Springfield, U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, announced Thursday.

The congressman, who joined Mass Cultural Council representatives, local legislators and cultural non-profit leaders in celebrating the NEA grants at Shakespeare & Company in Lenox, said the $348,000 in funding -- which Congress approved in a recent spending bill -- will support a total of nine projects at various arts organizations.

Neal noted that the funding comes in addition to the $900,700 the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the nearly $1.1 million the New England Foundation for the Arts were awarded to support arts programs, services and activities associated with carrying out their NEA-approved strategic plans.

Stressing the importance of arts and cultural programs, the Springfield Democrat said federal lawmakers worked to increase NEA funding in the omnibus spending bill, even though such spending had been on the "proposed chopping block" just months ago.

Neal congratulated local organizations that received the grant funding, offering that their work has helped boost Berkshire County's reputation as being a center for culture and arts.

"This is a terrific day for all of you in the Berkshires. You've helped establish a reputation, which I think is unparalleled in a small community across America. You've done it right here, and it's not only because of the advocacy, it's because of the quality of work that you do," he said.

Anita Walker, executive director of the Mass Cultural Council, thanked Neal, State Rep. William "Smitty" Pignatelli, D-Lenox, and others for their efforts to advocate and secure funding for the arts.

"We have had such a strong partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts," she said. "Even in spite of the fact that for the last two years it has faced extinction, Congress has rallied and, in fact, we've even gotten a little bit of an increase this year for the National Endowment. That is only because of the vigorous champions that we have."

According to the congressman's office, the grants include: $20,000 to support Shakespeare and Company's Fall Festival of Shakespeare program; $35,000 for the North Adams Public Schools District's Kidspace contemporary art gallery and art-making studio; and $10,000 to Pittsfield-based Barrington Stage Company Inc. to support the development and world premiere of "The Royal Family of Broadway."

Other organization to receive NEA grants were: Becket-based Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Inc., which was awarded $78,000 to support a training program for medical professionals who will examine how the arts can be used to address challenges in the medical field, and $50,000 to support its free online platform; the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which will get $50,000 for its Festival of Contemporary Music at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox; and Great Barrington's Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, Inc., which was awarded $10,000 to support a performance project.

The City of Pittsfield, meanwhile, will receive $75,000 to support the design of landscape and architectural elements for a waterfront park that will allow safe public access to the Housatonic River; and the Community Music School of Springfield, Inc., will get $20,000 to support Sonido Musica, a music education program in partnership with Springfield Public Schools, officials added.A visiting US delegation discussed with Sedki Sobhi Egypt's fight against terrorism and Cairo's efforts in regional and international issues of mutual interest

Egypt's Defence Minister Sedki Sobhi discussed US-Egyptian cooperation with a delegation of US Congressmen currently visiting Cairo, a military statement said Thursday.

Sobhi highlighted strategic ties between Cairo and Washington and bilateral efforts to combat attempts at undermining security and stability in the region, the statement said.

The delegation, headed by US Republican Representative Darrell Issa, discussed Egypt's fight against terrorism and Cairo's efforts in regional and international issues of mutual interest, the statement added.

Egypt is one of Washingtons strongest allies in the Middle East, receiving $1.3 billion in US military aid and about $200 million in economic assistance annually.



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U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, announced legislation Thursday that looks to assist individuals who survive major natural disasters access stable, long-term housing -- an issue which has plagued several people who fled Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria last fall.

Known as the Housing Victims of Major Disasters Act, the bill would require the Federal Emergency Management Act to activate the existing Disaster Housing Assistance Program, which provides subsidies to help families pay rent, put down security deposits or pay utilities, so evacuees can transition into stable living situations.

Warren, who argued that the federal government's current response "is failing the people of Puerto Rico," offered that Congress owes these U.S. citizens better.

"When disaster strikes, people who are displaced deserve safe, stable housing and a chance to get back on their feet. If FEMA won't do its job, Congress should step up and act to help the thousands of evacuees who are now living in Massachusetts and across the country," she said in a statement.

Markey criticized the Trump administration's response to the Puerto Rico hurricane, calling it "a complete abdication of leadership."

"American citizens deserve far better than the mistreatment our Puerto Rican brothers and sisters have received, and we must push for action in Congress so that they are at least provided the housing security they deserve," he said.

The senators, who had unsuccessfully called on FEMA to use the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development program to help Puerto Rico hurricane evacuees, said the proposed measure would force action by mandating that officials immediately set up DHAP assistance for those impacted by the September storm within 15 days of passage.

The bill would further require FEMA to consult with HUD about setting up the disaster housing program within 60 days of any future presidential disaster declarations, and to establish measures to help evacuees who lack formal legal documentation for their homes or who need to gain title to their land, according to the Democrats' offices.

The measure, which Warren and Markey plan to introduce along with six other senators, is the companion to a similar bill that has been filed in the U.S. House.

The senators' bill comes one month after Warren, Markey and other chamber Democrats urged FEMA and HUD officials to stand up the Disaster Housing Assistance Program to help the 2,000-plus people still displaced by Hurricane Maria find long-term housing solutions.

Despite pleas from the senators and others, FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Michael Byrne told Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello Nevares in mid-May that the agency would not implement DHAP for the island's recovery efforts.

He noted that FEMA's Individuals and Households Program, which offers financial housing assistance and direct housing assistance, had obligated more than $1.2 billion in assistance, including $593 million in housing assistance for survivors. Puerto Rico, he added, would receive $19.9 billion in HUD's Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery to help cover home construction and repairs.

Evacuees who relocated in the continental U.S., meanwhile, can utilize FEMA's Immediate Disaster Case Management program in developing their permanent housing and recovery plans, Byrne said.

FEMA announced earlier this month that it would extend the Transitional Sheltering Assistance program through June 30 to give evacuees using the benefit 60 days to solidify their long-term housing plans.

About 2,300 families remained in TSA-participating hotel rooms across more than 30 states and Puerto Rico, including 380 in Massachusetts alone as of May 3, according to FEMA.For the 33rd consecutive year, the Missoula Downtown Association (MDA) has developed a vibrant and robust Out to Lunch Summer Series to commence on Wednesday, June 6. The MDA is also launching the Downtown ToNight Summer Series for the 18th consecutive season on Thursday, June 7. All 26 admission-free events will be held in Caras Park, Missoulas Town Square in the heart of Downtown.

OUT TO LUNCH

The brainchild of Pat Simmons, MDAs first-ever paid employee, the Out to Lunch Summer Series is held each Wednesday in June, July and August from 11 am-2pm. The outdoor music and food festival is the longest-standing in the state of Montana and features live music, childrens activities and authentic and local food and beverage offerings from 20 food trucks and vendors.

Launching the 2018 season for Out to Lunch will be Missoulas own Zeppo Blues Band. A six-piece, old-school, rhythm and blues band, Zeppo Blues is headed by Peter Barberio and features Paul Philips, Jordan Demander, Ty Nuno, Russ Parson, Eric Minton and Tim Larum, most of whom have been playing together for 35+ years. Some of their most inspiring mentors include Greg Allman, Otis Redding, the Neville Brother and the Radiators. For more information on the Zeppo Blues Band, call Barberio at 406-549-1502.

DOWNTOWN TONIGHT

Created in 2001 to meet a high-rising demand in Downtown Missoula, the Downtown ToNight Summer Series takes place each Thursday in June, July and August from 5:30-8:30 pm, also in Caras Park. In addition to live music, playtime for kids, and food trucks galore, Downtown ToNight also offers adult beverages for those ages 21 and older.

Opening the 2018 season is Trego, a blossoming six-piece Americana Rock Band from Spokane, Wash. Formerly known as Folkinception, this six-piece band was voted the Best Original Band in the Inlanders Readers Poll in both 2017 and 2018. For more information on Trego, contact Patty Groenen ([email protected]).

"Each week throughout the summer, these weekly celebrations bring our community together in the heart of Missoula for lively conversation, connection, food trucks, fun, live music, local beer, wine and spirits, family activities and the experience of Missoulas culture," said Brooke Redpath, President of the MDA Board of Directors. "Our weekly offerings are the base of the Missoula arts and culture scene, and they are very popular for folks of all ages."

Nearly 120 different bands from across the country applied to perform at Out to Lunch and Downtown ToNight this year. Close to 150 distinct Missoula-area businesses and non-profit organizations are supporting the outdoor food and music festivities with their time, talent and treasure. Business sponsorships and vending fees cover the hard costs, so the mid-week events remain admission free for all.

"Our weekly summertime events are a big draw for Missoula, and they are the base of our arts and culture scene," said Linda McCarthy, Director of the Downtown Missoula Partnership. "Downtown communities across the country model these events, knowing they serve as an economic driver for city-center activities and commerce. Out to Lunch and Downtown ToNight are a great way to experience all Downtown has to offer."

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Each week more than 20 food vendors and food trucks will provide a wide variety of food and beverage offerings for sale. New vendors this year are Dobis Teriyaki, Five on Black, Mountain Berry, River City Eats, and Two Crows Tacos. Other food trucks are Baskin Robbins, Big Dipper, Big Thai Country, Bitterroot Bison, Clove Cart, Covered Wagon, El Cazador, Inas Indian Tacos, Islas, Just BBQ, Lil Orbits, the Noodle Wagon, Pagoda, Pattie Wagon, Sa Wad Dee, Taco Sano, and Vietnam Noodle. In addition, guest vendors will be featured during special events. In 2017 vendors sold close to $360,000 in food and beverages.

CARAS CASH

Folks interested in purchasing food and beverages for their employees or guests can pre-purchase Caras Cash in $5.00 increments at the Downtown Missoula Partnership Office (218 E. Main), which can be used to purchase food and beverage from any of the vendors and food trucks at the events.

PARKING & TRANSPORTATION

For the first-time ever, the Out to Lunch Trolley will offer free rides to Caras Park each Wednesday from Splash Montana (3001 Bancroft). The trolley has always run up and down Higgins Avenue during Out to Lunch free of charge and will continue to stop for those on Higgins Avenue. Additionally, Zero-Fare Mountain Line busses all come Downtown, so you can ride any of the routes to the Transit Center, which is just four blocks from Caras Park.

There are lots of public parking spaces throughout Downtown Missoula, and the first hour of parking is free in the Central Park Garage (128 W. Main) and the Park Place Garage (201 E. Front). Parking is free evenings and weekends, so there is no charge to park in Downtown Missoula during the Downtown ToNight Summer Series. Its also easy to bike and walk to and throughout Downtown Missoula, and there are plenty of bike racks throughout the city center.

The Passport Parking APP is another easy and convenient way to pay for parking from your office, car or while in the park. Just download the Passport APP, load up your credit card, and enjoy the convenience of paying with a cell phone.

LEAD STAFF

For more information on the Out to Lunch Summer Series, contact April Sommers, DMPs Membership & Events Director, via phone (406-543-4238) or email ([email protected]). For more information on the Downtown ToNight Summer Series, contact Lincoln Mansch, DMPs Marketing & Events Director, via phone (406-543-4238) or email ([email protected]).As computers increasingly become a part of society, a new academic program at Montana State University seeks to open the world of computing to a wider range of student interest and prepare graduates for diverse employment opportunities.

Starting this August, the Gianforte School of Computing in MSUs Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering will offer a bachelor of arts in computer science, a degree that combines computer science courses with concentrated study in areas outside science, technology, engineering and math (or STEM)  such as sociology, music, business or community health.

Marshall Swearingen, MSU News Service

http://www.montana.edu/news/17775Cho

teau was Montanas first ever Community Review



and what a success it has been! A team returned to

Choteau on 7

th

and 8

th

and assisted the

Home Team and

community in digging deep into issues and projects.

A

coach was selected (Thank you, Jerry Grebenc)

and the first Steering Committee meeting was held.

Full Report: http://www.medamembers.org/media/userfiles/subsite_107/files/June%202018.pdfTotal exports for the first quarter of 2021 amounted to Rs 17,353 million, showing a decrease of 8.7% compared to the corresponding quarter of 2020.

Compared to the previous quarter, total export proceeds for the first quarter of 2021 decreased by 10.9%.

Total imports for the first quarter of 2021 amounted to Rs 44,390 million, showing an increase of 0.7% compared to the corresponding quarter of 2020.

Compared to the previous quarter, total imports for the first quarter of 2021 decreased by 6.3%.

Balance of trade

The trade deficit for the first quarter of 2021 works out to Rs 27,037 million, around 7.8% higher than the deficit of Rs 25,092 million for the corresponding quarter of 2020.

Compared to Rs 27,888 million in the previous quarter, the deficit was lower by 3.1%.

Forecast for year 2021

Based on past trends, available trade data for the first three months and information from various sources, total exports for year 2021 will be around Rs 75,000 million and total imports (including one off items such as marine vessels, machinery for metro terminals, cranes and tugs) will be around Rs 180,000 million, same as forecasted in February 2021.

The trade deficit for 2021 is forecasted to be around Rs 105,000 million compared to Rs 95,944 million in 2020.

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LinkedInWith the energy sector comprising one of the most unequal sectors globally, and female participation remaining considerably low, Angola Oil & Gas (AOG) 2021 highlighted solutions to enhancing inclusivity and ensuring women are actively involved in Africas energy transformation during a Women in Energy panel discussion. In addition to identifying root causes regarding education and barriers to entry, the need to support and create the opportunity for women pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields of study were identified.

Panel and participants included Nina Birgitte Koch, Managing Director, Equinor Angola; Lame Verre, Head of Strategy  Energy Customer Solutions SSE plc, United Kingdom; Ayotola Jagun, Chief Compliance Officer and Company Secretary, Oando PLC, Nigeria; and Sandra Almeida, Legal Manager, TotalEnergies EP Angola. Emphasizing workplace culture, the root causes of the gender gap, and the value of inclusivity, the seminar provided insight into an integrated approach to enhancing participation.

It is a two-pronged approach: firstly, unless you tackle the foundation, by having more women able to study engineering and being supported in the study of STEM subjects, you wont see inclusivity. Secondly, we need favorable workplace practices. There continue to be societal norms, biases and prejudices in the oil and gas industry, and it is a shame we are still talking about inequality in 2021, stated Ayotola Jagun.

She called for women to rise and break the glass ceiling and support each other through the ranks to senior and executive management.

Meanwhile, the value of a supportive workplace culture and reinforced inclusivity was emphasized. With sectoral growth and the energy transition demanding increased innovation, a collaborative approach to decision-making, functioning, and developing is critical.

Sandra Almeida discussed the difference between inclusion and integration, noting that diversity celebrates cultural differences and enables an environment of respect, whereas integration was a form of appropriation where one group identity is expected to conform in some way to another.

What we want is the concept of inclusion. At TotalEnergies, we believe in the value of everyone and of different perspectives and solutions. Diversity and inclusion are about women and men working together, with the same resolve, to achieve the same target, she stated.

Companies are doing a lot with long-term commitment to inclusivity. But it is not about picking someone because of their gender, its about competency, choosing deliberately and ensuring diversity. We need a collaborative approach in the energy industry. The industry is extremely interesting to work with, with a lot of possibilities for women, stated Nina Birgitte.

Women have a critical role to play in advancing Africas oil and gas industry. By fostering increased inclusivity across every level and within the entire energy value chain, Africas development can not only be ensured, but accelerated. By addressing issues of inclusivity, inequality, and barriers to entry, Africa can realize its developmental goals.

Women should be at the forefront of economic development, and bringing women issues to the top of the political agenda is part of the solution to driving economic growth. If we solve gender issues, we will solve development issues, said Lame Verre.

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LinkedInOn Saturday President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi will be sworn in for his second term in office. The ceremony will take place in front of parliament.

Al-Sisi is expected to make a speech after the ceremony to review the accomplishments of his first term and indicate his priorities for the next four years  his second, and according to the constitution, last term in office.

In his statement the president is likely to focus mostly on domestic issues, especially the ongoing anti-terrorist Comprehensive Operation Sinai 2018 and, with a new wave of fuel subsidy cuts just around the corner, on economic reforms.

He is also expected to address foreign policy guidelines for his second term in office.

I guess for the most part we will be seeing more, rather than less, of the same. The basics of Egyptian foreign policy have remained more or less unchanged since [Hosni] Mubarak took office in 1981: we remain close allies with the US and leading Arab capitals; we keep a close eye on regional developments with a firm stance against the eruption of any armed conflicts and we work for national and regional stability, said an Egyptian diplomat.

According to this diplomat, Al-Sisis priorities for the first year of his second term will include managing the fallout from Ethiopias construction of the Renaissance Dam; consolidating relations with the US beyond the disagreements of the past two years; promoting and securing a final settlement of the Palestinian cause and keeping Islamists as far away as possible from power in Libya and Syria, two countries of crucial national security interest to Egypt.

Egypt is planning to send a new ambassador to Washington later this year after Yasser Reda, the current head of Egypts diplomatic mission in the US capital, finishes his term.

Foreign Ministry sources say Ihab Badawi, Egypts current ambassador to France and the first presidential spokesman following the 2013 ouster of Mohamed Morsi, is favourite to get the post in Washington.

The choice of Badawi as Egypts ambassador to the US will provide an indication of how Al-Sisi wants to manage relations with Washington over the next four years, argues one source. Badawi, he says, accommodates and pursues pragmatic solutions, which is how he managed Egyptian-French relations during his time in Paris.

Both Egyptian and American accounts of bilateral relations agree that the high expectations Cairo had of its relations with Washington post the Barack Obama presidency have not been fulfilled.

There has even been mention of unexpected hiccups. In a recent phone call between President Al-Sisi and US Vice President Mike Pence informed sources say the president of Egypt was very keen to affirm to the American official Cairos commitment to work to resolve any differences and to consolidate relations.

Cairo-based Western diplomats say President Al-Sisi is very keen to pursue a policy of zero confrontation with the US.

One Western diplomat suggested Al-Sisi would be loath to see last years cut in US military aid to Egypt repeated because this is not a very good sign for the strength of relations with the current US administration which are a clear asset for Al-Sisi.

He added that Al-Sisi would rather flag a more dynamic relationship, with a possible exchange of visits between the two heads of state, and something might be in the works, but we will see.

More significant, according to this and other Western diplomats in Cairo, is Al-Sisis keenness to advocate the proposals Donald Trump is planning to offer, possibly in the next few weeks, as a final peace deal between the Palestinians and Israel.

Egypt, they say, is throwing its full diplomatic weight to secure positive Palestinian engagement.

It is a priority. And this is especially the case given the declining health of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said an Egyptian diplomat. He added that the issue was high on the agenda of the talks Al-Sisi held last week with visiting Jordanian monarch King Abdullah.

If Egypt could get the Palestinian-Israeli track moving in the direction of the Trump plan in the next few months it would be a big plus, say Egyptian diplomatic sources.

Not only would it revive the long stalled Egyptian-US partnership for a political settlement of the Palestinian struggle, it would allow for Egypt and its closest Arab allies the UAE and Saudi Arabia to push forward a regional economic agenda that will be in Egypts economic interest and in the political interest of both the UAE and Riyadh.

It is an agenda Washington supports, not least because it would involve an unprecedented, and public, level of normalisation with Israel.

With this end in mind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to visit Egypt, possibly this summer, says a regional diplomatic source.

I guess this is one of the things that might come up with his second term in office. Relations [between Egypt and Israel] have gone very well during Al-Sisis first term given the joint interest of both countries in the war on terrorism and their shared sense of pragmatism, said the source.

Cairo has so far preferred a low profile in its management of relations with Tel Aviv but this is likely to change, if not at the very beginning of Al-Sisis second term then sometime down the road, Egyptian diplomatic sources agree.

But there is no doubt in diplomatic quarters that the top foreign policy priority for the first weeks of Al-Sisis second term will remain the management of sensitive and so far stagnant negotiations with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

Egypt, the downstream country set to suffer most from the filling of the mega dams reservoir, is seeking an agreement under which the inevitable loss from its annual share of Nile water is kept to a minimum. Ethiopia is making promises but has so far been unwilling to commit to guarantees.

The [Ethiopian delegation] sit in joint meetings with a relatively positive attitude but then refuse to sign anything they say they agree with, said an informed Egyptian diplomat. To make things worse, he added, Sudan acts in a similar fashion.

On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri was expected to receive his newly appointed Sudanese counterpart Al-Dardiri Mohamed Ahmed for talks in Cairo.

Later in June the foreign and national security ministerial delegations of the three countries are expected to meet. A three-way meeting between heads of state is also being discussed.

Egypt is hoping that before the end of the summer, when Ethiopia is set to start filling the GERD reservoir, an agreement on managing the situation will have been reached.

Informed government sources concur that securing an agreement that does not compromise Egypts water security is the top priority, and the toughest challenge, for Al-Sisis foreign policy in his second term.

They also agree that while Cairo is already working on alternatives, including water desalination and retreatment plans, it needs to secure a satisfactory end to negotiations with Ethiopia not only because they involve the hypersensitive issue of water but impact on Egypts status in east Africa as a power to be reckoned with.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 31 May 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly with headline: Meeting the future head on

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After taking the oath of office on Saturday, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi will deliver a speech before parliament

Having secured a second term with 97 per cent of the votes in the 2018 presidential elections, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi is scheduled to be sworn in for a second term before parliament on Saturday.

Parliamentary Spokesman Salah Hassaballah told reporters that the swearing in ceremony will be held on 2 June. Intensive contacts between the presidents office and parliaments secretariat-general are underway to conclude final preparations for the ceremony, he said.

Kamel Al-Wazir, head of the armys Engineering Division, and Ahmed Saadeddin, the House of Representatives secretary-secretary, reviewed renovation work at parliaments main buildings, including the plenary meeting hall in which Al-Sisi will take the oath, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

In 2014, with no parliament in place, Al-Sisi was sworn in before the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC). The oath he took then, as now, is stipulated in Article 144 of the constitution: I swear by the Almighty God to loyally uphold the republican system, respect the constitution and the law, fully observe the interests of the People and to safeguard the independence of the nation and the integrity and safety of its territories.

Al-Sisi will deliver an address following the swearing-in ceremony.

Alaa Abed, head of parliaments Human Rights Committee said on Tuesday that MPs expect President Al-Sisis speech to address pressing local and international issues.

We expect the speech to tackle the war against terrorism in North Sinai, Ethiopias Renaissance Dam and its impact on Egypts quota of Nile water and relations with Sudan and the Arab world, said Abed.

In terms of local issues, he predicts the president will focus on economic reforms and local council elections expected at the end of the year.

It is unclear whether Al-Sisis swearing-in will be followed by the resignation of the government. Hassaballah says there is no constitutional article obliging the government to submit its resignation following the end of a presidential term.

In recent weeks a number of MPs have attacked the government of Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, accusing it of working in favour of the rich and implementing IMF policies that have left millions of Egyptians living below the poverty line.

The latest wave of criticism followed the governments move to increase the price of metro tickets. MPs accused the government of snubbing parliament and failing to inform the public of the increases in advance.

Cabinet Spokesman Ashraf Sultan told reporters earlier this month that a cabinet reshuffle was on the cards.

MPs have strong reservations over the performance of several cabinet ministers, Hassaballah said during a press conference on Tuesday.

They have not met expectations and their performance is being questioned on objective grounds. Sometimes the government responds to our criticism of cabinet ministers and sometimes it takes a passive position.

If President Al-Sisi decides on a cabinet reshuffle and canvases our views on who should go and who should stay we will be more than happy to provide them, he said.

Hassaballah also revealed three key laws  regulating the media and the press, criminal procedures and local councils  will be voted on by parliament before MPs adjourn for Julys summer recess.

The Criminal Procedures Law includes 600 articles while that on local councils comprises 256, 10 of which regulate municipal elections.

We hope that once the law is passed Egypt will be ready to hold its first municipal elections in 10 years, said Hassaballah.

Parliament has passed 111 laws since its third season began in October 2017.

Some of these laws, such as amendments to the law regulating the performance of the Administrative Control Authority, focused on fighting corruption while others, such as that establishing the Higher Council for Combating Terrorism and Extremism, aim to step up the fight against radical militant movements, said Hassaballah.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 31 May 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly with headline: New term in office

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A consultative meeting of Egyptian, Jordanian and Palestinian diplomats held in Cairo on Thursday stressed its rejection of Israeli actions against unarmed Palestinians in recent weeks.

The meeting was attended by the foreign ministers of Egypt and Jordan and the Secretary of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), as well as the heads of the intelligence of the three countries.

A joint statement issued after the meeting said the discussion tackled the latest developments in the Palestinian issue, including the Israeli escalations that have resulted in the deaths of a large number of unarmed Palestinian protesters.

The Arab officials said that the Palestinians are practicing their legal right to defend their territories, live in freedom and safety, and establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital along the 1967 borders in accordance international legitimacy.

The officials also warned that the escalation poses a grave threat to a peaceful and just solution to conflict, which requires the international community to propose solutions and launch effective international efforts to resolve the conflict on the basis of a two-state solution and the Arab Peace Initiative.

The meeting also affirmed the Arab stance on the Arab identity of East Jerusalem and the rejection of any unilateral actions aimed at changing the historical and legal status of the city.

The Arab officials called for implementing the outcomes of the Jerusalem Summit held last month in Saudi Arabia, stressing the necessity of respecting the historical status of Jerusalem as an occupied city subject to negotiations for a final settlement.

The meeting also reviewed ways to intensify and coordinate stances with all international and regional parties to push the peace process forward.

The officials also exchanged views on the Arab efforts within the UN Security Council to discuss means of providing international protection for the Palestinian people and supporting the full membership of the State of Palestine in the United Nations.

The Egyptian side presented the efforts exerted to activate the Palestinian reconciliation process, stressing the importance of moving forward in the path of reconciliation as a major step to achieving the unity of the Palestinian people and ensure a unified Palestinian stance in any future negotiations.

The meeting also stressed the importance of implementing the agreement signed in Cairo last October to end the Palestinian division.

The participants discussed ways to improve Palestinian institutions and enable them to manage Gaza as well as improve the economic situation and the standard of living for Palestinians and to alleviate their humanitarian suffering.

The Arab officials agreed to intensify consultation and coordination between the three countries during the upcoming period and to follow up on the developments in the Palestinian territories.

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Turkey and the United States have reached an agreement on a plan for the withdrawal of the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia from Syria's Manbij, Turkey's state-run Anadolu news agency said on Wednesday.

Under the terms of the three-step plan, which will become finalised during a visit by Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu to Washington on June 4, the YPG will withdraw from Manbij 30 days after the deal is signed, Anadolu said.

Turkish and U.S. military forces will start joint supervision in Manbij 45 days after the agreement is signed and a local administration will be formed 60 days after June 4, Anadolu said.

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The United States should learn the lesson of Iraq and leave Syria, President Bashar al-Assad said in an interview, responding to US President Donald Trump's description of him as an animal by saying "what you say is what you are".

In the interview with RT, the Russian state's international broadcaster, Assad raised the prospect of conflict with US forces if they do not leave Syria. He vowed to recover territory where American troops have deployed, either through negotiations with Washington's Syrian allies or by force.

Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran, appears militarily unassailable in the war that has killed an estimated half a million people, uprooted around 6 million people in the country, and driven another 5 million abroad as refugees.

After recovering swathes of territory, Assad now controls the biggest part of Syria. But tracts remain outside his control at the borders with Iraq, Jordan and Turkey.

That includes large parts of the north and east where US special forces deployed during the fight against Islamic State, supporting the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Assad said the government had "started now opening doors for negotiations" with the SDF, whose main component, the Kurdish YPG, has mostly avoided conflict with Damascus in the war.

"This is the first option. If not, we're going to resort to ... liberating those areas by force. We don't have any other options, with the Americans or without the Americans," he said. "The Americans should leave, somehow they're going to leave.

"They came to Iraq with no legal basis, and look what happened to them. They have to learn the lesson. Iraq is no exception, and Syria is no exception. People will not accept foreigners in this region anymore," he said.

The US-led invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003 was followed by an insurgency that lasted years.

Trump said in April he wanted to withdraw American troops from Syria relatively soon, but also voiced a desire to leave a "strong and lasting footprint".

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said on April 30 the United States and its allies would not want to pull troops out of Syria before diplomats win the peace.

Trump called Assad an "animal" after a suspected poison gas attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus in April. Medical aid organisations said the attack killed dozens of people.

The attack triggered US, French and British missile strikes against what they called chemical weapons targets, the first coordinated Western strikes against Assad's government of the war. But the Western retaliation had no impact on the wider conflict, in which Assad's forces continued their advances.

In his interview, Assad reiterated the government's denial of blame for the chemical attack. Asked if he had a nickname for Trump similar to the "animal" comment, Assad replied: "This is not my language, so I cannot use similar language. This is his language. It represents him, and I think there is a well-known principle, that what you say is what you are."

Air Defences

Assad also sought in his interview to minimise the extent to which his government receives support from Iran.

Israel, which is deeply alarmed by Tehran's influence in Syria, said it destroyed dozens of Iranian military sites in Syria in May, after Iranian forces in Syria fired rockets at Israeli-held territory for the first time.

Assad said Iran's presence in Syria was limited to officers assisting the army. Apparently referring to the May 10 attack by Israel, Assad said: "We had tens of Syrian martyrs and wounded soldiers, not a single Iranian" casualty."

Asked if there was anything Syria could do to stop Israeli air strikes, he said the only option was to improve air defences, "and we are doing that". Syria's air defences were much stronger than before, thanks to Russia, he added.

Assad said the end of the war was getting closer with "every victory", but accused adversaries in the West and the region of trying to obstruct that and "hindering the political process".

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The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Thursday it was sending two surgical teams to Gaza and setting up a surgical unit in the Israeli-besieged main hospital to treat heavy Palestinian casualties.

"This infusion of medical expertise and material will expedite the long road to recovery and relieve a stressed and overburdened health care system," said Robert Mardini, ICRC's director for the Near and Middle East, adding that 13,000 people had been wounded since protests began on March 30.

Israel killed tens of Palestinians and left thousands wounded through its use of live ammunition to crush Palestinian protests against the occupation.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online

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ABC/Randy HolmesHe's been known as the Prince of Darkness and the Godfather of Heavy Metal, and now, Ozzy Osbourne is set to become a Golden God.

The Black Sabbath frontman will be honored with the eponymous award at the 2018 Metal Hammer Golden Gods. He'll receive the prize during a ceremony hosted by the British magazine in London on June 11.

Previous Golden God recipients include Lemmy, Rob Zombie and Megadeth's Dave Mustaine. Black Sabbath also earned the Golden God distinction at last year's awards.

"What an immense honor it is to be getting a second Golden God Award after Sabbath picked one up last year," Ozzy says. "The fans who have supported me and this music mean everything to me, which is why getting this award is so special."

Ozzy is currently in the middle of his final world tour, which will return to the U.S. in August.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.The UN Security Council is expected to vote Thursday at 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) on a draft resolution put forward by Kuwait calling for the protection of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, Kuwait's UN ambassador Mansour al-Otaibi said.

Diplomats say the United States is expected to block the measure with its veto power.



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US assertions that China is militarising the South China Sea are "ridiculous", China said on Thursday, after US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Washington would confront China's actions in the disputed waterways.

Mattis said on Tuesday the United States would push back against what it sees as China's militarisation of islands in the South China Sea despite China's condemnation of a voyage through the region on the weekend by two US Navy ships.

"The United States military presence in the South China Sea is greater than that of China and other countries that surround the seas combined," Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing.

Hua also questioned whether US Navy "freedom of navigation" operations were really about preserving the right for ships to sail through the region or an attempt to maintain hegemony.

"This sounds like a case of a thief crying 'stop thief' to cover their misdeeds," she said.

Speaking at a separate briefing, defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said they had noted that the United States had recently been "turning a blind eye to the facts and hyping up" the militarisation of the South China Sea.

No country has the right to "make irresponsible remarks" about China's building of necessary defence facilities on its own territory, Ren said.

However, he said the United Sides had formally proposed Mattis visit China, and both countries were coordinating on details. He did not provide a date for a possible trip.

The Global Times, a state-backed Chinese tabloid that does not reflect official policy, said in an editorial on Thursday that China must prepare to forcefully respond to any "extreme" US interference in the South China Sea.

"Aside from deploying defensive weapons on the Spratly Islands, China should build a powerful deterrence system, including an aerial base and a roving naval force and base," the paper said.

Reuters first reported that two US Navy warships sailed near South China Sea islands claimed by China on Sunday, prompting anger in Beijing, which claims most of the strategic waters where Chinese, Japanese and some Southeast Asian navies operate.

While the Sunday operation had been planned months in advance, and similar operations have become routine, it comes at a sensitive time and days after the Pentagon withdrew an invitation to China to attend a major US-hosted naval drill.

Pentagon officials have long complained that China has not been candid enough about its rapid military build-up and using South China Sea islands to gather intelligence.

Recent satellite photographs showed China appeared to have deployed truck-mounted surface-to-air missiles or anti-ship cruise missiles at Woody Island.

This month, China's air force landed bombers on disputed islands and reefs in the South China Sea as part of a training exercise.

Mattis is expected to have strong words for China at a Shangri-la dialogue conference in Singapore beginning on Friday.

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US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a top North Korean official are set to continue talks in New York on Thursday to try to salvage next month's nuclear summit, as Russian Foreign

Minister Sergei Lavrov flew into Pyongyang for discussions with Kim Jong Un.

Kim Yong Chol, considered the North Korean leader's right-hand man, is the most senior official from Pyongyang to visit the United States in 18 years.

Pyongyang's envoy joined Pompeo at the apartment of a US diplomat on Manhattan's East side for talks over an evening meal that lasted about an hour and a half. Two more meetings are scheduled for Thursday.

"Good working dinner with Kim Yong Chol in New York tonight," Pompeo tweeted. "Steak, corn, and cheese on the menu."

It was the third meeting between the two officials who are working to finalize planning for a June 12 summit designed to end a nuclear standoff that has threatened to plunge Korea back into war.

"They are meeting to see what needs to be done in the two weeks that remain," a senior US official said.

"Between now and if we're going to have a summit, they're going to have to make clear what they're willing to do."

US and North Korean envoys have also been meeting in Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, and an American team is in Singapore to make logistical arrangements for the meeting.

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.

But analysts say North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US will not try to topple the regime.

Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister arrived in Pyongyang for talks with Kim Jong Un, saying before the meeting that Moscow "welcomes" the recent flurry of diplomacy on the peninsula.

"We also cheer the summits that have already taken place between Pyongyang and Seoul, and the next planned summit between the leaders of North Korea and US," said Lavrov, on his first visit to the North since 2009.

Photos and video released by Russian state media showed Kim and Lavrov shaking hands.

Lavrov passed on greetings from President Vladimir Putin to the North Korean leader and invited him to visit Russia, according to a statement from the Russian foreign ministry.

Russia is the latest major nation to reach out to North Korea since Trump accepted Kim's proposal for a summit to defuse tensions. Kim has already had two meetings each with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and Pompeo -- once as CIA director and then as secretary of state.

Lavrov spoke with Pompeo by telephone for the first time Wednesday, ahead of his Pyongyang trip.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump suddenly announced a cancellation of the summit, before reversing course 24 hours later.

Pompeo has scheduled a news conference on Thursday, at the end of his meetings with Kim.

The recently-appointed secretary of state called his South Korean and Singaporean counterparts over the weekend, and Japan is also keenly watching summit preparations.

Kim Yong Chol, who is making his first US visit, is the most senior North Korean on US soil since Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok met then-president Bill Clinton in 2000.

The general has played a key role during recent rounds of diplomacy aimed at ending the nuclear stalemate on the Korean peninsula.

He sat near to Trump's daughter Ivanka during February's closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics in South Korea, an event that was seen as a turning point in the nuclear crisis.

He also accompanied Kim Jong Un on both of his recent trips to China to meet President Xi Jinping, and held talks with Pompeo in Pyongyang.

The key task ahead of the June 12 summit is to settle the agenda. The main stumbling block is likely to be the concept of "denuclearization" -- both sides say they are in favor of it, but there is a yawning gap between their definitions.

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A delegation from the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) started on Thursday a two-day visit to Sweden to learn from the Swedish experience and success in the field of financial technology.

The visit was organised in cooperation with the Swedish Embassy in Cairo and the Swedish Council for Trade and Investment.

The visit comes within the framework of the CBE's efforts to become a leader in financial technology and encourage a shift towards electronic financial transactions to achieve financial inclusion for the maximum number of citizens.

Lobna Helal, the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Egypt, is heading the CBE delegation, which includes members the Anti-Money Laundering and Terrorism Finance Unit.

"The Central Bank of Egypt is determined to continue its pioneering role in financial technology in order to achieve the main objective of offering savings for all levels of society, especially marginalised groups," Helal said in a statement.

Helal added that the CBE is also looking to achieve "sustainable development by creating the necessary atmosphere for the growth and development of financial technology, as well as benefit from the promising international experiences in this field, such as the Swedish experience."

The Egyptian delegation held several meetings with the deputy governor of the Central Bank of Sweden and the general director of the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority.

The delegation also visited the Stockholm Centre for Financial Technology, as well as a number of start-up companies and electronic payment providers.

The CBE delegation discussed the nature of Sweden's financial technology market and the role of Scandinavian financial technology centres in encouraging the use of financial technology solutions.

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Egypt's foreign ministry released a statement on Wednesday saying that it rejects recent criticisms by the EU over what the European body described as the arrest of political activists in the country.

The foreign ministry affirmed that Egyptian authorities do not target critics or human rights activists, and described the EUs comments as a misreading of the situation in Egypt.

Earlier on Wednesday, the EU spokeswoman for foreign affairs and security policy voiced concerns over what she described as "the increasing number of arrests of human rights defenders, political activists and bloggers in the latest weeks in Egypt," adding that these events are "a worrying development."

Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said that Cairo completely rejects the spokeswoman's statements, which he described as "inaccurate," adding that the comments "do not serve the channels of dialogue and partnership between Egypt and the European Union."

"No citizen in Egypt gets arrested or tried because of their activity in the field of human rights, or for criticising the Egyptian government, but [they get arrested] for committing crimes punishable by law," the statement read.

Over the past few weeks, Egyptian authorities have arrested and detained a number of people over charges including broadcasting false news and working with a terrorist organisation.

Abu Zeid also expressed in the statement Egypt's concerns over human rights conditions in the European Union, which he says include the ill-treatment of migrants and refugees. The spokesman also highlighted the rise of extremist right-wing movements and parties in Europe and the associated racism, violence and hate speech.

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A recent report on Sinai by Human Rights Watch has once again drawn attention to the shoddy methods employed by this US-based NGO

A government is guilty until proven innocent seems to be the motto of the US-based non-profit organisation Human Rights Watch (HRW), which is headquartered in New York.

This motto has been born out in almost all the groups reporting on Egypt over recent years.

In its latest series of negative reports on Egypt entitled Army intensifies Sinai home demolitions HRW said that the destruction, much of which is likely unlawful, has extended well beyond two government-designated security buffer zones in the cities of Arish and Rafah.

The army also demolished several homes in Arish, in what appears to have been retaliation against terrorism suspects, political dissidents, and their relatives.

This language, used by Sarah Leah Whitson, HRWs Middle East director, is not only presumptuous since it fails to provide any evidence of such destruction, but is also deeply misleading.

Moreover, Whitson fails to mention in her twisted report that the Egyptian army is already building a new town to accommodate the residents of Rafah and other towns who evacuated their homes on army orders as a precautionary measure during the fight against the Islamic State (IS)-affiliated terrorist group Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis.

This report and similar ones accusing the army of causing a humanitarian crisis in Sinai have been officially denied by an Egyptian army spokesman who said they were devoid of truth.

He stressed that food and medical supplies had been secured by the army to reach North Sinai amidst the military operations.

Egypt has been on the HRW radar for the past few years, especially after the ousting of Muslim Brotherhood former president Mohamed Morsi in the 30 June Revolution.

Since that date, HRW has become reliant on supporters of the terrorist group for its reports and fabled tales of their torments under the new Egyptian government.

HRW has hardly ever recognised the damage that members of this terrorist organisation have done to the Egyptian state and people over recent years, when thousands of military personnel and civilians have perished.

They died as a result of the unprecedented wave of terrorist attacks orchestrated by the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates.

Nevertheless, these attacks hardly occupy the minds of this US-based NGO, and they are rarely mentioned in its reports.

In the case of the North Sinai governorate that the shoddy report of HRW covers, Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis has turned the lives of North Sinai residents into a living hell, with indiscriminate attacks on civilians including Christian Copts and Muslim worshippers in mosques.

Coptic shop-owners and their families have been threatened and forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in other cities after being threatened.

However, it has not only been the Copts who have been suffering, as on 24 November last year the most devastating attack in the history of Egypt took place in the town of Bir Al-Abd in Sinai, killing 305 worshippers in a mosque.

As a result of such attacks, the Egyptian state has been tasked with protecting the lives of innocent civilians, and drastic measures have been put in place including relocating citizens to new homes.

The Palestinian group Hamas, which has been running the Gaza Strip for over a decade, has dug thousands of tunnels across the Egyptian/Gazan border, and these have been a lifeline for terrorists in the region.

Accordingly, measures had to be taken to distance civilians from this dangerous border zone and relocate them to the town of New Rafah about five km from the border.

These evacuated residents were paid compensation, and they will be handed their new homes as soon the new town is up and running.

HRWs reporting style using anonymous witnesses and unnamed sources cannot be perceived as constituting a reliable source of information.

For instance, the report cites the Facebook links of an anonymous group called the Peoples Committee of North Sinai, which is obviously tied to terrorists in North Sinai as it speaks the same language in its communiques.

The Egyptian government and army amidst the economic hardships that the country has been suffering from for the past seven years have undertaken the huge task of relocating the residents of the border town of Rafah to a location away from the reach of terrorists surfacing from Gaza through tunnels.

This relocation comes at a huge economic cost that the government could well do without, yet in order to protect Egyptian citizens and Egyptian borders from terrorist activities it has been willing to bear this cost.

HRW has also accused the Egyptian army of expanding the security perimeter it set for the evacuation from Rafah without announcing it in advance.

However, it ignored the fact that in any war or conflict armies may need to take the decision to expand a security perimeter to protect the lives of civilians and of course of soldiers.

Even if the army has chosen to expand the security perimeter in Rafah to curb the terrorist activities coming from Gaza into Egypt, it is the prerogative of the Egyptian army to do just that without having to clear it first with an organisation writing reports from a lofty perch in New York.

No government on the planet, democratic or not, can claim to have discovered a proven formula to tackle terrorism. But the goal of protecting the citizens of the state is paramount for all governments facing unprecedented challenges from terrorist activities.

Undoubtedly, this NGO is doing a disservice to the noble cause of human rights by publishing shoddy reports on a war in which it has decided to side with the aggressor, in other words the Muslim Brotherhood and its terrorist allies in Sinai.

It has simultaneously ignored the thousands of lives lost by Egyptian military personnel and police forces, as well as by innocent civilians, as a result of the actions of these groups.

HRWs shoddy reporting uses unnamed witnesses and cites unverified sources of information from conflicting reports, being more befitting of a sensationalist tabloid newspaper than the reputable human rights organisation it claims to be. Such reports on the situation in Egypt also raise questions about the validity of the organisations reports on the human rights situation in other countries.

It may be time to revise HRWs status as a credible source of human rights reporting worldwide.

The writer is a political analyst and author of Egypts Arab Spring: The Long and Winding Road to Democracy.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 31 May 2018 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly with headline: Human rights hogwash

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Waymo, Google's former self-driving car project, is expanding its partnership with Fiat Chrysler with the announcement it will add another 62,000 Pacifica minivans to its autonomous fleet later this year.

FCA announced the second expansion with Waymo of the year in a Thursday, May 31 news release. Back in January of this year, the two were a little vaguer in saying that FCA would add "thousands" of Pacificas to Waymo's fleet of 600, at the time. Waymo has been busy adding vehicles to the fleet, as the now standalone company took a luxurious turn with the addition of 20,000 Jaguar I-PACEs to its fleet.

"FCA is committed to bringing self-driving technology to our customers in manner that is safe, efficient and realistic," FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne said in the release.

"Strategic partnerships, such as the one we have with Waymo, will help to drive innovative technology to the forefront."

FCA was the first automaker to directly work with then-Google's self-driving car project in 2016 when it designed and engineered 100 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrids. The minivans doubled Waymo's fleet at the time, and were built with Google's software at the automaker's Windsor, Ontario, Canada-based plant.

The massive increase in Pacifica Hybrid minivans will aim to further Waymo's goal of launching the world's first self-driving, ride-hailing service. The self-driving car company has already tested its technology in 25 U.S. cities, and at least six states.

"FCA and Waymo are no strangers to each other, and this announcement shows the partnership is working," Akshay Anand, Kelley Blue Book analyst, said in an emailed statement.

"We are seeing a continued ramping of investment in self-driving cars, and even with incidents in recent news, companies across industries still want to stake their claim in the transportation mode of the future."

In Michigan, Waymo started testing the autonomous minivans on roads in Novi in late 2017. The testing in Michigan marked new territory for Waymo as the company was looking to test its software on the state's unpredictable winter roads and the cold weather experience.

At the time Waymo CEO John Krafcik said of adding Michigan to the fold, that the "Pacifica minivans are our most advanced self-driving vehicles to date, and testing in snow, sleet and ice will help further hone our driving capabilities."

"Waymo's goal from day one has been to build the world's most experienced driver and give people access to self-driving technology that will make our roads safer," Krafcik said on Thursday.

"We're excited to deepen our relationship with FCA that will support the launch of our driverless service, and explore future products that support Waymo's mission."

This addition certainly adds optimism to what Waymo is trying to accomplish as it comes on the heels of the company becoming the first to test its vehicles on public roads with no human back-up in the driver's seat. This test occurred in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler, Arizona in October 2017.

--

The vehicle used in this historic test, and the thousands more coming to Waymo, were developed in Novi, Michigan and manufactured in Windsor, Ontario. As for the Pacifica itself, it became the first vehicle to be graded as Level 4 autonomy by the Society of Automotive Engineers.

In a previously published safety report, Waymo details the procedures behind each of its different tests for its technology. On public roads, like they will be testing starting in the Detroit area soon, each Pacifica Hybrid will have a "highly-trained" driver inside.

"Waymo continues to leverage its partnerships with traditional automakers. Expanding from 600 to 62,000 Chrysler minivans, in addition to its recent 20,000-vehicle commitment with Jaguar Land Rover, confirms Waymo's desire to be the technology behind self-driving cars rather than playing the role of car manufacturer," Karl Brauer, executive publisher of Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book, said in an emailed statement.

"It's a good move that gives the tech giant more flexibility while maintaining the profit margin that built its parent company."

This announcement comes on the same day, Thursday, May 31, in which General Motors announced a $3.35 billion expansion into itis Cruise unit for a 19.6 percent equity stake. Japanese technology firm, SoftBank Vision Fund, chipped in $2.25 billion and GM spent $1.1 billion of its own to speed up the commercialization of its autonomous division.

GM CEO Mary Barra said that this partnership adds yet another "strong partner as we pursue our vision of zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion." With this infusion of nearly $3.5 billion, GM says this will help its Cruise unit reach commercialization by 2019.SCIO TOWNSHIP, MI - A 125-year-old book-manufacturing and printing company with 2 locations in the Ann Arbor area has announced it will close its doors next month.

Edwards Brothers Malloy, which traces its roots back to 1893, announced on its website it will close all of its locations on June 15.

The company has two locations in Scio Township, west of Ann Arbor - 5949 Jackson Road and 5411 Jackson Road.

Edwards Brothers Malloy previously had a third facility in Ann Arbor on State Street, which it sold to the University of Michigan for $12.8 million in 2014.

The economic crisis in 2009 led to cutbacks in school textbooks and affected the company, CEO John J. Edwards said at the time.

The company then had roughly 400 employees at its State Street location. Between 50-70 employees were planning to work at 5949 Jackson Road - dubbed Ann Arbor West - when it opened in 2014. It is unknown how many worked out of the third location, which was the largest.

The company did not say how many jobs are impacted by its closure.

"It is with heavy hearts we announce that Edwards Brothers Malloy will be closing our doors as of June 15," the company said in a statement on its website. "As you can imagine, this is a difficult time for our employees as we work through the process of shutting down our facilities while finishing projects for our customers with work in-house.

"We do, however, want to take this moment to thank you for your support and business through the years. Our employees and customers have been the cornerstone of our 125-year history."

Edwards Brothers Malloy has factories in North Carolina in addition to its Ann Arbor locations.

Company officials could not be reached immediately for comment.DEARBORN HEIGHTS, MI - Hundreds of tow trucks lined up outside the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn on Thursday to pay tribute to Nader Chehadi, a tow truck driver who was killed Tuesday in a crash on Interstate-94.

Nader, 42, of Ypsilanti was killed when an SUV crashed into a disabled school bus on the shoulder of eastbound I-94 near State Street in Pittsfield Township. He worked for Budget and Stadium Towing out of Ypsilanti.

Ali Aoude of Canton Township remembered Chehadi, his cousin, as an honest man who seemed to have a solution for every problem.

"There was nothing you couldn't go to him and complain about that he didn't have an answer for," Aoude said.

"If I ever had an issue or felt like walking out of work, he would calm me down. He was one of the best guys you could talk to and there's nobody that will replace him."

Tow Truck Funeral Procession Tow trucks lead funeral procession for driver killed in I-94 crash in Ann Arbor Posted by MLive.com on Thursday, May 31, 2018

Nader's truck, nicknamed Black Knight, followed the hearse in the procession from the mosque to the burial site in Plymouth.

Yellow decals that read "#38 In Loving Memory of Nader 5-29-18 Slow Down Move Over" were sold to tow truck drivers in the procession for a $10 donation to Nader's family.

A banner that read "Move Over Michigan. It's the Law" hung from one tow truck.

"This is in memory of (Nader)," Aoude said of the banner.

"Michigan has a law saying move over a lane if you can't slow down. If you see a car on the side of the road, (move over). It doesn't even have to be a tow truck. It could be someone changing their tire or working underneath their car. Move over a lane. You just never know."

Ypsilanti and Eastern Michigan University police also took part in the funeral procession.

MLive photographer Tanya Moutzalias contributed to this report.MIDLAND, MI -- The amount of rotting dead fish cluttering the shores of Kiwassee Lake in Midland is worse than previous years, but it does not pose a health risk to humans, according to city parks officials.

Bart Heil, parks supervisor for Midland County, said the natural die-off has occurred for years at the lake, located at 3922 E. Ashman in Stratford Woods Park, but seems to be taking a heavier toll on the fish population this year compared to previous years and has prompted some calls from concerned residents.

Reports and information from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and S&R Environmental Consulting indicate the fish are suffocating from a lack of oxygen, Heil said.

"The reason for the oxygen depletion was a reversal in the water column," Heil said. "You deplete the oxygen in the body of water, and there's not enough oxygen in the lake. It's a suffocation issue, as far as we know."

According to a report from S&R Environmental Consulting, the die-off was noted as "fairly significant" during a recent visit to Kiwassee Lake for routine algae treatment in the swimming area, though die-offs are not uncommon at the manmade lake on Midland's east side. The beach features a sandy beach and fishing docks.

The fact that a certain species of fish called bullhead is now dying means this year's die-off is worse than usual, Heil said.

"Bullheads are pretty durable," Heil said. "That leads us to believe there was more of a fish kill earlier in the year and they didn't rise to the surface and they sunk."

The timing of the die-off was also unusual, he added, and could have been prompted by, what Heil described ,as a bad ice year or increased weed die-off, as decaying vegetation used up oxygen found in the lake.

A park attendant has been tasked with cleaning up the dead fish, Heil said, which are taken to the composting facility at the Midland City Landfill on Ashman Street.

"In the midst of a die off, the only thing you can do is clean up," Heil said.

Parks staff will also monitor the fish population and evaluate if the die-off may require some human help to replenish the numbers. An alert posted on the City of Midland website said the die-off is expected to end soon.

"After we're through this and through the summer, we'll chat with the fisherman and see what people are catching," Heil said. "It could open up the conversation if we have to plant fish."

While the beach is monitored once a week as part of a grant from the Midland County Health Department, Heil said those reports are related to contaminants that could impact people swimming or wading in the water.

"We obviously don't want this, and it sucks and it's not a good thing, (but) it's generally nothing that affects people," Heil said. "What affects fish is different from what affects people."

The first round of results from May 30 were posted Thursday and indicate the site is safe for swimming, based on E. coli levels tested at three different parts of the beach.

The state's standard is 300 colonies of E. coli per 100 milliliters of water, and each site tested at less than 45.

Testing continues through September, according to the Department of Environmental Quality website.

The Midland County Parks and Recreation website advises swimmers at Kiwassee Lake to dry off immediately after exiting the lake to reduce the possibility of swimmer's itch.

At least three beaches in Bay County closed this week as a result of water samples that indicated high E. coli levels that are unsafe for full body contact recreational activities.Johnathan Sails, a former East Detroit High School assistant teacher who was in charge of monitoring a gym class when 14-year-old KeAir Swift drowned on Nov. 8, 2013, will avoid prison.

Some relatives voiced displeasure with the judge's sentence Wednesday, May 30, one woman shouting and slamming the doors to the courtroom as Macomb County Circuit Judge James M. Maceroni sentenced Sails to two years probation and 60 hours of community service.

"Given his background, I believe that society is better served with him in it," Maceroni said of Sails, a Detroit Kettering High School and Wayne State University graduate with no criminal record.

Sails, as part of an agreement with the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office, pleaded no contest to a charge of involuntary manslaughter, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, and was sentenced to a day in jail with credit for time served.

Restitution for funeral expenses may be ordered by the judge at a later date.

Maceroni said certain facts of the case were misrepresented by the Macomb County Prosecutor's Office and in a civil lawsuit filed against Sails and the school district on behalf of KeAir's mother, Lakisha Swift, by Geoffrey Fieger's law firm.

"A group of students alerted Sails ... to the fact that KeAir was drowning and needed help," but Sails "blew off" the warning, the lawsuit claimed. "Having been alerted to the fact that KeAir was struggling underwater, Sails opted to go to the locker room to change into his swimming clothes rather than jump into the pool and save him."

Video of sentencing:

Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said Sails lied about his credentials to get the job overseeing students using the pool, and sat in the bleachers when Swift began having trouble in the water.

Sails' attorney, Robert Leonetti, said the school violated its own policy when it placed Sails, a substitute teacher, in charge of the swim class. He admits that Sails, a competitive high school swimmer, lied about having a valid lifeguard certification when questioned by police, but denies that the school ever asked about lifeguard credentials prior asking him to teach students in the pool area.

"It's not like he wanted the job ... Leonetti said. "They just came in one day and said you're assigned to the pool."

The attorney says Sails led the swim class for three weeks without issue before the school recognized he wasn't qualified and appointed a new head teacher, whom Sails was assisting.

Leonetti said there was a pizza party planned on the day KeAir died, and only about five students were in the pool; Sails was monitoring about 20 other students in the bleacher area.

When class ended and Sails blew his whistle, he failed to check on the small group of students in the pool, Leonetti said.

"The kids were telling him that somebody was drowning" and he "thought they were playing around," Lionetti said at sentencing. The attorney says Sails then went to check on the doors to the locker room, suspecting the doors might have been locked, and that was why students were still in the pool.

When Sails returned, he jumped into the pool to attempt and pull KeAir to safety. While KeAir, with the assistance of others, was pulled from the pool, he suffered brain damage. He was placed on life support and died about four days later, authorities said.

Lionetti denies that Sails went to the locker room to change into a swimsuit prior to helping KeAir, as the lawsuit alleged.

"There's plenty of fault to go around," Maceroni said. " ... I'm quite certain (Sails) wished he had acted quicker and I'm quite certain that he wished he had the strength to pull him from the bottom of the pool on his own.

"Knowing Mr. Sails background, I'm sure those details will haunt him for the rest of his life, and I am also certain that the fault for this tragedy does not fully lie with Mr. Sails and I'm not certain how much of his fault rises to criminal culpability."

Sails said he no longer teaches at a public school, but is teaching group fitness classes and making a living as an Uber driver.

Maceroni said the civil case against Sails, East Detroit Public Schools and other teachers and administrators has "concluded," but MLive wasn't immediately able to verify whether there was a financial settlement in the case.

MLive has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request to the school district for any settlement reached in relation to the lawsuit and was awaiting a response.FLINT, MI - Leaders have been selected for four Flint Community Schools buildings.

Flint Board of Education members recently approved the new leaders at Durant-Tuuri Mott Elementary School, Scott Middle School, Neithercut Elementary School, and Southwestern Classical Academy, which will soon house all high school students.

Acting Durant-Tuuri-Mott principal Angela Ascencio-Mindlin was chosen to fill the position on a full-time basis.

Ascencio-Mindlin moved into the role on an interim basis in March after former principal Shelly Umphrey was picked to become the assistant superintendent in place of Sherri Merriweather, who was placed on leave and tendered her resignation, effective June 30.

Kelly Field, the current principal at Flint Northwestern High School, will move over to become principal at the reopening Scott School building. The school will house some of the district's seventh- and eighth-grade students.

The Averill Avenue building, which formerly served as an elementary school, closed in 2015 but it's set to reopen with assistance from $755,000 in state funding.

Umphrey previously said Durant-Tuuri-Mott has a higher student population already "so we're able to make the shift in the number of kids they have over there to Scott because you want to be able to control the receiving numbers on the Scott end."

Christopher Ochodnicky will move from his academic engagement officer role at Holmes STEM Academy to become principal at Neithercut Elementary.

At the high school level, Calvin Sims will become principal of Southwestern Classical Academy.

The former New Standard Academy principal is leaving his position as principal at Muskegon Heights Academy to fill the spot.

Maria Boyd-Springer, Southwestern's current principal, will become the alternative education director at the Accelerated Learning Academy, which will continue operating at Northwestern High School in the fall.

Karen Christian, president of the United Teachers of Flint Union, has said teachers there took a no-confidence vote against Boyd-Springer in late April.

The changes are effective June 18.

Michael Hall, the district's executive director of human resources, said hires for additional leadership roles are in the works.

"This is just the beginning," he said, noting the district would soon move forward with filling assistant principal positions "to complete these transitions so we have a much stronger team moving forward next year."

The district is also seeking a new superintendent for the upcoming school year.

Interim Superintendent Gregory Weatherspoon commented on the day he was hired that he will not seek the job on a full-time basis, with his employment agreement expiring June 30.FLINT, MI -- Attorneys received DNA test results in the murder case against five teens who are accused of throwing a rock from a highway overpass that led to a Mt. Morris man's death.

Attorneys for Vienna Township residents Kyle Anger, Mark Sekelsky, Mikadyn Payne, Alexzander Miller and Trevor Gray received a packet of information from the Michigan State Police crime lab while in Genesee District Court on Thursday, May 31.

Genesee District Judge William H. Crawford set a preliminary exam in the case for 9 a.m. on July 16.

The case had been delayed while officials waited for the results.

All five face charges of second-degree murder, conspiracy to commit second-degree murder, malicious destruction of property and other felony and misdemeanor charges in connection with Kenneth A. White's death.

"We're hoping that after the lab results from the case, we'll be in a better position to try to resolve the matter," said attorney Frank J. Manley, who represents Sekelsky.

All face the possibility of up to life in prison.

The teens are accused of throwing more than a dozen rocks in October from the Dodge Road overpass onto southbound Interstate 75 and struck multiple vehicles, including the van in which White was riding. The rock that struck that vehicle punctured the windshield and led to his death, authorities say.

Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell previously said tires and an engine piston also were thrown from the Farrand Road overpass onto I-75, roughly three miles north of where White was killed. Several other vehicles sustained damage, including flat tires, from items thrown onto the interstate.

The rocks, one weighing 20 pounds, were gathered from a dead-end street in Vienna Township and put in the flatbed of a pickup truck, Pickell said.

After throwing the items from the overpass, the teens went to eat at a local fast-food restaurant, investigators said.

White, 32, of Mt. Morris, left behind four children, a fiancee, his parents and six siblings.ARGENTINE TWP., MI -- Two young girls got a big surprise when they were playing a game while swimming in Lobdell Lake on Tuesday, May 29.

Paige Burnett, 10, and Sage Menzies, 9, were playing a game they called "Mermaid," where they dive down into the water and search for things below the surface.

When Paige dove down into the murky water, her hand ran across something that she thought was big. She had Sage try and help her get it, but the treasure they'd discovered was half buried in the sand.

The girls solicited the help of Sage's mother and once it was out of the water they couldn't quite determine what the 3-foot long item was because it was covered in sand and muck.

Later, when they pulled back some of the debris attached to it they were able to step back and make out what it was.

An old rusty, World War I practice bomb, according to police.

"We were super excited that we had found this instead of just something metal," Menzies said. "We were saying 'we could be famous.'"

With three fins on the bottom and a little bit of red, white and blue faded paint barely visible, the adults realized the bomb could be active.

"When they realized what it was they said 'leave it alone,'" said Yvonne Burnett, Paige's grandmother. "It's quite a relic. We had called the police and they called the bomb squad in and they said they have seen these before and they are usually around Lake Huron."

Paige Burnett said when she was excited when they pulled the item from the lake.

"I was jumping up and down and we were both crying," she said before realizing what it was. "I thought it was gonna explode. I was so scared."

But the children's stint of fear subsided when police arrived.

Argentine Township police Sgt. Douglas Fulton said he responded to the initial call to the 16000 block of Whitehead Drive.

He said he called the Michigan State Police's bomb squad to make sure the device was not dangerous.

"This is definitely one for the books," Fulton said. "It's definitely old. They drilled a hole in it and nothing but mud came out. It was a pretty interesting find."

Members of the bomb squad told the girls that the item they found at the bottom of the lake was a Mark 2 practice bomb.

Whenever fighter pilots were done with their practice runs, they often would drop whatever practice ordnance they had left, Fulton said.

The bomb squad drilled holes in the side of the bomb and were leaving with it when the families asked if the girls could keep it.

Now they'll have the story to share and the bomb to show off to their friends.UPDATE: Accused fake cops who even fooled police had 'good intentions'

FLINT, MI -- A group of wannabe cops has been fooling police, firefighters and the public for years across Genesee County, according to law enforcement officials.

Now they are facing felony charges.

The group is accused of conducting false arrests of individuals they accused of committing crimes and even tricking real emergency responders at crime scenes.

"We believe that on some occasions, they were the first to show up on crime scenes," said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton. "On some occasions, the real police would ask them to perform tasks at the scene, not realizing they were imposters."

A group of people calling themselves the Genesee County Fire and EMS Media-Genesee County Task Force Blight Agency has been acting as police at locations that include county parks, house fires, vehicle crashes and other crime scenes, according to Kevin Shanlian, chief of the Genesee County Parks ranger division.

An investigation into the group was launched after Shanlian received a call about a complaint of rude rangers at Stepping Stone Falls and Picnic area in Genesee on Sept. 21, 2017.

He investigated the incident because the victims thought they were being mistreated by park rangers, but Shanlian soon learned the victims were actually dealing with the fake cops.

Ultimately, the investigation led to Leyton filing criminal charges.

Leyton authorized charges against three people on Wednesday, May 30, that include three counts of unlawful imprisonment and one count of impersonating a peace officer to commit a crime.

Emily Nicole Burrison, 27, of Burton, and Jeffrey Lee Jones, 29, of Flint, were arraigned on the charges Thursday, May 31, before Genesee District Judge David Goggins.

A third Flint man was charged in connection with the case and he was taken into custody while working at Cedar Point in Ohio. Investigators said he is being held at the Erie County Jail while awaiting extradition to Genesee County for arraignment on the charges.

Court records indicate there are five other co-defendants in the case, however, charges have not yet been filed against them.

The three individuals who are charged dressed like police officers and approached two people at Stepping Stone Falls and Picnic area, Leyton said.

The charged individuals said the people were trespassing, the park was closed and they were under arrest despite the fact the park was actually open, according to Leyton.

Both victims were handcuffed and the fake police demanded their driver's licenses. Information from the licenses was entered into a laptop inside the suspects' vehicle, which Leyton said had a police light bar on top of it.

The victims were told they were being placed on a criminal watch list database, Leyton said, before getting the handcuffs taken off and receiving their licenses back.

"We believe they've done this to other people," Leyton said. "We're asking people to come forward if, in fact, they believe they've been victimized by people they don't believe are real police officers."

Leyton said the group kept a log and were responding to 911 calls.

Shanlian said there was a core group of about 10 people who were impersonating police since October 2015.

"I believe there's probably hundreds of victims who were actually detained and didn't have good experiences with these folks," Shanlian said.

However, the group was not always successful in their deception.

In one instance, the impersonators tried to get into a scene of a house fire in Mt. Morris Township, according to police Chief Terence Green.

But a real officer at the scene didn't let the people in, Green said.

"As far as I know, that incident was the only contact we had with that group," he said. "He would not allow them into the crime scene."

Green said people pretending to be officers is a safety hazard to the public and his plainclothes officers.

"It's a grave concern," he said. "It's very serious. People are going to question if (plainclothes officers) are legitimate because of these individuals who are illegitimate."

Shanlian said those who may have interacted with people impersonating police should call his office at 810-249-3830.

No court date for Burrison or Jones has been set.

"To me, this is serious stuff," Leyton said. "You can't run around pretending to be law enforcement. I don't know what these people were thinking."FLINT, MI -- Schuyler Kelley needed to hear her daughter's voice.

As tough as it was, Kelley yearned to listen to the recording of the 911 call her daughter, 14-year-old Brianna Beaushaw, made on June 10, 2016, from her friend's Vermilya Avenue home as it burned around her.

"It was comforting and heartbreaking at the same time," Kelley said. "Even though it's horrible and it's your child's last minutes -- I felt like I needed to hear that to have that kind of closure. It broke my heart, but it also comforted me at the same time because I felt like I had that kind of closure."

The 911 call recording was played for Kelley after Erica Starkey pleaded no contest to three counts of second-degree murder on Wednesday, May 30, before Genesee Circuit Judge Geoffrey L. Neithercut.

Starkey also pleaded no contest to three counts of child abuse, three counts of unlawful imprisonment and two counts of torturing or killing an animal, according to Genesee Circuit Court records.

"The fact that she took a plea came as a complete surprise," Kelley said. "I don't know what brought on this change of heart."

A no contest plea is not an admission of guilt, but it is treated as such during sentencing.

The plea includes an agreement with Neithercut that the judge will sentence Starkey to a minimum of 18 years in prison, according to court records.

"I think it's a fair and appropriate sentence and it was done in complete confidence of both victim's families," said Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.

MLive-The Flint Journal could not reach Starkey's attorney, Major White, for comment on the plea.

With the plea, Starkey ended the possibility of a jury trial on charges she killed her 4-year-old son Kaydon Hull and 13-year-old daughter Onyah Starkey -- who both died in the house fire.

Beaushaw, who was at the home for a sleepover, died two days later as a result of the blaze.

"Michigan doesn't have the death penalty," Kelley said. "It still wouldn't have been enough. Those children were 13, 4 and 14 -- they didn't have a chance at life.

"My kid wanted to be a heart surgeon. Who knows how many lives she might have saved."

Starkey is the second and final defendant to reach a plea in the case.

Rodney Dale King Jr., 42, pleaded guilty in April to three counts of second-degree murder and first-degree arson and agreed to testify against Starkey.

Investigators believe Starkey met up with King about 3 a.m. on June 10, 2016, and the two decided to go to Starkey's home at 643 Vermilya Ave. and do crack cocaine.

After leaving and unsuccessfully trying to find more drugs, King and Starkey returned to her home.

King gave Starkey money to go buy more crack around 4 a.m. and then he fell asleep on the couch.

King woke up at 5:50 a.m. to discover Starkey had not returned.

Authorities believe she went to another home, did more drugs and some drinking. She never returned.

Prosecutors previously said King believed Starkey stole the money and had no intention of returning with drugs.

Angry, King set the couch on fire, unaware the three children were sleeping in the home. He then left the home.

A short time later, dispatchers received a 911 call and prosecutors previously said the recording sounded like a child inside a home and smoke alarms could be heard going off in the background.

Flint firefighters responded less than 10 minutes later and the three children were found inside the home.

Hull and Starkey were pronounced dead the same day. Beaushaw died two days later.

Wednesday was the first time Kelley was able to be in the courtroom since the fire.

"It was very difficult to having her to take a plea," Kelley said. "Nothing that the law could do would ever be sufficient to what we lost."

Starkey will be sentenced on June 22.

King is scheduled to be sentenced August 23.GRAND RAPIDS, MI - A 42-year-old man was sentenced to two concurrent terms of two years in prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon and falsely attesting U.S. citizenship.

Sentenced Thursday, Franklin J. Flores will serve these two concurrent 24-month federal terms concurrent to his current state of Michigan sentence of 18 to 60 months for identity theft.

In January 2017, a search warrant was conducted at Flores' Grand Rapids residence after a New Mexico man reported Flores had stolen his identity.

A search warrant led authorities to discover a Springfield Armory XD-40 .40 caliber pistol and 11 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, which Flores could not lawfully possess after he was convicted in 2014 for carrying a concealed weapon in Kent County.

Flores also falsely attested U.S. citizenship when he assumed the New Mexico man's identity and filed a Form I-130 Petition for Alien Relative to try to obtain alien relative status for his wife.

He submitted the form to the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

U.S. District Court Judge Janet T. Neff said Flores' actions were some of the most egregious she has seen.

"Franklin Flores flouted both federal gun and immigration laws," said U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge. "The court's sentence is a message that the consequences are severe for convicted felons who violate federal gun laws and for those who try to steal and lie their way to immigration benefits."

Homeland Security Investigations Grand Rapids investigated the offense with assistance from the Wyoming Police Department.MANISTEE, MI - Two men in a multicolored powered parachute are recovering from injuries suffered in a crash Tuesday night.

The powered parachute, also called a paraplane, crashed into a tree behind a house at 7:58 p.m. May 29 in the 1800 block of Vladuct Road in Manistee County's Cleon Township.

The powered parachute only made it about 10 feet off the ground before the crash, according to police.

A 44-year-old man from Buckley managed to escape the crashed paraplane before help arrived. The other occupant, a 49-year-old man from Copemish, was still in the pilot's seat of the powered parachute when Manistee County Sheriff's deputies arrived on the scene.

The men riding in the powered parachute were wearing helmets and had seatbelts on during the crash and alcohol was not a factor, police said. Authorities provided first aid until EMS arrived.

The operator was transported to Munson Traverse City Hospital for a possible broken leg, and the passenger was transported by ambulance to the same location complaining of numbness and tingling in his legs, police said.

The Manistee County Sheriff's investigation revealed the powered parachute was unable to clear a treetop just west of the field where it took off from.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration were notified to assist in the investigation.GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- West Michigan's regional mental health system is no longer under threat of having its contract pulled by the state.

If the regional entity lost the contract, it would have been forced to close.

In a letter dated Friday, May 25, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services officials said they will not terminate Lakeshore Regional Entity's (LRE) state contract to provide behavioral health services in a seven-county region in West Michigan.

LRE's state contract was put in jeopardy March 22, when state officials notified the regional entity it was in "material default." The notice outlined financial concerns as well as issues with the entity's governance structure and warned the state would pull the contract Sept. 30 if not satisfied.

Since the default notice, LRE has "conditionally addressed the material default of contract issues," the MDHHS letter states.

The last of the issues resolved was risk management, or how well LRE is able to weather deficits.

The system had a roughly $24.3 million loss in the 2016-17 fiscal year, which ended on Sept. 30. It wiped out the entity's coffers of $11.3 million brought into the region by merging county entities in 2014.

LRE was formed in 2014 and is responsible for management of Medicaid benefits in Allegan, Kent, Lake, Mason, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties. It serves about 260,000 people.

MDHHS blames LRE for administration and service inefficiencies, entity board officials previously said. The entity blames the state for inadequate funding to cover the changing costs of state-mandated services.

This fiscal year, LRE is expecting a $7.6 million deficit, according to LRE Chief Financial Officer Jeff Labun. Most, if not all, of that is expected to be covered by supplemental funds from the state legislature, he said.

If the legislature does not approve the supplemental, the state could go back to threatening termination of LRE's contract.

Any deficit over the supplemental funds will come from a pot that area stakeholders commit money to. Those stakeholders will be paid back from a $2 million state bonus awarded Oct. 1.

The much-lower deficit this year is due in part to cuts of positions and services not mandated by the state, Labun said.

The deficit funding structure will only last until the end of the fiscal year, as Lakeshore Regional Entity is planning to contract out Medicaid benefit disbursement and management services to a private entity starting the following fiscal year.

So far, there are three qualified bidders for the work. The move would allow the Lakeshore Regional Entity to maintain control over the contractor.An ongoing controversy between Patrick Colbeck and Abdul El-Sayed bubbled to the forefront at the gubernatorial debate on Mackinac Island Thursday when the Republican hopeful accused El-Sayed of playing "the race card."

Colbeck took flack from El-Sayed and his supporters after he alleged El-Sayed, a Democrat, has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood and supports Sharia law. The comments are unsubstantiated and were first reported on by Buzzfeed News.

In response to a question about whether Colbeck was playing into bigotry by doubling down on those comments, Colbeck said El-Sayed was misconstruing what he said.

"I think Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is going off and playing a religion card, and he's playing a race card when all I did was highlight his associate with an organization affiliated with the Muslim brotherhood," he said. "This has been labeled with hate speech...the hate speech as been coming from Dr. Abdul El-Sayed."

El-Sayed pulled a constitution out of his pocket and said it "protects my right to pray as I choose to pray."

"Every time we hear this, it speaks to a long history of people who look a little different than the senator...trying to do something that is perfectly within their rights, and then having their very Americanness questioned," he said. "We've seen this before. To be frank, it's a distraction."

Colbeck responded: "Obviously he's very clever he's trying to make it about religion - it's never been about religion, and he knows it." He also criticized El-Sayed's support of making Michigan a sanctuary state.

El-Sayed said racism is a distraction to getting Michigan an inclusive economy and fixing its problems, and making sure every kid has a chance to succeed.

The debate, held at the Mackinac Policy Conference, featured commentary from the top three gubernatorial candidates from both Democrat and Republican parties.MACKINAC ISLAND, MI -- Republican and Democratic candidates for governor will gather on Mackinac Island Thursday for a debate as part of the Detroit Regional Chamber's annual Mackinac Policy Conference.

The event, hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber Political Action Committee, is a separately-ticketed event event running concurrently with the main conference. It's not televised, but will be streamed live online. Here are the details:

Who: To select which candidates would appear onstage the chamber conducted a poll and selected the top three candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties. Those are Democrats Gretchen Whitmer, Shri Thanedar and Abdul El-Sayed along with Republicans Bill Schuette, Brian Calley and Patrick Colbeck.

The debate does not include Republican Jim Hines, who did not poll in the top three Republican candidates, or Libertarian candidates Bill Gelineau and John Tatar.

What: It's a 60-minute debate.

Where: It's on Mackinac Island in Northern Michigan.

When: The debate takes place at 6:00 p.m. EST

Moderators: Moderating the debate is Nolan Finley, editorial page editor of The Detroit News; Stephen Henderson, host of Detroit Public Television and WDET; and Christy McDonald, an anchor on Detroit Public Television.

Watch: MLive will have a livestream of the debate.Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and other state officials pledged a $50 million commitment towards upgrading the Soo Locks Wednesday afternoon as part of a renewed effort to drum up federal support for adding a second large lock to the structure.

Snyder, joined by business representatives and government officials such as Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, state Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof and state House Speaker Tom Leonard, said during a press conference at the Mackinac Policy Conference that state officials are prepared to dedicate up to $50 million from the expected surplus in the state budget to a Soo Locks upgrade project.

The ultimate goal is to get other Midwestern states to help chip in on the project, assuming the federal government funds 80 percent of the upgrade and asks for 20 percent from local sources, Snyder said.

According to current estimates, the project could cost $1 billion - an updated estimate from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected by the end of June.

"Michigan is stepping up now to say we're gonna put our money where our mouth is," Snyder said. "We want to encourage other states, other provinces and the federal government to join us, to say: it's not time to talk about a lock. It's not time to authorize a lock. It's time to build a lock."

The idea of upgrading the Soo Locks to better accommodate the large ships shipping iron and other materials through the Great Lakes isn't new - a plan to combine two of the oldest, smaller locks into another large lock to complement the existing Poe Lock was initially authorized decades ago. But funding was never appropriated, and the project languished.

In recent years, there's been a bipartisan push from Michigan's Congressional delegation to revive the Soo Locks project, and last month, President Donald Trump said upgrading the Soo Locks was a top priority.

"I am hopeful," said Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow during a separate interview with reporters Wednesday. "If he weighed in on it, we certainly could move faster...we're now at a very significant point."

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, said he's encouraged by Trump's interest in Michigan's priorities and said he looks forward to seeing the updated evaluation on the project.

"I'm cautiously optimistic," he said. "Realistically, we need the locks to stay open. It's not only part of the economy of this country, but also a national security risk if they shut down."

Michigan's Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie are a connector for shipping iron, coal, grain and other materials from the shores of Lake Superior to the rest of the country. In 2016, U.S.-flagged Great Lakes freighters moved 83.3 million tons of cargo, according to the Cleveland-based Lake Carriers Association.

A Department of Homeland Security report concluded a hypothetical unexpected breakdown at the Poe Lock lasting six months would cripple the United States economy and cost 11 million jobs, and predicted the national unemployment rate would hit 11.3 percent.

The report found a shutdown of Great Lakes steel production caused by a sudden halt in ore transportation would in turn shut down almost all North American appliance, automobile, construction, farm and mining equipment, and railcar production within weeks.Authorities in Wisconsin are stepping up their search efforts for an Upper Peninsula woman who went missing after attending the "Mellen Jam" music festival last weekend.

Family members told police that Jody Lynn Newberry, 54, of Bergland, traveled to Mellen, Wis., with a male companion last Thursday, May 24, to attend the annual event.

She and her friend became separated at the festival, and she was last seen around noon on Saturday, May 26.

On Tuesday, Newberry's family called Ashland County sheriff's officials.

"Jody's sister was concerned because the festival had ended and Jody had not returned home, nor had she contacted the family," sheriff's officials said.

She is described as a white female, 5'3" tall, weighing 115 pounds, with long brown hair. She also has several missing teeth, a skin tag on her nose, and is usually wearing wire-rimmed glasses.

The 120 acres where Mellen Jam has its annual Memorial Day weekend event is just north of town, on Gilgen Road. Police describe the surrounding property as dense forest with extremely rugged terrain.

"An initial search of the property and adjacent area was performed by deputies of the Ashland County Sheriff's Office, followed by an expanded search by the Sawyer County Search and Rescue K-9 unit throughout the evening and night, with nothing found," police said in an update released on Wednesday.

"At this time, there is no indication of Jody's whereabouts. The investigation is ongoing and additional expanded searches are planned in conjunction (with) all other available options to locate her."

Anyone with information about Jody Newberry's whereabouts is asked to call the Ashland County Sheriff's Office at (715) 682-7023.MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - As business leaders gathered inside the Grand Hotel at the Mackinac Policy Conference Thursday activists from Progress Michigan gathered outside to announce a lawsuit against Attorney General and Republican governor candidate Bill Schuette.

In a lawsuit filed May 30 in the Court of Claims Progress Michigan Communications Director Hugh Madden is suing Schuette, alleging he violated a portion of the Michigan constitution that speaks to the state civil service, or state employees.

The suit identifies 15 employees and former employees in Schuette's office who have also been involved in political campaign work. That's a violation, it claims, because civil service rules prevent partisan considerations in hiring state employees or state employees doing political activity during work hours.

"Never has a Michigan Attorney General, or any statewide elected official under the current State Constitution, operated such a vast, wealthy political campaign apparatus from his or her government office using government employees," the lawsuit argues.

Andrea Bitely, a spokeswoman for Schuette in his capacity as Attorney General who is mentioned in the lawsuit, hit back against the allegations in a statement Thursday.

"This is just another example of a liberal group that has nothing better to do but file lawsuits and throw everything (including the kitchen sink) at the Attorney General. We are going to continue to concentrate on the important work for the people of the State of Michigan, defending kids and families from crime and protecting consumers from scams," Bitely said.

The lawsuit comes after a news report revealed Schuette hired former political operatives to be "constituent relations representatives." Asked about the hiring of political, "Bill Schuette" people for those positions in a December 2017 press conference Schuette was direct.

"They better be or they're not going to be working for me," he said at the December 2017 event.

He said they didn't have to be Republicans but did have to have a relationship with him because they represented him to constituents.

But the lawsuit alleges the problem goes beyond those positions and identifies eight politically-connected groups connected to Schuette and his office.

"As the state's top law enforcement official, he should know better," said Madden at a press conference Thursday.

Mark Brewer, the attorney representing Madden and former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, pointed to a diagram of Schuette staffers of overlapping official and political capacities.

"He has thoroughly corrupted that office and turned it into his own political patronage," said Brewer.

He alleged Schuette rotated people off campaigns and onto the state payroll as part of a patronage system that rewarded them for campaign work and kept them available for the next political cycle.

The lawsuit asks for the Court of Claims to stop the Department of Attorney General from employing or contracting with Schuette's political campaign staff and stop him from having "constituent relations representatives," along with other relief.

Schuette's hiring practices have also drawn criticism from Brian Calley, an opponent in the Republican gubernatorial primary, who said earlier this month he thought Schuette's actions could be subject to prosecution. He called for an independent investigator.

Also running in the Republican gubernatorial primary are Patrick Colbeck and Jim Hines. On the Democratic side, candidates are Abdul El-Sayed, Shri Thanedar and Gretchen Whitmer.RIVES TWP., MI - Two children critically hurt in a weekend crash were improving, and could be released from Michigan Medicine this week, Jackson County Undersheriff Chris Kuhl reported late Wednesday afternoon.

Two other children, initially said to be in fair condition, were also at the Ann Arbor hospital for less serious injuries, Kuhl said.

A hospital spokeswoman on Thursday had record of only one of the children, a 9-year-old boy. He was in good condition, she said.

They were four of seven passengers, some unrestrained, riding Sunday in a four-door Dodge Ram pickup truck when the driver, 24, ran a stop sign on Berry Road. A westbound vehicle then struck the pickup, heading south on Cooper Road, the Jackson County Sheriff's Office reported. Upon impact, the truck overturned.

Matt Caudill, 39, was in a vehicle behind the westbound vehicle. He said he saw a girl fly into the air and a boy leave a window as the truck flipped.

He pulled over and ran to help, he said. Children in swimsuits and swimming trunks were all over the ground, he said.

"It was the (most horrible) thing I ever seen and witnessed in my life," he said.

Caudill was on the phone with a 911 dispatcher, counting the injured, he said.

They wanted their mom, a doctor.

A boy had what looked to be a serious head injury, Caudill said. A girl appeared to have broken arms, he said.

One boy had a muffler and a tail pipe across his body, Caudill said. Caudill said he removed the hot muffler and used his shirt to tend to the worst of the boy's wounds. He was having trouble breathing, Caudill said, adding he told him to take small breaths, tried to keep him conscious.

He helped the boys and others came to the children's aid, Caudill said. "People started running out, trying to help," he said.

In the end, about 20 to 30 people were at the site, Caudill estimated.

"It was a mess, I know that," he said.

Caudill was heading to his father's house at Cooper and Zion roads. He had stopped at a store to buy candy for his kids, who were with his sister.

"The cops and everybody, they were horrified," Caudill said.

All were in a hurry, Caudill said. "Everyone there was trying to get the ambulances in there, load up the kids that were the worst," he said.

Caudill said he stayed until the last child was placed in an ambulance.

He did not know any of the victims, he said.

"I just hope they are all OK now," he said.

The intersection, he said, is a bad one. It sits at the top of a hill. "What they need is a four-way light there."JACKSON COUNTY, MI - Weather permitting, the Jackson County Department of Transportation is closing two roads within the first four days of June to replace cross-road culverts.

On Friday, June 1, JCDOT will close Harrington Road between Michigan Avenue and McCain Road in Spring Arbor and Sandstone townships. JCDOT is closing the road to traffic as it replaces two cross-road culverts. It is expected to be open by the end of the day.

On Monday, June 4, Happy Valley Road between Horton Road and Brookside Boulevard in Summit Township will be closed to traffic, according to JCDOT. Crews will work to replace one cross-road culvert and the road should be open by the end of the day.

No detour routes will be posted for either closing, according to JCDOT, and motorists are advised to seek alternate routes.

Those with any questions about either road closure can contact the JCDOT office at (517) 788-4230. More information is available on the department's Facebook page.JACKSON, MI - Jackson County Circuit Judge John McBain once told a convicted burglar he wished the victimized police officer had been home to encounter the thief. Such a meeting, the judge said, might have been fatal for the felon.

Two Michigan Supreme Court justices see this as out of accordance with the first principle of the justice system, that judges are impartial and independent, according to an order issued last week by the high court.

"When a judge expresses his personal wish that the defendant had suffered a violent death instead of being arrested and convicted, the public's confidence in the rule of law is undermined," Justice Bridget Mary McCormack wrote.

She and Justice Richard Bernstein dissented from the majority, which declined on May 23 to review a Court of Appeals decision affirming the conviction and sentence of Christopher Mitchell.

Mitchell, 23, is in prison for breaking into and ransacking the officer's Blackman Township home in January 2015.

"Especially in these times, when our norms of public discourse appear under stress, judges, perhaps of all officials, should discharge their duties of office without rhetoric that would validly call into question judicial impartiality," wrote McCormack, joined by Bernstein.

Mitchell had argued on appeal that McBain's remarks demonstrated bias toward Mitchell, an argument the Court of Appeals rejected.

The judge did not return a message left Tuesday by a reporter seeking comment.

McBain sentenced Mitchell in September 2015 to 10 to 20 years in prison, exceeding the minimum sentence recommended by state guidelines, which consider offenders' histories and variables of their offenses.

"And, just for the record, you had enough mental wherewithal to figure out when you got home that you left your cell phone and knew enough to get (it) back. I just wish one thing would have happened. I wish (the officer) would have had (an) opportunity to get home before you found that cell phone and been there the second time you came back," McBain said, according to the Court of Appeals.

"Because you know what? You might not be going to the (Michigan) Department of Corrections for 10 years, you might be getting buried in some cemetery, because that was a home invasion in the first-degree and the worst - and the worst I've seen in almost 30 years."

Mitchell and co-defendant Angel Vidro did extensive damage, tipping over furniture, emptying storage containers, ruining legal documents and smashing a 100-gallon fish tank, according to the Court of Appeals. They ripped a 60-inch TV from the wall and stole this, other electronics, firearms and personal memorabilia, including collected police badges.

A three-judge Court of Appeals panel conceded aspects of McBain's statement "reflect a certain level of frustration by the trial court."

"However, considered in context, we conclude that this statement was not an expression of personal bias or animus toward (Mitchell)," the opinion reads. "But rather was an attempt by the trial court to impress on (Mitchell), who had a history of failing to learn from his prior encounters with the legal system, the serious nature of the consequences that his actions could have had, and of the impact of his actions on the victim."

Mitchell, then on probation for bringing contraband into a prison, admitted when he and Vidro identified the home as belonging to an officer, they made a point to be as destructive as possible.

Both Vidro, 24, and Mitchell pleaded guilty. Vidro is serving seven to 20 years in prison.

McCormack and Bernstein said Mitchell should be resentenced before a different judge.

"This is not to say that there is no role for emotion (including anger, and even vengeance) at a sentencing hearing. But that is for the people personally affected by the defendant's crime and their representatives (such as the prosecutor) to express, not the person in the courtroom charged with ensuring the proceeding's evenhandness," McCormack wrote.

The importance of preserving the appearance of justice and fairness outweighs considerations of waste and duplication, she wrote, citing various cases.

"The stakes here are too great and the corrective step too easy."MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - The estate of a gay man killed while incarcerated in a Michigan prison has sued the warden and several staff for failing to protect him from his "homophobic" cellmate.

Rodriguez Burks, 23, of Muskegon was killed last July at the Alger Correctional Facility by his cellmate, DeShawn Madden, who was convicted of first-degree murder last month.

"Although Madden was charged with the killing of Rodriguez Burks, each and every defendant, herein was the proximate cause of the murder," the lawsuit states.

The defendants are Warden Catherine S. Bauman, Deputy Warden Robert Wickstrom, prison Administrator Dean Potilla and 18 other staff members.

Inmates and corrections officer knew not only that Burks was homosexual, but that Madden was "homophobic," states the lawsuit filed by the Geoffrey Fieger law firm on behalf of Burks' mother, Dequita Burks. She is the personal representative of Rodriguez Burks' estate.

The lawsuit alleges that both men asked to be separated, and that Madden repeatedly told a corrections officer that if he wasn't moved, "'I'm gonna hurt this guy.'"

"However, each of the Defendants named herein ignored the threats and simply left Madden and the decedent Rodriguez Burks, in the same cell knowing that harm would result" to Burks, the lawsuit states.

Burks was found dead in his cell on July 20, 2017, lying face down and suffering from a traumatic head injury, the lawsuit states. Burks' death came two days after Madden was placed in the cell with him.

The prison failed to have policies in place to identify and protect inmates, especially homosexuals and African Americans, from harm, the lawsuit alleges.

Burks had been sentenced to prison in December 2016 for fleeing and eluding police and receiving stolen property, and was classified as level 4 security, according to the lawsuit.

Madden, a security level 5 inmate, was transferred to Alger on July 18, 2017, from the Marquette Correctional Facility because of overcrowding, according to the lawsuit. Madden is serving a sentence for carjacking, assault with intent to murder and armed robbery.

The lawsuit claims the defendants didn't protect Burks by failing to transfer either inmate out of the cell, failing to conduct timely checks on Burks' well-being especially considering the threats against him, and failing to respond to the assault he suffered. Furthermore, it alleges they racially discriminated against Burks, who is African American (as is Madden).

The lawsuit seeks $75,000 in damages for each of four counts, including gross negligence, racial discrimination and cruel and unusual punishment.MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI - A man who was high on drugs when he used a forklift and crane to vandalize a vacant factory where he abandoned his naked baby faces more than six years in prison after pleading guilty.

Larry Lee Wolting Jr. told authorities he "forgot" the 2-month-old baby was with him early on Sept. 25, 2017, when he broke in and damaged the former Esco plant in Muskegon.

He pleaded guilty to second-degree child abuse causing serious physical or mental harm, malicious destruction of property and operating while intoxicated by crystal meth. The prosecutor's office agreed to drop a breaking and entering charge, said Muskegon County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Maat.

The baby, who a doctor testified was born addicted to methadone, was discovered by police lying face down under a chair in the abandoned factory "crying profusely" and suffering minor injuries, according to a Child Protective Services petition. The naked baby was covered in dirt and on a muddy and "extremely dirty" floor, the petition states.

Wolting was found sitting in the cab of a large crane he had taken from the plant and driven through a fence and across Roberts Street to a UPS facility, Maat said earlier. Before commandeering the crane, Wolting had used a forklift to cause considerable damage inside the plant, he said.

Muskegon County Circuit Judge Annette Smedley agreed to a minimum sentence of 74 months, which is just over six years, in prison. There's no commitment on a maximum sentence. Wolting is scheduled to be sentenced at 9 a.m. June 28.

Wolting was charged as a third-time habitual offender, which increases the maximum penalty for the child abuse charge - the most serious he faces - to 20 years, Maat said. Wolting is a convicted sex offender and also has convictions for breaking and entering, safe breaking and being possession of burglars tools, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections web site.

When he was arrested for the Esco incident, Wolting was so high on methamphetamine he was hospitalized for aggressive treatment to avoid breakdown of muscles and kidneys, according to the CPS petition.

Victoria Sue Swift

Wolting earlier agreed to give up his parental rights to the baby if he was found guilty of the abuse charge. In January, Muskegon County Probate Judge Brenda Sprader terminated the parental rights of the baby's mother, Victoria Sue Swift, following a trial in her court.

At that time, Sprader noted Swift's criminal record, which includes home invasion and larceny convictions; drug use; and her failure to turn around her life despite being given four prior chances to do so. Swift, who lost parental rights to four other children, wept throughout the trial.

On Sept. 29, 2017, Swift was arrested for probation violation and tested positive for cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, morphine and amphetamine, according to testimony at the trial.

At birth, the baby tested positive for amphetamines and methadone and was successfully treated with morphine for symptoms of drug withdrawal, a neonatologist testified in Sprader's court.

Wolting was caring for the baby at the time of the Esco incident because Swift was in jail.

A foster care worker testified in Sprader's court that the baby was "thriving" with her foster parents who are hoping to adopt her.

"She's a really happy, sweet baby," the worker reported.MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, MI - A proposal for the city of Muskegon to contract fire department services from Muskegon Heights will be discussed by the Muskegon Heights City Council Monday.

The proposal calls for Muskegon to essentially dismantle its fire department and contract fire service from Muskegon Heights. The plan was devised in March by Muskegon City Manager Frank Peterson and Muskegon Heights City Manager Jake Eckholm, who say it could be a mutual benefit for both cities.

However, it could also mean layoffs and early retirements for some Muskegon firefighters.

READ MORE: Muskegon may contract fire department services from Muskegon Heights

On Tuesday, Eckholm, Mayor Kim Sims and Muskegon Heights Fire Chief Christopher Dean participated in a community forum to receive public input.

The trio said they were not yet ready to talk about the fine details because the Muskegon Heights City Council hasn't had a chance to review and discuss the proposal.

That first look and discussion should happen Monday, June 4.

Despite some push back from Muskegon's firefighters union, Eckholm said he had confidence in the plan.

"Hopefully we'll achieve council's endorsement," Eckholm said. "We're not blind to the fact that this has been a long process for folks in Muskegon. Better coverage and saving taxpayers money is something we had to seriously consider.

"No matter the outcome, what would hurt this community the most is if we did this the wrong way. We can plan all we want, but implementation is the hard part."

At Tuesday's forum, city leaders tried reassuring residents while they also took questions.

Eckholm spent most of the time laying out the timeline - from the moment the city of Muskegon approached Muskegon Heights about a contract to the visits he and Dean made to other cities comparable in size.

Sims said those meetings have helped Muskegon Heights get a better idea of whether this was something it could not only legally pull off, but successfully handle.

From Dean's perspective, the deal would help Muskegon Heights bolster its resources while providing a high level of service to both communities.

"We're settling on a metro district where the boundaries disappear," Dean said. "The 24 square miles (of Muskegon and Muskegon Heights) will be run as a singular district. We found that by running as that concept, we'll become more effective."

Another key point for Dean was how to fully staff a structure fire incident while responding to other calls. Dean said he doesn't want to rely on mutual aid, which involves another fire department helping with a fire or back-filling their stations.

Dean and Eckholm have approached the Muskegon Heights and Muskegon firefighter unions to keep them apprised of the talks.

During early talks, Peterson said that if the Muskegon Fire Department is eliminated, positions with Muskegon Heights fire likely would be available to Muskegon firefighters.

In a conversation with a resident after the meeting, Sims said that if Muskegon firefighters chose not to transition over, Muskegon Heights would have to go out and find firefighters.

A snag of continued contention between Muskegon firefighters and Muskegon city leaders has centered around staffing levels. Muskegon's firefighters' union has called its staffing levels -- which sometimes dips to six people on duty -- dangerous, especially when fighting larger fires.

Muskegon Public Safety Director Jeff Lewis recently told MLive/Muskegon Chronicle that fires of that nature are few and far between.While reporting its first-quarter results, Sears Holdings said it would close another 72 stores in the United States after identifying 100 "non-profitable" locations on Thursday, May 31.

The company said the 72 stores would begin to start closing "in the near future," and that it will soon release a list of affected locations. That list is expected to be released by midday Thursday.

"As part of our ongoing efforts to streamline the Company's operations and focus on our Best Stores, we have identified approximately 100 non-profitable stores, 72 of which will begin store closing sales in the near future," the company reports in a news release.

"We continue to evaluate our network of stores, which are a critical component in our transformation, and will make further adjustments as needed and as warranted."

This news comes after Sears Holdings said on Jan. 4 that it would close 64 Kmart and 39 Sears locations by April of this year. There are 17 traditional Sears stores in Michigan malls. Stores in Roseville and Grand Rapids closed in the last year.

The additional U.S. closures come after Sears reported a more than 30 percent drop in sales when compared to the last quarter. Altogether, the company lost about $424 million, which it says amounts to about $3.93 per share.

"The Company generated total revenues of approximately $2.9 billion during the first quarter of 2018, compared with revenues of $4.2 billion in the prior year quarter, with store closures contributing to nearly two thirds of the decline," Sears reports. "Total comparable store sales declined 11.9% during the quarter, comprised of a 9.5% decline at Kmart and a 13.4% decline at Sears.

"While total comparable store sales declined, the Company did experience positive comparable store sales at both Kmart and Sears in several categories, including apparel, footwear and jewelry."

CNN Money reports Sears has closed about 400 stores in the last 12 months, and only has 894 left which includes the 72 set for closure. When Kmart and Sears merged back in 2005, they had a total of 3,500 stateside stores combined.

As of May 5, Sears Holdings said its total cash balances were $466 million which includes restricted cash of $280 million. Two months prior to this in February, the company had $336 million in cash balances and $154 million in restricted cash.

The company, as of May 5, still has long-term debt and capital lease obligations totaling about $3.5 billion.DETROIT -- A strong offensive showing at Triple-A Toledo has earned infielder Ronny Rodriguez the first big-league promotion of his career.

The Detroit Tigers selected Rodriguez's contract from the Mud Hens on Thursday and optioned catcher Grayson Greiner back to Toledo.

Rodriguez, 26, signed a minor-league contract with the Tigers over the winter and had to be added to the 40-man roster.

In 48 games with the Mud Hens, Rodriguez is hitting .318/.341/.540 with eight homers, 14 doubles and three triples.

Rodriguez is a utility man with a experience at every position except catcher, although he's played primarily shortstop and third base in 2018.

Rodriguez is the sixth Tigers player to be called up to the big leagues for the first time this season, joining Greiner, Ryan Carpenter, Victor Reyes, Mike Gerber and Dawel Lugo.

Lugo did not get an at-bat while he was here earlier this month so has yet to officially make a debut.

Greiner joined the Tigers earlier this month when Miguel Cabrera went on the disabled list. He served as backup catcher, allowing John Hicks to shift to first base.

With Cabrera's return expected within days, Hicks will soon return to the backup catcher role.

Greiner was impressive offensively and defensively during his one-month audition. The 25-year-old hit .269/.333/.346 in eight games. Pitchers had a 3.60 ERA in the 70 innings he worked behind the plate.

Rodriguez is a native of the Dominican Republic who spent part of his childhood in the United States. He has a budding music career under the name El Felino. Cabrera has even used one of his songs as his walk-up music in 2018.Of All Things: How to keep your brain busyWelcome to Morningstar.co.uk!

You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details.The story never seems to go away: Workers and retirees with large concentrations of their own employers' stock in retirement portfolios get hammered when share prices plunge.

The most recent example is the share price collapse of General Electric (GE), which has sparked media coverage of the damage to employees holding the stock. You might wonder--will we ever learn our lesson on the need for diversification in retirement portfolios?Transparency is how we protect the integrity of our work and keep empowering investors to achieve their goals and dreams. And we have unwavering standards for how we keep that integrity intact, from our research and data to our policies on content and your personal data.

Wed like to share more about how we work and what drives our day-to-day business.China will construct a facility at its base in Djibouti for anti-piracy purposes to safeguard peace and stability in the region and the world, the Ministry of National Defense said on Thursday after Western media reported that China was building a dock for naval vessels.

"After holding talks with Djibouti, China has decided to build the necessary facilities at the base for either side to use," defense ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told the Global Times on Thursday.

The construction was to "better fulfill China's international responsibilities including anti-piracy work and to maintain the peace and stability of Africa and the world," Ren said.

UK-based Jane's Defence Weekly reported on May 23 that "China has begun to construct a pier at its military base in Djibouti."

Satellite images showed construction began some time after the end of April, the report said, and that the newly constructed pier extended about 330 meters into the sea by May 20.

Ren also said that a forum on China-Africa defense and security will be held in China from June 26 to July 10.

Officials and officers of national defense departments of African countries are expected to attend it.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army support base in Djibouti conducted live-fire drills on May 12 to gauge the performance of weapons and to prepare troops for counter-terrorism operations.

The base is China's first overseas base and began its operation on August 1.Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire []Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People's Republic of China (PRC), answers reporters' questions at a regular press conference on May 31, 2018. (mod.gov.cn/Photo by Li Aiming )

(The following English text of the press conference is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang: Friends from the media, good afternoon! Welcome to this months regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC).

Here, I especially want to welcome 11 new domestic and foreign media outlets which are participating in the press conference of the MND for the first time. They are the South-East TV (SETV), the Sansha Satellite TV (SSTV), the Paper, the Hong Kong Satellite TV (HKSTV), the Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), the Kazinform, the China Arab TV (CATV), the Middle East News Agency (MENA), the National Brodcasting Company (NBC), the Nippon Housou Kyoukai (NHK), and the Agencia Informativa Latinoamericana.Welcome to join the team of the regular press conference of the Defense Ministry!

We hope that you can actively cover the Chinese military, spread the Chinese militarys voice, present its strength and its contributions, so as to reveal a real and objective Chinese military to the International Community. Thank You!

Id like to start todays press conference with one statement.

To deepen the comprehensive and strategic partnership between China and Africa, to better adapt to the changing security situations in Africa, and to better fit new requirements of defense and security cooperation between China and Africa, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense will host the first Defense and Security Forum between China and Africa from June 26th to July 10th, 2018 in China. The Chinese side will invite senior leaders from defense authorities, top military officers, as well as the leaders of regional organizations of Africa to attend the forum.

The theme of this years forum is working together, offering timely help, such topics as the regional security issues, the independent security capabilities of Africa, the defense and security cooperation between China and Africa and so on will be discussed. During the forum, the Chinese side will arrange field visits to the Army, the Navy and the Air Force units attached to the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA). We believe that this forum will be a significant platform for China and Africa to seek peace, development and cooperation, so as to promote peace and stability in Africa and the world at large.

Now the floor is open for questions.

Question: In late April, President Xi Jinping held an unofficial meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi and reached important consensus on practical cooperation and proper management of differences. Would you please brief us on the cooperation programs in defense and security fields between the two militaries in the near future?

Answer: Both China and India are big countries in Asia and we are also each others important neighbor. The Chinese side attaches great importance to the development of the mil-to-mil relationship with the Indian side. Under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the two heads of state, we are willing to work with the Indian side to expand exchanges, strengthen cooperation, built mutual trust, properly manage differences, and facilitate the development of the mil-to-mil relationship in a healthy and stable manner, so as to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in border areas and safeguard peace and stability in this region.

Currently, the two sides are in consultation with each other on the upcoming visit to India by the Border Defense Delegation from the Western Theater Command of the PLA. These border-related exchanges between the two sides at different levels will help to strengthen the management and control of border areas. They will also help to build trust between the field troops of the two sides and translate the consensus reached by the two heads of state into real actions. The two sides are also in contact with each other regarding other cooperation programs. We will release relevant information in due course.

Question: During a recent interview, a military expert named Yin Zhuo said that after years practice and exploration, the aircraft carrier Liaoning is capable of fighting and is operational at a certain degree. Does it mean that the PLAs first aircraft carrier has formed combat capability? In addition, the US has recently cancelled its invitation to the PLA Navy to participate in the RIMPAC exercise. Do you think this will impact the exchange programs between the two militaries? A follow-up question is that the US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has planned his visit to China, do you think his visit will be postponed or even cancelled?

Answer: Thank you for the attention you paid to Chinas national defense and military development. Since it was commissioned, the aircraft carrier Liaoning battle group has conducted a series of comprehensive exercises including combat operational exercises in the open sea according to the training plan. These training exercises have effectively tested the forming and maintaining of the comprehensive offense and defense system of the aircraft carrier battle group, and also helped deepen the training of the carrier battle group to improve combat operation in the open sea. Its fair to say that the aircraft carrier battle group has initially formed system combat capability.

On your second question, it is actually a question on the mil-to-mil relationship between China and the US. At present, the mil-to-mil relationship between China and the US have been stable in general, but at the same time, we do witness some negative elements emerging, which consequently impacted, interfered, or even harmed the mil-to-mil relationship between the two countries. A sound and healthy mil-to-mil relationship is in the common interests of the two sides. We hope the US side can meet the Chinese side halfway and implement the important consensus of the two heads of state by strengthening strategic communication, effectively managing risks, handling differences in a constructive manner, constantly accumulating mutual trust and orderly advancing cooperation, so as to promote the development of the mil-to-mil relationship in a healthy and stable manner.

When it comes to the planned visit of the US Defense Secretary Mattis to China, currently the US side has officially put forward its proposals and arrangements on the visit. The two sides are now closely working on the specifics of the visit.

Question: The Shangri-La Dialogue will be held soon. What topics are on the agenda of the Chinese delegation? What specific arrangements does the Chinese delegation have during the Dialogue?

Answer: The Shangri-La Dialogue is a multinational forum. Lt. Gen. He Lei, vice president of the PLA Academy of Military Science (AMS), will lead a delegation to the 17th Asia Security Summit or Shangri-La Dialogue. Some Chinese scholars and experts will also participate in the Dialogue.

During the Dialogue, Lt. Gen. He Lei will deliver a speech centered on Strategic Influence of the Development of Military Strength in the Asia-Pacific Region. He will focus on publicizing and introducing such important ideas and concepts as the building of the community with a shared future for mankind and the new type of international relations proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Chinese delegation will also have in-depth exchange of views with officials from foreign defense establishments, military officers as well as experts and scholars from other participating countries on hotspot issues in the security and defense field. In addition, Lt. Gen. He will also have some bilateral meetings with the representatives of relevant countries.

Question: Remarks on veterans by a leader of a publication media group have caused online discussion. Do you have any response to that?

Answer: The Party Central Committee, Central Military Commission and President Xi have always cared for veterans. They've taken a number of practical and effective measures including setting up the Department of Veteran Affairs, strengthening the building of the service and support system for veterans, introducing preferential policies for the resettlement of veterans, and maintaining the legitimate rights and interests of veterans.

The veterans are the precious treasure of the Party and the country. Hence, they deserve more care and love. When they were in active service, they fought to safeguard this country and made their sacrifices and contributions to national defense and military development. Now, they came back to their civilian life. They continuously work hard to contribute to our economic and social development in all walks of life. There are such well-known outstanding representatives as the General farmer Gan Zuchang, the hero captain Liu Chuanjian and Song Xi who is a decommissioned female soldier from the Peking University.

The people's military came from the people, served the people and returned to the people. We believe that veterans will never forget why they start in the first place and keep fighting, carry forward the glorious tradition and fine style of work of our military and make new contributions to the Party and the people on their new posts.

Question: According to foreign media reports, China has started the construction of a new dock in Djibouti Logistic Support base, and the length of the dock will exceed 450 meters, which is capable of berthing the Chinese navy destroyers and large supply ships. Could you please confirm the news? Secondly, US Secretary of Defense Mattis recently officially stated that the US would rename its Pacific Command the Indo-Pacific Command, which interpreted by the US media as a move to to confront China in this region. Whats your comment on that?

Answer: The construction of the PLA Djibouti Logistic Support Base is to better implement our international responsibility and obligations of escort and humanitarian assistance in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. It will also be a boost to local economic and social development there, and it will enable China to make even bigger contributions to maintaining peace and stability in Africa and the world. At the same time, to further promote the friendly cooperation between the two militaries and to enable the base to better perform its supportive functions, upon the consultation between China and Djibouti, we will build necessary facilities for the use of both sides. As to your second question, we have noted relevant reports, and will keep following the development of the situation.

Question: It is reported that during his inspection to the Academy of Military Science, President Xijinping stated that it is necessary to strengthen innovation in military theories, defense technologies and the organizational models of the military scientific research work. Could you please brief us on the specific measures taken to implement President Xis important instructions?

Answer: Thank you for your attention on the construction of the Chinese military. President Xi attaches great importance to the development of modern military science. During his recent visit to the Academy of Military Science, President Xi stressed that military is an important force to guide military practice and lead military revolution.

The officers and men of PLA are implementing the important instructions of President Xi, and we are trying to run the engine of innovation in military science at full speed. We build the military under political guidance, strengthen the army through reform, develop the army through science and technology and manage the army in accordance with the law. We insist the integration between theory and technology, research and application, the military and the civilian. We strive to promote innovation in military theory, defense technology, the organizational model of military science and technology work. We work hard to speed up the implementation of the strategy of develop the army through science and technology and promote the development of modern military science.

Basically, there are four measures. First, we will stick to the Partys absolute leadership over the military and strive to open a new chapter of military science and technology in the new era. Second, we will focus on the problems concerning war and combat, and strive to make innovations in military science in the hope of forming an advanced combat theory with our own characteristics which are in accordance with the laws of modern warfare. Third, we will speed up the implementation of the strategy of building a strong military through science and technology and also speed up indigenous innovation. Finally, we will push forward policy and institutional reforms in military science and technological research so as to enable our mechanism to run smoothly with greater efficiency.

Question: General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, has just come back from his visit to Pakistan. Would you please tell us what important outcomes have been achieved out of his visit?

Answer: From May 27th to 20th, upon the invitation of the Pakistani military, General Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, led a delegation to visit Pakistan. During his visit, he had meetings with military and government leaders of Pakistan. They had in-depth exchange of views on regional security situation, strengthening cooperation between the two militaries in areas of counter-terrorism, joint training and joint exercises, equipment and technology as well as peacekeeping. The two sides have agreed to further enhance communication and cooperation under the multilateral framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Quadrilateral Cooperation and Coordination Mechanism in Counter-Terrorism by Afghanista-China-Pakistan-Tajikistan Armed Forces.

Vice Chairman Zhangs visit is a concrete action to further implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state on further promoting the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan. It will help enhance the strategic communication between the two countries, safeguard the strategic interests of the two countries, maintain the peace and stability in South Asia and promote peace in the world.

Question: At the US Pacific Command change of command ceremony, outgoing Commander Admiral Harris said, China remains our biggest long-term challenge. Without focused involvement and engagement by the United States and our allies and partners, China will realize its dream of hegemony in Asia." Whats your response to this? The US Defense Secretary Mattis recently told reporters that the US will continue its freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea. He said that the operations have gained support from the vast majority of countries and the only voice against the operations came from China. Whats your comment on this?

Answer: We have noticed that the Admiral has often made some remarks harming the mil-to-mil relationship between China and the US. We firmly oppose such groundless accusations against the Chinese military. We have always adhered to the peaceful development and pursued a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. At the same time, we have always believed that exchanges and cooperation between the two militaries are in the common interests of both sides and meet the common expectations of the international community. The US and China should work in the same direction and the US should do more things that are conducive to the development of bilateral military relations.

On the second question, we have noted that the US side has recently ignored the facts and hyped up the so-called "militarization of the South China Sea. We are firmly opposed to it. China has indisputable sovereignty over relevant islands in the South China Sea and their adjacent waters. It is the legitimate right of a sovereign state to build and deploy some necessary defense facilities on its own territory. No country has the right to make irresponsible remarks about this. We hope that the US will bear in mind the overall situation, look far ahead, abandon zero-sum thinking, properly handle differences, and work hard to make mil-to-mil relations a stabilizing factor in China-US relations.

Question: From April 23 to 24 this year, the defense ministers meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States was held successfully in Beijing. This is the first defense ministers meeting after the expansion of the SCO. The SCO Summit will be held in Qingdao from June 9 to 10. What military cooperation and exchange activities will be held among the SCO member states in the second half of this year? Secondly, it is said that the Philippines is renovating the runway for military aircraft on the Zhongye Island in the South China Sea. Do you have any comment on that?

Answer: Defense and security is an important area of cooperation for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO). In recent years, defense and security cooperation has been very smooth and effective. All the mechanisms including the defense ministers meeting and military chiefs meeting among the SCO member states have been constantly improved. Multiple bilateral and multilateral joint military exercise focused on counterterrorism have been conducted. Extensive exchanges in such fields as personnel training and border cooperation have been conducted.

In April of this year, the 15th Defense Ministers Meeting as well as the 5th "Fanfare for Peace" Military Tattoo of the SCO were held successfully in Beijing. In the second half of this year, we will hold a joint military exercise Peace Mission-2018 in Russia. Currently, related expert groups are in the third round of consultation refining the specific arrangement of this exercise.

China is willing to continue its exchanges and cooperation with member states of the SCO in the field of defense and security on the basis of mutual trust and mutual benefit, enhance capabilities to jointly meet the new challenges and new threats, facilitate the security and defense cooperation of the SCO to go deeper and be more practical and play an active role in maintaining peace and stability in this region.

On your second question, weve also noted the movement. what I would like to stress is that China has indisputable sovereignty over relevant islands in the South China Sea and the adjacent waters. We hope that relevant parties can proceed from the big picture of the bilateral relationship and the regional peace and stability, and work in the same direction with China to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea. The Chinese military will as always continue to safeguard its national sovereignty and security, and maintain regional peace and stability.

Question: We have seen some pictures on the Internet capturing two Type 055 destroyers hanging the national flags. And it is also speculated that both of the two destroyers will be launched at the same time very soon. Could you please confirm that?

Answer: They are a new type of destroyers with the displacement of 10,000 tons developed and produced by China independently. It is an iconic warship for the Chinese navy to realize strategic transformation and development. The subsequent construction of the new type destroyers is proceeding smoothly as planned.

Question: It was reported recently that the carrier-borne aircraft on the Liaoning Aircraft Carrier had acquired the technique of taking off and landing at night, which means that the aircraft strike group is capable of around-the-clock combat operations. It makes China one of the few countries in the world which are capable of flying and landing carrier-borne aircraft at night. Please brief us on the significance of the technique.

Answer: The carrier-borne aircraft F-15 was able to conduct ski-jump takeoff and cable arrested landing. It indicates that the carrier-borne aircraft has acquired the technique of taking off and landing at night. Just as what I said, the Liaoning Aircraft Carrier striking group has initially formed system combat capabilities.

Question: Just now you released information of the security and defense forum between China and Africa. The only one African country that does not have diplomatic relations with China is Swaziland. Will China invite Swaziland to participate in the China-Africa security and defense forum?

Answer: Currently, the preparatory work of the first China-Africa security and defense forum is in progress. We will invite defense department leaders, senior military officers of African countries as well as heads of regional organizations to participate in the forum. We will release information about the preparatory progress of the forum in due course.

Question: On April 24, the US House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019. The Act calls for strengthening Taiwans military strength and urges the US to follow the Taiwan Travel Act" and send senior military officers to visit Taiwan. What is your comment? Secondly, on April 25, the PLA Air Forces H-6k bomber conducted night cruise around the Taiwan Island for the first time, while the Taiwan military was rehearsing the missile-interception subject in its Han Kuang Exercise. Is the PLA's action targeted to some extent?

Answer: The Taiwan question concerns Chinas national sovereignty and territorial integrity. The China-related content of the US Congresss Defense Authorization Act is full of Cold War and Zero-Sum mentality, interferes with China's internal affairs and harms China's core interests. The Chinese military is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to it.

We urge the US side to fully recognize the serious harm of the negative China-related clauses in the Act, abide by the one-China policy and the principles of the three China-US joint communiques, delete the relevant negative clauses in the Act, prudently and properly handle Taiwan-related issues, and take concrete actions to maintain the mil-to-mil relationship between China and the US and the peace and stability across the Taiwan strait. On the second question, the PLA Air Force recently conducted a cruise around the Taiwan Island in an effort to practice and enhance its capability to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will continue to organize similar training in the future.

Question: Recently, weve seen a picture capturing the two aircraft carriers of China in Dalian at the same time. Some people said that the aircraft carrier Liaoning is finally not alone. Can you introduce the progress of the sea trial of the domestically-built aircraft carrier? According to the recent online articles, progress on construction of China's third aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ships has been encouraging. Could you please brief us on the third aircraft carrier?

Answer: The second aircraft carrier of China left the shipyard in Dalian on May 13 to related waters to conduct a sea trial. The sea trial is aimed at testing and verifying the reliability and stability of the dynamic system of the aircraft carrier. On May 18, it completed the test task and returned to the Dalian shipyard. As to when the aircraft carrier will be commissioned, we will decide it according to the progress of construction progress and testing.

As to the long-term development of Chinas aircraft carriers you have mentioned, we will take all factors into account including the country's economic and social development as well as the needs of national defense and military construction.

Question: For the first time, the South China Sea

has been explicitly included in the Defense Authorization Act recently passed by the US House of Representatives. Some analysts believe that the US will continue to play the South China Sea card. What is your comment? Will China conduct dialogue with other countries on the South China Sea issue in the 2018 Shangri-La Dialogue?

Answer: We have already expressed strong objection to the relevant wrong remarks and actions of the US on the South China Sea recently. Here what I would like to restate is that China has Indisputable sovereignty over relevant islands inthe South China Sea and the adjacent waters. The US hypes up the South China Sea issue. It does not accord with facts or the development trend of China-US relations and is detrimental to regional peace and stability. China has always been committed to working with countries in the region to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. We hope the US meets China halfway and do more to contribute to regional peace and stability instead of the opposite.

Question: British media reported that a foreign remote sensing satellite captured a picture of type 039 Chinese submarine docking at the Djibouti military base. The military officers of India and the US also voiced their concerns over the presence of Chinese submarines in the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Whats your comment on that?

Answer: I do not have any information to offer.

Here concludes todays regular press conference. Thank you!WALLINGFORD  A 288,000-square-foot office building housing Anthem Health, Burns & McDonnell and Liberty Mutual was recently put up for sale.

The Campus at Greenhill business complex, at 108 Leigus Road, was put on the market by Gale International, the real estate development company that owns the property. The asking price was not disclosed.

The building, constructed between 2006 and 2011, sits on 104-acres in the northeast section of town, near the interchange of Interstate 91 and Route 68.

The engineering firm Burns & McDonnell and Liberty Mutual Insurance lease space on the first floor of the two-story building, according to listing broker Jonathan Putnam, of Cushman & Wakefield. Anthem Health leases the entire second floor of the building, Putnam said. The building has been Anthems Connecticut headquarters since 2012.

Officials dont anticipate the sale will impact the tenants operations in Wallingford.

If the building owners decide they want to sell, it doesn't necessarily mean anything for the tenants, said Tim Ryan, the towns economic development specialist. Commercial properties change hands, I don't want to say on a regular basis, but it happens...I don't believe there's anything to read in between the lines on this one.

Anthem spokeswoman Sarah Yeager said the sale of the Campus at Greenhill will not affect Anthems building operations.

The Hartford Business Journal reported earlier this year that Trepp LLC, a commercial mortgage analyst, identified the property as headed for foreclosure.

mzabierek@record-journal.com

203-317-2279

Twitter: @MatthewZabierekBrownback said, "What we know is we got a gulag system operating in North Korea, and it's been a terrible situation for many, many years. You can go on satellite -- open source satellite -- and see some of these camps and their situation. You have people that have gotten out and written about the situation in North Korea. We know it is very difficult and desperate, and particularly for people of faith, and that's why North Korea has remained a country of particular concern for us."

"The government continued to deal harshly with those who engaged in almost any religious practices through executions, torture, beatings and arrests," the report said. "An estimated 80,000 to 120,000 political prisoners, some imprisoned for religious reasons, were believed to be held in the political prison camp system in remote areas under horrific conditions."

Even as the U.S. works toward a June 12 summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, the State Department report singled out the reclusive communist nation for abuses against believers.

The U.S. declared Tuesday that religious freedom is "under assault" across the globe. "The state of religious freedom is dire," said Sam Brownback, the State Department's ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom, as he and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released the agency's annual report concluding that many countries throughout the world crack down on religious adherents and punish them harshly for their beliefs.

 Rohingya Muslims

Brownback told VOA it is his view that the purge against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar is "religious cleansing."

"The official legal category is ethnic cleansing, but it is ethnic cleansing in the religious minority, the Rohingya, who are mostly Muslim," he said. "I think it just keeps getting worse. But that's why people have to step up more aggressively as nations, and pushing back on this against what the military is doing in Burma and what's happening in that country."

Brownback also expressed concern about Nigeria, which he plans to visit soon. "I plan on going to Nigeria. It's a nation of 50 percent Muslim and 50 percent of Christian, and a lot of conflicts. It's the largest country in Africa, population-wise. And we can't afford, neither can the continent or the rest of the world, for Nigeria to come apart at the seams."

The report also condemned abuse of religious believers in China, Iran, Russia and other countries.

The State Department said Beijing "continued to exercise control over religion and restrict the activities and personal freedom of religious adherents when the government perceived these as threatening" the state or the ruling communist party. The report estimated that "hundreds of thousands of Uighur Muslims have been forcibly sent to re-education centers, and extensive and invasive security and surveillance practices have been instituted."

Brownback said, "You know, that was a concept you thought was gone decades ago and (is) being experienced in growing amounts. The report cites a number of very, very troubling concerns and a decline in religious freedom in China."

In Iran, the report said the government continues to deal harshly with religious minorities, including executing or imprisoning those convicted of waging "war on God."

The State Department said that in Russia, "Authorities continued to detain and fine members of minority religious groups and minority religious organizations for alleged extremism. In one case, there were reports that authorities tortured an individual in a pretrial detention facility. Authorities convicted and fined several individuals for 'public speech offensive to religious believers.'"

In releasing the report, Pompeo said, "Advancing liberty and religious freedom advances America's interests. Where fundamental freedoms of religion, expression, press and peaceful assembly are under attack, we find conflict, instability and terrorism. On the other hand, governments and societies that champion these freedoms are more secure, stable and peaceful. So, for all of the reasons, protecting and promoting global respect for religious freedom is a priority for the Trump administration."

Pompeo said the State Department is convening a ministerial meeting July 25-26 to promote religious freedom, inviting foreign diplomats from "like-minded governments, as well as representatives of international organizations, religious community, and civil society to reaffirm our commitment to religious freedom as a universal human right."

He said the gathering "will not be just a discussion group, it will be about action. We look forward to identifying concrete ways to push back against persecution and ensure greater respect for religious freedom for all."

Brownback said, "The problems are great, but the opportunity for change is, too."The Trump administration has imposed new sanctions on three Iranian organizations and six Iranians whom it says have committed serious human rights abuses on behalf of Tehran.

The three organizations sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in a Wednesday statement include Iran's pro-government vigilante group Ansar-e Hizballah, Tehran's Evin prison, and government-backed mobile app developer Hanista Programming Group. The department's Office of Foreign Assets Control also sanctioned three leaders of Ansar-e Hizballah, two government officials whom it said are involved in state censorship activities, and the director of Iranian state broadcaster IRIB.

The U.S. statement quoted Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as saying Iran's government "diverts" national resources that he said belong to the Iranian people and uses those resources to "suppress" free speech and fund a "massive and expensive censorship apparatus."

"Those who speak out against the regime's mismanagement and corruption are subject to abuse and mistreatment in Iran's prisons," Mnuchin said. "America stands with the people of Iran, and Treasury is taking action to hold the Iranian regime accountable for ongoing human rights abuses, censorship, and other despicable acts it commits against its own citizens."

The sanctions put a freeze on all assets of the designated organizations and individuals in U.S. possession and "generally prohibit" Americans from engaging in transactions with them. Foreign financial institutions or individuals who "knowingly" provide material support to those designated also risk exposure to secondary U.S. sanctions that could cut them off from the U.S. financial system.Cheong Wa Dae has dispatched officials to Singapore, but the presidential office said this has nothing to do with the planned summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on June 12.

"The officials have been sent to Singapore to prepare for a Korea-Singapore summit in July," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kwon Hyuk-ki said Wednesday. "Their trip has nothing to do with the U.S.-North Korea summit."

There has been speculations that Moon will visit Singapore around the time of the Trump-Kim summit for a possible trilateral summit to discuss a peace treaty in case everything goes well.

Diplomatic sources claim the presidential office is making preparations in case Moon visits Singapore for a trilateral summit.

During a summit with Trump in Washington on May 22, Moon broached the subject of holding a trilateral summit right after the U.S.-North Korea summit, but Trump gave no immediate answer.

Debt remains the #1 concern for households across America. Whether youre in the red, or in the black, debt is omnipresent. It has the propensity to materialize when we least expect it, with medical emergencies and routine expenses alike. Debt has been deemed the necessary evil of our time. It facilitates the financing of purchases that would otherwise be impossible without these lines of credit. Debt may be required for educational purposes, a vehicle, or a home mortgage. Unfortunately, far too many people get into debt simply because of extravagant or extraneous spending on credit cards, personal loans, and other short-term lines of credit. Poorly managed debt is an accident waiting for a place to happen.

In the US today, the focus tends to be on the debt ceiling and how Congress should approach it. From a households perspective, we tend to be far more responsible collectively than the government is with our tax dollars. The debt ceiling is a reference to the funding available versus the shortfall. By raising the debt ceiling, the US government can make up the difference. Over the years, presidents have raised the debt ceiling to accommodate the burgeoning needs of US economic growth and prosperity. Contrary to popular opinion, it wasnt President Obama or President George Bush Junior who were responsible for raising the debt ceiling the most  that honor belongs to President Ronald Reagan. Dubbed by many to be the most successful US president for his efforts at reaching across the aisle, Reagan and Reaganomics proved immensely successful to ending the Cold War and putting America back on track.

President Reagan is also responsible for raising the debt ceiling 18 times since his presidency began. Reagan served 2 terms as president of the United States (1981  1989), after unsuccessfully running for many years before that. Reagan roared into office with 489 electoral votes versus Jimmy Carters 49. During his time in office, President Ronald Reagan oversaw a renewal of confidence in the US economy, a thawing of relations between the US and the Soviet Union, and unprecedented domestic prosperity. This alone indicates that the mere act of raising the debt ceiling is not in and of itself negative. It is how the country leverages debt that makes the world of difference.

What is the current level of debt in the United States?

Presently, the US national debt is sitting at $21.168 trillion. That translates into a debt per citizen of $64,587. The debt per taxpayer is even higher at $174,313. By contrast, US federal tax revenues are estimated at $3.33 trillion which amounts to a revenue per citizen of $10,162 and a revenue per taxpayer of $27,428. The US federal revenue to GDP ratio has increased from 3.15% in 1900 to 16.62% now. US federal spending is up 135% at $4 trillion, resulting in a US federal budget deficit of $753 billion. Currently, the US federal budget deficit/GDP ratio is 3.761% ($753 billion/$20 trillion). These figures do not paint a positive picture of US national debt, but moves are afoot to try and tackle this runaway problem by implementing more favorable trade agreements with foreign countries like Mexico and Canada (NAFTA), and China.

A brief history of debt throughout the ages

The United States remains a stable first world country, and despite being heavily in debt, still has an AAA rating from Standard & Poors Global. Worldwide banks maintain that investments in the US are stable, due to the countrys prosperity. In much the same way as a student with student loan debt can still apply and be approved for a credit card, so too is the US government able to continue borrowing while still maintaining a favorable credit score. Debt is unavoidable in the US, particularly if you are looking to get ahead.

Debt begins at college level and goes throughout your life as you purchase your first home, vehicle, and more. Debt is even being incurred for the purchase of a digital currency such as Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum and so forth. It comes as no surprise that money is available in so many different forms, as it was invented in 9,000 BC when cattle were traded. Paper currency and coins began circulating in 1000 BC. As coins got too heavy to carry around, the Chinese invented paper money back in 806.

Leading authority on debt management, DebtConsolidation.com recently provided an in-depth op-ed into debt throughout the ages. The insights gleaned through this commentary provide valuable information into understanding how government debt levels have whipsawed wildly over time in the US.

Monetary and fiscal policies impact USD

For the rest the world of the world, paper money was only adopted only in the 1700s. There is a difference in value between gold, silver, bronze, and copper coins and paper money  the former items had value while paper money didnt. Their problem was remedied with the gold standard. This was adopted by the Bank of England (BOE) in 1816 and by the US in 1900. Unfortunately, the gold standard exacerbated the Great Depression. By 1933, the US exited the gold standard. Today the USD is not backed by gold or other assets, it is influenced by monetary and fiscal policy. The Fed and the US government put policies into place that directly influence the strength or weakness of the US dollar.By AFP

CARACAS: Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel rallied to the defence of embattled ally Nicolas Maduro on his first foreign visit today, calling on Latin American nations to support his Venezuelan counterpart's cause.

The Cuban, who succeeded Raul Castro on April 19, was received with open arms by Maduro's government -- Cuba's closest political and economic ally -- on his arrival at Caracas' Maiquetia airport.

"Very happy to be in Venezuela; and long live the Bolivarian revolution, and also, long live President Maduro," Diaz-Canel said.

After being honored at the presidential palace by Maduro, Diaz-Canel stressed: "No matter how big the troubles and challenges may be, you can rely on Cuba -- today and always. The support is unconditional."

Diaz-Canel said the main reason for his visit to Venezuela was to show solidarity with Maduro after his May 20 reelection was widely dismissed as a sham by the US, EU and 13 other Latin American states.

He described the elections, boycotted by the main opposition, as an "overwhelming success."

IN PICTURES | As Raul Castro leaves Cuba's presidency, transition sparks

hope for many generations

"Maybe that sound rising up from the majority so bothered the United States and the right that they are not capable of recognising legitimacy," he said.

The Cuban leader's visit coincided with Canada's announcement of further sanctions against Maduro associates, including his wife Cilia Flores, for holding "illegitimate and anti-democratic" elections.

Canada rejected the result as "fraudulent," and along with its G7 partners has called on Maduro to schedule another vote, release all political prisoners and restore the authority of the country's National Assembly.

Beaten candidate Henri Falcon has called for fresh elections and filed an appeal with the country's highest court Wednesday to have the result annulled.

Speaking to the Constituent Assembly -- set up by Maduro last year to usurp the opposition-dominated body -- Diaz-Canel said the main purpose of international sanctions was to obliterate Maduro's reelection victory.

And he called on "the people of the Americas" to show solidarity as Venezuela resists a "political, diplomatic, economic and financial war" waged by what he called US "imperialism."

Venezuela under Maduro had fallen victim to "the imperialist actions of submission, harassment, isolation and blockades," Diaz-Canel told the Assembly to loud cheers.Defectors claim North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is nervous about leaving Pyongyang in case the unruly military stages a coup in his absence as he heads to Singapore for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

"Except for visiting China twice this year, Kim Jong-un has never left North Korea since taking power," a senior defector said. "And this will be the first time he leaves Pyongyang on a preset date so he is probably worried about a lot of things."

Kim's daily schedule is shared only among a select few party officials, and any reports in the state media are published only after his trips or public appearances have taken place.The U.S. and North Korea on Wednesday wound up preliminary talks about the agenda of a summit scheduled for June 12.

The two negotiation teams, led respectively by U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, met for a second day of talks at Tongilgak on the northern side of the truce village of Panmunjom.

National Security Council official Allison Hooker, and Assistant Defense Secretary Randall Shriver were accompanied to the talks by an official from the CIA's Korea Mission Center.

Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Partly cloudy early then becoming cloudy with periods of heavy rain this afternoon. High near 75F. Winds SSE at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Scattered thunderstorms developing late. Low 66F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 60%.North Korea staged massive maritime drills in the East Sea even as President Moon Jae-in met with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last Saturday and while U.S. officials met their North Korean counterparts on Sunday in the truce village of Panmunjom.

Yet the North unilaterally canceled high-level cross-border talks scheduled for May 16 citing the Max Thunder joint South Korea-U.S. aerial drills. Intelligence sources said Wednesday that the North conducted live-fire drills in waters off Wonsan, Kangwon Province from last Friday through Sunday, and the size of the fleet was even bigger than in previous years.

Several explosions big enough to cause small earthquakes were detected, and intelligence authorities here are trying to figure out if a new type of depth charge was involved.

While this was going on, Kim welcomed Moon at the Tongilgak building on the northern side of Panmunjom and North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui sat down for talks with U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim to discuss the agenda of a U.S.-North Korea summit scheduled for June 12 in Singapore.

And North Korean state media noisily demanded that the U.S. and South Korea cancel annual joint exercises slated for August. "Since December, the North has been staging military drills at levels similar to those in previous years," an intelligence official said. Some drills have been slightly downsized, which probably has something to do with the fact that Kim Jong-un was not there to attend.

Seoul, meanwhile, has been bending over backwards to avoid agitating the North, rescheduling and reducing the scale of joint annual military exercises and asking Washington not to send B-52 bombers to the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile, the U.S. government issued an alert on Tuesday for "Hidden Cobra," a North Korean hacker group, ahead of a meeting between Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Kim Yong-chol, the director of the North's United Front Department, in New York.

In a joint alert, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI said "Hidden Cobra" is targeting media outlets, airlines and financial institutions in the U.S. and worldwide.

It published a list of 87 IP addresses, four strains of malware, and two e-mail addresses linked to the hackers.GM Korea closes its assembly plant in Gunsan on Thursday. Built in 1997, it was the last car factory to be built in Korea, employing over 2,000 workers at one point and another 10,000 at subcontractors. Gunsan now faces a massive population drain. Over the last three years, the plant had been operating at only about 20 percent capacity, yet unionized workers were paid more than W10 million in bonuses a year and were given 80 percent of their wages even when assembly lines sat idle (US$1=W1,081). Delayed assignments of new models, deteriorating brand competitiveness, failed marketing campaigns and weakened sales networks all contributed to the plant's demise.

The story is a microcosm of the Korean auto industry. The average annual salary of workers at Korea's five automakers stands at a whopping W92.13 million (as of 2016), which is more than Toyota and Volkswagen pay, but it takes Korean automakers much longer to roll out a car. At Hyundai, the labor productivity of domestic plants is below all seven of its overseas factories'. The average annual wage at Hyundai's Ulsan plant is W94 million, a staggering nine times more than what it pays workers in Chongqing, China. And still the Ulsan plant's productivity is only 63 percent of the Chongqing plant's. This high-cost, low-productivity structure has become endemic in Korea's car industry as militant labor unions had their way.

No wonder Chinese automakers are overtaking their Korean rivals. They no longer get their parts from Korean suppliers but go straight to global component makers with better cost competitiveness, and roll out cars that are less expensive than Korean models. The Chinese no longer consider Korean automakers major rivals.

Now U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 25 percent tariffs on Korean-made cars, and most of his threats have become reality. That would mean Korean carmakers will have to decrease production volume in Korea even further and boost the production in the U.S. Korean factories roll out 850,000 cars for the U.S. market a year. If a quota is slapped on Korean-made cars as in the case of Korean-made steel, car plants here will have to slash output by 260,000 vehicles, equivalent to shutting down another car plant the size of the Gunsan factory. That would lead to catastrophic results for the domestic automobile industry, which employs 1.75 million workers, and cause huge ripple effects on the Korean economy.

Korean carmakers need the consent of their militant unions even if they only want to build a single new assembly line. This labor-management structure has had nothing but negative consequences. And now the government's policies are backing unions and undermining any attempts at labor reform. Even a minor reform policy that the previous administration achieved with great difficulty was scrapped as soon as the Moon Jae-in administration came to power. In the meantime, militant unions show no signs of backing down. That is why no new automobile plant has been built in Korea for 21 years, and there is no guarantee that the Gunsan factory will be the last to shut down.

Xi: China, Laos to share future

From:ChinaDaily | 2018-05-31 03:24

President calls for joint efforts to benefit both Countries

President Xi Jinping called for joint efforts with Laos to build a community of a shared future for China and Laos to bring more benefits to the people of both nations.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, made the remark while meeting with his Laotian counterpart Bounnhang Vorachit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Wednesday.

The two leaders witnessed the signing of a number of cooperation documents between the two countries covering such areas as economy, technology, security, finance and national defense.

Xi called Bounnhang an old friend of the CPC and Chinese people and spoke highly of his efforts in boosting China-Laos relations. Since becoming general secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party Central Committee in 2016, Bounnhang has visited China every year, Xi added.

Xi said that with the joint efforts of both sides, the important consensus reached by the two leaders during his state visit to Laos in November has been implemented efficiently, which has benefited the people of both sides.

The concept of a community of a shared future for China and Laos has been widely accepted by the two parties and countries, and the concept has drawn the blueprint of a bright future for bilateral ties, Xi said.

The two countries should make joint efforts to translate the concept of building a community of a shared future for China and Laos into real action, Xi said.

Xi stressed that China and Laos should enhance strategic communication, strengthen common political ground and launch dialogues in various areas.

The two countries should work together to build the Belt and Road and enhance cooperation to improve the people's livelihoods and reduce poverty, Xi said.

Xi also highlighted the importance of security cooperation, saying that the two countries should enhance cooperation under such multilateral frameworks as the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Xi said the global situation is facing profound changes with numerous opportunities and challenges, and the parties of the two countries are also facing new changes in building socialism.

Bounnhang called Xi a close friend who is trusted by the party, government and people of Laos. The important consensus reached by the two leaders during Xi's visit in November is being implemented and it has led to a higher level of bilateral relations, he said.

Bounnhang said he fully agreed with Xi's guiding thought on building a community of a shared future for China and Laos.

Laos would like to maintain regular high-level meetings with China, boost exchanges of governance experience, enhance cooperation in all areas and push the building of the Belt and Road, he said.

Bounnhang spoke highly of China's progress in economic development, social harmony, reform and opening-up and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

China has played an important role in global and regional affairs and made prominent contributions to the peace and development of northeast Asia and the world, Bounnhang said, adding that Laos feels gratitude for China's selfless support and help.10 of the Best Horror Movies

Released in the US Since 2000(Newser)  A wild tale of love and technology worthy of Dateline unspooled recently in a British courtroom. Here's what happened: According to court documents, a teen's family pressured her to travel from their home in Leeds to Bangladesh for what was supposed to be a holiday. But shortly after the teen's arrival on July 3, 2016, per the BBC, she was told by her father that he had selected a husband for herher cousin. The plan was for the teen and her cousin to have a child, which would have enabled him to get a British visa, reports the Telegraph. But the teen, then 18, had a plan of her own. She alerted a boyfriend her parents were unaware she had back in the UK to her situation using WhatsApp. The boyfriend went to the West Yorkshire police, and the girl and her sister also reached out to the British High Commission and communicated her location using screenshots of the phone's location settings, per a police press release.

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British officials in Bangladesh worked with local authorities to rescue her and bring her back to the UK. The court heard testimony that the father had threatened to slit the teen's throat and "chop her up" if she refused the marriage, per the Telegraph. Though the BBC reports authorities intervened days before the wedding was to occur, her parents were arrested and after a three-week trial found guilty of forced marriage and one count of using violence or coercion to force a marriage. They will be sentenced June 18 and could face considerable time in prison. The boyfriend, meanwhile, is being hailed as a hero and a bit of a prince charming to boot. "You will be OK princess," he wrote to her during the ordeal. "You will be home safe and in my arms and I am never going to let you go again." (Read more forced marriage stories.)(Newser)  Melania watchers can relax. After endless speculation and wacky rumors about the first lady's whereabouts, she addressed the situation herself, posting to Twitter, "I see the media is working overtime speculating where I am & what I'm doing. Rest assured, I'm here at the @WhiteHouse w my family, feeling great, & working hard on behalf of children & the American people!" The first ladys spokesperson, Stephanie Grisham, also sought to swat down rumors. "She is doing great," Grisham told the New York Daily News. "She has meetings throughout the day so will not be attending fitness day." Melania Trump had not appeared in public for 20 days. (Read more Melania Trump stories.)(Newser)  The "father of modern gynecology" is a man some people would now prefer to forgetbut police in Alabama still won't let you smear ketchup on his statue. A 74-year-old activist was arrested on Confederate Memorial Daythat's April 23for "criminal tampering" after leaving the condiment on a monument to 19th-century doctor J. Marion Sims, who experimented on enslaved women without anesthesia, AL.com reports. Jon Broadway performed a skit in front of the statue with a black woman who played the role of one of Sims' patients; the ketchup was a stand-in for blood. Sims "was a butcher. He didn't try to save black babies, he just used us like guinea pigs," the woman says in the skit. It's not clear whether the women Sims experimented on consented to the surgery.

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Broadway, who played Sims in the skit, is part of a group of Montgomery citizens who want to spark discussion of racial issues. "How do you get white people to acknowledge there are deep wounds that have not been addressed?" he says. He spent eight hours in jail after the arrestand had to leave in his long johns because the ketchup-splattered scrubs he had been wearing were confiscated as evidence. Broadway has a September trial date. Alabama Public Radio reports that activists want Sims' statue removed from the grounds of the Alabama Capitol, but removal is blocked under a 2017 state law requiring a committee to approve the relocation of monuments that have been in public places for more than 40 years. (The statue of Sims in New York's Central Park came down last month.)Home  Just In  Karnali Chief Minister blames NGOs for dependence

Surkhet, May 31

Karnali Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi has called on European Union representatives to focus on development works based on Karnalis necessities.

Minister Shahi made the remark during a meeting with a delegation led by EU Ambassador to Nepal, Veronica Cody.

Stating that nongovernmental organisations were making Karnali dependent externally through small scale support, Minister Shahi said, We will accommodate national and international NGOs that make a minimum investment of Rs 10 million that result in sustainable outcome.

He extended his gratitude to the EU delegation for working for providing nutrition to women and children of the remote Karnali Province.

The Chief Minister was of the opinion that the NGOs increased the external dependence of the Karnali residents by distributing rice grains, noodles and biscuits.

Shahi added that the Karnali government was preparing for a longterm development of the Province and looking to hold an international investment summit to attract investors in near future.

On the occasion, Ambassador Cody said the EU was cooperating with Nepal on multisector nutrition plan. Cody added that EU would soon start the second phase of the programme.

Ambassador Cody and UNICEF Nepal Country Representative Tomoo Hozumi along with the delegation members pledged to work with Karnalis provincial government as a development partner.

RSS(Newser)  Harvey Weinstein was indicted Wednesday on rape and criminal sex act charges, furthering the first criminal case to arise from a slate of sexual misconduct allegations against the former movie mogul. Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. said the indictment brings Weinstein "another step closer to accountability." The announcement came hours after Weinstein's lawyers said he'd decline to testify before the grand jury because there wasn't enough time to prepare him. The 66-year-old film producer, who has denied the allegations, learned of the specific charges and the accusers' identities only after turning himself in Friday, per a statement from a rep for Weinstein. With a deadline set for Wednesday afternoon to testify or not, his request for more time was denied, the statement said, per the AP.

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"Finally, Mr. Weinstein's attorneys noted that ... an indictment was inevitable due to the unfair political pressure being placed on Cy Vance to secure a conviction of Mr. Weinstein," the statement added. "We are confident that when the jury hears the evidence, it will reject these attacks out of hand," Vance countered. Weinstein's lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, called the rape allegation "absurd," saying that the unidentified accuser and Weinstein had a decade-long, consensual sexual relationship that began before and continued after the alleged 2013 attack in a hotel room. The other accuser in the case, former actress Lucia Evans, has gone public with her account of Weinstein forcing her to perform oral sex at his office in 2004. The AP separately reports Brafman says he'll ask a court to dismiss the indictment.

(Read more Harvey Weinstein stories.)(Newser)  Kim Kardashian met President Trump at the White House Wednesdayand they had more to talk about than their shared past as reality TV stars. Kardashian spoke to Trump about a possible pardon for Alice Marie Johnson, a 63-year-old great-grandmother from Tennessee serving life in prison without parole for a first-time, non-violent drug offense, the BBC reports. Johnsonwhose bid for clemency was rejected just days before the end of Barack Obama's presidencywas sentenced to life in 1996 for passing messages between drug dealers. Kardashian contacted Johnson in an Alabama federal prison and paid for a new legal team after hearing about her plight on social media last year, Page Six reports.

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Jared Kushner has also taken an interest in the Johnson case. It's not clear whether Trump will grant her clemency, though both sides hailed Wednesday's meeting as a success. Trump tweeted that he had discussed prison reform and sentencing with Kardashian in a "great meeting," while Kardashian thanked Trump for his timeand wished Johnson a happy birthday. "We are optimistic about Ms. Johnsons future and hopeful that sheand so many like herwill get a second chance at life," Kardashian tweeted. (After husband Kanye West voiced his support for Trump last month, Kardashian said she believed in "people being able to have their own opinions, even if really different from mine.")(Newser)  The US military's largest unified combatant command has a new name that Defense Secretary Jim Mattis says honors the "increasing connectivity of the Indian and Pacific Oceans." Mattis announced Wednesday that US Pacific Command will now be known as US Indo-Pacific Command, CNN reports. "It is our primary combatant command, it's standing watch and intimately engaged with over half of the earth's surface and its diverse populations, from Hollywood to Bollywood, from polar bears to penguins," Mattis said at a Hawaii ceremony marking the appointment of Adm. Phillip Davidson as chief of the command.

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Davidson is replacing Adm. Harry Harris, President Trump's nominee for US ambassador to South Korea. The unified command oversees around 375,000 military and civilian personnel. Reuters describes the rebranding as a "symbolic nod" to India, which is of growing military importance to the US as tensions with China rise. "I think India and the relationship with the United States is the potentially most historic opportunity we have in the 21st-century and I intend to pursue that quite rigorously," Davidson said last month. (Read more Pacific Command stories.)(Newser)  His father was gunned down in a home invasion in March; in April, Nicolas Shaughnessy was named to take over the family business, Gallerie Jewelers in Austin, Texas. Authorities now have other plans for the 19-year-old, per the New York Daily News. Arrested Tuesday on charges of criminal solicitation to commit capital murder, Shaughnessy and his 19-year-old wife, Texas A&M student Jaclyn Edison, are accused of hiring a hitman to kill his parents. Theodore and Corey Shaughnessy traded fire with an unknown intruder on March 2; 55-year-old Theodore and a dog were killed. Authorities say Shaughnessy, an only child, approached multiple people about a hired murder as early as August 2017 and discussed the subject in texts with Edison.

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Investigators allege he planned to collect $2 million in life insurance; his parents' home and business were worth another $6 million, per KBTX. He's accused of remotely deactivating his parents' security system and deleting surveillance video while at the apartment he shared with Edison some three hours away in College Station, according to an arrest affidavit. The affidavit also outlines possible evidence related to the guns used: Six rounds of .380-caliber ammunition were missing from a box at the couple's apartment, police say, per the Austin American-Statesman, and five .380-caliber casings were located near Theodore's body. Edison's bond is set at $1 million, while Shaughnessy's is set at $3 million. His attorney notes he's been living with his mother, who "stands firmly behind her son," per KXAN. The shooter has not been arrested. (Read more murder stories.)(Newser)  Police in Orlando say an Arizona man caused a panic at a Disney resort by going around telling people about an active shooterall so he could record their reactions for his YouTube channel. Dillion Burch, 22, allegedly told residents at Disney's Contemporary Resort they had to evacuate in the early morning hours of Monday, reports the Orlando Sentinel. At least one worried person then called police about a shooter on the loose, reports the Washington Post, and the arrest affidavit accuses Burch of causing a "significant disturbance" that resulted in the resort going on lockdown.

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Burch told a front-desk worker what he was doing; she alerted a manager who confronted Burch. He then claimed to the hotel manager that it was all for a school project, police say. He left the hotel upon hearing that the police were on the way, and officers soon found him hiding in the bushes, reports WKMG. Police found beer in his backpack. Burch pleaded no contest to disturbing the peace and disorderly intoxication and earned a sentence of three days in jail. (Read more YouTube stories.)(Newser)  The jokes of a "Trump-Kim" summit came flying fast after Kim Kardashian met with the president Wednesday at the White House, but one snarky headline isn't going over so well. Per HuffPost, Kardashian was there to talk to Trump about criminal justice reform and to press for a pardon for 63-year-old Alice Marie Johnson, who's serving a life sentence for a non-violent drug offense. The New York Post tweeted out an advance look at its Thursday morning cover about the meeting: a photo of Kim K and Trump posing in the Oval Office along with a headline that read: "The Other Big Ass Summit: Trump Meets Rump." Kardashian is also referred to as "Kim Thong Un" on the cover.

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It's a riff on both the canceled summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as well as on a part of Kardashian's body, which doesn't have anything to do with prison reformand many aren't happy about it. CNN calls the cover "appalling," while Mashable's own headline reads "Wildly sexist New York Post front page refers to Kim Kardashian's butt 3 times." Even those who aren't fans of either Kim K or Trump say the cover is out of line. One big name in particular was miffed. "Disgusting headline, @nypost," Alyssa Milano tweeted. "@KimKardashian was meeting with President Trump about a critical issue and you lead with her ass? This is unacceptable sexism. No woman deserves this." The Daily Beast dives into a related take: Trump's own "ugly history of misogynistic comments" on Kardashian's appearance. (Read more Kim Kardashian stories.)(Newser)  Prime Minister Leo Varadkar issued an official apology Wednesday on behalf of his country for "another dark chapter" in Ireland's history. The New York Times reports at least 126 children adopted there between 1946 and 1969 were told their adoptive parents were their birth parents, complete with altered birth certificatesand some speculate that number is just the start. In fact, hundreds or even thousands more may have been illegally adopted out, per the CEO of an Irish children's charity, all part of the nation's longtime stigma against unwed mothers. "This was a crime against these people and their mothersmothers who were told that their babies had died," Barnardo's head Fergus Finlay tells RTE, via IrishCentral.com, adding: "Some women have gone through years and years of trauma."

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The St. Patrick's Guild adoption agency was the one identified as having falsified the 126 adoptions out of 13,500 it arranged over that period. Many of those kids, now mostly senior citizens, still don't know they're adopted; Varadkar says the government is trying to contact them all. "What was done robbed children ... of their identity," he said. "It was [a] historic wrong." The 126 confirmed false adoptions were unearthed by the government's Tusla child protection agency. St. Patrick's Guild was just one of seven large adoption agencies in Ireland during that time, with many smaller ones as well, and some (if not all) of them may have practiced similar deception; Finlay believes another 150,000 adoptions should be reviewed. "I suspect every single adoption agency in the country is involved," Finlay says. (Read more Ireland stories.)(Newser)  President Trump made big news Thursday through his power to issue pardons and commute sentences. First, he announced that he would issue a full pardon to conservative firebrand Dinesh D'Souza, who once pleaded guilty to campaign finance violations. Hours later came two higher-profile names: Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he might pardon Martha Stewart and free former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich from prison, reports the AP. Details and developments:

D'Souza: "He was treated very unfairly by our government!" Trump tweeted. In 2014, D'Souza received five years' probation and a $30,000 fine after prosecutors say he used "straw donors," reports the Washington Post. That is, prosecutors say he got people to donate money to the GOP New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2012 with the understanding that he would reimburse them.

"He was treated very unfairly by our government!" Trump tweeted. In 2014, D'Souza received five years' probation and a $30,000 fine after prosecutors say he used "straw donors," reports the Washington Post. That is, prosecutors say he got people to donate money to the GOP New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in 2012 with the understanding that he would reimburse them. His background: The 57-year-old is a best-selling author and filmmaker who was one of President Obama's most vocal critics. He also went after Hillary Clinton frequently. See this trailer for his Hillary's America for a taste. He has a "penchant for trolling and needling liberals," writes Dylan Matthews in a profile at Vox. D'Souza has long maintained that he was prosecuted because of his politics, and he was gloating publicly at the expense of former US attorney Preet Bharara Thursday, notes the New York Post, which collects the related tweets.

story continues below(Newser)  The delay is over. The Trump administration is announcing tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the European Union, Canada, and Mexico, in a move sure to raise worries of a trade war. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross says there will be a 25% tariff on imported steel and a 10% tariff on imported aluminum, reports the AP. President Trump announced the tariffs in March but the US granted exemptions to the EU, Canada, Mexico, and other US allies. Ross says talks with Canada and Mexico over the North American Free Trade Agreement are "taking longer than we had hoped." He says negotiations with Europe have "made some progress" but not enough to merit an exemption.

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Ahead of Thursday's move, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the 28-nation bloc would respond "in an intelligent, decisive, and joint way" after making plain to Washington its view that the tariffs are incompatible with World Trade Organization rules. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said "protectionism and isolation against free trade mustn't regain the upper hand," while French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire called the tariffs "unjustified, unjustifiable, and dangerous," noting a trade war would hurt growth everywhere. Also in advance of Ross' announcement, Global News reported Canada had drawn up a list of possible US targets to hit in response. (Read more tariffs stories.)(Newser)  How does a Russian journalist fake his own murder in Ukraine? Pig's blood and a make-up artist. That's what Arkady Babchenko said Thursday in an interview from Kiev cited by Reuters. Babchenko, whose wife found him in their apartment building, said he was even taught how to fall as if he had been shot, and that he wore a shirt riddled with bullet holes, CNN reports. He was taken by ambulance (where a doctor pronounced him dead) to a morgue, where he "came back to life," changed clothes, and turned on the news to watch reports of his death. "What a great guy I was," he joked Thursday. The government said he had been shot dead before revealing he was still alive the following day. Babchenko says Ukrainian officials approached him about a month ago with the idea to foil what they say was a Russian security services plot to have him assassinated.

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The anti-Kremlin journalist, 41, says the choice was his and he agreed to the plan to fake his own death, CBS News reports. Two people allegedly involved with the Russian plot are reportedly in custody. Babchenko also confirmed his wife did not know about the ruse in advance, and apologized to her "for the hell she had to go through in the past two days. There was no choice there." International media advocacy group Reporters Without Borders decried that plan Thursday: "It is always very dangerous for a government to play with the facts, especially using journalists for their fake stories," the group's director tweeted. But Babchenko Thursday said he was only concerned with the survival of himself and his family, not journalistic ethics. Meanwhile, Russia has slammed the faked death as anti-Russia propaganda. (Read more Arkady Babchenko stories.)Home  Just In  Nepal assures BIMSTEC Summit will be held at the earliest

Kathmandu, May 31

Nepal government has assured that it is committed to host the next summit of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) at the earliest.

Nepal is due to hold the fourth summit of regional body comprising Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Earlier, the summit was scheduled for 2017, but was postponed later.

Receiving BIMSTEC Secretary General M Shahidul Islam at his official residence in Baluwatar of Kathmandu today, Nepals Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said Nepal, as the current chair, was for formulating immediate, midterm and longterm plans for BIMSTEC.

He also added that regional organisations should support development and prosperity of member states.

We should move fast towards economic and social development, the PM reportedly told his guest, I hope BIMSTEC is committed to the process.Sorry!

This content is not available in your regionHome  Just In  Police rescue 39 minors forced to work at Kathmandu eateries

Kathmandu, May 31

The Metropolitan Police Range has rescued 39 children from various hotels, dance bars, restaurants and rodhighars of Kathmandu.

A team of police circles and sectors under the Metropolitan Police Range raided hotels and dance bars in Gongabu, Thamel, Koteshwar, Baneshwar, Balaju among other places in Kathmandu on Wednesday night and rescued the underage girls.

The girls were rescued in collaboration with Maiti Nepal and Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN) based on information that these girls were forcibly made to work in hotels and dance bars at these places.

Accordingly, police rescued three girls from Thamel, two from Koteshwar, 11 from Balaju, 14 from Gongabu and nine from Baneshwar. Among the rescued girls, 32 have been sent to Maiti Nepal and seven to the CWIN Nepal for custody.

Police also arrested their employers for further investigation.

Chief of the Metropolitan Police Range, Bishwa Raj Pokharel, informed that preparations were underway to file a case under the Public Offence Act against those arrested managers and proprietors of the hotels and dance bars.

RSSNew Delhi:

Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia took everyone by surprise when she got hitched with Angad Bedi in a hush-hush ceremony earlier this month. Ever since their sudden wedding grapevines have been buzzing with the rumours that Neha was pregnant and hence the two actors tied the knot so soon.

The Tumhari Sulu actressa father Pradip Dhupia had refuted the rumours of his daughter being pregnant while talking to Dainik Bhaskar. He told the leading daily that the speculations were baseless and since the couple got married early, people are thinking otherwise.A

Angad Badi finally addressed all the speculations during a recent event. The Pink actor squashed all the rumours and said that there was no truth to it.

The Dear Zindagi actor also said that whenever the couple would plan to start a family, he would be the first to inform the media. We have more important things to concentrate on including our work schedule, Angad Bedi added.

Since the rumours were rubbished by the horseas mouth, we believe the gossip mongers can now definitely rest in peace for some time.

Talking about Neha Dhupia, the former Miss India has set the temperature soaring with her latest photo shoot. The Julie actress took to Instagram to share pictures from the shoot.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

Since the release of the trailer of Ranbir Kapoor starrer Sanju, the actor has been receiving accolades for his undifferentiated looks and performance.

Apart from the looks, the things which grabbed eyeballs of many was the number of girlfriends or female encounter Sanjay Dutt has in his life which was 308.

At the trailer launch event held in Mumbai, one of the reporter asked Ranbir to reveal how many girlfriends he had in case a biopic is made on his life?

Ranbir Kapoor smilingly replied to the question and said I dont think I am a courageous man like Sanju sir, to give my life out so openly. And, my count is even less than 10, so no biopic can be made on me.

However, Ranbir Kapoors name has only been associated with some of his co-actresses such as Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor and Katrina Kaif. Recently, his name was also associated with Pakistani actress Mahira Khan and their picture of smoking cigarettes on the streets of New York also went viral over the internet.

Within 20 hours of its release, the trailer has received more than 11 million views so far. Fans are eagerly awaiting for the release of first song of the flick.

Sanju is a biographical film based on the life of Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt and features every aspect of his life including career, love interest, drug addiction and arms possession.

Helmed by Rajkumar Hirani, Sanju is scheduled to release on June 29. The movie also features Anushka Sharma, Sonam Kapoor, Dia Mirza, Paresh Rawal and Manisha Koirala in pivotal roles.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

After days of hectic negotiations, the stalemate between the Congress and the JD-S over portfolio distribution in Karnataka has ended after both parties agreed on the new power-sharing arrangement.

As per the new arrangement, the Congress will get the home ministry in Karnataka and the JD-S the Finance portfolio, which was the major bone of contention between the allies, PTI quoted highly placed sources.

"The power-sharing arrangement between the two alliance partners is being finalized and is in the final stages," the sources added, according to PTI.

Since Wednesday, top local leaders of both the Congress and the JD-S have held five rounds of talks behind closed doors in Bengaluru to finalise the portfolio sharing arrangement.

We have held five rounds of talks with each other and have decided that the JD-S will get the Finance portfolio. I will be now travelling to Bengaluru to hold further talks within our party, PTI quoted JD-S leader Danish Ali as saying.

Ali added that he would also meet both Chief Minister HD Kumarswamy and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda over the matter.

Sources said Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who is in the United States, spoke to local party leaders in Karnataka on phone and played a crucial role in distributing the portfolios between the two alliance partners.

(With PTI inputs)

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.New Delhi:

The counting of votes for the crucial Lok Sabha bypolls on four constituencies  Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia in Maharashtra, Kairana in Uttar Pradesh, and Nagaland  is being taken out on Thursday.

The voting was held in Uttar Pradeshs Kairana and three other Lok Sabha bypolls on May 28 amid the complaints of malfunctioning of EVM machines in several booths. In Kairana, 54 per cent turn out was recorded, while in Nagaland, the turnout was 70 per cent.

Maharashtra's Bhandara-Gondiya bypoll saw only 38.5 per cent voter turnout. In the crucial Palghar Lok Sabha bypolls 46 per cent polling was recorded.

The results of these four Lok Sabha seats are important for all four major political parties- BJP, Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP - as the outcome is likely to have a large bearing on next years Lok Sabha Elections.

The results of Kairana bypoll in Uttar Pradesh, which saw a Modi versus all fight, has become a prestige battle for the BJP and will also decide the future of the anti-BJP front.

Also Read | Kairana Lok Sabha Bypoll Results 2018 LIVE: BJP's Mriganka Singh ahead of RLD's Tabassum Hasan

LIVE Updates:

# 08:10 PM: Instead of all the time criticizing the decisions of the government Shiv Sena should simply break the alliance if they are really so unhappy... Why are they still supporting BJP if theyre so unhappy with their decisions?: Ashok Chavan, Congress

# 08:05 PM: If Uddhav Thackeray has even a little self respect left in him, he should get out of the alliance. You want to stay in power also, and you want to show support to opposition also... What exactly is their intention?: Ashok Chavan, Congress

# 08:00 PM: CM violated model code of conduct. BJP supporters were seen distributing money but no one took any action which is a real cause of concern. This can be called CM & BJPs victory with 'Saam daam dand bhed': Ashok Chavan, Congress

# 07:50 PM: We didn't expect to lose Palghar seat. If the united opposition had fought together, BJP could have been defeated. If Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi and CPI(M) come with us in the future, we can win Palghar also: Ashok Chavan, Congress

# 07:20 PM: Maharashtra: NCP's Madhukar Kukde has won the Bhandara-Gondiya Lok Sabha bypoll by 48,097 votes.

# 02:20 PM: BJP wins Palghar bypoll Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra by 29572 votes.

BJP wins Palghar bypoll Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra by 29572 votes. pic.twitter.com/8uiJAliSCr  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2018

#12:55 PM: Shiv Sena cries EVM tears: Many EVMs were faulty, names of about 50-60,00 people were missing from voter list. Also, within 12 hours of voting ends, EC changed vote percentage. So all this is very doubtful: Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena on BJP leading in Palghar bypoll

#12:30 PM: Nagaland Lok Sabha by-poll: BJP ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) leading over Naga People's Front (NPF) by 34, 669 votes.

#11:40 AM: Kairana Lok Sabha by-poll: RLD's Tabassum Hasan leading by 41391 votes over BJP's Mriganka Singh after 13th round of counting

#11:20 AM: This is the victory of truth. I still stand by what I said, there has been a conspiracy & we do not want any future elections to be conducted on EVM machines. The path for united opposition is clear in 2019: RLD's Tabassum Hasan on her lead in trends of Kairana Lok Sabha by-poll.

#11:00 AM: Kairana Lok Sabha by-poll: RLD's Tabassum Hasan leading by over 26925 votes over BJP's Mriganka Singh after ninth round of counting



#10:58 AM: Maharashtra: BJP's Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leading by 17843 votes over Shiv Sena's Shrinivas Chintaman Vanaga from #Palghar Lok Sabha seat after ninth round of counting.

#10:45 AM: Nagaland Lok Sabha by-poll:Naga People's Front (NPF) leading by over 11,000 votes, ahead of Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP).



#10:35 AM: BJP's Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leading from Palghar Lok Sabha seat by over 14,000 votes over Shiv Sena candidate.

#10:05 AM: It seems like Kairana is also going the Gorakhpur way as RLD's Tabassum Hasan ahead of BJP's Mriganka Singh by 14481 votes.

# 09:30 AM: BJP's Gavit Rajendra Dhedya leading from Palghar Lok Sabha seat by over 6000 votes Maharashtra.

#09:20 AM: Kairana Lok Sabha by-boll: RLD's Tabassum Hasan leading by over 3000 votes over BJP's Mriganka Singh.

# 09:05 AM: Neck-and-neck in Kairana: It seems there is a very close contest between the BJP and the RLD in Kairana. After Tabassum Hasan's early lead, BJP's Mriganka Singh now goes ahead of the RLD candidate. Also Read | Assembly Bypoll Results 2018 LIVE

#08:35 AM: Maharashtra: Visuals from a counting centre in BhandaraGondia Lok Sabha constituency, where counting of votes for the Lok Sabha by-poll has begun.

Maharashtra: Visuals from a counting centre in BhandaraGondia Lok Sabha constituency, where counting of votes for the Lok Sabha by-poll has begun. pic.twitter.com/3bjnPXbCeA  ANI (@ANI) May 31, 2018

#08:30 AM: RLD's Tabassum Hasan ahead of BJP's Mriganka Singh in Kairana: The trends have started coming in and its a no good news for the ruling BJP as RLD's Tabassum Hasan is ahead of BJP's Mriganka Singh in Kairana, according to early trends.

#08:05 AM: Counting of votes for Kairana, Palghar, Bhandara-Gondiya and Nagaland Lok Sabha bypoll seats begins.

#07:45 AM: Hello and welcome to the News Nation live updates: The Counting of votes for the crucial Lok Sabha bypolls on four constituencies will begin at 8 am. The voting was held in Maharashtra's Palghar and Bhandara-Gondia, Uttar Pradesh's Kairana and Nagaland on May 28. The results of these bypolls will decide the future course of action of the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the anti-BJP front ahead of 2019 general elections. Stick with us for all the updates.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.Bengaluru:

Strong index of opposition unity on display in by-elections across the country  from Meghalaya in Northeast to Karnataka in South  energised the opposition into a muscular force itching to take on the 1 paisa government of Narendra Modi in the 2019 general elections.

In another significant development, BJPs new ally in turncoat Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was also dealt a body blow by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) of Laloo Prasad Yadav. The RJD, now led by Tejaswi Yadav wrested seat held by Nitish Kumars Janata Dal-United in its stronghold of Jokhiat. In fact, shortly after the victory, Tejaswi appealed to all the opposition leaders across the country to unite and take the Modi government head on.

What Tejaswi is articulating is nothing new - that a combined opposition will bring the curtains down on the Modi government. The BJP stands exposed today, Laloos son said, adding that it had misused every agency at its command to harass and humiliate opposition leaders.

Although these are mere bye-elections, their import for the 2019 general elections cannot be missed.

Especially coming after Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha bye-poll losses, the Kairana defeat for the BJP is worrisome as a combined opposition means it will definitely not be able to retain its hold over Uttar Pradesh this time around in the Lok Sabha polls.

Attempts by the BJP to communalise the campaign by raking up the religion of RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan failed miserably. Or for that matter, the Jinnah portrait controversy that was raked up failed to help. Her over 50,000 victory margin is an indication that Hindus and Muslims united to defeat the BJP.

What could be really worrisome to the BJP strategists is the fact that caste consolidation against it had become formidable. Jats, Dalits and Muslims came together on the call of Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati and the entry of Ajit Singh and Congress into the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) has meant that the combined opposition vote was significantly higher than that of the BJP.

The sheer arithmetic of the coalition of opposition forces is formidable.For the BJP, only a divided opposition can help it. In the 2017 general elections to Uttar Pradesh, just after demonetisation, the BJP swept the state as the opposition parties were contesting separately.

In 2014 general elections to Lok Sabha too, the BJP won 73 out of 80 seats on offer. Other than riding on strong anti-UPA government sentiments, the BJP also benefitted from the split in opposition votes. Now that the BSP, SP, RLD and the Congress have come together, they pose a big challenge to the Modi-Shah combine in the general elections due in a years time.

Todays byelection results put a big question mark if the BJP can repeat its 2014 performance in UP. The BJP had already anticipated this eventuality and was scouting for newer areas to expand  Northeast and South India.

The top BJP leaderships strategy seems to have met with partial success: it managed to win Northeast and has its governments there, but finds the South a no-go area, so to speak. All the South Indian states together account for 130 seats and in this big chunk, barring Karnataka, the BJP appears to be nowhere in the fight.

In Karnataka too, for the general elections, the Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular have made it clear they would fight together and have the potential to block the BJP here too.

Whether it is Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, the BJPs aggressive politics have scared allies and potential allies, who could prefer a weaker Congress instead. Telugu Desam leader and AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has already broken away from the BJP.

In Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, the BJP is still searching for an ally who could win it seats. Kerala continues to be a no-go area for the BJP.

As BJP scares away its allies, like the Shiv Sena taking on the BJP in Phalgar in Maharashtra, the Congress has adopted a more friendly and flexible approach when dealing with allies and potential allies.

The Congress gave up the Chief Minister post in Karnataka and on a day when it won Bangalore assembly seat with over 40,000 votes it even conceded crucial Finance portfolio to coalition partner the JD-S.

Meanwhile, regional parties retained their power. Mamata Banerjee proved that in West Bengal she was the big boss and in Kerala, the CPM retained its seat beating the Congress with ease.New Delhi:

There is no mistaking the fact that Opposition unity is posing a major challenge to the BJP in byelections across the country. Coming close on the heels of the Karnataka Assembly elections where the BJP, though the single largest party, had to eat the humble pie with the Congress joining hands with the Janata Dal-Secular in a post-poll arrangement, it rings alarm bells for the BJP.

The BJP indeed needs to get its act together before it is too late, with elections due later this year in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh which are all BJP-ruled states where anti-incumbency could run high, and subsequently in the general elections next year which would be decided on the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.

This time around, in byelections, there is little to cheer about for the BJP. The most significant defeat for it has been in Kairana in Uttar Pradesh where Rashtriya Lok Dal's (RLD) Tabassum Hasan supported by the Congress, Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party trounced the BJP candidate Mriganka Singh by over 55,000 votes. After the defeats in Gorakhpur and Phulpur recently, the BJP had resolved to win Kairana come what may but Opposition unity robbed it of a victory.

While Opposition unity is the obvious cause of BJPs defeat, the coming together of Muslims and Jats has also contributed greatly to it.

This is no mean setback for Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and poses a question mark on his suitability for the high office.

It must be conceded, however, that one key factor for BJPs losses was that Prime Minister Modi does not campaign in byelections. In the general elections, the party would have Modi in full flow with his blitzkrieg style, phenomenal stamina and breathtaking oratory which have turned the tables on the opposition time and again.

Yet, the party needs to shed complacency and sit up.

The real crunch would come for the Opposition because it has no leader to lead the ragtag combine of disparate forces to measure up to Modi. The Congress Rahul Gandhi has proved time and again that he is no match for Modi. Nor is he acceptable to many of the Opposition parties. All other prospective challengers are at best regional leaders with little mass appeal across India.

The BJP can draw comfort from the fact that it mauled its friend-turned rival Shiv Sena in a prestigious contest in Palghar Lok Sabha constituency of Maharashtra. But the satisfaction was tempered by its loss to the Nationalist Congress Party in Bhandara-Gondiya in a Lok Sabha contest, supported as the NCP candidate was by the combined opposition. The margin was narrow.

In Bihars Jokihat Assembly constituency, it was the jailed Lalu Prasad Yadavs RJD now headed by his son Tejashwi Yadav that trounced Chief Minister Nitish Kumars Janata Dal (United) and the BJP which were fighting a joint battle. That shows that the electorate is with Lalu despite the plethora of corruption judicial verdicts against him. How the coalition of Nitish and Sushil Modi would win over the people in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections remains to be seen.

In Chengannur Assembly byelection in Kerala and Maheshtala in West Bengal, the result was along predictable lines, with victories for the CPM in the former and for Trinamool Congress in the latter. While the BJP stamped its authority as the main runner-up in West Bengal, it was wide off its goal of winning, being unable to neutralise Mamata Banerjees undoubted charisma and hold.

While the BJP won the lone byelection seat in Uttarakhand, it was the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha that bagged both seats in Jharkhand. The Nagaland seat was won by the Congress which made the party the single largest in that state.

All in all, the byelections were a blow to the BJP and a boost for the Opposition. But opposition unity is still to be tested on the question of leadership and the Modi charisma can hardly be wished away, knowing his tremendous skill at swaying masses. Yet, the byelections are a wake-up call for the BJP.New Delhi:

Recent pointers towards possible thawing of Indo-Pakistan relations are a welcome sign that need to be built upon. That the Directors-General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two armies spoke recently on the hotline and agreed to implement fully the Ceasefire Understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit forthwith on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir is encouraging.

This reiteration of the ceasefire on the LoC coming on the heels of the ceasefire announcement on May 16 by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh shows a new willingness to move on. Yet, such has been the tendency towards mutual suspicions that the positive moves may not lead to a broader understanding after all if timely follow-up does not come about.

There is no doubt that it is the Army that calls the shots in Pakistan and stray initiatives from either side amount to nothing if the armys nod is absent. However, the regular meetings between the national security advisers and the DGMOs of India and Pakistan have shown hopeful signs.

Indias high commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, said recently that recent steps taken by the two sides, including exchange of elderly and women prisoners and progress on other bilateral agreements besides a meeting of the Indus Waters Commission and scheduled meetings of Coast Guard teams, had added to the general level of trust and had set the pace for bigger moves.

According to media reports, in the last hotline talks between the two DGMOs on April 27, Indias Lt General Anil Chauhan had told his counterpart that firing by Indian troops is only carried out on the LoC in response to support given by the Pakistan Army to armed terrorists who infiltrate across the border and target Indian Army posts. The onus of de-escalation along the LoC rests with the Pakistan Army provided they stop supporting terrorists and put an end to unprovoked ceasefire violations to abet infiltration, the Indian DGMO had then said as revealed in a Defence Ministry statement.

At the political level, the NSAs of the two neighbours have been meeting away from media glare at secret locations to achieve a level of convergence before the ministers step in for formal meetings to move forward.

The joint statement of separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik on Tuesday that they are willing to join talks if Pakistan is involved in the process is an indicator that India needs to tread warily.

The hardline Hurriyat leadership has exposed itself of being not the true representative of the people of Kashmir. As the raids on their premises a few months ago revealed, these leaders have been getting funding from Pakistan for their separatist activities and have been indulging in subversion against India.

It would be great folly for India to invite them for tripartite talks with Pakistan. As it is, their lack of hold on the people of Kashmir has been proved time and again. They are time-servers who have been functioning with Pakistani patronage and are known to be living in great opulence.

By including them in talks would amount to acknowledging that they are stake-holders in matters relating to Kashmir. The issue in any talks between India and Pakistan has to be complete stoppage of hostilities and infiltration from the Pakistan side and positive measures from Pakistan to prevent cross-border terror. The status of Kashmir is non-negotiable.

Agreements with the civilian establishment in Pakistan have proved to be mere pieces of paper whenever the army is not on board. It is heartening, therefore, if the Pakistan Army is now showing some interest in peace being restored. These initiatives need to be moved forward with care and due deliberation.The Housing Ministry yesterday began distributing the units of the Umm Al Hassam Housing Project to beneficiaries. The move follows the order of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, to distribute 5,000 housing units. Housing Minister Bassim Al Hamer, said the Ministry had intensified its efforts to prepare the distribution timetable immediately after the issuance of HRH the Crown Princes order, affirming that all potentials will be harnessed to ensure the distribution process is completed within the shortest period possible.

He stressed that all the projects that are distributed are among the strategic projects currently carried out by the Housing Ministry within the 25,000-unit programme included in the Government Action Plan, and emanate from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas directives to build 40,000 units. The minister highlighted the governments support to the Housing Ministrys efforts, noting that the government is keen to achieve the royal directives aimed at ensuring the stability of Bahraini families through harnessing all its potentials to provide them with the requirements of decent and stable life.

The units of Umm Al Hassam housing project are designed according to the D11 model, which consists of two floors and four rooms.The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday warned President Muhammadu Buharis blood relatives working in the Independent National E...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday warned President Muhammadu Buharis blood relatives working in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against doing anything that will pitch them against Nigerians during the 2019 general elections.





PDP gave this warning while declaring that Nigerians want a change of President in 2019.





In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP insisted that Nigerians have noted and accepted Buharis declaration that Nigerians should vote for candidates of their choice, come 2019.





Ologbondiyan said Buhari made the important declaration after his thorough assessment of his diminished popularity among Nigerians due to his poor performance in the last three years.





The statement reads, Though Nigerians, on their own, have since reached a consensus not to support President Buharis re-election bid in 2019, it is good that President Buhari, by himself, admitted this fact, hence this declaration.





President Buhari has seen the flow of our nations political tides and the PDP urges him to show statesmanship by reining-in his cronies to shed their desperation and lust for power, which will, in any case, be firmly resisted by Nigerians.





The PDP also charges the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly the blood relatives of President Buhari in INEC, as well as security agencies to note the determination of Nigerians; their desire for another President, come 2019 and as such desist from any act that will pitch them against the people.





It is imperative to note that the APC is already stuck with an unpopular candidate and PDP remains open as the only credible democratic platform for all Nigerians across board to rally and produce that truly Nigerian President of their choice.



The senate has confirmed four non-executive directors for the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The senate has confirmed four non-executive directors for the board of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).





President Muhammadu Buhari had sent five names to the senate in April 2017 but only four were confirmed on Thursday.





The nominees were confirmed after Rafiu Ibrahim, chairman of the senate committee on banking, presented a report.





Ibrahim explained that the Abdu Abubakar, the unconfirmed nominee, failed the committees integrity test.





That four out of the five nominees, professor Ummu Jalingo, Justitia Odinakachukwu Nnabuko, Mike Obadan and Adeola Adetunji are very resourceful, diligent, articulate, competent and have the needed value for the central bank and they answered questions satisfactorily, he said.





The nominees have vast knowledge of the CBN act. They have been cleared by CCB and relevant security agency.





One of the nominees, Dr Abdu Abubakar, failed the integrity test designed by the committee to assess, his response to questions lacked transparency and not worthy to appointed into a regulatory agency by the CBN.





After Ibrahim finished presenting his report, Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, said the issues surrounding the non-confirmation of Abubakar should be revisited by the committee.



A former middle school teacher accused of assaulting a student was found guilty Wednesday.

A municipal judge found Kimberley Peschi, 41, guilty of simple assault, a Northfield court administrator said.

Kimberley Peschi

Peschi, who taught music at Bellhaven Middle School in Linwood, used her leg to pull on a chair where a sixth-grade boy was rocking back and forth in the cafeteria, BreakingAC.com reported. The boy fell and hit his head on the floor.

The incident occurred in February 2017 and Peschi was initially suspended with pay from her job, where she collected a salary of $77,501 per year.

She was suspended without pay following a school board vote on April 12 of that year.

Peschi's employment future is unclear. Her attorney, Robert Agre, said his client will be sentenced once a court rules on prosecutors' motion to remove Peschi from her teaching position.

Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tipsThe world's longest non-stop flight is set to take off from Newark Liberty International Airport beginning this fall.

Singapore Airlines announced Wednesday that it will resume service between Newark and Singapore on Oct. 11 using the new, ultra long-range Airbus A350-900ULR. Singapore Airlines last flew the route in 2013.

The approximately 9,000 mile flight between New Jersey and the island city-state off southern Malaysia will last as long as 18 hours and 45 minutes.

Each jet has 67 business class and 94 premium economy class seats. The new aircraft have higher ceilings, larger windows, an extra wide body and lighting designed to reduce jet lag, the airline says

From Oct. 11 to Oct. 27, a flight will depart Newark at 10:45 a.m. and land in Singapore at 5:30 p.m. the following day. Travelers headed to Newark will depart Singapore daily at 10:35 p.m. and touch down in New Jersey at 6 a.m. the following day.

The schedule shifts slightly on Oct. 28 -- the Singapore-bound aircraft will leave Newark at 9:45 a.m and arrive the next day at 5:15 p.m. The flight from Singapore is to take off at 12:40 a.m. and land at 5:30 a.m. That schedule is effective through March 30, 2019.

Singapore is 12 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

Singapore Airlines already serves the New York-New Jersey area with flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport. Passengers must make a stop in Frankfurt, Germany first, though.

The airline announced in October 2015 that it planned to resume flights to Newark in 2018 once it took delivery of the Airbus A350. Seven are on order from Airbus, the airline said.

Singapore scrubbed its 19-hour flights over the Arctic Circle to Newark in November 2013, in part because it was under contract to sell Airbus back the A-340 jumbo jets it had used during the five years it flew directly to the U.S. Fuel costs played a part, too.

The current longest non-stop flight is an approximately 18 hour, 20 minute journey on Qatar Airlines between Auckland, New Zealand and Doha, Qatar.

Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.New Jersey's most powerful state lawmaker has a new plan to fix unfairness in the state's school funding and says he's willing to risk another dramatic state government shutdown to make it happen.

In what's becoming an annual fight, state Senate President Stephen Sweeney on Thursday unveiled what's sure to be a controversial proposal.

But Sweeney, D-Gloucester says it has the backing of state Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, and he's close to a deal with Gov. Phil Murphy -- both fellow Democrats.

Sweeney's announcement comes after similar maneuver during last year's state budget negotiations, which ultimately ended in a government shut down.

Sweeney said Thursday he's willing to go there again.

"I said this before. If I don't get school funding fixed -- I shut government down last year because of it -- I'm willing to do it again," he said at a news conference at the Statehouse in Trenton.

His plan would create winners and losers, with some districts seeing major increases in state aid and others having their state support slashed over time, something the state's largest teachers union has opposed.

But Sweeney said he's simply fixing problems the state Legislature created and his proposal will ease the pain of those districts that lose state aid.

"The current system has become unfair to schools and harmful to local taxpayers," Sweeney said. "It's creating a structural problem in school funding and taxation that will only grow worse if it isn't addressed."

Murphy spokesman Dan Bryan said the governor wants to fix school funding inequities but first needs to secure enough revenue in the upcoming state budget, which he can't do without support from lawmakers.

"He looks forward to reaching an agreement soon that works for all New Jersey students and families," Bryan said.

Sweeney's proposal would be phased in over seven years and gradually reduce state aid to districts currently considered overfunded by the state while ramping up aid to districts that don't get what they're owed based on New Jersey's school funding formula.

At the end, every district would get 100 percent of what it's owed.

It's all dependent on the state eventually spending about $2 billion more on its public schools and, importantly, removing limits on how much school funding can increase in any given year.

"(You have) these districts that are overfunded, that are adding programs and tablets and everything else, and you have other communities that don't even have books for their kids," Sweeney said.

"This actually does what the Legislature intended to do. Money follows the child wherever they go to school, wherever they live."

The Education Law Center, which represents poor school districts, ripped Sweeney's proposal, saying it can't support a plan that would hurt any school's ability to teach students.

"By slashing state aid over the next seven years, Senator Sweeney's proposal would do just that, impacting school children across the state," Executive Director David Sciarra said.

New Jersey currently spends more than $9 billion on aid to its public schools while loosely using a formula that determines how much state funding each district needs based on enrollment, demographics and its ability to pay for schools through local taxes.

It would be a fair system, Sweeney said, but the state has failed to fully fund it, imposed limits on how much a district's aid could increase and refused to reduce aid to districts even if the formula called for it.

"We're basically putting ourselves in a position where we're going to be able to get out of this hole that was created by the Legislature," Sweeney said.

The proposal introduced Thursday is similar to one Sweeney has been pursuing for a few years and successfully began phasing in last summer.

What's different now is an attempt to better soften the blow for districts that would see a reduction in state aid, such as Jersey City, which receives nearly $175 million more than the formula says it needs.

Instead of phasing that state aid out over a period of five years, as Sweeney first proposed, the new plan would do so over seven years.

"We feel that gives districts that have lost children the chance to shrink in attrition and right-size their school district," Sweeney said.

In addition, Jersey City would be allowed to implement a 1 percent payroll tax paid by employers that goes straight to school funding, and all poor school district identified in the Abbott vs. Burke school funding court decision would be able to raise property taxes above the current 2 percent cap if their state aid is reduced.

The plan would not reduce funding to county career and technical schools because they have no ability to raise tax revenue, Sweeney said.

G. Kennedy Greene, superintendent of Newton Public Schools, said the plan should work for districts like his, which has annually been underfunded by the state.

"I think it's the kind of thing that we have called for... a sustainable path, something that has a clear beginning and an end to it and where we can see a finish line," he said.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.New Jersey state law caught up to medical science Wednesday, when Gov. Phil Murphy signed a bill that provides legal protection to New Jersey couples struggling with infertility and sign a contract with a woman willing to carry their child.

The New Jersey Gestational Carrier Act clarifies the law as it applies to women who, unlike surrogates, have no biological link to the fetus because the egg belongs to another woman.

A woman who wishes to be a gestational carrier must be at least 21 years old, have given birth to at least one child, completed medical and psychological evaluations and retained an attorney independent of the intended parent or parents, but who may pay the expenses, according to the legislation, (S482) The intended parents must also have undergone a psychological exam.

The agreement signed by the two parties allows the gestational carrier to choose her own medical care for the pregnancy, labor, delivery and postpartum care. The intended parents would be permitted to pay for the medical care, as well as living expenses, according to the law.

The child's birth certificate will name the intended parents as the sole legal parents of the baby, according to the law.

The law brings New Jersey's strict definition of surrogacy into the 21st century.

The Baby M case in 1988 defined the legal relationship between a surrogate, Mary Beth Whitehead using her egg and a husband, William Stern who used his sperm to conceive a child. In the nation's first court ruling on surrogacy, the New Jersey judiciary deemed the contract null and void but awarded custody to Stern.

Gestational carriers are different in that they share no DNA and have no biological connection to the child they deliver.

The gestational carrier law was drafted about six years ago, after the state Health Department told a Union County couple the wife's name would not be listed on her son's birth certificate because she had no genetic or biological tie to the infant.

The baby was conceived using an anonymous donor egg and her husband's sperm. She was forced to adopt the baby, despite a surrogacy contract recognized by a judge.

"Ignoring the legal issues that accompany technological advancements does not remove the challenges, it merely adds an additional burden on loving couples or individuals who are already struggling to have a child," said Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle, D-Bergen, a sponsor of the bill. "With this law, intended parents and gestational surrogates will have the legal protections that were denied to them before."

New Jersey Right to Life and conservative organizations testified against the bill. They said the law would create "a breeder class of women," without sufficient legal protections.

Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, vetoed the legislation in 2012 and 2015.

"While some all applaud the freedom to explore these new, and sometimes necessary, arranged births, others will note the profound change in the traditional beginnings of the family that this bill will enact. I am not satisfied that these questions have been sufficiently studied by the Legislature at this time," according to Christie's 2012 veto statement.

Now that Murphy, a Democrat, has signed the bill, New Jersey joins Washington D.C. and 11 other states with similar laws: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington.

"Some couples spend years trying IVF and other fertility treatments, and it takes its toll physically and emotionally," said state Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, also a sponsor of the bill. "This is not a controversial issue; both liberal and conservative states already have similar laws."

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.One in seven people in New Jersey in the last year received an expensive medical bill they had not expected from doctors, hospitals and other providers both inside and outside their insurance network, according to the latest Rutgers Center for State Health Policy poll.

The findings illuminate the intractable problems associated with "surprise" medical costs, and how it won't be entirely solved when Gov. Phil Murphy signs a law this week that aims to protect consumers from out-of-network billers.

According to the poll:

* 48 percent said they received surprise bills from in-network providers;

* 43 percent said they received surprise bills from out-of-network providers;

* 9 percent said they didn't know whether the bills came from an in-network or out-of-network provider;

* One in seven people (about 429,000) reported they or someone in their family had been hit with a surprise medical bill. One in five African-Americans, Latinos and Asians said they had received a bill they hadn't expected.

* Nearly one in four people who considered themselves low-income said they had received a surprise bill.

"So many people receive surprise bills because the information our health care system provides to patients is often difficult to interpret, especially for those with multiple or complicated health conditions," said Joel Cantor, director of Rutgers Center for State Health Policy.

"Those least able to absorb the financial shock of large, unexpected medical bills are most likely to receive them."

The problem has gotten worse over time, according to a report on the poll. Insurance companies have created plans with narrow networks of providers with whom they've negotiated discounts. Deductibles, co-pays and out-of-pocket expenses are higher. And more doctors, depending on the specialty, refuse to take some or most insurance coverage.

It's been left up to patients to try to determine which of their doctors or hospitals are in-network and how much of the bill they'll owe.

"Making sure that patients know what bills to expect is clearly a responsibility of healthcare providers and insurers," he added. "Patients and their families also have the responsibility to ask about what services they will be receiving and what charges to expect."

The legislation that awaits Murphy's signature aims to protect thousands of New Jerseyans covered by state-regulated health plans from "balance-billing," or paying what an insurance company won't.

The legislation lets both medical providers and insurers who can't settle a billing dispute on their own submit evidence and accept the decision of an independent arbiter, who must choose between the two offers.

Hospitals and medical professionals also must disclose on their websites and to their patients which health insurance coverage, if any, they accept and the cost of out-of-network services, according to (S485). Hospitals also must provide the same information for specialists they do business with, such as anesthesiologists and pathologists.

If the network status of a hospital or other medical facility changes, the hospital must notify the patient "promptly," according to the legislation.

The legislation won't affect people whose health care is regulated by the federal government, such as Medicare or companies that are self-insured, which represents about 70 percent of New Jerseyans. But private companies could opt-in.

"While the poll results make it clear that the reforms passed by the legislature would go a long way to address the cost of surprise medical bills, they also show there is a deeper problem rooted in the complexity of our healthcare system that will require additional steps," Cantor said.

Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the poll was conducted Oct 12-Nov. 19, based on the responses of 1,052 adults living in the state. The margin of error is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.Gov. Phil Murphy on Wednesday signed a law preserving a critical yet controversial part of the Affordable Care Act that President Donald Trump's administration repealed last year.

One of the laws creates a statewide individual mandate, which will require all New Jerseyans who don't have health coverage through a government program like Medicare or their jobs to buy a policy, or pay a fee at tax time.

The landmark federal health care law, better known as Obamacare, imposed the mandate to ensure younger and healthier people who might otherwise forgo insurance will buy-in and share costs.

But the tax package approved by the Republican-led Congress and signed into law by Trump will end the mandate in 2019. The requirement was one of the more distasteful parts of the law for lawmakers and the public who believe it allowed government to intrude into people's lives.

State Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, one of the prime sponsors of the law, said keeping the mandate "was needed to maintain a foundation for the insurance market and to allow the success of the ACA to continue."

Trump's actions "will usher in an era of higher health insurance costs for everyone and lower health coverage rates. We want to protect New Jersey from the negative impact," said state Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, also a sponsor.

About 800,000 people obtained insurance coverage under the law -- 500,000 through Medicaid and about 300,000 through a commercial plan.

The law (S1877) gives the state the authority to impose the individual mandate and collect a fee from people who do not buy insurance.

Experts predict ending the mandate would destabilize the health exchange -- the online marketplace at healthcare.gov -- because it would be dominated by sick or older policy holders whose costs would drive up premiums.

In 2015, 189,000 New Jerseyans collectively paid $93 million, or roughly $500 in fees, rather than comply with the individual mandate, according to IRS data collected by the research institute, New Jersey Policy Perspective.

The fees collected under the new state law would be deposited into the New Jersey Health Insurance Premium Security Fund, which is created by the second law Murphy signed, (S1878).

The fund would help pay the claims of people who are catastrophically ill, so rates would not rise dramatically. The state Department of Banking and Insurance must apply to the federal government to create the fund and a board that would control it.

Murphy, a Democrat who has often been critical of Trump, signed the bills on the same day the consumer advocacy group, the NJ for Healthcare Coalition sent him a letter asking him to act on the legislation without delay.

"We urge you to act to preserve the coverage gains we've made under the ACA and to make comprehensive health insurance affordable for more New Jerseyans by signing these bills," according to the letter.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.At least 12 people were taken to local hospitals Thursday after a bus and a pickup truck collided in Jersey City just before 1 p.m., officials said.

The crash took place on Paterson Plank Road near Congress Street, where a New Jersey Transit bus and a pickup truck struck each other head-on, Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione said.

"Several passengers have complained of pain. No injuries appear to be life-threatening as of now," she said.

A spokeswoman for CarePoint Health said nine people were taken to Hoboken University Medical Center to have their injuries assessed, while three others went to Christ Hospital.

All patients were reported to be in stable condition.

Wallace-Scalcione said the truck driver was issued a summons for being an unlicensed driver.

The NJ Transit bus involved was traveling on the No. 87 route from Hoboken to Jersey City, the transportation agency said.JERSEY CITY -- A Jersey City gunman who murdered a man with a gunshot to the neck will face up to life in prison when he's sentenced tomorrow for the 2016 homicide.

In March, Justin Garcia, was convicted of murdering Javon Murray, 28, on July 21, 2016 on Clinton Avenue. Garcia faces 30 years to life in prison. He has prior convictions and the prosecution is expected to seek an extended prison term for him due to his criminal record.

Murray, a Stegman Street resident, was lured into the alleyway, where he was murdered, Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Lynne Seborowski said during the trial. He shot the victim from behind at close range.

Garcia was also convicted of unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and possession of a weapon by a felon. He has five previous convictions including one for aggravated assault and a number for drug offenses.

A key witness at the trial testified that she heard a gunshot, saw Murray fall and then saw Garcia drop a gun. The 21-year-old admitted she did not give police a detailed or accurate statement after the shooting because she was "terrified." She knew both the victim and the shooter.

On the morning of the homicide, police were dispatched to Clinton Street between Kennedy Boulevard and West Side Avenue at 2:45 a.m. on a report of shots being fired. There they found Murray, who was pronounced dead at the scene, officials said.

Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced at 11 a.m. by Hudson County Superior Court Judge Nesle Rodriguez in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.JERSEY CITY -- The New York man found to have $1 million in cash, bags of diamonds and other valuables by officers investigating him in connection to a fatal North Bergen hit and run will be sentenced for his crimes on June 8, officials said.

In March 12, Olvy Torres pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a crash resulting in the death for the Sept. 26 wreck in North Bergen that killed Luisa Valdez, 59. He also pleaded guilty to money laundering.

Investigators said Torres, 36, jumped the curb on River Road near Hackensack Meridian Health Palisades Medical Center and plowed through a bus stop where his vehicle struck Valdez. Valdez worked at a nearby nursing home for 27 years.

Police say Torres left his car at the scene and took off on foot. He was arrested a few days later after an "enormous amount of pressure" from the public resulted in his surrender to authorities.

During the investigation, police recovered $1 million in cash, bags of diamonds, and a motorcycle at a Bergen County apartment that Torres used.

The probe also led to the arrest of a Brooklyn woman and a Teaneck woman, as well as the seizure of two kilos of gold, diamond rings, a Mercedes and hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional cash.

The prosecutor handling the case previously said multiple IDs were also found, including a Florida driver's license with Torres' picture and another man's name. A medical marijuana ID card was found with Torres' information and the address of a gas station/car wash in California.

A TD Bank card, Social Security card, and a title for a motorcycle, all in other people's names, were also found in the home.

Torres' sentencing will be before Hudson County Superior Courts John Young in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City.

He was previously scheduled to be sentenced on May 18 but the hearing was postponed.JERSEY CITY -- When the murder trial of a man charged with a fatal stabbing outside a West New York restaurant begins Tuesday, the defense will be able to elicit testimony from a use-of-force expert, a judge has ruled.

Reidel Carrasco, 23, of West New York, faces up to life in prison for the July 28, 2017 fatal stabbing of Antonio Bouza, 28, also of West New York. The violence erupted after Carrasco encountered Bouza and a friend at Rumba Cubana restaurant on Boulevard East.

Carrasco was having dinner with his girlfriend and her son, while Bouza and his friend were attending a gathering at the same restaurant. A friend of the victim's family told The Jersey Journal the violence was over a woman Carrasco and the victim had previously dated.

The state claims the stabbing was premeditated and noted that Carrasco took a steak knife from the table when he walked out. The defense argues that he took the knife because he feared he would be attacked outside.

Earlier this month, a hearing was held to determine if the defense would be allowed to put Wayne Fisher, the former state Division of Criminal Justice deputy director, on the stand during the trial.

Fisher, now a criminal justice professor at Rutgers, was part of the commission that arrived at use-of-force standards for police in New Jersey.

At the hearing, he testified that the use-of-force guidelines for police and for civilians are virtually identical, with the exception being civilians are expected to retreat before using force and police are not required to do that.

"The assault was underway, the initial effort to get out of the situation had failed and therefore, there was no way that retreat could have occurred safely," Fisher said, suggesting Carrasco's use of force was warranted based on the security video of the incident.

"If he was a cop, he could reasonably conclude there was an immediate threat of serious harm and was authorized to use deadly force," Fisher said. "With respect to a lay person, I also concluded that the circumstances were such that the defendant found he was in immediate danger of physical harm at that moment."

Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Salvatore Rozzi had argued that Fisher may be an expert on police use-of-force, but the case at hand does not involve police use-of-force. He said different standards apply to lay people regarding self-defense.

Hudson County Superior Court Judge Mirtha Ospina has since ruled that Fisher will be allowed to testify, but an official said the scope of his testimony will be limited.

Jury selection for the trial will begin Tuesday before Ospina in the Hudson County Administration Building in Jersey City. Carrasco is represented by defense attorney Raoul Bustillo.

Carrasco also faces weapons offenses in connection to the stabbing.As I ascended the escalator in the AMC Theatre, I noticed six huge billboards of buxom women across the street. After all, this was 42nd Street in Times Square.

But as I entered Theater 13, its huge screen brought me back to the old Stanley in Journal Square. And very soon Pope Francis' face was even bigger than the babes on the block.

It was a special screening of "Pope Francis: A Man of His Word," a feature film now playing in wide release. Billed as a documentary, it is nothing like the traditional style. It does not cover his entire life, or virtually anything chronological, but rather intersperses clips from eight hours of one-on-one interviews with Francis at the Vatican with video of him speaking and interacting around the world.

The idea is to show how revolutionary Francis is by redirecting the church's mission outward -- especially among the poor.

Among the many beautiful images is Francis at his first Holy Thursday service kissing the feet of the prisoners he has just washed including a Muslim and women.

The one interpretation director/screenwriter Wim Wenders imposes at the beginning is the conversion of St. Francis of Assisi called to "rebuild my church."

You see St. Francis in black-and-white going about his mission in Assisi with some other Franciscans in rough robes, unlike the tailored ones by Franciscans today.

In a 30-minute Q&A after the screening, Wenders admitted that he was enthralled with Pope Francis from the moment he took that saint's name, the first time ever for a pope, and the simple way he greeted the flock in Vatican City after his election.

Wenders was surprised, he said, one year into Francis' papacy when Vatican officials approached him about making a major film on Francis with no Vatican interference or agenda.

"I never thought the pope would be available for making a movie," said Wenders, now 72 and a director of major films like "Wings of Desire" and "Buena Vista Social Club."

His film crew was given four two-hour interview sessions with the pope over a period of time. But instead of the interviewer hogging time, Wenders allows Francis' words to advance the movie and uses subtitles to translate his Spanish or Italian.

One highlight for me is when Francis delivers his 2014 Christmas homily to the assembled cardinals seated on plush chairs arranged in a rectangle in some ornate Vatican room. Dressed in their scarlet attire, Francis begins to tick off 15 "diseases" he sees among them: participating in "gossip" and exhibiting "spiritual Alzheimer's" by creating their own closed worlds were two. The kicker: displaying lugubrious or "funereal faces."

Hearing Francis call them out made the last a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Later, hundreds of people pick for scraps or anything they can sell, use or eat from what must be the largest garbage dump ever. Just to watch these poor people made my stomach turn thinking that we consign millions of people in the world to live this way daily.

A theme emerges in the papal visits to Africa, the Philippines, Brazil and elsewhere -- how he gets close to people and his words afford them the dignity that most political leaders do not. He is also concerned about environmental issues, social justice and calls for peace.

You see his appearance in Philadelphia where he cracked a joke about mothers-in-law and before Congress in D.C. where he insists on an end to the gun trade -- "which we all know is simply for money ... money drenched in blood." The Republicans just sat on their hands.

I suggested that Wenders did a disservice to the pope and viewers by not stressing at all his Jesuit formation, which I believe is the cause of his incredible intellect and fearlessness. He replied that he did not want the film to be biographical but simply highlight his words and actions.

The film does show Francis' Jesuitcal style when on the plane he uttered those now famous words in reply to homosexuals: "Who am I to judge?" And now, he has taken it a step further by telling the Chilean abused by a famous priest and coming out to Francis as gay: "God made you this way."

This film reveals the avuncular quality of Francis who reveals his strength by communicating with his eyes and his smile. And his love.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, FAX: 201-659-5833; Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken.A Trenton man found guilty in March of killing 29-year-old Harvey Sharp in 2015 has been sentenced to 45 years in prison, the Mercer County Prosecutors Office said.

Horace Gordan, 38, shot Sharp during the early morning hours of the victim's June 24, 2015 birthday. Police found Sharp with a bullet in his chest on the 100 block of Cummings Avenue just after midnight.

Authorities linked Gordon to the crime and charged him the next day. A U.S. Marshal's task force tracked him to southern Virginia the following month and took him into custody.

The jury deliberated for only five hours after the trial closed in March, finding Gordon guilty of the murder.

Prosecutor's office spokesperson Casey DeBlasio said the office had asked for Superior Court Judge Robert Billmeier to consider a life sentence.

"This wasn't a case of who-done-it, but a case of why he did it," Mercer County Executive Assistant Prosecutor Amy Devenny said of the case.

Paige Gross may be reached at pgross@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @By_paigegross. Find NJ.com on Facebook.The L Street beach in Belmar is closed after raw sewage seeped into the water, state environmental officials said.

Tests performed by the state Department of Environmental Protections indicated the water from the Shark River contained bacteria levels more than twice as high as what's considered safe.

Sewage overflow discharged into a storm drain and contaminated the water.

Officials performed follow-up tests on Wednesday and expect to release the results on Thursday. The beach is adjacent to Maclearie Park and near the Belmar marina, several blocks from the town's popular ocean beaches.

No other beaches are closed statewide.

New Jersey state officials perform weekly testing at 217 stations near public swimming beaches to identify potential bacteria problems throughout the summer.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.The woman's body was found behind a dumpster in Englewood on the Fourth of July in 1999. Hyo J. Lee, 33, had been raped and strangled to death, but police never found her killer.

Robert Anzilotti, then a young homicide detective, remembered the oppressive heat and the sense of urgency. They had leads from witnesses and a description of the suspect, but the man had up and vanished.

"It's been almost two decades of frustration, knowing that we had what we believed to be a serial predator that randomly attacked a member of our community, but we were never able to put a name to that," said Anzilotti, now the chief of detectives at the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

Now authorities say they've cracked the case, though their suspect remains at large.

State and county law enforcement officials announced on Thursday they had charged a 43-year-old man convicted of a similar crime in Ohio, Jose Colon, with Lee's killing.

Colon -- who also goes by the name Luis Chavez -- was deported to Nicaragua in 2005 after serving a prison sentence, but New Jersey officials are now seeking his extradition.

According to the prosecutor's office, Lee had recently immigrated from South Korea and was working at a local nail salon when she went for a walk just after midnight on Sunday, July 4.

Police say Colon had arrived in Englewood just a week earlier, after traveling by bus from another state and hitchhiking to the small northern New Jersey city from the Port Authority bus terminal just across the George Washington Bridge. They believe he encountered the woman at random and sexually assaulted and strangled her before hiding her body.

Over the years, Anzilotti said, his office would re-submit evidence from the case to the State Police, hoping some new development would find something previous tests had missed.

"But what we thought were great advances in technology in 2005, 2010, didn't work out," he said. "In this particular case, the more recent advances (in DNA testing) worked to our advantage to develop a full DNA profile."

Authorities won't disclose exactly what triggered the new charges, but said the long-dormant case was solved after DNA testing that had previously proven inconclusive was re-done using new technology available at the State Police forensic lab.

The charges come five months after the prosecutor's office set up a special unit dedicated to solving cold cases -- old crimes that might otherwise lie dormant -- under a partnership between county law enforcement and the State Police.

New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who began the process of forming the unit during his time as Bergen County's top prosecutor, said it's a model authorities want to replicate across the state.

"We've always looked at cold cases," Grewal told reporters at a press conference in Hackensack.

But authorities said that work is often done by homicide units who can get waylaid by new cases. Bergen County's new unit consists of a county detective, a dedicated assistant prosecutor and a detective on loan from the State Police, all of whom focus on solving older cases.

In Bergen County alone, authorities say there are 90 unsolved cases, including one dating back to the late 1950s.

Grewal said he'd like to see other county prosecutors adopt the model, as well as create regional teams to revisit old crimes as his office weighs setting up a statewide system.

After two Paterson men who served decades for murder saw their convictions tossed last year thanks to new DNA evidence, Grewal convened a panel to study whether New Jersey should set up a conviction review unit, as well as a unit in the Attorney General's Office dedicated to investigation cold cases across the state.

The attorney general said that panel is expected to make recommendations in the fall.

"But I don't want to wait for that," he said. "There are cases that are there, where we could bring this new technology to bear. In the meantime, we're going to push forward on these cases at the county prosecutor level."

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Gov. Phil Murphy has conditionally vetoed a bill that would have allowed large-scale processing of hazardous wastewater to resume at a South Jersey chemical plant site.

The measure would have allowed Chemours at its Chambers Works site in Salem County to begin taking material from off-site for treatment. The treated wastewater would then be dumped into the Delaware River.

"I am concerned that the bill does not contain specific safeguards to protect the health of our environment and the safety of our residents," Murphy said in his message on the conditional veto Wednesday. "I am particularly concerned that the permissive language of the bill could be misinterpreted to permit a qualifying facility to immediately resume commercial waste processing operations."

The bill was sent back to the Senate with recommended amendments by the governor.

Murphy did say he supports "the intent of the bill's sponsors to simplify the process of siting facilities that until recently were authorized to operate as commercial facilities and conduct commercial hazardous waste operations."

The bill's primary sponsors included state Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assemblymen John Burzichelli and Adam Taliaferro, who represent the Third Legislative District where the Chemours plant is located.

Burzichelli said through public hearings and other action on the bill, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection did not "offer any comment or guidance" until it went to Murphy's desk.

"But when they did weigh in, there was a cooperative effort by all parties (from the Assembly, Senate, DEP, Chemours and governor's office) to craft revisions believed to be satisfactory."

The bill amended the definition of an existing hazardous waste facility in the state's Hazardous Waste Facilities Siting Act. The measure would effectively grandfather in the Chemours facility and allow it to resume taking in wastewater for treatment.

Environmentalists hailed the governor's conditional veto.

"In a victory for clean water, Governor Murphy conditionally vetoed this terrible ... bill. The original bill would have allowed open season on clean water in the Delaware Bay by granting old permits to pollute our waterways," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Tittel said he wished the bill had been scrapped altogether, "but this compromise is the best outcome we could get."

A variety of other groups also praised Murphy's action.

This bill was their most recent attempt to pollute our waterways with hazardous waste ...," said Lena Smith, policy advocate for the Food & Water Watch. "This veto protects the health and safety of New Jersey residents, and ensures that the Delaware River continues to provide safe, clean drinking water for millions of people."

Some of the organizations say they fear waste from fracking operations in Pennsylvania could make its way to the Chemours site.

Murphy also wants the bill to include language specifying that before beginning to treat new waste, the operator must apply for and obtain necessary modifications to its existing operating permit.

"My recommended changes also provide that all future commercial hazardous waste processing activities must fully comply with applicable and environmental laws and regulations, including terms and conditions deemed necessary to protect human health and the environment."

Burzichelli said, in his opinion, the language which appeared in the bill had already satisfied those concerns, but is not opposed to the revisions.

The Chemours hazardous wastewater treatment facility is located in the Carneys Point section of the sprawling Chambers Works site which had been owned by DuPont since the early 1900s. In 2015 a DuPont spinoff, Chemours, was created and now owns the site.

It began operating in 1974 and started accepting outside waste on a commercial basis in 1979, according to a company fact sheet about the facility.

At one time the company said it was able to safely process up to 40 million gallons of hazardous wastewater a day containing a wide variety of caustic and chemical products. The treatment process removes solids which are placed in an on-site landfill and the cleansed water is released into the adjacent Delaware River.

In 2011, DuPont announced that it would stop accepting outside hazardous waste from customers for treatment and would only treat wastewater from the site or other facilities it owned.

A key element of the bill was allowing any site which had stopped taking in waste for treatment in the past decade to resume operations, something crafted for Chemours' situation.

Chemours would be paid for taking and treating the outside waste.

The fate of the measure could mean a financial windfall for host community Carneys Point Township. Under a tax settlement late last year which gave the township $2 million, it was stipulated that if the law allowing new waste treatment was signed before November, Chemours would pay Carneys Point an additional $500,000.

A spokesperson for Chemours, reached via email, declined comment.

The bill, with the governor's revisions is expected to be considered by the full Legislature in June, according to Burzichelli.

"The bottom line is to get everyone on the same page and get Chemours back in business, help preserve jobs and help preserve the environment," Burzichelli said Thursday.

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Atlantic City will pay $650,000 to settle a claim that a police officer clubbed a man so severely during a 2012 casino melee that he required staples to close a large wound to his head.

The federal lawsuit filed by Anthony Moore, of Pennsylvania, painted Detective Franco Sydnor as a one-man internal affairs nightmare.

In addition to accusing Sydnor of severely beating Moore, the suit went on to describe a string of allegations against officer, including past claims of sexual assault and beatings.

Details of the allegations were likely to be discussed during a planned May civil trial in Camden, but the settlement, which was approved recently by city council, eliminated that possibility.

Anthony Moore's attorney provided this photo of injuries to his head following his 2012 arrest in Atlantic City.

Lawyers had little to say about the agreement.

"It's settled," confirmed attorney Steven Glickman, who represented Sydnor. "As with every settlement, everyone is somewhat satisfied and somewhat dissatisfied."

Moore's attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

Moore, his brother and a few friends were visiting Bally's casino on Oct. 7, 2012, when some members of the party grew disruptive and were asked to leave.

Security footage shows the situation quickly escalate into a brawl as Sydnor, who was working a special detail at the casino, joins security staffers as they usher the group toward the door.

Footage shows Sydnor striking Moore several times with a baton.

Moore claimed in his suit that he suffered a concussion and still experiences headaches as a result of the beatdown. In addition to Sydnor, the suit named the police department and city as defendants.

Moore's attorney, Jennifer Bonjean, argued that Sydnor's superiors should have known they had a rogue cop on their hands, pointing to a series of internal affairs complaints.

Atlantic City Police Detective Franco Sydnor is seen during the 2012 incident at Bally's casino. (Submitted image)

A woman claimed Sydnor forced her to perform a sex act on him in 2006 and a fellow officer claimed Sydnor grabbed her upper thigh twice. Neither claim resulted in charges. He was also accused of several other violent encounters involving casino visitors, including kicking a man in the nose and throwing him in a wishing well and, in another case, picking up a customer in a bear hug and slamming him to the ground.

While surveillance video recorded that second incident, Sydnor's official report claimed the patron was the one who picked up and slammed Sydnor, Bonjean noted in court filings.

Prior to joining the force in 2003, Sydnor had already been charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats, weapons possession and criminal mischief, according to court records.

He was accused of stabbing his wife's ex four times in 1996, but he pleaded guilty to a fourth-degree charge of criminal possession of a weapon. He was charged with terroristic threats in 2002 after he allegedly offered to kill the jailed husband of a woman with whom he was having an affair. Those charges were later dismissed.

Under the agreement with Moore, none of the defendants, including Sydnor, Atlantic City and the police department, admit guilt in the 2012 matter.

The settlement will be paid in four installments between June and December of this year.

Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MattGraySJT. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us: nj.com/tips.NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Three New Jersey students are returning Thursday for the finals of the 91st Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Advancing to the final round that will begin Thursday morning are:

* Shruthika Padhy of Cherry Hill, 12, a seventh grader at Rosa International Middle School in Cherry Hill, who reached the finals last year;

* Navneeth Murali of Edison, 12, a sixth grader at Woodrow Wilson Middle School in Edison; and Christopher Serrao of Whitehouse Station, 12, a sixth grader at Readington Middle School in Whitehouse Station, making his second appearance in the bee,

"This is way better," Shruthika said. "I didn't really do anything different. It was just more studying."

In all, 41 students reached the finals from an original field of 515.

On Wednesday, Shruthika knew colitis, or colon inflammation; Navneeth was right in spelling tinkerer, someone who engages in an activity as a hobby rather than a vocation; and Christopher knew archaic, or absolete.

"I feel ecstatic to make it here," said Navneeth, who spent a year alternating between studying with his mother, Preethi Parthasarathy and being quizzed by her. "I like spelling bees and I'm really happy to go to such a high position."

In all, 12 of the 13 New Jersey students competing in the bee spelled their words correctly Wednesday, but only three scored high enough on the separate spelling and vocabulary test given to all entrants to qualify for the finals. Shruthika was one of five finalists with the highest scores, 33 of a possible 36 points.

Christopher said he didn't want to know his score on the written test for fear it would demoralize him during the on-stage spelling, where a wrong word automatically meant disqualification.

"If you don't get a good score, you might be dejected on stage," he said.

Here's how the other New Jersey students fared:

* Ishaan Akula of Colts Neck, 11, a sixth grader at Cedar Drive Middle School in Colts Neck, a returnee, correctly spelled civism, the virtues of a good citizen.

* Alexandria Ciurlino of Egg Harbor Township, 14, an eighth grader at St. Vincent de Paul Regional School in Mays Landing who also returned to the bee, was correct with carideer, which is a caribou-reindeer hybrid.

* Nupur Karnik of River Vale, 13, a seventh grader at Holdrum Middle School in River Vale, got caspian, relating to the Caspian Sea, right.

* Sky Lewit of Weehawken, 11, a sixth grader at Theodore Roosevelt School in Weehawken, knew how to spell pendulum, which swings freely after being suspended from a particular point.

* Aashi Mishra of Watchung, 13, a seventh grader at Valley View School in Watchung, correctly spelled argot, or language used by a particular group of people.

* Sania Naik of Jersey City, 13, winner of the 59th annual Jersey Journal-Hudson County Spelling Bee and an eighth grader at Academy 1 Middle School in Jersey City, scored with compilation, which is the assembling of information from sources. Her oldest sister, Nisha, competed in the national bee in 2006.

* Tai Nakamura of Emerson, 12, a sixth grader at Patrick M. Villano Elementary School in Emerson, correctly spelled ichthyism, or poisoning from fish.

* Sharvani Vadlamani, of Dayton, 12, a seventh grader at Crossroads South Middle School in Monmouth Junction, correctly spelled rescind, to take back.

* Zoe Wang of Warren, 13, an eighth grader at Warren Middle School, spelled dirge, a hymn of grief such as those played at a funeral, correctly.

Only one New Jersey contestant was eliminated on stage. Tanay Nandan of Short Hills, 11, a fifth grader at Washington School in Millburn who also competed in 2017, misspelled suppliant, one who humbly makes a request.

The winner receives $42,500 in cash prizes, a trophy, reference libraries from Merriam-Webster and Encyclopaedia Britannica, and trips to New York City to appear on "Live with Kelly and Ryan" and to Hollywood to appear on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

The finals will be broadcast Thursday morning on ESPN2 and then in primetime on ESPN.

Two New Jersey students have taken home the grand prize. Katharine Close of Spring Lake, 13, came in first in 2006 after correctly spelling ursprache, a language reconstructed from later languages; and Jonathan Knisely of Mullica Hill, 12, correctly spelled shalloon, tightly woven wool usually used for linings of clothing, to win in 1971.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.Nearly six years after being submerged and largely washed away by Hurricane Sandy, a popular Ocean County park built on a spit of sand jutting into Barnegat Bay has reopened.

Berkeley Island Park, which occupies 25 acres at the mouth of Cedar Creek in Berkeley Township, includes picnic areas with barbecue grills, horseshoe pits and bocci courts, a new children's playground, a fishing pier, and a waterfront walkway offering sweeping views of the Barnegat Bay region, directly opposite Island Beach State Park two miles across the water.

Park hours are dawn to 10 p.m., and admission is free.

Berkeley Island Park, an Ocean County park on Barnegat Bay, occupies a sandy peninsula that county officials say was once an island.

The five-plus-year, $8 million redevelopment of the park did not restore the swimming beach, where the water had always been too shallow for all but the littlest simmers, said Freeholder John Bartlett, who led the park's original development in 1981, a year after he was first elected to the county governing body.

"We had a little beach here and the water was knee deep, so it was barely worth putting a lifeguard there, but we had to, so we eliminated swimming," said Bartlett, who has been the freeholder board's parks liaison since taking office and played an active role in Berkeley Island Park's redevelopment.

Instead, officials installed the first splash pad in an Ocean County park, a fountain-like water feature that has become increasingly popular among park planners nationwide and could proliferate in Ocean, Bartlett said.

He and Freeholder Director Gerry Little hosted a reopening ceremony for the park, last week, when the two teetered up a wobbly rope bridge in the children's playground, and Bartlett sampled the splash feature.

When Hurricane Sandy slammed into the Jersey shore in late October 2012, its storm surge swept over the state's barrier island chain and across the bay, completely submerging much of the mainland coast, including Berkeley Island Park.

"What really did the damage to it was when the water went out," Bartlett said. "As the water receded, it found the lowest point, and just gushed out. And it cut gullies in the park."

One reason the project took so long, Bartlett said, was that the county had to secure permits from the state Department of Environmental Protection to dredge and redeposit sand that had been washed away in order to restore the park to its original size. Bartlett said the site of the park had once been an island, before a narrow strip of land was filled in linking it to the mainland.

Bartlett said measures intended to curb future erosion include a "living shoreline" constructed atop a slope of large stones, which was designed, installed and paid for by Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken.

Bartlett said the rest of the project's cost was financed by county bonds, about $1 million of which could be reimbursed by FEMA.

Bartlett, 71, a Republican, is now in his 13th term and up for re-election this year, running unopposed alongside Little for their two freeholder seats in the June 5 GOP primary.

"I'm the longest-serving freeholder in the state," said Bartlett, now in his 39th year in office.

In addition to leading the creation of several Ocean County parks over his tenure, Bartlett also pushed for a special tax of 1.2 cents per $100 of assessed property value, eventually approved by county voters, which now raises $12 million a year for acquisition of open space.

"It's a great office," he said of his freeholder job, "because you can do things."

Steve Strunsky may be reached at sstrunsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SteveStrunsky. Find NJ.com on FacebookNew Jersey's newest medical school officially opened its doors Wednesday

The Seton Hall University facility in north Jersey will welcome its inaugural class in July. It will consist of nearly 60 students, who were selected from more than 2,000 applications, according to the school.

The plan is to eventually enroll from 125 to 150 students per class at the new medical school, university officials have said.

"This is a big deal," Gov. Phil Murphy said at Wednesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.

"Now we have this extraordinary facility to complement our other medical schools," he said.

The medical school, Seton Hall's College of Nursing and its School of Health and Medical Sciences, will share the 17-acre campus in Clifton and Nutley once occupied by Hoffmann-La Roche, an international pharmaceutical and health services company which relocated to California five years ago.

The campus will include the new School of Medicine, as well as Seton Hall's College of Nursing and School of Health and Medical Sciences, which will relocate from South Orange.

Hackensack Meridian now owns 16 acute care hospitals from Bergen to Ocean counties. The $5.5 billion not-for-profit employs a staff of 33,000 and 6,500 doctors, and maintains 4,520 in-patient beds, which include children's and specialty hospitals.

The medical school's goal is to educate and retain more medical students in New Jersey, which, like the rest of the country, is suffering from a physician shortage, officials said.

The Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University joins four public medical training institutions in the state: Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark; Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick; Rowan University's School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford; and Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden.

NJ Advance Media staff writers Adam Clark and Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.State lawmakers grilled leaders of New Jersey's largest teachers union Thursday over hidden-camera videos appearing to show local union officials discussing protecting teachers accused of abusing students.

They also implored state education officials to make it clear the state has zero tolerance for covering up accusations of abuse.

"If you have a person who is blocking information, it will never get out of the room and that child's life will always be endangered," state Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, said during the joint hearing of the Senate education and labor committees at the Statehouse in Trenton.

"We have to change the culture of individuals who think their main priority is to protect the worst," Ruiz added.

The hearing was called in response to videos posted by Project Veritas, a controversial conservative nonprofit run by New Jersey native and Rutgers University graduate James O'Keefe. The group often goes undercover to expose liberal groups -- and has been criticized for selectively editing their videos.

These clips show local union presidents in Hamilton (Mercer County) and Union City -- which are branches of the New Jersey Education Association, the largest teachers union in the state.

Hamilton union president David Perry and Union City president Kathleen Valencia are shown discussing how their unions hypothetically would help teachers who physically abused or threatened students.

Valencia mentions how a teacher who had sex with a teenage girl will not be fired because no charges were filed.

Both presidents resigned and were suspended without pay from their districts, NJEA executive director Ed Richardson said Thursday.

The union also said it will conduct a review of how local officials handle suspected abuse of children.

State Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-Gloucester -- who has often feuded with the NJEA -- called for Thursday's hearing, saying what was said in the videos is "offensive."

Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat who was endorsed by the NJEA, supported the hearings, saying "if it's true, it's completely unforgivable and unacceptable, what was said."

Richardson said Thursday there's "no place" for abusing students and covering it up.

"Our members have a moral obligation to protect students," Richardson told lawmakers.

He stressed the union wants to "make sure every staff member knows how to report abuse" and said the union will conduct training as needed.

"We must ensure we are meeting our due legal responsibility to protect children," Richardson added.

But Ruiz said she was bothered by how Richardson said the local officials were "set up" by Project Veritas.

"I cannot accept that," said Ruiz, chairwoman of the Senate education committee, adding that "no one can set you up" to say the kind of things these officials said on camera.

She said she's not defending Project Veritas.

"But you cannot be set up to have this kind of mentality," Ruiz said.

Richardson pointed out that the union had the videos "professionally analyzed" and that there were 26 edits in the video.

Meanwhile, Lamont Repollet, the acting state education commissioner under Gov. Phil Murphy, said his department takes the safety of students seriously.

He said the department working on new forms districts must use when background-checking teachers -- part of the requirements of the "passing the trash" law that Murphy recently signed.

Repollet said the state Board of Examiners receives complaints about teachers and can revoke and suspend licenses.

"It is heart-wrenching to know there are individuals out there who may hurt a child," he added.

State Sen. Fred Madden, D-Gloucester, told Repollet the state has "all the safeguards in the place" but "the problem is there is a big hole in it."

"The hole is if it's not reported to you or the Board of Examiners, nothing is done," said Madden, chairman of the Senate labor committee. "Something needs to be clamped down on, even the person who is not reporting it, hiding the facts. I think they are just as guilty as the person who is abusing the child."

"I think there is a lot that needs to be done to tighten up on all of this," he added.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Thinking of declawing your Jersey cat?

It could get you scratched by a big fine -- or even jail -- soon.

State lawmakers are moving on a bill for New Jersey to ban declawing, which opponents say amounts to animal cruelty.

The bill (S1209) bans onychetomy -- the medical term for declawing -- in most cases and penalize anyone in the state who declaws or has a cat declawed with fines up to $3,000 and up to six months in jail.

"Declawing a cat is a cruel practice that more often than not is done for the sake of convenience rather than necessity," state Sen. Troy Singleton, D-Burlington, the bill sponsor, said in a statement.

The proposal, approved by the state Senate Economic Growth Committee on Thursday, would make an exception if a veterinarian deems it necessary for the cat's health and well-being.

Owners commonly declaw their cats to prevent them from scratching to furniture, floors or people. But the procedure, the bill states, is painful and usually medically unnecessary.

"The most popular method of declawing, onychectomy, involves amputating the last bone of each toe on a cat's paw with a scalpel, guillotine or laser," according to the bill.

A second procedure, flexor tendonectomy, involves severing the tendon that controls the claw in each tow, so that the cat keeps its claws but cannot flex or extend them."

Some veterinarians have objected to similar proposed bans in New Jersey, saying the procedure has evolved in recent years to be less invasive. They also argue the ban may discourage adoptions.

There are an estimated 85 million cats living as pets in family homes, and between 19 percent to 46 percent are declawed, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.

Samantha Marcus may be reached at smarcus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @samanthamarcus. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.It took 40 years. What's a few more weeks?

Legislation overhauling New Jersey's troubled medical examiner system was conditionally vetoed Wednesday by Gov. Phil Murphy because of outdated language that was not stripped out before it quickly passed through the Legislature earlier this year.

Turns out, that old adage about reading the fine print applies to Trenton, too.

The reform effort, which has been a series of stops and starts for four decades, gained new steam in January after an NJ Advance Media investigation detailed widespread problems throughout the state's patchwork system for investigating suspicious deaths.

That investigation, published in December, revealed decades of neglect had turned a critical function of state government into a national disgrace, detailing cases of mishandled bodies, bungled criminal cases and families left grieving without answers.

Read more NJ.com investigations

In response, Murphy pledged to support "wholesale reform" of the system and lawmakers introduced the bill aimed at addressing the problems.

But New Jersey's laws governing the medical examiner system haven't substantially changed since the late 1970s, and the new bill failed to remove references "criminal abortion" as well as language giving the attorney general oversight of certain functions, according to the governor's veto message.

"I fully support the bill's revisions, which, among other things, centralize operations and oversight within the new office and implement the National Association of Medical Examiners' recommendation that medical examiners operate independently of law enforcement," the governor wrote. "These reforms will ensure that medicolegal death investigations are conducted effectively and consistently throughout the state."

The bill's main sponsor, state Sen. Joseph Vitale, D-Middlesex, told NJ Advance Media he expected an amended version to be quickly passed by the Senate and sent back to the governor for his signature.

The proposed law would remove the position of the state's top medical examiner from the oversight of the state attorney general -- a setup widely derided for creating potential conflicts of interest -- and place it under the purview of the state Health Department.

The legislation would also give New Jersey's chief medical examiner more power over the policies, procedures and training at the state's patchwork of county medical examiner offices, which currently operate independently and without much oversight.

It was passed by the state Senate in March and did not receive a single "no" vote in either chamber. The governor's veto message signaled he planned to sign a revised version.

Murphy's conditional veto contained other "minor revisions," including new language requiring state medical examiners promptly share toxicology text results with county prosecutors and the attorney general.

Stephen Stirling may be reached at sstirling@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @sstirling. Find him on Facebook.

S.P. Sullivan may be reached at ssullivan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter. Find NJ.com on Facebook.Inside Angela Walker's LaPlace home on Wednesday afternoon (May 30), siblings, aunts, uncles, parents and a grandparent of Cameron Mack gathered on the porch and in the living room. The group was just a sampling of the sprawling family that Mack held dear throughout his 29 years. The night before, he and his 4-year-old daughter Cali were fatally shot outside their new LaPlace apartment.

Angela Walker sat between her sister, Antoinette Calhoun, and mother, Gloria Calhoun, and recounted the life of a son who cherished music, religion and -- most importantly -- family.

Mack married his wife Secret Horn five years ago and the couple welcomed Cali and her sister Chase into the family within a year. The two girls were only 10 months apart. On Tuesday night (May 30), the four of them had just returned from a trip to Biloxi to celebrate Cali's 4th birthday. They unloaded their bags into their apartment in the LaPlace housing complex on Joe Parquet Circle and went to grab a bite to eat.

"They were always doing everything together. They loved to go out to eat -- they loved Chuck E. Cheese's, Dave & Busters. Anything that involved going out and having fun together," Walker said of her son and his family.

The couple had just left their jobs as cooks in New Orleans and moved to LaPlace in hopes of landing a place with lower rent so that they could save up and eventually buy a home of their own, according to Walker.

When they returned home from dinner with groceries, Secret and Chase ascended the stairs first. When they reached the top platform, Secret heard several gunshots ring out and turned to see her husband and Cali on the ground suffering from multiple gun shot wounds. The shooter ran into the woods before Secret could get a good look, Walker said.

According to the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff's Office, a man shot Mack and his daughter several times before disappearing into the darkness behind the apartment building. Authorities not have not made an arrest in the case.

In the moments before he was taken by helicopter to University Medical Center, a woman at the scene told NOLA.com|Times-Picayune that Mack gripped her friend's hand and pleaded, "Tell my wife and my kids that I love them."

Cali Mack was pronounced dead at the hospital. Authorities were able to talk with Cameron Mack before he died at University Medical Center. The sheriff would not disclose the exact information Cameron recounted, but said they are using it to inform the investigation.

Angela Walker and her family were not able to speak to Cameron before he died, but she was not surprised to hear that his family was at the forefront of his mind in his final moments.

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"He was committed. They were his life. And if you wasn't [as family oriented] as he was he was offended," she added with a laugh. Her mother and sister nodded in agreement.

As a child, Cameron excelled in academics and helped run the household. He did years of high school at Destrehan and East St. John, where teachers always recommended him for gifted and talented classes, said his mom. As the oldest, he supported his mom, who worked two jobs for most of his childhood to support her four children.

"I would prepare everything before I left for the day and Cam would do everything I told him perfectly. He watched over his sister and brothers like a hawk," she said. "And to this day, he never stopped doing that. He always was papa bear."

In his later years, he developed a passion for religion and music, said Walker. While he wasn't an ardent churchgoer, he would read and recite scripture on his own time, often sharing lines with his family. His rap career had hit its stride as of late. His mother said a number of producers had reached out to him. But, even when it came to music, his family was involved.

"They would all four come to studio with him," Walker said.

Eventually, Walker's brother, Tony Calhoun, excused himself from the conversation and announced it was time for him to go to work. He made his rounds through the room, hugging each family tightly and telling them repeatedly, "I love you."

He turned to the door, making his way with slow and heavy steps. Before he could make it, he turned and once again reaffirmed his love for his family.

"Tomorrow's not a promise," he said before turning to Walker. "Sister, if you need anything, you know to call me. Anything."

"What I really need, man can't give me right now," she responded, shaking her head.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help cover the funeral expenses of Cameron and Cali Mack. For more information visit this link.Mario Batali groped and forcefully kissed three women at New Orleans events, according to a new report Wednesday (May 30) from Eater, which details allegations from several fans and former colleagues of the star chef. With the latest report, Batali has now been accused of sexual misconduct by at least 18 women through various news outlets and social media, Eater noted, and the allegations vary from inappropriate touching to drugging and sexually assaulting a woman.

In New Orleans, Batali's alleged misconduct took place at food industry events, including an after-party for Emeril Lagasse's Carnival du Vin and twice at or following events for Bal Masque, a posh benefit for Donald Link's foundation.

Sara Watson ran into Batali at The Saint Bar & Lounge after the Link Stryjewski Foundation's Bal Masque in January 2016, Eater's Irene Plagianos reported. Watson considered herself a fan of the chef and asked for a photo. Batali "allegedly made a comment about wanting to give her oral sex, tongued her face and ear, and put his hands 'all over my butt, thighs, the whole vaginal area,'" Eater reported Watson saying.

The New Orleans Police Department confirmed Wednesday it did not respond to a sexual assault report at The Saint after the date of the Bal Masque in 2016. Police did not immediately have information about whether Batali was or is under investigation for any other New Orleans incident.

Another woman, Rebecca Marshall, said she was at a Link Stryjewski Foundation event the following January when she, too, requested a photo with the chef. Batali kissed her on the cheek and Marshall said he "stuck his tongue in my mouth," according to Eater. Photos of the encounter were published on Eater's website with the report.

Within hours of the first reports of allegations of sexual misconduct against Batali in December, the Link Stryjewski Foundation replaced Batali as its featured chef for its 2018 event. He had previously cooked two private dinners for the event.

Jenny McCoy, a pastry chef who has worked with both Lagasse and John Besh, who stepped down from his company in in October in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations, prepared food for a Carnival du Vin event in 2007. She previously told Eater in an anonymous report that Batali rubbed her breasts after wine was spilled on her chest. She added her name to the report because of the number of women speaking out with stories of Batali's alleged misconduct.

"These men, men like Batali, who are powerful and delusional, won't back down, obviously," she told Eater. "So we need to keep using our voices, women and men, to make a real change, a real cultural shift  and no longer tolerate this behavior."The Carousel Bar and Lounge inside the Hotel Monteleone recently was named one of "Food & Wine" magazine's "world's most iconic hotel bars."

The magazine picked 12 hotel bars throughout the world for its list, which includes Bemelman's bar at the Carlyle in New York and Bar Hemingway at the Ritz in Paris.

We'd agree, noting it is one of the Crescent City's iconic bars as well.

The Carousel Bar is known for its revolving, circular, carnival-themed bar, which often is filled with hotel patrons, tourists and locals from the French Quarter. The hotel expanded the bar, opening up more windows onto Royal Street and adding a second -- albeit stationary -- bar as well as a stage for local musicians.

"Food & Wine" noted that Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner and Truman Capote have all drunk at this 25-seat revolving bar, "where the Vieux Carre cocktail was invented. Hemingway and Williams also immortalized the bar in their writings." Find the rest here.

Hotel Monteleone: 214 Royal St., 504.523.3341Attorneys representing dozens of oil, gas and pipeline companies have returned 42 lawsuits filed against them by six parishes to federal courts, months after federal judges ruled the wetlands damages suits should be heard in state court.

In this new action, the attorneys for the companies contend that reports filed by expert witnesses on behalf of the parishes show some of the actions the parishes claim the companies took in violation of state laws actually took place before the state laws existed, and instead were taken to comply with federal directives that were first issued during World War II. As a result, the oil company attorneys argue, the cases should be governed by federal law and properly belong in federal court.

"The energy industry has lawfully operated in Louisiana's coastal area for decades, employing thousands of Louisianans and contributing substantially to the national and local economies," said a statement issued by Chevron, a defendant in many of the suits. "Those operations have occurred under federal supervision according to a federal framework of laws and regulations that protect the environment and allow for responsible use and development of Louisiana's coastal resources."

"When the plaintiffs made the decision to file the expert report attacking federally directed and authorized activities, it became evident the alleged activities were conducted decades before 1980 (previous to Louisiana State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act) governed only by federal regulations," said Chris John, president of the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association late Wednesday (May 30). "So, the decision by industry to request removal to federal court is the right one."

The Louisiana Oil and Gas Association also lauded the decision, saying in a statement, "Every legal option must be utilized as we fight on behalf of the hardworking men and women of the oil and gas industry and for the health of Louisiana's economy."

But John Carmouche, an attorney representing the parishes, said the removal is one of several delaying tactics and followed by four months a decision by a Plaquemines Parish judge dismissing the oil industry's efforts to move one of the cases filed by that parish to a north Louisiana court.

He said 25th Judicial District Court Judge Michael Clement "refused to say a Plaquemines Parish jury could not be fair and impartial," and dismissed their motion.

"It is my opinion that this is a frivolous removal and they should be sanctioned for their activities," Carmouche said.

The "removal" actions include lawsuits filed in Plaquemines, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. John, Vermilion and Cameron parishes. The first five of those suits, considered bellwether cases that would determine how the others would go to trial, had been scheduled for early 2019 court dates.

"Plaintiffs avowed to pursue a narrow regulatory action under state law and steadfastly denied that their permit-enforcement lawsuits had any federal dimension," said a notice of removal filed in one of the cases.

The notice says that in a preliminary expert report filed in one of the Plaquemines cases involving the violations, the expert cited "federally directed and authorized activities, and activities that were subject only to federal regulation."

"They were conducted when Louisiana had not even conceived of its coastal management laws, which were only adopted pursuant to federal statute in the first place," the notice said.

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The report outlined specific problems for each of dozens of wells and drilling operations that occurred in part of Plaquemines Parish, including digging canals, disposal of oilfield wastes in wetlands, and other actions that the report said damaged wetlands.

The notice said the report cited alleged violations dating back to before and during World War II, a period when the federal government was directly involved in ramping up oil and gas production. It compares violations listed in the report to rules put in place during the war by the U.S. Petroleum Administration for War, including:

- The use of earthen pits instead of steel tanks for storing oil products because of the shortage of steel during the war.

- The dredging of canals instead of developing roads to move material and product, when the war rules required "conservation for defense purposes" that would likely prohibit the extra effort on roads.

- The failure to use directional drilling methods, when rules at the time required vertical well drilling.

When state court cases are removed to federal court, individual federal judges are assigned and both parties then submit motions arguing the merits of their cases.

But Carmouche said those arguments are a misreading of both federal and state statutes, and that the lawsuits all deal with the companies' state law violations. He said that under the state law, the violations began when the companies either violated permits issued beginning in 1980, or never applied for permits for actions taken after the state law went into effect.

At that point, the companies would have been required to comply with the state law, including returning property to its original condition, no matter when the actual damage was done.

Carmouche also disagreed with the oil industry interpretation of the World War II laws, saying, for instance, that the directive to avoid using steel was a rule and not the law. And, he said that in the Plaquemines Parish case where the report was filed, the company didn't install a steel tank until 1993, meaning that they were in violation of state law from 1980 until then.

The individual lawsuits have been filed by the various parishes, beginning with 21 filed by Plaquemines and seven by Jefferson in 2013, and were removed to federal courts in each case soon after they were filed. All were returned to state courts, however, after a federal judge ruled in one Plaquemines case that the suits all involved only violations of state laws governing actions in state wetlands and open water areas.

Gov. John Bel Edwards and Attorney General Jeff Landry began intervening in the suits in early 2016, with each saying they wanted to assure that any judgements against the oil companies result in restoration. Edwards has also urged other parishes to file their own suits, but none have done so since the first six parishes.Ticketfly, a ticket distribution company based in San Francisco, has issued a statement on its website that it's been hacked. Ticketfly distributes shows to New Orleans venues including the Civic Theatre, Joy Theater, Republic NOLA, The Metropolitan, Three Keys at the Ace Hotel and more.

The statement says: "Following a series of recent issues with Ticketfly properties, we've determined that Ticketfly has been the target of a cyber incident. Out of an abundance of caution, we have taken all Ticketfly systems temporarily offline as we continue to look into the issue. We are working to bring our systems back online as soon as possible. Please check back later. Thank you."

The company also posted the statement on its social media feeds.

Stay tuned to NOLA.com for more information on this story.Up to 150,000 households who otherwise wouldnt qualify  including some with six-figure salaries  are expected to apply for food stamps as qualifications are relaxed to help in the recovery from Hurricane Ida.Firefighters battled a three-alarm fire late Thursday afternoon (May 31) at the Irish Bayou Truck Stop and Casino on La. 11, according to the New Orleans Fire Department.

As the NOFD fought the blaze, both La. 11 and Interstate 10 East were closed due to heavy smoke and low visibility, city officials said. The interstate reopened about 6:30 p.m.

NOFD was called at 4:54 p.m. and arrived to find the two-story building engulfed in flames. Four customers and two employees were inside but were able to safely escape, a fire department news release said.

There were no hydrants in the area so firefighters had to draw water from a nearby canal. They were able to stop the blaze from reaching the truck stop's fuel pumps, but the building was almost completely destroyed, the release said.

Thick black smoke from the blaze could be seen for miles.

Twenty NOFD units responded to the fire, which was brought under control at 7:18 p.m.

No injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.In a bid to enhance competitiveness of accountancy related programmes, the Uganda business and technical examinations board (UBTEB) and the Institute of certified public accountants of Uganda (ICPAU) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding.

The collaboration will see all content in business/accounting programmes at certificate and diploma levels harmonised to allow a common platform for course exemptions while pursuing certified public accounts (CPA) papers.

UBTEB executive secretary Onesmus Oyesigye (3rd R) shakes hands with ICPAU CEO Derick Nkajja after signing the memorandum of understanding

Speaking at the signing ceremony at UBTEB secretariat in Ntinda, UBTEB executive secretary Onesmus Oyesigye said the MOU will go a long way to give its graduates an added advantage to progress easily from certificate and diploma levels to degree in ICPAUs partner universities.

This MOU wants to specifically ensure that students save on money and time in their quest to become certified public accountants, Oyesigye said. If one completes their diploma in accountancy, they will be exempted from attempting lower level papers at professional level.

At university level, he said, some institutions are still enrolling diploma in accountancy students in year one instead of two, which he finds unfair to students.

The two institutions are now set to conduct a joint curriculum design, research and capacity building programmes to provide BTVET graduates with an avenue for access, progression and continued learning in accountancy and other fields.

On his part, Derick Nkajja, the CEO of ICPAU, said the MOU will ensure that any foundation paper examined by UBTEB can be used as a building block for professional accountancy.

Our aim is to help Ubteb effectively assess certificate and diploma level in line with the requirements of training accountancy. Once we are sure of what they are training and assessing, then we can exempt their products when they come to attempt the professional course, Nkajja said assuring students of proper assessment under the MOU.

Currently, ICPAU has an MOU with Uganda Martyrs University (UMU) that saw the formation of a mainstreamed bachelor of accounting and finance programme where students take less time while training. Now in its third year, he explained that the programme has helped those training as professional accountants to shorten on their training time from seven to now about five years.

Even those who start as account technicians will have their years of study reduced if they desire to be professional accountants under this MOU. We shall help institutions teach exactly what we want them to do under one framework, Nkajja added.

The idea of working in isolation is long gone. We need to work together with trainers and assessors in order to skill people properly.

Ubteb board chairperson Prof Venansius Baryamureeba expressed the boards commitment towards implementing the MOU saying it is a bold step for the business sector.

We want assessment to be coordinated so that when we issue qualifications, they are recognised all over. Since ICPAU is focusing on skills development as Ubteb, this gives us an opportunity that anybody who graduates with a UBTEB certificate is able to do what they are meant to do.

The chairperson of the principals forum for Uganda College of Commerce (UCCs), Dr Stephen Tusiime, welcomed the partnership since ICPAU is recognised internationally and will enable diploma and certificate students in accountancy get employment opportunities.

nangonzi@observer.ugBusinessman Warren Mwesigye was today put on spot by the Commission of Inquiry into Land Matters for allegedly receiving Shs 13 billion from the Land Fund fraudulently.



The Commission chaired by Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, today interfaced with Mwesigye in regard to circumstances surrounding his purchase of land in Kibaale district which he later sold to government and received Shs 13 billion compensation from the Land Fund.

On spot: Warren Mwesigye

Information before the Commission indicates that Mwesigye purchased the 5 square miles in 2015 from different people at Shs 500 million. The Commission's lead counsel Ebert Byenkya asked Mwesigye why he bought land on which people had settled on and later claimed for payment from the Land Fund whose purpose is to partly compensate absentee land lords.



Mwesigye is accused of conniving with city lawyer Richard Buzibira working with Frank Katusiime and Company Advocates to trick the owners of the land to give him powers of attorney to act on their behalf to sell land to Uganda Land Commission.



Evidence before the Commission indicates that Buzibira could later purport to have sold land to Mwesigye citing delay on the government side to pay money.



Byenkya tasked Mwesigye to reveal names of people who benefited from the Shs 13 billion released from the Land Fund. Mwesigye told the Commission that his benefit from the transaction was minimal since there were many creditors to be paid including money lending firm called Legacy Group.



He pleaded with the Commission to let me not to reveal the individual names of his creditors saying that he needs to protect their privacy. The Commission's deputy lead counsel John Bosco Suuza insisted on the names of the proprietors of Legacy Group, Mwesigye then named city money lender Ben Kavuya.



Justice Bamugemereire accused Mwesigye of concealing information. But Mwesigye said that when Uganda Land Commission deposited money on the law firm account, those he owed received their pay in cash immediately indicating that some people carried cash in bags amounting to Shs 500 million.A New York woman who posted some not so favorable online reviews of a Manhattan gynecologist she visited last year has been forced to spend close to $20,000 to defend herself in a $1 million defamation suit filed by the doctor.

When Michelle Levine decided to share her negative experience regarding an annual checkup performed by Dr. Joon Song of New York Robotic Gynecology & Womens Health, she never imagine that she would end up spending tens of thousands of dollars defending herself in court. The woman claims that she was just expressing her opinion about the service she received and trying to help others by sharing her negative experience so they wouldnt go through the same thing. Dr. Songs lawyers have a different view, though  they consider the reviews defamation, and are seeking $1 million from Levine.

Photo: Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons

36-year-old Michelle Levine says she found Dr. Joon Song online and scheduled an appointment with him for an annual checkup, in July 2017. A week later, her insurance company was billed for $1,300 for a new-patient visit and ultrasound, including $427 that wasnt covered by her plan. Levine claims that when she called Songs office to ask why she had been billed for services that she hadnt asked for, like the ultrasound, staff there were immediately aggressive, saying that she had come in complaining of pelvic pain. She insists that she had just visited the gynecologist for an annual checkup.

I was so disgusted, I wrote a review on several sites, including Yelp, ZocDoc and Health Grades, Levine admits.

Very poor and crooked business practice, Levine wrote in one review. I suspect that this doctor gives unnecessary procedure [sic] to a lot of people and then charges the insurance sky high prices and no one knows the difference. Everything about my one and only visit here has caused me emotional distress and panic, and now they want me to cough up an extra $500 for services I didnt even need?

The dissatisfied patient posted the review on sites like Yelp, ZocDoc, Healthgrades and Facebook, and didnt really give her negative experience too much thought after that. However, two weeks later, Levine received an email from the gynecologists lawyers, letting her know that she was being sued for $1 million over false postings and online harassment.



Its been kind of a nightmare, the defendant told CBS2. I just have this doctor thats been suing me for a Yelp review and he wont go away.

I just wrote a review. We live in a country where someone can sue you for anything and the victim is forced to pay for their defense. There is no way out. I have been Joon Songs victim for almost one year, the woman said in an interview with the New York Post.

However, Dr. Joon Songs lawyers dont see it that way. They consider Levines 1-star reviews to be outright lies that can inflict serious damage to a small medical practice or small business.

Your First Amendment right doesnt give you the right to defame someone, Areva Martin, one of Dr. Songs lawyers, told ABC7. Just because you are allowed to and are able to doesnt mean that you should do so without reservations about what you say.



Michelle Levine says that Dr. Joon Song does not want to settle, insisting that he is entitled to $1 million plus legal fees for her defamatory reviews. So far, the woman has already spent close to $20,000 on her legal defense, and recently decided to launch a GoFundMe campaign to hopefully secure some more funds for her ongoing battle.

I want this Go Fund Me to symbolize that people are entitled to their first amendment rights and should not be punished for taking advantage of that right. Exercising your first amendment right should not invalidate a patients right to privacy, Ms. Levine wrote.

So far, she has only been able to raise $1,000 of her $80,000 goal.A couple in Milan, Italy, who had chosen to name their baby daughter Blu, was recently ordered by a court to change the name to something more suitable for a girl or risk having it changed for them.

According to a presidential decree issued in the year 2000, the name given to a child must correspond to their sex and Italian authorities apparently dont consider Blu  the Italian spelling for blue  to be a suitable name for a girl. Despite having already registered the 18-month-old childs name on her birth certificate and passport, the parents were recently summoned to appear in court last week in order to choose another, more feminine name.

Photo: Pixabay

Given that this is a modern name based on the English word blue, and that it cannot be considered unequivocally attributable to a person of the female sex, the birth certificate must be rectified by inserting another female name that the parents may propose during the course of the hearing, the court summons read.

If we dont show up on Thursday with an alternative, a judge will decide our daughters name for us, father Luca told Italian newspaper Il Giorno, last week.

Blus parents plant to challenge the name change in court, arguing that their daughters name is already used as a girls name not just overseas  with Blue Ivy, daughter of Jay Z and Beyonce being a well-known example  but also in Italy. Statistics from the national statistics office Istat show that in 2016 there were at least six other Italian females named Blu. Il Giorno reports that there are at least two women called Verde (green) in Milan alone.

Italian newspaper La Republica managed to contact 41-year-old Blu Lapore, from Rome, who said that her mother managed to convince the registrar to accept her name by arguing that names change with the times. She offered the example of Celeste, which was originally a boys name in Italy but by now is almost exclusively given to girls.

If its any consolation to young Blus parents, they werent the only ones summoned by the court last week. Another couple who had named their daughter Blu was also due to appear in front of a judge and offer an acceptable name.Mercury Public Affairs has a $75K monthly retainer account to represent ZTE Corp, the Chinese smartphone company sanctioned by the Trump Administration for selling gear to Iran.

The Commerce Dept. barred American companies from supplying semiconductors and components to ZTE effective April 14, a move that could shut it down.

President Trump has backtracked on ZTE, suggesting that lifting the ban could be part of a trade deal with China--if ZTE pays a fine of $1.3B. Bloomberg reports that ZTE has lost $3B in business since the US ban.

Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) have criticized Trumps proposal, saying letting ZTE and rival Huawei Technologies operate in the US threatens national security. They fear that China's government could force the telecoms to use their equipment to spy in the US or launch cyberattacks.

Rubio believes a bill barring Chinese telecoms from doing business in the US would receive supermajority backing in Congress.

As subcontractor to Hogan Lovells law firm, Mercury assists ZTE with matters arising out of the decision by the Order Activating Suspended Denial Order, according to its consultancy agreement.

Mercury, which is part of Omnicom, says its work for ZTE may inure to the benefit of the Peoples Republic of China, though it has no direct information concerning any level of government control or funding over ZTE Corp.

Its contract went into effect May 14.Family Of Black Man Killed By Cop Awarded Only $4 By Florida Jury Elijah C. Watson Elijah Watson serves as Okayplayer's News & Culture Editor. When

A Florida jury has awarded the family of a man fatally shot by a police officer four dollars.

READ: Youre Lucky We Brought You Over As Slaves: Florida Official Resigns Amid Racist Accusations

In 2014, Gregory Vaughn Hill was killed inside his own home when Christopher Newman, a St. Lucie County Sheriffs Deputy, was responding to a noise complaint, according to a report from the New York Times.

Hill had reportedly been playing loud, obscene music in his garage while a nearby middle school let out for the day. When officers knocked on his front door, Hill opened the garage door, saw the police, and began closing it again. At that point, Newman fired four shots through the door, with two rounds hitting Hill in the body and one hitting him in the head.

During an investigation that occurred after the shooting, officers found an unloaded gun in Hills back pocket. The 30-year-old was also heavily intoxicated when the shooting occurred.

Almost four years after the incident, a federal jury in Florida awarded Hills family with four dollars. One dollar went to Hills mother for funeral expenses and one dollar went to each of his children for their pain and suffering. The amount was reduced even further to four cents when the sheriffs office was found to be just one percent liable, meaning the department was only responsible for four cents out of the total awarded sum.

The jury argued that Hill was 99 percent liable for his own shooting death because hed been under the influence of alcoholic beverages to the extent that his normal faculties were impaired.

The police office released the following statement after the verdict was made.

I think they were trying to insult the case, John Phillips, the attorney for Hills family, said. Why go there with the $1? That was the hurtful part.

Its heartbreaking, Monique Davis, Hills fiancee, added. There are a lot of questions I want to ask.

Source: New York TimesLearn about Online Member Services (OMS), including how to create an account, on the What is OMS? webpage.

Portland school board members agreed it is not ideal to relocate a program for gifted students to two high-poverty schools but made the choice to do so anyway Wednesday, voting to put Access Academy at Vestal Elementary and Lane Middle School for at least two years.

The board cast its 6-1 vote in front of tearful parents and teachers from all the affected schools, one of whom yelled, "Shame on you!" after the vote.

The special school board meeting, announced in a confusing manner that falsely implied to the public that a vote would not occur, appears to have been the final act in a tense saga that has caused anxiety all school year.

Access Academy must move from its current location at Rose City Park School this summer as part of a plan to give hundreds of students in North and Northeast Portland a more equitable education by opening two new middle schools.

Access serves 300-plus students who are designated as highly gifted and have a need that cannot be met at their neighborhood school. Access parents are also livid about the decision and have filed a lawsuit in an effort to keep their school intact in one location.

The board weighed two options at the Wednesday meeting: a co-location at Woodlawn and Peninsula elementary schools or a co-location at Lane and Vestal. The board ultimately chose the latter.

Board members heard from parents and teachers who managed to figure out the school board was weighing a major change to their school. No one from Lane showed up to speak, a fact other parents pointed out with disgust as indicative of an unfair process.

All parents and teachers who spoke, including those from Access, panned the district for zeroing in on co-locating Access at high-poverty schools that are less empowered to fight back. Principals, parents and teachers at all schools warned that Access would absorb space and resources at their needy school, weaken the desperately needed sense of community, and force children who lack robust resources to watch the Access children benefit from better programming.

"Action based on a false sense of urgency is almost certainly guaranteed to reinforce pre-existing inequities and that is what we see in your plans that impact Woodlawn, Peninsula, Vestal, and Lane," Access parent Martha Ruttle told the board. "Schools where space is available precisely because this school district has failed for years to modify boundaries" to bolster neighborhood enrollments.

School board co-vice chairs Rita Moore and Julie Esparza Brown both stressed that they felt this process had been awful, but said that better options did not exist and that staff had searched and searched for a single site large enough to accommodate all Access students and could not find one.

Board member Paul Anthony was the lone no vote, citing what he said is inadequate space at Lane to accommodate Access' eight middle school classes. He remarked he wished he'd learned of this plan "sooner than yesterday."

Despite the fact that the district has planned to open new middle schools for years, critical decisions, like the location of Access, were left until seemingly the last possible moment.

Last school year, interim Superintendent Bob McKean delayed the middle school opening after acknowledging there was still too much work to do. Yet little work on the effort appeared to happen during his tenure.

At the start of this school year, the plan was to end a one-year lease with KairosPDX charter school and use that building for Access. But that call garnered heavy political pushback from city leaders who felt it was unfair of the district to evict a school that focuses on serving black children in one of Portland's few historically black neighborhoods. That plan was then abandoned.

Next, Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero announced he would split Access across eight sites. That plan also backfired and caused Guerrero to apologize, just weeks into his new job, for not seeking the community's input before presenting that plan.

Still, community engagement would be a sore point throughout the rest of the school year as parents and teachers continued to learn information in haphazard ways and feel unheard.

The district then rolled out a plan to give Access a building used by a program for high-need special education students. The optics of displacing those students in favor of gifted students drew extreme ire, as well as a lawsuit, and that plan was also scrapped after months of protests.

All of this happened over the course of a school year that saw major leadership changes. Deputy Superintendent Yvonne Curtis was hired at the end of 2017 and the chief of staff and head of communications also joined the district around the same time.

"One of the first things I've learned is how complex this district is and how important it is to make sure our messages connect with the questions our community members have," senior director of communications Stephanie Cameron told the board Wednesday. "For a new person with the district this has been very, very informative to me in how we shape our future communications."

 Bethany Barnes

Got a tip about Portland Public Schools? Email Bethany: bbarnes@oregonian.com

NOTE: Due to an editing error, this story was updated on May 30 to reflect that Peninsula became an elementary school in 2016.Before she passed away, a woman in Winlock, Washington, asked her husband to build her a geodesic dome home. He didn't finished before she died and the land was re-acquired by Cheryl and Steve Streitz, who went to great lengths and expense to complete the orphaned dome.

Today, the Streitzs are selling the six-acre property at 884 N Military Road for $668,000.

From the driveway, you'll see new landscaping and then a cluster of structures with the rounded roof of the dome popping up. Open the front door and your eyes rise to the ceiling. Following along, from one triangular section to another, you'll see skylights assembled into a pentagon.

Geodesic domes were popularized in the U.S. by architect R. Buckminster Fuller after WWII, when a middle-class housing crunch had builders scrambling for new ways to produce affordable homes quickly.

Although wood post-and-beam construction won out, domes continue to be made, most often as temporary shelters with fabric propped up by a metal frame.

Detractors says that although permanent geodesic domes use conventional materials, there is more building material waste. The homes have fewer interior wall lengths of usable space and they typically need customized window and doors or modifications to accommodate standard sizes.

Fans of the shell-like structures spout the benefits: They're energy efficient and offer curves and unconventional living.

"It's a true 'wow factor' when you walk-in," says Cheryl Rosso-Streitz of her two-story dome topped by a cupola that offers 360-degree views of farmland and Mount St. Helens

"When you live in a round house with a modern design, you will soon realize that every room has a view and that the view is always changing," she says. "There is a front door and yard, but there is really no backyard."

The Streitzs' dwelling is a half dome with an open floorplan and 3,190 square feet of living space. The ground floor includes the great room, dining area, kitchen, master suite and two bathrooms. Upstairs, there are two bedrooms and another bathroom under 16-foot-tall ceilings.

Large windows, skylights and sliding glass door make the house open and airy.

The galley-style kitchen has granite counters, energy-efficient stainless-steel appliances and custom wood cabinets. Nearby is a breakfast nook and a wet bar with another refrigerator and sink.

Expensive light fixtures and Swarovski crystal doorknobs and pulls are custom. One style of kitchen and bathroom knobs cost $100 each, says Rosso-Streitz.

George Andrews, the construction coordinator who worked on the original design and the upgraded final version, encouraged the Streitzs to add a covered walkway, asphalt and gravel driveways, and cement parking area.

"It all is really functional and looks great," says Rosso-Streitz. "The additions really helped with the exterior to make the dome feature more interesting on the property and now it is more like a compound."

About a third of an acre is devoted to water-saving xeriscape landscaping. A rock yard and planters with low-maintenance plants circle the dome.

The property, which is in Evaline, closer to Napavine than Winlock, also has a three-car garage with a loft that could be an additional apartment.

Rosso-Streitz rented the dome as a vacation getaway through AirBnB last summer and fall.

The reason Airbnb guests were happy, beyond the novelty of the dwelling, she says, is the property is centrally located to Seattle and Portland, as well as Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Mount Rainier National Park.

-- Janet Eastman



jeastman@oregonian.com

503-799-8739

@janeteastman



Updated at 6:43 p.m.

Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency Thursday for Marion and Polk counties, opening the door for national guard troops to truck in fresh water for residents grappling with the discovery of low-level toxins in Salem's tap water.

Though officials say the water is safe to drink for most people, the governor's declaration allows the Oregon National Guard to open 10 water stations in the affected areas. The troops will deliver the clean drinking water in 2,000-gallon tankers called "hippos."

The water advisory, issued Tuesday, came after small amounts of cyanotoxins were found in the Detroit Reservoir. The advisory will stand through at least Saturday, because the city must receive two clean water samples before it can be lifted.

The water doesn't pose a risk for healthy adults, but officials recommend that it be kept from children younger than 6; the elderly; people with compromised immune systems; nursing and pregnant women; and pets.

Dr. Richard Leman, Oregon Health Authority's chief medical officer, said the water's fine to wash dishes, water plants and other activities.

The toxins are caused by blue-green algae blooms, which have been turning up in water sources throughout the Pacific Northwest with increasing regularity. Such blooms are more pronounced in the Midwest, which is why Salem's water quality officials have been rush-ordering their water samples to an Ohio laboratory for testing.

Lacey Goeres-Priest, a water quality supervisor, said officials first detected something amiss in the water supply on Saturday. The city stepped up monitoring of the reservoir and its source, North Santiam Water. It also began running tests during the treatment process.

The algae is usually just an inconvenience, Goeres-Priest said, because of its ability to clog pipes and create taste and odor issues. Treatment staff are trying ways to bring the cyanotoxin levels down. They have added water from groundwater reservoirs and are considering reverse osmosis to more aggressively treat the water system.

The city uses a rare filtration system for the U.S. because Detroit Lake has been a reliably clean water source. The city has a European-style slow sand filtration system, where water is passed slowly through a fine layer of sand, which relies on natural processes to remove bacteria.

"We take our water quality very seriously," City Manager Steve Powers said during a Thursday news conference. "We test daily. We test for this toxin when it's not required we test for it."

Public Works Director Peter Fernandez said that it is an excellent and inexpensive way to treat water. But, if problems with algae continue, he could consult city councilors and the city manager about backup options.

Fernandez said the city could expand its groundwater stores, build connections with agencies that provide reverse osmosis treatment and improve the city's ability to test for cyanotoxins on-site.

Salem officials have not been clear about why they waited four days to issue a public health notice about the water. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency suggests a 10-day window between detection to public notice so that water authorities can hone their treatment system. That 10-day period is supposed to be the timeframe when symptoms might start showing up.

The two types of cyanotoxins found in Salem's water can cause kidney or liver injury if someone already has a condition. For other vulnerable people, it could cause vomiting, diarrhea or nausea.

County officials said they don't know if anyone has been made sick from the water.

The advisory applies only to Salem, Turner and customers of the Suburban East Salem Water District and Orchard Heights Water Association. Stayton is also following Salem's advisory. Other places that draw water from the North Santiam are not affected, including Gates and Jefferson.

Marion County has partnered with private home health care providers and residential care facilities to distribute water to elderly or sick people who can't travel to a water distribution site. Nonprofits Oregon Food Bank and Marion-Polk Food Share have helped supply 18 pallets of water.

The Salem-Keizer School District is providing bottled water for students from preschool to first grade, medically fragile students, teen parents and staff members who are pregnant or nursing.

The Oregon State Penitentiary is providing bottled water to inmates who have liver or kidney issues, while the rest are still supposed to drink tap water. If they complain of feeling sick, they will be evaluated by the prison's medical staff, said spokeswoman Tonya Gushard.

Meanwhile, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said her office has received several price-gouging complaints about bottled water sellers in the past two days. Under Oregon law, sellers are barred from raising prices more than 15 percent above what they would have charged before the emergency declaration.

Andrew Phelps, director of the Oregon Office of Emergency Management, warned retailers to sell their water for reasonable prices.

"If you're a retailer selling water, knock it off," Phelps said.

He also said the runs on bottled water illustrate how ill-prepared Oregonians are for any kind of emergency. Residents are advised to have a 14-day stock of potable water at all times.

"As best you can, prepare for whatever bad day lies ahead," Phelps said.

-- Molly Harbarger

mharbarger@oregonian.com

-- Corlyn Vorhees

cvorhees@oregonian.comA water advisory was extended Friday for those most likely to be sickened by Salem's tap water.

The list of water distribution sites is available here.

The advisory was first issued Tuesday evening, after city officials found low levels of toxins caused by algae blooms in Detroit Reservoir. The public lake, which is fed by the Santiam River, is the source of the city's drinking water.

The affected areas include Salem, Turner and customers of the Suburban East Salem Water District and Orchard Heights Water Association. Keizer residents are not affected, though some received an false alert.

Most residents are fine to drink the water. But experts advise against it for children younger than 6; the elderly; people on dialysis or with compromised immune systems; nursing mothers; pregnant women and pets.

Gov. Kate Brown issued an emergency declaration Thursday that allows her to deploy National Guard troops to set up 10 free drinking stations in Marion and Polk counties.

Meanwhile, Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said her office has received several price-gouging complaints in the last two days. Under Oregon law, retailers are barred from raising prices more than 15 percent beyond the sticker cost before the emergency declaration.

She encouraged anyone who thinks they have experienced price gouging to file a complaint on the consumer complaints website or call the state's consumer hotline at 877-877-9392.

The city is testing water every day, said Lacey Goeres-Priest, Salem's water quality supervisor. Officials are monitoring each phase of the water treatment system, she said, including the reservoir, the upstream sources and tap water.

So, here's what you need to know:

Question: Why is it OK for adults to drink it but not kids?

Answer: The amount of cyanotoxins in the water is just high enough to issue a public alert, but not high enough that it will hurt most people.

Children and people whose livers aren't in great condition are more sensitive to small amounts of the toxin. Pets are the most at risk, said Marion County Public Health Officer Marion Landers.

Q: Why did the city wait so long to tell residents?

A: Some residents are upset that city officials knew that cyanotoxin levels were high before the alert was issued on Tuesday. Officials learned there was something amiss on Saturday.

They continued to test and adjust how they treated the water in the meantime while sending samples out for testing.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency allows water authorities up to 10 days to notify the public. In this case, emergency management and water quality leaders decided to do the notification before that.

Greg Walsh, Salem's emergency manager, said an alert was issued as soon as they had all the relevant information.

Q: What are the schools doing?

A: Lillian Govus, director of communications for the Salem-Keizer School District, said the district has distributed 30,000 bottles of water to preschool through third grade students.

The district also identified medically fragile students in all grades and handed out 700 bottles of water to them. Teen parents and nursing or pregnant staff members also have access to bottled water.

Going forward, the district will rely on bottled water for preschool through first grade students and any other students with compromised immune systems.

The cafeterias also switched to bottled water for cooking or making dishes that don't require water.

Nestle, the food and beverage giant, offered 70,000 bottles of water to the district, Govus said. She said district leaders have reached out to other bottled water companies in the event the advisory lasts the remaining 10 days of school.

Q: Tell me about this algae bloom. Should I be worried about that?

A: This is the first algae bloom in Detroit Lake that has caused a public health issue. Goeres-Priest said that blooms have become more common in the past eight or nine years.

Usually, the blooms' potential to clog pipes is the biggest worry. But, as climate change continues to raise the temperature in bodies of water, the likelihood of more dangerous algae blooms increases.

Q: Is Salem prepared for that?

A: Other than monitoring the source water aggressively, not really. However, Walsh said, the city is considering bringing in reverse osmosis facilities for emergencies.

Peter Fernandez, public works director, assigned the head of Salem's water laboratory to figure out how much it would cost to expand its testing capabilities. Right now, the city contracts with a firm in Ohio and rush orders the samples because no one on the West Coast tests for this kind of algae. It is much more common in the Midwest.

However, if the training and equipment needed to test in-house is less than $10,000, Fernandez said he would authorize the costs. If it's more, that would likely be discussed by the City Council and city manager.

Q: Where can I get bottled water?

A: Many stores are having trouble keeping bottled water on the shelves. But most grocery stores have ordered more.

Q: What about well water?

A: Well water is safe unless you know about an issue with your own well.

Q: Can I treat my tap water at home?

A: No. Boiling your water will not get rid of the toxins, and could in fact increase the number of them. Once the city lifts its advisory, you could run your tap water for a few minutes to flush out your pipes as an added precaution.

Q: When will this advisory lift?

A: Unclear at this point. The city plans to test dailyand will notify the public if the situation worsens or clears up.

-- Molly Harbarger

mharbarger@oregonian.com

503-294-5923

@MollyHarbargerFrankie Simone never meant to wind up in Portland. But when she spent a few days in the city with her wife back in 2014, they couldn't bring themselves to leave.

"We went out every single night to see music and to see the community," she said. "We were looking for a new city to grow in and we just fell in love with it."

Simone started working with Mississippi Studios soon after the move, coordinating details between the venue and visiting artists. She made her own beats and experimented with a loop pedal on the side, continuing the work that brought her to Portland in the first place.

And on Thursday, years of Simone immersing herself in music and creating her own culminate in a release party for her debut EP at Holocene.

"Love//Warrior" is a five-song collection of queer anthems that celebrates the love she shares with her wife, Che Che Luna.

The first single, "War Paint," dropped with a video choreographed entirely by Luna.

The second track Simone released, "Blow My Mind," put the two front and center -- winding around the couple as the pop star sings to her wife at the base of a mountain and through empty streets.

"I think with 'War Paint,' that totally just made sense and it was incredible to work with her. And with 'Blow My Mind,' I really wanted to celebrate her," Simone said. "'Love Warrior' and 'War Paint' are such fire, such fighter songs. I was really excited to breathe that fresh air, to get to the eye of the storm."

Simone found the eye of the storm, in part, because of the time she and Luna spent in Portland and the support they found in the queer community here.

"It's not that I've never had that anywhere. But here it's the most potent, the most palpable," she said. "People are really motivated. There's a lot of collaboration happening. There's life here."

Simone has drawn further inspiration from artists like Kehlani, Hayley Kiyoko and Lizzo, all of whom have made names for themselves by embracing every aspect of their identities.

Kiyoko and Kehlani center much of their music around their queerness while Lizzo, who goes by @lizzobeeating on Instagram, preaches inclusivity and in an April 15 post branded herself "Fat Fitness Barbie."

"I feel like all these badass women are really stepping up and saying, 'Not only am I queer, not only am I bi,'" Simone said.

Still, the Puerto Rican Portlander by way of California says the life she shares with Luna is her ultimate muse. After all, the two landed in Portland as they toured the U.S. and Canada in support of a choreographed performance they put together four years ago.

Simone admits being apprehensive about the collaboration at first.

"What if we butt heads? What if we disagree?" she said.

But in the end, they had a very "yin and yang thing" that led the two to Portland.

"It's been the most beautiful thing. We've grown a lot with each other -- the music and dance really complement each other," Simone said.

And as she gears up to officially drop "Love//Warrior" with another performance choreographed by Luna, Simone is anything but apprehensive.

"Our show is totally fiery, fierce and empowering," she said. "People are ready to change the 'f--ing world.' And I want to create that community through my music."

If you go: Frankie Simone is performing at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 31, at Holocene, 1001 S.E. Morrison St. 21+. Tickets: $12. holocene.org.

The online ticketing portal is down because of the Ticketfly breach, but tickets are also sold at the door.

--Eder Campuzano | 503.221.4344

ecampuzano@oregonian.comBy Evelyn Milagros Rodriguez

(THE CONVERSATION) Leer en espanol.

I've always been fascinated by storms, particularly Puerto Rico's own history of them. I think it's because I was born in September 1960 during Hurricane Donna. In its wake, that storm left more than 100 dead in Humacao, the city where I am now a special collections librarian at the University of Puerto Rico.

In 1990, Israel Matos, the National Weather Service Forecast Officer in San Juan, told me that, "The tropics are unpredictable." That comment only increased my interest in storms. Now, with the people of Puerto Rico still reeling from Hurricane Maria more than a month after it hit the island, his words seem prescient.

Today I have - if not the honor, then the duty - to describe, firsthand, what it is to live through the aftermath of the worst storm of this brutal hurricane season.

Academic crisis

Since the storm I haven't been able to go to work at the library on the Humacao campus. At 88,000 square feet and three stories, the biblioteca is the biggest building on campus, and it's among the worst damaged by Maria.

It's mold-infested and the roof is leaking, so there's a lot of work to be done in both repairs and cleaning before students can use it. The mold has gotten into our collection - from books and papers to magazines - and most of the furniture and computers will have to be replaced.

According to the general damage report for the University of Puerto Rico, the infrastructure in all 11 campuses of the university system suffered severe losses.

The Humacao campus, located on the island's eastern side, was the hardest hit, with damages calculated at more than US$35 million. Classes will start again on Oct. 31.

Students at the Rio Piedras campus, which has been partially closed since Hurricane Irma skirted Puerto Rico on Sept. 6, have had only a week of class so far this year.

Five weeks after Hurricane Maria, all the campuses have now reissued their academic calendars and classes are resuming, though in some places the first semester will run through January to make up for lost time.

A culture of catastrophe

Starting on Sept. 20, 2017, Hurricane Maria swamped Puerto Rico with 20 inches of rain and battered it with 150 mph winds for over 30 hours.

The resulting humanitarian crisis has been widely reported worldwide: 80 percent of the island is still without electricity and there is not enough drinking water.

Communications -- radio, television, telephones and internet -- are now recovering slowly, after weeks of near nonexistence. Having said that, it took me more than two weeks just to write this article, between finding somewhere to charge my laptop and locating an internet connection strong enough to research the data and send a file by email. Eventually I discovered a Starbucks near my house with both electricity and Wi-Fi. Nothing is easy.

What outsiders are unable to see, perhaps, is that an entire culture has arisen around the catastrophe caused by Hurricane Maria -- one with typically catastrophic traits: material scarcity, emotional trauma, economic catastrophe, environmental devastation.

Puerto Ricans are now facing a dramatically different way of life, which means our relatives and friends in the diaspora are, too.

Nothing about life resembles anything close to normal. An estimated 100,000 homes and buildings were demolished in the storm, and 90 percent of the island's infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. Not only are there shortages of water and electricity but also of food, highways, bridges, security forces and medical facilities.

It's unsafe to venture outside at night. An island-wide curfew was lifted last week, but without streetlights, stoplights or police, driving and walking are dangerous after dark.

The official tally of missing people varies, with police tallies ranging from 60 to 80 right now. Considering Puerto Rico's hazardous conditions and limited health care services, that number is sure to rise. We are well aware that epidemic diseases, including leptospirosis and cholera, could come next. Health concerns are further stoked by the delays and disarray of the various federal agencies tasked with handling this emergency.

A deep uncertainty looms over our futures. There is post-traumatic stress involved in surviving in an overwhelming situation like this, so as a people we're now waking up to that psychological pain, too.

The outlook from here

In short, Hurricane Maria has changed the modern history of Puerto Rico. For those who, like me, are curious about such things, the last storm of this caliber was San Felipe II, in 1928.

Known in the U.S. as the Great Okeechobee Hurricane, that massive storm was so destructive that it basically plunged Puerto Rico and Florida into the Great Depression a year before the rest of the country.

In some ways, though, Puerto Ricans are well prepared for these challenges, for the history of the island is one of uncertainty and trouble.

Puerto Rico has never had a sovereign government. Instead, it has always been bound to some other larger and more powerful state. First it was Spain, which colonized our territory in 1508.

Then, since the 1898 invasion, it's been the United States, a country with which Puerto Rico enjoys a tricky political relationship. That's very clear right now, as the Trump administration wavers in coming to our aid.

Mired in uncertainty

Even before the hurricane arrived, Puerto Rico was facing uncertainty around another major challenge: bankruptcy. Considering lost pensions, jobs and savings, the real financial costs surely exceed by billions the official sum of $123 billion in unpaid government debt.

Hurricane Maria has deepened this economic crisis, creating a ripple effect that touches everyone across all levels of society.

Everyone is mired in uncertainty. What is the solution to this cascading set of problems? How long will recovery take? What could actually make life better for us? What will we miss? Will anything ever be the same?

Among all this concern and confusion, though, some things have become clearer since the storm. On this once-green island, the hurricane blew down and shredded thousands and thousands of trees.

The sky is more visible now. Houses once hidden are exposed, and we discern entire communities that that we rarely saw before.

There's graffiti popping up across the island, written by someone identified as "JC," who reminds Puerto Ricans, as a kind of consolation, that "Behind the trees live a lot of people."

Just as new environments are created in areas opened up by the hurricane, with trees and plants sprouting afresh, over time we'll find that our current uncertainties also fade and transform. A brand new way of life is emerging among all Puerto Ricans - those who stayed, those who left, their relatives and their friends.

-- Evelyn Milagros Rodriguez, University of Puerto Rico - Humacao

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)A fire tore through a used car lot Wednesday night in Longview, destroying buildings, automobiles and even a boat, authorities said.

The blaze at Triangle Motors erupted just after 10:30 p.m., Longview Police & Fire said.

Firefighters rushed to the Washington Way business and battled the inferno for more than 90 minutes, officials said.

The fire destroyed the lot's two buildings, 10 used cars and a boat, authorities said.

There were no reported injuries, though a nearby Domino's Pizza was forced to evacuate, officials said.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh

skavanaugh@oregonian.com

503-294-7632 II @shanedkavanaughAn Idaho teenager armed with a machete was arrested Wednesday in eastern Oregon after fleeing troopers by driving his 1997 Toyota Camry at speeds of over 110 mph and eventually plunging off the highway, police say.

The Oregon State Police said the 17-year-old Boise boy was arrested on suspicion of reckless driving and eluding authorities.

The agency said the teen was going west on Interstate 84 in the La Grande area when they tried to stop him for speeding. But he kept driving recklessly, the agency said, and topped 110 mph.

Troopers stopped chasing the teen because of safety concerns, they said, but another trooper picked up the pursuit when the teen kept driving recklessly.

The teen crashed a mile later and got out of the Camry while wielding a machete, troopers said. He fled on foot after a short standoff, troopers said, but they talked him into dropping the machete.

The Camry became fully engulfed in flames after the crash, troopers said.

 Jim RyanA Woodburn restaurant worker told police she recruited a homeless man from Portland to help fake an armed robbery last week and scare a female coworker so the colleague's husband wouldn't let her open the business in the mornings by herself, court documents say.

Chanh Boi Tran told Woodburn police that she didn't think it was fair to her friend Chung Liu Huang to work more than her husband and thought it was possibly dangerous for her to open Gina's Restaurant alone, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Tran said she never intended for anyone to get hurt but was inadvertently cut twice with a knife by Conan Dehut, the alleged accomplice, when he was waiving it around during the May 24 staged heist, the court papers said.

Tran, 47, explained to investigators that she found Dehut, 36, in Portland a day earlier, told him to go to the restaurant when Huang was opening, wrap his arm around her neck, hold a knife to her throat, drag her to the back of the business, pull at her clothes and put his hand over her mouth, the affidavit said.

Tran said she instructed Dehut that his signal to leave would be when she joined the fray and moved his hand holding the knife away from Huang's throat, the affidavit said. Tran would then offer Dehut money, he'd take it and leave.

At some point, Dehut was supposed to kick Tran twice to make Huang further believe the attack was real.

According to police, Tran bought Dehut a phone, offered him money to participate in the plot and they practiced what was supposed to happen the day before the robbery.

Video surveillance showed Tran dropping Dehut off behind the restaurant more than an hour before the robbery began, police said.

Dehut told police that Tran told him that she and Huang were sisters, that they had a sick mother and she wanted Dehut to scare Huang away from working at the restaurant and so she could aid their ailing parent, the affidavit said.

He reiterated that Tran instructed him to drag Huang to the back of the restaurant in the morning, but he said he never planned to hold a knife to her throat, the affidavit said. Dehut claimed Tran told him to tell Huang to take off her clothes.

At some point, while Dehut and Huang were at the restaurant door, Dehut claimed Tran appeared, pushed Huang inside and feigned struggling to keep him out, the affidavit said. He said Tran kept "giving him stern looks implying that he needed to do his part," the affidavit said.

He got into the restaurant, demanded money, kicked Tran as she instructed and took cash after Tran placed it on the floor. He denied cutting her with a knife. Police said she had a serious cut on her arm.

Police released an advisory the day after the robbery seeking the alleged assailant. The same day, police did a follow-up interview with Tran and she told them she'd "tell the truth," the affidavit said. She helped officers find Dehut later that day near Southeast 82nd Avenue and Johnson Creek Boulevard in Portland, police said.

Tran and Dehut remain held at the Marion County Jail. Both are accused of solicitation to commit second-degree kidnapping, unlawful use of a weapon and menacing.

-- Everton Bailey Jr.

ebailey@oregonian.com

503-221-8343; @EvertonBaileyBEND  Human remains discovered last week in central Oregon are those of Sara Gomez, a Bend woman missing since February, the Oregon State Medical Examiner determined Wednesday.

Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel said the cause and manner of death are still under investigation, but authorities believe the 24-year-old woman was killed by her ex-boyfriend, Bryan Penner.

"In the final months of her life she found peace as she had finally broken free of the abusive relationship she was in with Bryan Penner," Hummel said in a statement. "Unfortunately, Penner did not accept this. Penner killed Sara because if he could not have her no one would."

Penner, 31, was arrested two days after Gomez vanished, charged with violating a restraining order she had taken out against him. He hanged himself in the jailhouse showers March 11 and was never charged in connection with the disappearance.

Penner's suicide sparked worries that the woman's body might never be found. But a hiker discovered the body wrapped inside a tarp Friday about 20 miles east of Bend.

Hummel said evidence indicates the remains had been in the same place for months.

The Bulletin newspaper reported that some in Bend, including relatives of Gomez, believe an accomplice helped Penner. The rumors have been fueled in part by several of Gomez's personal items being found on other people following her disappearance.

But Hummel and Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson said the evidence suggests Penner acted alone. Authorities believe he killed Gomez in his apartment, and then took her bound body to a location off U.S. Highway 20.

-- The Associated PressRandy L. Rasmussen | The Oregonian/OreognLive

By Hillary Borrud

The Oregonian/OregonLive

Oregons candidates for governor will soon square off in a series of debates, giving voters an opportunity to compare their positions and plans for the state.

But first, Democrat Kate Brown and Republican Knute Buehler must resolve a debate over the debates  specifically, how many they should hold and in which areas of the state.

On Wednesday, Buehler reiterated his call for the incumbent governor to participate in 10 debates or other joint public appearances around the state. Brown has previously called for three public debates and as many joint appearances with independent media outlets as possible, according to her campaign website.

Voters deserve to hear directly from us where we stand on the issues, Brown said last month in a statement posted to her campaign website.

Don't Edit

Randy L. Rasmussen

Rep. Knute Buehler speaks at his election night party on May 15.

Buehler, a doctor and state representative from Bend, said candidates should make themselves available to answer questions.

I would like Oregonians, regardless of who they are, where they live, or how they vote, as well as impartial journalists, to have the opportunity to ask us questions, Buehler said in a letter Wednesday to Brown.

Rebecca Tweed, a spokeswoman for Buehlers campaign, said holding two debates in each of Oregons congressional districts would allow a diverse and fair cross section of Oregonians to hear from the candidates.

Don't Edit

Beth Nakamura | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Gov. Kate Brown and Republican challenger Bud Pierce appeared for their second of several scheduled debates in 2016, at the City Club of Portland.

Jim Moore, director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Pacific University, said three or four debates has long been the norm for Oregon gubernatorial campaigns. There are usually televised debates in Portland, Eugene, Medford and sometimes Bend, Moore said.

Those television markets hit the entire state, Moore said. The challenger always wants more because by appearing with the governor, the challenger looks gubernatorial.

In contrast, Moore said, incumbents are focused on controlling their message.

Don't Edit

Brent Drinkut | Statesman-Journal/AP

A group called Raging Grannies of Oregon sings songs to protest the Jordan Cove liquefied natural gas export facility in the Oregon Capitol in this 2015 file photo. Republican gubernatorial candidate Knute Buehler favors the project, and Democratic Gov. Kate Brown has resisted pressure to take a position on it.

Buehler's interest in public debates is a change from the Republican primary, when he was criticized for skipping debates attended by other candidates. His campaign said he was simply booked up, but missing the forums also allowed the moderate Republican to avoid being forced to state his positions on specific hot-button policies that could come back to haunt him during the general election.

Buehler describes himself as pro-choice on abortion and has voted for at least one gun control law and against two others. Still, in Buehlers quest to become Oregons first Republican governor since Vic Atiyeh in 1987, hes had to do a delicate dance to make it through the Republican primary without appearing too conservative to appeal to unaffiliated voters, Independents and moderate Democrats in November.

Brown did not participate in any debates leading up to the Democratic primary, in which her two challengers did not report raising any money for their campaigns. Candidate Candace Neville ran against Brown, in part, to press the governor to take a position on the Jordan Cove natural gas pipeline and export project in southern Oregon, which Neville opposes. Brown has declined to take a public position on the project, despite months of pressure from opponents and her willingness to weigh in on another coastal energy issue, offshore drilling. Unlike with offshore drilling, Oregon has a major role in determining if the Jordan Cove project proceeds. She did accept a $150,000 contribution from a political action committee tied to a building trades union that supports the project.

Don't Edit

Randy L. Rasmussen | The Oregonian/OregonLive.com

When asked directly why Brown would not agree to 10 debates or other joint appearances, campaign spokesman Christian Gaston would only say that Buehlers letter did not amount to a formal debate proposal.

Buehler did propose a kick-off to the series: the July 20 Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association conference in Central Oregon. Its not on Browns list of proposed debates, and she skipped the forum in 2016. Her Republican opponent that year, Bud Pierce, did attend.

In 2014, incumbent Democrat John Kitzhaber and Republican challenger Dennis Richardson both attended the newspaper publisher's event. In 2010, it was Republican Chris Dudley who skipped the traditional first debate of the governor's race while Kitzhaber attended.

-- Hillary Borrud

hborrud@oregonian.com

503-294-4034; @hborrud

Don't EditA 25-year-old homeless man accused of stabbing a Northeast Portland resident 17 times for telling him not to camp near his house has not been behaving rationally, a defense attorney told a judge Wednesday.

The lawyer, Kathleen Dunn, worried that Todd William Schneider might say something to damage his case during his arraignment and tried unsuccessfully to convince the judge to bar the media from the hearing.

Dunn argued that allowing reporters to record the hearing and be in the courtroom only serves to humiliate and embarrass Mr. Schneider ... and doesnt serve any legitimate (goal) of the First Amendment and freedom of the press.

Schneider's mother, who sat in the courtroom gallery, is concerned that her son has shown signs of paranoia for the past six months, Dunn said.

Judge Marilyn Litzenberger ultimately rejected Dunn's request, and expressed her own concern over Schneider's insistence that he represent himself. Schneider said he doesn't want a publicly funded defense attorney, including Dunn, who was temporarily assigned to him for the hearing.

Schneider is accused of stabbing Kasey S. Lebechuck, 65, on Sunday as Schneider began to set up camp in a field near Northeast 122nd Avenue and Siskiyou Street.

According to a probable cause affidavit, Schneider responded by saying he needed to grab his cellphone from his duffel bag. Instead, Schneider grabbed a knife and started stabbing, first in Lebechucks forehead between the eyes, according to the affidavit.

Lebechuck told police he thought the knife must have slid into one of his eyes because he could no longer see out of it. Schneider also stabbed Lebechuck in the head, neck, arms and torso, puncturing Lebechuck's lung and slicing all the way through his cheek, the affidavit said.

Police found Lebechuck lying in the doorway of a nearby home with blood covering him "from head to toe," the affidavit said.

Lebechuck was rushed to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. He was listed in fair condition Wednesday.

Schneider pleaded not guilty to attempted murder, first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon. If convicted, he faces at least 7  years in prison under Oregon's Measure 11 law.

The judge told Schneider he'd be at an "extreme disadvantage" in representing himself.

Todd Schneider, 25, appears in Multnomah County Circuit Court 11 Gallery: Todd Schneider, 25, appears in Multnomah County Circuit Court

Schneider said he doesnt want a lawyer because he doesnt trust the government -- and public defenders are paid with government dollars. His distrust of the government is long standing, he said.

The government is controlling my mind via remote ...monitoring technology," Schneider said. "They are controlling my sleep patterns and my mood illegally without my consent ...for the entirety of my life.

The judge acknowledged that Schneider has a right to represent himself. But she said he might not be fully capable and will be at an "extreme disadvantage" without a lawyer.

Over Schneiders objections, Litzenberger assigned him a defense attorney, Michael Rees, with Multnomah Public Defender Services Inc.

Schneider will remain in jail in lieu of $505,000 bail. He said he cant afford to post bail and asked the judge to reduce the amount. Litzenberger said that could be taken up at a future hearing.

-- Aimee GreenMatthew Price, part-owner and operator of Portland and Eugene medical marijuana dispensaries called Cannabliss, pleaded guilty Thursday to four counts of willfully failing to file income tax returns, a misdemeanor.

Price, 32, admitted in U.S. District Court in Portland that he didn't file individual tax returns from 2011 through 2014 for income received from the operation of the dispensaries. Prosecutors say the offense resulted in a tax loss of nearly $263,000.

In 2011, 2012 and until August 2013, Price partly owned and operated a legal marijuana farmers' market under the name Cannabliss in the Portland metropolitan area, according to prosecutors. After August 2013, he and his partner closed the market and opened a legal marijuana dispensary at the same location under the same name. In 2014, they opened two additional locations, one in Portland and one in Eugene, a criminal information says.

Price will remain out of custody until sentencing, set for 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 17 before U.S. District Judge Michael W. Mosman.

The government will seek a sentence of one year and one day, which would allow Price to earn credit for good time and likely face less than a year behind bars, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Uram.

Price's lawyer Whitney Boise said he'll argue for a probationary sentence.

As part of the plea deal, Price has agreed to pay the tax loss, $262,776, to the Internal Revenue Service as his restitution.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonianPortland police shouldn't detain groups of people or make mass arrests without a compelling government interest to protect life or property and a written policy guiding their actions, a police oversight office says in a new report released Thursday.

Officers had neither legal justification nor any policies to support their decision last June 4 to kettle -- encircle and stop -- nearly 400 counter-protesters during a Patriot Prayer rally in downtown, Independent Police Review officials said.

The report follows 27 separate citizen complaints, many that criticized the police tactics that swept up innocent bystanders.

It also comes as a federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon and others is pending against the city, the mayor and police, accusing them of violating free speech rights by unlawfully corralling hundreds of protesters without probable cause.

During the June 4 rally and counter-protests, police detained and photographed 389 people and demanded to see and photograph their identification without any intelligence-gathering purpose or plan on how police would use, share or retain the photos, the report found.

Though then-Police Chief Mike Marshman said the bureau would purge photos if people weren't part of a criminal investigation, it still has the photos and pictures of IDs, the review office investigators found.

The reviewers also recommended that police not detain legal observers and the media, who got caught up in the crowd held nearly a year ago.

Police also should retain audio recordings of officers' discussions on encrypted radio channels during responses to large demonstrations or protests, the oversight staff noted. Those recordings now aren't preserved.

"As a result, Police Bureau managers and other reviewers are deprived of a critical contemporaneous record,'' the report said. Other police agencies keep all radio transmissions of crowd control events, investigators said.

In a written response, the Police Bureau agreed that mass detentions should come only in a "extraordinary circumstances'' and at the direction of an incident commander.

The bureau is writing guidelines for mass detentions and expects to have a draft for public review by July. Police must have probable cause to arrest each individual in mass arrests, the bureau said. Police also will consult with the city attorney's office to develop guidelines on what to do with photos taken of people detained but not arrested.

The bureau, however, doesn't believe it should keep the encrypted radio talk for review. The "sensitive discussions," which include observations of criminal behavior and tactics, "would be detrimental to the safety of both officers and the public,'' the bureau said.

The ACLU and five plaintiffs successfully sought a judge's order to allow their case in federal court to become a class-action, noting that police held hundreds of people, including peaceful protesters, bystanders and media, on Southwest Fourth Avenue, between Morrison and Alder streets, for almost an hour.

People in the group were allowed to leave only after police photographed them and their ID, an unlawful detention without reasonable suspicion, wrote attorney Steven Wilker, one of the attorneys for the ACLU of Oregon. U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Papak granted the class action classification Thursday.

City attorneys said they don't object to the class action. In court documents, police acknowledge they corralled a throng of marchers, took their photos and demanded their IDs, but say they moved in only after people ignored repeated announcements by officers to leave or because they needed to investigate disorderly conduct.

-- Maxine Bernstein

mbernstein@oregonian.com

503-221-8212

@maxoregonianPortland's vintage Roseway Theatre has been screening films to popcorn-munching moviegoers since 1924. But attorneys for the city say in a newly filed lawsuit that the movie house and its owner, Greg Wood, haven't paid local business taxes for seven years and owe more than $21,000.

The suit, filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court last week, comes as City Hall officials are grappling with increasing numbers of scofflaw businesses, who by the thousand have failed to pay their local business taxes. City tax officials estimate more than $9 million will go uncollected from local businesses this year -- money that otherwise would have gone into the city fund that pays mostly for police, fire and parks operations. In response, Mayor Ted Wheeler and the City Council budgeted for more tax collectors.

Attorneys for the city file tax lawsuits against businesses only as a last-ditch effort to recoup money from companies that repeatedly fail to pay. In the case of Wood and the Roseway Theatre, the company's local tax bill was only $1,200 to $2,000 a year, according to court filings. But penalties and interest stacked up as the bills went unpaid, bringing the total due to the city and Multnomah County to $21,895, the lawsuit says.

Wood, who oversaw a painstaking restoration of the old theater to its Roaring Twenties condition, could not be reached for comment Thursday. Business registration records show he dissolved Roseway Theatre LLC in in 2017. But in April he founded Roseway Cinemas LLC at the Northeast Sandy Boulevard address where the cinema sits.

-- Gordon R. Friedman

503-221-8209ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has agreed to a $210 million settlement with 450 victims of clergy sexual abuse as part of its plan for bankruptcy reorganization, making it the second-largest U.S. payout in the scandal that rocked the nation's Roman Catholic Church.

Victims' attorney Jeff Anderson said the settlement was reached with the victims and the archdiocese and includes accountability measures. The money, a total of $210,290,724, will go into a pot to pay survivors, with the amount for each survivor to be determined.

Anderson said a formal reorganization plan will now be submitted to a bankruptcy judge for approval, and then it will be sent to the victims for a vote. Anderson expected they will readily approve it.

"We changed the playing field," said Jim Keenan, who was sexually abused as a child by a Twin Cities-area priest. "They have to listen to victims now, and that is huge."

Another victim of clergy sex abuse, Marie Mielke, urged fellow survivors to have the courage to stand up.

"Power and healing is just as true as the evil that's out there," she said. "So get up and grab it."

Archbishop Bernard Hebda said he was grateful to victims who came forward.

"I recognize that the abuse stole so much from you, your childhood, your innocence, your safety, your ability to trust, and in many cases, your faith," he said, adding that he hopes the settlement brings closure to those who were harmed. "We've been working with them very carefully to try to formulate this in a way that benefits them to the maximum."

According to the website BishopAccountability.org, which tracks clergy sex abuse cases, this is the largest total payout among the Roman Catholic archdioceses and dioceses that have filed for bankruptcy protection. But the largest total payout of any kind came in 2007, when the Archdiocese of Los Angeles settled clergy sex abuse cases with 508 victims for $660 million.

(The Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon filed for bankruptcy protection in 2004, the first int he nation to do so over sexual abuse claims against priests. A $75 million settlement plan announced in 2007 allowed the archdiocese to emerge from bankruptcy after claims from 175 people.)

Thomas Abood, chairman of the Archdiocesan Finance Council and Reorganization Task Force, said the settlement will be outlined in greater detail when it is filed in court. But he said most of the funding, roughly $170 million, will come from insurance carriers. The rest will come from parishes, the archdiocese, a pension fund and real estate sales.

"We will do everything we can to expedite it," Abood said, adding that he hopes the process can be completed in the next few months. "We have gone everywhere we could to raise money for this settlement."

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2015, two years after the Minnesota Legislature opened a three-year window that allowed people who had been sexually abused in the past to sue for damages. That resulted in hundreds of claims being filed against the archdiocese.

The bankruptcy case proceeded slowly as attorneys argued over how much money the archdiocese should have to pay. The archdiocese reported its net worth was $45 million. But attorneys for the victims maintained that the archdiocese's true worth was over $1 billion, counting assets of its 187 Roman Catholic parishes, as well as schools, cemeteries and other church-related entities. Victims' attorneys said those assets should be used to make more money available for victims.

Last month, a federal appeals court affirmed a 2016 decision by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kressel that the parishes and other nonprofit entities were independent, meaning their assets could not be tapped in the bankruptcy case. Last December, Kressel rejected competing reorganization plans filed by the archdiocese and a creditors' committee and ordered both sides back into mediation.

Pamela Foohey, associate professor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, said this settlement speaks to the value of negotiations -- as the settlement amount is about $50 million more than the original plan put forth by the archdiocese.

"It allows survivors to feel like justice was served and ... having a voice was really important to accepting the outcome," she said. And, in going back to the table, the victims' advocates were able to secure more money from insurance carriers, which means victims don't have to take what's given because further negotiations "might show that they have more than they are saying they do."

Fifteen Catholic dioceses or archdioceses across the country have filed for bankruptcy, including three in Minnesota, as they sought to protect themselves from growing claims of sexual abuse by clergy members. A fourth Minnesota diocese, St. Cloud, announced its intention to file in February but hasn't done so.

-- The Associated PressNEW YORK -- A senior North Korean official and the top U.S. diplomat had dinner in New York on Wednesday as President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un try to salvage prospects for a high-stakes nuclear summit. It's the highest-level official North Korean visit to the United States in 18 years.

Kim Yong Chol, the former military intelligence chief and one of the North Korean leader's closest aides, landed midafternoon on an Air China flight from Beijing. Associated Press journalists saw the plane taxi down the tarmac before the North's delegation disembarked at JFK International Airport.

During his unusual visit, Kim Yong Chol had dinner for about an hour-and-a-half with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who traveled from Washington to see him. The two planned a "day full of meetings" Thursday, the White House said. Their talks will be aimed at determining whether a meeting between Trump and Kim Jong Un, originally scheduled for June 12 but later canceled by Trump, can be restored, U.S. officials have said.

The talks come as preparations for the highly anticipated summit in Singapore were barreling forward on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, despite lingering uncertainty about whether it will really occur, and when. As Kim and Pompeo were meeting in New York, other U.S. teams were meeting with North Korean officials in Singapore and in the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone.

"If it happens, we'll certainly be ready," White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said of the Singapore summit. Regarding the date for the meeting, she added, "We're going to continue to shoot for June 12th."

North Korea's flurry of diplomatic activity following a torrid run in nuclear weapons and missile tests in 2017 suggests that Kim Jong Un is eager for sanctions relief to build his economy and the international legitimacy the summit with Trump would provide. But there are lingering doubts on whether Kim will ever fully relinquish his nuclear arsenal, which he may see as his only guarantee of survival in a region surrounded by enemies.

Trump announced that Kim Yong Chol was coming to New York for talks with Pompeo in a tweet on Tuesday in which he said he had a "great team" working on the summit. That was a shift from last week, when Trump announced in an open letter to Kim Jong Un that he had decided to "terminate" the summit following a provocative statement from the North.

Pompeo, Trump's former CIA chief, has traveled to Pyongyang twice in recent weeks for meetings with Kim Jong Un, and has said there is a "shared understanding" between the two sides about what they hope to achieve in talks. South Korean media speculated that Pompeo could make a third trip to Pyongyang and that Kim Yong Chol was carrying a personal letter from Kim Jong Un and might push to travel to Washington to meet with Trump.

North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York is its sole diplomatic presence in the United States. That suggests Kim might have chosen to first go to New York because it would make it easier for him to communicate with officials in Pyongyang, North Korea's capital. North Korea and the United States are still technically at war and have no diplomatic ties because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Trump views a summit as a legacy-defining opportunity to make the nuclear deal that has evaded others, but he pledged to walk away from the meeting if he believed the North wasn't serious about discussing dismantling its nuclear program.

After the North's combative statements, there was debate inside the Trump administration about whether it marked a real turn to belligerence or a feint to see how far Kim Jong Un could push the U.S. in the lead-up to the talks. Trump had mused that Kim's "attitude" had changed after the North Korean leader's surprise visit to China two weeks ago, suggesting China was pushing Kim away from the table. Trump's letter, the aides said, was designed to pressure the North on the international stage for appearing to have cold feet.

White House officials maintain that Trump was hopeful the North was merely negotiating but that he was prepared for the letter to mark the end of the two-month flirtation. Instead, the officials said, it brought both sides to the table with increasing seriousness, as they work through myriad logistical and policy decisions to keep June 12 a viable option for the summit.

Kim Yong Chol is a vice chairman of the North Korean ruling party's central committee. The last official of his stature to visit the United States was Jo Myong Rok, the late first vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, who visited Washington in 2000, South Korea's Unification Ministry said.

The White House emphasized that it has remained in close contact with South Korean and Japanese officials as preparations for the talks continue. Spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan on June 7 to coordinate their thinking ahead of the summit. Trump hosted South Korean President Moon Jae-in last week.

Moon, who has lobbied hard for nuclear negotiations between Trump and Kim Jong Un, held a surprise meeting with the North Korean leader on Saturday in an effort to keep the summit alive.

-By Josh Lederman, Matthew Lee and Christopher BodeenSign up to receive daily headline news from Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

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Partly to mostly cloudy. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.We have used your information to see if you have a subscription with us, but did not find one. Please use the button below to verify an existing account or to purchase a new subscription.Poland's Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz said on Thursday that he was satisfied with Poland's activity in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and with the OECD's report on Poland published in March.

The Polish official took part in the annual OECD Council Meeting organised at ministerial level in Paris on May 30-31.

"We are pleased with the positive conclusions of this report," he told reporters in Paris.

Emphasising the country's economic successes and Polish technical skills, the minister pointed to Polish solutions regarding access to water in Tanzania and announced similar aid for Senegal as well as "readiness to promote" similar activities in other countries.

Talking to journalists, Czaputowicz stressed that Poland welcomed Lithuania's joining the OECD and was in favour of the organisation's further enlargement to include Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia as well as Argentina, Brazil, China and India.

Referring to the topic of multilateralism, the main theme of the OECD meeting, the Polish official said that this was the "right formula" for international relations, but stressed that "we also see Washington's reasoning, why it wants to change the system," he added. Because of the American opposition, the current OECD forum will not issue a final declaration.

When asked about the reduction of the EU budget, the minister assessed that "the proposal of the (European) Commission does not correspond to the announcements". Warsaw, he said, wants cohesion policy and the common agricultural policy to be maintained. And such matters as security and immigration should be, in his opinion, "financed from an additional budget".

"Structural (EU - PAP) Funds are not a charity, they are the foundation of the European Union. Moving away from this would not be a correction but a complete change in the functioning of the EU," Czaputowicz said, adding that Poland would defend this position, which was also shared by other countries in the region.

Poland's foreign minister pointed to the "paradox" lying in the fact that the same capitals which claimed to want a strong bloc were pushing for the reduction of its budget. The minister also strongly refuted opinions the Polish authorities' alleged "Euroskepticism."

Commenting suggestions that Poland deserved a place in the G20 group, the minister made it clear that he raised the subject during his talks with Argentinian Foreign Minister Jorge Faurie (G20 is currently chaired by Argentina). He stated that "Poland would certainly meet the admission criteria" to the group, which affiliated smaller countries than his own, both in terms of population and GDP. (PAP)



mr/ mb/Much has been written about the young photographer and artist John Edmonds, and his approach to toxic notions of racial bias and the role it plays in how we as a society tend to view blackness.



But nothing captures Edmonds' true intent like seeing the art up close and personal. It's even better when given the opportunity to speak with the D.C.-raised, New York-based artist about his work and his intrinsic motivations. When going to meet him at ltd's whitebox Lower East Side gallery space (he is repped by ltd's Los Angeles headquarters) currently showing Edmonds' latest solo work, "Tribe: Act One," I was struck by what the author and feminist scholar bell hooks wrote about Black art and visual politics in 1995's Art on My Mind, specifically what she had to say about the role of the camera and photography through the Black lens. One passage in particular is with me as I head down Orchard Street. hooks writes about the place of art in Black life, the "connections between the social construction of black identity, the impact of race and class, and the presence in black life of an inarticulate but ever-present visual aesthetic governing our relationship to images, to the process of image making." And hooks has more to say about this business of "image-making," a term Edmonds uses in our conversation moments later when referring to his own work: "The camera became in black life a political instrument, a way to resist misrepresentations well as a means by which alternative images could be produced."

bell hooks, as usual, is totally correct. Edmonds, who holds a MFA in photography at Yale's School of Art, presented a series called "Hoods" in 2016, and last year, another untitled series featuring do-rags. Both series depicted people who were presumably Black men (their identities cleverly and strikingly obscured by hoods and do-rags, and the fact that backs of their heads were thus not visible). As such, they stood in as literal figureheads for discussions around toxic masculinity, racial bias, and what we think about when we talk about blackness in society, especially in light of movements such as Black Lives Matter and debates around police brutality, who gets criminalized, and who gets a pass (no one Black gets a pass). In other words, to paraphrase an old adage, there is always more present with Black art than meets the eye.

Having only seen those works as a Black queer person, and having not met Edmonds, a Black queer person, I only had my experiences to go on. I thought that my own bias made me less privy to misrepresentation of Edmonds' work, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn I was wrong. Rather than focusing on Black masculinity, and whether or not it is problematic, Black beauty actually plays a much more important role in Edmonds' work, as I saw up close when I met him at ltd to discuss "Tribe." He collaborates mostly with queer artists, some are nonbinary, and all represent facets of blackness not often captured on camera. Ihab, Khari, Ladin, Milton, Brittany, Alex, Tom, Victor, and Justin comprise a range of identities and experiences with a story to tell in each photo. Their aesthetic versatility, framed by Edmonds' use of glowing natural light and warmth invite the viewer to experience an almost feminine softness.

One of the works in "Tribe," Face As Mask II, Brittany is shown cradling her face, accented by dyed-blonde waves, created by Black hairstylist (and former Edmonds muse) Malcolm Cuthbert. In the portrait, Brittany's face seems almost detached from the body. "There is fluidity always, to how the body can be used," Edmonds says. "And to me, the waves in her hair give the photo overall a mermaid-like, aqueous quality. It's a deeply subjective thing, but it's how I see it."

For Edmonds, a Cancer who turns 30 this summer, the stars might say emotional availability and nuance flows through him effortlessly and translates to the art he creates. I say that I'm more than happy to be proven wrong, but "Tribe" is essentially a meditative series about the communities and families we create, and the beauty we are all capable of accessing through silence. In a world that is so loud and often traumatizing, Edmonds' quiet beauty cuts through the noise. Read on.

What do you make of people who say your work is primarily about Black masculinity? That was one of my own personal reads of your work when I first encountered it. In the past people said it's about Black masculinity which is interesting because for me I found my work to be very feminine aesthetically. For me despite having photographed subjects who identify as Black and male, I feel gender, as a queer person, the way we see it is so limited. A lot of my work, I think about it as a space to undo limitations and biases people have attached to whether it is someone who identifies as male or reads that way, so in a lot of ways, this show is the first show where there are people who very much identify across the spectrum. A lot of that ties into me creating this fictitious tribe. In your mind, how is "Tribe" different from past works like "Hoods" or your do-rag series? With many of my pictures, and with photography in general, it gives you the surface of something or someone. For me, it's been good at starting there, then going beyond the facade. Many of the people in my shows and in this one, are people within creative communities. You wouldn't be able to tell that just from first impression. In this show, and in past works, people often address the work in a way where they talk about these figures as Black males, but it's interesting because you can't exactly see or tell that. The viewer's gaze is interesting because in some ways, different gazes complicate a narrative, but in a good way that adds to a larger discussion of whatever it is I'm hoping to address. It just goes to show that we all come to view a work with our own biases and the ways in which we see the world. With this show, I'm hoping to hold myself to continuing to subverting expectations. In this medium, I'm always thinking about ways to do that.

How does the use of light play into what we're seeing here? All the photographs in the show are made with natural light. I'm using this big gold reflector. With the way that Black figures appear in art, if it's not a Black artist framing it, it's often shown to the bourgeoisie and depictions of Black bodies are different by upper-class white people. So the way the skin is shown in my photos, is I like to show the warmth and the tones of the skin, because they have such beautiful qualities when illuminated properly. On my way here, I was thinking about what bell hooks wrote about the need for more Black writers critiquing Black art in Art on My Mind. I'm a Black writer and we're talking about Black experiences, but what's something about this project that anyone else whose looking at this could gain, not having the perspective maybe you or I might have? I'm really interested in the emotion of art. It's essential, and I think about how space within this exhibition, parses out emotionality. On one side of it, I have photographs that represent a type of submission and softness, and the opposite shows power and direct connection with viewer based on the gaze. The gaze in a lot of my work is about looking and being looked at. I collaborated with Malcolm Cuthbert, who is a hairstylist based here. He has been working on this project and was my muse for my do-rag images. A lot of my work is predicated on real-life experiences. So in a lot of ways, the people who are participants become collaborators. I always photograph actual models and I like to think that in the process of scouting people, one of the reasons it's called "Tribe," is because I'm building one.

I remember the trending hashtag #softmasc, which subverts the gay trope of a harder, "straight-acting" #masc4masc masculinity. How does your work in "Tribe" reflect that idea? In general, I always aim for a softer, more tender portrayal of masculine and feminine figures. It has a lot to do with me wanting viewers to see a subject's beauty. In "The Villain," featuring Tom, despite them wearing clothing that might be symbolically charged, the eyes are filled with emotion and softness. It seems that even the dominance in some images feels softer. To me, this exhibition allowed me to think about several types of image-making, too. There are several types of portraiture I'm working with. There are pieces with hair extractions and still-life portraits. In previous works, like with the do-rag series, I'm working with a consistent form. I'm working with repetition, and that is to show the nuance of difference. For me, nuance and subtlety have been important parts of my work. That allows for a viewer to enter the work and have a real human experience with it.

Was there a moment in your life that struck you and helped you decide to create this particular body of work? A very definitive moment for me in art-making in general was when I was in undergrad, and I was getting my BFA in fine art photography [at Washington DC's Corcoran School of the Arts and Design]. For me, I'm interested in blurred lines. Photography is a moving currency. When I was studying there, I saw the 30 Americans show from the Rubells' Family Collection. It was my first time seeing Black contemporary art. That for me was extremely liberating. We're at this point now where all these nuances of the Black experience are being unveiled, and that's obviously a great thing. But within art history and pop culture at large, there had been up until recently a monolithic portrayal of blackness. When I was the 30 Americans show, I saw the ways in which these Black artists talked about race and gender; about public and private, and how we come to frame history. A lot of the pictures in my show deal with history. I'm using these African decorative masks that are not specific to a tribe in Africa but are repurposed. One of my favorite pictures is of Alex, "His Strength." He's Haitian Creole. When you think of Haitian people and their physical features, Alex doesn't look like how you might "expect" him to look as a Haitian person. For me, the show poses these questions as to what makes something real or authentic. Also, the work, despite being politicized, it's always really appealed to queer people specifically because we know what it's like to have our authenticity questioned. Related | The Enduring Influence of Lorna Simpson That brings me back to what I thought earlier  about the ways in which you were depicting Black masculinity. It turns out I was wrong. It helps support what you just said about queer people needing to validate their perspectives. I appreciate you saying that! It's okay to see things through your eyes, too. When you have post-modern image-making examples set by people like Lorna Simpson and Carrie Mae Weems and others navigating the ideology of the gaze, in a lot of ways, people don't simply look at the artist and say "this is what it's about." We're able to unpack our own expectations about who or what someone or something is. When it comes to carving out space, creating your own tribe, do you feel a certain calling to always do that in your work? People need to see and be seen for who they are. In terms of visibility, we're in this point in time where there's a lot more individual perspectives that are being made visible. There's more of a desire of these things to be seen as such. I use the power of silence. There's a quiet power to that.Iran Supreme Leader's Aide Puts Forward Proposals To Counter US Breaches Of

05/31/18

Source: Press TV

Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, has put forward a number of propositions to develop the country's nuclear capabilities and counter US breaches of the Iran deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), weeks after President Donald Trump pulled his country out of the agreement.

Velayati put forward several offers to respond to the US move at a meeting in the Iranian capital Tehran on Wednesday.



The first proposal, Velayati said, was to produce uranium hexafluoride (UF6), saying, "We can produce UF6, which turns into gas at 70C and can rotate centrifuges for enrichment."



Velayati's second offer was to accelerate the use of powerful nuclear engines for ships and submarines and the production of stable isotopes.



"One of the features of these engines is that a submarine with such an engine can remain under water for two years, while with other fuels it needs to come out of water every few days to refuel," he said.



These proposals, while being capable of responding to US breaches, do not seem to violate the JCPOA, the former foreign minister said, noting, "We can produce sustainable isotopes that show our strength but are not meant for weapons."



He said that the next proposal was to strengthen nuclear power by using carbon fibers in the industry.



"If we want to employ IR6 and IR8 (centrifuges), it will not be possible through using conventional metals, but we should use carbon fibers which have very good industrial use. At the same time, officials should pursue research related to the new generation of centrifuges, and meet the needs of the country regarding [uranium production and enrichment to] 190,000 SWU (separative work units) that the Leader has emphasized. In this regard, it is necessary to work on IR6 and IR8 centrifuges," he said.



Velayati, who is a member of a national Iranian board supervising the implementation of the JCPOA, said another option to counter US breaches was to adopt a strategic approach towards interaction with the Eastern bloc.



The final proposal put forward by Velayati was to boost the country's missile might as well as its regional power. He also said that nuclear capabilities must be promoted in areas that have no restrictions under the JCPOA. He also said that the continuation of negotiations should be based on the conditions set out by the Leader, and Europeans must guarantee that they buy Iran's oil and that issues over banking transactions are resolved.



Trump announced on May 8 that Washington was walking away from the nuclear agreement, which was reached between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany.



Trump also said he would reinstate US nuclear sanctions on Iran and impose "the highest level" of economic bans on the Islamic Republic.



Ayatollah Khamenei on May 23 set out conditions for Tehran to stay in the nuclear deal with world powers, including steps by European banks to safeguard trade with Tehran after the US withdrawal from the agreement.



The Leader added that European powers must protect Iranian oil sales from US pressure and continue buying Iranian crude, and must promise they would not seek new negotiations on Iran's missile program and regional activities.



He also called on the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran "to be ready" to restart nuclear activities "if necessary and in case the JCPOA proves to be useless."Minister of Communications, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has allayed fears of businesses in the communications sector regarding the government's $89 million contract with Kelni GVG.



Following the signing of the contract with Kelni GVG, the Communications and Finance Ministries have come under a barrage of criticisms.



President of IMANI, Franklin Cudjoe has impugned the deal stating the contract is needless as it amounts to duplication of jobs which will result in the depletion of the country's resources.



The deal is also feared to cripple telecommunications businesses and further have rippling effects on the economy.



But, according to Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, the businesses should have no cause to fear as the deal is in their interest.



Delivering a speech at Parliament on Thursday, May 31, 2018, the Communications Minister assured all companies in the sector that "we are not against big businesses. We however take a dim view of those who will flout our laws with impunity and expect all our corporate citizens to pay their due just as they would in their countries of origin. As H.E the President indicated during the CEOs Awards last week, 'We must deepen the payment of taxes, and broaden the tax net to include the informal sector in the payment of appropriate taxes. It is particularly important that we enhance the capacity of our tax authorities so that the big players in our economy, i.e. the mining companies, the oil companies, the telecommunication companies, pay their correct taxes. For too long, such companies have been the source of the massive flight of capital from our country and our continent. I am a firm believer in honest profits, but I will not condone illicit financial outflows. We know how injurious they have been to Africas development.'"



She added that "there has been absolutely no corruption or underhand dealings in this transaction".



She therefore wants the businesses to repose confidence in her saying she can "never be party to any such conduct as I value my reputation and the reputation of the government which serves the good people of Ghana. I stand here as a Minister of the Akufo-Addo administration to assure this august house that I believe this is the best deal we could have got".









Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoMr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, the Minister of Transport, expressing worry about the alarming rate of road crashes and their impact on national development, has asked all stakeholders to commit to the agenda to end the national tragedies.



As at the end of April this year, a total of 4,294 road traffic cases, involving 7,066 vehicles have been reported, resulting in 809 deaths, he stated.



It continues to account for nearly 2,000 deaths and 12,000 injuries annually. This alarming situation requires a multi-faceted approach to address the menace.



The Minister said these in a speech, read on his behalf, at the launch of Ghana Drivers and Road Safety Awards, in Accra.



The event, which aims at rewarding drivers who have exhibited excellent transport delivery services, is a collaboration between the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and Shenkani Limited, a private driver welfare agency.



Mr Asiamah, therefore, urged drivers to be vigilant and observe road safety regulations, noting that road traffic crashes did not discriminate against their victims.



However, available data suggest that about 70 per cent of crash victims are males, while 65 per cent of the victims is within the productive age group of 16 to 45 years.



Driver distraction, non-compliance with road regulations, vehicular mechanical faults, bad road engineering and over speeding have been identified as some of the major causes of crashes.



The Minister said the National Road Safety Commission had since 2009 innovatively deployed the awards scheme to influence a positive road safety culture among operators and stakeholders.



Many transport operators, he said, had responded to the call for the awards and had introduced systems such as Road Safety Officers, Driver Training, Pre-departure checks to enhance their operations and improve road safety.



The various competitive and meritorious categories for individuals and corporate bodies are Best Driver (Taxi), Best Driver (Trucks, Tankers and Heavy Duty), Best Driver (Inter-City Transport) Best Driver (Intra City Transport or Trotro) and Overall Best Driver Award



Transport Union Leadership Awards are Solid Cargo, Liquid Cargo, and Bus Occupants or Passenger operations.



Media Awards are Best Road Safety Journalist (Print), Best Road Safety Journalist (Radio), and Best Road Safety Journalist (Television).



The 2018 Ghana Drivers and Road Safety Awards have been scheduled for Friday, November 23, 2018.



There will also be a Special Corporate and Individual meritorious awards for individuals and corporate citizens who have distinguished themselves promoting road safety in their space of action.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoThe state of communities where mining companies in Ghana operate, such as Obuasi, Tarkwa and Akwatia, is a disgrace to the country, as well as the mining companies, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has stated.



Why is Obuasi not the most beautiful city in Ghana or the world if it hosts the richest gold mine? Why do Tarkwa and Prestea not look like the golden towns they are? And why does Akwatias appearance not reflect anything about the diamonds that have been taken from its soils all these years? he asked.



He, therefore, called on players in the mining industry to join hands with the government to help transform mining communities in an intelligent and sustainable manner.



Addressing the opening session of the 2018 West African Mining and Power Conference and Exhibition (WAMPOC/WAMPEX) in Accra on Wednesday, the President said the distressed state of communities in which mining companies operate is nothing short of a disgrace and we must work to change the situation.



The conference is on the theme: A responsible and sustainable mining industry: A partner for national development.



Sustainable mining



President Akufo-Addo said mining provided many people with a source of living, but we all have a collective responsibility to ensuring that mining activities do not leave our lands degraded and rob future generations of a safe and habitable environment.



He said it was difficult for the average Ghanaian to appreciate the fact that the country gained substantially from mining, probably due to the fact that the communities in which mining had been done remained largely under-developed and did not show signs of being the origins of what brought wealth to so many people and places.



For years we were told that the mine in Obuasi was the richest gold mine in the world. The question is justifiably asked: how come Obuasi does not show any sign that it is the home of the richest gold mine in the world? The contrast between Obuasi and Johannesburg, for example, is stark and compelling, he said.



President Akufo-Addo cutting the tape to declare the exhibition officially opened. President Akufo-Addo cutting the tape to declare the exhibition officially opened.



Living conditions



The President urged the mining companies to commit to the development of the communities where they made their money and help improve the living conditions there.



On the ban on small-scale mining, President Akufo-Addo reiterated the governments commitment to fight illegal mining unabated and dismissed claims that the illegal miners would not have any work to do if they were made to stop the canker.



He said people engaged in illegal mining did so out of their desire for quick money and not necessarily out of lack of employment.



The President gave an assurance that through its One-district, One-factory policy, the government would create jobs for the youth in all communities throughout the country.



Making the mining sector flourish



For his part, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr John Peter Amewu, said the government had done a comprehensive value chain analysis with a view to empowering local firms to play active roles within the mining sector.



That, he said, was to ensure that mining was done in a manner that would support and strengthen the socio-economic development agenda of the state.



He appealed to mining companies to take safety issues at their operational bases seriously.



Uninterrupted power



The President of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Mr Kwame Addo-Kufuor, stressed that the availability and uninterrupted supply of power was crucial to the survival of the mining sector.



He also stressed the need to undertake sustainable mining that would ensure that the environment that would be bequeathed to posterity was intact.

Source: Daily Graphic









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Featured VideoThe bodies of 18 members of the Agona Royal Family of Old Tafo in Kumasi have been kept in the morgue for the past 13 years due to litigation over the right of burial at the Tafo Royal Mausoleum.



The family standoff has left the aggrieved family with no choice but to resort to the public space to put pressure on their Family Head, the Tafohene, Nana Agyen Frimpong II, to pave the way for the burial of their relatives.



The Agona Royal Family is pleading with the government, parliamentarians, the clergy, human rights activists and particularly the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, to intervene in the matter to get the Tafohene to do the right thing to enable the family to give their kinsmen a befitting burial.



However, the Tafohene, when reached for his comment by our Ashanti Regional correspondent, Donald Ato Dapatem, declined to speak.



Mortuaries



The bodies are currently caking in the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, the Old Tafo Hospital and the KNUST Hospital mortuaries, all in the Kumasi Metropolis.



The pain of the aggrieved gate of the Royal Family is that even though the detention of the bodies in the mortuaries was caused by Nana Tafohene, he says he will not pay the mortuary bill, but that really is not our concern.



Our concern is to give our family members a befitting burial in the Royal Mausoleum, a principal member of the family, Nana Adwoa Mansa, who is also known as Lady Darling Tuffour, told the Daily Graphic.



Giving a background to the issue, Nana Mansa, who walked into the offices of the Daily Graphic to pour out her frustrations, claimed that the Tafohene was not willing to permit the relatives of the deceased to bury their family members in the Tafo Royal Mausoleum.



She explained that her mother, Nana Yaa Nsia, who was the first to die on May 19, 2005, followed by other family members, was still in the morgue, with no sign as to when she would be buried in the Royal Mausoleum, as custom demanded.



Fellow compatriots, how can I carry out my daily endeavours in happiness while my mothers body has been in the morgue for more than 12 years? Nana Mansa asked.



The Great Oath



She explained that the Tafohene suspended the burial of their relatives for the simple reason that one Sarkodie, the son of Maame Kwartemaa, who is not a royal of the Old Tafo Stool, had sworn the Great Oath of Asanteman against him to the effect that he must not allow the burial of Nana Yaa Nsiah, the sister of our late queenmother, Nana Konadu Yiadom II, at the Tafo Royal Cemetery.



She said Nana Tafohene, who was expected to have replied the oath, rather turned to the family to enquire from them the way forward.



The family wondered why a stranger could prevent the chief from burying his royals in his own mausoleum, and why the chief too did not attempt to exercise his power to challenge him.



Eventually, we resolved that the chief must go and reply the oath at the Asantehenes Palace to enable us to have access to bury the corpses in the mausoleum. Regrettably, the deceased aforesaid are still in the mortuary, Nana Mansa explained.



She said Nana Tafohene gave an assurance that apart from replying the oath, he had the fastest means to resolve the matter and pleaded for time, though we knew that was untrue.



Asante customary practices



Nana Mansa explained that according to Asante customary practices and usages, failure to reply the Asantehenes Great Oath means our family members have restrained ourselves from being buried at the royal mausoleum and, as such, anyone who dies again must not be buried but the body must be kept at the mortuary till eternity, since the Tafohene is the leader of the family and such restrictions upon him affects the entire royal family.



She explained that no alternative solution could bring the matter to a close for the family members to be buried unless Nana Tafohene replied the Great Oath of Asanteman, which was still hanging on his neck.



She alleged that instead of focusing on getting their kinsmen a befitting burial, the Tafohene was rather diverting his attention to things that were of no immediate benefit to his family members.



Second Oath on Tafohene



Due to frustration and excessive pain the family is encountering, our family too has sworn the Great Oath of Asanteman against the Tafohene, to the effect that if he cannot reply the oath hanging on his neck to pave the way to bury the corpses, he too cannot maintain his position as Tafohene to lead the family, she further explained.



She said the move annoyed Nananom Benkumfo in the Asantehenes Palace and she and her family members were charged to produce two rams for purification for the case to be brought before the Asantehene, but for some years now they have not done anything about it.

Source: Daily Graphic









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Featured VideoThe immediate past Head of the Banking Supervision Department of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), Mr Raymond Amanfo, has been summoned by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to answer charges on his role in the collapse of the UT and the Capital banks.



The summoning follows a damning finding in an investigative report submitted to the BoG which indicts Mr Amanfo of culpability in the collapse of the two banks.



Information gathered by the Daily Graphic suggests that the retired head of the Banking Supervision Department is alleged to have charged and collected various sums of money from the banks to alter feasibility reports to favour them.



Daily Graphic sources also alleged that distressed banks that refused to pay money to the supervision department did not find favour with Mr Amanfo.



Mr Amanfo, who is scheduled to appear before the investigative body at 9:30 a.m. today, Thursday, May 31, is expected to be grilled on the disbursement of the liquidity support the central bank offered to the two collapsed banks.



When contacted, Mr Amanfo told the Daily Graphic that he was yet to receive an invitation from the investigative body.



Nobody has contacted me and my number is available at the BoG. So when I am invited, I will answer the call, he said.



He, however, declined to comment on the allegations picked up by the Daily Graphic.



Corporate governance breaches



The Governor of the BoG, Dr Ernest Addison, had, at a Monetary Policy Committee news conference in Accra on May 21, blamed some shareholders and directors of the banks who failed to observe good corporate governance that led to the collapse of the banks.



Once the process is allowed to run its course, you would have all of these people, in a sense, come to account to all of us on why these things happened.



EOCO has already invited some of the shareholders and directors to come and explain some of the activities that took place, he said.



Dont be surprised if even internal people who were involved  Im talking about BoG staff  could also be invited. The accountability process is going on; its not yet ended. So lets see how that whole process unfolds.



There are other processes that will continue and at the end of that process the true cost of the exercise will become clear and all the parties involved will be subjects of interrogation, Dr Addison added.



Severe impairments



The BoG, in August last year, revoked the licences of UT Bank and Capital Bank due to severe impairment of their capital.



The central bank has approved a purchase and assumption transaction with GCB Bank Ltd that transfers all deposits and selected assets of the two banks to GCB Bank Ltd.



The liabilities of the two banks, according to the BoG, overwhelmed their assets, leaving the BoG with no option but to undertake a purchase and assumption transaction as the least costly method of dealing with a collapse.



The banks were unable to develop an acceptable plan, according to the BoG, although it made efforts to help both banks recover through private alternatives.



However, the owners and managers of the UT and the Capital banks were unable to increase the capital of the banks to address the insolvency.



Key investigative findings



The investigative report revealed, among other key findings, that the two liquidated banks were run by owner chief executives, with complete disregard for internal rules and banking regulations.



The directors of the two banks would be made to answer questions on how they singularly made decisions on credit extension and breached all the rules regarding related party transactions and connected lending.



Dr Addison, at the inauguration of the new Ecobank Ghana Head Office in Accra earlier this month, said the two banks suffered from weak corporate governance standards.



The central bank assured the public that it had sharpened its focus on a strong supervisory regime that effectively identified threats to safety, soundness and stability in the financial sector.



In this regard, the BoG is transiting from the current capital measurement framework to a risk-based capital requirement based on the key Basel II and III pillars, the governor said.



Restructuring banking sector



The takeover of two banks at the same time was the first and biggest in the history of the banking industry in Ghana.



The development was part of moves by the government, through the BoG, to restructure the banking sector.



The move was to rescue the two from further challenges, as both balance sheets were in the red.



It was expected that the assets and liabilities of the two banks would be realised and settled respectively through a receivership process to be undertaken by Messrs Vish Ashiagbor and Eric Nana Nipah of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).



The purchase and assumption agreement allows GCB Bank to take over all deposit liabilities and selected assets of both the UT and the Capital banks, per Section 123 of the Banks and Specialised Deposit-Taking Institutions (SDIs) Act, 2016 (Act 930).



Celebrated brands



The news of the collapse of the two banks had shocked many, since the two had won numerous awards for performing successfully in the industry.



Just a year before the takeover, Capital Bank swept three awards at the Ghana Banking Awards. The bank was once named as one of Ghanas Most Respected Companies.



It was also adjudged the Best Growing Bank, the Best Bank in Deposits and Savings and the Best Bank in Household/Retail Banking at the 15th Edition of the event, while UT Bank was adjudged the Best Bank in 2011 by the same institution.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoPeople must stop all this premature nonsense," Kweku Baako replies Kennedy Agyapong on the latter's wild allegations about multiple award-winning investigative journalist Anas Aremeyaw Anas.



Kennedy Agyapong has accused Anas Aremeyaw Anas and his Tiger Eye PI team of being evil and plotting the downfall of innocent people just in a bid to enrich themselves.



Debating the character of Anas on Adom TV's "Badwam", Kennedy Agyapong described the investigative journalist in unwholesome terms.



"The guy is not genuine. He's blackmailing people. He's extortionist, taking monies from people. He is evil. Hes an extortionist. He is a blackmailer.



"The guy shouldn't travel. The guy should not leave this country because I will take him on one on one and bring the evidence out. Because he's never been fair to the people that he has destroyed and institutions that he has destroyed in this country for taking monies..." he said.



He also challenged Anas to provide substantial evidence on his source of wealth.



According to him, the investigative journalist owns certain properties in the country which he used dubious means to bamboozle his victims to acquire and also evades the payment of taxes.



He made mention of lands, estates and a Pharmaceutical shop among others, and called for a probe into the supposed self-aggrandizement by Anas Aremeyaw Anas.



Mr. Agyapong also accused Anas' wife of importing tablets from Dubai without due diligence to the appropriate structures of importation, saying the investigative journalist has acquired vast assets by extorting monies and terrorizing people.



Addressing all claims by the Assin Central MP and NPP maverick, Kweku Baako sought to set the records straight and expose the lies of Kennedy Agyapong.



Kweku Baako told host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's Kokrokoo that Anas Aremeyaw Anas' credibility cannot be under question since the investigative journalist has since inception of his career been a law-abiding citizen.



Not unusual of him, Kweku Baako pulled out evidence to the panel on Kokrokoo on Wednesday proving that Anas has never evaded taxes but rather met his tax obligations by ensuring payment on the properties he owns.



"The issue of tax evasion, non-payment of tax or SSNIT contributions is not true. These are documented from 2014 to 2018, he said.



He also admitted that Anas has, in his possession, lands and other assets but has not committed any fraud.



He said the constitution permits any citizen to acquire properties and so he challenged Kennedy Agyapong to give evidence to his claims that the investigative journalists illegal acquisition of properties.



Mr. Baako further refuted Kennedy Agyapong's claims that Anas' wife imports tablets from Dubai stating emphatically that Anas has never put a tablet in his bag and brought it, from anywhere to Ghana, for the lady. No! It hasnt happened. She imports her things from China; so, it will go through normal custom procedure.



Also, Anas never did any project in Dubai and so there is no video as purported by Mr. Agyapong of Anas' work in Dubai.



Thats fake. Theres no such video. There was no such project, he stated.



He disclosed that Anas owns a land at Trade Fair which has some litigation and has become a legal case.



But Anas, he added, has his name on all documents of his assets.



All the documents I am showing you have Anas name and signature on them. So, it is not as if it is hidden. It is not somebody whos holding it on his behalf. His own name is there. His signatures are there.



Kweku Baako wants Kennedy Agyapong to know that Anas is no stranger to him as he (Kennedy Agyapong) put out on Adom TV.



There was a time I didnt know him but Anas came to me in 1997/98 as an intern from the GIJ. He chose to come and work with the Crusading Guide then and he came and we accepted him. He was supposed to finish the internship and go. When he finished, he said [Sir] I feel comfortable here. I want to work here. Today, hes not just a reporter or the acting Editor-in-Chief. Hes actually a co-owner. He owns 40% of Kweku Baako Media Limited. I own 60 percent. Thats how far hes risen he said.







Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoControversial artiste, Kwame Asare Obeng affectionately called A Plus has released venom on people threatening legal suits against him.



A Plus, in a Facebook rant, says such people are nothing but "idiots" who want to cowed him into submission with their threats.



According to him, he is not an afraid of being arraigned before court, describing himself as a "wild lion".



Communications Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has asked for an unqualified apology from the controversial musician cum politician saying if she will proceed to court if he refuses to comply with the directive.



"We are informed that you (A Plus) have published series of defamatory statements on Facebook about our client ostensibly to tarnish her hard won reputation and to reduce her image in the eyes of right thinking members of society...We are instructed to notify you that our client takes a serious view of your defamatory publication on Facebook and would not hesitate to commence legal action against you if the said publication is not retracted on or before Friday, 1st June, 2018.



"Please be informed that if you fail to retract and apologize to our client on or before Friday, 1st June, 2018, we shall proceed to court..." a statement by her Solicitors read.



The Minister, through her Counsel "Safo and [email protected]", has given A Plus an ultimatum of three (3) days to "render unqualified apology in the same medium and prominence in the manner that your libelous publication was done" and retract his statements or will be dragged to court to "vindicate our client's rights without any further recourse to you".



Also, the Deputy Chief of Staff, Francis Asenso-Boakye has given A Plus seven (7) days to retract and apologize for defaming him or he too will proceed to court.



Solicitors for the Deputy Chief of Staff, A-partners @ law in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com asked the musician to retract through the "same publicity and prominence as the defamatory claims and must be unequivocal, unconditional and subject to the prior approval of our client and his Solicitors.



"We have firm instructions to, without further notice to you and upon your failure, neglect or refusal to fully satisfy our client's demands herein, take out a suit and hold you, and such as are carelessly and maliciously repeating the false claims, liable".



But A Plus has rubbished the threats by both parties, stating emphatically that "...Any idiot can go to court!!!"



"...for those saying I've been sued, for your information I've been sued since 1999.... even Richard Annane threatened to sue me. Any idiot can go to court!!!



           if I appologise Nimokafui and Ayetefrem and chalabim and Salafim should kill me..." he stressed.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoIn order to tackle the issue of proliferation of new districts and constituencies in Ghana, IMANI Africa in conjunction with Odekro have recommended that the payment of Common Funds to Members of Parliament be discontinued.



President of the policy think tank Franklin Cudjoe stressed the need for the common funds to be scrapped, noting that it was only sensible not to keep splurging the already scarce revenue in the system.



This is a very commonsensical approach, I mean if you dont have enough money, why dissipate the little that you have. As we speak district assemblies are complaining already that their due is being scrapped and taken off by the government to pursue other social interventions. So it only makes sense not to keep on splurging he stated



What were going to do is to keep insisting were going to meet the DCEs and MMDCEs in another meeting and show them exactly why we think that the MPs common fund is a waste of money. Its actually an excuse of the MP to perpetuate himself/herself in power but not necessarily to do the most important job which is making laws. MPs are not development agents. Theyre development agents to the extent that theyre making sensible laws for us. They shouldnt be in the gutters digging holes and doing stuff like that, thats the job of the DCEs really... he asserted.



The research sought to assess whether the creation of new districts over the years has actually led to development in the country.



After the research, conclusions which were drawn include;



 The marriage between the creation of districts and the creation of constituencies, to some extent, accounts for the proliferation of constituencies in the country.



 Most of the experts and stakeholders interviewed called for the capping of both the number of districts and constituencies, while others also advocated for the creation of a separate independent entity that would be in charge of creation of districts and constituencies.



Scrap MPs Common Fund - Imani Report



 Some MMDAs created in the past, failed to meet the statutory population requirement yet they were commissioned and granted the legal backing to operate.



 The lack of transparency in the creation of districts have sometimes led to pocket of grievances, inter-community conflicts among others. Reasons accounting for such incidences have included, the citing of the district capital, the naming of the district, etc



The research therefore recommended that;

 Make the process for district creation and demarcation as transparent as possible with reports on the creation exercise published on Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (in the case of districts) and that of the Electoral Commission (for constituencies).



 The EC should not be forced to create new constituencies in the event that districts are politically created (when it does not meet the stipulated criteria) to warrant a new constituency.



 Districts that have grown beyond their required threshold must be elevated to municipality and metropolitan status instead of splitting them.



 The day-to-day operations of MPs are not closely linked to that of the districts. Hence MPS should be granted membership of more than one district assemblies.



 Discontinue the MPs Common Fund

Source: Ghanaweb.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoA former Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA), Prof Stephen Adei has said ministers of state should be allowed to have five experts whom they will go with when leaving office.



The Civil and Local Government Staff Association, Ghana (CLOGSAG) has raised concerns that many of their members have been sidelined by ministers, municipal and district chief executives who are using political appointees.



They claimed the politicians are interfering with their work and taking over their jobs to the extent that some special assistants have illegally assumed "certain uncontrollable powers" and that staff who refuse to kowtow to "dubious directives" are pushed out of office.



But speaking at the Accra Dialogue Series, Prof Stephen Adei said there should be clear lines on the rolls of special assistants to help curb the protest by CLOGSAG.



A typical minister who come should be allowed to come with about five experts whom he will go with, but then, they will come and work with bureaucracy.



Adding he said: The question is that, is the Minister going to sit down every day to explain what he wants to do, he cant, somebody must interface. I believe that assuming we have one of the largest ministerial appointments in our history [like the one] by Akufo-Addo of 110 [ministers], they will commit further.



Prof Adei insisted each one them, the 35 [Akufo-Addo ministers should] have five experts, not political appointees, coming with a minister.



He said a large number of about 150 to 200 people as experts shouldn't be a problem and that "if the Ghana Civil Service of 400,000 there about cannot accommodate a presidents team of about 250 [not the presidents office alone, then], I think that we are saying that, you go for your election."



In agreeing with Prof Adei, former Chief of Staff, Mr Kwadwo Mpiani said government cannot run away from appointing people outside the civil service.



If even a president decides to bring in only advisors from outside, these advisors need the civil service to help him to perform very well and therefore it is very important for us to have an efficient civil service, a civil service that is politically neutral," he said.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoThe Eastern Regional capital, Koforidua, is getting ready to host more than 6,000 members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on July 5 to 7, 2018 as new national executives are elected to steer the affairs of the party.



The Local Organising Committee (LOC) established by the party's National Elections Committee has so far successfully executed about 70 per cent of its work with more than a month to the elections.



The Eastern Regional First Vice Chairman of the party, Alhaji Umar Bodinga, who is a member of the LOC, told the Daily Graphic that the committee had made a number of recommendations with regards to venue and hotel which were subject to approval by the National Elections Committee.



Security arrangements



He said members of the committee had also made the necessary security arrangements, considering the number of people who were expected to throng Koforidua for the conference.



"We have been in touch with hoteliers in the region for accommodation, and scouted two venues.



But these are subject to approval by the National Elections Committee.



Members of the National Elections Committee will move into the region once they complete the vetting of aspirants," Alhaji Bodinga stated.



Members of the LOC are made up of the party's regional officers, including Regional Organiser and deputy, Women Organiser and deputy, Youth Organiser and deputy and the Regional First Vice Chairman.



"We are trying to co-opt some of our Members of Parliament and District Chief Executives in the region to get a broader perspective on the planning," he stated.



Eastern Region delegation



According to Alhaji Bodinga, there would be a total of 634 delegates from the Eastern Region alone.



The region has 33 constituencies with 17 delegates from each making a total of 561.



Additionally, there are 21 Tescon members, 17 regional officers, 26 district chief executives, seven National Council Members, and two Founding Fathers of the party.



" All these people are expected to cast their vote," Alhaji Bodinga reiterated.

Source: Daily Graphic









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoCommunications Minister, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has warned critics against making any attempts to impugn the integrity of Kelni-GVG, the Communications and Finance Ministries in the $89 million saga.



There is ongoing debate on government's $89 million contract with Kelni GVG to check revenue losses and simbox fraud involving telecommunication multinational businesses.



According to the President of IMANI, Franklin Cudjoe, the contract is needless as it amounts to duplication of jobs which will result in the depletion of the country's resources.



Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Thursday, May 31, 2018, Mrs. Ursula Owusu-Ekuful dismissed any controversies over the contract with Kelni GVG.



She told Speaker of the House, Prof. Mike Oquaye, that the deal is to safeguard Ghanaians and also streamline the communications sector.



She noted that it is in the "interest of the good people of Ghana to safeguard revenues that ought to accrue to the state", further explaining that the National Security has done due diligence on Kelni GVG and "confirmed the credibility and technical capacity of the company . . . "



"Strident attempts have been made in the past few days to impugn the integrity of Kelni-GVG and impute ill motives to the MoC and MoF for concluding this contract. Nothing could be further from the truth . . . As far back as 2009, National Security conducted extensive due diligence on GVG and confirmed the credibility and technical capacity of the company in writing (ref:NSCS40/V.10/1231 of 28th April 2009). Those who were earning large sums of money for virtually no work done will be unhappy with the collapse of their lucrative business and will fight back. Their tentacles run deep. It is not in the interest of the telecom multinationals and local business concerns for government to have this full visibility of their transactions. What do they have to hide? They fought it in the past with similar arguments and are fighting it now. I have a sense of de ja vu! Who benefits if this contract is cancelled? We are determined and stand resolute to enforce and apply Act 864 to the letter. We will not waver or relent in this," she told the Speaker.



The Sector Minister also added that the contract awarded to Kelni GVG will not amount to duplication as purported by the IMANI President and other critics.



"Fact - this is not a duplication of any existing contract. No other system or company is currently providing this service. The mobile money interoperability platform of GHIPPs monitors transactions between two or more Telcos and the banks but does not monitor transactions on one network. The CMP does so.



"Fact- we are not paying for no work done. Neither the NCA nor the GRA currently has the capability of providing this service and have indicated so. The CMP will provide real time monitoring of all traffic volumes on all networks as has never happened before; it is currently conducting anti-fraud testing as envisaged; the Network Operations Centre has been set up, connected and equipped with hardware and software. Everything is ready for all operators to be connected and they were notified on 11th May 2018. They have one month from this date to connect failing which the requisite sanctions will be applied in accordance with the law; training of NCA/GRA personnel is ongoing. A team just returned from training in Spain. All deliverables and timelines under the contract have been met to date".



Another fact she established is that the National Communications Authority (NCA) Board hasn't had any of its member resigning as a result of the contract.



" . . no NCA Board Member has resigned because of this contract", she said and further disclosed that there is also "no 10 year contract worth $178m. There is a 5 year $89m contract which may be renewed subject to stated conditions being fulfilled. This is far better than the $150m plus we paid for the past 5 years for very little value".



On the integrity of Kelni GVG, the Minister defended the company saying "Kelni-GVG is not a foreign company. It is a joint venture between a Ghanaian Company registered in 1995 with experience in Electrical Engineering, IT solutions and systems in addition to other business interests, and GVG which has 20 years experience in Telecoms revenue assurance and IT solutions. They do have a website and their office is in Labone, not Osu or Kokomemle . . . They currently operate in Rwanda and Uganda among other countries and have been selected to establish the roaming and traffic exchange platform across Africa. This is the Africa Regional Traffic Exchange and Financial Settlement (ARTEF) platform being implemented by the Smart Africa Initiative to harmonise call tariffs within network countries and promote the routing of inbound and outbound telecoms traffic locally on the continent, bypassing the international traffic wholesalers and reducing call charges".





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

Featured VideoCommunications Minister, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has rejected accusations of corruptions and underhand dealings in the award of the revenue assurance monitoring contract to Kelni-GVG.



In a statement to Parliament, Ursula Owusu indicated that the 178 million dollar contract is the best deal the country can get for the kind of service that is being provided.



She further stated that all the equipment for the execution of the contract will be owned by the country after a period of five years.



The Kelni-GVG deal has been the subject of public controversy since policy think tank, IMANI Africa raised red flags with the contract.



Delivering a statement in parliament in response to a summon from the Speaker, Ursula Owusu said the deal further saved the country payment in excess of a million dollars per month.



Inevitably, the monthly traffic data collated by the NCA and the network operators for free, was substantially the same data presented by Subah and Afriwave for which the latter companies were paying 2.6 dollars per month. Mr. Speaker, we were paying for no work done. This was the situation the NPP government inherited and it clearly could not continue.



Mr. Speaker, the fee for this transaction, $1.49 million per month, (as against the $2.6 million paid monthly to both Subah and Afriwave) is within the industry average for Platform as a Service (PaaS) contracts of this nature. The vendors have already procured and delivered equipment worth over $50m as part of the contract sum, at no extra cost to the state and this represents significant cost savings to the nation, the Minister added.



Background



Franklin Cudjoe had urged the government not to hesitate in abrogating the $89 million contract between Ghana and GVG/Kelni.



IMANI had earlier petitioned the Vice President to revoke the contract for the design, development and implementation of a common platform for traffic monitoring, revenue assurance and mobile money monitoring.



Already, the contract upon signing stipulates that a payment of about $1.5 million to be paid monthly for a five-year period.



Per the terms of the contract, which was signed in December 2017, the monthly payments are to begin no later than 30 days after the agreement was signed.



But Mr Cudjoe maintains that companies like Subah Infosolutions and Afriwave Telcom Ltd have already carried out the functions expected of the new firm.



The IMANI boss thus insisted that there should be no reason why this deal should stand.



This contract is no different from the ones we signed in 2010 and 2015 under Subah and Afriwave. In fact, the two contracts were supposed to do the very things that this new contract is purportedly to do; revenue assurance and cheque fraud. The only thing that has been added this time around is mobile money monitoring for which we have given GHIPSS [Ghana Interbank Payment and Settlement Systems Limited] $4 million to do.



First of all, we dont know what work Subah did. We dont know what work Afriwave has done. We dont know what value they have added to the whole telecom industry for us to warrant another entity to come and repeat the same thing for the hefty sum of $89 million. It is a no no no.



IMANI goofed on $89 million deal



But the government has rejected such claims saying the agreement is in the best interest of the country. Deputy Communications Minister, George Andah, had urged Franklin Cudjoe to admit that his Think Tank goofed in its scathing assessment of the $89 million contract.



Its okay for people to get things wrong sometimes. It is a sign of humility. It is a sign of professionalism to say that I got this wrong. On the policy point, he [Frankling Cudjoe] has got this thing wrong. He doesnt understand the policy. He hasnt taken time to read the policy, Mr Andah said on The Big Issue last week.

Source: Citinewsroom









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Featured VideoThe founder and leader of the All Peoples Congress (APC), Mr Hassan Ayariga has predicted doom for Ghana under the presidency of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.



According to him, President Akufo-Addo was not personally in charge of the running of the country and that his family and friends "have taken over."



Addressing a press conference Thursday morning to assess the 16 months Akufo-Addo government, Mr Ayariga said President Akufo-Addo has failed Ghanaians as he has not been able to fulfil even a quarter of the numerous promises he made ahead of the 2016 elections.



In his assessment, Mr Ayariga said corruption was rising because the President was busily settling financiers of his campaign instead of working in the interest of the Ghanaian people.



Is it not a surprise that Ghanaians have not witnessed any reshuffle from this government after almost two years in power, despite the massive corruption tag his appointees and ministers have received."



Fellow Ghanaians, please, please, brace yourselves for very difficult and hard times ahead because President Nana Addo is not working for Ghana but for his family and NPP party. Nana is not in control of the government but people have taken over the nation trying to sort themselves out.



Ghana is finished, I tell you, Ghana is finished. We urgently need a vibrant third force in order to salvage our country and give our people the liberty to control our nations resources and restore hope for our poor people."



Mr Ayariga added: "Im told that Ghanas Finance Minister has been awarded Finance Minister of the Year, congratulations Mr Finance Minister. But well, we have taken our level of corruption beyond Ghana, the government of Ghana has borrowed in recent times than any other government and country in our history, and yet he is awarded the Best Finance Minister."



"If awards are being given based on the amount a nation borrows, then yes, our Finance Minister deserves to be the best one. Minister! Let me take this opportunity to remind President Nana Addo, entire NPP machinery and Ghanaians that we are still paying higher electricity bills, higher rent, higher water bills, higher health care services," he said.

Source: Graphic.com









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Featured VideoFounder of All Peoples Congress and ardent critic of the Akufo-Addo administration, Hassan Ayariga has launched yet another scathing reproach to the governing party.



Mr. Ayariga described President Akufo-Addos government as one filled with family, girlfriends and baby mamas.

Assessing the NPPs year and half tenure in power he stated that the incumbent partys governance has been riddled with corruption scandals, nepotism, failed promises, just to name a few.

Today we see a government which is;

-unable to complete even a quarter of the numerous promises NPP made in the 2016 campaign.

- A government of friends, families, business associates, baby mummies and concubines.

- A government of corruption as if in a contest to win the coveted title of the most corrupt appointee

- A government of insecurities

- A government of failed promises and further promising

- A government of lies, hopelessness and deceit

- A government of arrogance, bluff, ignorance and threats.

He indicated that he was chagrined at the Presidents inability to shuffle his appointees and cabinet since he took office despite the several alleged corruption scandals which had hit them. Asked to grade the overall performance of the Akufo-Addo government, he retorted that there was nothing to grade as they had nothing to show since they resumed office.

Source: Ghanaweb









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Featured VideoA prominent Harrisburg landmark is off the market.

The Old Waterworks building, one of only two riverfront buildings on North Front Street, located at 614 N. Front St., next to the Civic Club of Harrisburg has been purchased.

Harrisburg-based design and engineering company, Andculture has purchased the 22,731-square-foot building with plans to renovate the building and relocate its 55-person staff from its current location on Locust street in Harrisburg, as well as its three-person staff of its business accelerator, Catamaran.

Co-owner David Hickethier says that his company has eyed the building for more than three years.

"We were really interested in the building - - its got the character and the history that we were looking for," Hickethier said.

The building has had only a few tenants that have taken up some of the space at the facility where The Neiman Group, a marketing company, called home up until 2008, Hickethier said. He said most of the space has sat empty for the last decade.

Andculture hopes to relocate by the end of the year. AndCulture plans to use about 10,000 to 12,000 square feet and Catamaran plans to use about 3,000 square feet. Hickethier hopes that the remaining space can be used by other technology companies and maybe some of the space can be used for graduates of Catamaran.

The building comes with 84 parking spaces and Hickethier would like to host events at the building. He says his company has a lot of ideas for the building both on the inside and the outside.

Hickethier says the building which was built in 1841 used to be four separate buildings. He says it has a unique layout with interesting exterior features on the inside. The building was used by the City of Harrisburg as a pumping station. Tropical Storm Agnes in 1972 and a fire five years later damaged the building, according to Hickethier. The city which owned the building up until 2002 later renovated it.

The architecture combines French doors, arch windows and slate roofs and has nine suites. A covered parking deck was added in 1985, and there is also garage parking underneath the building. An area that was used as a gym will be renovated.

Andculture is currently located at 200 Locust St. in Harrisburg and has been in business in Harrisburg for 19 years including nine years at its current location. The company also has a small office in Denver, Colorado. The company's business accelerator, Catamaran, provides start-up and emerging technology companies with workspace and technical and business resources.

Hickethier is very excited about the company's future home.

"We are over the moon excited," he said "It's a long time coming."

--Business BuzzIt has become all too common.

But, Sears Holdings again has announced it will close more stores -- this time it will close 63 Sears and Kmart stores.

The retailer says the closings are part of its ongoing efforts to streamline operations and focus on its best stores.

The company says it has identified approximately 100 non-profitable stores, and will close 63 of them, which will begin store closing sales in the near future. Earlier on Thursday, the retailer announced that it would close 72 stores but, pulled nine stores from the list that will also be evaluated further.

This isn't the first time the retailer has announced a list of closings this year. And the retailer says it will continue to evaluate its network of stores, and will make further adjustments as needed and as warranted.

The company also says it has initiated a formal process to explore the sale of the Kenmore brand and related assets, the Sears Home Improvement Products business of the Sears Home Services division and the PartsDirect business of the Sears Home Services division.

On Thursday, it had announced that three stores in the state will close but, none of them are in central Pennsylvania.

The company announced it will close the following Pennsylvania stores in September:

Kmart - 1072 Mountain Laurel Plaza, Latrobe

Sears - 300 S. Hills Village, Pittsburgh/South Hills (The auto center will close in June)

Sears - 1000 Robinson Center Drive, Pittsburgh

Central Pennsylvania stores have already taken a hit in recent years:

A Sears store is closing at the York Galleria Mall in Springettsbury Township.

The Kmart stores in East Pennsboro Township and Lower Paxton Township closed earlier this year.

A Sears store at 1155 Carlisle St. in Hanover closed earlier this year.

A Kmart store at 1094 Haines Road in Springettsbury Township closed last year.

A Sears store at the Capital City Mall in Lower Allen Township closed last year.

Kmart stores closed at 5600 Carlisle Pike in Hampden Township and 1890 Fruitville Pike in Manheim Township last year.

In 2014, Sears announced it was closing a store at the Lebanon Plaza shopping center in North Cornwall Township as well as a store in Chambersburg.

Kmart still has more than 30 stores in the state including stores in the Carlisle and Hummelstown areas, according to its website. While, Sears has more than 60 stores in the state including a store in the Harrisburg area, according to its website. However, that number includes its auto centers as separate locations and it includes smaller stores like the Sears Appliances & Mattresses store in Lower Allen Township.The 25-year-old daughter of a convicted killer in northeastern Pennsylvania is in some legal trouble of her own.

As the Times Leader reports, Jamie Leigh Bartoo, daughter of convicted killer Hugo Selenski, is accused of attacking her live-in boyfriend in their Edwardsville, Pa., home after a night of drinking earlier this week.

But the story gets even more bizarre.

According to the newspaper, Bartoo had spent the night drinking with the estranged wife of one of her father's victims before the alleged domestic incident Tuesday night.

The Times Leader reports Bartoo had been drinking with Kim Kerkowski, the estranged wife of Michael Kerkowski, who, along with Tammy Fassett, were tortured and killed by Selenski and Paul Weakley in May 2002.

From the Times Leader:

Bartoo is the biological daughter of Selenski, who is serving two life terms in state prison after a Luzerne County jury convicted him in January 2015.

In the domestic violence incident, police say they found Bartoo and live-in boyfriend Jeffrey Tyler fighting in the middle of the street outside their home at about 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Tyler, who had numerous scratches on his neck, chest and arms, alleged Bartoo attacked him after coming home drunk and complaining he had been playing video games all day.

Police said Tyler wanted to pursue charges against Bartoo, who was arrested.

Bartoo was arraigned Wednesday on charges of simple assault, harassment, public drunkenness and two counts of disorderly conduct.

She was released on $5,000 unsecured bail.James Buchanan, the only American president to hail from Pennsylvania, died on June 1, 1868. This Friday will mark the 150th anniversary of his death.

"Buchanan essentially died of old age at the age of 77," said Stephanie Townrow, museum educator with LancasterHistory.org.

Buchanan retired to his estate at Wheatland, outside of Lancaster, after his tenure as president ended in 1861. There he remained until his death from "a series of symptoms" according to Townrow -- symptoms that his election to the office of the presidency may have indirectly caused.

"In the months leading up to his presidency, he visited Washington D.C.," Townrow said. "He stayed at a hotel, and actually contracted a disease there. Everybody in the hotel got it."

National Hotel disease, which some have speculated to be similar to Legionnaire's disease, killed several people, including three members of Congress.

"Buchanan recovered, but never fully recovered," Townrow said. "Some of those symptoms probably helped to cause his eventual death."

A photo of James Buchanan's bedroom at Wheatland, where he died on June 1, 1868.

The people of Lancaster came out in droves regardless to honor the former president as the funeral procession carried him to Woodward Hill Cemetery. A newspaper of the time cited "not less than 20,000 onlookers" for the event, according to Townrow.

"Buchanan, when he died, expressly requested in his words 'no pomp or parade.'" she added. "It was probably partly because he didn't know if anyone would come."

As Townrow explained, this may have been partly due to his advanced age for his time -- few of Buchanan's contemporaries would have survived to see 77 years. But it also may have been due to the fact that "Buchanan was not well received as president, even during his own time."

"He was certainly aware of his shaky legacy," she continued. "It's very difficult to be president right before the Civil War. In many ways, he was set up as a Republican scapegoat, because this war was inevitable, and he was in the hotseat."

As a Democrat, Buchanan was at odds with Republican voters and politicians, including Lancaster's Thaddeus Stevens, an influential leader among the Radical Republican faction in Congress. The Radical Republicans were devoted to abolition and staunchly opposed to secession: to many critics of his era, Buchanan failed to address either matter in any meaningful way, helping to set the stage for the Civil War.

The benefit of hindsight has done little to help Buchanan's reputation, either. Historians regularly point to his lack of leadership as one of the escalating factions that led to the Civil War, or at least failed to prevent it.

"But in Lancaster, we really loved him," Townrow said. "They really considered him a hero. I think it was a little bit unexpected. It doesn't seem his reputation really affected his status as a revered hero of Lancaster."

And regardless of politics, Buchanan did still have friends among the Freemasons.

"His friends in Lancaster weren't so much aligned with him politically, they were part of a Masonic lodge," Townrow said. "I think the Masons were part of the reason there was such a large parade also. I think that's where his supporters and friends stem from."

Buchanan was a lifelong bachelor, but he was survived by a niece and nephew, Harriet Lane and James Buchanan Henry, whom he had adopted and raised.

Guided tours of Buchanan's Wheatland estate are held on the hour from Monday-Saturday -- including on June 1, the anniversary of his death -- from 10 a.m. through 3 p.m. For more details, visit LancasterHistory.orgAs remnants of Subtropical Storm Alberto spread into the Great Lakes region, people were keeping a weary watch on dams and hillsides Thursday as rains from the storms have triggered floods and mudslides.

Alberto's heavy rains have been widespread. Scattered flooding was reported in several states from Alabama through Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, the Carolinas and Virginia and West Virginia.

Central Pennsylvania is expected to see the remnants Friday and into the weekend, with rain, thunderstorms and possible flash-flooding.

Virginia

In central Virginia, a swift water rescue team was searching for two people who were seen being swept away by a flash flood's torrent of muddy water Wednesday night, according to a news release from the city of Charlottesville. By early Thursday, there was no sign of the missing couple.

North of that, authorities were searching roadside woodlands for a third missing person. The Madison County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post Thursday morning that rescuers were searching for a missing person after getting a report of a female in the water.

The post said the person was reported missing around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday and the search had been ongoing overnight.

Two people died overnight in North Carolina and two are missing in Charlottesville, VA as #Albertos relentless rains continue. The latest: https://t.co/QjYNC57hnX pic.twitter.com/ic4Wxf3935  Sean Breslin (@Sean_Breslin) May 31, 2018

North Carolina

Five North Carolina deaths are now being attributed to the Subtropical Storm Alberto and more than 50 roads in western N.C. counties are closed because of flooding, mudslides and fallen trees.

The deaths include two people who died Wednesday when flooding and mudslides led to a gas leak and explosion at their house in Boone, and a TV anchorman and photojournalist who were killed Monday when their vehicle was struck by a tree near Tryon, N.C.

The fifth death involved a woman, Patricia Case, who was killed Friday in Polk County by a mudslide, also near Tryon, reported TV station WLOS.

Several rescues have been reported due to the flooding and mudslides. Two NCDOT workers had to be rescued late Tuesday in McDowell County after their dump truck was pushed into the Catawba River by a mudslide, reported NCDOT.

Four North Carolina dams being closely watched by a state team of special engineers were holding up, Gov. Roy Cooper said Wednesday.

Earlier

The worst of the flooding was in the Appalachian Mountains. Up to 7 inches of rain caused flooding in Helen, a mountain town in Georgia, the National Weather Service said.

Atlanta station WAGA-TV reported that several roads near the downtown area of that German-styled tourist destination were shut down because of the rising water. No injuries were reported.

Alberto made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on Memorial Day.

Authorities in Cuba say Alberto left four people dead there as the storm drenched the island in heavy rain.

In Ellicott City, Maryland, on Sunday, a National Guard member died trying to help someone as flood waters raced through the town's main street.

- Information from Tribune News Service, The Associated Press and the Washington Post.ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis announced a $210 million settlement Thursday with 450 victims of clergy sexual abuse as part of its plan for bankruptcy reorganization, making this the second-largest payout in the scandal that rocked the nation's Roman Catholic Church.

Victims' attorney Jeff Anderson said the money, a total of $210,290,724, will go into a pot to pay survivors, with the amount for each survivor to be determined.

Anderson said a formal reorganization plan will now be submitted to a bankruptcy judge for approval, and then it will be sent to the victims for a vote. Anderson expected they will readily approve it.

"We changed the playing field," said Jim Keenan, who was sexually abused as a child in the 1980s by a Twin Cities-area priest. "They have to listen to victims now, and that is huge."

Marie Mielke, who was sexually abused from 1997 to 2000 by a St. Paul seminarian who later became a priest, urged fellow survivors to have the courage to stand up.

"Power and healing is just as true as the evil that's out there," she said. "So get up and grab it."

READ MORE: Bingo anyone? Victims of clergy sex abuse make light of matters with a board game

Archbishop Bernard Hebda said he was grateful to victims who came forward.

"I recognize that the abuse stole so much from you, your childhood, your innocence, your safety, your ability to trust, and in many cases, your faith," he said, adding that he hopes the settlement brings closure to those who were harmed. "We've been working with them very carefully to try to formulate this in a way that benefits them to the maximum."

According to the website BishopAccountability.org, which tracks clergy sex abuse cases, this is the largest total payout among the Roman Catholic archdioceses and dioceses that have filed for bankruptcy protection. But the largest total payout of any kind came in 2007, when the Archdiocese of Los Angeles settled clergy sex abuse cases with 508 victims for $660 million.

Thomas Abood, chairman of the Archdiocesan Finance Council and Reorganization Task Force, said the settlement will be outlined in greater detail when it is filed in court. But he said most of the funding, roughly $170 million, will come from insurance carriers. The rest will come from parishes, the archdiocese, a pension fund and real estate sales.

"We will do everything we can to expedite it," Abood said, adding that he hopes the process can be completed in the next few months. "We have gone everywhere we could to raise money for this settlement."

The archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in 2015, two years after the Minnesota Legislature opened a three-year window that allowed people who had been sexually abused in the past to sue for damages. That resulted in hundreds of claims being filed against the archdiocese.

READ MORE: All dioceses - including Harrisburg - now support release of findings from grand jury investigation

The bankruptcy case proceeded slowly as attorneys argued over how much money the archdiocese and insurance companies should pay. Last December, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Kressel rejected competing reorganization plans filed by the archdiocese and a creditors' committee and ordered both sides back into mediation.

Pamela Foohey, associate professor at Indiana University Maurer School of Law, said this settlement speaks to the value of negotiations -- as the settlement amount is about $50 million more than the original plan put forth by the archdiocese.

"It allows survivors to feel like justice was served and ... having a voice was really important to accepting the outcome," she said. And, in going back to the table, the victims' advocates were able to secure more money from insurance carriers, showing that victims don't have to take what's given because further negotiations "might show that they have more than they are saying they do."

Fifteen Catholic dioceses or archdioceses across the country have filed for bankruptcy, including three in Minnesota, as they sought to protect themselves from growing claims of sexual abuse by clergy members. A fourth Minnesota diocese, St. Cloud, announced its intention to file in February but hasn't done so.

___

Steve Karnowski and Amy Forliti of the Associated Press wrote this story. Forliti reported from Minneapolis. AP writer Youssef Rddad also contributed from Minneapolis.Two men who had been target shooting will stand trial on involuntary manslaughter in the death of a York County woman hit by a stray bullet last summer.

Jeremy Robbins, 22, of North Hopewell Township, and Todd Kraft, 43, of York, were bound over for court after a preliminary hearing Wednesday in Stewartstown.

Nancy Folcomer, 55, of Red Lion, was killed when she was struck by a stray bullet

Nancy Folcomer, 55, was shot in the chest June 24, 2017 while riding in a Jeep SUV with her husband, Charles, the North Hopewell Township road master. They went out to look for damage after the power went out in a storm.

Robbins and Kraft were target shooting toward a hot tub that had bottles and cans on top of it, with no backstop, according to the York Daily Record.

They fired 24 to 36 shots, before a neighbor told them a woman had been hit by a stray bullet, police said.

State police said the two defendants cooperated in the investigation. They had been drinking during the target shooting, but were under the legal limit for driving, according to testimony.

Police said they don't know which of them fired the shot that killed the woman. The bullet that struck her came from the 9mm handgun they were firing.Central Penn College has chosen a current member of its staff as its next leader.

In fact, Linda Fedrizzi-Williams, has been the interim co-president for the past nine months. Fedrizzi-Williams, who joined the college in July 2016 as provost/vice president of Academic Affairs will become the college's 10th president on June 18.

She has 13 years of higher education experience. In her role as provost, Fedrizzi-Williams provided leadership for all operations at the college and oversaw a $19 million budget. She managed all instruction and student support, including program development, personnel decisions, budget and resource allocation, strategic planning, and assessment for academic affairs and student services.

Fedrizzi-Williams will become president of Central Penn College on June 18.

"Dr. Fedrizzi-Williams has been an integral part of Central Penn College for the past two years, and we believe she is the best choice to lead the school in the upcoming years," said Carol Wilson Spigner, chair, Central Penn College board of directors.

The school's previous president, Karen Scolforo resigned from the top post in September. She was president of the school from 2013 to 2017. She was later chosen as president at Castleton University in Vermont. At the time Fedrizzi-Williams, and Richard Varmecky, chief financial officer, were appointed interim co-presidents of the university, and Spigner was named as executive director of the college on behalf of the board. The college conducted a nine-month national search.

Central Penn is located in East Pennsboro Township, was founded in 1881 and has more than 1,400 students.A part owner of a former Lancaster County auto business was ordered to pay $722,365 in restitution and placed on 10 years of probation, the Pennsylvania revenue secretary announced Wednesday.

Jason S. Layton, who had been part owner and treasurer of Auto Showcase of Neffsville, Inc., pleaded no contest in a tax fraud case, said Dan Hassell, state revenue secretary.

The restitution is to be paid to creditors, companies and customers who did business Layton's company.

He was accused of deceptive business practices and failing to remit sales tax to the state. He pleaded no contest to five counts of receiving deposits in a failing financial institution. He was sentenced last week before Lancaster County Judge David L. Ashworth.

Last December, David E. Layton, another part owner of the business, pleaded no contest to the same charges and received the same sentence.

The investigation was conducted by state police, Lancaster County district attorney's office and agents in the Department of Revenue's Bureau of Criminal Tax Investigations.A former co-owner of the Fairgrounds Diner in Carlisle diner was sentenced Wednesday to one year and one day in federal prison for income tax evasion.

U.S. Attorney David Freed said Hussein understated his income and taxes due for 2011 through 2015, resulting in a tax underpayment of about $139,293.

Federal investigators determined Hussein, a native of Egypt who is a naturalized U.S. citizen, used his position as the co-owner/manager of the diner to siphon money from the business and wire it to his family in Egypt. He didn't report that cash to the IRS.

U.S. District Court Judge John E. Jones III ordered Hussein to make restitution in that amount to the Internal Revenue Service.

Hussein, 49, had asked the judge, in a document filed by his attorney in February, not to send him to prison. As a father of five, his attorney argued, he was too important to the financial health of his family to be locked up, and should instead be sentenced to probation.Donna Louise Warren should have celebrated her 52nd birthday Thursday.

Instead, her family will spend the occasion making funeral arrangements for Warren, who was killed by a stray bullet last week as she walked to a Harrisburg convenience store.

Police said Warren was not the intended target of the gunfire that erupted early Friday outside the 76 gas station at Seventh and Maclay streets. Warren had been headed to the store to buy something about 2:30 a.m., police said, when an argument erupted among a group of men in the parking lot.

A shot rang out and the men fled as Warren collapsed and died in the parking lot. She was struck once in the chest.

Police this week released photos of seven witnesses and asked for the public's help to identify them because they were at the store around the time of the shooting. Police Commissioner Thomas Carter on Wednesday said investigators had identified all seven witnesses as they continue to piece together what led to the shooting.

Warren, known as "Weezy," grew up in North Philadelphia as one of seven siblings, according to relatives. She graduated from Germantown High School and was diagnosed with schizophrenia shortly after graduation. Her illness limited her ability to socialize and connect with everyone, but "if you were a chosen one that she interacted with," her brother Michael Warren said, "you were a true friend."

Donna Warren was known for taking care of others, even when she had very little financial means, her brother said.

She doted on children who were less fortunate and showered her nieces and nephews with dolls, coloring books and school supplies, "even if she had to use her last nickel," Michael Warren said.

She had a daughter but missed most of her daughter's upbringing because of her disease, Michael Warren said. An aunt raised the girl as her own.

But Donna Warren tried to make amends for what she had missed by bringing thoughtful gifts to her daughter at every opportunity. Her daughter was heartbroken by her mother's sudden death.

"I was going to do a memorial or just something at the gas station but I'm just not strong enough," she wrote on her Facebook page to friends who offered a stream of condolences. "Continue to tell every family member in your own families you love them."

Donna Warren moved to Harrisburg in 2000, after her mother died, to live with her brother Michael.

In the ensuing years, she lived in and out of facilities or stayed with friends or relatives. She was reluctant to ask for help.

"She was a very independent person," Michael Warren said.

Donna Warren enjoyed singing, dancing and lifting people's spirits.

"To see her is to smile, even in her times of hardship, she found a way to make you laugh," Michael Warren said. "It was God's way of showing us life just ain't that bad."

Michael Warren said he had a message to the person who shot and killed his sister.

"I'll wager everything I have that she's smiling and laughing about it right now. And saying, 'I'm going home and now I'm safe. Don't y'all worry about me. Go home and be nice to your family.'"

Warren had been visiting the store several nights a week over the past year, according to store employees.

Carter said police are grateful for the public's help as they continue their investigation.

"We just kept getting phone calls," he said. "Just by the amount of cooperation we're getting from the public, it shows that the public has a good heart and they're tired of situations like this. The public, just like the police, wants it to stop."Franklin County and its probation department can't be held legally liable for the heroin overdose death of a prisoner who was supposed to be released to a rehab center, a federal judge has ruled.

U.S. Middle District Judge Yvette Kane reached that decision this week in dismissing a lawsuit over the November 2015 death of 37-year-old Russell C. Hoover of Chambersburg.

The administratrix of Hoover's estate, Pattie Creek, sued the county last summer, claiming Hoover died because the probation office didn't obey a court order to transfer Hoover to a substance abuse treatment center.

Instead, Hoover was released from the county prison without any treatment provision, Creek claimed. Three days later, he was dead.

Creek insisted probation officials were negligent, especially since they knew Hoover had a long-standing addiction that had gotten him into legal trouble multiple times. His final incarceration was on trespassing charges.

Hoover was released from prison after a county judge reduced his bail to $2,500. That judge also ordered that Hoover was to undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation and, if treatment was deemed necessary, was to be released only to a treatment center, Creek noted. She claimed no evaluation was done and Hoover was "simply released to the public."

In dismissing the suit, Kane found the county and its probation department are legally immune from such complaints.A police-involved shooting occurred at Santander Bank in Spring Grove Wednesday night, York County emergency dispatch.

A suspect was shot around 4:45 p.m. at Santander Bank, 39 W. Hanover St., dispatch said. The person shot was taken to the hospital, dispatch said.

State police officer told me no statements will be made at the scene tonight and there will be a press release later. @theeveningsun  Dustin Levy (@DustinBLevy) May 31, 2018

Officer with Forensic Service Unit taking photos of Southwestern Regional car in front of the bank, placing evidence numbers by items like the shell casing. @theeveningsun pic.twitter.com/3rkBeEKLvy  Dustin Levy (@DustinBLevy) May 31, 2018

Appears to be blood and clothing near a Southwestern Regional police car with its door ajar in the middle of the scene @theeveningsun pic.twitter.com/YrMgOcPAtS  Dustin Levy (@DustinBLevy) May 30, 2018

Police-involved shooting reported at Spring Grove bank, according to York County 911. Follow @DustinBLevy for updates from the scene. https://t.co/mtHQ8jhM3B via @theeveningsun @ydrcom  Brandie Kessler (@I_M_BrandieK) May 30, 2018

Police were called to the scene for a report of a disorderly subject.

Southwestern Regional Police and state police are at the scene of the incident.Opinions are what we think. They are what we believe.

They can't be confirmed with accuracy, but they yield incredible power and can be as strong and dominant as facts.

Jamar Thrasher (PennLive file)

Opinions can also change. Opinions can be influenced. Opinions can be dangerous and fatal. Opinions spur action, create change.

They influence how we interact with the world. But, most importantly, opinions are best when they are informed.

Last week, a group of 150 high school students from Philadelphia and Allegheny counties shared their informed opinions with state lawmakers on a school safety bill (SB383) that's now before the House Education Committee.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Don White, R-Indiana, would allow teachers, and possibly other staff, to carry guns in classrooms. The bill was approved by the Senate on a 28-22 in June 2017.

The students are a part of gun reform advocacy group CeaseFirePA's Motivating Young Citizens Project.

The project is a collaborative effort between the CeaseFire PA and the Coalition Against Violence Student Leadership.

During the 2017-18 school year, the students learned about gun violence, the traumatic aftermath of gun violence on individuals and communities, effective activism and advocacy, and governmental structure and engagement, said Shanon Williams, Director of Community Education at CeaseFire PA.

The students met with some legislators who represent their districts, including Democratic state Reps. Ed Gainey, Jake Wheatley, and Austin Davis, as well White, the bill's sponsor.

Under current law, there is no explicit ban on educators bearing arms. The idea behind the bill is that during a school shooting, armed educators would provide necessary and vital defense. They would be able to save lives.

The students also analyzed the possible motivations behind the legislation.

In 2018, on a typical love-filled Valentine's Day, a disgruntled man in Parkland, Fla., 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, unloaded bullets from an AR-15 assault rifle into his former high school which was brimming with students and teachers. He killed 17 people in the massacre.

Strength grew through grief.

Teenage Parkland survivors added their voices to gun policy conversations. In lightening speed, student voices began to dominate conversations on gun policy.

Student voices and participation in policy issues have long held powerful. During the Civil Rights movement, black college students staged protests to challenge racist segregation laws.

The majority of the students from Allegheny and Philadelphia Counties believed White's bill would harm black and brown students whose experiences with guns and gun violence might differ from rural or white students.

The students listened to opposing views in support of the Senate bill, but ultimately felt that the it would be too dangerous for their communities.

"Our theme of "We Need Justice, Too!" was to center the fact that the same people who are subjected to violence in society and the negative impact of policy are rarely if ever heard," Williams said.

Williams admitted that although CeaseFirePA advocates for gun policy reform, they wanted students to develop independent opinions that expressed how they felt about White's legislation.

A few students in the group thought the bill would be valuable.

In a crowded world, students must understand that their opinions are not the only opinions on an issue, and they must be able to tactfully listen and respond to opposing views.

An informed student with informed opinions will likely became an informed adult voter.

Well before a student begins to vote, they should know that they have a right to voice and share their opinions with everyone, including lawmakers and those with opposing opinions.

Students should be encouraged to speak up on issues that impact them and they should know that opinions that derive from critical thinking are most valuable

Students should be able to share their opinions on issues that impact them, because there is unbelievable power in that.

Jamar Thrasher, of Harrisburg, is a PennLive Opinion contributor. His work appears biweekly.One year since Exelon Corp. announced it would close its reactor on Three Mile Island, state legislators and industry leaders are still torn on whether to step in and keep the dying nuclear plant afloat.

But the clock is ticking as the plant is set to shut down in September 2019.

The impending closure of Three Mile Island is a reflection of the state's energy market: although more than 30 percent of the state's electricity comes from nuclear power, the low cost of natural gas energy overpowers the rest of the options.

The plant, which was built in the 1970s, employs about 675 people.

Legislators from the Nuclear Energy Caucus - a bipartisan effort made up of 80 elected officials from both chambers - are advocating for federal or regional officials to step in and save the nuclear industry in Pennsylvania, said Sen. Ryan Aument, R-Lancaster County.

"It's clear to me and most members of the caucus that there are flaws in the wholesale energy market," he added. "That's why, to date, we haven't pursued a state solution. Because like I and many of my colleagues are considered with putting PA rate payers on the hook for what really requires a national, federal fix."

If the federal government or the PJM Interconnection - which regulates power in Pennsylvania and 12 other states - don't step in, that's when state legislators will for a "temporary fix," Aument added.

Since its creation last year, no legislation has come from the Nuclear Energy Caucus. If there will be any legislation, it wouldn't be expected until early 2019, Aument said.

But, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hasn't budged. In early January, FERC rejected the Trump administration's plan to pay nuclear and coal plants for having at least 90 days of fuel stored on site.

"Other people will call it a bailout," said Rep. Tom Mehaffie (R-Dauphin) after a press conference on City Island on Wednesday with the Clean Jobs for Pennsylvania coalition. "That's not what this is. It's just the right thing to do."

Mehaffie was joined by several county commissioners including Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries and York County Commissioner Chris Reilly.

The Citizens Against Nuclear Bailouts - a lobbying group that includes the Marcellus Shale Coalition, AARP, the Pennsylvania Manufacturers' Association and the Pennsylvania Chemical Industry Council - said that Three Mile Island's impending closure is a "sign that competition is working."

The coalition doesn't oppose all solutions that could come from legislators, but it does oppose all proposals that would result in "adverse change in competitive markets," Kratz added.

"It would depend on what the federal and regional solutions are," said Steven Kratz, spokesman for the coalition. "Generally, we're against any action that would upend consumer electricity prices."

Gov. Tom Wolf is "concerned about potential layoffs" but recognizes the state's major role as an energy supplier, wrote Wolf's spokesman J.J. Abott in a statement.

"Governor Wolf believes we need a robust conversation about our energy economy and looks forward to engaging with the General Assembly about what direction Pennsylvania will go in regards to its energy sector, including the future of nuclear power.

Wolf and his staff are "actively monitoring" the issue and are ready to all review legislative proposals, Abbott added.Editor's note: Updates with response from Wolf's campaign

Sen. Scott Wagner will resign from his Senate seat on Monday to concentrate his efforts on unseating Gov. Tom Wolf in the November election.

Wagner submitted a letter to Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati, R-Jefferson County, indicating his intention to depart from the Senate seat he has held representing York County for the past four years.

Wagner won the Republican gubernatorial nomination in the May primary, beating out political newcomers Paul Mango and Laura Ellsworth.

Wagner's spokesman Andrew Romeo said in a statement, "Since winning his historic write-in campaign in 2014, it's been Scott's honor to serve the people of York in the state Senate. However, since Tom Wolf has taken office there has been nothing but gridlock in Harrisburg, and Scott realizes that the way he can bring about the most change and do the most good for the commonwealth is to devote all his time and energy toward getting elected governor and giving Pennsylvanians a different choice."

Gov. Wolf responded a couple hours later to the news, saying that Wagner's decision to resign "one week after skipping crucial votes to protect children in order to attend a political corporate policy summit, and one month before the budget deadline, proves that he is the very worst of Harrisburg."

The statement, issued by Beth Melena, communications director for the Wolf campaign, noted that Wagner was a confirmed nominee to attend the Republican Governors Association 2018 New York Corporate Policy Summit from May 22 to May 23.

During that time, she noted in the statement, that Wagner missed votes on keeping 17,000 sex offenders on Pennsylvania's registry, making domestic violence in the presence of children a separate crime, and requiring carbon monoxide detectors in child care facilities.

"Scott Wagner is only interested in furthering his own political ambitions, but his resignation does not erase his long record of supporting education cuts for our children, rolling back health care for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians, and throwing seniors out of their nursing homes," the statement said.

Sen. Scott Wagner's resignation letter by PennLive on ScribdTourists jump in the waves on Maya Bay, Phi Phi Leh island in Krabi province, Thailand, Thursday, May 31, 2018. The popular tourist destination of Maya Bay in the Andaman Sea will close to tourists for four months from Friday to give its coral reefs and sea life a chance to recover from an onslaught that began nearly two decades ago. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)FILE - In this May 25, 2018 file photo, Harvey Weinstein listens during a court proceeding in New York. Weinstein won't testify before the New York grand jury that's weighing whether to indict him on rape and other sex charges. A statement issued through a spokesman Wednesday, May 30, says Weinstein's lawyers decided there wasn't enough time to prepare him to testify. They say he learned the specific charges and the accusers' identities only after turning himself in Friday, with a deadline set for Wednesday afternoon to testify or not. (Steven Hirsch/New York Post via AP, Pool)A pedestrian walks past the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa, Oct. 18, 2013. The Supreme Court of Canada says a Jehovah's Witness who was expelled from his Calgary congregation cannot take his case to a judge. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean KilpatrickRussian journalist Arkady Babchenko speaks during an interview with foreign media, with the portrait of Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, right in the background, in Kiev, Ukraine, Thursday, May 31, 2018. Arkady Babchenko detailed the deception to reporters Thursday for the first time since Ukrainian authorities revealed they had staged his death to foil an alleged plot on his life by Moscow's security services. (Valentyn Ogirenko/Pool Photo via AP)FILE - In this May 24, 2018 file photo, Samantha Bee, host of "Full Frontal with Samantha Bee," poses at an Emmy For Your Consideration screening of the television talk show at the Writers Guild Theatre in Beverly Hills, Calif. Bee is under fire for referring to Ivanka Trump as a "feckless c---" on her TBS comedy show. White House press secretary Sarah Sanders on Thursday called Bee's language "vile and vicious." (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)Pirate offense sputters in loss The downpour of rain that drenched Pirate Field in the fourth quarter was probably an accurate representation of just how Perryville football coach Brent Roth and his team felt following the game.The 

Indians have fun in shutout victory over Bayless St. Vincent football coach Tim Schumer said that his team had a lot of fun on Friday night. The Indians scored early and often, then dominated on defense as they shutout Bayless 59-0 PETERSBURG, Alaska (AP)  A Petersburg teenager who intentionally ran down two deer with a pickup has pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor counts.

Alaska State Troopers say the 17-year-old boy on Tuesday pleaded guilty to harassing game and taking game with a motorized vehicle.

He was sentenced to 160 hours of community work service, 30 days of suspended jail time, and fined $3,000.

He will lose hunting privileges for a year and spend a year on probation.

Wildlife troopers investigated after people reported seeing video on a social media site of the pickup being intentionally driven toward t...Norway's Rystad Energy predict Guyana's oil production to surpass 600,000 bpd by the end of the next decade By Kaieter News GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 05 31 2018 The Norwegian oil and gas research firm, Rystad Energy, is predicting that Guyana could be raking in billions of dollars annually in oil revenue as the US-based oil giant, ExxonMobil, builds on its stunning exploration success offshore.



Rystad Energy said Guyana's policy to sweeten the pot with favourable fiscal terms has worked in kick-starting an industry that will bring in revenue many times the country's annual budget of US$1.3 billion.



It is also forecasting that 600,000 barrels per day (bpd) in production would skyrocket the country to the number one oil producer per capita in the world.



ExxonMobil's discovery of the Liza field in 2015 truly put Guyana on the global energy map, said Espen Erlingsen, head of Upstream Research at Rystad Energy.



We predict Guyana's total oil production to surpass 600,000 barrels per day by the end of the next decade. These volumes could generate total annual revenue of US$15 billion from the oil and gas industry. After all, costs are paid, around US$10 billion of profit could thus be split between the companies and the government, Erlingsen said.



He said that in the current fiscal regime, the government collects its share through a two percent royalty and a 50 percent profit oil levy.

Rystad Energy estimates that this will give the government 60 percent of the profit from the various projects (government take), while the remaining 40 percent will go to international E&P companies.



Erlingsen also noted an International Monetary Fund (IMF) report that the deal granted to ExxonMobil to develop the giant Liza discovery was overly favourable and suggested the country should consider rewriting its tax law.



However, Rystad Energy's analysis shows that for countries that only recently opened up for E&P activities otherwise known as frontier countries  such as the Falkland Islands, Israel, Mozambique and Mauritania  the government take is in the range of 50 to 65 percent.



This was corroborated by a Wood Mackenzie report that revenue realization from the project is right in the middle of the pack for a frontier oil area including being in the top 10 of African countries surveyed; in the top five in Europe; and fourth in the Americas.



In order to attract investments from international E&P companies to kick-start their offshore ambitions, frontier countries often need to sweeten the pot with favourable fiscal terms. Guyana has followed this pattern.



In retrospect, one can argue that the government has succeeded in generating the activity they were hoping for, said Erlingsen.



The question going forward will be whether the Guyanese government  emboldened by its stunning exploration success over the past three years  will elect to alter its fiscal regime when future licences are awarded. ________________________ Twitter: @petroleumworld1 Petroleumworld.com



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Kaieteurnewsonline.com 05 31 2018

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SPE Student ChapterGuyana must decide if it wants to be the next oil corrupted like Venezuela or the exception - Latin American Political Risk Analysis By Kiana Wilburg GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 05 31 2018 As an emerging oil producer, Guyana's authorities will face a unique opportunity. They must decide if Guyana will be the next Venezuela, where oil wealth is shackled to corruption; or, if it will be the exception, an example for others to follow.



This viewpoint was recently posited by Brazil's leading political analyst, Thiago de Aragao. The Brazilian official said that Venezuela holds some of the world's best oil reserves. But significant levels of corruption have prevented thousands of Venezuelans reaping the benefits.



Aragao said that a huge part of the problem has to do with how countries like Venezuela define corruption. He said that the definition of corruption for some states is what really determines the reaction by the nation's elected representatives.



Aragao said that if Guyana desires to be different, to use its oil wealth in a

transparent manner, then it needs to change the way it defines corruption.

The Director of the Latin American Political Risk Analysis said, I am not just pointing out Venezuela as being guilty of this problem but my country too. In Brazil, for example, there is a rule that you cannot bring more than US$500 in foreign products into the country.



But the majority do not declare it. Some say so what? That is not a big deal. Look at what (Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio) Lula da Silva did? He allegedly stole millions of dollars 



Aragao continued, What Guyana must understand that from this example is that corruption is not based on size or volume. It is bad regardless of the size. This is the mindset we have to change.



Policy leaders often excel in putting reasons forward to justify what they are doing And when that is not being done, they try to compare their actions with gestures that are far worse. By doing this, they think that their action is somehow acceptable.



The Brazilian official said that the Government of Guyana needs a message that says corruption is not tolerable regardless of the magnitude. He said that if politicians are allowed to get away with defining corruption based on size, then oil will fall prey to the clutches of mismanagement.



Even with the APNU+AFC Government in place, there is still a struggle to temper significant levels of corruption. In 2015, the Coalition Administration had commissioned close to 30 forensic audits on state agencies and various projects.



The reports on the findings showed that corruption was deeply entrenched in the day-to-day operations of the entities. This was further compounded by the fact that the reports of the Auditor General, Deodat Sharma, show on an annual basis that the nation still fails to deal with issues of mismanagement of funds and overpayments for previous and current years.



With such a history of corruption, many concerned citizens have wondered what this would mean for the oil wealth to come. ________________________ Twitter: @petroleumworld1 Petroleumworld.com



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Story by Kiana Wilburg from Kaieter News.



Kaieteurnewsonline.com 05 31 2018

Copyright 1999-2018 Petroleumworld or respective author or news agency. All rights reserved.



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SPE Student ChapterExxonMobil tight on cyber security impact in Liza well in Guyana

By Demerarawaves

GEORGETOWN

Petroleumworld 05 31 2018

ExxonMobil runs a very tight cyber security regime, including a ban on the use of USB ports, to minimise breaches that can potentially lead to an attack on its pipelines and other production facilities, the company's Chief Executive Officer, Darren Woods official said Wednesday.

Responding to a question from the floor at the company's shareholders' meeting in the United States about the protection of domestic infrastructure assets including production and pipeline , Woods said his corporation has recognised that threat very early and has since mitigated that risk by isolating the Internet from its core operations.

We have made sure that we have separated the critical process control computing systems for our plants and operations from the broader Internet systems that are out there so that we limit the ability for attacks to penetrate into our processing and operating computing systems and we have been very, very successful with that, he said.

The announcement comes at a time when Guyana and ExxonMobil are holding talks about running pipeline from the Liza well to the Mahaica coast to transport natural gas.

As part of the very substantial programme to check for viruses and harden the system, the ExxonMobil official said virtually all employees are banned from using USB ports and personal email addresses on the company's computers.

As an example, we don't allow any of our employees to use USB ports because one of the common things in our industry for viruses to get into computers are through these USBs- somebody finds a USB and places it into a computer so, as a way to mitigate that, we kinda shut that off from the majority of our computers, he said.

We don't allow people to use personal email on our computing systems because we found that a lot of the personal accounts find their way into our computing systems so we have eliminated that, he said.

Employees, he said, are tested on how to respond to an attacks and so far, ExxonMobil has recorded the lowest failure rate.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson has said that ExxonMobil would be landing a natural gas pipeline at an East Coast Demerara village to bring the gas ashore for use by the Guyana Power and Light to produce cheap electricity.

Patterson has been quoted by government's Department of Public Information as saying that natural gas and liquid petroleum plants will be constructed on 20 to 25 acres of an allocated area of 475 acres.

On Tuesday, during Court of Appeal hearings, lawyers for activist Ramon Gaskin raised concerns about liability by Hess and Nexen- two partners with ExxonMobil in the Guyana offshore basin- should an accident result in environmental pollution in Caribbean islands.

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PM Rowley thanks MP Mottley for work on Trinidad & Tobago energy committee

By TT Newsday

PORT SPAIN

Petroleumworld 05 31 2018

PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley thanked his former Cabinet colleague Wendell Mottley for helping to stabilise the energy sector, since the People's National Movement returned to government in September 2015. Speaking at a news conference at the Diplomatic Centre in St Ann's on Tuesday, Rowley praised Mottley as a patriot. He indicated Mottley had resigned from Cabinet's energy subcommittee. He is not in the best of health.

He said Mottley's tremendous wealth of experience, cool and calming demeanour were critical to bring us to the point where we are now in the energy sector. Thanks to Mottley, Rowley said the heavy lifting has been done and TT is confident going into talks soon with energy multinationals Shell and BP. Recalling discussions he held with those companies in London, the Prime Minister said the first result of that has been a US$260 million improvement in our earnings.

Rowley also said his visit to Australia last week, resulted in continued commitment by BHP Billiton to developing the energy sector. Mottley told Newsday he would not say yea or nay to anything Rowley said about him in the briefing, including resigning from the energy subcommittee.

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Saudis action on crude prices for real, US exports ahead of OPEC words: Russell

By Clyde Russell

LAUNCESTON, Australia

Petroleumworld 05 31 2018

Next month's meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is being touted as key to the outlook for crude oil prices, but a strong indication of what's likely will come next week.

Saudi Aramco, the state-owned producer of the world's largest crude exporter, will release its official selling prices (OSPs) for July-loading cargoes, and these in turn largely set the prices for much of the exports from the Middle East.

The problem with set-piece meetings like the OPEC gathering on June 22 in Vienna is that they focus tremendously on what is said, rather than what is actually done.

The OSPs, on the other hand, show exactly what the Saudis are doing in the oil market, and in some ways are a more important signal.

The Saudis have an opportunity with the July OSPs, likely to be released next week, to show they are serious about two issues currently dominating crude oil markets.

These are concerns about the tightness of global supply, especially in light of Venezuela's woes and the possible curtailment of Iranian exports, and the rising importance of the United States as an exporter, particularly to the major consuming region of Asia.

In recent months, Saudi Aramco has been lifting its OSPs to Asia, with the price for its benchmark Arab Light grade being set for June cargoes at a premium of $1.90 a barrel to the Oman/Dubai average, the highest since August 2014.

This increase was viewed by several refining customers as unexpectedly large, with Sinopec, Asia's largest refiner, showing its displeasure by cutting the volumes of Saudi crude it would lift in June, the second month in a row it decided against taking its normal allocation.

If Saudi Arabia is serious about raising crude output and boosting supply, one sure way of signalling this would be a sharp lowering in the OSP for July cargoes, with the cut being bigger than what would be justified by market fundamentals.

Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih and his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak met last week in St. Petersburg and discussed a gradual easing of the output curbs OPEC and its allies agreed to in November 2016, according to sources.

This led to crude prices stumbling, with Brent dropping 4.3 percent from $78.79 a barrel at the close on May 24 to $75.39 at the finish on Tuesday.

BALANCING ACT

The trick for the Saudis, the rest of OPEC and their Russian allies, is to ensure that crude prices remain anchored as close to $80 a barrel as possible, which seems to be a level that is a good compromise between meeting the fiscal needs of the producers without being high enough to prompt too much demand destruction.

The Saudis also have to balance the geopolitics of oil, striking a balance between their need for relatively high prices against the support of U.S. President Donald Trump in their struggle against regional rival Iran.

In some ways the wild card for the oil markets currently is the United States, which is becoming an increasingly important player in Asian markets.

Record U.S. crude shipments to Asia are expected in the coming months, with a senior executive at a U.S. oil company estimating that the country will ship some 2.3 million barrels per day (bpd) in June, of which 1.3 million bpd will head to Asia.

Vessel-tracking and port data compiled by Thomson Reuters Oil Research and Forecasts show that about 620,000 bpd of U.S. crude headed to Asia in the first five months of 2018, up from just 259,000 bpd in the same period last year.

However, if U.S. crude exports to Asia do surge to more than 1 million bpd in coming months, this could provide the Saudis and the Russians with an added incentive to make more oil available to the market, and at a more competitive price.

Again, there is a geopolitical angle, with China, the world's biggest crude importer, under political pressure by President Trump pressure to buy more from the United States in order to lower the U.S. trade deficit with China.

At the same time the Chinese have made their unhappiness with the recent Saudi price increases quite clear, meaning they would most likely want to see a substantial reduction before boosting their volumes from the kingdom.

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Traders saw it, over-extended oil prices were primed for a fall: Kemp

By John Kemp

LONDON

Petroleumworld 05 31 2018

Pay attention to what traders actually do, not what they say, is one of the most important principles for successful oil market analysis.

Despite all the bullish commentary around oil prices in recent weeks, there was plenty of forewarning prices were primed for a setback.

By the middle of April, hedge funds had accumulated a near-record net long position in crude and products futures and options equivalent to 1.4 billion barrels.

Bullish long positions outnumbered bearish short positions by an unprecedented ratio of almost 14:1, according to regulatory and exchange data ( tmsnrt.rs/2JcJGL7 ).

Front-month Brent futures prices continued to climb by another $8 per barrel over the next five weeks, with the focus on declining oil exports from Venezuela and new sanctions on Iran.

But a closer look at the market revealed plenty of signs the rally might be running out of momentum and was becoming increasingly vulnerable to a correction.

Hedge funds and other money managers were net sellers of petroleum futures and options in each of the five weeks between April 17 and May 22.

Bullish long positions were trimmed by 52 million barrels while the number of bearish short positions rose by 57 million.

The shift was even more pronounced in crude, where long positions were trimmed by 107 million barrels while shorts were boosted by 62 million.

Front-month Brent futures slumped from backwardation into contango, in part because so many hedge fund positions are concentrated at the front-end of the futures curve.

The physical Brent market too displayed increasing signs of weakness, with dated Brent prices falling into contango and reports of unsold cargoes.

Weakness spread along the futures curve, with the six-month Brent calendar spread easing from a sharp backwardation of $3.50 per barrel on April 26 to just $1.49 on May 29.

TRIGGER

Since the start of 2015, large concentrations of long or short positions by hedge funds in the oil market have usually heralded an imminent reversal in the recent price trend.

Lopsided positioning can cause a reversal even in the absence of significant new information about production or consumption (Why stock markets crash: critical events in complex financial systems, Sornette, 2003).

But in recent weeks several new pieces of information suggested the rally might run out of momentum and be thrown into reverse, at least temporarily.

Rapidly rising prices put the issue of demand destruction back on the agenda, with major forecasters starting to revise down their predictions for consumption growth in the second half of 2018 and 2019.

Rising crude prices have already pushed up pump prices in the United States and other oil-consuming countries to sensitive levels.

Average U.S. gasoline prices approached the politically sensitive $3 per gallon in recent weeks and began to draw increased attention from politicians.

On April 20, U.S. President Donald Trump blamed the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries for raising prices to unacceptably high levels with a message on Twitter.

On May 23, U.S. Senate Democrats, sensing a political opportunity, wrote to the president blaming OPEC for the rise in prices and calling on him to put pressure on the organisation and particularly Saudi Arabia to boost oil supplies.

Elsewhere, India's gasoline and diesel prices have surged to record levels, prompting the country's oil minister to blame OPEC for restricting production.

Brazil has seen a widespread truckers' strike blockading highways, after diesel prices hit record levels, forcing the government to cut fuel taxes.

OPEC, led by Saudi Arabia, and its non-OPEC allies, led by Russia, are increasingly blamed for the increase in oil prices by restricting their production despite strong growth in consumption.

Falling output from Venezuela and the prospective reduction in exports from Iran have highlighted how far OPEC and its allies are in danger of undershooting their collective production target for 2018.

Saudi Arabia is in a particularly delicate position because it has urged the United States to impose sanctions on Iran but does not want to be blamed for increasing motorists' fuel costs in a U.S. election year.

In response, OPEC sources have started to signal their willingness to increase output to compensate for losses from Venezuela and Iran, reversing their earlier position that output would be unchanged until the end of 2018.

Communications from OPEC about a possible production increase in the second half of 2018 seem to have provided the trigger for the sharp sell-off in oil prices that started on May 24.

But the pressure for a change of OPEC strategy had been intensifying for several weeks, and at least some traders had already begun to anticipate the shift by adjusting their positions well beforehand.

As always, it's what people do, not what they say, that matters.



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How Kinder Morgan canadian pipeline got billion-dollar bailout

By David Ljunggren, Liz Hampton, Gary McWilliams

OTTAWA/HOUSTON

Petroleumworld 05 31 2018

U.S. energy firm Kinder Morgan's C$4.5 billion sale of an oil pipeline to Canada's government marked an extraordinary escape from months of fraught negotiations among warring camps of Canadian officials.

But even before the bailout, the company had little to lose - despite the C$1.1 billion it has spent so far on a plan to add a second pipeline from Alberta's oil sands to British Columbia's coast, according to a Reuters review of the project's bank financing and oil-shipping contracts with producers reserving space on the proposed line.

The documents show Kinder Morgan cut creative deals with lenders and oil producers to shield itself from massive write-downs like the ones taken recently by rivals TransCanada Corp and Enbridge Inc in canceling controversial pipeline projects.

The arrangements, which have not been previously reported, gave Kinder Morgan unique leverage in threatening last month to walk away from the project by May 31 unless Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government guaranteed a path to construction over the objections of British Columbia officials, environmentalists and some aboriginal bands.

The company's cautious financial planning and hard-ball politicking combined to create a no-lose bet on what might have been one of the oil industry's riskiest plays, given the volatility of Canadian pipeline politics.

The firm's ultimatum made rescuing its Trans Mountain pipeline expansion a national emergency for Trudeau, thrusting the prime minister into a constitutional crisis over the limits of federal power and a political crisis in refereeing a feud between Alberta and British Columbia.

Trudeau argued the project must go forward to alleviate a crude transportation bottleneck that costs Canadian oil producers C$15 billion annually in forgone export revenue. The expansion would nearly triple the flow of crude through Trans Mountain pipelines, to 890,000 barrels per day.

Now, in a deal announced Tuesday, Canada will pay Kinder Morgan the C$1.1 billion it has spent and another C$3.4 billion for the existing pipeline and to compensate the firm for giving up the expansion's potential profits.

Kinder Morgan wins, said Brian Kessens, managing director at Leawood, Kansas-based investment firm Tortoise, which holds shares in Kinder Morgan Inc. That's a very fair price.

The rising costs of the pipeline expansion, he said, had cut its profit potential to just a little north of their cost of capital.

The firm's Chief Executive Steve Kean celebrated its exit from the troubled project.

This is a great day, not only for our company but for Canada, he said.

Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau said the government took the drastic step to resolve an exceptional problem, calling the deal the best way to protect thousands of good, well-paying jobs while delivering a solid return on investment for Canadians.

Kinder Morgan's leverage in the deal stemmed in part from careful risk management in earlier negotiations with the 13 oil producers who reserved capacity in the proposed line. The shippers agreed to cover about 80 percent of Kinder Morgan's capital costs  even if the second pipeline never gets built, the contracts show.

The shippers promised to pay those costs over time through tolls on shipments through the existing pipeline, and the contracts included an early termination clause to ensure the producers paid even if regulatory problems blocked the project.

The firm also negotiated with 26 lenders led by Royal Bank of Canada and TD Bank for a clause exempting the firm from paying a 2 percent penalty on funds drawn from up to C$5 billion in construction loans if it halted the project because of political problems, the documents show.

Another roughly C$220 million in financing, CEO Kean told analysts last month, came from assessments on oil producers shipping through Kinder Morgan's Westridge export terminal in Burnaby, British Columbia, which is targeted for expansion to accommodate the second pipeline.

Twelve of the 13 oil producers - including BP Canada, Teck Energy Sales, Andeavor and Canadian Natural Resources - did not respond to Reuters inquiries or declined to comment on their contracts with Kinder Morgan. Canadian oil producer Cenovus Energy did not comment directly on the contracts but issued a statement saying Canada's oil industry would continue to suffer from low prices and exports without new pipelines.

PLAYING A STRONG HAND

Kinder Morgan's threat to abandon the project forced Trudeau to back up his assertion that the federal government had the authority to approve the pipeline over a provincial effort to regulate it out of existence, said Bob Prasad, senior director at Allnorth, a Vancouver-based energy engineering and consulting firm that has worked on the project.

The ultimatum was a genius move on Kinder Morgan's part to move this project along - and put a date to it, Prasad said.

In response, federal and Alberta officials scrambled to rescue the project, promising to indemnify Kinder Morgan against further cost overruns from political roadblocks in British Columbia. Alberta officials went so far as to threaten cutting off oil supplies to British Columbia in retaliation.

At the same time, inside Kinder Morgan, one of the primary architects of its political and financial strategy, 43-year-old Dax Sanders, got a battlefield promotion last month - just as the pipeline's construction prospects never looked more bleak. Sanders, finance chief of Kinder Morgan Canada Ltd, now also serves as head of overall strategy for the Houston-based parent company, North America's second-largest energy infrastructure firm.

Sanders was unavailable for an interview Tuesday, a company spokesman said.

Robyn Allen - a vocal pipeline opponent and retired chief executive of an auto insurance firm - has long predicted the expansion would end in a government bailout. She opposed it specifically for that reason, unlike most other opponents who have cited fear of oil spills.

The Trudeau administration, she said, is paying C$4.5 billion for a pipeline that is more than 65 years old and assuming expansion costs she estimated could run as much as C$12 billion - far more than the firm's latest estimate of C$7.4 billion.

By using assets of the existing Trans Mountain pipeline to finance its expansion, Kinder Morgan made the two inseparable in the bailout, Allen said.

Now Kinder Morgan's U.S. shareholders will be made whole, she said. They have offloaded all of these costs onto Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Finance Minister Morneau declined to comment in a morning news conference on the costs to complete the project.

Finance Ministry spokesman Dan Lauzon, asked later on Tuesday about Allen's C$12 billion estimate, said the government's pipeline purchase was commercially viable and has the potential to add value for new investors.

TROUBLE AHEAD

Buying the pipeline hardly solves Trudeau's political problems. It merely buys him time, at the cost of a massive investment of taxpayer money into the nation's dicey oil transportation industry.

The government hopes to quickly resell the project to energy firms, a task made much harder by its tortured political history.

Though Trudeau asserts federal authority to approve the project, British Columbia officials could effectively bog it down for years in environmental studies, lawsuits and regulations that undercut its profit potential.

Trudeau could theoretically nullify any provincial law that effectively kills a federally approved project under a constitutional provision that hasn't been used since the 1940s. But that's unlikely given that his Liberal party relies far more on electoral support from British Columbia than from conservative Alberta.

The prime minister is already paying the political price.

Those of us who knocked on doors for him will not forget that he took billions of dollars from Canadian families to buy out an oil pipeline, said Tzeporah Berman, deputy director of Stand.earth, an environmental advocacy organization with offices in Vancouver.

The flack is flying from opponents on the right, too, including from Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer, head of the largest opposition party.

Trudeau's pipeline deal, Scheer said, does nothing to solidify federal authority or settle constitutional questions.

All he has done is force Canadian taxpayers to pay for his failure, Scheer said. He is trying to buy his way out of a problem. ($1 = 1.3013 Canadian dollars)

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Fuel distribution industry concentration aided strike - Brazil's minister

By Reuters

BRASILIA

Petroleumworld 05 31 2018

Brazil's fuel distribution market should be regulated to reduce concentration in a few hands, the country's Public Security Minister Raul Jungmann said on Wednesday, in the wake of a crippling truckers' strike.

Jungmann said the owners of distribution companies took part in the stoppage that almost brought the country to a halt and left gas stations and airports across Brazil with no fuel, disrupting road and air travel.

Brazil's supply lines were now returning to normal, he added.

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In terror of an AMLO win, workers for Mexico's second-richest man are told to vote against the poll leader



Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador or AMLO, as he is widely known, was the choice for president of 52% of those polled between May 24 and 27, up 4% from Reforma's previous poll on May 2. Executives implore workers not to vote out of anger'. Angst across corporate Mexico mounts as July 1 election nears. - Play Video - Mexico Candidate Anaya Adviser on Economy, Election.

By Andrea Navarro

MEXICO CITY

Petroleumworld 05 31 2018

In Mexico, there is perhaps no more luxurious shopping experience than a stroll through one of El Palacio de Hierro's 13 stores. At the Perisur location, an undulating, tempered-glass structure on the southern edge of Mexico City, customers can take home a $2,400 handmade Bottega Veneta purse or a $25,535 Bell & Ross men's sapphire-crystal watch.

The chain is owned by Alberto Bailleres, Mexico's second-richest man. This wealth -- nearly $11 billion, according to Bloomberg estimates -- has put him in the crosshairs of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the fiery leftist presidential candidate. To Lopez Obrador, Bailleres forms part of the Mexican mafia of power that needs to be reined in.

It's an unnerving message for Palacio de Hierro executives, especially because Lopez Obrador has opened up an 18-point lead over his nearest rival just one month before the vote. So on a recent weekday evening, they gathered Perisur staff in the mess hall for a mandatory meeting. Over the next 40 minutes, they hammered home the message again and again, according to employees present that night: Vote for whichever candidate has the best shot at beating Lopez Obrador; it's the best chance we have of preserving the economic system that allows us to employ you.

These kinds of tactics are suddenly becoming commonplace across Mexico. Supermarket chain Grupo Comercial Chedraui, mining giant Grupo Mexico SAB, cinema operator Cinepolis de Mexico SA, airline Grupo Aeromexico SAB -- all have begun to nudge their employees in one form or another to think carefully about who they vote for on July 1. Nothing more clearly underscores how rattled corporate Mexico is about the prospect of a Lopez Obrador victory and how high executives believe the stakes are.

Businessmen are very worried, their posture is very clear, said Alejandro Schtulmann, who runs political-risk consultancy Empra in Mexico City. Lopez Obrador hasn't kept his feelings to himself, and his discourse generates great uncertainty about the economic model that he's going to follow.

There's nothing necessarily illegal about the conversations. Experts say that while unseemly and heavy-handed, they fall into a gray zone as long as there's no actual coercion. And yet there's also no clear evidence they will be effective. The tack could even backfire. In a phenomenon similar to how Donald Trump's supporters seemed more determined to vote for him in 2016 the more they were urged by public figures to reconsider, some workers in Mexico said they were put off by the lectures -- and that they are not going to be dissuaded from voting for Lopez Obrador.

It's not fair, said one Palacio de Hierro worker, who like the others, asked not to be identified out of concern that he could be fired for discussing the matter publicly. They want to create fear.

At least three Palacio de Hierro locations held election conversations with employees. At Perisur, the meetings were staggered over three nights. Workers -- some of whom earn as little as $300 a month (or about one-eighth the cost of that Bottega Veneta purse) -- were ordered to attend one of them.

Inform Yourself'

The presentations included a six-minute election video created by ConcienciaMX , a group funded in part by the country's three main business chambers. The video's main message: You, and Mexico more broadly, are not as bad off as you think. Wages and purchasing power have risen in recent decades, utility services are better, overseas trade is booming and together, we can continue to improve Mexican society. Inform yourself and reflect before voting, the narrator says toward the end of the video as a graphic urges viewers not to cast a vote out of anger.

Palacio de Hierro said in a statement that it's involved in ConcienciaMX's independent movement to form a better country through the empowerment of Mexicans. The initiative involves various efforts to promote citizen participation and the free and secret vote, which is in agreement with our philosophy. At no time are we influencing the vote, or presenting proposals in favor or against any one candidate or party.

The company denied that it sought to push its employees to vote one way or the other. El Palacio de Hierro fully respects political preferences and reiterates its political neutrality, it said. What Is Populism?'

Election material has also been on display at Chedraui grocery stores.

Posters posing the questions What Is Democracy? and What Is Populism? were hung up in workers' rest areas. The posters go on to explain how Cuba and Venezuela are the region's only countries that don't hold free, democratic votes. These are thinly veiled references to common lines that Lopez Obrador's opponents use against him: that he's a populist just like Hugo Chavez who'll sink Mexico into the same kind of poverty and authoritarian rule that's ravaged those two countries. Lopez Obrador, while pledging to subsidize small farmers and halt the opening up of the oil industry, says he'll be a market-friendly president who has no intention of expropriating private businesses. His campaign declined to comment on the companies' election tactics. Chedraui confirmed its use of the posters, saying they're part of a broader campaign that seeks to lawfully inform employees about the importance of the election. The tactics may be legal, said Javier Martin, an associate professor at research center CIDE in Mexico City, but that doesn't make them right. Companies should know they're in a privileged position and should be more careful, he said. It's not a relationship between equals.

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At Greens Bridge, walking to car. Intially felt very afraid for no reason. then we saw creature on top of old abbey ruins. Thought it was a shadow. Noticed glowing red eyes. It screeched and took flight. huge wings. Black. Bird like but 10-11 feet tall. Wingspan was huge. The shriek was ear splitting. We got into car. It flew after us, stayed with car until we got to Bishops Meadows. Then quickly turned and we lost sight of it. Both friends and I got itchy eyes, then doctor gave me drops for pink eye after it got worse today. Told Watergate Theatre director nearby yesterday and he said this was seen in the late 1970s near Dunmore Cave. We all thought it was just a shadow. Stephen noticed the red, thought it was weird. Two glowing red intense lights. It opened wings and we realized they were eyes. Felt like a warning or a threat. - MUFON**********Around 2005 give or take a year, I went out at night in our village to water flower planters on the side of the road. Driving down the main street a group of teenagers laughing and walking fast had past me as I passed them. I watch them in the rear view mirror and thought about my own teenage years. Shortly thereafter I pulled my car around doing a U-turn and parked on the opposite side of the street. I unloaded some water for the planters and stepped onto the curb and the sidewalk. It was dark out and I had stepped into the light of a street lamp . Immediately I heard footsteps running towards me from over my right shoulder. Its startled me. A young man ran just passed me stopped and quickly, and very politely asked me if I had seen some kids to which I replied yes and pointed in the direction where I saw them going. He thanked me calling me maam turned and ran up the sidewalk into the night. I thought about how polite he was and then remembered that he was dressed unlike any teenager that I have seen recently. He was dressed in a cat and T-shirt jeans but not mother and jeans and flannel bottoms sneakers his hair was cut in an old fashion style and I saw that it unusual. There was something about him that seemed familiar. I began feeling that I had met my father when he was that age. When I drove home the first thing I did was call my parents and tell them that I thought I met my father when he was a young boy.It was a nice experience, whatever it was. The Other Kim**********Paducah, KY: On 11-14-08 at approx. 5:30 A.M. I woke up in my bed unable to move or scream. My girlfriend was sleeping right next to me, and my 93 pound Great Pyrenees puppy was asleep at the foot of my bed. I moved my eyes around to my avail on my left side I saw what looked like a rounded expandable antenna held by a white hand moving towards the side of my head. My dog was woken up and immediately jumped up off the bed and started growling and went into alert mode. (I'm a former Police Officer and K-9 Handler I work in Corrections Now and my dog is a working dog.) Then my dog got low to the ground and was out of my sight. The hand holding the antenna was now pointed at her and she stopped barking and growling. I then was able to move a little and was filled with unbridled rage. I moved my eyes to the left and saw my alarm it said 5:35 A.M. My left hand that had felt like it was being held down as I stated before being paralyzed now swung to my left with all the force in my body and made contact with a hard but latex feeling body. Immediately I jumped and looked to my left where this being was at previously and it was gone. And my alarm now stated it was 5:38 A.M. My girlfriend now woke up I told her to run into the living room and the dog followed her, I grabbed my 9mm Glock went into my living room cleared that room and cleared my apartment. I do not know what this was and why it had happened but I prayed to Jesus Christ to help me and he did. I have had many strange experiences but not on this magnitude and have always felt like I am being watched. I work 11pm to 7pm so I don't have to sleep at night. I work in corrections now so someone is always around be it another staff member or an inmate or my dog. I can never have enough weapons either I am always buying a new gun every few months, and just always feeling like some one is going to try and take me or invade my home. If someone could help me out with this please do so, or maybe just a few helpful words of encouragement from people that this is! happening to as well. Thank You. -****************************************I really couldn't get enough of Holly Otterbein and Andrew Seidman's recent report on how residents in the South Philly neighborhood where Mayor Kenney grew up are feeling about his first two years as mayor.

To say that they are not feeling the love is a huge understatement. They charge that "Jimmy" has forgotten where he came from. They seemed to think that up until he was elected mayor Kenney, as an Irish Catholic, former Mummer, and son of a firefighter, would have their back in a rapidly changing Philadelphia.

With all due respect, how delusional can you be?

Kenney has been a genuine, progressive ideologue for some time. As such, about all that they should expect is that Kenney might tolerate the culture of the white, working- and middle-class voters that Otterbein and Seidman interviewed at Mick Daniels Saloon and Mifflin Tavern in South Philly. The residents are surprised that Kenney moved out of the neighborhood and now lives in Old City. The only thing that might be a bond is that both parties support strong unions.

However, on such issues as Philadelphia being a premier sanctuary city, there is no way to paper over the divide. Frank Rizzo, the former mayor and police commissioner, was a hero in South Philly, and Kenney's compliance with the need for the New Philadelphia to purge his statue and dishonor his memory doesn't sit well in Jimmy's former neighborhood.

However, the touchstone for the divide involves the Mummers. These neighborhoods are the heart of Mummery. Kenney has turned the sensitivity police on the Mummers and seems to be creating a newer version that doesn't sit well with people like the woman at the Mifflin Tavern who said, "In a lot of neighborhoods, you have kids out on the streets doing drugs, while mine's in the club gluing feathers to a plume."

In the circles that Kenney moves in now, I think many of the people would be happy with doing away with the parade or at least diminishing it. These are the people who lecture endlessly about respecting and elevating various cultures, but can't see any value in the traditions and history of the people who proudly march.

I think what comes through this report is that the people in South Philly thought they had a champion of their way of life in Kenney. Part of my fascination with Kenney is that we have so much in common, but our worldview is so different.

We both grew up in South Philly. We both went to La Salle University. He is the son of a firefighter and I'm the son of a cop. We are both the first in our family to graduate from college. Where did he go wrong? Kidding.

However, my background tells me that I know that the South Philly way says you mind your own business and means you don't tax people to stop them from drinking soda because it's bad for them. Kenney's Old City way says he knows better and you are duty-bound to stop drinking soda.

The South Philly way says if a business owner such as Starbucks tells you to leave their place, you leave and if the cops arrive and arrest you, it's your fault. The Old City way doesn't accept that reality and figures that cops don't exercise good judgment and have to be stopped from overreacting.

The South Philly way loves cars even though there is not exactly a lot of room to park. The Old City way worships the protected bicycle lanes and revels in the days that motor traffic is shut down across vast stretches of Philadelphia.

Kenney is not faking any of this to just appease the progressives that make up a large part of his coalition. He is genuine, and he is driven to create a progressive utopia in Philadelphia.

John Dougherty, the head of Philadelphia's building trades, told the reporters that Kenney hasn't forgotten his roots. "He just understands that the world is much bigger than our neighborhood, where I still live."

My hunch is the people who are calling out Kenney at the Mifflin Tavern and Mick Daniels Saloon will not be very welcome in that world.

Teacher-turned-talk show host Dom Giordano is heard 9 a.m. to noon weekdays on WPHT (1210-AM). Contact him at www.domgiordano.com On Twitter: @DomShow1210The University City Science Center complex stretches east toward Center City along both sides of Market Street from 38th Street (foreground) to 34th Street . This fall and winter, the center plans to shut 20,000 square feet of lab space at 3711 Market St. and 3624 Market St. At the same time, a large new center tenant is opening 22,000 square feet of new lab space  at much higher rents  at the centers 3675 Market St. building. Some startups are crying foul. Read more

Philadelphia's old brick residential neighborhoods aren't the only part of the city that's being gentrified.

The same thing is happening to University City's rental lab space, where some rents are quadrupling. It's a sign of success and the flood of investment boosting biotech firms. But it's also a threat to start-ups that could force brainy start-up leaders to flee to cheap space in the suburbs or go out of state, some university officials, start-up founders and young scientists say.

This fall and winter, the center plans to shut 20,000 square feet of lab space at 3711 Market St. and 3624 Market St., housing 19 small companies. At the same time, a large new center tenant, Massachusetts-based Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC), is arranging with lab operator BioLabs to open 22,000 square feet of new lab space and a larger office area at the Science Center's 3675 Market St. building.

Those updated labs will then lease memberships for a higher price  $2,500 a month  versus current rates that work out to around $600 for similar space, or less for start-ups subsidized under existing programs. To ease the price shock, the new operator has offered a special $1,500-a-month rate for the first six months for firms that move into the new Cambridge space instead of leaving the neighborhood or shutting down.

The move affects the area with a big concentration of labs and it makes out-of-state venture capitalists the neighborhood's start-up landlords. CIC, which also has sites in St. Louis, Miami and the Netherlands, is headed by Tim Rowe, partner in Cambridge, Mass., and Reston, Va., venture capital firm Mid Atlantic Ventures. BioLabs is headed by Johannes Fruehauf, partner in BioInnovation Capital, of Boston.

The science center, a 55-year-old nonprofit consortium of Penn, Drexel and other institutions, controls 11 prime blocks and more than two million square feet of rental space along Market and Chestnut Streets next to the Penn and Drexel campuses. It rents offices to professors, doctors, businesses, government agencies and other tenants  and is adding stores and apartments as it plans to more than double its footprint  in what has become one of the region's highest-rent districts.

But under its series of chief executives, most recently Stephen Tang, who left last winter to serve as chief executive of OraSure in Bethlehem, the center and its board have proclaimed its mission is more than that of a landlord: It also helps science-based businesses grow up next door to the universities, in hopes they will add jobs to a town where most big employers are hospitals and colleges and few are homegrown tech firms.

Outsourcing lab managers "was a strategic decision," Science Center spokeswoman Jeanne Mell said. By leaving labs to CIC and its "higher level of service," the center fits better with an "emerging national trend."

Mell said that leaves the center to get out of the lab landlord business and "focus on what we do best," connecting start-ups and their owners "to our network of investors, subject matter experts, advisors and mentors," and large companies to help bring startup products to market.

Does jacking up rents fit UCSC's mission of keeping young companies in Philadelphia? Mell deferred pricing questions to CIC. Its managing director, Doug Sherwood, maintained in an email that the old and new rates are "not comparable" because his company charges a membership fee for expanded services, not a lab-bench or floor-space rate.

He said CIC has boosted biotech tenants in Cambridge, Mass., and that Philadelphia, with its innovative cluster of medical schools, is ripe for similar treatment. Asked whether his company demanded the center shut its lower-priced labs as a condition for Cambridge's new ones, Sherwood wrote, "we're not going to disclose the terms and details of our leases."

With the higher prices, University City could face "a bit of an artificial shortage" of lab space once the science center shuts its two sets of labs, said Roy Rosin, chief innovation officer at Penn Medicine and a key contact with the private sector. (Rosin is a board member of the Lenfest Institute, which owns Philadelphia Media Network, which operates the Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com.) "I don't want to see a situation where lack of affordable space negatively impacts the Philly ecosystem," he added.

To be sure, a landlord's bet that a market can support higher rents is one sign of success. Professor-founded biotech hopefuls such as Spark Therapeutics and Tmunity have attracted multi-million-dollar private investments, and can afford newer, more modern labs and services.

But "that doesn't eliminate the need for space that can be a springboard for younger high potential companies that don't yet have that same ability to pay," Rosin said.

Significant increases in lab rents "could force some outstanding start-ups to make the difficult decision to leave Philly and the University City destination, where we'd like a high density of talent and frequent interactions with Penn. I don't want to see that happen."

Penn has tried to ease pressure on start-ups in part by building Pennovation, an engineering and lab center at the former DuPont Co. Marshall Labs paint factory in South Philly's Grays Ferry, where start-ups fit onto lab benches next to Penn-scholar-staffed projects sponsored by Comcast, Hershey, Qualcomm and other big corporations. But it's not enough, Rosin said. "The waiting list indicates we still need more start-up space."

Among the start-up CEOs weighing difficult options as the Science Center plans to shut her lab is Brianna Wronko, a 2017 Penn grad who's been working in Penn science and engineering labs since before she was in college.

Corporate labs in Montgomery and Bucks Counties have been repurposed for small biotech firms, said real estate broker Paul Touhey, senior vice president at CBRE's Philadelphia office. "There's a need for lab space [compared to] more than five years ago. We have a lot of interest," he said.

Will start-ups be forced elsewhere? "They might. If it's great technology they'll get investors somewhere."Distrito in Moorestown Mall, as seen before its opening in July 2014. Read more

Distrito's Moorestown Mall location will close after business Thursday, May 31, as Jose Garces tightens his restaurant empire before an auction next month in bankruptcy court.

On Wednesday, Garces told staffers  including 34 full-time employees  that the Mexican restaurant, open just shy of four years, that they would be offered jobs elsewhere in the company in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, his spokeswoman said.

Companies sometimes shed poor-performing assets before a sale, just as Vetri Family closed its Osteria location at the same site in Moorestown in 2015 before its sale to Urban Outfitters. That sale was not bankruptcy-related.

Distrito's University City location is unaffected. The spokeswoman said no other Garces restaurant closings were in the offing.

Garces emphasized that operations at the company, including a catering division, would continue after the auction. His spokeswoman said the strategy was to focus on managed-service contracts, in which Garces manages restaurants rather than owning them. She said future restaurants at the new Ocean Casino in Atlantic City would be subject to that kind of arrangement.

Moorestown Mall operator PREIT is working with a replacement restaurant tenant, a spokeswoman said Thursday.

Bankruptcy Judge Jerrold N. Poslusny this week cleared the way for an auction of the Garces restaurants on June 26, with a hearing to announce the winning bidder on June 28. The auction proceedings likely will be conducted behind closed doors at a Center City law firm.

The leading bidder  the "stalking horse," in legal parlance  is Ballard Brands, a restaurant company based in Covington, La. The floor price will be about $6.8 million. Ballard has offered to make good on outstanding gift cards and catering deposits.

Poslusny dismissed petitions by two Garces investors to thwart the bankruptcy filing, ruling that operating agreements for Amada, Village Whiskey, Tinto, and the Olde Bar gave Garces the authority to file.

Poslusny ruled that Garces did not have authority to file on behalf of Buena Onda, his taqueria.

In a statement after the dismissal, Garces said: "Today is a proud day for me. This ruling proves that I have adhered to fair and legal business practices. It not only confirms claims made by these investors completely false, but also that they are the ones that have perpetrated a litigious sham based off contrived ignorance on how we have run our business for more than a decade."

Garces is likely to emerge after the bankruptcy as a player within the winning bidder, though his role is not known. Testimony in Bankruptcy Court has indicated that Garces and the company brand have significant power.

It is unknown how the sale proceeds will be divided among creditors.

Most of the buyout money would go to M&T Bank of Buffalo, N.Y., a secured creditor owed about $7 million. It has liens on Garces' restaurants and his home and farm.

Garces, 45, has blamed his financial woes on the impact of the 2014 closing of the Revel casino in Atlantic City, which housed four successful Garces restaurants, and the recent failure of an Amada restaurant in New York City.Just about every railroad track in SEPTA's system  and PATCO's, too  was placed where it is to get workers to jobs. When those systems were built, that meant getting into Philadelphia.

A lot has changed since those rails were put down in the first half the 20th century; Philadelphia isn't the employment hub it was then. Now, about 232,000 people, close to 40 percent of the city's working population, leave the city each day for their jobs. And suburban employment is diffuse, decentralized, and for many of the city's poor, virtually inaccessible.

>>READ MORE: The long ride

While redesigning SEPTA's service and encouraging more employers to come to the city or locate near transit hubs may be long-term solutions, the Philadelphia Unemployment Project is trying to respond to today's reality. Its executive director, John Dodds, noted that about 80 percent of the region's commuters get to work by driving, but 36 percent of Philadelphians don't have a car. The PUP has created a car-pool service to get workers to suburban jobs not easily accessible by public transportation.

"The way the suburbs are set up," Dodds said, "they're set up for cars."

So far he has 64 people who take advantage of 13 car pools, a tiny number in the context of Philadelphia's 25 percent poverty rate, the worst of any big city in the country. He believes, though, that a scaled-up car-pool service is a viable supplement to connect the city's poor with jobs. Yet even as Dodds considers a broader service, he's facing the possibility of losing what already exists.

The 12-year-old program has had multiple sources of funding over the years but more recently has relied heavily on PennDot to provide the $367,000 budget. State funding requires a 15 percent match, but the program has had trouble finding the money. It has now turned to the city, which has never contributed to the program. Dodds is concerned that Mayor Kenney has not yet committed to including in the coming year city budget the $55,000 needed to sustain the program. The program does have the support of 13 of Philadelphia's 17 Council members.

At a news conference Wednesday at City Hall, Dodds, City Council members, and car-pool participants pleaded not just for the matching funds needed, but for a $250,000 commitment from the city  enough money to expand the program to aid 300 people.

"We've got to find a way to make this system work," said Randy Barge, pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Olney. "SEPTA is not going to be able to provide bus service throughout the suburbs."

The mayor's office sidestepped the question of whether Kenney would support the request for funding, saying it was working with SEPTA on projects like trolley modernization and an upgrade to the bus network to improve job access.

PennDot reported that it could continue funding the program conditionally, but a municipal source of funding would have to be found.

Darryl Douglass, 62, gets to a manufacturing job in Swedesboro, N.J., by meeting a car-pool driver on John F. Kennedy Boulevard about 1:15 p.m. each workday. The 30-minute commute takes a third the time it would take for him to try to get to the job by public transportation, which would involve a bus ride and walking more than a mile.

"I wouldn't be going over to Jersey unless I was guaranteed a ride there and back," he said.

The PUP finds riders and drivers from job-placement organizations. Drivers are selected from those who have licenses and are approved by Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which provides the vehicles. The drivers are given the vehicles to use as their own within some limits, as long as they provide rides to others, Dodds explained. Drivers and riders alike pay $6-a-day round trip.

Council members Cherelle Parker and Helen Gym spoke in favor of the program. Parker described it as a tool that could boost people living in city neighborhoods at Philadelphia's borders.

"This is about neighborhood preservation for me," Parker said.

Whether a car-pooling service is an effective answer to the disconnect between workers and jobs is uncertain, though. Seattle offers a van share and van pool program that served about 11,000 riders in 2016, according to King County Metro. But Philadelphia's unemployment rate of about 5 percent, or close to 50,000 people, may be more significant than a pool service can effectively address.

>>READ MORE: An 'uncomfortable' life: Philly still America's poorest big city

"The hardest thing you can ask public transit to do is to really serve low-density and scattered locations," said Jon Orcutt, communications director for the New York philanthropic organization TransitCenter. "It's one of the things we don't do well in the United States is to sort of match up where people are to where they need to be."

Gym, in an interview after the event, acknowledged that car pooling wouldn't solve the problem of unemployment and job access but said that broadening this service was a step toward getting past municipal divides and thinking of employment as a regional problem.

"Programs like this help you get started," she said, "help you get started."

Philadelphia Media Network is one of 19 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city's push toward economic justice. Read more at brokeinphilly.org or follow @BrokeInPhillyNothing signals the death of a shopping mall or a downtown retail district quite like the loss of its main anchor store. So, when the Macy's in Ardmore's Suburban Square went dark two years ago, some wondered whether the art deco complex, one of America's oldest and most elegant open-air malls, would be the next to fall to the e-commerce juggernaut.

In a way, it already had. Macy's was doing so little business that Suburban Square's owner, Kimco Realty, decided to put the store out of its misery by buying back the company's lease, effectively kicking the store out of the mall. Given how many "ghost box" anchors already loom over the nation's highways, it was a risky move. What retailer would want a four-story, limestone-clad, former department store?

There's a happy ending to this story, and it tells you something important about where retail is headed in America. The former Macy's store  originally built in 1930 for Strawbridge & Clothier  has been reinhabited by Life Time, a company known for its high-end fitness centers. But its new Suburban Square location is much more than a place to work out: The 80,000-square-foot branch includes a full floor of coworking space, a child-care facility with studios for both kiddie yoga and Spanish classes, a full-service beauty salon, and a cafe whose menu runs from protein shakes to fresh-cooked harissa chicken platters. Instead of trying to sell you the latest clothing fashions, Suburban Square's new tenant offers you an entire lifestyle. After all, it expects you to buy your clothes online.

We've heard a lot about how the internet is killing the mall, but much less about how traditional downtowns are coping with the decline in brick-and-mortar shopping. Nearly 10 percent of our purchases were made online in the first quarter of 2018, double what it was a decade ago. While Suburban Square isn't exactly part of Ardmore's historic downtown, it's an interesting hybrid that offers useful lessons for urban shopping streets that are trying to adapt to the changing market.

To keep Suburban Square occupied, Kimco has reduced its emphasis on stores that sell the kind of commodities you take home in a shopping bag, in favor of ones that offer experiences  what economists call the "experience economy." The company is looking for more internet-proof tenants, including restaurants, walk-in health clinics, gyms, hair salons, music clubs, and unique specialty retailers. It's also planning to build apartments next to Suburban Square as a way of creating a built-in market for its commercial tenants. "We want people who will come here two to five times a week," Kimco's Tom Simmons, who heads the Mid-Atlantic division, told me.

Life Time opened its doors only a month ago, but plenty of eager customers already seem to be streaming through its doors. The coworking space, called Life Time Work, has sold out its 120 membership spots. On a weekday morning, I saw entire families descend on the building. After dropping toddlers at child care, one parent headed up Strawbridge's lacy metal staircase to the treadmills, while another took the elevator to the fourth-floor coworking office. Families later regrouped for lunch in the restaurant (called Life Cafe, of course). Some wandered outside to enjoy the new pocket park that Kimco just created by replacing a former delivery zone with turf and chairs.

According to the James O'Reilly, who helped start Life Time's coworking division, combining fitness and coworking in one place is a new approach. It seems like a perfect marriage, especially with up to three hours of child care a day bundled into the membership fees, which range from $179 to $750 a month. O'Reilly noted that more people are working remotely, up from 21 percent in 2012 to 34 percent today, and more are trying care for children during the workday.

One of the people I found hunkered down over a laptop in the sun-drenched coworking space was Bill Luff, a self-employed real estate consultant. Because the suburbs have so few coworking options, he used to commute to Pipeline in Center City. Now he walks over to Life Time from his Ardmore home. He spends 50 minutes working out and "taking a beautiful steam," before settling down at 7 a.m. at a long common table to prepare for client meetings. Free coffee and healthy snacks are in the kitchen.

If Luff needs to do business in Philadelphia, he can grab a SEPTA train at the station next to Suburban Square and be in Center City in under 20 minutes. Because Amtrak trains stop in Ardmore, the coworking space has been a popular option for people who work remotely for New York companies. "My global headquarters is very happy here," Luff joked, although he admits that he keeps a membership at Pipeline.

Suburban Square did have a traditional office building before Life Time opened. But Steven Gartner, a retail specialist at CBRE's Philadelphia office, believes the fitness-coworking combination will change the dynamic because it brings "people at odd hours." Adding to the new mix is a West Elm furniture store, which took a small corner in the Macy's building. The complex is now 88 percent leased, Simmons said.

This summer, the company plans to start construction on a two-story, mixed-use building next to the train station, with a restaurant on the ground floor. The project includes an outdoor dining space. Both Gartner and Simmons told me that statistics show American consumers now spend more money on prepared foods, from both restaurants and takeout, than they do on groceries.

Still, a shopping street dominated by restaurants doesn't sound very exciting. Manayunk's Main Street, which has lost many of its old retailers, is increasingly dominated by food purveyors. But the former Pottery Barn store is about to be converted into a coworking space called Kismet by Christopher Plant, a local Realtor. That building had been sitting empty for years.

Traditional retail certainly isn't dead, but the mix is often less satisfying. While Simmons believes Center City's high-end shopping streets are stronger than ever, landlords still tend to favor reliable, but boring, tenants, such as banks and phone stores. That is playing out at the intersection of 17th and Walnut, perhaps Philadelphia's most desirable corner, which will soon have three banks. Citizens Bank just leased the space that was previously occupied by Aerosoles, a shoe store, Gartner told me. It's also ironic that the new Alexander tower, at 16th and Vine, which was designed with a row of finely detailed shop windows, ended up leasing the entire ground floor to a day care.

Because "the Amazon effect on retail is unavoidable," O'Reilly said, the trick is to look for tenants that encourage interaction, such as an Apple store, coworking space, or music clubs. You can chalk those tenants up as experience.MSNBC hosts Chris Hayes and Joy Reid take a selfie on the stage of the Prince Theater on Tuesday before the taping of their show, Everyday Racism in America. Read more

Once again, MSNBC and AM Joy host Joy Reid are facing questions over contentious, decade-old posts that have surfaced from her former blog.

In two separate March 2006 posts on the blog, the Reid Report, Reid echoed "truthers" who claim al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden were not behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

In one post, archived by WayBack Machine and recently uncovered by Buzzfeed, Reid encouraged readers to watch Loose Change 9/11, a viral documentary that promoted a debunked conspiracy theory that the U.S. government was behind the Sept. 11 attacks. The film was co-produced by Info Wars host Alex Jones, a far-right conspiracy theorist who is being sued by the parents of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre for claiming the school shooting, which resulted in the death of 20 children and six adults, was a "false flag" operation designed to promote harsher gun control laws.

In another blog post, Reid repeated a common question asked by conspiracy theorists about the collapse of 7 World Trade Center, which was not hit by the airplanes involved in the attack.

"Somehow I think it will be a generation before we get the full story on what happened on 9/11?" Reid wrote in the post.

MSNBC and NBC News did not respond to a request for comment. On social media, Reid has remained silent about the newly unearthed blog posts.

In December 2017, Reid apologized for "insensitive, tone-deaf and dumb" posts on the same blog that claimed then-Florida Gov. Charlie Crist was gay and only married a woman to help his political career. "Let me be clear: At no time have I intentionally sought to demean or harm the LGBT community, which includes people whom I deeply love," Reid said in a statement. "My goal, in my ham-handed way, was to call out potential hypocrisy."

Reid again came under fire last month when more blog posts, in which she claimed being gay was a "lifestyle" and "immoral," were uncovered. She initially claimed she had proof the posts were hacked and the FBI was investigating the situation, but later backed off and said she doesn't "believe" she wrote them.

"I've spent a lot of time trying to make sense of these posts. I hired cybersecurity experts to see if somebody had manipulated my words or my former blog," Reid said on AM Joy. "And the reality is they have not been able to prove it."

After the homophobic posts were revealed, many of Reid's on-air colleagues publicly voiced their support for the embattled host, who has not faced any repercussions from MSNBC over the posts. Among those voicing support was Rachel Maddow, MSNBC's most prominent personality, who wrote on Twitter she had "never been prouder to work" with Reid.

Despite the outpouring of support, the LGBTQ advocacy organization PFLAG rescinded an award it had planned to give to Reid, who has acknowledged that, like many people, her views on the gay community have changed dramatically in the years since the blog posts were written.

"The person I am now is not the person I was then. I like to think I've gotten better as a person over time  that I'm still growing, that I'm not the same person I was 10 or five or even one year ago," Reid said. "And I know that my goal is to try to be a better person and a better ally."

In the wake of the posts revealed last month, the Daily Beast suspended Reid's column and assigned cybersecurity reporter Kevin Poulsen to investigate claims Reid's blog had been hacked. Poulsen found that evidence of a hacking provided by Reid's attorney fell apart under scrutiny.

"It's possible that in the end Reid will discover her adversary isn't a determined hacker, but a far more dogged foe: The Joy-Ann Reid of years past, writing in a voice she can no longer recognize as her own," Poulsen wrote.Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell in the final episode of The Americans, which aired Wednesday night on FX Read more

Warning: This post discusses plot points from Wednesday's series finale of The Americans. Reader discretion is advised.

For six seasons it's been impossible to watch FX's The Americans without wondering what the end game could possibly be for Reagan-era Russian spies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell), whose seemingly quiet suburban lives were a cover for espionage and murder.

On Wednesday night, we got our answer in "Start," the 87-minute finale written by showrunners Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, which defied my belief that this thing could only end badly by ending very well indeed.

Oh, not exactly happily. Or justly, if your sense of right and wrong demands that murderers and spies should be punished under the law, no matter what their motives were or how well they wore their wigs (or packed a suitcase).

After executing an escape plan that hadn't included a harrowing parking-garage confrontation with their no longer friendly (or clueless) neighborhood FBI agent Stan Beeman (Noah Emmerich), Philip and Elizabeth  do we call them Mischa and Nadezhda now?  escaped to the Soviet Union with their lives.

But without their children, who are, it seems, the Americans their parents never could be.

Paige (Holly Taylor), who'd already turned her back on the family business, in the end turned her back on her parents, too, slipping off the train on the U.S. side of the Canadian border to choose a highly uncertain future in the land of her birth rather than leave her brother behind.

Her brother, innocent, away at boarding school, and, as always, out of the loop, wasn't given that choice. I imagine Henry (Keidrich Sellati) spending holidays with Stan in the years that followed, and now in middle age, still haunted by that last phone call with his parents and by the memory of his eagerness to get them off the phone so he could get back to his friends. Or maybe all these years later, in 2018, he's just grateful to have been left behind?

Will Renee (Laurie Holden) be there next Thanksgiving, too? Because Philip's parting gift to Stan, along with Henry, was this comment about Stan's second wife, who's lately been so interested in getting a job at the FBI herself:

"I don't know how to say this, but I think there's a chance Renee might be one of us. I'm not sure."

Way to light the fuse, buddy.

A few other quick thoughts about Wednesday's finale, which I suspect I'll be thinking about for a while:

The Americans was at the top of its music game, with Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" and U2's "With or Without You" used to heartbreaking effect. (And thanks to the Washington Post's Hank Stuever for mentioning Tchaikovsky's "None But the Lonely Heart," which I'd missed.)

I don't know why Stan let them go, but I'm choosing for now to believe that it was the prospect of watching over Henry, a kid he loved like his own, that tipped the scales. Because that might be the only way he could live with himself, and Henry's going to need him.

I've seen Elizabeth kill again and again, and I still found her denial  was it as much for Paige as for Stan?  pretty convincing. She's as good an actress as the woman who plays her.

Philip talking to Stan about friendship was killer, but Rhys' finest moment had to be the one where he stopped fighting and just said, "We had a job to do."

I'd first seen the finale a few days ago, and that parking-garage scene (and, really, most of the episode) still had my heart pounding.

Does this mean that the Jenningses saved Mikhail Gorbachev? And if so, does that mean Oleg Burov (Costa Ronin) will eventually get to go home?

When The Americans began, part of the point was to show that time could change our perception of onetime enemies. That that hasn't entirely worked out in the real world isn't the writers' fault, of course, but recent seasons have resonated with me differently, despite the 1980s setting.

My favorite finales are often the ones where the major characters survive but we just don't see them anymore. At a time in television when nothing can be guaranteed to stay dead, it would probably be good to make that the rule.

I'm not saying I want a Paige and/or Henry spinoff, but I could see myself being curious about the Jenningses' return to a homeland they barely recognize.

Your thoughts about the finale?

Read more: Spies like us, or just spies we like?Emily Hill of Philadelphia (left) cries as she is hugged by Jhas Williams-Wood during a rehearsal for This Is My Brave. Read more

Elise Seyfried, who never cared for shopping, suddenly started spending four days a week at the mall and binge-buying dozens $200-a-pop high heels.

It was like a flipped switch. The 40-something "good girl" was putting on too much makeup, wearing skimpy clothes, and reading only fashion magazines. Then she started cursing  a lot, for this church-going mother of five. Seyfried was go-go-go, writing a 50,000-word novel in eight  mostly sleepless  days and nights. That is when she wasn't crying inconsolably, for no apparent reason.

In hindsight, her bizarre behaviors were classic manic-depressive symptoms. But at the time, when a friend suggested she seek help and offered the name of a therapist, Seyfried was furious. "I got up in a huff and walked out," said the Oreland, Montgomery County, woman, now 61 and taking medication to treat bipolar disorder. On June 10, she and 14 others will share their mental-health struggles in a 90-minute production called This Is My Brave  The Show.

"I'm a storyteller, and I believe in the power of the personal story, almost more than anything else you can say," said Seyfried, who writes and speaks about her illness. "In the realm of mental health, where it's such a taboo subject still, it's really important for people to be brave enough to stand up, identify themselves, and talk about their illness."

This Is My Brave, which is making its Philadelphia debut at the Painted Bride in Old City, sold out of its first performance in 2014 in Arlington, Va., and this year has planned 20 shows around the United States and beyond, a record, said Jennifer Marshall, co-founder and executive director of the international organization.

"That's our number-one goal, to be in every city," she said, "because mental illness touches all of us whether we realize it or not." The 39-year-old mother was diagnosed as bipolar and hospitalized four times. She began blogging, anonymously at first, then putting her name to her words. The flood of reaction led to This Is My Brave.

The toll of stigma

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five U.S. adults  43.8 million people  experience mental illness in a given year. About 18 percent of adults face an anxiety disorder. Bipolar disorder affects 2.6 percent of adults.

Stigma and isolation can prevent sufferers from seeking treatment, mental-health experts say.

"These are often family secrets," said Michael J. Vergare, chairman of psychiatry and human behavior at Thomas Jefferson University. This Is My Brave "is tapping into how hard it is when you keep something within yourself and can't share. This is a way for someone to acknowledge an illness they have but at the same time show the recovery."

Although going public isn't for everyone, and cast members sometimes drop out, most participants "are craving this platform," Marshall said.

A pilot study suggests that This Is My Brave holds promise as a stigma-reduction program. Through pre- and post-surveys of 372 audience members, researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso found that attitudes about mental illness shifted, with a "decrease in stigma, improvements in beliefs about recovery and empowerment, and greater willingness to seek treatment," according to an article published in Community Mental Health Journal this year. A randomized, controlled trial is in the works.

"It's normalizing the conversation," Marshall said.

Thank you, depression

Bill Holmes, 48, of Blackwood, Camden County, is a therapist who battles depression and suicidal thoughts. He also is Seyfried's co-producer for the show.

He will read a thank-you letter to his depression that says, in part: "Without the tests and messes you've brought into our lives, we wouldn't have the opportunity to share our testimonies, to find strength and courage in the midst of weaknesses and fear."

At the first rehearsal, cast members gathered in a circle at Christ's Lutheran Church in Oreland, where Seyfried is spiritual formation director. They include a pre-school teacher who picks at her skin because of anxiety, a 9/11 first-responder with PTSD who turned to heroin, and a radio personality living with bipolar disorder. They are young and old, men and women, city-dwellers and suburbanites, straight and gay, black and white and Asian  a jumble of strangers who looked awkwardly at each other.

One by one, each volunteered to share.

"Remember the year that everyone was bipolar?" asked Jhas Williams-Wood, one half of the "Petch and Jhas" morning show on WAFL 97.7 FM.

For many of her friends, she said, "bipolar" was a figure of speech, used when sappy music made you cry.

For Williams-Wood, the word was all too real. "It's not a figure of speech when you literally cannot bring yourself to get out of bed, or shower, or even eat. But now at 27 years old, 17 years after I first felt the confusion, not knowing what I was feeling, and only five from getting a confirmed diagnosis," she said loud and clear, "I have given myself permission to live as a bipolar woman."

One man spoke of a suicide attempt, thwarted when an old friend whom he had not spoken to in years happened to call. Another, a former medical student, described the time he did not sleep for days, and in a manic state, attempted an armed robbery and went to prison.

Emily McKinley Hill, 27, an actress from Port Richmond, told her story through a powerful poem. "My therapist has Anxiety/Oh great I thought at first/How can I get fixed by you/If your brain is defective too?" she read.

Hill said the rehearsal was tough for her. "Being in a room full of people who all have mental-health struggles can feel very supportive," she said, "but it can also be overwhelming."

There were tears. And hugs. And encouragement.

"A couple of the stories are funny and some are not," Seyfried said, "but they all end on a very strong note of hope."

Like her own.

After eventually getting help, Seyfried first shared her story in her church newsletter. "People were amazing," she said. "I'll never forget how the church was there for me." She started a support group for congregants with children facing mental illness, then an awareness event for the public.

Seyfried still jam packs her days. "I don't know if that's part of my illness or not." Still, she no longer swings from the highest highs to the lowest lows, and checks in with her therapist only twice a year.

"I consider that a victory," she said. "Sometimes you feel when you're in the throes of this horrible thing, your life is ruined and there's no coming back. But there is."

The performance will be at 4 p.m. June 10 at the Painted Bride. For ticket information, go to ThisIsMyBrave.org/events.

Contact Lini S. Kadaba at Lkadaba@gmail.com. Follow her at @exinkygal.People participate in the Poor Peoples Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival on Capitol Hill in Washington earlier this month. The original 1968 Poor Peoples Campaign was a multicultural, multi-faith coalition planned by Martin Luther King. Read more

In mid-May, veteran West Philadelphia activist Nijmie Dzurinko joined a group of protesters blocking a hallway inside the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg. As police arrested her and 23 others, Dzurinko helped hold aloft a banner that said, "Deportation Is A War On The Poor." In doing so, she was making a powerful statement for immigrant rights  but she and her fellow arrestees were also achieving something else that was pretty remarkable.

They were picking up a torch nearly extinguished when Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated 50 years ago this spring.

Dzurinko, former executive director of the Philadelphia Student Union, said the protesters descending on Harrisburg to find common ground on issues affecting poor people from mass incarceration to toxic dumping are the vanguard of what she hopes will be "a new and unsettling force" in politics  echoing the exact words King used to launch a Poor People's Campaign in 1968.

This 2018 revival called "The Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Renewal" has already sparked a series of protests in about 40 state capitals as well as Washington and is slated to peak with a large D.C. rally on June 23. It may be the most profound case of unfinished business in modern American political history.

It was spring 1968 when King's final dream descended  posthumously, as fate would have it  on the nation's capital with thousands of demonstrators led by a mule train from the poorest hamlet in the Mississippi Delta. The marchers had a lofty goal: To camp out in the bottomlands near the Tidal Basin and march daily on Capitol Hill until Congress agreed on a massive plan to wipe out poverty in America, with money and intensity that would surpass the actual war that America was fighting in Vietnam.

The first Poor People's Campaign did not end well. A big problem was the loss of Dr. King  assassinated on April 4. 1968, in Memphis, just weeks before the march was slated to begin. But there were other obstacles, including days of torrential rains that created a real D.C. swamp, long before a certain presidential candidate made that term a cliche. Organizers were stunned, as the Rev. Jesse Jackson acknowledged for CNN's recent 1968 documentary, when many members of Congress refused to even meet with them in the days before cops shut down the encampment.

A sea change was underway in American politics  one that has lasted until this day, with grim consequences. In 1964, a president  Lyndon Johnson  had made a "War on Poverty" the centerpiece of his State of the Union address  and voters rewarded him that November with the biggest landslide in U.S. history. In a time of post-war affluence and a rising middle class, pockets of poverty were viewed as a stain on the American Dream.

In early 1968, Robert F. Kennedy's presidential bid revealed the candidate's obsession with the poverty issue, even as his advisers fretted he was wasting time visiting a Native American reservation in remote South Dakota. "I think it's a terrible reflection on our society," RFK said after his now-celebrated 1967 tour of the Mississippi Delta."We are not doing what we should be doing in the country to deal with this problem." But even as Kennedy uttered those words, white backlash against "The War on Poverty" was already rising, fueled by resentment over violent uprisings in cities like Newark and Detroit where angry blacks said any gains weren't coming fast enough. The 1968 assassinations of King and Kennedy just over two months apart seemed to close the lid on their shared dream.

In the 1970s and 1980s, politicians mostly on the right side of the dial exploited that backlash to reshape the way poverty gets talked about in our national debate  inventing a world of "welfare queens" and "young bucks" who were somehow living the good life on the government dole, a farcical portrayal of what it's really like to be poor in America. This month, a new study by two leading academics linked white resentment to growing support for authoritarianism, finding, in essence, that "when intolerant white people fear democracy may benefit marginalized people, they abandon their commitment to democracy."

Rather than fight back, most Democrats cowered in fear, re-crafting their platform to fight only for "the middle class" and avoid mentions of poverty that might scare off white voters (even, ironically, as the end of the Industrial Revolution pushed many white working class folks into poverty.) In 2016, Hillary Clinton's issue-laden website didn't even have sections on urban affairs or affordable housing, arguably the biggest crisis for Americans below the poverty line.

The 2018 Poor People's Campaign is not just an effort to right a historical wrong, but in some sense an attempt to change the way we talk about poverty in America. The fact that "poor" has become a 4-letter word in our politics is addressed head-on in the Pennsylvania campaign's packet for journalists. "We don't mind the terms 'poor people' or 'people living in poverty,'" it states. "We know there's no shame in being poor; the shame is that there's poverty in a state and country with so many resources."

The campaign lays out a stark case that poverty in America has grown worse during the years since LBJ's "War on Poverty" was undone by D.C. policy makers. There are currently 40.6 million Americans living below the official poverty line ($11,880 a year for an individual, $24,300 for a family of four), far more than in 1968. By some measures, the number of low-income Americans struggling to pay bills is about 140 million, or more than 43 percent of Americans. The statistics are worse in Philadelphia, mired in the highest rate of deep poverty of the largest U.S. cities.

Being that poor, said Phyllis Bennis  a fellow with the liberal Institute for Policy Studies who worked with Poor People's Campaign leader, Rev. William Barber, on the movement's anti-militarism efforts  "means not knowing where your next meal is coming from or being just one paycheck from financial collapse. Your kid falls off the monkey bar at recess and that's it, you could lose your house or your car."

Bennis and other campaign activists say what's gotten worse on the poverty front since 1968 includes the decline of labor unions, tax reforms and other changes that have boosted runaway income inequality, and the ongoing militarization that has sent hundreds of billions to wage a nearly-17-years-and-counting war in Afghanistan while Congress slashed money for programs like food stamps  a disparity that gets worse under President Trump's latest budget proposal. Bennis said that $45 billion spent fighting in Afghanistan could instead mean health insurance for 19 million low-income kids  "what does that say about our priorities and what we think makes us safer?"

It's a sign of the times that much of the Poor People's Campaign actions are focused on state capitals like Harrisburg where demonstrators might have a better change of getting results than Washington, currently in the sway of GOP lawmakers who seem hellbent on cutting anti-poverty programs. The group has nonetheless published a lengthy list of demands, from improved voting rights to educational equity to higher minimum wages.

But organizers like Dzurinko say the immediate gains may come less from concrete votes and more from the softer goals of re-framing the poverty debate  taking the notion of "morality" back from conservatives pushing for school prayer or against abortion  and forging a coalition of grassroots groups working on local issues that so often overlap.

"It's coming into it with stronger relationships across organizations, and people committed to be a part of a long-haul focus on real grassroots organizing," she said. In the spirit of King's original effort, she describes what she'd like to see emerge from the revived Poor People's Campaign as "many Martins."

"It can't be about one charismatic leader," added Dzurinko, referring to how the 1968 campaign struggled after King's death. "It can't be about one person holding the vision. It's got to be many people in many places with many visions."

Philadelphia Media Network is one of 19 news organizations producing Broke in Philly, a collaborative reporting project on solutions to poverty and the city's push toward economic justice. Read more at brokeinphilly.org or follow @BrokeInPhilly.The people prosecuting the engineer responsible for the 2015 Amtrak derailment in Philadelphia and his defense attorney have found common ground over a frustration with federal authorities who are seemingly loath to part with records about the deadly crash.

Last July, Christopher Phillips, the deputy attorney general handling the prosecution of Brandon Bostian, filed a records request with the National Transportation Safety Board for all documents not included in its public docket on the derailment.

Phillips' request for documents from the federal agency that investigates transportation accidents has not been answered, he said Thursday during a status conference at the Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center. He also said the NTSB informed him Congress has established that the board cannot be compelled to release the documents through a subpoena from the Philadelphia criminal court.

The NTSB does not have the power to prosecute or order actions, but its reviews, which are informed by voluminous dockets released before an investigative finding, are designed to provide a full accounting of how an accident happened and what steps could be taken to prevent a similar accident. The docket on the 2015 derailment includes 2,700 pages.

The docket includes materials that establish the facts of the crash and are the basis for investigative findings, and anything left out is "duplicative or extraneous," the NTSB reported in a statement Thursday. Documents left out can in some cases be provided through public records requests, but the NTSB confirmed a subpoena alone would not force the release of documents. Any request would be reviewed by the NTSB's general counsel, according to regulations.

The restrictions on information release exist to protect the NTSB's deliberative process, keep the agency from becoming embroiled in controversy, and ensure the agency's impartiality, regulations state.

Bostian is charged by the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office with 200 counts of reckless endangerment, eight counts of involuntary manslaughter, and one count of causing a catastrophe. On May 12, 2015, Amtrak Train 188 operated by Bostian derailed at the Frankford Curve, killing eight people and injuring almost 200. The NTSB found the train was traveling 106 mph, more than twice the speed limit for that track, as it approached the curve. Bostian was found to have no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time and was not using a cellphone.

The NTSB attributed the crash to Bostian's losing track of where he was on the route to New York City, possibly due to radio chatter about a nearby SEPTA train being hit with a rock.

Prosecutors have argued Bostian still bears criminal responsibility for the derailment. His defense attorney, Brian McMonagle, has said what happened was a tragic accident.

Bostian was not in court for Thursday's hearing.

Phillips did not specify in court what information he was seeking from the NTSB documents, but McMonagle said he was equally interested in obtaining the records for discovery.

"This is something far different than anything I've been involved with, with both the prosecution and the defense both being walled off," McMonagle said after the hearing.

Common Pleas Court Judge Kathryn Streeter-Lewis scheduled the next conference on the case for Aug. 22.Bucks and Montgomery County residents who drank contaminated water for years have a rare chance to find out what's in their bloodstreams as part of a blood-testing study for what federal officials hope will become a national testing program.

But the Pennsylvania Department of Health ran into an unexpected issue  not enough households have signed up for the testing.

The department wants to test the blood of 500 residents in neighborhoods surrounding the Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster and Naval Air Station Willow Grove, where drinking water was contaminated by chemicals leaching off the bases.

Blood drawing was due to begin Thursday in Montgomery County but had to be postponed because not enough people had signed up, said Sharon Watkins, an epidemiologist with the state Health Department, at a community meeting in Willow Grove on Wednesday night. Blood tests did begin Wednesday in Bucks County, but more participants there still are needed as well.

At the meeting, Watkins asked any residents who have received letters from the Department of Health to respond. To be eligible, the resident must have lived in the affected area before July 2016.

The state is one of two chosen for a pilot blood-testing program by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, or ATSDR. Pennsylvania's Health Department will test the procedure in the hopes that the federal agencies will then broaden the program. "The study will lay the scientific groundwork for a larger, national study," the department's website says.

Because the tests are costly, and the samples can be analyzed only by a few labs in the country, little such testing has been conducted nationwide so far, and residents have repeatedly asked the government for it.

The chemicals, known as per- or polyfluoroalkyl substances or PFAS (also referred to as perfluorinated compounds or PFCs, and including two specific compounds called PFOA and PFOS), were widely used at U.S. military bases in firefighting foam and have been found in hundreds of public and private drinking-water systems near bases across the country since 2014.

The Environmental Protection Agency held a summit on the topic last week in Washington, where officials announced they would work to designate PFOA and PFOS as "hazardous substances" and would evaluate the need for setting a legal limit for their presence in drinking water. The current level is merely advisory, and thus unenforceable.

The summit came after reports that EPA and White House aides sought to block the release of a study that showed the chemicals were more dangerous to humans than the EPA had said previously. The ATSDR official at the meeting in Willow Grove said the study was coming by the fall.

About 70,000 people in Bucks and Montgomery Counties  who lived near the Warminster or Willow Grove bases  were discovered to have water contaminated with PFAS. More than 130 with private wells near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey were also contaminated.

In recent weeks, the Pennsylvania Department of Health sent letters to 300 households randomly chosen for the blood sampling, and 154 families replied. But only about 50 of those returned a second form necessary to schedule the blood-testing appointment. On Tuesday, the Department of Health sent letters to an additional 250 households, hoping to get more responses.

The study originally had been set to end Friday, but officials expect to receive an extension.

The blood samples will be analyzed by a lab in New York, and Pennsylvania health officials will give each resident the results.

Human health effects of PFAS have yet to be studied extensively, leaving residents with concerns and unanswered questions. The chemicals have been linked to some cancers, and according to the state Health Department, impacts might include affecting growth, learning and behavior of infants and children; lowering a woman's chance of getting pregnant; interfering with the body's natural hormones; increasing cholesterol levels; affecting the immune system, and increasing the risk of cancer.

In an addendum released in May to a 2016 study of cancer data in Warminster, Warrington, and Horsham Townships, the department said it found elevated incidents of some types of cancer, compared with the rest of Bucks and Montgomery Counties and the state as a whole, but that the overall results were inconsistent.

Health officials are still hoping to get 500 participants for the blood study and have clinics ready in Bucks and Montgomery Counties for the blood drawing. They can only choose residents randomly, not take volunteers, because volunteering can skew the results of a scientific study.Protesters organized by the interfaith group POWER pass the Starbucks in the 1200 Block of Market Street, heading toward City Hall April 19, 2018, marching from Philadelphia police headquarters, rallying against the decision of officers to arrest two black men at a Center City Starbucks (not this one) last week. TOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer Read more

Black people now inhabit all levels of the Philadelphia class and occupational structure. They attend the best schools, pursue the professions of their choosing, and occupy various positions of power, privilege, and prestige. But for the ascendant black upper middle class, in the shadows lurks the specter of the urban ghetto. The iconic ghetto is always in the background, shaping Philadelphians' conception of the anonymous black person as well as the circumstances of blacks in all walks of life.

That's even when they're in Center City's "cosmopolitan canopy," an island of interracial civility located in a sea of segregated living. Here is where there is a bustling exchange of residents, who travel back and forth between the suburbs and the downtown, at all times of the day, but especially during midday and the rush hour. Within Center City, smaller "canopies," include the Reading Terminal Market and Rittenhouse Square, as well as still smaller ones, such as local hospital waiting rooms and food courts, and of course the local Starbucks. These canopies work in tandem to create a synergistic effect, and thus help to make Center City a "cosmopolitan zone." On good days, the Center City area is a civil space, where of all kinds of people appear to get along, enjoying easy interracial and inter-ethnic conversation, and at times, they express a degree of comity.

Anonymous black people, especially young males, based on their strong association with the urban ghetto, are often suspect, and prejudged as dangerous and crime-prone. Unless they display emblems  a suit, a tie  that attest otherwise, they are easily viewed as iconic negroes from the ghetto, places that are stereotyped by many outsiders as drug-infested, persistently poor, and full of "no count," uneducated people.

>> READ MORE: Kudos to Starbucks, but it's going to take more than a workshop to end racial bias | Jenice Armstrong

Thus, when black people patronize the local downtown businesses, including coffee shops, jewelry stores, and taxicabs, they risk being lumped together with the lowly, "the homeless," or people "from the ghetto"  people seen as not deserving of respect that white people can take for granted. Here, the onus is on the black person to disprove this presumption; when this status is not disavowed quickly enough, trouble may erupt.

Thus, as black people move about anonymously through the canopy that is Center City, especially when they are young and male, they do so with a deficit of credibility. They are burdened by their fellow citizens with this distrust until they can prove their credibility as law-abiding citizens. Most of the others making up the canopy display "social gloss," or are polite enough to black people to their face, but any black person knows that he or she is essentially on "thin ice" and generally understands not to "push his luck" by getting "out of place." Doing so will likely provoke the dreaded "N-word moment," that moment of acute disrespect, most typically delivered at the hands of some ethnocentric white person, who is then quick to draw the color line in an effort to "put the black person in his place."

This is roughly what happened in the April Starbucks incident, when two young African American men who grew up in an impoverished black community, but who are now upwardly mobile businessmen, were waiting at the 18th Street Starbucks for the arrival of a colleague.

As they sat quietly, one of the baristas began to scrutinize them. When one of the young men asked for the code to use the restroom, maybe this was too much. Within minutes, the barista summoned the Philadelphia police, who arrived moments later to arrest the young men for what was essentially "sitting in Starbucks while black."

The other Starbucks customers, many of whom were likely to be "cosmos," rose to defend the young black men, complaining about the actions being taken and taking cellphone videos  at least one of which was posted online and made the news.

>> READ MORE: Did Starbucks racial bias training work? Join me to find out | Ronnie Polaneczky

In these circumstances, the black men felt humiliated, deflated, and acutely disrespected. This situation is all too common for black people operating in what they know as "white space," though black people don't expect this sort of thing to happen in spaces that are perceived to be cosmopolitan canopies. In fact, after this "N-word moment" the young men found out that the Starbucks was a white space. They know, as many black people do, that the way you tell a white space is by the frequency and the quality of the "N-word moments" experienced there.

I've argued elsewhere that the "N-word moment," the moment of acute disrespect based on blackness, is the new American color line, which can be drawn out of the blue, but especially when the black person is navigating the white space. When such moments happen under the canopy, the canopy reacts almost immediately. It often does this with a gush of gloss, intended to cover up or repair what just happened. The gloss deflects scrutiny of such incidents for the time being, allowing the canopy a chance to recover. As it does so, things return to normal, awaiting the next such moment.

Elijah Anderson holds the William K. Lanman Jr. Professorship in Sociology at Yale University, where he teaches and directs the Urban Ethnography Project. Among his many publications are "The Cosmopolitan Canopy: Race and Civility in Everyday Life" (2011, W. W. Norton).A set of six Conoid dining chairs, made of American black walnut and hickory by George Nakashima. The chairs, part of the Ottenberg collection, will be auctioned Monday at Freeman's auction house in Philadelphia. Read more

When Perry Ottenberg died at age 92 in March of last year, the region lost one of its most eminent psychiatrists  he began his residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in 1952, and retired from Penn as a professor of psychiatry in 2015.

Ottenberg also maintained a private practice all those years, and authored over 100 scholarly and general interest articles. With his wife, June, director of the Temple University music library, and a pianist and historian of opera, Ottenberg amassed one of the finest collections of 20th century Philadelphia-centered art and design anywhere.

The couple  married 65 years  focused almost entirely on artists and craftsmen from the region: painter Arthur B. Carles, furniture designer George Nakashima, ceramist Rudolf Staffel, and many others.

Now, with the death of 91-year-old June Fuller Ottenberg in August 2017, much of the Ottenberg collection is coming to auction.

On Sunday, Freeman's will feature sales of 14 canvases by Carles, ranging from about 1910 into the 1930s.

On Monday, Nakashima furniture and Staffel ceramics will be sold.

Alasdair Nichol, Freeman's chairman, said simply that Perry Ottenberg "was the Carles man in Philadelphia."

Although his passion may have been for Carles, both Ottenbergs maintained a broader passion for artists and crafts workers from the Philadelphia region. Perry Ottenberg once wrote that "the collection in our home reflects the genius of Philadelphia in contemporary arts and crafts." He added that "it is wonderful to live with omnipresent beauty that one can touch and feel."

"My father was a very visually conscious and astute man," Elise Ottenberg said. "He loved Carles, but there were other artists.  In probably the 1960s, I remember going to artists' homes in Headhouse Square." There were also trips to New Hope to visit Nakashima.

"Perry and June approached this work with a simple love for it," said Tim Andreadis, head of Freeman's department of 20th century design. "I don't recall having heard or seen a collection of this depth."

Perry Ottenberg was a board member at different times of Moore College of Art and Design and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. He also was involved with Temple's Tyler School of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Woodmere Art Museum.

Over the years, the Ottenbergs gave and loaned works to the Art Museum and many other art institutions, and prior to the Freeman's auctions, the four Ottenberg children gave a cache of 300 works on paper spanning Carles' entire career to Woodmere. The artist died in 1952.

"Some of the paintings [going to auction] brought a lot of joy to my father," Elise Ottenberg said. "The portrait of Mrs. Carles [painted in 1924] brought my father an enormous amount of pleasure."

Scholar Barbara A. Wolanin, author of Arthur B. Carles (1882-1952): Painting With Color, first met the Ottenbergs in 1974 when she visited their house in Merion in an effort to decide whether to do her dissertation on Carles. (She did.)

Wolanin marveled at a house filled virtually floor to ceiling with paintings by Carles and his students, Staffel ceramics, and Nakashima furniture (very much in daily use).

Perry Ottenberg, Wolanin said, was attracted to "vivid color." Carles more than fulfilled that attraction.

In Wolanin's view, Carles prefigured abstract expressionism and might have reached that non-representational realm had he not suffered increasingly from alcoholism, which led to a career-ending injury in 1941.

Painter Bill Scott, who knew the Ottenbergs and their collection, said that the Carles paintings "appear effortless," but that they were the result of careful planning.

"It takes a lot of work to make it look so easy," Scott said.

After the death of both parents within a few months of each other, Elise Ottenberg said that she and her siblings decided it was time to let much of the remaining collection "go out into the world."

"There was just so much stuff," she said. "My father was an incredibly generous man. He was a big sharer. But I want to say that my mother had my father's back. He was in part able to do this because she thought he should.  She helped him do it. She empowered him."Two of the four peacocks that went missing from the Philadelphia Zoo have been found, a zoo spokesperson said Friday. These are not them. Read more

Two of the four peacocks that escaped from the Philadelphia Zoo bound for I-76 were located unharmed Friday, a day after another bird was found dead, while the search for the last peacock continues.

The birds were first spotted walking on the Schuylkill Expressway around 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. State police arrived and shut down two lanes of traffic on the highway, causing backups for miles. Police said they managed to get the birds off the highway but were unable to capture them.

Lombardo said Friday afternoon that two of the remaining birds were located near the equestrian center in Fairmount Park after a passerby contacted zoo officials.

The zoo said the flock roams freely on its grounds, and is cared for by veterinary staff. Officials said the birds sometimes venture past zoo gates, but they normally return home on their own. The zoo is moving its other young peacocks with the two found Friday while it now looks at "longer-term potential changes with the free-ranging peacock flock," Lombardo said.

Zoo officials ask anyone who spots the remaining bird  who does not have the "bright plumage and long tail of an adult male" because of his young age  not to approach it. Any spotters should instead email peacocks@phillyzoo.org with where and when the bird was seen.

Lombardo previously said that the search could "take possibly days or weeks to complete."

Wednesday's incident was hardly the first of its kind for the Philadelphia region. In April, officials euthanized a coyote that was captured while hiding under a dumpster in Southwest Center City. It's not clear if that was the same coyote captured and released in Mayfair just days prior.

And before that? A cow named Stormy made a run from an Old City nativity scene back in December  twice  while a bull that escaped a Kensington slaughterhouse in November 2016 was killed after winding up on I-76.

This article includes information from the Associated Press.Shruthika Padhy of Cherry Hill (left) and Phoebe Smith of Aston were among 16 finalists competing in the Scripps National Spelling Bee on Thursday. Read more

Two 12-year-old girls, one from Cherry Hill and the other from Aston, reached the finals but fell short of the top spot Thursday night at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Maryland.

Shruthika Padhy, a seventh grader at Rosa International Middle School in Cherry Hill, finished in 12th place after misspelling paillasson, which Merriam-Webster defines as "coarsely woven natural or synthetic straw used for hats."

Phoebe Smith, a seventh grader at Northley Middle School in Aston, finished in 11th place after misspelling cabalassou, which Merriam-Webster defines as a giant armadillo.

Both girls survived eight rounds and were among the final 16 competitors who took center stage at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center near Washington.

The championship was won at 10:41 p.m. by Karthik Nemmani, 14, an eighth grader from McKinney, Texas, who correctly spelled the word "koinonia," which Merriam-Webster defines as an "intimate spiritual communion and participative sharing in a common religious commitment and spiritual community."

It was the second finals for Padhy, who tied for seventh place last year. She placed 22nd in 2016.

Smith tied for 189th place last year.

One of the words Smith spelled correctly earlier Thursday night was thymiaterion, defined as a vessel used by ancient Greeks to burn incense, according to the Scripps National Spelling Bee website.

Padhy, who was speller No. 290 in this year's national contest, on Thursday correctly spelled Guayaquil, which is a port city in Ecuador along the Guayas River.

There were a total of 516 children who qualified for the nationals this year.

A second New Jersey student, Navneeth Murali of Edison, made it to the finals and landed in fifth place after misspelling the word "gelinotte," which is a European woodland grouse.

Murali was speller No. 279, and Smith was speller No. 326.

The first-place prize this year includes $40,000 cash and an engraved trophy along with a trip to New York to appear on the ABC talk show Live With Kelly and Ryan.

The cash prize for second place is $30,000. Third place gets $20,000, fourth gets $10,000, fifth gets $5,000, and sixth will receive $2,500. All spellers who made it to the seventh round up to seventh place will get $2,000.

The first national spelling bee was organized in 1925 by the Louisville Courier-Journal and was taken over in 1941 by the old Scripps-Howard Newspapers chain.City Councilwoman Cindy Bass is planning to introduce an alternative to Mayor Kenneys tax plan. Read more

To generate money for Philadelphia's struggling school district, Mayor Kenney wants to raise the property tax, increase the real estate transfer tax, and put the brakes on projected cuts to the wage tax.

City Councilwoman Cindy Bass has another idea: She hopes to make hundreds of millions of dollars of cuts to the budget over the next five years, especially to the city's prison system.

Bass, who has increasingly been at odds with Kenney, plans to introduce her alternative when Council returns next week.

She said raising real estate taxes  which lawmakers have done several times in recent years  is "the easy go-to."

"People are feeling the pinch," said Bass. "We are requesting that instead of looking outward at everybody else's pocketbook, we look inwards at our own pocketbook."

It's an early move in Philadelphia's annual budget dance, when Council members introduce alternative ideas to the mayor's. Oftentimes, their suggestions  or pieces of them, at least  become law. The budget is due June 30.

Bass' proposal would slash about $80 million from the prison system over the next five years, and trim $150 million from other city departments during the same period.

She said her budget cuts would not lead to layoffs, and would instead reduce spending for contracts, equipment, and supplies.

Bass' plan would raise less money for the schools than Kenney's, according to her office: $670 million over the next five years, compared to his roughly $770 million.

The School District's projected budget deficit over the period is about $630 million.

Bass would keep in place some key parts of the mayor's budget proposal, including his suggestion to slow down the reductions in the wage tax. That is estimated to generate about $340 million over five years. At the same time, Bass said, she would eliminate Kenney's proposed increases to the property and real estate transfer taxes.

Councilwoman Helen Gym has recommended cutting the city's 10-year tax abatement roughly in half.

Councilman David Oh said he is also planning to introduce his own plan, which would cut between $110 million and $171 million in the coming year. It takes an ax to proposed spending increases that the Kenney administration has not explained, he said.

Councilman Allan Domb, meanwhile, is calling for a reduction of 15 percent in the city's prisons budget. The prison population has fallen dramatically in recent years, but costs have not dropped at the same rate.

"If you cut your population by 35 percent, and we're going to close a prison, then you should be able to cut the prison budget by 15 percent," said Domb. "Three years ago, we were spending about $44,000 per year per prisoner. Today, it's $66,000."

It is unclear how much support these alternative plans will generate on City Council. Asked how many legislators will co-sponsor her bill, Bass said, "Council doesn't want to have to raise taxes on our constituents. So any innovative funding packages that avoid tax increases, I expect, will be welcomed."

Mike Dunn, a spokesman for Kenney, said the administration had not yet seen Bass' proposal and so could not comment on the specifics.

"From the day the mayor introduced his budget proposal last March, he made clear his willingness to work with City Council," said Dunn. "We have, in fact, been engaged in detailed discussions on a whole host of ideas from several Council members over the past few weeks."

Last week, Council members slightly changed  and gave preliminary approval to  Kenney's recommendations to raise the real estate transfer tax and boost the homestead exemption. They also passed out of committee his proposal to slow down planned reductions to the city's wage tax.Tio, the Pekingese puppy, situates himself between Elivira Pruiti, left and John Pruiti, as his masters vote at Engine 49 at 13th and Shunk in South Philadelphia on May 15, 2018. Read more

Top Pennsylvania state legislators think they've figured out why compromise has become more difficult and little seems to get done in a polarized Harrisburg: closed primaries.

House and Senate leaders are calling for changing state election law to allow for "open" primaries, in which voters unaffiliated with the two major parties, colloquially called independents, could vote to choose the nominees of either party  on the principle that involving less-partisan voters would have a moderating influence.

Under the current "closed" system that limits voting to registered party members, in low-turnout primaries party nominees can be chosen by a small percentage of zealous voters, they argue.

"The extremes of the parties have taken over the primary process," Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati (R., Jefferson) told reporters after the May 15 state primaries. He cited the upset of a Republican state senator in western Pennsylvania by a conservative insurgent and the defeat of two veteran Democratic state representatives at the hands of candidates endorsed by Democratic Socialists of America to buttress his argument. He said he was introducing legislation to open the primaries.

Although it seems to make intuitive sense, academic research and political scientists suggest that an open primary system would not bleach the elections of polarization and extremism; in fact, it might do the opposite.

"We can rule out the possibility that it's closed primaries that are explaining a vast majority of polarization," said Marc Meredith, a political science professor at the University of Pennsylvania. With open primaries, he said, "at best it's going to make a small dent in a mountain of polarization."

The problem: Most unaffiliated voters have strong partisan or ideological leanings masked by their independent status.

"We find that the openness of a primary election has little, if any, effect on the extremism of the politicians it produces," a team of academic researchers wrote in one study. In fact, it said, "most of the effects we have found tend to be the opposite of those that are typically expected: The more open the primary system, the more liberal the Democrat and the more conservative the Republican."

What political science says about independent voters and primary elections

About 750,000, or 8.8 percent, of Pennsylvania's 8.46 million voters are registered as unaffiliated. Most  86 percent  are registered as Democrats or Republicans.

"Some areas had 15 percent turnout," said Rep. Dave Reed (R., Indiana) the leader of the House Republicans, who also is introducing legislation that includes opening the primaries. "That doesn't seem like it's representative of the entire populace and giving the most mainstream choices headed into the fall election cycle." He said that would change under an open system.

"All of a sudden, if you get more people coming out to a primary," he said, "the candidates have to be more considerate of everybody's views, not just the 8 percent that in some areas can be fairly extreme."

But Reed is operating under a common misconception that "makes a lot of assumptions about independents," said Robin Kolodny, the chair of the political science department at Temple University. Among the assumptions: "That they're just as engaged, they're just as interested, that they would actually want to participate in a party's primary. Because, of course, they chose to say they're independent."

Although voters choose not to associate with a party for varied reasons, and the parties are increasingly unpopular, voters are still largely partisan and tend to vote strictly within one party. Those moderate, independent voters? An already-small group. Say goodbye to the swing voter.

Take Erica Bates, 46, a teacher who lives in East Mount Airy who registered as an independent last year because she doesn't fully agree with either party. "I'd like to be able to have choice which way I'm going to go," she said.

Bates, a self-described "super voter" who reads through voter guides for local elections, registered as a Democrat for years and has campaigned for Democrats. If she were allowed to participate in primaries as an independent, she'd most likely take a Democratic ballot. Yet she doesn't have a choice; she said she may re-register as a Democrat again to be able to vote in primaries, the election counts in most parts of the blue city.

In Lansdale, Gail Moxey, 68, is today registered as an independent, abandoning the GOP after President Trump's election. But Moxey is a "dyed-in-the-wool conservative Republican," she said  not some moderate stuck between the two parties.

It's a common misconception, Kolodny said: "When you hear independent, everyone immediately thinks moderate instead of fringe."

Lawmakers aren't wrong that polarization is increasing  and hostility for the opposing party is entrenched  but the problem evidently is unrelated to closed primaries. The researchers say that people showing up to vote in primary elections tend to be similar to other party members, so it's not that extreme voters are showing up to the polls and hijacking the election.

What open primaries could do

The best argument for open primary elections isn't polarization, Meredith said  it's that some places are so dominated by one party that the primary election is more important than the general election. Places like, well, Philly.

"By and large, the general is the primary election in the sense that who wins the primary election in Philadelphia is going to decide who holds office," he said. "So I think there's definitely a good case to be made that you might want to open up the process, especially at the local level. Because there are probably lots of Republicans in Philadelphia who have opinions about something like who should be mayor and essentially don't have a voice in the process right now."

Under the closed system, those voters would have to switch party registrations back and forth, becoming Democrats for local primary elections and Republicans for presidential ones.

Reed, the House GOP leader, said that giving all voters a voice in those local primaries is one his main concerns: "We are excluding an entire segment of our population, almost 750,000 people in the state, from deciding who their local elected officials are."

What the politicians say

Leaders from both parties expressed support for open primaries, although for differing reasons, and said they are hoping this is just the beginning of a larger discussion about structural reforms to Pennsylvania's election system.

"People should have the opportunity, independents and others, because they need to participate in the process," said Sen. Jay Costa (D., Allegheny), the head of the Senate Democrats. "I'm not looking to do it for the same reasons that Sen. Scarnati's trying to do it. I think for our democracy to work right, the more people need to participate in the process."

Senate Majority Leader Sen. Jake Corman (R., Centre) said he has long been opposed to open primaries  "I believe that you belong to a party and nominate a person from that party to represent you in the fall"  but now is open to the proposal.

"I'm not sure I'd say I'm opposed anymore," he said. "I'm more neutral, more willing to listen, to research a little further."

As a leader, Corman said, his job is to get votes. That historically has meant seeking compromise and working with the other side. Corman said he's concerned that the state legislature is becoming less and less willing to compromise.

Rep. Frank Dermody, head of the House Democrats, said he was "happy to take a look at" proposals to open primaries but would wait to see that legislation before taking a position.

"You've got to read it first, but independent voting in a primary may make some sense," he said.

Gov. Wolf's office said he generally supports the idea, too.

"This is a conversation that's ripe right now," Costa said. "I think the issue certainly has been raised, and I think now is the time to do it."Last month, I visited Russia to learn more about the Kremlin's campaign to influence the U.S. election in 2016.

But the more I learned about Kremlin techniques, magnified by social media, the more similar those techniques appeared to President Trump's modus operandi.

The Kremlin has more tools, and U.S. citizens still have more independent news sources. Yet Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump are both waging information wars that rely on confusing their opponents with an endless barrage of conspiracy theories and fake "facts." They push favored narratives over and over ("Spygate," anyone?) until these narratives sink into public consciousness. They are repeated not just by supporters but even by those who know them to be false.

>> READ MORE: Russian troll factory hiring for new anti-U.S. operation; biggest danger is not to America | Trudy Rubin

No one understands Russian techniques better than Clint Watts, a fellow at Philadelphia's Foreign Policy Research Institute, who is also a former Army officer, FBI special agent, and counterterrorism expert. He is also the author of a fascinating new book, Messing With the Enemy: Surviving in a Social Media World of Hackers, Terrorists, Russians and Fake News, which details the way Putin and Trump boost each other's narratives.

"Russia's method represents not an information war, but a war on information itself," says Watts. "Trump has the same approach."

Watts worries that "Americans still don't grasp the information war Russia perpetrated against the West, why it works, and why it continues." The KGB used "active measures"  efforts to undermine the West by means other than military  for decades.

But the advent of social media exponentially expanded Russia's ability to amplify its "active measures" with little manpower. It's not just things you already know  that Kremlin cutouts stole Democratic emails and passed them to WikiLeaks, which then strategically released them an hour after the release of the Access Hollywood tape, eclipsing Trump's "grab 'em by the pussy" grossness.

The bigger danger is that Russia's cyber efforts go beyond helping one candidate or hurting another. They are more broadly aimed at exacerbating existing divisions in our democracy and spreading disruptive conspiracy theories  often those put forward by Trump or the websites he promotes. Social bots  false social-media accounts designed to push out high volumes of information  can make such falsehoods go viral.

One example: A Russian-influence account labeled @TEN-GOP and posing as a Tennessee GOP account gathered 136,00 followers while repeating bogus voter-fraud charges. Fox News quoted it, top Trump campaign officials tweeted it, every major conservative website repeated it. And this was just one of thousands of accounts operated by Russia in the lead-up to the election.

Watts believes the Kremlin had no need to engage in direct collusion with the Trump team. It was easily able to find team members (Michael Flynn, Paul Manafort, etc.) to do its bidding. Moreover, Trump's unending promotion of Putin has led to an astonishing shift of support to Putin on the American right. A February 2017 Gallup poll shows a 166 percent rise in Putin's favorability rating among Republicans just since 2015.

Thus the Kremlin has ripe targets for disinformation on alt-right and white-supremacist websites that support Trump, along with some far-left sites. Says Watts: "They infiltrate key audiences, then direct them on strategic themes and messages."

Example: Watts says he's seen "routine regurgitation of Russian propaganda" on InfoWars, one alt-right site praised by Trump that promotes the most ugly conspiracy theories  like claims the Sandy Hook massacre was staged. Trump and his team often retweet claims by such sites.

And here's what's really scary: It's hard to challenge the Kremlin's messaging  aimed at undermining NATO, the European Union, America's role abroad, and the free Western press  when Trump enhances its messages.

"He echoes what Putin says on every issue, which is why we can't change the narrative," says Watts. Even more disturbing, Trump still refuses to mount a unified U.S. government pushback against Russian cyber espionage.

Instead, the president's attacks on U.S. institutions (the FBI, the CIA, the Justice Department, the mainstream media) maximize Putin's game plan. And Trump's constant promotion of false conspiracy theories gives Putin's info warriors rich material to package for the Russian home crowd as examples of America's decline.

Case in point: Trump's lie that the FBI infiltrated his campaign with spies. Even conservative Rep. Trey Gowdy said, on Fox News, that the FBI was justified in sending an informant (to check out Trump staffers who were consorting with known Russian intelligence agents). But Trump keeps tweeting "Spygate"  a canard repeated by Russian TV and social media.

"Before the social-media age, there was a filter on conspiracy theories from Congress and the mainstream media," says Watts, "but today people choose their information sources and Trump's conspiracy claims are repeated." Canards become accepted as reality by Trump supporters. Meantime, Trump opponents are deluged with so many fake claims that it becomes exhausting to try to refute them.

These techniques, says Watts, are right out of the Kremlin playbook. But the reason Russia's information war has been so successful is not because the Kremlin is so brilliant. The answer is simpler: It's because Putin has a (witting or unwitting) helpmate in Trump.HARRISBURG  A onetime top prosecutor has pleaded guilty in a wide-ranging corruption case that included charges that he protected female drug dealers from prosecution in exchange for sexual favors, the state Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday.

Former Bedford County District Attorney William J. Higgins Jr. pleaded guilty to more than two dozen corruption charges, including multiple counts of obstructing the administration of justice and official oppression. Higgins, a graduate of Cardinal Dougherty High School, in Northeast Philadelphia, had also been accused of tipping off dealers about confidential police informants.

He resigned his position after his arrest last month, and with his guilty plea, will lose his law license and his pension, Attorney General Josh Shapiro said Wednesday.

"Former District Attorney Higgins traded his power and law enforcement authority for sexual favors and he violated his oath to the people of Bedford County  compromising the security of his community," Shapiro said. "As Attorney General, I will not allow any person in power to abuse their public office."

According to the criminal complaint, Higgins offered favorable treatment, including lighter sentences and reduced bail, to women with whom he was having sex. In one instance, he refused to approve a search warrant for the house of a female drug dealer with whom he was involved.

Prosecutors also said Higgins revealed the identities of confidential informants to known drug dealers, endangering the lives of the informants and hindering pending investigations.

While under investigation, Higgins also asked three key witnesses in the case to refuse to cooperate with law enforcement, and instructed them to lie if asked about their intimate relationships with him.

The case against Higgins was the result of a joint investigation between the Attorney General's Office and the Pennsylvania State Police. The case was prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Tomm Mutschler.Lisa Mothee of Olney said her five kids were removed by order of a judge who would not even let her present her case. Read more

How many more disgraces can the courts in the city and state take? Bad enough that three Supreme Court justices have left in a cloud of scandal in the last few years, or that Philadelphia's Traffic Court was so troubled that it had to be abolished. All of these have added fuel to the argument for selecting judges based on merit, not on skill in getting votes. The latest argument comes from Family Court in Philadelphia, where defendants say Judge Lyris Younge won't even let parents explain why they should have custody of their own children.

Instead of letting a mother testify why she should keep her child, Younge ordered the mother to be handcuffed and held until all of the mother's five children could be put into protective custody in September. Earlier this month, an appeals court judge overturned that decision and reunited the mother with her children. It was the latest reversal of an opinion by Younge which caught the attention of the Judicial Conduct Board, according to the Legal Intelligencer.

Younge won election to the bench in 2015 despite receiving a "not recommended" rating from the Philadelphia Bar Association. She was endorsed by the Democratic machine, which is adept at electing judges in low-information, low-turnout races.

In recent years, voters also elected three judges to the Supreme Court who left in disgrace. Justice Joan Orie Melvin was convicted in 2013 on charges she used staff to work on her political campaigns. Justice Seamus McCaffery took an early retirement in 2014 and Justice J. Michael Eakin resigned in 2016, both as a result of their distribution of pornographic emails.

The state's judiciary has a problematic history in part because the system of electing judges rewards political skill over judicial talent. Arguments for merit selection of judges rather than elections have been on the table for more than two decades. Finally, a bill to professionalize selection could be voted on in the House before the legislature's summer recess. It would create a bipartisan commission to recommend judges to the Supreme, Superior, and Commonwealth Courts. The commission would vet the judges, looking at their conduct, careers, temperament, and fitness, and then recommend them to the governor for appointment. Gov. Wolf is generally supportive of merit selection but is researching recent amendments to the current bill. He rightly says the bill should cover all judges, including municipal, district and county judges.

Meanwhile, the judiciary itself should take a more activist role in disciplining its peers. Supervisory judges can and should reassign judges who are the targets of numerous complaints.

If a judge is acting unfairly, litigants should file a complaint with the Judicial Conduct Board. If the board decides to prosecute, it does so before the Court of Judicial Discipline. Those hearings are open to the public but sometimes the court allows judges to retire, like it did with Eakin, rather than face public humiliation or sanctions. Those deliberations should occur in public.

Discipline should be thorough, fair, swift, and transparent. The courts can't afford to lose any more credibility.James Ledwith, a Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Program director presents to Elaine Jessop, LaVetra Lanning and others on how to be prepared for natural and other disasters that may occur in our area.

Speaking with a deep Irish accent, James Lenell Lewith, a disaster preparedness director for the American Red Cross talked about programs available from the Red Cross, as well as how to be prepared and things one can do for disasters that may occur.

Lewith, a native from Ireland, came to the United States, a few years ago after meeting his wife in Ireland. " She won out so I moved here," Lewith said with a smile.

Prior to volunteering for the American Red Cross, Lewith stated he had many years experience with disaster aid, working with trauma victims as well. "We are the 'people' side of helping; food, water, shelters and more." he said.

He talked about how National Guard came out and helped here in Pine Bluffs shortly after the serious hail storm Pine Bluffs suffered two years ago.

"After a disaster," he explained, "we are the next step. We are the best part of the worse day!" Lewith explained how the program works with other entities such as church groups, cities and towns, and medical groups for aid for disaster victims.

He explained how volunteerism is the best source for the American Red Cross. "There were several volunteers from the Wyoming/Colorado area went down to Texas for Hurricane recovery; some went to Las Vegas, Nevada for assistance with mental health and trauma after the theater shooting.

Lewith spoke about the blood drives that the American Red Cross does, how it benefits many people and communities worldwide. "42% of the blood in hospitals are from the American Red Cross blood drives." he stated.

Doing disaster preparedness, is just one of the many programs they have. Lewith went on to inform the citizens from the Pine Bluffs area of the many programs out there. "We assist with wild fire evacuation, shelters, food and water; we assist with getting our military members home when needed for a family emergency or sometimes it is just getting news to a soldier that he is now a dad!" he stated.

"Of the monies donated to the American Red Cross, 91 goes to direct operations for us, and 9 goes towards insurance, office etc." he explained.

As the presentation came to a close, Lewith talked about the bucket program. Each person attending the program received a bucket with some survival items in it. "Plan for three days, put other items in your bucket, such as protein, water, blankets, and first aid items." he said.

From buckets to pillowcases, Lewith talked about a program in Cheyenne schools where students are given pillowcases to hold their items in , when there is a disaster. These pillowcases are sponsored by Disney.

The Red Cross also works in conjunction with the local fire departments with providing smoke alarms. "If your smoke detector is ten years or older, it is time to replace it, as they will deteriorate." he said, and added that they respond to approximately 80,000 home fires a year nationwide. "We assist in getting them supplies, a place to stay, and sometimes we are instrumental in getting medication filled on emergency for a victim of a fire.!" The American Red Cross is here to help.WE LOOK BETTER IN COLOR

MANISTIQUE  This week marks a milestone in the history of the Pioneer Tribune as the publication moves from in-house printing and into color. The change, prompted by worldwide paper...

Social District remains focus for council

MANISTIQUE  Discussion on the establishment of a Social District continues among Manistique City Council members as they attempt to navigate the planning and regulations associated with the statewide program....NARIT staff were very welcoming. The organizers even sent us home with NARIT swag. We surely deserved our daily massage after that day!

I was grateful for the opportunity to share my research. The audience (probably 20 researchers and a few students) asked us great questions afterwards. One pre-doctoral student, Chanenath "Kitty" Sriaporn, came to chat with me. She came to NARIT to hear my talk from Chiang Mai University because she is interested in astrobiology. Since then, I have been keeping in touch with her as she embarks on a PhD program as Thailands first astrobiologist. She will be researching biosignatures in silica-rich hot spring deposits as possible analogs of features observed with NASAs Mars Exploration Rovers, through projects funded by NARIT and her PhD program in Auckland, New Zealand. Who knows? Maybe well collaborate on a Mars analog biosignature study some day.

If you work in the planetary or astronomy fields, and plan to visit Chiang Mai, you can contact NARIT staff and express your interest in the program, no matter how loosely you define yourself as a planetary or space scientist. (My work is largely focused on instrumentation and geobiology, but NARIT still welcomed me.) Even though the institute is astronomy-focused today, NARIT is eager to expand their range of research topics and collaborations. They are flexible in terms of accommodating your schedule and the process of applying consisted of sending a few short emails, my CV, and a talk abstract to the Director of Research Facilitation.

In short, if you happen to be in or even passing through northern Thailand, why not be a Stopover Astronomer at NARIT? You never know what international opportunities might come out of your visit to Thailands emerging space studies institute.We decided to start the face-off with a light-drinking lager and work our way up to a milk stout. We took notes as we went, and as a bonus, my Dad made a certified DAD JOKE for each selection. Here we go!

Please don't drink unless you're 21, and please do so responsibly.

Meteor lager by Brasserie Meteor

This French brewery has apparently been in business since 1640. Unfortunately, this lager looked like it had been sitting on the shelf for at least half that long. It had a lot of sediment floating in it, which can be a natural result of the craft brewing process OR an indication that you've got a skunky beer on your hands. We were already primed not to like it, and that's exactly what happened. The Meteor was very light, with a ghost-like tastethere one minute, and gone the next. Not a great start to the face-off.

Dad says: "That meteor is on its final burn."

Star Trek Mirror Universe Terrans Unite! India Pale Lager by Shmaltz Brewing Company

Shmaltz has been releasing these Star Trek-themed beers for at least a couple years. The owner of my local liquor store is a huge Star Trek fan (as in, there are random figurines on the shelves and sun-faded cast pictures on the walls), so not surprisingly, these Trek beers are often available. The Mirror Universe Terrans Unite! is a cleverly-named IPL (see, it's like an IPA, only not) that unfortunately falls a little flat. It's hoppy, with that crisp refreshing feel you'd expect from a lager, but overall a fairly one-note beer, and a little bitter for my taste.

Dad says: "A good light taste, but I think it falls short of exploring the whole universe."

MoonJuice Galactic IPA by San Tan Brewing Company

Ringer alert! San Tan is located in nearby Chandler, Arizona, so this is a local choice that frequently shows up in Tucson restaurants. Fun fact: Orbital ATK has a plant in Chandler, and do you know what the company is doing there? Building the new Omega (no capital A) rocket, that's what. Anyway, MoonJuice is a pleasant, balanced IPA that's fruity without making a big deal about it. Two thumbs up from your intrepid reviewers.

Dad says: "Right on target with the Moon. I think the Apollo astronauts would have been proud."

Space Dust IPA by Elysian Brewing Company

This is the aforementioned beer that started the Funpost! challenge. It's a very dank and hoppy IPA; bold but not TOO bold. For some reason it makes my tongue tingle a little bit, which might be due to the high alcohol percentage. Enjoy this one in moderation.

Dad says: "Makes me feel like I'm about to lift off to gather more space dust."

Full Moon Orange Wheat by Mudshark Brewery

I'm hit or miss on wheat beers; especially ones where fruit is a key component. However, the Full Moon was a pleasant surprise! It's smooth and easy to drink, with a perfect, full-bodied, orange taste, making for a great summer brew that pulls no punches. This one's also made in Arizona: in Lake Havasau City, across the Colorado River from California.

Dad says: "Too bad the full Moon only occurs once a month."

Destihl Brewing Moonjumper Milk Stout by Destihl Brewery

Stouts are a seasonal thing for me; I can drink them in October through December, and even then, I prefer them on the nutty, malty side. The Moonjumper is milky and chocolatey as advertised, but not too sweet, which I liked. Also, the cow in the astronaut helmet makes this the best can design of all the contenders.

Dad says: "If I liked stout beers, I would jump over the Moon for more."

So which space beer prevailed?

After careful consideration, it was unanimous: We're giving the crown to the Full Moon Orange Wheat by Mudshark Brewery. We were both surprised by how much this beer won us over, with its summer shandy-like attitude backed by a full-body taste. We definitely recommend you find your own tranquility base by bringing some along on your summer outings.

That's it for this week's Funpost! If you have any questions or topics for a future Funpost!, send me an email at [email protected].Kampala- A number of students at Makerere University are set to miss internship training because of lack of funds to facilitate their accommodation at their placements.

Early this year Makerere University administration abolished the Shs380,000 refund that it has been remitting to every student for their internship practice.

In a letter addressed to students by Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, the university vice chancellor he noted that the University will no longer reimburse the students [with internship fee] as has been the case.

Now students say they are facing financial challenges to secure accommodation at the places of internship, some adding that their parents cannot provide the required amount for their facilitation.

I had a placement at Ministry of East African Affairs, but I have missed that opportunity because I cant accommodate myself for almost three months in Kampala, Jimmy Mayega, a second year student of Information Technology said.

The University guild president, Mr Papa Salim Were, said the university made a selfish decision in scrapping the internship allowances meant to facilitate students accommodation.

Many private students are facing the same problem after the university council made a selfish decision of scrapping the internship allowances meant to help students in such a time. We are going to push come next semester, this selfishness has to end, the guild president said.

He however, asked students to try all possible means not to miss the internship.

According to Mr Augustine Tamale, the university bursar, the university is only responsible for government students and just a few private students.

We are only responsible for government students of which their allowances are on their accounts and a few private students from journalism, law school, engineering and Medicine,  Mr Tamale explained.

Tamale added that the eligible private students delayed to submit their details to financial office but the university is in the last stages of wiring their monies to their respective accounts.

The only eligible private students to receive the internship allowances are those with courses beyond three layers but Tamale said this is the last time any private student will receive allowances from the University.

By the new policy, this is the last time. Starting next academic year, no private student(s) will receive any allowances from the university . Mr Tamale added.

He cautioned students to embrace the saving culture to help them in difficult times like this one.

RelatedPolice, assisted by the army and other security agencies have deployed heavily in Rukungiri since Wednesday ahead of the District Woman MP By-election that is happening today Thursdag. There is a heavy presence of millitary police and uniformed as well as plain-clothed police officers on foot patrol around the town and surrounding areas.

Deputy Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango told journalists that police presence is to ensure protection of electoral materials, guard major routes connecting Rukungiri to neighboring districts and to guard offices of the Electoral Commission, tallying centres, polling centres, party offices and other vulnerable places.

RelatedA Tesla sedan traveling in semi-autonomous Autopilot mode crashed into a parked police vehicle in Laguna Beach, CA, on Tuesday morning, authorities said.

The Tesla sedan veered and struck the police SUV. Photo: Laguna Beach PD PIO/Twitter

"Instead of driving in the roadway, it veered off," said Laguna Beach police Sgt. Jim Cota of the 11:07 a.m. crash. "Thankfully there was no officer in the car at the time."

The driver of the 2015 Tesla Model S had minor injuries and refused medical treatment, reports the Orange County Register.

It is still unclear why the Tesla sedan veered and struck the police SUV, which was totaled, Cota said. The crash remains under investigation.Photo: WBAL-TV

The four teenagers charged in the killing of Baltimore County, MD, Officer Amy Caprio were indicted Wednesday by a grand jury, reports WBAL-TV.

Officer Caprio was fatally struck by a vehicle May 21 while responding to a suspicious vehicle call.

Derrick Matthews, 15, Darrell Ward, 16, and Eugene Genius, 17, are accused of burglarizing a house while Dawnta Harris, 16, waited outside in a Jeep and the fatal encounter occurred. The teens were indicted on charges of first-degree murder, burglary, and conspiracy to commit burglary.WATERLOO, Iowa  Cathy Irvine wants people to see what Iowa looked like more than 150 years ago.

In honor of her late husband, David H. Irvine, Iowans and visitors will have a chance to do just that with the donation of a 77-acre stretch of land northeast of Dysart in east-central Iowa. The area will be restored to Iowas native ecosystem  prairie.

"Weve lost 99.9 percent of our original natural prairie  thats a lot. A lot more than other places," said Laura Jackson, director of the University of Northern Iowa Tallgrass Prairie Center, which is contracted to establish and maintain the donated land as prairie.

"We are the prairie state. There was no other state that had taller prairie grass than us. Our ecosystem was built around that prairie vegetation," Jackson said.

More than a century ago, 85 percent of Iowas nearly 36 million acres of land was covered by prairie. Now, only one-tenth of 1 percent remains in Iowa, and only 2 percent of original tallgrass prairie ecosystem remains in North America, according to Jackson.

With the help of Iowa Natural Heritage, a conservation easement restricting how land is used means the Irvine land will always remain a prairie. Ownership of the land belongs to UNI Properties Corp.

The gesture also signifies the love of a couple who cherished nature.

"This prairie was definitely Cathys vision. The couple was very passionate about conservation work," said Sarah Parsons, director of advancement communications with the UNI Foundation.

Students from Union High School, UNI staff and community residents joined the Tallgrass Prairie Center at a dedication ceremony recently. They began planting of mix of more than 70 species of plants native to northern Iowa.

"I was shocked. At first I didnt believe it. Its not every day that youre approached with such a vision, and its just exciting to see the students get an opportunity like this," Jackson said.

Irvines vision includes the chance for students and scientists to further their research and study of prairies.

Prairie species include a balance of grass-like plants, sedges, cool- and warm-season grasses, and flowers that bloom from early spring to late fall. All plants have long perennial roots, so each inch of soil will be used.

Prairies are the source of Iowas rich soil structure. During heavy rainfall, the extensive root system serves as a filter to absorb water, reduce flooding and preserve water quality, reducing toxic chemicals in drinking water.

Prairies also are reported to produce "fuel for bioenergy, sequestering carbon and providing wildlife habitat," according to the UNI Foundation.

The prairie also is a home for a species native to Irvines heart  monarch butterflies.

Jackson refers to Irvine as a citizen scientist  she has been tagging monarchs, sometimes 400 to 500 a season, as they fly to Mexico and back up again.

"Shes been very committed to the bird life, the insect life," Jackson said of Irvine. "This is just an extension of that  the enjoyment and the beauty of nature."MINNEAPOLIS  Global food giant General Mills is providing financial support to University of Minnesotas Forever Green Initiative that grows crops, promoting soil development.

General Mills has invested in renewable energy and pollinator protection, Minnesota Public Radio reported. The company has put $3 million into soil health in the last couple of years. That represents just 1 percent of the companys overall corporate giving.

"We take the output of Mother Nature and farming communities, we transform it into products for consumers to get the nutrition they want in the midst of their busy lives, and we market it to them," said General Mills chief sustainability officer, Jerry Lynch.

He recently told agribusiness and food industry leaders that healthy soil can help with issues stemming from climate change.

"If the front end of that engine  Mother Nature and farming communities  starts to break down, our business becomes either really expensive to operate, or sometimes impossible to operate because we cant get what we need in order to make those products," he said.

Lynch said healthy soil can absorb and hold water rather than let it run off the land. It can also reduce the need for pesticides and fertilizer, which cost money and can increase a crops carbon footprint.

"Soil health practices work differently on every farm," too, he said. "Theres not a silver bullet for every single solitary farm."Dylan Hilliker was stuck between rock n roll and a hard place. He had a band, but no place to play. Rather than retire to his garage, he decided to start a music festival for young musicians in Rochester.

That was three years ago. Now ROCKchester festivalis stronger than ever and has expanded to become a two-day event. The festival focuses on nurturing young creators, musicians, and visual artists.

"Three years ago, there wasnt a place for young musicians in Rochester and the surrounding area to play professional-level shows, and definitely not a place for newer bands in general to get paid for playing their music," says Hilliker. "I recognized that my own need for a place to play music was a need for my friends and the community."

Ranging in style from folk to electronic and from jazz to rap, Early Eyes, Guytano, Fauna & Flora, Good Luck Finding Iris, and Why Not are just a few of the bands performing at the festival this year. The late-night afterparty following the first nights showcase will lean towards the hip-hop end of the spectrum with Wealthy Relative, West Korea & Black.k Lagoon, Kokou Kah, and Rysenberg taking the stage.

For those older listeners, dont worry  there are plenty of things to hear. "I think the festival is a good time for everyone, regardless of if you are more around the age of the performers or their parents," says Hilliker.

For Hilliker, the prep  at least a nine-month process  is part of the fun. "The great part about planning for live music is the payoff of getting to see everything come together in real time," he says.

From 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, a free emerging artist showcase will take center stage. This portion of the festival will feature high school-aged performers and the Pure Rock Studios teen group. Pasquales Neighborhood Pizzeria will sell slices to hungry festival attendees. All the proceeds from these sales will benefit the Pure Rock Studios scholarship fund.

The visual arts component of the festival has a larger presence this year. Chad Allen, a local artist, will host a visual arts showcase on Saturday from 5 to 6:30 p.m. This showcase will focus entirely on visual works as opposed to musical art. There will be exhibits open for the duration of the festival, with works done by artists ranging in age from 16 to 24.

According to Hilliker, ROCKchester has altered Rochesters musical landscape. He cites Greentop, Vansire, Kevin and the Keepsakes, Sarah Hutchinson, and Wyatt Moran as performers and bands who found audiences in part through their exposure at the two previous ROCKchesters. In all, nearly 600 attendees have been part of the festivals history.

Rochesters creative scene needs to encourage its young members to ensure a strong future, and ROCKchester is doing just that. Hilliker might put it best: "Some of my closest friends have been made through the Rochester music and arts scene, and I hope the kids who come after me will be able to have that same experience."I wrote here about the strange case of Tommy Robinson, and Scott followed up here. The case is strange indeed: Robinson was live-streaming on Facebook from the street in front of a courthouse in Leeds where a number of defendants were on trial for rape. Reportedly, he was reading the names of the defendants and the crimes with which they were charged.

That was enough to bring out the paddy wagon. Police officers descended on Robinson, arrested him on suspicion of breaching the peace, and hauled him off to court. Within a matter of hours he had been imprisoned for contempt of court. Not only that, the court issued an order barring all UK press outlets from reporting on Robinsons arrest and imprisonment.

If that doesnt bother you, your civil libertarian instincts have atrophied. Yet it appears that only conservatives are troubled by Robinsons incarceration; the worlds establishment has closed ranks against him. This is what you see if you enter Tommy Robinson in Google News. Click to enlarge:

Apparently only the alt-right, U.S. Rightwingers and the right-wing outrage machine care about the blatant suppression of free speech and normal criminal process that characterize the Robinson case. I was curious about Times article, headlined: Why Tommy Robinson Was Jailed, and Why U.S. Rightwingers Care. Time writes:

The right-wing campaigner was arrested and jailed on Friday outside a controversial trial in northern England.

No explanation of why the trial was controversial, even though news outlets were forbidden to report on it.

He is active in the global far-right, writing and broadcasting for Canadian far-right channel Rebel Media

You can never say far right too often. That means he is skeptical of the wisdom of mass Muslim immigration to Great Britain.

and his arrest on Friday on suspicion of breaching the peace outside a court in the U.K. attracted tweets of protest by right-wing activists and commentators around the world.

The link on right wing commentators goes to my Power Line post.

Time explains that Robinson broke the law by reporting on details of the trial, although this claim seems doubtful based on other reports:

By filming defendants and discussing details of the trial while broadcasting via a livestream, Robinson was breaking the court-ordered restriction on media. As he was already serving a suspended sentence for filming outside another trial in May last year, he was jailed for 13 months. In the U.S., reporting on ongoing trials is usually protected by the First Amendment.

No kidding!

A local paper, the Hull Daily Mail, has an up-to-date report:

A court order is currently in place temporarily banning any reporting on the trial, including its status as ongoing, so the press will not be able to reveal details until later this year.

So British newspapers arent supposed to report that the rape trial is taking place.

At the time of the Facebook Live, jurors were in the process of considering verdicts after hearing six weeks of evidence.

***

And a court order had also been in place temporarily banning any reporting on Robinsons arrest and sentencing hearing, but Hull Live can now reveal the details. A court order temporarily banned any mention of Robinsons court proceedings but our colleagues at LeedsLive challenged the order and today (Tuesday) the judge agreed to lift the reporting restriction in regards to Robinsons case.

***

Eventually, the 35-year-old was arrested on suspicion of a breach of the peace and was held in the court cells before being taken up to the courtroom to face the trial judge. In a rare move, he was arrested, charged and sentenced within five hours.

Emphasis added. Is it really true that British news media cant report anything about a trial in progress, even, as Robinson reportedly was doing, naming the defendants and itemizing the charges against them? I havent had time to research this in depthalthough I think I have seen any number of news reports on British trialsbut this is the BBCs account:

Once proceedings are active, anything which creates a substantial risk that the course of justice in these proceedings will be seriously prejudiced or impeded will be a contempt of court. In most criminal cases, proceedings become active: * On the arrest of a suspect * When an arrest warrant is issued * On the issue of a summons (in Scotland a complaint) or indictment. This may be well before a person in charged * When a person in charged.

Obviously, the Leeds criminal case was active. So the question is whether Robinsons live-streaming from outside the courthouse creates a substantial risk that the course of justicewill be seriously prejudiced or impeded. It is hard to see why this standard would be met.

So in the U.K., an unpopular activist who stands outside a courthouse talking about the fact that a criminal trial is taking place, and naming the defendants and the charges against them, is subject to arrest for contempt of court, and can be hustled off to jail in a matter of hours with no meaningful fact-finding or opportunity to defend. And newspapers can be barred, and have been barred, from reporting on the activists arrest and incarceration.

This is obviously not the American way, and I seriously doubt whether it is the British way in any case that doesnt involve Islam. But evidently, as is so often the case when it comes to free speech, no one cares except us right wingers.Przepraszamy!

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Inne oferty, ktore mogy byc w kregu Twoich zainteresowan:( Read 5831 Times)

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Campaign conducted at 14 suburban stations to educate and appeal to Mumbaikars on the hazards of taking shortcutsVodafones Shortcuts are Injurious campaign to continue across more railway stations in MumbaiOver 75 lakh Mumbaikars* travel on Mumbais local trains each day. In 2017, over 3000* lost their lives while crossing railway tracks in Mumbai. The employees of Mumbais most preferred telecom services network decided to do their bit to spread awareness on the hazards of taking shortcuts across railway tracks. Vodafone India has initiated a campaign urging Mumbaikars to refrain from crossing railway tracks in the interest of their own safety. Recently conducted across 14 suburban railway stations in Mumbai, the campaign connected with several thousand rail commuters, exhorting them to stay away from the railway tracks. Over 1500 Mumbaikars extended their support to Vodafones Shortcuts are Injurious campaign by assuring that they will not walk across the railway tracks henceforth.Speaking about the initiative, Pushpinder Singh Gujral, Business Head - Mumbai, Vodafone India, said, Vodafones Shortcuts are Injurious campaign is being carried out by its own employees as a part of Vodafone Indias larger commitment to propagate their Health, Safety and Well-Being policy not just for their employees and partners, but also for customers, visitors and society at large. Mumbais suburban rail network is a crucial lifeline ferrying millions of people to and from their homes and workplaces. Recent reports indicate that numerous lives are lost each day, while crossing the citys railway tracks. We want every Mumbaikar to get back home safe and sound at the end of each day. Having touched the lives of over 1500 rail commuters through the first phase of this campaign, I am happy to say that we have made a beginning.Farmers of India one family-one voice

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Farmers of India, are untidily demanding of LOAN WAIVER TO ALL FARMERS and MSP at cost of production +50% as per Dr. M.S. Swaminathan report. The struggle will continue till implemented by Sri. Naredra Modi ji, as promised in 2014 and included in BJP Manifesto.



We farmers of India have realized that the political parties manipulate-FARMERS- as vote banks by dividing us as CASTE- COMMUNITY -RELIGION - REGION but they never solve our problems. Farmers have understood that it is mainly Government of Indias (GOI) ANTI-FARMER- RESTRICTIVE - policies are responsible for LOW PRICES -- LOW INCOME  DEBTS -- MIGRETION leading to suicides. G.O.I controls Banks, Insurance, fixes MSP, procurement, taxes on fertilizer, pesticides, Tractor, Drip, manipulate exports, imports, imposes restrictions. They encourage INDUSTRYSERVICE sector by providing best technologies, investments - incentives, but are denying them to farmers. WHY? Because we do not go on strike or defeat a deceiver politicians.



Constitutional institutions of - PARLIAMENT - ADMINISTRATION - JUDICIARY have failed to provide EQUITABLE INCOME to farmers on par with organized sectors. A 25 acres farmers income is less than a chaprasi /peon in tahsil. Farmer has no status in society and do not get girl to marry him!



Are INDIAN FARMERS SLAVES or ORPHANS? We are INSULTED and are ANGRY. We will protest by STOPPING SUPPLY OF MILK & VEGETABLES FROM 1ST JUNE 2018. Every village will pass and send resolutions by Letters to Mr. Narendra Modi, P.M. South Block, New Delhi-110011, Phone:011- 23012312, Fax:011- 23016857 E-mail: https://PMOPG.GOV.IN/PMOCITIZEN/GRIEVANCEPMO.ASPX giving 30 days notice demanding to announcing LOAN WAIVER and M.S.P,(Cost +50%) for all crops including Milk. On 1st July 2018 once again farmers will stop supplies and demand Mr. Modi to announce. If Mr. Modi refuses to agree by INDEPENDENCE DAY, 15th August 2018 ALL FARMERS OF INDIA WILL SEND notice WRITTEN WITH THEIR BLOOD to Mr. Modi.



We have to network 5 Lakh villages, 80 crore farmers, overcome 15 language barriers, motivate 50% women farmers, include all tenants and labor. Our LEADERS will provide guidance for follow up.





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Your Comments ! Share Your OpenionBANGALORE, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The Contextual Learning program at Canadian International School strives to take students out of their comfort zones and put them in new contexts where they come face-to-face with issues, people, and places they don't normally cross paths with. This philosophy led to a partnership between Canadian International School and Cytecare Cancer Hospitals to raise awareness about the impact of tobacco on our lives, bodies, and children. Students first visited the hospital in Yelahanka, learned first-hand from the experts there, and left inspired to spread the message.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/638328/CIS_Logo.jpg )



31st May is celebrated around the globe as the World Against Tobacco Day. This is a perfect opportunity for students to be global citizens and contribute their opinions and thoughts on the matter. They are going to do so through their sculpture, art, and theatre arts.

Join the students from Canadian International School along with Cytecare Cancer Hospitals on 31st May 2018 at the Rangoli Art Centre on 1MG road, Bangalore from 10 am to 1 pm.

About Canadian International School

Canadian International School is a culturally-rich mosaic serving each student by providing a world-class international education, nurturing potential, developing life-long skills, and preparing students for an ever-changing global community. As India's 1st Apple Distinguished School, Canadian International School has continued to deliver a very high standard of education with an array of subject choices and activities tailored to students' interests, aligned with a very high level of care in a warm, friendly and non- threatening environment. It follows internationally recognized curricula - IB (Grades 11-12), IGCSE (Grades 9-10), Cambridge Secondary 1 (Grades 6-8) Cambridge Primary, and Montessori (Pre K-Grade 5), and employs a majority of foreign-trained, experienced teachers.

Media Contact:

Amala Warrick

[email protected]

+91-9008607755

Canadian International School



SOURCE Canadian International SchoolCHENNAI, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

- First in India to launch biochemical test based on five analytes offering high detection rates

LifeCell, India's premier mother and baby diagnostics company and stem cell bank, today launched 'Pentastic' - an ultrasound and biochemistry based blood test undertaken in the first trimester of pregnancy between 11 to 13 weeks, 6 days to screen for genetic abnormalities, structural malformations in the fetus and serious high blood pressure in pregnancy.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/542620/LifeCell_Logo.jpg )



- Trisomy 21 leading to Down syndrome occurring in 1 per 800 births

- Trisomy 18 leading to Edwards' syndrome occurring in 1 per 8,000 births, and

- Trisomy 13 leading to Patau syndrome affecting 1 per 16,000 births

Compared to conventional screening tests that use only 2 analytes [PAPP-A + free hCG], the new Pentastic test incorporates 5 analytes [PAPP-A + free hCG + AFP + Inhibin-A + PIGF] to predict the risk. Addition of these new analytes can significantly improve the detection of these abnormalities whilst simultaneously lowering the number of false alarms raised.[1] This would lead to substantial improvements in health outcomes whilst providing a higher level of reassurance for expectant parents.

The screening will be performed on a platform accredited by Fetal Medical Foundation (FMF), the flagship international organisation for fetal diagnostics.

Another significant advantage of the Pentastic test is that it helps in detecting Pre-eclampsia (developing <37 weeks) in the first trimester. This is a medical condition that increases the risk both for mother and the baby during pregnancy. Some symptoms of preeclampsia may include high blood pressure and protein in the urine, occurring after week 20 of pregnancy. Conventional biochemical screening and even advanced DNA-based tests such as NIPT (Non-invasive prenatal testing) do not help in identifying this condition. Importantly, early detection facilitates early treatment which is important for the safety and psychology of the parents.

From a cost perspective too, the Pentastic test offers almost the same detection rate as NIPT, 98% compared to 99.5%, but is available at a significantly lower cost than NIPT [estimated at ~80% lesser].

Mayur Abhaya, Managing Director, Lifecell, said, "Pentastic Penta Marker Screening would provide very high detection rate of 98% with low false positive rate of 1.2% as against the current combined screening test which offers a much lower detection rate and a false positive rate upward of 5%. Hence this test would lead to substantially lower parental anxiety, by helping them make more accurate informed decisions with access to reliable and affordable tests. It's imperative that universal screening for chromosomal disorders are now made available in India through policy making as in other nations."

On this occasion Prof. Dr. Ashok Khurana, President, Society of Fetal Medicine, said, "First Trimester Penta Screening is a significant improvement over conventional combined test screening (Double Marker Screening tests) because it potentially reduces the need for follow-up invasive testing, thus reducing costs and risks. It addresses several complications of the fetus and mother, including the commonest congenital cause of mental disability (Down syndrome), commonest structural defects (Open Neural Tube Defects), and the most life-threatening blood pressure disorder in pregnancy (Preeclampsia). Early diagnosis and treatment facilitated by the tests makes pregnancy considerably safer."

Down syndrome (DS), also called trisomy 21, where extra genetic material causes delays in child development, both mentally and physically, is one of the most common genetic birth disorders. Down Syndrome (DS) is associated with mild to moderate learning disabilities, mental milestone delays, typical facial features and low muscle tone in early infancy. Patau syndrome also called trisomy 13 is caused by a chromosomal abnormality, in which the cells in the body contain extra genetic material from chromosome 13 that disrupts normal development, causing multiple and complex organ defects. Edwards' syndrome, also known as trisomy 18, is a genetic disorder in which many parts of the body are affected and babies are often born small and have heart, kidney and skeletal defects. Sadly, most babies with Edwards'syndrome will die before or shortly after being born.

About LifeCell

LifeCell, established in 2004, is India's leading provider of preventive healthcare services for mother and baby wellness and healthcare solutions such as stem cell banking and diagnostic services. With facilities at Chennai and Gurgaon and a network spanning over 200 cities in India and abroad, over 3,00,000 lakh parents have trusted LifeCell for its services.

LifeCell's umbilical cord stem cell banking, a community-based approach towards stem cell access, is a global first initiative that aims to provide families in India better future access to stem cells than even currently possible in advanced countries such as the U.S.

As a comprehensive provider of preventive and diagnostic healthcare services, LifeCell presents a complete panel of pre and post-natal diagnostic tests including maternal infectious diseases test, prenatal screening and newborn screening. Through these services, LifeCell aims to provide complete wellness for the mother and baby ensuring healthy pregnancy and healthy newborns.

For more info: Visit us at: http://www.lifecell.in

Reference: 1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28613385

Media Contact:

Krithika Narayanan

[email protected]

+91-9841779699

DGM - Content & Communication

LifeCell International Pvt Ltd



SOURCE LifeCell International Private LimitedOnly 43 companies awarded this prestigious honor in 2018

CLEVELAND, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, presented PDI with the President's "E" Award for Exports at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2018. The President's "E" Award is the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports.

"PDI Ground Support Systems has demonstrated a sustained commitment to export expansion," said Secretary Ross in his congratulatory letter to the Company announcing its selection. "The "E" Awards Committee was very impressed with PDI's export sales percentage that exceeds 50% of total sales. PDI's achievements have undoubtedly contributed to national export expansion efforts that support the U.S. economy and create American jobs."

PDI is a leading designer and manufacturer of weapons handling systems and ground support equipment used by the United States Air Force, Navy and Army Special Operations Command, in addition to 45 other air forces worldwide. PDI's products include munitions handling units, aircraft engine trailers, weapons adapters and transport modules, munitions assembly conveyors, and running gear axle systems used for transporting and storing weapons and other ground support equipment for flight line applications.

"Export revenues typically represent over half of our annual sales," said Nathan Haber, Vice President of Sales and Business Development. "Foreign militaries seeking to enhance their weapons handling operations have routinely looked to PDI for their equipment."

In total, Secretary Ross honored 43 U.S. companies and organizations from across the country with the President's "E" Award for their role in strengthening the U.S. economy by sharing American ingenuity outside of our borders. U.S. companies are nominated for the "E" Awards through the U.S. Commercial Service, part of the Department's International Trade Administration.

About the "E" Awards

In 1961, President Kennedy signed an executive order reviving the World War II "E" symbol of excellence to honor and provide recognition to America's exporters. Criteria for the award is based on four years of successive export growth in one or more international markets.

For more information, please visit www.thepdigroup.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Contact: Nathan Haber, Vice President  Sales and Business Development

[email protected]

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SOURCE PDI Ground Support SystemsCHENNAI, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Saksoft Limited (BSE: 590051) (NSE: SAKSOFT), reported its Q4 and year end results (ended on March 31, 2018) at its Board Meeting held on May 30, 2018.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/699009/Saksoft_Logo.jpg )



Commenting on the results, Chairman & Managing Director, Aditya Krishna said, "Our continuous focus on emerging digitization opportunities is helping us scale up revenues. Our insistence on using the dedicated team model is ensuring consistency and predictability of revenues. Our Inch wide mile deep philosophy in our service offerings allows us to compete effectively and grow in the segments that we operate in. At Saksoft, we believe that OUR TIME STARTS NOW."



Review of financial performance:

Consolidated Quarter Review (Q4 2017-18 vs. Q4 2016-17)

Operating revenue increased by 10.46% to Rs 78.01 Crore in Q4 FY17-18 against Rs 70.62 Crore in the corresponding quarter previous year

in Q4 FY17-18 against in the corresponding quarter previous year 40.60% increase in EBITDA to Rs 11.29 Crore in Q4 FY17-18 against Rs 8.03 Crore in the corresponding quarter previous year

in Q4 FY17-18 against in the corresponding quarter previous year PBT increased to Rs 9.73 Crore in Q4 FY17-18 against Rs 6.32 Crore in the corresponding quarter previous year, up by 53.80%

in Q4 FY17-18 against in the corresponding quarter previous year, up by 53.80% PAT stood at Rs 6.94 Crore in Q3 FY17-18 against Rs 3.76 Crore in the corresponding quarter previous year, an increase of 84.57%

Consolidated Financial Year Review (FY 2017-18 vs. FY 2016-17)

Operating revenue increased by 10.16% to Rs 285.87 Crore against Rs 259.50 Crore in the previous year

against in the previous year 20.33% increase in EBITDA to Rs 39.60 Crore in FY 2017-18 against Rs 32.91 Crore in the previous year

in FY 2017-18 against in the previous year PBT increased to Rs 33.82 Crore in 2017-18 against Rs 28.88 Crore in the previous year, increase of 17.11%

in 2017-18 against in the previous year, increase of 17.11% PAT for FY 2017-18 stood at Rs 21.83 Crore against Rs 17.10 Crore in the previous year, an increase of 27.66%

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

INR Crores

Particulars Q4 FY17-18 Q4 FY16-17 FY17-18 FY16-17 Revenue 78.01 70.62 285.87 259.50 EBITDA 11.29 8.03 39.60 32.91 EBITDA % 14.48% 11.36% 13.85% 12.68% PAT 6.94 3.76 21.83 17.10 PAT% 8.89% 5.33% 7.64% 6.59%

OPERATING METRICS

Particulars FY 17-18 1. REVENUE METRICS- % A. Revenue by Geo Americas 58% Europe 32% Asia Pacific & Others 9% B. Revenue Mix Onsite 53% Offshore 47% 2. CUSTOMER METRICS A. Client Metrics- No of clients/customers per Million Dollar >1 MN 5 >0.5Mn to 1Mn 7 B. Client's Contribution to Revenue Top 5 42% Top 10 49% Top 20 57% 3. HEADCOUNT METRICS A. Headcount & Utilization Total Employee Count 1025 Technical 897 Support 128 B. Utilization-IT Services Excluding trainees 85%

About Saksoft Limited:

Saksoft Limited is a leading player in providing digital transformation solutions to help businesses stay relevant in a highly connected, rapidly evolving world. Saksoft is a niche technology specialist that provides a comprehensive suite of business transformation, information management, application development and testing services. In short, Saksoft helps their clients level the playing field by helping them transform their business spaces.

Saksoft is headquartered in Chennai (India), and has 12 offices across the USA, Europe and Asia employing over 1000+ people. For more information, please visit http://www.saksoft.com

Media Contact :

Karthik Subramanian

[email protected]

+91-9840905522

+91-44-2454-3500

Marketing Head, Saksoft Limited



SOURCE Saksoft LimitedMUMBAI, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

TimesPro has been awarded as a winner in 'Talent Acquisition Award' and 'First Runner-up in the Diversity and Inclusion Award' at the PeopleFirst HR Excellence Awards 2018, held on May 25, in Mumbai

This award is in recognition of Times Professional Learning's (TPL) talent attraction strategy and innovative means to hire talent and how this aligns with the overall Business growth and employer branding. TPL boasts of a very diverse talent drawn from across geographies, cultures, upbringing and education. The diversity extends beyond gender and focusses on creating an inclusive workspace. Several national and international organisations were nominated for the coveted award.

(Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/699016/TimesPro_Logo.jpg )

Speaking on the occasion, TPL's HR Head, Brillian S. K, said, "We are honored to receive the award which we see as recognition of TPL's efforts to sustain and create a favorable work place. Today TPL boasts of an enviable track record of career support to its employees. The award speaks about our organization that puts people fist, delivers focused-driven excellence in the field of diversity at work place and understands the importance of human capital as a key contributor to business."

Methodology

The selection process was based on a Presentation along with case studies to a Jury comprising of HR Experts and Business Heads. The Jury posed questions on the aspects presented and post presentations by all teams, the finalists were announced. The team had received 150 nominations from across the country, 36 of which were awarded at the ceremony on the basis of jury presentation and reference checks.

About TimesPro

TimesPro, a part of Times Professional Learning (TPL), offers a variety of courses in sectors such as banking, management, analytics, digital marketing, decision science and many more. As a professional skilling powerhouse for graduates and working professionals, we equip students with key skills that allow a student to kick start his or her professional career. Our vision is to ensure that we provide the Indian youth with tailor-made and industry-vetted educational courses that bridge the gap between the current formal education system and what the industry requirements are, thereby making our Indian youth employable.

To know more visit http://www.timespro.com.

Media Contact:

Amruta Ail

[email protected]

+91-9819945670

Times Professional Learning

SOURCE Times Professional LearningMark Anderson and Sir Tim Melville-Ross join board to strengthen board's higher education industry expertise

LONDON, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Higher Ed Partners, UK (HEP UK) a leading provider of online programme management services for higher education, and a member of a global family of online programme management providers in North America, Latin America and Africa, today announced the appointment of Mark Anderson and Sir Tim Melville-Ross as members of its board of directors.

Mark Anderson has spent much of his career in education, primarily with Pearson, plc where he worked for 22 years in two stints. He was President for International Strategy and Business Development, Managing Director Pearson Europe and Managing Director Pearson UK. He is now Chair of London Metropolitan University, Bibliotech Education and Created Education, and a City Fellow of Hughes Hall Cambridge.

Sir Tim Melville-Ross began his career with British Petroleum, and also spent time with the City of London and Nationwide Building Society where he spent 20 years  the last ten as CEO. He served for 5 years as Director General of the Institute of Directors, a membership and lobbying organisation. Since 1999 he has been chairing a wide range of organisations including Royal London Insurance, Bovis Homes, Investors in People and the Higher Education Funding Council for England. He was knighted for services to higher education on the 2018 New Year's Honours List.

"I am delighted that Mark and Tim have graciously agreed to join the board of Higher Ed Partners, UK. Their dedication to higher education and experience within the sector will provide additional insights to help us further our mission of expanding access to top quality, affordable education delivered through technology-aided learning," said Lord Eatwell, executive chairman of the board of HEP UK.

HEP UK is providing its partner universities a comprehensive suite of online solutions, including: supporting their capacity-building in the conversion of face-to-face programmes to an engaging online format, recruiting qualified students for these online programmes and providing ongoing student support through graduation.

HEP UK currently partners with the University of York and, in June, will be launching their three online MSc programmes, in Innovation, Finance and International Business.

Enrolment is now open for the first class start date of June 30th, 2018. To learn more or to apply, please visit: https://online.york.ac.uk/MscProgrammes.aspx

About Higher Ed Partners, UK (HEP UK)

HEP UK and its sister companies: HEP South Africa, HEP Morocco, HEP Canada, Academic Partnerships and Ilumno Holdings, together form the leading online service providers for higher education globally. HEP UK assists universities in converting their on-campus degree programmes into an online format, recruits qualified students for those programmes, and supports enrolled students through to graduation. HEP UK is guided by the principle that the opportunities presented through technology-aided learning make higher education more accessible and affordable. The group has spent nearly 20 years developing innovative learning solutions to improve education.

http://higheredpartners.co.uk

Media or Inquiries

Higher Ed Partners, UK

Ian Howell

9 Devonshire Square

London, England

Ian.howell@higheredpartners.co.uk

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SOURCE Higher Ed Partners, UKCHICAGO and LONDON, May 31, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- R.J. O'Brien & Associates (RJO), the oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States, announced that its London-based affiliate, R.J. O'Brien Limited (RJO Limited), has moved into new office space in the centre of the City of London. The move to the 100 Cheapside building brings together staff from two distant locations for the first time since the company's acquisition of The Kyte Group in 2015.

Thomas Texier, Managing Director of RJO Limited, said: "This terrific new space at a signature modern building in the heart of London's business district not only accommodates our current staff of 90 but gives us room to grow significantly. We have a brand new, highly enabled operations and technology hub here that supports our region and also benefits our clients and the company on a global basis.

"This move is the culmination of three years of investment, integration and expansion of services, as well as a renewed focus on bringing in individuals of the highest calibre to meet the needs of our institutional, professional trading and direct electronic access clients. We are thrilled to unify the entire team under one roof at an impressive location and intend to continue to hire first-rate institutional brokers and salespeople who reflect the RJO culture and bring new value to our growing customer base."

In the past six months, the firm announced several high-profile new hires, including a Senior Vice President, Business Development, and a veteran institutional brokerage team focused on global macro fixed income futures and options execution.

RJO Limited offers anonymous electronic and voice access to markets across multiple asset classes, including futures and options on all major global exchanges, equity contracts for difference (CFDs) and over-the-counter cleared commodities. The affiliate also provides services beyond clearing and execution, including real-time risk management across asset classes; tailored post-trade services; and state-of-the-art front-, middle- and back-office solutions for sell-side clients wanting to outsource technology and facilities management.

RJO Limited won the award for "Best FCM  Technology" at the CTA Intelligence European Services Awards 2016, after earning the title of "Best FCM  Innovation" for 2015. RJO's UK affiliate also won the Editor's Choice Award at the 2015 FOW International Awards, based on factors including growth prospects, company achievements and successful collaborations and acquisitions.

About R.J. O'Brien Limited and R.J. O'Brien & Associates

R.J. O'Brien Limited provides clearing and settlement services to professional and eligible counterparty clients who transact business on the world's leading futures and options exchanges. It offers clearing and execution-only services, risk management and electronic trading access to exchange-listed financial and commodity derivatives worldwide, as well as proximity and colocation services. RJO Limited is the UK affiliate of R.J. O'Brien & Associates, the oldest and largest independent futures brokerage and clearing firm in the United States. Founded in 1914, RJO offers state-of-the-art electronic trading and 24-hour trade execution on all major futures exchanges worldwide, as well as a full range of clearing services to more than 80,000 clients in Europe, Asia and the Americas.

R.J. O'Brien Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 114120).

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Related Links

http://www.rjobrien.com



SOURCE R.J. O'Brien & AssociatesRichard Pattison, Manager of News Technology, Sky News, said, "Because of the importance of this event and the huge interest in it, Sky decided it wanted to offer something to its Sky Q customers and broadcast the event in UHD. We use LiveU's live streaming technology extensively throughout our operation on a daily basis but also, as is well known, for special events like the 2015 and 2017 UK general elections. The option to deliver native UHD lives from around the UK and US made them the only choice to provide added depth to our UHD OB in Windsor."

The build-up and the wedding itself was broadcast on Sky News and simulcast on Sky One. Multiple LiveU LU600 HEVC portable transmission units were deployed specifically to bring in colour from outside the Windsor UHD OB where the wedding took place  from other parts of the UK as well as from locations in the US. Sky News installed a LiveU LU4000 server in the hub OB, which appeared as a source on the OB router, allowing it to be mixed directly into the UHD programme. The LU4000 bonded video receiver is used to receive, reconstruct and playout any HEVC/H.264 video stream of up to 4Kp50/60.

Pattison adds, "Using LiveU we were able to provide complete and very dynamic coverage in native UHD, as opposed to just up-resing HD. There was simply no other way we could have achieved external UHD inputs to our Windsor OB without incurring significant costs and upping the technical complexity of the OB considerably. The performance of their codec allowed 4K over 20 Mbps of bandwidth, which is very impressive."

LiveU's flagship LU600 solution with the HEVC Pro card offers the ultimate video performance in live streaming for global newsgathering and beyond. Combined with the 4K HEVC Pro Card, the LU600 allows professional broadcasters and content creators to benefit from unparalleled video performance with extreme bandwidth efficiency  using one of the smallest portable cellular bonding units in the market.

Zion Eilam, Regional VP Sales (EMEA), LiveU, said, "4K HEVC is a growing market and we made a very important decision to opt for hardware encoding with our flagship LU600 solution. This decision has been validated by both the premium quality of the images while also being highly bandwidth efficient. We are really pleased that our technology has once again been used so successfully by Sky News for a truly major event."

About LiveU

LiveU is driving the live video revolution, providing live video streaming for TV, mobile, online and social media. Let your audience become part of your story with high-quality and flawless live video, transmitted from anywhere in the world, through the use of our patented bonding and video transport technology. LiveU creates a consistent bandwidth and a reliable connection so you can acquire, manage and distribute high quality remote live broadcasts over IP. Our broad portfolio of products sets the industry standard for live video production. From backpacks to smartphones, and satellite/cellular hybrid to external antenna solutions, LiveU offers a complete range of devices for live video coverage anytime, anywhere. In addition, LiveU offers extensive cloud-based management and video distribution solutions. With over 3,000 customers in 100+ countries, LiveU's technology is the solution of choice for global broadcasters, online media, news agencies and social media. For more information, visit www.liveu.tv, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn or Instagram.

Contact:

Joss Armitage (Int'l)

+44-7979-908-547

joss@jumppr.tv

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SOURCE LiveUStatement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids

WASHINGTON, May 30, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As the world prepares to mark World No Tobacco Day on May 31, Philip Morris International is publishing ads repeating the company's claimed commitment to a smoke-free future. Philip Morris is doubling-down on hypocrisy. At the same time that it claims to want a smoke-free future, Philip Morris is aggressively marketing cigarettes across the globe  especially in low- and middle-income countries  and fighting proven policies that reduce smoking and save lives.

It is a sick joke for Philip Morris to say that "we should promote every day as World No Smoking Day," when the company's primary mission every day is to sell more deadly cigarettes. Philip Morris' claims should be seen for what they are: A PR stunt to hide the fact that Philip Morris remains a primary cause of the global tobacco epidemic, not part of the solution.

Here are the facts about Philip Morris International:

Despite its claimed commitment to a smoke-free future, Philip Morris makes most of its revenue from selling cigarettes, brags that it sells the world's best-selling cigarette brand (Marlboro), and works aggressively to expand the global cigarette market, touting to investors the company's "robust plans to grow [its] cigarette business." Across the globe, Philip Morris promotes its cigarettes in ways that appeal to kids, introducing flavored cigarettes, conducting aggressive marketing near elementary schools, and sponsoring race cars and concerts. In 2016, a senior company executive touted Philip Morris' efforts to "develop untapped markets" for cigarettes across Africa and the Middle East. These are not the actions of a company that wants a smoke-free future.

It is also galling for Philip Morris to say that global smoking rates are not falling fast enough when the company itself has led the fight against proven strategies that can accelerate progress. A 2017 investigative report by Reuters revealed a massive, secret campaign by Philip Morris to undermine the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, depicting "a company that has focused its vast global resources on bringing to heel the world's tobacco control treaty." From Australia to Uruguay to Thailand, Philip Morris has filed expensive lawsuits that challenge strong tobacco control laws and seek to intimidate countries into inaction. If Philip Morris was serious about a smoke-free future, it would actively support rather than fight these proven strategies, including significant tobacco tax increases, comprehensive smoke-free laws, tobacco advertising bans and graphic health warnings on cigarette packs.

Tobacco use kills more than 7 million people worldwide each year and is projected to kill a billion people this century. To end this terrible epidemic and truly create a smoke-free future, we need strong action by governments, not empty promises from tobacco companies.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/458701/campaign_for_tobacco_free_kids_logo.jpg

Related Links

http://www.tobaccofreekids.org



SOURCE Campaign for Tobacco-Free KidsIf you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found hereThe AIX1000 is a big step forward for syphilis serology, said Paul Doherty, Laboratory Manager at Sunrise Medical Laboratories.

Gold Standard Diagnostics, Corp., a privately held clinical diagnostics company, today announced record growth of its AIX1000 system with its RPR Assay, a Syphilis Testing Method.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared system automates the performance of the rapid plasma reagin (RPR) assay, used by clinical diagnostic laboratories as an aid in syphilis infection diagnosis. Widely installed and used in large reference laboratories and local public health laboratories across the U.S., the AIX1000 has been adopted as the new standard in syphilis serology screening.

The AIX1000 is a big step forward for syphilis serology, said Paul Doherty, Laboratory Manager at Sunrise Medical Laboratories. The automated capabilities of the AIX1000 for performing the RPR assay and interpreting results have improved the efficiency and objectivity of syphilis testing in the clinical laboratory.

Finally, someone brought this test into the 21st century. It is thrilling to see an idea become a reality and solve a massive industry problem, said John Griffiths, President of Gold Standard Diagnostics. We are also excited to share that Gold Standards pipeline is full of new, innovative solutions that will be added to our platform.

The AIX1000 systems installed base and market share continues to grow amid increasing rates of syphilis in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the rate of syphilis cases in the U.S. increased 74% from 2012-20161.

The AIX1000 is the worlds first fully automated system for nontreponemal RPR Syphilis testing. The AIX automates the processing, analysis, reporting and archival of results for both RPR screens and titers.

ABOUT GOLD STANDARD DIAGNOSTICS, CORP.

Gold Standard Diagnostics, Corp. is a privately held clinical diagnostics company based in Davis, California. The company develops, manufactures and distributes a portfolio of instrumentation and diagnostic test kits to clinical laboratories in the U.S., EMEA, Asia, and South America. In addition to the AIX1000, current product offerings include the Thunderbolt and Bolt, open format instrumentation platforms for enzyme and chemiluminescence immunoassays, and an extensive menu of serology tests across autoimmune, infectious, and endocrine diseases.

1. 2016 Sexually transmitted diseases surveillance https://www.cdc.gov/std/stats16/Syphilis.htm (Accessed 02/23/18).EKU is ranked among the best schools offering online degrees by U.S. News & World Report and Military Times. We take a lot of pride in our process, and believe students are the ones who ultimately benefit.

The EKU Homeland Security Program is featured in the second edition of Threats to Homeland Security: Reassessing the All Hazards Perspective edited by Richard J. Kilroy, Jr. Eastern Kentucky Universitys bachelors degree program is referenced because its core curriculum covers key topics in the field and prepares students for varied careers. In addition, Assistant Professor Chad Foster, Ph.D. contributed a chapter about the history of the profession and the many partners that make up the homeland security field today.

In a chapter titled Homeland Security Planning and Resources, author Stephan Reissman, Ph.D. with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) examines the EKU degree, as well as a masters degree in homeland security from Pennsylvania State University.

We are pleased to see EKU included in this publication. Being recognized by our peers in the profession is a true indicator of quality, said Program Coordinator Ryan Baggett, Ed.D. He added that the previous edition of the book was one of the first definitive texts on homeland security.

Reissman explains that the EKU program is designed around three pillars of the homeland security field: disaster management, intelligence studies, and security operations/management. Core courses represent a range of topics, including: disaster preparedness and response, cyber security, weapons of mass destruction/hazardous materials, infrastructure protection and risk analysis. Students are encouraged to earn a minor or certificate in one of the three concentration areas as part of their bachelors degree program.

The author writes that the program, emphasizes professional skill development in critical and creative thinking; information literacy; oral and written communication; interpersonal relations; teamwork; and leadership.

EKU faculty follow a rigorous strategic planning process each year aimed at improving the program. They evaluate a variety of measures such as professional standards, course evaluation data, student success indicators, feedback from graduates and career paths of graduates.

We take a lot of pride in our process, and believe students are the ones who ultimately benefit, said Foster. In fact, he and Baggett presented their curriculum design approach at the 10th Anniversary Homeland Defense & Security Education Summit last year.

Fosters chapter in the book focuses on the definition of homeland security, as well as its historical and social context. He drew inspiration from several EKU courses. One major point is that homeland security is much more than the responsibilities associated with the federal government, or more specifically, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

The homeland security enterprise is vast, said Foster. It extends to the local level and private sector, and may be characterized as a complex division of labor among many organizations each with their own major role to play.

Eastern Kentucky Universitys Homeland Security Program was established in 2007. The EKU Online program, which launched in 2011, has awarded more than 80 degrees and certificates. To learn more, visit http://go.EKU.edu/HLS18.

Consistently recognized as having some of the nations best online degree programs, EKU strives to make quality education accessible to everyone. Eastern is an accredited, brick-and-mortar institution that has offered online degree programs since 2006. Today, more than 40 online options are available in a variety of fields.2020 Workforce Researchers predict that by 2020, 40-percent of American workers will be classified as independent contractors.

P.E. For Hire (PEforHire.com), a groundbreaking new site for professional engineers, connects individuals and companies that seek to hire short to long-term contract engineers for design, construction, development, or renovation projects. Furthermore, PEforHire.com allows licensed engineers to seek contract jobs that fit their specialty, according to Founder and President Francisco Loureiro.

With most A/E/C firms, specialized engineers are in high demand, said Loureiro, a former media director for an engineering firm that specializes in water and wastewater management. Our platform connects members to one of the largest resources of ready-when-you-are engineering talent. Hiring a contract engineer for a project reduces the time spent engaged in interviewing, salary negotiations and on-boarding.

PEforHire.com invites engineers to post their business profiles  including photos, cities of operation, contact information, license types and travel distance preferences. Thus, an architect, homeowner, builder, real estate developer, home inspector, etc., can explore local engineers in a desired specialty  civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, structural  to find the right match for their job.

Once engineers post their profiles on PEforHire.com, they will receive notifications for projects that seek engineers with their particular skills, specialties and backgrounds. The profile information (license types, travel preferences, etc.) will determine which project announcements engineers receive in their inboxes. Profile postings are free. Over 500 licensed engineers in many different disciplines have signed up on the platform so far, Loureiro said.

An online messaging system allows engineers and prospective clients to find out more about each other (including licensing and insurance), decide if theyre a good match, and continue to communicate post-hire. The platform allows members to manage their project and proposal documents from any device and communicate directly with engineers while remaining anonymous, Loureiro said. This helps reduce some of the email clutter.

Individuals and companies can post requests for licensed professional engineers in the specialties that they need for any project. Posting a request is free. PEforHire.com makes it easy to upload detailed project descriptions, attach an image of the project, and specify the type of engineer sought, as well as include a deadline for submitting a proposal, and whether on-site work is required. Once the project is posted, the individual or company will receive notifications when engineers submit proposals. Projects are closed when either the proposal deadline is reached, an engineer is hired, or the project is manually closed. A simple click of a Hire button will confirm readiness to begin work with the chosen engineer.What distinguishes this report from others is its simultaneous views of an automated phone system from two perspectives: a callers experience using it and a companys experience managing it. Success in both areas is not mutually exclusive.

MidAmerican Energy takes top honors in the 14th Annual Energy Utility Benchmark Report on Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, released May 31 by IVR Doctors. The 2018 Report compares 100 energy utility automated telephone systems in the U.S. and Canada.



Gold Stethoscope recognition was awarded to winners in 13 categories, including Top Overall Company; Top Electric, Gas, and Combination Utility; and Top Canadian Utility, as well as to 13 companies whose automated telephone system is balanced across all rating categories.

What distinguishes this report from others is its simultaneous views of an automated phone system from two perspectives: a callers experience using it and a companys experience managing it. Our clients prove that success in both areas is not mutually exclusive, said Peter Brandt, IVR Doctors co-founder.

The Report identifies automated telephone systems that successfully balance company objectives and customer preferences in three key rating categories: functionality, usability, and aesthetics, the major drivers of customer satisfaction and system utilization.

With this information, companies can build and adapt these best practices into their own strategies, said Mark Camack, IVR Doctors co-founder. The Report also highlights common design mistakes and demonstrates clearly how those errors can have a negative impact on a company and its customers experience.

The 100 companies evaluated in the 2018 Report were rated using standards which IVR Doctors can apply to any other company interested in inclusion in the Benchmark. No other consistent set of IVR design characteristics have been in place or proven effective in the utility industry over the 14 years of this Benchmark Report.

The 2018 Report is available online at ivrdoctors.com. As an additional benefit, Report buyers receive a customized teleconference with IVR Doctors, targeted specifically to their companys automated system menus.

2018 GOLD STETHOSCOPE AWARD WINNERS

CATEGORY / COMPANY

Top Rated IVR System - Overall

MidAmerican Energy (Des Moines, IA)

Top U.S. Combination Utility

MidAmerican Energy (Des Moines, IA)

Top U.S. Electric Company

Pacific Power / Rocky Mountain Power (Portland, OR / Salt Lake City, UT )

Top U.S. Gas Company

SoCal Gas (Los Angeles, CA)

Top Municipal Utility

JEA (Jacksonville, FL)

Top Electric Cooperative

SMECO (Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Hughesville, MD)

Top Canadian Utility

Hydro One (Toronto, Ontario)

Top Canadian Electric Company

Hydro One (Toronto, Ontario)

Top "Touchtone-only" system

Pacific Power / Rocky Mountain Power (Portland, OR / Salt Lake City, UT )

Top "Press or Say" system

MidAmerican Energy (Des Moines, IA)

Tops in Functionality

SoCal Gas (Los Angeles, CA)

Tops in Usability

MidAmerican Energy (Des Moines, IA)

Tops in Aesthetics

Xcel Energy (Minneapolis, MN)

The 13 Balanced company Gold Stethoscope Winners can be found at: http://www.ivrdoctors.com/2018-balanced-companies.

Special Recognition goes to:

Top Canadian Combination Utility:

Manitoba Hydro (Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA)

Top Canadian Gas Utility:

Union Gas (Chatham, Ontario, CA)

Most Improved IVRs 2017-2018:

CPS Energy (San Antonio, TX), Chesapeake Utilities (Dover, DE), and Florida Public Utilities (Fernandina Beach, FL)

IVR Doctors, with over 25 years of market research, usability consulting, marketing, and call center management experience, specialize in automated phone system diagnostics and optimization. Their practice, with an energy utility specialty, is not limited to a single industry and covers companies large and small. For more information, visit ivrdoctors.com.

Contact:

Peter Brandt | peter(at)ivrdoctors.com | (843) 849-7856

Mark Camack | mark(at)ivrdoctors.com | (503) 449-5940 # #Over 300 underwriters, brokers, claims personnel and key industry suppliers converged on the Hyatt Regency Resort in Scottsdale, AZ, to discuss of some of the most pressing issues of concern to the inland marine industry for the upcoming year and beyond. The event was the 88th Inland Marine Underwriters Association (IMUA) Annual Meeting held May 20-23.

The first order of business was the announcement of the approval of the election results for the 2018 slate of officers. Richard Pye was elected the associations Chairman. Also elected were, Bruce Jervis, Chubb as Deputy Chair and Jessica Frankovich, Seneca, as Vice Chair.

Commenting on his acceptance Rich Pye praised the work of the IMUA and its continuing commitment to advancing the goals of the inland marine industry. He said, I am extremely honored to serve as the next chairman of such a prestigious organization as the IMUA. But more importantly, I am proud to be a part of this group of dedicated professionals and thank you, the membership, for this unique opportunity. It is extremely gratifying to witness first-hand the incredible progress the association has made over the past few years in developing the talents of so many young members of this association. Looking to my first terms agenda, I intend to build upon our success to create an even stronger entity by furthering the education and professional development curriculum to meet the challenges that face this industry in the months and years ahead. I look forward to building an even stronger IMUA.

Mr.Pye then recognized the hard work and dedication of William Rosa, who has served as the IMUAs Chairperson for the past two years. Throughout his long and distinguished career with the IMUA, Bill has always given more to this association than asked. We are all deeply grateful for his leadership in setting the course I look forward to following. I also want to recognize the incredible efforts of the IMUA staff who continually to push us to become a better organization.

Also announced was the election of the slate of Board of Directors. They are:

Class of 2019

Randy Schlosser  MUNICH RE AMERICA

Donald Keahon  ASPEN SPECIALTY

Jeff Vetter  MARKEL CORP.

Bradley Cameron  SOMPO INTERNATIONAL

Rich Soja  ALLIANZ GLOBAL CORPORATE & SPECIALTY

Class of 2020

Ben Skurek  GEN RE

Ben Tuttle  TOKIO MARINE

Michelle Hoehn  TRAVELERS

Anthony Falcone  IMU / ONE BEACON

Paul Orsi  ZURICH NA Drew Cadelli  CAN

Class of 2021

Anthony Franco  SWISS RE

Stephan Ramseyer  LIBERTY MUTUAL

Arthur Sieder  GREAT AMERICAN

Michelle Sipple  AIG

Donna Restaino  NAVIGATORS

Kevin OBrien and Lillian Colson -- the Associations President and CEO and Vice President and Secretary respectively -- were also re-elected.

IMUA is the national association for the commercial inland marine insurance industry. IMUA serves as the voice of its member companies representing over 90 percent of all commercial inland marine insurers. The association provides its members with comprehensive training and educational programs, including research papers and bulletins, industry analysis and seminars. IMUA was founded in 1930.Aiwa Corporation has closed on $2.7M in funding, enabling the company to grow the product line and expand internationally.

Relaunching the iconic Aiwa brand in 2015, the company is distinguishing itself as a formidable player in the consumer electronics market, providing customers high-performing audio products with reliable sound quality. Over the last three years, Aiwa has experienced 197% annualized growth, bolstering investors enthusiasm for the company.

"The potential of Aiwa is staggering. The very first product this team produced is the highest-rated speaker in its category on Amazon: the Exos-9 speaker," said Aiwas CEO Mike Sullivan. "Weve just expanded the product line by launching new earphones and have other exciting products in our short-term pipeline, like headphones and other unique speakers. After proving the market with the Exos-9, we have considerable investments to make in terms of marketing as well as legal expenses to continue expanding our footprint in Europe.

Funding was led by Fairlane Funds in Dallas and Dormitus Ventures from Chicago.

Weve been a part of Aiwas growth for years, and were excited to help them expand. They are investing in a proven strategy and are executing on it well, said Fairlanes Managing Director Jason Dodd.

About Aiwa Corporation

Aiwa is a Chicago-based consumer audio company dedicated to the passionate pursuit of bringing people together around music. They produce category-leading devices by following the simple formula of delivering "twice the hardware" of their competitors and providing world-class customer service.

Contact:

Alex Kemmler

press(at)aiwa.us.com

About Fairlane Funds

Fairlane Funds is a multi-fund investment firm specializing in growth capital, equity placement, and fixed income debt solutions for lower middle market companies and their sponsors. Attempting to strike a balance between risk and appropriate capital deployment and allocation, Fairlane manages a diversified portfolio of private investments and capital, managing resources from high net worth families to smaller, entry level investors. Based in Dallas, Texas, Fairlane Funds has been an active investor and manager since 2005.

About Dormitus Brands

Dormitus Brands LLC identifies, acquires, redevelops, and monetizes iconic brand intellectual property. They are in the business of waking up sleeping giants and have developed a very unique methodology in doing so successfully.Nashville's incredible community is an integral part of who we are and has contributed to our success, so it is an honor to accept the city's recognition of our company's milestone. Past News Releases RSS Design Agency k2forma in Charlotte...

The city of Nashville, Tennessee honored k2formas 10th anniversary with a proclamation recognizing the companys success and its contribution to the community. Metro Council Members Freddie OConnell and Colby Sledge joined k2forma in celebrating the milestone by presenting Kelly Koeppel with the proclamation at the companys Chestnut Hill office.

Over the past ten years, k2forma has established itself as a creative agency offering new perspectives in marketing to the city of Nashville. Koeppel, who founded k2forma in 2007, has overseen the companys continued growth and expanded its creative reach, providing strategic and innovative solutions to a diverse clientele.

Inspired by the citys unique collaborative spirit, Koeppel moved her business from Charlotte, NC to Nashville in 2012 where k2froma has continued its commitment to strengthening relationships with community partners and helping small businesses grow.

Nashville's incredible community is an integral part of who we are and has contributed to our success, so it is an honor to accept the city's recognition of our company's milestone.

As k2forma celebrates the journey of the last ten years, the company is looking to the future with a continued focus on offering marketing and communications solutions to help business looking for growth and audience reach. K2forma is also exploring new marketing horizons around voice search technology and innovating how brands connect with their audience.

For more information, visit http://www.k2forma.comThe Dragon Boat Festival is one of China's oldest traditions, dating back more than 2,500 years, and Nanjing is one of the top destinations where visitors can take part in the festivities taking place June 16  18. Races are held in Mochou Lake Park, where scores of spectators gather to watch teams compete and take part in traditional customs. Here are the top experiences not to miss during this years festival:

Remember Chinese Poet Qu Yuan

There are a few theories about the origination of dragon boat racing in China. One of the most common stories is that the festival originated from the death of patriotic poet Qu Yuan (34  278 B.C.) Qu Yuan was a top advisor in the Kingdom of Chu and spent his life in service to the state. After being slandered by jealous officials, he was exiled. During his exile, he wrote many poems about his love of his country. Upon learning the Chu state had been conquered, he drowned himself in the Miluo River in despair. Distraught locals rowed out into the river to search for him, and the legend of the Dragon Boat Festival Began.

Eat Traditional Foods

During the festivities, revelers also enjoy traditional festival food which is sold by vendors near the main events. The most popular food is zongzi, a rice dumpling flavored with nuts and wrapped inside bamboo leaves.

Wear Perfume Pouches

Before the Dragon Boat Festival arrives, Chinese parents usually prepare perfume pouches for their children. To make your own, fill a small colorful cloth bag with perfumes or herbal medicines then string them around your neck with silk threads to protect yourself from evil.

Cheer On the Teams

Dragon boats can be more than 100 feet long and carry as many as 60 rowers. This makes for a tremendous amount of action when races are taking place on the water. Dragon boat teams paddle harmoniously, accompanied by the sound of beating drums. Visitors can pick their favorite team and cheer them along, as the winning team is said to be bestowed with good luck throughout the following year.

Chinese cities can be quite busy during the Dragon Boat Festival, so it is advisable to work with a trusted travel professional to secure reservations, guide service, and admission to events and tourism sites of interest during this time. For a list of tour operators serving the North American market and their packages, please visit http://www.gotonanjing.com/packages.

About Nanjing

Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu Province is situated in the Yangtze River Delta area 190 miles northwest of Shanghai. Recognized as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China, Nanjing has served as the capital city of 10 Chinese dynasties and regimes for a total of more than 1,800 years. A sophisticated metropolis and a modern center of history, education, and culture, Nanjing is home to some of the countrys most significant historical attractions such as the Xiaoling Tomb of the Ming Dynasty, Dr. Sun Yat-sens Mausoleum, The Presidential Palace, and a City Wall, which dates back more than 600 years. Popular attractions also include Chinas oldest public library and one of the countrys first museums, the Nanjing Museum.

Nanjing is accessible by Nanjing Lukou International Airport (NKG) with daily flights from North America. Three train stations  Nanjing Railway Station, Nanjing South Railway Station, and Nanjing West Railway Station  connect Nanjing to all of Chinas major cities, including Shanghai, which is a 90-minute ride via bullet train or three hours by car.

For more information on Nanjing please visit http://www.GoToNanjing.com.Palmetto Construction Services of Tampa, FL has been awarded three new projects in the Sarasota-Bradenton area. Florida Digestive Suncoast GI Associates is relocating to the 7th floor of Plaza del Rio, overlooking the Manatee River in Bradenton, FL. The move will require renovations to approximately 7,000 sf of space for the practice to set up their new GI operations. It will include new medical exam rooms, energy code upgrades, and enhanced finishes. The project was designed by AI Collaborative and the lease was brokered by Avison Young, both of Tampa. We selected Palmetto because of their history of providing a tremendous value to our customers, while never missing a deadline, stated Avison leasing agent, Mike Coppola.

Udell Associates, a Sarasota based financial planning and wealth management firm, selected Palmetto to construct their new headquarters on the top floor of the recently completed Sabal Palms office building in downtown Sarasota. The space was designed by Rios Architecture of Tampa, with Interior Design services being provided by FT Design of Sarasota, and includes a lobby water feature, a terrace overlooking the streets of downtown Sarasota, and high end finishes. Relocation Strategies of Tampa is providing Owner Representation services. Palmetto, Rios, and Relocation Strategies have a history of delivering successful projects together, which provided Udell Associates the added comfort in their decision. The project will be completed in July, 2018.

New College of Florida awarded Palmetto a three year contract to provide miscellaneous general construction and repair services to various campus buildings. The university was impressed with Palmettos ability to self-perform most of the tasks required on campus, which provided them unmatched value. We hear it all the time, stated Palmetto Principal Ted Walker. Our customers are excited to work with a true builder, which is rare in todays market, and immediately see the value provided by cutting out middle managers. By using our own crews we better control schedule, cost, and quality.

Palmetto Construction Services is a full service general contractor serving the commercial and industrial industries. Having constructed over 500 projects, mainly for repeat customers, Palmetto has established itself as an industry leader in design/build, construction management, and general construction services, through self-performing much of the work themselves. Palmetto services their customers from offices in Tampa, Florida and Columbus, Ohio. For more information, please visit: http://www.palmettobuilds.comWe are proud to serve so many veteran students on our Dobbs Ferry Campus and believe that the TD Veterans Center will help further facilitate the transition from soldier to student to successful career, said Mercy College President Tim Hall.

TD Bank, through the Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank Americas Most Convenient Bank, has donated $25,000 to create a dedicated Veterans Center on the Mercy College Dobbs Ferry Campus. Mercy College serves more than 300 veteran students, 200 of which call the Dobbs Ferry Campus their home.

The TD Bank Veterans Center will provide veterans with a personalized space that will be used for peer-to-peer mentoring, study groups, programming and a place of solitude to study. The Center will include a state-of-the-art study center complete with 2 HP desktop computers, a laser jet color printer, study tables and bookshelves. The space will also include a space to relax with recliners and a mini kitchen that will include a refrigerator and coffee maker.

We are so thankful for TD Bank, through the TD Charitable Foundation for this impactful donation to Mercy College. We are proud to serve so many veteran students on our Dobbs Ferry Campus and believe that the TD Veterans Center will help further facilitate the transition from soldier to student to successful career, said Mercy College President Tim Hall.

Designated as a Yellow Ribbon institution by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Mercy College offers courses specifically designed for armed forces members and military veterans who wish to advance their education or career during and after their service. The Personalized Achievement Contract Program (PACT) assigns a professionally trained mentor to each student for one-on-one engagement, to assist with academic life, financial aid, and successful career development. Veterans and those serving on active duty have their own assigned PACT counselor, Viviana DeCohen, who is a veteran of the Marine Corps.

We are very elated to receive this most generous award from TD Bank that will allow our Military Reservists, and Veterans of Mercy College, access to needed resources, said Viviana DeCohen, Military & Veterans PACT Counselor. This is an opportunity for further success academically and socially.

This contribution supports TD's longstanding commitment to community enrichment through its newly launched Ready Commitment, a multi-year platform that actively promotes inclusivity, economic vitality, environmental wellbeing and health, enabling people of all backgrounds to succeed in a rapidly changing world. As part of The Ready Commitment, TD targets CDN $1 billion (US $775 million) in total by 2030 towards community giving in four critical areas: Financial Security, a more Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. Through this platform, TD aspires to create a more inclusive tomorrow -- helping people of all backgrounds feel more confident, not just about their finances, but about their ability to achieve their goals. For information, visit td.com/thereadycommitment.

About the TD Charitable Foundation

The TD Charitable Foundation is the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, Americas Most Convenient Bank, one of the 10 largest commercial banking organizations in the United States. The Foundation's mission is to support, respect and improve the quality of life in the diverse communities where we live and do business. Since its inception in 2002, the Foundation has distributed more than $197.7 million and 19,397 grants in charitable donations from Maine to Florida. The TD Charitable Foundation focuses on supporting the following community needs: affordable housing, economic development, neighborhood revitalization, financial literacy, and human services. Recently, more than 90 percent of the grants awarded by the Foundation benefited low-and moderate- income communities and individuals. More information on the TD Charitable Foundation, including an online grant application, is available at http://www.TDBank.com.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit http://www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit http://www.td.com.

About Mercy College

Mercy College is the dynamic, diverse New York City area college whose students are on a personal mission: to get the most out of life by getting the most out of their education. Founded in 1950, Mercy is a coeducational and nonsectarian college that offers more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs within five schools: Business, Education, Health and Natural Sciences, Liberal Arts and Social and Behavioral Sciences. With campuses in Dobbs Ferry, Bronx, Manhattan and Yorktown Heights, the vibrancy of the College culture is sustained by a diverse student body from around the region.

###Weve had a great response from the industry to our COO Resource services and our M&A best practices content and are committed to creating and developing key management resources to help the advisor industry continue its evolution from practices to businesses.

PFI Advisors (Pure Financial Independence) announced today that the firm has been named a two-time Finalist in the prestigious wealthmanagement.com Industry Awards Program for 2018. The Awards Program recognizes firms that are contributing to advisor success in various categories critical to the management of their firms.

PFI Advisors newly launched COO Resource was named a finalist in the Non Custodial RIA Support Platforms, while PFIs recently published white paper, Becoming a Professional Buyer, Part 2 was recognized in the Succession/Ownership Transition Services category.

The COO Resource consulting service is designed to help RIAs identify and hire a Chief Operating Officer (COO) as well as onboard and assist that professional in his/her day-to-day management of the firm. Additional components of the offering include ongoing support via weekly calls and meetings with PFI Advisors to counsel on the specific nuances of the firms service model, compliance, HR, technology infrastructure, vendor evaluation and management, and more.

The report, Becoming a Professional Buyer, Part 2  Harnessing RIA M&A Strategies for Growth takes a timely look at one of the most important strategies leading RIA firms are developing to take advantage of the macro changes in the wealth management industry today. The report profiles an additional 5 RIA serial acquirers, based on interviews with senior executives: Aspiriant, Beacon Pointe Wealth Advisors, EP Wealth Advisors, Mercer Advisors, and Parallel Advisors.

A judging panel of industry luminaries selected PFI Advisors among a number of companies as a Finalist in these two categories for, innovation, creativity and new methods of deployment to facilitate advisor success.

Weve had a great response from the industry to our COO Resource services and our M&A best practices content, Sonnen said. We are committed to creating and developing key management resources to help the advisor industry continue its evolution from practices to businesses. It is a true honor to be recognized by wealthmanagement.com as a leader in these areas and we look forward to the gala event in New York City in September where the industry will gather to celebrate the winners.

To learn more about PFI Advisors consulting offerings, log onto http://www.PFIAdvisors.com.

# # #

About PFI Advisors

Pure Financial Independence.

PFI Advisors (Pure Financial Independence) was founded in 2015 with the following mission in mind: To further evolve the RIA industry from a collection of practices to businesses, and to be a continued voice in validating the industry as a legitimate landing spot for billion-dollar teams and their clients. PFI Advisors is pioneering an operational consulting service that supports the unique back office, technology and operational needs of RIAs in growth mode. The firm conducts Technology Assessments, manages Technology Conversions and provides M&A Preparation and Integration Services. In addition, they offer COO Resource services to help RIAs in various stages of their growth. For breakaway advisors, PFI Advisors manages full RIA set up and transition to Independence, including office buildout, RIA infrastructure, client transition, and billing services, all for a simple consulting fee. There is no complicated long-term AUM fee structure or equity stake required to build the firms future and provide advisors Pure Financial Independence.

About Matt Sonnen

Matt Sonnen successfully launched Luminous Capital in 2008 with his former business partners from Merrill Lynch, and held the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Compliance Officer role for 4  years before they sold the firm to First Republic Bank for more than $100 million in late 2012. He then went to Focus Financial Partners where he helped some of the countrys largest RIAs incorporate professional management into their businesses as they all strived for 20%+ annual growth. Matt and his team at PFI Advisors have set up billion-dollar RIAs from scratch, and have consulted RIAs of all sizes on operations and technology initiatives, as well as M&A integration projects.Jenzabar has nearly a decade of experience transitioning and hosting solutions in the cloud, said Ben Bassett, Executive Vice President & General Manager. Were excited to continue helping our schools evolve and look to the future as the industry changes. The time to embrace the cloud is now.

Jenzabar, Inc., higher educations trusted software and services advisor, has announced the exponential growth of clients in the Jenzabar Cloud. The company currently has a total of 189 SaaS and hosted institutions, an increase of 49% since 2014.

Were finding that institutions that invest in the cloud are feeling the advantages right away, said Ben Bassett, Executive Vice President and General Manager. Taking the first step is the hard part  the decision to move off-premise. Its our job to make the process seamless for our clients, and our cloud retention rate proves that were capable of doing that.

Jenzabar Cloud and Managed Services has a 99.5% client retention rate and is offered for all ERP, SIS, and CRM solutions. For the fourth year, Jenzabar is offering a two-month free trial for existing customers to move their ERP system to the cloud and experience the benefits of hosting, risk-free.

Jenzabar Cloud Services lets clients run their applications in a scalable, on-demand, and affordable way. Jenzabar Cloud Services works with top-tier commercial datacenters to deliver world-class network operation centers meeting N+1 redundancy standards to satisfy rigorous business continuity and high-availability requirements. These facilities feature multiple uninterruptible power supplies and power distribution paths, advanced environmental and fire detection and suppression systems, and multiple redundant, carrier-neutral internet backbone connections.

Jenzabar has nearly a decade of experience transitioning and hosting solutions in the cloud, said Ben Bassett. Were excited to continue helping our schools evolve and look to the future as the industry changes. The time to embrace the cloud is now.

For more information, visit http://www.jenzabar.com/cloud.

About Jenzabar

Created out of a passion for education and a vision for technology, we believe all lives are worthy and capable of greatness, and are blessed with masterpieces within. Jenzabars mission is to explore, build, and invest in innovative and disruptive technologies and services to empower and transform higher education for all to achieve greatness personally, at home, at work, and in the world.BridgeWave Flex4G-10000 shown deployed in advance of Preakness Stakes racing day The BridgeWave system performed flawlessly through the wet, heavy fog at the track that day, with fiber-equivalent performance and imperceptible latency of 0.2 milliseconds.

BridgeWave Communications, a leader in next-generation wireless backhaul systems, today announced that its Flex4G-10000 system, which delivers true fiber performance, was selected and deployed by Believe Broadband,a leading Maryland-based Internet service provider (ISP), to support high-speed Internet connectivity at Pimlico Race Course for over 134,000 racing enthusiasts on hand for the 2018 Preakness Stakes. Media and attendees were able to share their experiences over the Internet without delay  including HD video of the Preakness Stakes itself  which was won by Justify in an exciting finish.

The Maryland Jockey Club, which owns Pimlico, has been a customer of ours for many years, and asked us to increase their network bandwidth to support the heavy Internet traffic expected at the Preakness, said Paul Dowling, president, Believe Broadband. The BridgeWave system performed flawlessly through the wet, heavy fog at the track that day, with fiber-equivalent performance and imperceptible latency of 0.2 milliseconds. Before choosing BridgeWave, we considered fiber from a local provider, but the price tag and time to run up the fiber couldnt come close to the low cost and quick installation of the BridgeWave system. Also, the BridgeWave support team who helped us ensure perfect system alignment was fantastic. 

We are thrilled and honored that Believe Broadband made us part of such an exciting sporting event, said Pamela Valentine, vice president of marketing, BridgeWave Communications. As a prominent ISP serving a large commercial customer base in Maryland, their choice of our systems certainly endorses our technology, products, and commitment to customers. Our Flex4G-10000 operated as we expect and assure, with the fiber performance, reliability, and availability customers require. We look forward to working with Believe Broadband as they continue to expand their network and serve their growing customer base.

BridgeWave systems provide a fast, easy, and inexpensive way to extend backhaul networks without the cost, time, and complexity of new or leased fiber. BridgeWave multi-Gigabit millimeter wave (80GHz) radio systems deliver fiber capacity, 256-bit AES encryption for highest data security, and the highest system gain to ensure maximum throughput at the longest distances. In addition to our flagship system, the Flex4G-10000, BridgeWave offers the Flex4G-LITE, delivering up to 3Gbps, and the entry-level Flex4G-1000, delivering up to 1Gbps.

About Believe Broadband

Believe Broadband is a full-service, carrier neutral, Internet service provider that specializes in providing wireless solutions for businesses in the Baltimore area. We offer high-speed wireless Internet access, hotspot solutions, point-to-point links, multi-tenant building wired and wireless solutions, and customer solutions to your bandwidth challenges. http://www.believebroadband.com

About BridgeWave Communications

BridgeWave Communications provides high-capacity microwave and millimeter wave backhaul and wireless connectivity solutions to operators, carriers, service providers, governments, and private enterprises. With over 35,000 systems deployed in more than 60 countries, the companys innovative solutions have been entrusted by customers to enable highly reliable and secure, high-capacity, gigabit connectivity while reducing operating costs relative to fiber. Founded in 1999, BridgeWave is headquartered in San Diego, California. For more information, visit https://bridgewave.com/.Cognella, Inc. and the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) have partnered to recognize outstanding instructors through the creation of the Cognella Innovation in Teaching Award for Family Science. The award celebrates higher education instructors who go above and beyond to introduce cutting-edge teaching practices to their courses to better engage students and advance scholarship in the discipline.

Annually, two instructors will be selected and acknowledged for their innovation, passion, and contributions to teaching in Family Science. Cognella and NCFR are now accepting applications and nominations through August 31, 2018.

We look forward to celebrating instructors who are challenging the status quo, implementing innovative teaching strategies, and inspiring the next generation of Family Science professionals, said Cognella CEO Bassim Hamadeh. Were also excited to partner with NCFR, an association that contributes greatly to the Family Science professional community. Together, I have no doubt that well discover amazing instructors who exemplify innovation and take teaching to the next level.

The first-place recipient of the award will receive a $1,000 cash prize, and the second-place winner will receive a $500 Cognella book credit. Both awardees will receive a celebratory plaque and public award announcements through Cognella and NCFR. The awards will be presented at the NCFR Annual Conference, November 7  10, 2018, in San Diego, California.

Our dedicated, creative, and driven NCFR members work every day to better understand, strengthen, and empower families around the world, said NCFR Executive Director Diane Cushman. Were delighted to work with Cognella to honor our members innovation in Family Science teaching and their vision to advance the discipline and work of Family Science.

For details regarding the award and to submit an application or nomination, visit http://cognella.com/innovation-in-teaching-award/.

About Cognella

Cognella is redefining academic publishing by creating teacher-driven, student-centric higher education course materials in print and digital formats under three imprints: Cognella Academic Publishing, University Readers, and Cognella Active Learning. Cognella also publishes engaging nonfiction titles featuring modern perspectives as Cognella Press. Learn more at http://www.cognella.com.

About NCFR

The National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) is the premier professional association for understanding and strengthening families through interdisciplinary research, theory, and practice. Through NCFR, the organization's nearly 3,000 membersfamily researchers, practitioners, and educatorsdevelop and disseminate knowledge about families and family relationships, establish professional standards, and work to promote family well-being. Learn more at http://www.ncfr.org.

For media inquiries please contact:

Natalie Piccotti

Director of Marketing, Cognella, Inc.

800-200-3908 x532Immigration Attorneys Coeur d'Alene, ID Even when an immigration issue seems commonplace such as how to obtain a green card, each client is an individual and the details can prove that.

The Elliott Law Group is proud to announce a new archive to its blog for the residents of Coeur dAlene and Spokane who are interested in immigration law issues. As immigration attorneys, the law firm fields a lot of basic questions and the new archive makes an easy-to-use index of posts to the blog.

Even when an immigration issue seems commonplace such as how to obtain a green card, each client is an individual and the details can prove that, explained Lana Elliott, managing partner at the law firm. "Our new blog archive helps the Spokane and Coeur d'Alene communities find immigration topics to be read online that are specific to them.

To access the blog archive for Elliott Law Group, interested persons can go to https://www.elliottlawgroup.com/category/immigration-law/. Legal topics may include the following: green card status, work visas, processing a family visa and DACA questions. Legal issues affecting both U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents might include the following: personal injury cases, marijuana DUI, traffic tickets and criminal defense. It should noted, of course, the blog posts can in no way be construed as legal advice. Persons looking for immigration attorneys in Spokane and/or Coeur d'Alene are urged to visit the website and then reach out for a confidential attorney consultation. Those seeking an informational page on immigration can visit https://www.elliottlawgroup.com/areas-of-practice/immigration-lawyer/.

IMMIGRATION ATTORNEYS TACKLE IMMIGRATION ISSUES FOR COEUR D'ALENE, ID, AND SPOKANE WA LOCALS

Here is background on this release. Locals seeking help from immigration attorneys in Washington and Idaho can find preliminary answers at the newly archived blog page. Issues concerning green cards, visas and personal injury cases can be perused (in general), and then for specific issues, the person can reach out for an attorney consultation on immigration.

Individual experiences can vary for local non-citizens seeking immigration attorneys in Spokane or Coeur dAlene. One may need a green card renewed but another could require help with a DACA issue; one may be from Mexico, and the other from Russia; and one may be all by himself and the other may be part of a family group.

For these reasons, Elliott Law Group has announced a new blog archive for the residents of Washington and Idaho as a starting point on immigration issues. Blog post topics can range from visa issues to DACA situations all with a focus on local Washington and Idaho perspectives. At that point, locals seeking help from immigration attorneys in Coeur dAlene, ID and Spokane, WA, can move beyond the blog to a one-on-one consultation.

ABOUT ELLIOTT LAW GROUP

With law firm offices in both Spokane Valley, Washington, and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, Elliott Law Group (http://www.elliottlawgroup.com/) aims to be one of the top-rated immigration law firms in Spokane, Spokane Valley, Coeur dAlene and all of Spokane, Okanogan and Kootenai Counties. Persons looking for not only an immigration lawyer but also a DWI / DUI attorney or perhaps a lawyer for defense against traffic tickets, can seek help. Areas of specialty include visa issues (including DACA), working as DUI defense attorneys or criminal attorneys (including marijuana DUI and traffic ticket charges), assisting with green cards or obtaining K1 (fiance) visas and citizenship in both Washington and Idaho. The firm has attorneys who are both Russian-speaking and Spanish-speaking attorneys and staff. Service areas include Brewster, Cheney, Airway Heights, and Moses Lake in Washington, as well as Post Falls, Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint in Idaho.

Media Relations. 509-891-4301Clarion's Derek Eversdyke will be presenting an educational session on safety sign systems at ASSE Safety 2018 on June 4. ASSE is known in our industry for delivering top-of-the-line educational and networking experiences that OH&S professionals can put into practice to increase safety within their organizations. Im honored and excited to be a part of this pinnacle event for workplace safety. Past News Releases RSS Clarion Safety Systems Launches New...

Clarion Safety Systems Expands...

Clarion Safety Systems Launches New...

Clarion Safety Systems, a leading designer and manufacturer of safety signs and safety labels, will be participating in the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Safety 2018 Professional Development Conference (PDC) held June 3  6, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas.

As one of the experts selected to lecture on the latest issues and trends facing safety, health and environmental professionals, Clarions Derek Eversdyke will present an educational session on safety sign systems in line with ISO 45001 objectives.

ASSEs Safety 2018 is the nations largest conference for occupational safety and health professionals. This years event is expected to draw more than 8,000 people from 40 countries around the world. It will also serve as the launch of the Societys new name and brand, with ASSE becoming the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP). According to ASSE, the 2018 conference will be offering more than 220 concurrent educational sessions taught by some of the greatest minds in safety.

ASSE is known in our industry for delivering top-of-the-line educational and networking experiences that OH&S professionals can put into practice to increase safety within their organizations. Im honored and excited to be a part of this pinnacle event for workplace safety, says Eversdyke.

Eversdykes presentation will be featured on June 4 at 4:30 p.m. in session number S593, Implementing Best Practice Safety Sign Systems In Line with ISO 45001 Objectives. The session is sponsored by ASSEs Risk Management/Insurance Practice Specialty as well as its Standards Development Committee.

Companies adopting ISO 45001 will need to accurately communicate residual risks to workers. In my session, Ill explore how safety professionals can use recent advances in U.S. and international safety sign system standards to communicate and reduce risk in line with ISO 45001 objectives, says Eversdyke.

In his role as Director of Business Development at Clarion Safety Systems, Eversdyke collaborates with safety professionals on sign systems that can help to elevate safety and minimize risk. He has worked with Clarions product manufacturing and facility safety customers  as well as industry partners and advocates  for nearly a decade. As a member of the U.S. technical advisory group (TAG) to ISO 45001, Eversdyke is involved in the standards multi-year development and refinement process.

Clarion designs and produces best practice safety label and sign systems for products and workplaces. Over the past 25+ years, theyve helped to write the standards that manufacturers and other facilities in the U.S. and across the globe need to meet. Clarion is a member of the ANSI Z535 Committee for Safety Signs and Colors, the U.S. TAG to ISO/TC 145 and the U.S. TAG to ISO 45001.

Visit Clarions Resource Center to learn more about ISO 45001, workplace safety and effective safety sign systems.

ABOUT ASSE

For more than 100 years, the American Society of Safety Engineers has been at the forefront of helping occupational safety and health professionals protect people and property. The nonprofit society is based in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge. Its global membership of over 37,000 professionals covers every industry, developing safety and health management plans that prevent deaths, injuries and illnesses. ASSE advances its members and the safety profession through education, advocacy, standards development and a professional community. In line with the Safety 2018 event, the society is changing its name to the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) to reflect the diverse disciplines that make up the vibrant safety community. Visit http://www.assp.org for more information.

ABOUT CLARION SAFETY SYSTEMS

Clarion Safety Systems, LLC, is the leading designer and manufacturer of visual safety solutions that help customers in more than 180 industries worldwide to make their products and premises safer. Clarion offers a full range of standard and custom products including machinery safety labels, environmental and facility safety signs, pipe and valve identification markings, lockout/tagout products, and safety-grade photoluminescent egress path-marking escape systems. Founded in 1990, the company continues to play a leading role in the development and writing of international and national standards for safety signs, labels, and markings. Clarion is headquartered at 190 Old Milford Road in Milford, PA, 18337, and online at http://www.clarionsafety.com.Photo Expo 2018 returns to Unique Photo in Fairfield, N.J., for the largest photography event held in New Jersey. The three-day expo will allow photo enthusiasts from beginners to professionals to take free photography classes from world-renowned photographers, demo and purchase the hottest new cameras and gear, and participate in exciting photo shoots.

Unique Photo, the largest camera store in the state, will transform its 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art superstore into the free public photo extravaganza on Friday, June 8, Saturday, June 9 and Sunday, June 10 at its flagship store located on Route 46 in Fairfield.

Attendees will have the opportunity to sample and purchase the latest products at the lowest prices of the year through show-only sales from more than 30 of the industrys leading manufacturers. Free classes from basic level to advanced--and every level in between--will be taught by renowned photographers and industry professionals. Classes range from understanding camera basics and wedding, wildlife and nature photography to portraiture, lighting, video filmmaking, post-production Photoshop and much more.

Manufacturers scheduled to attend include Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Panasonic, Leica, Lexar and Fujifilm. Attendees will have the opportunity to trade in their old camera gear, enjoy discounted sensor cleanings, and have the chance to win prizes throughout the three days of the show.

Unique Photos summer Expo evolves and grows every year with over 3,000 people attending last year. This year is expected to attract more photo enthusiasts for its new opportunities to meet and take classes with industry luminaries such as Jordan Matter, Ami Vitale and Ben Moon.

All are invited to attend the event and admission is free. Pre-registration is encouraged for all classes because space is limited. To learn more or to register for a three-day pass, visit: http://www.uniquephoto.com/expo

WHAT:

Photo Expo 2018

WHEN:

Friday, June 8 --- 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday, June 9 --- 10 a.m.- 6 p.m.

Sunday, June 10 --- 10 a.m.- 5 p.m.

WHERE:

Unique Photo

123 US Highway 46 West

Fairfield, NJ 07004

973-377-2007

THE EVENT:

Photo enthusiasts from beginners to professionals will be able to take free classes from some of the worlds best photographers, demo the newest cameras and gear, and participate in exciting photo shoots with boxers, bikers, ballerinas and models, and enjoy exclusive sales.

COST:

FREE

INFORMATION:

https://www.uniquephoto.com/expo

ABOUT UNIQUE PHOTO

Unique Photo is New Jersey's largest camera and video superstore offering the latest in photographic products and imaging technology. Its 50,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Fairfield, N.J. features a spacious photography retail store, multi-media learning center, professional photo lab, meeting space, gourmet coffee bar and WiFi lounge. Unique Photo is also the top destination for photography education in New Jersey, hosting more than 1,000 amateur and professional photographers monthly for its classes. Unique University instructors include world famous photographers, industry guest lecturers and Unique Photos professional staff. For more information, visit http://www.uniquephoto.com or call 973-377-2007.The team at Posh Baby and Kids, responsible for distribution of the Bentley Trike in North America was beyond excited to receive this prestigious award from Creative Child Magazine. The top choice award in the Kids Stroller Category is a perfect acknowledgement of the meticulous attention to detail that goes into the production of each Bentley 6-in-1 stroller/trike.

We all know Bentley as a luxury car brand. The same premium quality and craftsmanship is evident in the Bentley 6-in-1 Convertible Trike which transforms as your child grows. The Bentley is so adaptable it can be used as a stroller for infants as young as 10 months and converts into a comfortable tricycle for toddlers up to five years old. Some of the features that make it so functional include multiple footrest positions, a reclining and swivel seat, a removable push parent handle and a fun free wheel and handle function.

Beyond the innovative features and flexibility, the Bentley is also a style icon in the stroller/trike market. Parents love the fact that these Bentley trikes are a perfect fashion accessory that helps them arrive in style with their child. Learn more about the innovative design and impeccable styling of the Bentley Stroller tricycle at http://www.bentleytrike.com

Guaranteed to fly off the shelves, The Bentley trike is sure to be a cherished gift this year for any children in the age range of 7 months to 5 years.

About Posh Baby and Kids

With years of experience in the baby product supply industry, Posh Baby and Kids specializes in high quality, long lasting, non-toxic and eco-friendly baby products that are also modern, stylish and affordable. The company has a simple vision of sourcing the best and safest baby products from all over the world for its customers in Canada and the USA.

Contact Posh Baby and Kids:

Phone: 866-347-1858

Email: sales(at)bentleytrike(dot)com

Website: http://www.bentleytrike.comBaxter Planning (Baxter), the pioneer and recognized leader in inventory planning and optimization solutions for the service supply chain, has unveiled a new brand identity campaign including a new logo, tagline and a modified company name. Baxter Planning has operated for over 25 years as Baxter Planning Systems and will now be known simply as Baxter Planning. These changes are reflected on their updated website.

Increased investment in programs to drive market awareness created an opportunity to review Baxter's brand identify. "To reflect the relationships that we have with our customers and partners in the service supply chain ecosystem, we are introducing an evolution to our brand identity that includes a new tagline, brand mark and simplified company name. Our customers recognize us for relationships based on the trust earned by providing solutions to their service inventory optimization challenges," stated Chuck Moeling, Baxter Planning's CEO.

Your partners in planning

The tagline of "Your partners in planning" was selected based on validation from customers that rely on Baxter's solutions to optimize the service inventory and improve planner productivity. "Baxter stands by us. They do their best to understand where we are, how we see our situation, and where we want to go. Then they help us make it happen." and "With Baxter, I talk with fellow planners, not just IT-trained developers." are examples of quotes used by supply chain executives familiar with Baxter during the validation process for the new tagline.

New brand mark identifies Baxter Planning

"We are very excited about the feedback received from customers on the new tagline. Our building momentum in the service parts planning market, recognition by both Avaya and Palo Alto Networks with vendor appreciation awards in 2018, and a new tagline created an opportunity to also refresh our logo," stated Baxter Planning's President, Phillip Kennedy. The company's new brand mark includes 2 links of a chain representing the relationship between Baxter and its customers. These links are modified to represent lower case initials for Baxter Planning.

The evolved brand identity has been rolled out to the BaxterPlanning.com website. All Baxter Planning products, communications, and experiences will be updated with the new identity this summer. The creative process was supported Barbara Mitchell from Mitchell and McCue. Graphic design was supported by Doug Githens from Groom Githens Creative.

About Baxter Planning

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, with employees around the globe, Baxter Planning was founded in 1993 by Greg Baxter, who saw the need for a best of breed solution to address the lack of supply chain planning technologies in the market.

Now a worldwide leader in aftermarket supply chain planning software, Baxter helps customers plan billions in service parts inventory every day. The list of Fortune 500 enterprises and growing startups deploying solutions from Baxter include Verizon, RICOH, Stanley Black and Decker, NetApp, SONY, Johnson & Johnson, and many others. Baxters differentiated combination of a SaaS platform featuring planning as a service (PaaS) enables supply chain organizations to deliver dramatic improvements in post-sales service levels while increasing profitability and cash flow.

Baxter has been on SupplyChainBrains List of 100 Great Supply Chain Partners for 14 consecutive years and recognized multiple times as a Best Places to Work in Austin. For more information, visit http://www.baxterplanning.com or email us at info(at)baxterplanning.com.Lisa Merage and Scott Green swing the inaugural sledgehammers to commence groundbreaking at St. Mary's School "Powerful ideas emerged from teachers, parents, students, alumni and others." Sharon Taylor, Head of School at St. Mary's.

St. Marys School, the only independent Preschool through Grade 8 International Baccalaureate (IB) World School in Orange County, held a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, May 24 to celebrate the beginning of extensive renovations and state-of-the-art campus improvements. As part of the schools Master Plan, the redevelopment project is being funded in large part by two transformative gifts - one from the Bhathal and Merage families and the other from the Green family. These families have students attending St. Marys as well as alumni from the school. The Bhathal and Merage family students are Vaughn Vogel '18, Charlie Vogel '21 and Leo Merage 22; and the Green family students and alumni are Maddie 13, Cooper '17, and Brady '20.

"The Faculty and Administration of St. Mary's prepare our children to be the global leaders of tomorrow and to think creatively and solve problems for careers that do not exist today, said Lisa and Richard Merage on behalf of the Bhathal and Merage families, including their parents Raj and Marta Bhathal and Paul and Lilly Merage. We are excited that our gift will enable St. Mary's to have advanced facilities to match its innovative, forward-thinking program."

"We are honored and excited to participate in St. Mary's groundbreaking Imagine More Campaign, said Karen and Scott Green. St. Mary's has long been at the forefront of academics with their IB programs and the new innovative facilities will further help to enhance each student's holistic educational experience.

In honor and celebration of the gift from the Bhathal and Merage families, St. Marys will name the Bhathal Merage Academic Center, which will include 21st century classrooms for lower and middle school, three science labs and a new arts wing to stimulate creativity in as many ways as possible to inspire children to become passionate learners.

The first lead gift of the campaign was made by Karen and Scott Green. This gift will be honored by St. Marys with the Green Family Commons, which will include a food service and teaching kitchen along with inside and outdoor dining spaces. We feel the Commons is a wonderful differentiator for St. Marys, as we focus not only on academics but on the whole child, said the Greens. So much of life is centered around meals and dining together. Not only will the Commons help facilitate a unique sense of community, this facility also will enable us to teach kids the importance of healthy eating and an overall sense of wellness."

At the groundbreaking event, members of the Bhathal, Merage and Green families took the first ceremonial swing at drywall from the buildings which are being gutted and renovated. Sharon Taylor, Head of School at St. Marys; Matt Stewart, Chairman of the St. Marys Board of Trustees; and Maddie Green, St. Marys alumna and the eldest daughter of the Green family, spoke at the celebration.

The St. Mary's Board of Trustees authorized the completion of the Master Plan in early 2017. Scott and Karen Green co-chair the campaign. The entire Imagine More Campaign Committee includes Lisa Merage, Serena Benson, Heather Marsh and Matt Stewart. This first phase of the campaign includes a complete redesign of the Lower and Middle School academic buildings, a new dining Commons and a new safe and secure front entrance. The second phase of the campaign will focus on enhanced STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) and Education buildings. According to Taylor, fundraising for the second phase is currently underway.

In creating the Master Plan, it was determined that every square foot of the campus, inside and out, should be considered a setting for learning, said Taylor. Powerful ideas emerged from teachers, parents, students, alumni and othersabout how our learning environment could transform our students educational experiences.

To bring the vision to life, St. Marys engaged architectural firm RGA, cutting-edge leaders in innovative design. The project is being completed by KPRS Construction a full-service general contractor that seeks to expand and improve communities through the buildings they construct and the clients they serve.

About St. Marys School

St. Marys is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School dedicated to inquiry-based academic excellence, developing well-rounded, confident children who flourish in a creative environment founded on Christian values. Established in 1994 by The Reverend Canon Ernest D. Sillers and a handful of dedicated faculty and staff, St. Marys was built on the precept that we can all make a positive difference in the educational life of every child. Based on this educational commitment, the school grew to become the first and only IB private primary and middle school in Orange County-- with the purpose of educating our children while shaping their hearts and minds to be our next generation of global leaders.

For more information, visit smaa.org.

For media inquiries, contact Lisa James at lisa(at)kitchentablepr(dot)com or call (719) 201-3619.property management Frisco We are very proud of our revised mission statement and how it confirms our main objectives.

North Texas Property Management is proud to release a new Mission Statement. Property investors in the North Texas area including Plano, Frisco and McKinney may need a top property management service to manage residential investment properties. A new mission statement confirms the importance of putting property first.

"We are very proud of our revised mission statement and how it confirms our main objectives, explained Jason Marascio, CEO of North Texas Property Management. "That is to provide the best support and service a rental properties for Texas investors.

Interested persons can review the North Texas Property Management "mission statement" at http://www.ntxpm.com/ by scrolling down the home page and reading the first two paragraphs, which succinctly describe the company's commitment to being the best property management company in Plano, Frisco, McKinney and surrounding cities in the suburbs north of Dallas, Texas.

MISSION POSSIBLE: TOP PROPERTY MANAGEMENT TEAM IN TEXAS PLEDGES TO GIVE BEST TO FRISCO, MCKINNEY AND PLANO COMMUNITY

Here is background on this release. Property investments in the DFW area, including Frisco, McKinney and Plano, may require a professional team of property managers help maintain values. An evolving rental market and changing property investment trends make it imperative that the best property management team is selected.

Investors may have found the area of North Texas the right spot to buy and rent property. It could be the mission to build a portfolio of homes over time, yet investors may not have the bandwidth for the day-to-day work of managing several rentals. It could be worrisome to own a nice home yet not have the time to manage it properly. The newly revised "Mission Statement" explains that the first step could be to find a top property management team dedicated to bringing the best service to an investment in Frisco, McKinney or Plano, Texas. The next step could be to review a company mission statement. If a property management team treats a piece of real estate with the same care as an owner, it could help calm the nerves of an anxious investor.

For these reasons, North Texas Property Management has released a new mission statement. While a written statement is good, it should be noted that the best next step is to read in more detail about the team of top-ranked property managers at the company at http://www.ntxpm.com/our-staff/ and then reach out for a consultation.

ABOUT NORTH TEXAS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT

North Texas Property Management Company is a top-rated property management company servicing the needs of rental property owners in the North Dallas area of North Texas. The company's property managers manage residential rental properties in Plano, McKinney, Frisco, Richardson & Allen, as well as other communities in the North Dallas area, for real estate investors and rental property owners who want a property management company that will take the burden off of them of physically and financially caring for, maintaining, and managing their rental homes.

Web. http://www.ntxpm.com/

Tel. 214-227-7669South Bay Hair Transplantation There are plenty of hair transplantation clinics even in San Jose and the Bay Area that offer various types of medical procedures at low costs but not such great quality.

Silicon Valley Hair Institute, the Bay Area's leading hair transplantation clinic, is proud to announce a new and informative blog post on the importance of choosing a specialist for one's hair transplantation needs. Even folks who live in San Jose would be well-served by choosing one of the Bay Area's best hair transplantation specialists, Dr. Miguel Canales, who works out of the Institute's Foster City location.

There are plenty of hair transplantation clinics even in San Jose and the Bay Area that offer various types of medical procedures at low costs but not such great quality. Wed like to inform the public that hair restoration is a field best handled by a well-qualified specialist, explained Miguel Canales, MD. My recommendation is to check references and identify the best hair transplantation specialist even if one has to drive from San Jose up to Foster City. It's worth it.

To read the new blog post from Silicon Valley Hair Institute, please go to http://siliconvalleyhairinstitute.com/considering-hair-transplant-need-specialist. San Jose and South Bay locals searching for hair transplantation support may be interested in learning a top hair loss clinic can only specialize in one area: hair transplants. FUE/FUT surgery and robotic hair transplantation can take years of professional training. A hair loss surgeon solely focused on hair transplant procedures may be the best choice for a professional result. Indeed, those looking for San Jose-specific information on their hair restoration journey can visit http://siliconvalleyhairinstitute.com/san-jose-hair-transplant/.

THE VALUE OF CHOOSING A SPECIALIST

Here is a background to this release. Residents of San Jose and the South Bay area might reconsider selecting a hair transplantation specialist based solely on cost and location. Getting a hair transplant is an important and life-changing event. Detailed research is needed, and the few miles up from San Jose to Foster City can be well worth it. Medical clinics and specialists offering medical procedures unrelated to hair loss treatments might not be as focused as is necessary to be the best hair transplant service in San Jose, for example. Specialization may lead to better outcomes. If a South Bay Area resident agrees to hair transplantation surgery from a surgeon tinkering in the field, it could lead to expensive corrections. A true specialist, solely focused on state-of-the-art robotic hair transplantation procedures could get the work done right the first time. The short commute from San Jose to Foster City may be well worth it. Indeed, it should be noted that interested persons can reach out to Dr. Canales for a no-obligation consultation in his office on their hair loss and possible restoration strategies.

ABOUT THE SILICON VALLEY HAIR INSTITUTE

Silicon Valley Hair Institute, under the leadership of top-rated California hair transplant surgeon, Dr. Miguel Canales - is one of the best robotic hair transplant clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Canales provides both the FUT (FUT (Follicular Unit Transplant at http://siliconvalleyhairinstitute.com/fut-surgery/) and FUE hair transplant (Follicular Unit Extraction at http://siliconvalleyhairinstitute.com/fue-hair-transplant/) procedures for Bay Area residents, who find this top-rated hair transplant specialist. The Silicon Valley Hair Institute is a specialized hair clinic serving hair loss and hair restoration needs in the San Francisco, San Jose and the Silicon Valley Peninsula (Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Altos, Menlo-Atherton, Redwood City, etc.). Dr. Canales also specializes in aesthetic hair restoration for females seeking eyebrow transplantation or hairline advancements.Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLPs Ian C. Ballon will speak at the 16th Annual Rocky Mountain Intellectual Property & Technology Law Institute held in Westminster, Colorado, May 31-June 1, 2018.

The two-day conference gathers leaders in business, government, and law to discuss the latest developments in intellectual property (IP) and technology. Topics will include internet and mobile litigation, international IP, privacy and data security, Cloud/SaaS, patent litigation, blockchain and cryptocurrency, software patents, digital marketing, the Internet of Things, connected privacy, and the practice of IP law. The event is co-sponsored by Stanford Law School, the Copyright Society of the USA, the Intellectual Property Law Section of the Colorado Bar Association, and the ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law, in cooperation with the Rocky Mountain Regional Office of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

On May 31, Ballon, co-chair of the Global Intellectual Property & Technology Practice and an internet and mobile litigation shareholder in the firms Silicon Valley and Los Angeles offices, will present a session titled 2018 Internet and Mobile Litigation Update. Ballon will discuss online trademark hijacking; developments under CDA and DMCA; mobile and website contract formation and arbitration agreements; data privacy and security breach class action lawsuits; and patent liability for platforms, copyright, and trademark fair use online.

Ballon represents companies in intellectual property and technology litigation, including the defense of data privacy, cybersecurity breach, and TCPA class action suits. A list of his recent cases may be found here. He is also the author of the leading treatise on internet law, E-Commerce and Internet Law: Treatise with Forms 2nd edition, the 5-volume set published by West (http://www.IanBallon.com), which includes extensive sections on data privacy, cybersecurity, and defending class action suits. In addition, he is the author of The Complete CAN-SPAM Act Handbook (West 2008) and The Complete State Security Breach Notification Compliance Handbook (West 2009). Ballon serves as executive director of Stanford University Law Schools Center for E-Commerce. He was most recently included on the Daily Journals 2018 Top Intellectual Property Lawyers list, as well as being recognized as a Groundbreaker in The Recorders 2017 Litigation Departments of the Year Awards and an intellectual property Trailblazer by the National Law Journal. He was named the Lawyer of the Year for information technology law in the 2018, 2016, and 2013 editions of The Best Lawyers in America. In addition to his J.D. and LL.M., Ballon holds the CIPP/US certification from the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP).

About Greenberg Traurigs Cybersecurity, Privacy & Crisis Management Practice

Greenberg Traurigs Cybersecurity, Privacy & Crisis Management Practice is comprised of a multidisciplinary group of attorneys and professionals located throughout the world. The team is dedicated to developing strategies to address privacy, data security, and information management issues including privacy audits, policies and procedures, compliance with data security laws and industry standards, employee privacy, record retention/electronic discovery, cross-border data transfer, data breach readiness and response and litigation and dispute resolution, as well as the defense of data privacy, security breach, and TCPA class action suits.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

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."The College's longstanding leadership in clinical research and clinical excellence makes ACG an exceptional partner at a time when integrated, patient-centered education has never been more critical."

HMP, a leading healthcare event and education company, today announced it has formed a strategic collaboration with the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) to further enhance education for physicians, advanced practitioners, and other healthcare professionals who are working to improve the care of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). As part of this collaboration, the two organizations will work jointly on educational and marketing initiatives around HMPs annual Advances in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases Conference (AIBD), taking place December 13-15, 2018, in Orlando, Florida, as well as other educational offerings throughout the year.

The agreement greatly expands the relationship between the two prominent organizations. ACG will work with HMP to craft the meetings educational program, and HMP will become a preferred provider of IBD education for ACG members, ranging from the national AIBD meeting to the suite of regional AIBD offerings: Clinical Challenges in IBD, taking place July 21 in Chicago, and Great Debates and Updates in IBD, which will be held August 25 in Dallas.

We are honored and excited to be strengthening our collaboration with the American College of Gastroenterology, said Dan Lowrie, President, Imedex, the medical education subsidiary of HMP. Working closely with ACG keeps us current on the very latest clinical, professional, and educational topics important to gastroenterology clinicians, and enhances our ability to provide the very best education for the multidisciplinary IBD community. The Colleges longstanding leadership in clinical research and clinical excellence makes ACG an exceptional partner at a time when integrated, patient-centered education has never been more critical.

The College looks forward to this educational partnership with HMP, said Irving M. Pike, MD, FACG, the Colleges 2017-2018 President. Together, ACG and HMP are committed to excellent educational programs that advance treatment of IBD, one of the most significant clinical challenges for GI specialists.

Now in its 17th year, AIBD is a three-day, multi-track, scientific conference that attracts more than 2,000 clinicians, including adult and pediatric gastroenterologists, internists, surgeons, nurse practitioners, and other allied healthcare professionals. To learn more about AIBD, visit advancesinibd.com.

About HMP

HMP is the force behind Healthcare Made Practical and is a multichannel leader in healthcare events and education, with a mission to improve patient care. The company produces accredited medical education events and clinically relevant, evidence-based content for the global healthcare community across a range of therapeutic areas. Its brands include Consultant360, the year-round, award-winning platform relied upon by primary care providers and other specialists; Psych Congress, the largest independent mental health meeting in the U.S.; EMS World Expo, North America's largest EMT and paramedic event; and the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care (SAWC), the largest wound care meeting in the world. For more information, visit hmpglobal.com.

About Imedex

Imedex, an HMP company, is an industry leader in the creation of independent, accredited medical education for healthcare professionals. With an emphasis in oncology, hematology, and gastroenterology, the company develops high-quality scientific programming that translates the latest research into clinically relevant information. The company operates in the United States, Europe, and Asia. For more information, visit imedex.com.

About the American College of Gastroenterology

Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of more than 14,000 individuals from 85 countries. The College's vision is to be the pre-eminent professional organization that champions the evolving needs of clinicians in the delivery of high-quality, evidence-based, and compassionate healthcare to gastroenterology patients. The mission of the College is to advance world-class care for patients with gastrointestinal disorders through excellence, innovation, and advocacy in the areas of scientific investigation, education, prevention, and treatment. For more information, visit gi.org and follow ACG on Twitter @AmCollegeGastro.BitLearn Network Logo "By inviting parents to set goals, chores, and rewards in BitLearn, we are giving them insight into their childrens learning needs, while fostering financial literacy."  Fred Jin, Founder and CEO

BitLearn Network, a new learning ecosystem powered by the BitLearn Token (BLB), announced the limited beta release of its learning and publishing platforms, now available in the U.S. BitLearn is an innovative networked solution where students unlock token rewards toward microsavings through self-directed learning, an essential skill for the promotion of lifelong learning. In addition, with each students acquired skills captured on the blockchain, BitLearn helps identify and address individual learning needs, which is an acute need for parents and educators. Led by a senior team of experts in gaming, education and social networking, BitLearn supports parents, teachers, students, and employers, incentivizing all parties for taking ownership of their role in the education system.

We created BitLearn to engage and reward students on mobile, to take ownership of their own individual learning process, said Fred Jin, Founder and CEO of BitLearn. At the same time, we are establishing a new distribution platform for educators to reach these students directly. And finally, by inviting parents to set goals, chores, and rewards in BitLearn, we are giving them insight into their childrens learning needs, while fostering financial literacy.



For students: Funler: Smart Workbook is BitLearn's learning application for students, a game-based learning system that engages, challenges, and rewards learners to learn and earn for themselves. Each student can track their earned tokens on their mobile app, supporting financial literacy and responsibility at an early age.

For parents: The Funler Parent application invites guardians to set learning goals (and chores!) rewarded with BLB Tokens, available via simple in-app purchases. Currently, tokens can be redeem for various rewards, such as iTunes and Amazon gift cards.

For educators: BitLearn is a new publishing platform on which teachers upload their proven learning materials (lectures, exercises, worksheets) into game-like sequences, targeting important learning needs in each grade level. As authors, the teachers are compensated for these learning materials, which elevate the top educator and best content to help students anywhere.

Out of nearly three thousand blockchain projects, only three percent correlate to education, yet knowledge and financial literacy is directly related to wealth and passed on from generation to generation, said Kenzi Wang, Advisor, Co-Founder, and Partner at AU21Capital. BitLearn levels the education playing field, adapting learning to ever changing talent needs, technology, and the global economy.

The limited beta currently supports K-8 with plans to expand to college-level and corporate training to close the skills gap. Students and parents are invited to download the applications for free on iOS and Android at https://bitlearn.network/#!/parent. BitLearns whitelist, an advanced registration for its token sale, is open at https://bitlearn.network/ or join the Telegram group here.

About BitLearn Network

BitLearn Network is an incentives-based learning ecosystem with the mission to empower kids to learn and earn toward their future education. It is governed by smart contracts and powered by the BitLearn Token (BLB), which captures acquired skills onto the blockchain. The network is an ecosystem that empowers parents, teachers, and students all to take ownership of their role in the education system. BitLearn is headquartered in San Francisco, CA and backed by prominent advisors including Kenzi Wang (AU21 Capital), Alan Braverman (co-founder of Eventbrite, Yammer/Geni, Xoom), Min Kim (Science Blockchain, Tron Foundation), Brad Bao (LimeBike, Kinzon Capital, Tencent US), Chandler Guo (Bitcoin God), Mimi Kingsley (founding board member of KIPP schools), Michael Odai (Mosaic Ventures, Virgin Green Fund), Jose Brotons (Product Madness), and Rafael Vivas (AppLovin). For more information, visit us at https://bitlearn.network/ and join our Telegram group here and follow us on Twitter.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

This press release is for informational purposes only. The information does not constitute investment advice or an offer to invest. BLB tokens and virtual currencies, in general, are not legal tender, in any country, and are not backed by any government as legal tender, nor should they be treated as such.Blvd Suites Corporate Housing wins the EMMA for Corporate Housing Provider of the Year - International It underscores not only the tremendous talent we have assembled but also the collective drive of everyone on our team to establish the industry standard for what the corporate housing experience should be.

Blvd Suites Corporate Housing has been named Corporate Housing Provider of the Year  International by the Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM), receiving the Expatriate Management & Mobility Award (EMMA) for that category at the organizations annual Americas Summit and EMMA Ceremony held in San Diego, Calif. on May 24, 2018.

The FEM EMMAs are the premier awards for the global mobility and International HR industry. Entries are rigorously judged by a team of fiercely impartial, highly experienced, senior figures in the industry, who are drawn from a range of disciplines.

Blvd Suites, a globally recognized and respected worldwide provider of fully furnished and serviced apartments, was recognized by FEM for its innovative approach to crafting personalized solutions for groups and individuals in need of short-term furnished housing.

Commented one judge, I'm most impressed with how Blvd Suites have combined technology with strong relationships with their partners.

We are incredibly excited and humbled to be recognized with this honor, says Jason Luther, President of Blvd Suites. It underscores not only the tremendous talent we have assembled but also the collective drive of everyone on our team to establish the industry standard for what the corporate housing experience should be.

Adds Luther, We have experienced tremendous growth and success across a global platform thanks to the passion and hard work of our team.

Blvd Suites has been a finalist for the EMMA in this category for three straight years, finishing second and third the previous two years, respectively.

About Blvd Suites Global Housing

Blvd Suites is an award-winning global provider of fully furnished temporary housing. The company supports its customers with regional locations across the United States, and services global placements from its London service center in the United Kingdom.

The company was named Company Member of the Year by the Corporate Housing Providers Association in 2009 and has been a finalist for the award in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2018. Blvd Suites received the associations award for Most Creative Marketing in 2015 and was a finalist for that award and the award for Best Philanthropic Program in 2018. In 2018, Blvd Suites earned the Expatriate Management & Mobility Award (EMMA) in the category of Corporate Housing Provider of the Year  International, presented by the Forum for Expatriate Management. The company was also named a finalist for this EMMA award in 2016 and 2017, finishing second and third place, respectively. And in 2017, Blvd Suites was judged the #2 Best Place to Work among small businesses in the Denver area by the Denver Business Journal, named to the Metropolitan Detroits Best & Brightest Companies to Work For winners list, and selected a Best & Brightest Company to Work For in the Nation as benchmarked among winners from all regional competitions.

Blvd Suites can be found online at http://www.BlvdSuites.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @BlvdSuites, receive news and updates at Facebook.com/BlvdSuites. Find out What Makes Us Suite and experience our serviced apartments virtually on YouTube at http://www.bit.ly/BoulevardSuitesYouTube.

About the Forum for Expatriate Management (FEM)

FEM is a real-world and online community for the global mobility and HR industry. Its mission is to distil best practice across regions, industries and functions while providing valuable networking opportunities for knowledge sharing and program support. Through its multi-platform of content and events, FEM encourages dialogue and enables mobility professionals to unite, learn and grow. FEM holds annual Summits and EMMAs awards ceremonies in the Americas, APAC (Asia Pacific region) and EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa), as well as Conferences in Amsterdam, Australia and Houston. FEM also has a worldwide network of more than 40 Chapters, including Belgium, Czech Republic, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, London, Luxemburg, Madrid, Munich, Paris, Tel Aviv, Zurich.Robotmaster V7 uses integrated CAD/CAM functionality so welding, cutting, and other process experts can easily program robots without buying or learning complex CAD/CAM software. Robotics and CAD/CAM expertise are not a prerequisite to create error-free robot programs with Robotmaster V7 since it is a task-based robot programming platform [with] unmatched flexibility and configurability and transfers the job to another robot brand or workcellThis is an industry first.

Hypertherm, a U.S. based manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, is launching Robotmaster V7, a revolutionary task-based robot programming platform built from scratch on a completely new architecture, today. Robotmaster V7 caters to process experts to make robot programming easy and intuitive, even for first-time robot users. This new programming platform builds on the performance of Robotmasters offline programming CAD/CAM software that was first introduced in 2002.

The new Robotmaster V7, a standalone, cost-effective solution for programming robots, will make its public debut at Automatica 2018 from June 19 to 22 in Munich, Germany in Hall B5.309.

To create this new architecture, Hypertherms Robotic Software group, the developers of Robotmaster, added new experts to its team in mathematical optimization who understand artificial intelligence and deep machine learning, as well as simulation and game experts who are passionate about user interaction and applying their skills in the industrial space.

Since Robotmaster V7 uses integrated CAD/CAM functionality, for the first time, the power of Robotmaster can be used by welding, cutting and other process experts without buying or learning complex CAD/CAM software. As in past versions, Robotmaster V7 imports paths, but now makes it even easier for end users to leverage any CAD/CAM tool choice. It is an intuitive tool that anyone could use, with or without robotics expertise. It bridges the gap between robots and manufacturing by providing easy programming solutions for part manufacturing.

Robotics and CAD/CAM expertise are not a prerequisite to create error-free robot programs with Robotmaster V7 since it is a task-based robot programming platform built around the user, for the user, said Chahe Bakmazjian, head of strategy, robotic software. Robotmaster V7 also has unmatched flexibility and configurability and transfers the job to another robot brand or workcell, without task reprogramming. This is an industry first.

The new Robotmaster V7 software release targets automatic integrated welding and contour programming including trimming, cutting, dispensing and deburring, as well as drilling and fastening. It navigates complex part geometries and optimizes robot paths while synchronizing movements and preventing collisions between one or more robots, parts and tooling. It can be used for offline robotic programming in a variety of industries including aerospace, automotive, consumer electronics, power generation/energy and welding. Subsequent modules will enable additional tasks, including surfacing, 3D milling, additive manufacturing and inspection. The current version of Robotmaster offers support for these applications; however once V7 support is available for these applications, they will be more automated and easier to use.

Future editions will incorporate specialized task sharing tools for multi-robot workcells and Industry 4.0 capability, enabling the Smart Factory.

The Robotmaster team saw the trend for multi-robot cells, with robots performing a combination of processes, including material removal, welding and polishing, said Bakmazjian. Our prior software supported one robot for one task. Our next generation would need to support any number of anything  more than one robot, more than one tooling and process, in multiple types of settings, and with any number of tasks. This new framework allows our users to exploit the full capabilities of a multi-robot workcell with easy-to-use, advanced task sharing tools.

The Robotmaster software platforms optimization tools put Robotmaster on the map in 2008. By creating software that enabled users to visualize and optimize robot trajectories, the developers helped to demystify robot programming. In 2013, Robotmaster won Robotics Business Reviews Game Changer Award for outstanding achievement in robotics. In 2015, it made the list of CIOReviews 20 Most Promising Robotics Solution Providers.

Hypertherm will showcase Robotmaster V7 at upcoming shows in the fall of 2018. In the meantime, customers can schedule a demonstration of the new offline programming platform by emailing info@robotmaster.com or calling +1-855-488-3143 x 113 (toll free) or +1-514-225-2214 direct.

Hypertherm designs and manufactures advanced cutting products for use in a variety of industries such as shipbuilding, manufacturing, and automotive repair. Its product line includes cutting systems, in addition to CNC motion and height controls, CAM nesting software, robotic software and consumables. The New Hampshire based companys reputation for cutting innovation dates back 50 years to 1968, with Hypertherms invention of water injection plasma cutting. The 100 percent associate owned company, consistently named a best place to work, has more than 1,400 associates along with operations and partner representation worldwide.

###

Editors Note: Video of Robotmaster V7 in action can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUHVgKPxr0U. To schedule an interview, contact Janine Krasicky Sadaj at 248-542-3991 or janine@j9media.com. Media Contact: Janine Krasicky Sadaj - janine@j9media.com - 248-542-3991Cure HHT Conference

Ninety percent of people with the rare disease Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT), also known as Osler-Weber-Rendu Syndrome, are undiagnosed. The genetic disorder of the blood vessels affects 1 in 5,000 people worldwide and a diagnosis means there is a whole family of potentially affected people. Raising awareness is key to increasing diagnosis and treatment. Cure HHT is the only international patient advocacy organization focused solely on HHT patients and their families. In the past year, the visibility of HHT has been raised with international conferences, legislative efforts, training of health care professionals and more. A new website was also launched which has become the portal for everything related to HHT. http://www.CureHHT.org.

Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia (HHT) is a cruel and unrelenting disease, affecting families for generations. While it can have seemingly mild symptoms like frequent nosebleeds, or no symptoms at all, it can result in disabling and catastrophic events. It is often a severe event that leads to a diagnosis and HHT can affect members of the same family differently. Knowing the signs and symptoms can help lead to a faster diagnosis.

This hereditary disorder creates abnormalities in the blood vessels; they are fragile and thus susceptible to rupture and bleeding, which can result in lung and brain hemorrhage, stroke, and death. HHT, like ALS, is a rare disease, but it receives far less research grants and is often misdiagnosed. Cure HHT is building awareness, unifying the HHT community, educating the public, and advocating for patients and families all around the world.

In the past year, Cure HHT has hosted an international conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia and two regional conferences in Scottsdale, AZ and Nashville, TN. The scientific conference in Dubrovnik served 200 medical professionals in the clinician and research fields from over 23 countries. Every two years scientists from around the world gather to discuss the latest advances in HHT research. These meetings lead to international scientific collaboration that accelerates progress in HHT research, treatment, and extending patient access to expert care. The next scientific conference will be held in June 2019. The regional conferences brought together patients, families, and health care professionals in a smaller setting that fosters engagement and a third one is planned for Ann Arbor, MI this fall.

Since 2003, Cure HHT has leveraged $24 million in research grants from the DOD, National Institute of Health, the FDA, and the CDC. With the release of the new website and upcoming app Cure HHT continues to expand their reach through traditional and online media. With the new IOS app, patients will be able to track nosebleeds, appointments, test results, confer with HHT Doctors and more.

In celebration of Awareness Month Cure HHT invites all to Step Out and Step Up The Fight with events and fundraisers. Walks and family days will be held across the country and there will be a number of ways to get involved on an international level for June 23, Global Awareness Day. Visit https://curehht.org/get-involved/raise-awareness/ for more information.

-END-

## Editors Notes

ARGEN Working with Nihon Rufuto gives us access to Japans diverse range of advanced industries...

Fluence Analytics, a manufacturer of industrial and laboratory analytics products, today announced it has signed a distribution agreement with Nihon Rufuto, a Japanese company specializing in the import and domestic sales of scientific instruments.

Nihon Rufuto will introduce, market and distribute ARGEN throughout Japan. ARGEN is a static light scattering instrument that yields realtime measurements on the stability of therapeutic proteins and peptides and the quality of natural and synthetic polymers.

The partnership combines ARGENs unique technology and the value it delivers to the biopharmaceutical development process with Nihon Rufutos presence and expertise in the rapidly expanding Japanese biotech market. Nihon Rufuto is scheduled to showcase an ARGEN system during InterPhex Japan in Tokyo on June 27-29, 2018.

We are excited about this new partnership enabling us to expand into another major market, says Alex Reed, CEO of Fluence Analytics. Working with Nihon Rufuto gives us access to Japans diverse range of advanced industries, including polymers and biopharmaceuticals, where our products will help scientists and engineers save time while developing better, safer products.

About Fluence Analytics

Fluence Analytics is a manufacturer of industrial and laboratory products that produce continuous data streams. These measurements, combined with powerful, proprietary analytical tools, enable realtime optimization of process control and faster R&D for polymer and biopharmaceutical manufacturers. Visit Fluence Analytics to learn more about the companys solutions for realtime data. realtime optimization.

About Nihon Rufuto

Nihon Rufuto is a company concerned with the import and domestic sales of foreign-based medical and scientific instruments. Since 1998 Nihon Rufuto has been engaged in the consulting, marketing and distribution of scientific equipment for R&D and quality control applications in industry and academia. Visit Nihon Rufuto to know more about the companys products and applications.We are a family company, in our fourth generation, and family is at the center of the things we do

The latest volume of O&G's Stylish Spaces with Masonry is available, the news was announced today by Anita Goerig, Director of Marketing. O&G's luxury lifestyle issue of Stylish Spaces with Masonry is dedicated to professionals and homeowners who are looking to create unique spaces in commercial and residential structures that feature stonework and dramatic appeal in design. The first volume of the 2018 publication features a project that draws from the heart.

The latest volume of Stylish Spaces with Masonry focuses on the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital project, where a child's wish was fulfilled. In this publication, O&G depicts a landscape project where the company was selected to work on with Craig Studer, of Studer Design Associates and the Fareri family  in a redeeming and healing design.

I cant stress enough how invaluable O&Gs help in selecting the right materials and guiding us in the proper installation has been, Studer reflects. As large a company as they are, they still work like a family and treat you like a family. This project was no exception. Communication was great. There were no issues or delays, from getting just the right blend of materials I wanted, to the installation in the field. It was all very gratifying.

O&Gs Masonry Division has enjoyed a long and productive working relationship with Studer. When he approached the company, Division President Kara Oneglia was only too happy to supply him with custom blends of pavers, the granite sculpture, and a dedication plaque. We are a family company, in our fourth generation, and family is at the center of the things we do, says Oneglia, so we were honored to support the hospital and its mission. This is a great addition to their grounds, and we are delighted to have played a part in such a thoughtful project.

ABOUT O&G INDUSTRIES MASONRY DIVISION

Since its inception in 1923, O&G Industries, Inc. has grown to become one of the most diversified construction companies in the Northeast and one of the largest suppliers of masonry products and services in New England. Headquartered in Connecticut, the masonry division's facilities include:



Seven mason stores and stone yards,

Six Earth Products Showcase retail showrooms, and a

Fabrication and Distribution Center for custom stonework.

Meeting design specifications and budgets O&G sales representatives work with design professionals and homeowners alike to guide them through the widest selection of earth-based materials available. O&G's Earth Products Showcases feature elegantly appointed vignettes from classic to contemporary design styles in a comfortable, natural setting. For more information about O&G Industries Masonry Division, call Anita Goerig at 203-881-5192 or navigate to O&G's website at mason.ogind.com [mason.ogind.com __title__ ]In an effort to help more people receive Botox injectable treatments, representatives with a Florida-based company, announced today that it is now offering discounted Botox injectable treatments at its Port Charlotte medical spa.

Now is a great time to take advantage of this revolutionary treatment at our medical spas, said Dr. Sidney Peykar, owner and spokesperson for Suncoast Aesthetics. Suncoast Aesthetics two medical spas are located at: 1540 S Tamiami Trl, Ste 204, Sarasota FL 34239 and 2484 Caring Way, Suite B, Port Charlotte FL 33952.

Peykar explained that while for years the facelift was among the only treatments for ailing, sagging and wrinkled skin, Suncoast Aesthetics understands that todays client seeks a more elegant solution to aging.

Botox is among the worlds most popular and time-tested injectable for reversing age-related fine lines, wrinkles, creases, furrows and folds that mar the appearance and sabotage ones self-esteem, Dr. Peykar said, before adding, These safe, non-invasive compounds work by temporarily paralyzing the muscles that are responsible for our most frequent facial contractions, such as smiling, squinting, frowning or yawning. The result is beautiful, smooth skin that glows with youthful radiance.

The company spokesperson went on to note that Suncoast Aesthetics specializes in cosmetic injections for reducing facial wrinkles around the eyes, nose, mouth, and on the forehead and neck.

These injections can also be used for hyperhydrosis (excessive sweating), TMJ issues, and other advanced cosmetic techniques, Dr. Peykar said.

Botox, according to Dr. Peykar, rely on carefully formulated strains of botulinum toxin, which works as a nerve block, reducing activity in the tiny muscles that allow us to laugh, frown or make other faces.

Once injected, these miniscule muscles remain at rest, reducing wrinkles and softening the entire complexion, Dr. Peykar revealed. Friends and family members may comment that you look well rested after Botox treatment, and that you look your best in years.

As for what patients can expect, Dr. Peykar said that once individuals arrive at it office, the practitioner will numb the injection sites with a topical anesthetic to ensure comfort.

Botox is then injected into your skin using an ultra-fine needle that is virtually free from sensation, Dr. Peykar said. Each injection session takes about 10-15 minutes on average. Results are fully realized in approximately 7-30 days.

For more information, please visit: http://www.scaesthetics.com.

Contact Details:

Dr. Sidney Peykar

Suncoast Aesthetics

1540 S Tamiami Trl, Ste 204

Sarasota FL 34239

2484 Caring Way, Suite B

Port Charlotte FL 33952

Phone: 941-752-7842

Source: Suncoast AestheticsThe Scientist.com marketplace is a great way to expose more researchers to Novaseek's award-winning human sample sourcing platform.

Scientist.com, the life science industrys leading online marketplace for outsourced research, announced today that it has collaborated with Novaseek Research, Inc., a health IT for life sciences organization, to create a first-of-its-kind process for sourcing human biosamples. Scientist.com users can now access Novaseeks ever-expanding network of patients that have consented to ongoing access to their electronic medical records (EMR) and related biospecimens.

Novaseeks unique platform helps marketplace users find biospecimens and data that are not available anywhere else, stated Kevin Lustig, PhD, CEO and Founder of Scientist.com. Researchers can now use redacted clinical data from consented donors to conduct searches and make smart biospecimen sourcing decisions.

Using its proprietary CDNR platform, which is embedded in a network of participating hospitals, Novaseek scans live EMR data from thousands of consented patients to find precise matches to research requirements; searchable data includes ICD10 diagnoses, medication lists, lab testing results, narrative reports and more. The platform then finds clinical laboratory specimens that are immediately available from these matching subjects  including blood, serum, urine and all types of fluids.

The Scientist.com marketplace is a great way to expose more researchers to our award-winning human sample sourcing platform, commented Andrei Soran, CEO of Novaseek Research. The ability to find fresh specimens in real-time based on highly granular data, such as lab test values or medication histories, is unprecedented. And the data keeps coming  updates to the EMR are visible for each case provided.

About Scientist.com

Scientist.com is the world's leading marketplace for outsourced research. The marketplace simplifies the entire research sourcing process, saving time and money and providing access to the latest innovative tools and technologies while maintaining full compliance with an organizations procurement policies. Scientist.com operates private enterprise marketplaces for most of the worlds major pharmaceutical companies, VWR and the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). Since its founding in 2007, Scientist.com has raised more than $33 million from Leerink Transformation Partners, 5AM Ventures, Heritage Provider Network, Bootstrap Ventures and Hollywood producer Jack Giarraputo among others. Visit scientist.com to learn more.

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About Novaseek

Novaseek Research, Inc. is a game-changing health IT for life sciences company that provides turn-key, dynamic access to real world clinical data and biospecimens from a network of healthcare organizations. We envision a world where a clear understanding of real-world patients is central to every stage of life sciences research and drug development. For more information, please visit http://www.novaseekresearch.com."Our business partnership with Stone Bond and their feature-rich system, Enterprise Enabler (EE), allowed us to ... transformed data into information and information into better decision making and business intelligence." - Antonio Marin (Vice President, Information Systems at WCA Waste)

Proud to announce that one of our partnered clients, WCA Waste Corporation was honored at the AGENDA18 (March 19-21, 2018, Miami, Florida) with the Digital Edge 50 Award for their Blue Line project. The Digital Edge 50 Award recognizes a select group of digital achievers whose organizations have made great strides toward being a digital-centric; have undertaken significant digital transformation initiatives and have made a measurable business impact.

There were over 250+ nominations, so we are very pleased that WCA Waste Corporation among a few others such as Capital One, ExxonMobil, Verizon, Whirlpool Corporation (50 total) were all recognized for their achievement. To view a full list of all 50 award winners, please click here.

We are very excited to receive such a prestigious award and equally proud to put technology at the forefront to serve our external and internal customers. Project Blue Line was possible because we have the right combination of people and technology. Our business partnership with Stone Bond and their feature-rich system, Enterprise Enabler (EE), allowed us to transform, virtualize and view data in ways that had (a) direct impact on our business processes. Thanks to the ETL, data virtualization and orchestration capabilities of EE, we transformed data into information and information into better decision making and business intelligence. Blue Line success will continue as we keep building on a strong technological foundation that supports our business goals. - Antonio Marin, Vice President, Information Systems at WCA Waste

About WCA

WCA is a vertically integrated non-hazardous solid waste management company providing waste collection, transfer, material processing and disposal services. WCA commenced business operations in 2000 in Houston, Texas and has expanded under the guidance of a veteran management team to cover ten states. WCA provides services to over half a million residential and commercial/ industrial customers in ten states. WCA maintains a team of experienced, diverse, knowledgeable and caring people with more than 1,400 customer service orientated employees and a fleet over 850 vehicles. http://www.wcawaste.com.

About Stone Bond Technologies

Stone Bond Technologies leads the way in Data Virtualization through products like Enterprise Enabler. We make an enterprises data agile providing new capabilities and insights to the whole organization from the data scientists to the front-line business users. Stone Bonds customers have improved their efficiency and lowered their costs by relying on Stone Bond to deliver results.

About Enterprise Enabler

Enterprise Enabler provides a superior alternative to the legacy data delivery process by creating logical views of data from the original source locations, eliminating much of the complexity created by data silos that proliferate across the enterprise. The result is a consistent interface regardless of data source or location, quickly putting the benefits of Agile ETL and Data Virtualization in the hands developers and of business users.

For more details or to learn more about how Stone Bond can make an impact for your business today, visit http://www.stonebond.com. Enterprise Enabler is a registered trademark of Stone Bond Technologies, L.P.Prof. Yitshak Kreiss at Majdanek Concentration Camp We came here to say to those who were murdered here, you did not perish or sacrifice yourself in vain

Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, the largest and most comprehensive hospital in the Middle East, sent a multicultural delegation of staff members to Poland this week as a way to commemorate the 70th anniversary of both Sheba and the State of Israel.

For the first time in Sheba Medical Center history, nearly 200 employees of the medical center are traveling across the country, visiting concentration camps and other historical monuments to gain an even deeper understanding of the horrible events that transpired during World War II.

After gut-wrenching encounters with a mass grave, where hundreds of Jews were murdered by the Nazis, as well as a visit to the Treblinka concentration camp, several members of the group wrote an emotional note to their friends and family in Israel. "Each of us have now experienced the spine-tingling horrors of the Holocaust and the evil of the Nazi regime in our own ways during the course of this trip. It is something we can never forget," they wrote.

The 5-day all expenses paid, educational mission is being spearheaded by Shebas Director General Yitshak Kreiss, who himself is the son of a Holocaust survivor, and Avi Baruch, Sheba's Dep. Director for Organizational Management and Human Resources. Amongst the participants of the mission is a French Holocaust survivor, who currently volunteers in the hospital's bustling Emergency Room.

Sheba has played a vital role in the on-going care of hundreds of Holocaust survivors through a special program dedicated to meeting their unique emotional and physical needs during the course of their stay at the facility. This includes helping with bathing and eating, as well as providing companionship to the Holocaust survivors during appointments and every-day tasks.

"We came here to say to those who were murdered here, you did not perish or sacrifice yourself in vain, said Director of Sheba Medical Center Prof. Yitshak Kreiss. We are here to remember all of you, the heart of Polish Jewry, the citizens, the professionals, the doctors and all of the renowned rabbis who were the spiritual soul of the Polish Jews. Here one can see how human beings can turn overnight into vicious animals, which serves as a warning until today.

"The trip underscores the fact that nothing in life is guaranteed. A person who doesn't know or understand his history, makes it difficult for them to understand the present reality or what will be in the future," added Avi Baruch. It is important for our staff to learn the history of the Jewish People. Learning about everything people went through and passing along this knowledge from generation to generation is whats going to keep it from happening again.

About Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer

Born together with Israel in 1948, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer is the largest and most comprehensive medical center in the Middle East. Sheba is the only medical center in Israel that combines an acute care hospital and a rehabilitation hospital on one campus, and it is at the forefront of medical treatments, patient care, research and education. As a university teaching hospital affiliated with the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel-Aviv University, it welcomes people from all over the world indiscriminately. To learn more, visit: eng.sheba.co.il.GoPro will be using the XPO10x5 for the demonstration and sales of GoPro hardware at the Mountain Games. The event also marks the first event and official launch for the XPO10x5 in the United States.

The GoPro Mountain Games  the country's largest celebration of adventure sports, art and music  are returning to Vail, Colorado, June 7-10, 2018, and Event Architecture looks forward to taking part. GoPro, the event sponsor and iconic manufacturer of personal action cameras, engaged Event Architecture to provide a branded, modular XPO structure for the event.

After GoPros European team saw an XPO being used at an overseas event, the companys Global Event Operations Manager searched for a provider of the structures in the United States. His research brought him to Event Architecture, the exclusive provider of XPOs and related modular event structures in the country.

GoPro will be using the XPO10x5 for the demonstration and sales of GoPro hardware at the Mountain Games. The event also marks the first event and official launch for the XPO10x5 in the United States.

The modern, architectural structure will be customized with GoPro branding and signage inside and out, demo stations, retail fixtures, wood vinyl flooring, electrical and climate control. Large, clear Plexiglas doors on the front and back of the structure give the GoPro XPO a modern, open feel.

According to Tim Bookout, Director of Sales at Event Architecture, Our line of modular event structures are ideal for outdoor events like the GoPro Mountain Games. From both a design and functional perspective, there is no other solution in the market that offers the flexibility, customization and modernity that our live event structures do.

The semi-permanent structures feature a durable modern design comprised of sturdy, aluminum supports and a double layer of coated fabric, pressurized to create tension. Due to the structure's modular nature  2.5m sections can be added or removed as needed  XPOs can be adapted to suit applications big and small. The line also includes portable retail kiosks, sleepers, offices, open air decks and more.

To learn more about Event Architectures modern, portable, architectural structures for indoor and outdoor events, contact Tim Bookout at 972-323-9433.

ABOUT EVENT ARCHITECTURE:

Event Architecture is a provider of portable, modular architectural structures that are perfect for indoor or outdoor events, trade shows, festivals and an endless array of brand activations. Our portable solutions can be fully branded, and they come in sizes to meet any need. Event Architecture is committed to both service and unsurpassed product excellence. Find out more at http://www.Event-Architecture.com.Keith DeYoung, VP of Sales As the company continues to scale to meet market demand, I am excited to leverage my expertise with clinical software solutions to create customer relationships that will propel the company to the next level.

Voalte, the leader in healthcare communication technology, today announced that Keith DeYoung has joined the company as Vice President of Sales. DeYoung brings 15 years of healthcare technology sales and management experience to Voalte, plus expertise in highly complex clinical software solutions that help health systems improve their clinical processes.

Large hospitals and multi-site healthcare systems increasingly recognize the value of a proven healthcare communication solution, said Trey Lauderdale, Founder and CEO of Voalte. As we continue to grow, I look forward to working with Keith to develop new long-term customer relationships and deepen partnerships with current customers.

DeYoung most recently served as Vice President of Global Sales at Wolters Kluwer Health/ProVation Medical, where he managed sales of complex clinical software solutions to integrated delivery networks, hospitals and the ambulatory surgery market.

"Voalte is a growth-oriented company that pioneered the transition to smartphones for clinical communication, said DeYoung. As the company continues to scale to meet market demand, I am excited to leverage my expertise with clinical software solutions to create customer relationships that will propel the company to the next level.

About Voalte

Voalte develops smartphone solutions that simplify caregiver communication. Ranked number-one and named 2017 Category Leader in the Best in KLAS: Software & Services report for the Secure Communications Platform segment, Voalte is the only company to offer a comprehensive Mobile Communication Strategy that enables care teams inside and outside the hospital to access and exchange information securely. Founded in 2008, Voalte is a privately held company based in Sarasota, Florida. Voalte solutions are now available to more than 215,000 caregivers throughout the United States. For more information, visit voalte.com or follow @Voalte on Twitter.Brent D. Chicken

Experienced energy attorney Brent D. Chicken has joined Steptoe & Johnson PLLC. His practice will focus on energy litigation, administrative law and transactions from the firms Denver office. He joins a team of more than 100 energy attorneys assisting clients in some of the largest shale plays across the country.

With the addition of Brent, our energy teams growth continues so we can meet our clients needs, said Steptoe & Johnson CEO Susan S. Brewer. "Brent will help strengthen our team serving the energy industry in the Denver area and in the Western U.S.

In his five states of licensure  Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and Utah  Mr. Chicken has extensive experience in commercial litigation; federal, tribal, state and local regulatory law; energy transactions; and mineral title/due diligence matters. In the courtroom, and via mediation and arbitration, he represents clients in contract, royalty payment, title and other operational disputes. Mr. Chicken also guides clients through the maze of ever-changing regulatory matters associated with energy development projects, ranging from simple well spacing and flaring applications, to complex, multi-party protested matters and proceedings before federal, state and local administrative agencies. Mr. Chicken has also assisted clients in every phase of multi-million dollar transactions in several states, involving not only the traditional document preparation and due diligence aspects of such deals, but also oft-associated matters such as joint operating, farmout, farm-in, and carry agreements, and other related contracts. Finally, Mr. Chicken has also authored hundreds of drilling, mineral and division order title opinions, including specialty opinions involving natural gas storage units and solution mining.

Mr. Chicken earned his law degree from the University of Denver College of Law and his bachelors degree from Florida State University. He is a Special Institutes Committee and faculty member for the Rocky Mountain Mineral Law Foundation, and a frequent contributor and presenter for the Denver Association of Petroleum Landmen, the National Association of Lease Title Analysts, the Colorado Bar Association-Environment and Natural Resources Section, and the National Association of Division Order Analysts.

About Steptoe & Johnson

Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is a law firm nationally recognized for its strengths in energy law with more than a century of know-how in the areas of business, employment, and litigation. Steptoe & Johnson has more than 300 attorneys practicing in 13 offices in Colorado, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, and West Virginia. Visit http://www.steptoe-johnson.com and connect with us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

For more information, contact Betsy Spellman, Chief Marketing Officer, at (304) 933-8000 or by email: press(at)steptoe-johnson(dot)com.Biosero, a premiere developer of software to automate laboratory workflows, announced today a recent visit to their San Diego headquarters by Congressman Scott Peters. His visit was in celebration of federal support of small business expansions in the congressmans district (CA-52), and included a tour of Bioseros new San Diego facility.

Operating as a self-funded organization since its inception in 2003, Biosero worked with local loan representatives at CDC Small Business Finance (https://cdcloans.com/) and partnered with Bank of the West to help fund a building acquisition for their operations in San Diego. Biosero expressed gratitude to Merri Adams of the CDC, and Jeremy Wilson with Bank of the West for their effort in conducting the transaction.

The new headquarters houses corporate executive management, R+D and a significantly increased manufacturing capacity to support growth. The facility is located in the center of the life science community in San Diego providing jobs and supporting many biotech companies in the area and throughout the rest of the world.

Tom Gilman, CEO of Biosero commented, Capital and cash flow are critical to the operational health of Biosero and the mechanism provided by our government to support this is extremely valuable for the life science community in San Diego.

Biosero provides flexible and operator friendly automated laboratory workstations driven by their proprietary Green Button Go (GBG) Automation Scheduling software. The company is focused on laboratory automation software & engineering support for the worlds leading scientists, providing them with ability to operate very complex automation platforms and experiments in an operator friendly environment. During the congressmans visit, Mr. Peters was taught how to train and run a robotic platform by Biosero engineers. The congressman tweeted photographs of his visit, which can be viewed on his twitter account: https://twitter.com/RepScottPeters

We are committed to providing scientists with software that helps simplify complex automation and scientific processes used to accelerate the drug discovery process, and many of our customers are here in San Diego," commented David Dambman Director of Engineering at Biosero. Availability of financial programs to support organic growth for local business has been critical to support the local life science ecosystem.

About Biosero: Biosero is the premiere resource for laboratory automation and robotics integration. Developers of Green Button Go Automation Scheduling Software and providers of multiple hardware solutions, Biosero delivers and supports completely integrated solutions using any technologies required. Strategic partners and multiple offices allow the company to specialize in all aspects of laboratory automation and provide robust custom WorkCell solutions with global support. For more information please visit: http://www.biosero.comI feel extremely proud to be involved with Human Options, which does incredible work providing a safe haven and counseling programs for abused women, their children, and families, said Heller. I am honored to join the board of this life-saving organization.

Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLPs Susan L. Heller has been appointed to the board of Orange Countys Human Options, a non-profit organization devoted to breaking the cycle of domestic violence.

I feel extremely proud to be involved with Human Options, which does incredible work providing a safe haven and counseling programs for abused women, their children, and families, said Heller. I am honored to join the board of this life-saving organization.

Human Options has been a pioneer in protecting and helping individuals heal from domestic violence. Founded in 1981, the organization opened the first battered womens shelter in South Orange County, which grew to become a countywide, multi-service program. In 1984, Human Options introduced the first domestic violence prevention program for high school teens in Orange County; and in 1984, the organization opened the citys first transitional housing program. To date, Human Options has served more than 32,000 individuals in its counseling and sheltering programs, and more than 300,000 in its prevention programs, according to the organizations website.

Heller, co-managing shareholder of Greenberg Traurigs Orange County office, chair of the Global Trademark & Brand Management Group, and co-chair of the firms Womens Initiative, is consistently recognized by numerous publications and organizations as having one of the preeminent and most innovative international trademark practices in the country, and for being a game-changer. When the stakes are high and critical brands are at risk, Fortune 500 companies, world champion athletes, high-net-worth individuals, A-list celebrities, and highly visible pre-IPO companies turn to Heller for her strategic thought leadership and counsel, honed by her three decades of experience. At the forefront of global strategic management and monetization of big name brands on a worldwide level, she is known for developing cutting-edge branding strategies and solutions, most notably in "bet-the brand," high stakes trademark cases. Heller works directly with CEOs and senior executives, in and out of corporate boardrooms. Her practice has spanned over 30 years across virtually every industry and in most jurisdictions throughout the world. Heller serves on the Deans Advisory Board of the UCI Merage School of Business, Executive Committee of the USC IP Institute, and Cornell Universitys President's Council of Cornell Women. The National Diversity Council named Heller one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in the US; Euromoney named her the winner of its Americas Women in Business Law Awards, Best in Trademark, two years in a row; Best Lawyers in America named her Lawyer of the Year, Trademark Law for Los Angeles; and Marquis Whos Who recognized her with the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award.

As co-chair of Greenberg Traurigs Womens Initiative, Heller is dedicated to promoting the inclusion and advancement of women in the legal profession through unique programming and resources designed to benefit the firms attorneys, clients, and the local communities in which the Greenberg Traurig family lives and works. In addition to her involvement with this global Womens Initiative, Heller has been a strong voice supporting womens empowerment for decades: she was a member of the steering Committee of the first San Francisco Mayors Summit for Women, and is a former chair of the Womens Business Forum.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

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.The Chertoff Group Logo Robert possesses unique expertise in industry-leading cyber security threats and incident response strategies. In addition to his more than 20 years of honorable service to our nation, Robert has a successful track record collaborating with clients to tackle their most critical security issues

The Chertoff Group, a global security advisory firm that enables clients to navigate changes in security risk, technology and policy, today announced the appointment of Robert Anderson as a principal in its Strategic Advisory Services practice. As a recognized expert in cybersecurity, incident response, cyber hacking, counterintelligence and economic espionage, Anderson will advise C-suite clients on strategies to help them grow, manage security risks and protect their commercial businesses.

We enthusiastically welcome Robert Anderson to our award-winning Strategic Advisory Services team, said Chad Sweet, co-founder and CEO of The Chertoff Group. Robert possesses unique expertise in industry-leading cyber security threats and incident response strategies. He served as executive assistant director of the FBI in a very distinguished public career. In addition to his more than 20 years of honorable service to our nation, Robert has a successful track record collaborating with clients to tackle their most critical security issues, making him the ideal executive for this leadership role at our firm.

Prior to joining The Chertoff Group, Anderson served as managing director and practice leader at Navigant Consulting Inc., where he led the initiative to build out their information security practice, exponentially growing the business and offering new services such as CISO-as-a service. Before Navigant, Anderson held several senior level positions at the Federal Bureau of Investigation, where he spent more than 20 years rising through the ranks from a special agent in charge to executive assistant director of the criminal, cyber, response and services branch. His top achievements include upgrading the FBIs technology infrastructure - positioning the bureau as a global leader in complex national security, criminal and cyber investigations - as well as establishing a new, second branch within the international operations division which focuses on intelligence driven international operations, to name a few.

The Chertoff Group is a globally respected advisory services firm that brings unparalleled industry expertise to help clients understand the implications of changes in security risk, technology and policy, said Anderson. It is an honor to be a part of this elite team of security experts who are helping clients build resilient organizations, gain competitive advantage and accelerate growth.

An internationally recognized leader in security and risk management advisory services, The Chertoff Group applies unmatched industry insights around security technology, global threats, strategy and public policy to enable a more secure world. Through its Strategic Advisory Services practice, The Chertoff Group leverages a trusted approach, proven methodology and deep understanding for security effectiveness to enable clients to reduce cyber and physical risk, protect critical assets and position their enterprise for growth.

For more information on Robert Andersons background and his current role at The Chertoff Group, visit: https://www.chertoffgroup.com/about-us/our-team/720-bob-anderson

About The Chertoff Group:

The Chertoff Group is a global advisory services firm that applies security expertise, technology insights and policy intelligence to help clients build resilient organizations, gain competitive advantage and accelerate growth. Through its investment banking subsidiary Chertoff Capital, the firm provides M&A advisory services in global security markets and growth equity investments in cyber and tech-enabled security companies. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., The Chertoff Group maintains offices in Menlo Park, Calif. and New York, N.Y. For more information, visit http://www.chertoffgroup.com.Alexcia Eackels, Adam Gallo, Johnnie Bocanegra of Fujitsu, Gabby Vega, Joshua Harris. Fujitsu is honored to reward these students who are excelling in STEM, by empowering students with the right education and encouragement, we can nurture the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians who will help drive the digital future.

Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. hosted the Excellence in Education breakfast celebration for the Richardson Independent School District (RISD) yesterday. The annual event honored the 2018 recipients for 14 different scholarships, including the brand new Fujitsu STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) Scholarships totaling $12,000.

To qualify for the Fujitsu STEM Scholarships, the winners met the following criteria, with awards based on a combination of financial need, academic performance and personal character.



- A minimum GPA of 3.0

- Studied four years of science, technology, engineering and/or math classes with B's or better

- Planning to enter a two or four-year college or university to major in a STEM field

- Two written recommendations from among student's STEM teachers, counselors, and extracurricular instructors.

- Essay required

Winners of the 2018 Fujitsu STEM Scholarships are named below.



- Adam Gallo, J.J, Pearce High School - $5,000

- Joshua Harris, J.J, Pearce High School - $5,000

- Alexcia Eackels, L.V. Berkner High School - $1,000

- Gabby Vega, Richardson High School - $1,000

"Fujitsu is honored to reward these students who are excelling in STEM," said Susan Danko, Head of Human Resources for the Americas at Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. "By empowering students with the right education and encouragement, we can nurture the next generation of scientists, engineers and mathematicians who will help drive the digital future."

All RISD scholarship recipients were recognized on Wednesday, May 30, 2018 by The Board of Directors of RISD Excellence in Education Foundation & Fujitsu at the Fujitsu headquarters in Richardson.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company, offering a full range of technology products, solutions, and services. Approximately 140,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.1 trillion yen (US $39 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2018. For more information, please see http://www.fujitsu.com.

About Fujitsu Network Communications Inc.

Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc., is a trusted partner to a broad spectrum of customers across all industries, enabling them to realize the maximum value from their communications networks. We are a market-leading U.S.-based manufacturer of network equipment and a top U.S. patent holder in optical networking. Our solutions combine the best wireline, wireless, and software technology with extensive multivendor services expertise to deliver custom, end-to-end network integration and management solutions. For more information, please see http://us.Fujitsu.com/telecom, connect with us on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/company/Fujitsu-network-communications, and follow us on Twitter @FujitsuFNC.

About Excellence in Education Foundation

The Excellence in Education Foundation was established in 1984, as the RISE Foundation and is one of the three oldest public education foundations in Texas. Its mission is to promote enrichment, innovation, and excellence in education It provides funding for programs that support excellence in teaching and high-achieving students, raises funds for the enrichment and innovations of teaching for all students, and recognizes and rewards excellence in teaching and performance, and reinforces positive relations with the community.

Fujitsu, the Fujitsu logo, "shaping tomorrow with you" are trademarks or registered trademarks of Fujitsu Limited in the United States and other countries. All rights reserved. All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.The NGD Systems In-Situ Processing capabilities embedded in the worlds first 16TB U.2 In-Situ SSD allows our customers to deal with data sets in a manner that truly enables AI at the Edge. - Eli Tiomkin, Vice President of Business Development, NGD Systems.

NGD Systems, Inc., the leader in computational storage, today announced the general availability (GA) of the 16 terabyte (TB) Catalina-2 U.2 NVMe solid state drive (SSD). The Catalina-2 is the first NVMe SSD with 16TB capacity that also makes available NGDs powerful In-Situ Processing capabilities. The Catalina-2 does this without impact to the reliability, quality of service (QoS) or power consumption, already available in the current shipping NGD Products.

The use of Arm multi-core processors in Catalina-2 provides users with a well-understood development environment and the combination of exceptional performance with low power consumption. The Arm-based In-Situ Processing platform allows NGD Systems to pack both high capacity and computational ability into the first 16TB 2.5-inch form factor package on the market. The NGD Catalina-2 U.2 NVMe SSD only consumes 12W (0.75W/TB) of power, compared to the 25W or more used by other NVMe solutions. This provides the highest energy efficiency in the industry.

With the exponential growth of big data, AI/ML, and IoT, more processing power and storage is required at the edge, said Neil Werdmuller, director, storage solutions, Arm. By including multiple Arm cores into its SSDs, NGD Systems delivers the computation required at the edge and the ability to scale processing in step with storage growth. This is achieved within a very tight power budget and without adding expensive additional processors, memory or GPUs.

NGD Systems 16TB Catalina-2 creates a paradigm shift that permits large data sets, near real-time analytics, high-density, and low cost to coexist. A single standard 2U server available with 48 hot-swappable U.2 bays can reach 768TB, over three-quarters of a petabyte (PB). The In-Situ SSDs augment the server processing power with the availability of the embedded 64-bit ARM application processors. NGD Systems demonstrated the value of computational storage with over 500x improvement in a 3M vector similarity search at the Open Compute Project (OCP) Summit last month in San Jose, Calif.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), and Computer Vision (CV) applications are all restricted by todays traditional storage technology, said Eli Tiomkin, Vice President of Business Development, NGD Systems. The NGD Systems In-Situ Processing capabilities embedded in the worlds first 16TB U.2 In-Situ SSD allows our customers to deal with data sets in a manner that truly enables AI at the Edge.

The NGD Systems Catalina-2 U.2 is in production now and is available for immediate deployment. The Catalina-2 U.2 SSD is available in capacities of 4TB, 8TB, and the worlds only 16TB NVMe Computational Storage product.

About NGD Systems

Founded in 2013 with its headquarters in Irvine, Calif., NGD Systems (http://www.ngdsystems.com) is a venture-funded company focused on creation of new category of storage devices that brings computation to data. NGD has designed its advanced proprietary NVMe controller technology which deploys patented Elastic FTL algorithm and Advanced LDPC Engines to provide industry leading capacity and scalability. The platform also deploys the patented In-Situ Processing technology to enable Computational Storage capability. The company is led by an executive team that helped drive and shape the flash storage industry, with decades in leadership positions with storage companies such as Western Digital, STEC, Memtech, and Micron.

Press/Media/Analyst Contact:

kimber(at)smithfidler.com

Telephone: 775-298-5260

pr(at)ngdsystems.com

Telephone: 949-870-9148

###This procedure is truly changing the lives of many men.

Board-certified urologist, Michael DAngelo, M.D., with Heart of Florida Physician Group, announced today he has been designated a Center of Excellence in recognition of his work to help numerous men suffering from symptoms associated with enlarged prostate by using the Prostatic Urethral Lift treatment (PUL).

Dr. DAngelo, who specializes in urologic issues and robotic urologic surgeries, was designated as a Center of Excellence for having achieved a high level of training and experience with PUL treatment and for having demonstrated a commitment to exemplary care for men suffering from symptoms associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH.

More than 40 million men in the United States suffer from enlarged prostate, yet only 12 million men seek treatment for their condition, said Dr. DAngelo. The symptoms associated with BPH range from embarrassing to life altering. Many men retreat from their normal lives due to the severity of their symptoms. This procedure is truly changing the lives of many men.

As men age, the prostate becomes enlarged and in many cases, obstructs the urethra which, can cause bothersome urinary symptoms that often worsen over time. Symptoms of BPH may include interrupted sleep and urinary problems, and can even lead to loss of productivity, depression and decreased quality of life.

When men are diagnosed with BPH, medication is often the first-line therapy, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Side effects of medication treatment can include sexual dysfunction, dizziness and headaches, prompting many patients to quit using the drugs. For these patients, the classic alternative is surgery that cuts, heats or removes prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. While current surgical options can be very effective in relieving symptoms, they can also leave patients with permanent side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction and retrograde ejaculation.

With the prostatic urethral lift, patients experience rapid improvement of symptoms without the potential side effects of either medications or traditional prostate surgery. During the treatment, tiny implants are inserted to hold the lobes of the enlarged prostate permanently open. The prostatic urethral lift is typically performed in less than an hour and patients usually go home the same day. Men who suffer from frequency, urgency and having to get up several times during the night to urinate, or men who have trouble passing urine can benefit from this treatment, Dr. DAngelo said.

Ann Barnhart, CEO of Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center, said she was very pleased with the success of the prostatic urethral lift and Dr. DAngelo for receiving the designation as a Center of Excellence. We are very proud of Dr. DAngelo and all of the great things he is doing here at Heart of Florida.

For more information about the treatment or to make an appointment with Dr. DAngelo, please call his office at 863-419-2165 or visit our web site at HeartOfFloridaPhysicianGroup.com.

Dr. DAngelo is a member of the medical staff at Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center. Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center is owned in part by physicians.

About Heart of Florida Physician Group

Heart of Florida Physician Group is a multi-specialty medical group that believes in providing quality, compassionate health care to the communities it serves in Davenport, Haines City, Winter Haven, Lake Wales, Poinciana, and all of East Polk County. Our doctors provide care in 12 different specialties including primary care medicine, urology, orthopedics, gastroenterology and more. With same-day appointments available for most offices, you and your family receive personalized care when you need it most. Online appointments are available for select providers. For more information, visit http://www.HeartOfFloridaPhysicianGroup.com.

About NeoTract, Inc.

NeoTracts FDA-cleared UroLift System is a novel, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a minimally invasive transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Clinical data from a pivotal 206-patient randomized controlled study showed that patients with enlarged prostate receiving UroLift implants reported rapid and durable symptomatic and urinary flow rate improvement without compromising sexual function. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in quality of life. Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure. The UroLift System is available in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. Learn more at http://www.UroLift.com.

Media Contact:

Amy Cramer

M: 650-391-3714

Amy(at)healthandcommerce(dot)comThis generous gift from United allows us to begin that expansion at City Colleges, so that more talented young Chicagoans will launch careers at leading Chicago companies like United while earning a college credential.

United Airlines, the nonprofit Year Up Chicago, and City Colleges of Chicagos Harold Washington College yesterday announced an expansion of their partnership that will offer local young adults a pathway to college completion and upwardly-mobile careers. The program will provide young Chicagoans, ages 18-24, with professional skills classes, a college credit program at Harold Washington College, an internship with United Airlines or other top Chicago-area employers, and a weekly stipend. A $1 million grant from United will support the programs expansion and a new campus for Year Up Chicago at Harold Washington College.

Our vision is to grow Year Up Chicago to serve more than 1,000 young adults across the city annually, said Jack Crowe, Executive Director of Year Up Chicago. This generous gift from United allows us to begin that expansion at City Colleges, so that more talented young Chicagoans will launch careers at leading Chicago companies like United while earning a college credential.

Uniteds investment is expected to grow Year Up Chicagos reach by 25 percent, helping to close the Opportunity Divide and support communities throughout Chicago.

"Connecting our customers to the moments that matter most goes well beyond getting them from point A to point B," said Oscar Munoz, Uniteds chief executive officer. "We have the opportunity to make lasting, measurable change. We are proud to do our part to help our home here in Chicago, and are excited to share more with each of our hub communities over the coming weeks."

As a first step in the partnership, Year Up Chicago students will pursue college coursework at Harold Washington College to earn a Basic Certificate in Banking, while receiving six months of in-demand career and soft skills training from Year Up, followed by a six-month corporate internship at United or another top company.

City Colleges students are prepared to enter the workforce as in-demand, highly skilled professionals ready to seize the 21st century job opportunities in todays global economy," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. This collaboration between United Airlines, Year Up and City Colleges of Chicago will provide students with the support they need to graduate and go on to achieve the successful futures they deserve.

Chicago has many talented young people eager to pursue careers to better themselves, their families and communities, said Juan Salgado, chancellor, City Colleges of Chicago. Through partnerships like this one, we are offering Chicagoans a powerful earn and learn experience that offers economic stability, educational opportunity and a path to upward mobility.

The banking certificate program will prepare the students for internships and entry-level roles in financial operations, banking, and financial client services. Ninety percent of Year Up Chicago graduates are employed and/or enrolled in postsecondary education within four months of completing the yearlong program, with the most recent graduating class posting an average starting salary of more than $38,000/year. Year Up Chicago has served more than 1,080 students to date.

The initial goal is to enroll 160 Year Up Chicago students at Harold Washington College annually.

Harold Washington College has an untapped workforce pipeline of nearly 13,000 students in the middle of downtown Chicago, said Dr. Ignacio Lopez, Interim President of HWC. Year Up will not only help more students connect to careers and their passions, it will also communicate a larger message to surrounding employers about the talent we have right here under our roof.

Harold Washington College faculty will teach the technical courses, while Year Up staff will lead career development classes covering skills such as interview preparation, resume building and writing, working in a team, interviewing and follow up.

Along with United, dozens of organizations in Chicagoland  including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Northwestern University, Allstate, US Foods, Exelon, Accenture, and Hyatt  turn to Year Up Chicago for bright, motivated entry-level talent in areas such as Information Technology, Financial Operations, Project Management Support, Cyber Security and Sales & Customer Support.

Year Up is actively recruiting young adults, ages 18 to 24 with high school diplomas or GEDs, for the upcoming cycle at the new campus. Admissions information is available at http://www.yearup.org/seize-opportunity.

About Year Up

Year Up is an award-winning, national 501(c)3 organization that provides talented and motivated young adults ages 18-24 with the skills, experience, and support that will empower them to reach their potential through professional careers and higher education. Through a one-year, intensive training program, Year Up utilizes a high support, high expectations model that combines marketable job skills, stipends, coursework eligible for college credit, and corporate internships at more than 250 top companies. Its holistic approach focuses on students' professional and personal development to enable young adults with a viable path to economic self-sufficiency and meaningful careers. Year Up has served more than 19,500 young adults since its founding in 2000, and will serve more than 4,000 young adults in 2018 across 21 U.S. cities in Arizona, Baltimore, Bay Area, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Greater Atlanta, Greater Boston, Greater Philadelphia, Jacksonville, Los Angeles, National Capital Region, New York City, Providence, Puget Sound, South Florida and Wilmington. Year Up has been voted one of the Best Non-Profits to Work For by The NonProfit Times for eight consecutive years, and rated a 4-star charity by Charity Navigator for twelve consecutive years, placing them in the top 1% of tracked organizations. To learn more, visit http://www.yearup.org or follow us (@YearUp) on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Harold Washington College & City Colleges of Chicago

Harold Washington College (HWC) is one of the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC), which is the largest community college system in Illinois and provides a quality and affordable post-secondary education. Located in the Loop, HWC is City Colleges center of excellence for business and professional services. HWC also offers general education courses.

CCC prepares more than 80,000 students annually for further college and careers. CCC encompasses seven colleges and five satellite sites city-wide. The City Colleges of Chicago includes seven colleges: Richard J. Daley College, Kennedy-King College, Malcolm X College, Olive-Harvey College, Harry S Truman College, Wilbur Wright College and HWC. For more information about HWC or City Colleges of Chicago, or for registration information, call (773) COLLEGE or visit http://www.ccc.edu.

About United

United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,600 flights a day to 354 airports across five continents. In 2017, United and United Express operated more than 1.6 million flights carrying more than 148 million customers. United is proud to have the world's most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, Newark/New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 750 mainline aircraft and the airline's United Express carriers operate 545 regional aircraft. The airline is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 191 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter or connect on Facebook.San Jose Serviced Apartments Language barriers can cause simple misunderstandings. We see this all the time when a European contacts us for a short rental that is furnished in San Jose or other Bay Area cities.

Key Housing, the leading service to locate short term, corporate, and so-called serviced apartments in California cities such as San Jose, San Diego, and San Francisco, is proud to announce a new blog post on the value of connections. Europeans searching for a serviced apartment in the San Jose area may not understand either the American term ("furnished apartment" vs. "serviced apartment") nor the tightness of rental markets across the Golden State. A long-term stay in San Jose, San Diego, or San Francisco, can mean booking a fully-furnished apartment which can include furniture, washer/dryer and a working kitchen.

Language barriers can cause simple misunderstandings. We see this all the time when a European contacts us for a short rental that is furnished in San Jose or other Bay Area cities, explained Robert Lee, President of Key Housing. It might only take a few basic changes in terms to help them find the right fit for their stay in California. Even more important is working with a service that has the connections to locate hard-to-find furnished rentals in San Jose and other cities.

Interested persons can read the new blog post for Key Housing by going to http://blog.keyhousing.com/san-jose-short-term-housing-is-not-easy-to-find-unless-you-have-the-right-connections-as-we-do/. A furnished stay in American can be expressed as a "furnished apartment." Europeans searching for a San Jose furnished apartment may request a San Jose serviced apartment. The wording can be different yet the meaning can be the same; a fully furnished apartment unit for a short term stay.

FEATURED SERVICED APARTMENT COMPLEX IN SAN JOSE

To assist Europeans even further, the company designates a "featured rental" each month, one for Northern California and one for Southern California. To view an example of a top furnished apartment opportunity in San Jose, visit the page for the Key Housing featured property for June 2018;

http://www.keyhousing.com/rightside.asp?action=form3&ID=148. The Villa Torino is just one of the "connections" that Key Housing brings to the table.

LANGUAGE BARRIER: INTERPRETING EUROPEAN DESIRES FOR A SERVICED APARTMENT IN SAN JOSE

Here is background on this release. Social networks can connect persons from around the world to new groups and a variety of services. Access to communication may seem easier in the information age, yet variances in language can muddle a message. Europeans scheduled to visit the Bay Area may have tried to make social media connections to find a San Jose serviced apartment. The word serviced can be misinterpreted by others and lead to dismal results. It can be important to know a San Jose "furnished apartment" can be what a travelling European desires.

Language barriers could create problems for European visitors searching for a San Jose serviced apartment. Booking a hotel or bed and breakfast by mistake could become costly if the visit is a long-term stay. Connecting to an American serviced apartment can mean correcting the language to furnished apartment. A featured property for June 2018, Villa Torino, may be the right fit for European tastes. Fully furnished units and walking distance to grocery shopping can translate to exactly the type of San Jose serviced apartment a long-term visitor has searched for. For these reasons, Key Housing has announced a new blog post to the topic as well as designated a featured apartment complex in San Jose for June.

ABOUT KEY HOUSING

Based in Folsom, California, Key Housing Connections Inc. specializes in corporate housing and serviced apartments in large cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego as well as smaller cities like Fresno, Burbank, and Carlsbad. Key Housing is a leader in affordable, friendly, short-term and corporate housing in places like Bakersfield, Encinitas, Hermosa Beach, and just about every city in California. Whether it's a San Diego serviced apartment or a San Francisco furnished rental, just search, click or call today!

Key Housing

(800) 989-0410

http://www.keyhousing.com/Children of service members often become invisible in the constant worry and stress of deployments, injuries, and the uncertainty of military life. Giving them special one-on-one time with their loved one is priceless.

The National Military Family Association (NMFA), a nonprofit that works to strengthen military families, is accepting applications for children, ages 5 to 8, to attend Operation Purple Buddy Camp in Williamsburg, Virginia this summer.

Buddy Camp is a free weekend-long program that celebrates younger, military-connected children through one-on-one bonding with their adult buddy. Its an extension of NMFAs Operation Purple Program, a free weeklong sleepaway camp for military kids that was started in 2004. Department of Defense (DoD) demographic reports show 68% of military children are under age 11 and 38% are under age 6too young for the traditional camp experience. Buddy camps are an opportunity for family members to celebrate their military service together, alongside other kids and buddies going through the same challenges.

Buddy Camp puts military kids at the center of the universe, NMFA Executive Director Joyce Wessel Raezer, explained. Children of service members often become invisible in the constant worry and stress of deployments, injuries, and the uncertainty of military life. Giving them special one-on-one time with their loved one is priceless.

Launched in 2017, the first Buddy Camp hosted 50 military children, along with their mom, dad, or caregiver. Zianni, a first grader, and her mom Silvia, attended Buddy Camp in November. Living with a wounded veteran and other children makes it difficult for Zianni and her mom to enjoy some of the fun parts of childhood.

Just having one-on-one time with my daughter, Zianni, relaxes us, explained Silvia, mother of five and caregiver to her injured Army husband. We dont have to think about whats going on at the house, its just Zianni and me and trying to connect again and trying to communicate again and trying to cope.

The Williamsburg, Virginia Buddy Camp will be held July 27-29, 2018 on the shores of the James River and will include activities like canoeing, kayaking, fishing, arts and crafts, archery, field sports, and a challenge adventure course. Military kids have a blast spending time with other children who know what its like to have a parent or guardian in the militaryall while learning coping and resiliency skills they can use at home.

Operation Purple Buddy Camp is open to ALL military kids from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Air Force, both active duty and reserve component, as well as families of the Commissioned Corps of the US Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NMFA is accepting applications until July 3. Apply online at http://www.militaryfamily.org/buddycamp.

About the National Military Family Association

The National Military Family Association is the leading nonprofit dedicated to serving the families who stand behind the uniform. Since 1969, NMFA has worked to strengthen and protect millions of families through its advocacy and programs. They provide spouse scholarships, camps for military kids, and retreats for families reconnecting after deployment and for the families of the wounded, ill, or injured. NMFA serves the families of the currently serving, veteran, retired, wounded or fallen members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Coast Guard, and Commissioned Corps of the USPHS and NOAA. To get involved or to learn more, visit http://www.MilitaryFamily.org"Were modernizing the org chart and returning it to glory," said Bill Boebel, Pingboard founder and CEO.

Pingboard, the org chart with superpowers, today announced a new $5 million dollar round of seed funding. The round was led by Active Capital; with this financing, Pat Condon joins Pingboards Board of Directors. Participants in the round include Pingboard founder and CEO Bill Boebel, Silverton Partners, and Capital Factory.

Pingboard has raised $7.5 million in total venture funding. This new round follows a previously-announced $2.5 million dollar seed round led by Silverton Partners in 2014, and highlights Pingboards growth to than 1,000 customers in 39 countries. Those customers include Demandbase, POPSUGAR, Khan Academy, Charlotte International Airport, Sequoia Capital, Purple, American Underground, Udemy, Silvercar, WP Engine, and GoFundMe.

Were very grateful to raise this seed round in a way that aligns with the values and operational model of our company, said Bill Boebel, founder and CEO of Pingboard. Active Capital is the perfect partner for us because of their founder and operator backgrounds, focus on B2B SaaS companies at the seed stage, and commitment to more agile modes of funding and governance that reflect how SaaS startups are built today.

The org chart has not kept pace with the quickening speed and complexity of modern business. Today, companies are increasingly cross-functional and networked in structure, rather than vertically-oriented. Modern teams form and reform on the fly. Talent and responsibility are spread across multiple projects and geographies. Yet at these same companies, vital information about who does what and why is seldom available when colleagues need it most. Maintaining an org chart is a manual, cumbersome task.

The corporate organization chart was invented over 150 years ago, added Boebel. Daniel McCallum was Erie Railroad Companys general manager, and his first effort in 1855 was not just a management breakthrough, but a masterpiece of data design according to McKinsey and Wired. Were modernizing the org chart and returning it to glory.

Pingboard allows companies to create a visually stunning, live org chart in minutes, and keep the chart up-to-date automatically by integrating with their existing HR system. Executives can collaborate with others to develop hiring plans in lockstep with their business, while empowering teams with live information like never before.

I believe every dynamic business needs Pingboard, said Pat Matthews, founder and general partner at Active Capital. Whether theyre growing fast or already large, these businesses are constantly changing, re-organizing and planning for the future. The org chart is how businesses visualize themselves and there is nobody more focused on live org chart software than Pingboard.

Since the debut of the live org chart, Pingboard customers have created over 11,000 org charts and implemented them across their organizations.

Todays most effective organizations need a new kind of org chart that is multidimensional, dynamic, and collaborative, emphasized Boebel. Pingboard is that tool.

For more information, or to get a same-day demo, please visit https://pingboard.com

About Pingboard

Pingboard is the live org chart software that makes it easy to organize teams, plan for growth, and keep everyone informed.

The most effective organizations in the world need a new kind of org chart that is multidimensional, dynamic, and thoroughly collaborative. With a mission is to revolutionize people planning, PIngboard creates software that reimagines how hiring, career path design and organizational modeling get done.

Today, Pingboard powers nearly 11,000 org charts at more than 1,000 companies in 39 counties, including Demandbase, POPSUGAR, Khan Academy, Charlotte International Airport, Sequoia Capital, Purple, American Underground, Udemy, Silvercar, WP Engine, and GoFundMe.

Based in Austin, TX, the company was founded in 2013 by Bill Boebel and Rob Eanes, and was incubated at Capital Factory.

To learn more about Pingboard, visit: http://www.pingboard.com

Pingboard. The Live Org Chart

About Active Capital

Active Capital is a venture firm focused on leading seed rounds for founder-led, B2B SaaS companies. Based in San Antonio, the firm was founded in 2016 by Pat Matthews, the founder and CEO of Webmail.us, which was acquired by Rackspace in 2007.

To learn more about Active Capital, visit: http://www.activecapital.com

Active Capital. Founders wanted.The Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center (LBDRC) announced today the expansion of its resources to the State of Florida and the launch of an awareness video campaign (see video) featuring world renowned neuroscientist James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., leading international expert on Alzheimers disease and Lewy Body Dementia. Dr. Galvin is also the Founding Director of The Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, Florida. Under the guidance of Dr. Galvin, and in addition to the services they are already providing in New York, LBDRC will offer essential and personalized resources to LBD families living in Florida. The organization will soon be expanding its resources to California and Michigan.

Lewy Body Dementia was publicized in 2014 when beloved actor/comedian Robin Williams was diagnosed with the disease following an autopsy. Before his death, Mr. Williams had been diagnosed and treated for Parkinsons disease and related depression. Lewy Body Dementia is the second leading form of progressive dementia after Alzheimers disease and most people have never even heard of it, says Norma Loeb, Founder and Executive Director of LBDRC, which includes a comprehensive website (lewybodyresourcecenter.org) and a Helpline (516-218-2026).

According to Dr. Galvin, Lewy Body Dementia symptoms often mimic those of Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons disease, or a psychiatric disorder. Though it affects millions of people worldwide and more than 1.4 million Americans, it is still widely misdiagnosed, often leading to patients suffering severe side effects or potentially fatal results. In 2016, Dr. Galvin opened The Comprehensive Center for Brain Health to provide personalized care for the prevention and treatment of a variety of brain disorders. There are two clinical programs offered at the center: The Diagnostic and Treatment Clinic which provides expert clinical evaluations and treatments for patients with a wide range of memory disorders, including AD and LBD, and the Dementia Prevention Program which assesses an individuals risk profile for developing neurological diseases by using state-of-the-art diagnostic tools. Dr. Galvin is working with the Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center to help provide resources to patients suffering from LBD in Florida, and he serves on their board of directors.

Media Contact:

Liz Goodman (516) 395.6363

lgentertainmentgroup@gmail.com

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_______________________________________________________________________________________________

WHAT IS LEWY BODY DEMENTIA?

The National Institute on Aging (NIH) describes LBD as a disease associated with abnormal deposits of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the brain. These deposits, called Lewy bodies, affect chemicals in the brain whose changes, in turn, can lead to problems with thinking, movement, behavior, and mood. Lewy bodies affect several different brain regions in LBD:



The cerebral cortex: controls information processing, perception, thought, and language

The limbic cortex: plays a major role in emotions and behavior

The hippocampus: essential to forming new memories

The midbrain: including the substantia nigra, is involved in movement

The brain stem: important in regulating sleep and maintaining alertness

Brain regions: important in recognizing smells (olfactory pathways)

WHAT ARE SYMPTOMS OF LEWY BODY?



Visual hallucinations. They may include seeing shapes, animals or people.

Movement disorders. Similar to Parkinson's disease, slowed mobility, shuffling.

Poor regulation of body functions (autonomic nervous system). Blood pressure, pulse, digestive and

constipation.



Cognitive problems. Similar to those of Alzheimer's disease, such as confusion, poor attention, visual-spatial

problems and memory loss.



Sleep difficulties. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder, which can cause physically acting out

dreams, insomnia, restless leg syndrome.

WHAT IS THE LEWY BODY DEMENTIA RESOURCE CENTER (LBDRC)?

The Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center (LBDRC) is a charitable 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to provide personalized essential resources and information to people with LBD, caregivers, and medical professionals. Founder and Executive Director, Norma Loeb, launched LBDRC in New York to provide LBD families with information on a local level and with a personalized approach. After her mother, Lillian, was misdiagnosed with several diseasesand eventually diagnosed with LBDNorma realized there were very little resources available. What was even more disturbing to her was that few medical professionals understood how to diagnose or treat LBD. She soon discovered that patients were not only generally misdiagnosed but were also being mistreated with certain antipsychotic medications which could lead to severe side effects or potentially fatal results. In order to help bring awareness to LBD, Norma served on the board of the Lewy Body Dementia Association for three years and facilitated the only two LBD support groups in New York (in Manhattan and Nassau County) which have been taking place for over ten years. LBDRC now runs two additional support groups in Westchester and Suffolk Counties.

In 2016, together with four other former LBD caregivers, Norma launched the LBDRC website (lewybodyresourcecenter.org) which is dedicated to providing resources to LBD families on a local level and with a personalized touch. Through its Helpline (516-218-2026), their team provides individualized guidance and information not limited to the following:

Information to help foster early diagnosis and enhance the quality of life for people with LBD and their care partners

Neurologists specializing in LBD

Adult day care programs with dedicated support

Physical therapists and occupational therapists with knowledge of LBD

Qualified home health aides, house call programs, hospice agencies, and much more

Information on medications that have been known to worsen the symptoms of LBD

WHAT IS THE MISSION OF LBDRC.ORG?

The mission of the Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center is to raise crucial awareness of Lewy Body Dementia through the dissemination of information to health care professionals and to the general public. LBDRC also offers loving support and services to people with LBD and their care partners and helps to promote essential scientific advances for research. Members of the organization hold seminars and classes to help bring awareness to LBD. LBDRC has just expanded their Helpline service to Florida and will soon be expanding to other states.

LBDRC is working with producers Liz Goodman and David Holden of Mission Critical Health, a non-profit production company that produces evidence-based public health and medical education. The first video produced features a brief introduction to the symptoms of LBD by Dr. James Galvin (see video).

ABOUT DR. JAMES E. GALVIN

James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H. is one of the worlds leading experts in cognitive aging, dementia, and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Galvin is the Director and Founder of the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health. He is Professor of Integrated Medical Sciences and Associate Dean for Clinical Research at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University. He is also Professor of Nursing and Medical Director of the Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center at the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University. A Board-Certified Neurologist, he is also the Associate Dean for Clinical Research at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Dr. Galvin has published over 200 original scientific papers, three textbooks, and directed over 50 clinical trials for dementia treatments.

ABOUT MISSION CRITICAL HEALTH

Mission Critical Health is a non-profit education initiative in partnership with the AMWA Preventive Medicine Task Force. Each production contains evidence-based public health and medical education programs citing trusted peer-reviewed science. This important information is delivered on video screens throughout healthcare facilities nationwide. Mission Critical Healths evidence-based trustworthy content is supported through educational grants and sponsors. Mission Critical Health is not supported by advertising dollars and does not participate in product sales promotions. For more information, please contact Liz Goodman at 516-395-6363.

For more information or to donate to the Lewy Body Dementia Resource Center, contact Norma Loeb at 646-248-9292 or go to lewybodyresourcecenter.org.OnRole Platform Now Available in Canada I am excited about the OnRole platform because it provides a practical and cost-effective mechanism to assess current competencies of leaders and front-line clinicians  both nurses and other professionals within the interprofessional team." - Brad Campbell, President of CSI

Corpus Sanchez International Consultancy Inc. (CSI) and OnSomble, Inc. (OnSomble) are pleased to announce today a strategic partnership to provide data-driven competency assessments, professional development, and individualized learning solutions to healthcare organizations in Canada.

We are proud to announce our strategic partnership with CSI, who we view as the perfect partner to shepherd our expansion into the Canadian healthcare environment, stated Enderson Miranda, CEO of OnSomble. We are honored CSI chose to incorporate our OnRole Platform into their powerful suite of consulting services and tools.

OnSomble provides hospitals and healthcare organizations with a customizable and adaptive learning platform for professional development, continuing education, and individualized learning. OnSombles platform, OnRole, currently hosts over 200 million data points and 25,000 unique users, primarily in the United States. The expansion into Canada has the potential to substantially increase these figures.

"I am excited about the OnRole platform because it provides a practical and cost effective mechanism to assess current competencies of leaders and front-line clinicians - both nurses and other professionals within the interprofessional team - in order to maximize change management solutions and individualized professional development plans. The OnRole platform is an effective and scalable solution that will enable improved performance, productivity, and individual growth that can be sustained over time" stated Brad Campbell, President of CSI.

About OnSomble, Inc.

OnSombles OnRole platform allows organizations to efficiently allocate evidence-based content and education resources; utilize key metrics and data analytics to pinpoint opportunities for development; identify internal leaders to empower their growth from within; provide built-in peer feedback capabilities; measure key demographic and certification data that support ANCC Magnet or Pathways to Excellence; create individual self-development dashboards that encourage employee engagement; and reduce variation in practice to optimize patient outcomes.

About Corpus Sanchez International Consultancy Inc.

Corpus Sanchez International (CSI) is a Canadian-based consulting firm dedicated to working with organizations in the healthcare industry. CSIs mission is to partner with its clients to transform healthcare, and CSI has a track record of serving some of the largest hospitals and health care systems in Canada. CSI is founded on a set of core principles that ensure clients receive services that are efficiently and effectively delivered and contribute to the longer-term goal of system sustainability.This is our second antibody production cell line to be developed by Catalent and weve been very pleased with the speed of development and high production rates Catalent can achieve early on with minimal optimization.

Catalent Pharma Solutions, the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies and development solutions for drugs, biologics and consumer health products, today welcomed the news that InterveXion has enrolled the first patient in STAMPOUT, the first trial in methamphetamine users of the first-in-class anti-methamphetamine antibody IXT-m200. STAMPOUT will be a phase 2a, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, double-blind study of the effect of IXT-m200 on methamphetamine pharmacokinetics and subjective effects in methamphetamine users.

Catalent has supported InterveXion by engineering the cell line which expresses the drugs antibody employing its proprietary GPEx technology and completing process development. Catalent provided cGMP manufacturing for the clinical trial at the companys Madison, Wisconsin, biomanufacturing facility.

IXT-m200, a monoclonal antibody that specifically binds methamphetamine in the blood, is being developed as a pharmacological treatment for use in conjunction with behavioral therapies. IXT m200 is expected to alter methamphetamine pharmacokinetics in human subjects resulting in reduced or blocked subjective effects that reinforce methamphetamine use. STAMPOUT will provide proof-of-concept that IXT m200 can alter methamphetamine disposition. This will be the first clinical study of a biological medication in methamphetamine users.

Methamphetamine addiction is a serious global healthcare burden, and we are pleased to be working with InterveXion on this important treatment, commented Mike Riley, Vice President and General Manager of Drug Substance and Bioanalytical services for Catalent Biologics. He added, We continue to work closely with innovative organizations such as InterveXion to bring potentially life-changing products to patients.

Misty Stevens, Ph.D., Operations Director, InterveXion, commented, This is our second antibody production cell line to be developed by Catalent and weve been very pleased with the speed of development and high production rates Catalent can achieve early on with minimal optimization.

Catalents proprietary GPEx technology creates stable, high-yielding mammalian cell lines with high speed and efficiency. The advantages of applying GPEx technology span from early feasibility studies, to clinical manufacturing, through to commercial scale production. To date, seven GPEx-based antibody and protein products are approved and marketed, and more than 40 therapeutic candidates are currently in the clinic across the world.

With the $950 million acquisition of Cook Pharmica LLC, in October 2017, Catalent further strengthened its position as a leader in integrated biologics development, clinical and commercial-scale manufacturing and finished product supply. The additions of this first-class team and unparalleled facilities have brought deep expertise in liquid and lyophilized sterile formulation and fill-finish across vials, prefilled syringes, auto-injectors, cartridges, and safety devices, and 2,500-liter biomanufacturing capacity to augment Catalents existing biologics infrastructure. With this additional capacity and expertise, Catalent can now provide a single, trusted partner to accelerate all aspects of biologic drug development.

For further information visit biologics.catalent.com

About InterveXion

InterveXion is a pharmaceutical company whose mission is to discover and advance innovative medications that reduce the impact of human suffering on individuals and communities. Its vision is to be a leader in the development of antagonist therapies that neutralize toxins in the body and thereby improve patient health. InterveXions first medications are a monoclonal antibody and an active vaccine for treating methamphetamine abuse. For more information, contact intervexion(at)gmail.com or visit http://www.intervexion.com. STAMPOUT is supported by NIH/NIDA under Award Number U01DA045366.

About STAMPOUT

STAMPOUT is funded by a three-year $8 million grant award from the National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH/NIDA). A sub-award to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is part of the grant and funds researchers who are both founders of the company and also prominent UAMS leaders. InterveXion is a BioVentures, LLC, client company housed on the UAMS campus in Little Rock, Arkansas.

About Catalent

Catalent is the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies and development solutions for drugs, biologics and consumer health products. With over 80 years serving the industry, Catalent has proven expertise in bringing more customer products to market faster, enhancing product performance and ensuring reliable clinical and commercial product supply. Catalent employs approximately 11,000 people, including over 1,400 scientists, at more than 30 facilities across five continents, and in fiscal 2017 generated over $2 billion in annual revenue. Catalent is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.catalent.com

More products. Better treatments. Reliably supplied.BoonAssist TQ revolving door at Crafthouse keeps guests comfortable The revolving door not only blocks out the elements but creates a smooth entrance for customers as opposed to swing doors that can jam. I can also fit more tables with the space savings and that brings in a tangible ROI.

When Crafthouse USA CEO and founder Evan Matz moved from Florida to Virginia several years ago, he realized that the sunny, tropical weather had not followed him there. In the winter, at some of his first restaurants, he noticed an issue with the entry. At one property, as customers entered through a pair of swinging doors, the cold winter air rushed inside and everyone in the dining room wanted to be far away from the entrance. At another location, he had a vestibule with two swinging doors; this better controlled the influx of cold air but took up a lot of expensive, interior space. Matz decided back then that he needed a different entrance solution for his restaurants  a revolving door.

Matz has since launched a new, upscale casual restaurant concept called Crafthouse, and opened three locations in Northern Virginia. In his search for revolving doors, Matzs contractor, St. Clair Construction of Lousiville, KY, recommended Boon Edam Inc., a global leader in architectural revolving doors and security entrances. Matz installed their BoonAssist TQ manual revolving door to protect his business and customers from the elements as they enjoyed the local cuisine and color of Northern Virginia.

Snow and cold air could blow in and disturb the customers, said Matz. The revolving door not only blocks out the elements but creates a smooth entrance for customers as opposed to swing doors that can jam. I can also fit more tables with the space savings and that brings in a tangible ROI.

The three Crafthouse locations can be found in Reston, Fairfax and Arlington. A full-service, casual restaurant, Crafthouse serves upscale Craft Fare and offers over 300 craft beers, cider, wine, bourbon, whiskey and scotch options representing Virginia and DC, with staff that can guide customers through every selection. Crafthouse brings its local color to every aspect of the meal by hosting music from local artists, karaoke nights and trivia contests.

Matz has been extremely pleased with the support and service he has received from Boon Edam. When we call Boon Edam to assist, someone is out here the same day. The timing, professionalism and assistance from Boon Edam helps to keep our restaurant open and doesnt hinder our business one bit.

The BoonAssist TQ manual revolving door from Boon Edam is a metal-framed door with glass sidewalls and door wings. The BoonAssist TQ is remarkable for its three distinct features: a push and go power assist drive that reduces user effort by up to 50%, automatic positioning of the door wings at the end posts upon completion of rotation for maximum ease of use, and speed control that prevents excessive rotation speeds and therefore allows for safe operation.

In addition, the BoonAssist TQ creates energy savings for Crafthouse and all users by minimizing air infiltration, especially during heavy use  which is the opposite effect of swinging doors. Crafthouse operates BoonAssist TQ doors at all three of their locations.

Its a gorgeous door, and weve been thrilled with its performance and Boon Edams support. Im planning to open many more locations and will continue to use this door, concludes Matz.

For Further Information, Please Contact:

Tracie Thomas, Boon Edam

Vice President of Marketing

T 910 814 8239

E tracie.thomas(at)boonedam(dot)com

For Media Queries, Please Contact:

Sara Chaput, LRG Marketing

Public Relations

T 845 358 1801

E schaput(at)lrgmarketing(dot)com

About Royal Boon Edam

With work environments becoming increasingly global and dynamic, the smart, safe entry has become the center of activity in and around many buildings. Royal Boon Edam is a global market leader in reliable entry solutions. Headquartered in the Netherlands, with 140 years of experience in engineering quality, we have gained extensive expertise in managing the transit of people through office buildings, airports, healthcare facilities, hotels and many other types of buildings. We are focused on providing an optimal, sustainable experience for our clients and their clients. By working together with you, our client, we help determine the exact requirements for the entry point in and around your building. Follow Boon Edam Inc. on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and our blog and read the latest news at http://www.boonedam.us/news.Today, SNP, a transformation software company, is teaming up with IBM Services to offer a new cloud migration approach designed to help companies across industries accelerate the adoption of SAP S/4HANA as part of their overall digital transformations.

The new BLUEFIELD method from SNP and IBM leverages SNPs data transformation engine along with S4/HANA project management, technical and functional expertise from IBM Services to provide a faster approach to SAP S/4HANA adoption. The BLUEFIELD approach employs SNP software and IBM services to create a highly automated method that combines the key features and benefits of current approaches to reduce effort and timescales of implementation. Organizations implementing this innovative approach will be able to unlock more value from their existing ERP foundation by adopting SAP S/4HANA up to 75% faster than other approaches.

SAP S/4HANA, the next generation digital ERP solution and platform, enables companies to digitally reinvent core business processes by simplifying complex legacy systems and driving efficiency through automation and machine learning. When implementing SAP S/4HANA, there are currently two approaches for organizations, widely known as Greenfield and Brownfield. Greenfield enables enterprises to use pre-configured industry solutions to migrate to S/4HANA, while Brownfield is a more simplified approach where customers can move their old SAP ECC system to S/4HANA. Both approaches require enterprises to redesign legacy processes, which can increase the time and efforts to fully digitize systems, particularly among larger enterprises.

The SNP transformational, intelligent software rapidly creates target S/4HANA systems and transforms data from multiple SAP and non-SAP systems into the target  including full history and customizations while providing the opportunity to take advantage of S/4HANA platform capabilities. With this approach, enterprises can use existing investments, such as a recently implemented SAP system, enabling them to avoid a full redesign of their system and speeding their journey to S/4HANA.

Nearly every enterprise is evaluating S/4HANA and considering the best pathway towards unlocking its digital transformation opportunities, said Steele Arbeeny, Chief Technology Officer of SNP. By teaming up with IBM Services to offer the BLUEFIELD approach thats powered by SNP software, we are together providing an easier, faster, and lower risk way to achieve the benefits of S/4HANA.

With a faster path to S/4HANA adoption, companies can ignite their digital transformation and realize the benefits of the platform sooner than traditional methods, including enhanced performance to complex and time driven business activities such as real-time planning, execution, reporting, analytics and forecasting based on live data as well as personalized and simplified user experience across all lines of business, tasks, and devices.

SAP S/4HANA plays a significant role in an organizations digital transformation, as companies look to modernize core business systems and processes with digital technology. Migration to the platform can be complex, and businesses require a cost-effective approach with minimal risk that will jump start their transformation journey, said Mark Dudgeon, Distinguished Engineer, SAP Global CTO at IBM. Through this collaboration with SNP, companies can approach their SAP S/4HANA adoption with speed and simplicity, ensuring a faster path to better business performance, efficiencies, and true digital reinvention.

The new approach, powered by SNP and offered by IBM Services, will be available beginning July 2018.

About SNP

SNP software and services make it easy to implement business or technical modifications to business applications. CrystalBridge and Transformation Backbone comprise the world's leading software platform for data transformations that automatically analyzes, implements, and tracks changes to IT systems. As a result, customers receive clear qualitative advantages while significantly reducing the time and expense involved in transformation projects. The SNP Group has over 1,350 employees worldwide.

Headquartered in Heidelberg, the company generated provisional revenue of approximately EUR 122 million in the 2017 fiscal year. SNP's customers are global corporations from all industries. SNP was founded in 1994 and has been publicly traded since 2000. As of August 2014, the company is listed on the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ISIN DE0007203705). Since 2017, the company has operated as a European stock corporation (Societas Europaea/SE).

Further information is available at http://www.snpgroup.comCarl Fantauzzo and Bernard Birnbaum are ready to compete.

Competition isnt anything new to the partners behind The Warrior Factory, a new Rochester, New York-based franchise set to debut at the International Franchise Expo taking place at the Javitz Center in New York City on May 31  June 2.

Fantauzzo is a five-time American Ninja Warrior competitor and national finalist who just recently finished filming for the shows 10th season. Birnbaum is a real estate professional, investor and entrepreneur who caught the American Ninja Warrior bug as a fan and has competed across the country as part of the growing ninja community.

Now, the partners are set to tackle the franchise industry with the same drive and determination that is required for success when navigating and conquering the obstacle courses made famous by American Ninja Warrior. With registration of the companys FDD in New York complete, The Warrior Factory team are set to unveil The Warrior Factory franchise opportunity at IFE with a large 20 foot by 20 foot island booth (#741) complete with an obstacle structure build out to provide demonstrations and let would-be franchisees experience the brand.

Much like competing on ANW, being strategic and building momentum has been the key to reaching this point in the companys journey.

Creating The Foundation for the Factory

Prior to his first appearance on the popular NBC show in 2014, Fantauzzo found success with the family business, owning liquor stores and expanding into craft beer. This was a focal point of the profile the show did on Fantauzzo where crews from ANW traveled to his hometown, met with his family, and showed him in his businesses.

This caught the attention of Bernard Birnbaum, a third generation real estate professional and entrepreneur who had experience helping several startup ventures find success. Birnbaum saw in Fantauzzo not just a fellow ninja enthusiast, but also a potential business partner.

I was one of those couch ninjas, sitting at home saying, I can do that, and finally my wife told me to go for it. I found a gym in Buffalo and was making the more than an hour drive there from Rochester once a week to train. The whole time I was wishing there was a gym closer, so when I saw Carl on the show, I reached out to him and told him that I was in Rochester and asked if he ever wanted to open a gym. I reached out to him and didnt hear back. I connected again a year or two later. It evolved from there, said Birnbaum.

The two set out and traveled around the country to scout other ninja gyms. With that insight, they began to develop The Warrior Factory model focused on the differentiators and elements the two felt were important to be successful and make a positive impact in any community they served.

We traveled to a ton of gyms that were doing things connected to the ninja obstacle courses, but we didnt feel like they were doing it right. These werent businessmen and the experience was lacking what we felt we could create. Bernard and I really hit it off from the beginning and it has become the perfect partnership, said Fantauzzo.

One of the things we decided was to be retail-focused in our approach, added Birnbaum. There are a lot of real estate opportunities with big box stores that are now vacant. Plus, parents dont want to take their kids to industrial parks late at night for classes  a lot of the other gyms were in those types of areas. We also decided to have separate areas for kids and adults inside of the gym. We created a concept that can exist in locations that give parents peace of mind, said Birnbaum.

A year and a half later, the team opened the doors to The Warrior Factory in Rochester and the company has been thriving ever since. Based on that strong start, the team has continued to revamp The Warrior Factory prototype with plans to open 2nd and 3rd locations in the near future that will further maximize the amount of revenue possible.

We complement each other well. Carl is great at being a brand ambassador and I bring experience as a property manager and in the real estate industry. Between the two of us we are able to leverage our strengths to make the overall business better, said Birnbaum.

Franchising The Factory

The success of the partners first location led to several inquiries about franchising the concept and the two discussed and ultimately decided to explore the viability of a franchise model. They traveled to the International Franchise Association Annual Convention in Phoenix in February 2018, and thats when they met Steve Beagelman, President & CEO of SMB Franchise Advisors.

I was immediately impressed with the management team behind the brand. Carls experience competing at the high level he has and the national exposure through American Ninja Warrior, and Bernards expertise in the business and real estate sectors, it is just really a strong, complimentary fit, said Beagelman. Brands that are in the fitness category right now are really hot and this takes that to a whole other level. I think The Warrior Factory has a lot of legs and its going to be an exciting brand to watch grow.

Beagelman and SMB Franchise Advisors helped finalize The Warrior Factorys FDD ahead of the International Franchise Expo where they plan to kick off their franchise development initiative. The company is immediately focused on the northeast for growth and has a goal to start by opening 3-5 locations per year and scale from there.

Were headquartered in the northeast, so it makes sense to grow from there. The concept is great for both colder and warmer weather. When its cold, people are looking to do things indoors and then during the summer, kids are off so you have birthday parties and events, said Fantauzzo.

For Fantauzzo and Birnbaum, the ideal The Warrior Factory franchisee doesnt need to have a ninja background. The franchise model includes support from the corporate team to utilize a database of ninjas, trainers and managers who have been on American Ninja Warrior or are active in the industry and can complement those with the financial requirements to invest in the franchise opportunity. However, franchisees should have a passion for seeing people grow  both kids and adults  and make an impact in their communities. One of the companys largest revenue streams is birthday parties where the team teaches kids all of the ninja techniques as part of the brands proprietary curriculum, part of the package provided to franchisees.

We have great stories about kids who could barely lift their own body weight at first, and now theyre swinging around and doing the obstacles, said Fantauzzo. My passion has always been the kids and being part of a new movement and that matches Bernards. The show is turning ninja into a huge sport with an immense following. There are touring competitions and leagues that continue to grow every year. We want people who are passionate about getting kids off the couch, getting them off their iPads.

As the company begins its foray into franchising, they are positioning the opportunity as a ground level chance for investors to be a part of the first ever obstacle park franchise.

Its such a new industry. Its just flying right now. There has been such a resurgence of this obstacle course exercise, especially for children. They are going to be filming American Ninja Warrior Jr. for kids ages 9 through 13 soon. So, its not just the gyms shifting, but the show is seeing the opportunity for the children, said Birnbaum.

Beagelman, a franchise industry expert of more than 25 years who has assisted over 200 companies grow their concepts through his SMB Franchise Advisors consulting firm, sees big things ahead for the emerging franchisors.

In my opinion, this is the next evolution of the trampoline parks. The Warrior Factory is an exciting and unique concept for investors looking for the next thing within the very hot fitness category, said Beagelman.

ABOUT THE WARRIOR FACTORY

The Warrior Factory is a unique Obstacle Park designed to work anywhere in the country. We are ideal for kids 3 and up, to teenagers and adults seeking strength and endurance training  if they are not Ninja Warriors in training, then honing their skills in the areas of gymnastics, parkour, rock climbing and more. We also serve companies seeking options for an offsite event, meeting or team building. A membership model encourages repeat and regular visits, using every inch of our indoor Obstacle Park footprint. Situated in retail and strip malls in any suburban/urban environment with 7,000 to 10,000 sq ft and a minimum of 18 clearance. Owners will have access to a large territory, typically encompassing 400,000 every day people.Tyler Linton We are focused on providing the best customer service experience and doing the highest quality work. We want to make working with a painting company the way it should be  easy and stress-free. - Tyler Linton

Tyler Linton is pleased to announce the launch of his new professional painting company  Fresh Coat Painters of Des Moines.

Fresh Coat offers residential and commercial painting services including interior or exterior painting, wood staining, and other services for nearly every protective coating application. They have a 24/7 receptionist, online scheduling, free detailed quotes, and they only use high-quality materials. Fresh Coat of Des Moines serves the Greater Des Moines area, including West Des Moines, Johnston, Waukee, Urbandale, Clive, Grimes, Ankeny and the surrounding areas.

Linton, who was most recently working in insurance, always wanted to open his own business. He was researching opportunities with his family when he found Fresh Coat. The service and the focus on professionalism combined with Fresh Coat industry reputation and support system helped Linton decide that Fresh Coat was the right fit, both for him and for the Des Moines community.

Fresh Coat of Des Moines is a new company, but I have an experienced team along with the support and structure of the Fresh Coat franchise. I am excited to be able to raise the bar in the local painting industry by focusing on providing the best possible customer service experience to every client, Linton said.

As part of Fresh Coats commitment to service, they offer a 3-3-3 customer service pledge, so calls will be answered by a live person within three rings, a quote will be delivered within three days (customer schedule permitting) and the job will be started within three weeks. All Fresh Coat employees are specially trained, dependable and background-checked and Fresh Coat of Des Moines is bonded and insured.

Working with a painter, or any contractor, should be an easy, straightforward process, but thats not usually the case. At Fresh Coat, we want to change that. We are focused on providing the best customer service experience and doing the highest quality work. We want to make working with a painting company the way it should be  easy and stress-free, Linton said.

Linton was born and raised in Marshalltown, Iowa, and he now lives in Des Moines. He is opening this business with the support of his family and his fiancee, Kenzie Hobson, who is from Carlisle, Iowa.

Fresh Coat was founded in 2004 as part of Strategic Franchising Systems. Since 2015, Fresh Coat has been included in the Bonds Top 100 and named to Entrepreneur Magazines Franchise 500 list. Fresh Coat is also part of the International Franchise Association, the Small Business Associations Franchise Registry, VetFran and Minority Fran.

For more information about Fresh Coat of Des Moines, call (515)978-1517, email TLinton@FreshCoatPainters.com or visit http://www.FreshCoatPainters.com/Des-Moines.Dr. Amarik Singh, Periodontist in Chicago, IL, Hosts Dental Implant CE Course During his lengthy career in periodontics, Dr. Singh has placed more than 15,000 dental implants and performed more than 45,000 surgical procedures.

Highly honored periodontist from Chicago, IL, Dr. Amarik Singh recently had the privilege of co-hosting a continuing education (CE) course for colleagues from across the nation. The workshop, "Implant Restorations and Prosthetics: Single Units to Full Arch, focused on his specialty areas for which he has earned a stellar countrywide reputation among peers and patients.

During his lengthy career in periodontics, Dr. Singh has placed more than 15,000 dental implants and performed more than 45,000 surgical procedures. This has led him to win several honors and accolades for his commitment to the advancement of high-end, advanced periodontal solutions.

Dr. Singh holds a practice, Periodontal Implant Associates in Oak Brook, IL where he regularly consults individuals on their options regarding single dental implants and other dental implant options like All-on-4 dental implants. As the title of his CE course indicates, he regularly assists people who are missing a single tooth or an entire arch. Studies show that a significant portion of United States residents are edentulous or nearing an edentulous state, meaning dental implant technology is more important than ever.

Research indicates that dental implants do not merely supplant the function of natural teeth, but also streamline smiles. This in turn leads to improved patient confidence, as complete sets of teeth tend to be associated with higher earning potential, better job candidacy and higher personal confidence.

Those interested in learning more about dental implant technology improvements can schedule a visit with Dr. Singh at Periodontal Implant Associates in Oak Brook, IL by calling 630-424-9404. Self-referrers are welcome, as are those from outside of the Chicago region who want to discuss their cases with an esteemed periodontist.

About the Doctor

Periodontal Implant Associates is a periodontal practice offering personalized dental care for patients in Oak Brook, IL and the Chicago area. After graduating from Northwestern University Dental School, Dr. Amarik Singh went on to obtain his Specialty Certificate in Periodontics and earn his Masters from Northwestern University. Dr. Singh is deeply committed to continuing education and prides himself on remaining on the cutting-edge of the newest techniques and technology in dentistry. Dr. Singh has placed over 15,000 dental implants using minimally invasive techniques and is part of an elite group of dental professionals at the forefront of the Chao Pinhole Surgical Technique (PST), a revolutionary new approach to repairing gum recession. To learn more about the periodontal services available at Periodontal Implant Associates, please visit http://www.pidentists.com or call 630-424-9404.Providing Data Solutions Since 1998

WCI Data Solutions is celebrating bringing together over 400 members to the AWS on Tap Meetup group in the Dallas-Fort Worth region. AWS on Tap was launched by WCI in September 2017 with the mission of providing clarity to the complex world of Amazon Web Services (AWS) and bringing together like-minded individuals to discuss technical AWS topics. Over the last six months four meetings have been hosted, each with over 50 AWS enthusiasts in attendance. The events have garnered positive reviews of the technical education provided and have enabled networking opportunities to a group of specialists that rarely get to meet in person.

The goal of this group was to bring together a bunch of people that are interested in using Amazon Web Services to its full potential and exploring topics that arent easily answered through Google searches, explains Brandon Mullins, Director of Sales at WCI. We realized after working with our clients what a hot topic AWS was and how much knowledge we had to share. Our goal is to find the questions about AWS that have yet to be answered and start the discussions in person rather than online.

With a team of AWS cloud experts, WCI has hosted meetups on the topics: automated AMI builds with CodeBuild and CodePipeline, AWS Serverless Application Model (SAM), 2018 state of containers on AWS and how to architect like Amazon. The next meeting is scheduled for July 2018 and will focus on building efficient docker containers. The WCI AWS team is also actively taking recommendations of topics to explore for future events.

WCI Data Solutions provides services related to the strategy, migration and management of data, and as a natural progression, Amazon Web Services has become a focus for the company in the last year. Starting AWS on Tap was a logical extension of WCIs data services vision, describes Marty Carney, CEO of WCI. Were very excited to see the group doing so well and continuing to grow. WCI is a recognized leader in AWS and were happy to showcase our knowledge to the community.

As an Advanced Consulting Partner in the AWS Partner Network, WCI is positioned as an industry thought leader in designing, architecting, building, migrating and managing client data and applications on the AWS cloud platform. The interest in AWS is growing daily. Were finding new corners to delve into and we couldnt be more excited about the community were building says Mullins. Were keeping track of what our clients are interested in and through AWS on Tap were constantly exposed to the newest trends and challenges of AWS architects. Its a win for everyone.

About WCI Data Solutions:

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, WCI Data Solutions has focused on providing clients with industry-leading data strategy since 1998. Their services apply the most effective and appropriate solutions to help organizations turn data into valuable business information. WCI also specializes in seeing through convoluted systems to make sense of data in a way thats best for the clients business needs. By focusing on the leading vendors in data analytics, business intelligence and data management WCI ensures that the clients business has access to the right plan to achieve the results that they want.In Defense of Christians (IDC), the nations leading advocacy organization for Christians and religious minorities in the Middle East, denounces the Syrian governments Law No. 10 of 2018 that came into effect this past April. Law No. 10 alerted Syrian refugees of the risk of loosing property in Syria and signaled that they should remain living abroad and not return home.

Disregarding the property rights and needs of the Syrian refugees, the Syrian government introduced "Law No. 10" in order to reconstruct destroyed war zones according to the government's own priorities. As a result of the new law, the Syrian Government is able create redevelopment areas which would only give refugees 30 days to present all required identification documents necessary to confirm ownership (the Norwegian Refugee Council estimates that 70 percent of refugees lack basic types of identification documents). Although there are alternative procedures in the absence of this documentation, including appeals from relatives and consultations of existing records, the conflicts instability renders both options as unreliable.

IDC calls on the U.S. administration and International Community to stand with Syrian refugees to ensure that these refugees do not lose property in their homeland. As IDC Executive Director, Philippe Nassif, explains, The Syrian refugee crisis has become one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world today with Syrian refugees constituting 1/3 of world refugees, and it keeps getting more and more complex and dangerous for both the refugees themselves and their host countries.

Nassif also added, Many host countries have been highly burdened by the Syrian refugees they host and cannot persist in supporting them. Lebanon, for instance, hosts the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, but its a small country that cannot even sustain the needs of its own citizens.

While Law No. 10 is a carefully crafted attempt by the Syrian regime to prevent the return of refugees to their home country, it threatens the stability of neighboring countries. Lebanon, a religiously pluralistic democracy of four-million that emerged out of a sectarian civil war and a nation of vital importance for both Christianity in the Middle East and U.S. national security interests, faces the potential danger for destabilization due the influx of the two-million displaced refugees, the majority of whom are Sunni.

We have alarmed the U.S. administration many times in the past of the need to support the security and stability of Lebanon, a role model of coexistence between Christians and Muslims and a strategic ally in the Levant, and we will continue to do that, affirmed Nassif.

In addition to Syrias Law 10, the Syrian regime is preparing an onslaught against rebels in Deraa, Southwestern Syria, where fighting has been successfully contained since a "de-escalation" agreement last year brokered by Russia, the United States and Jordan.

Any offensive by Bashar Al Assads army, Hezbollah, or other radical Shia militias in the area would lead to additional refugees in neighboring countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, and potentially Israel, destabilizing U.S. allies already struggling to cope with the current number of displaced people residing in their countries, stated Nassif.

IDC calls on President Trump and the International Community to protect the Southwestern safe zone in Syria, safeguard Syrian refugees property rights and prioritize the stability of refugee host countries under pressure from demographic shifts developed by the large population influx. IDC also calls on the U.S. administration, NATO members, the U.N. and the International Community to find a political solution to the Syrian crisis which would allow for the safe return of Syrian refugees to their country.Welcome Guest! You Are Here:Welcome Guest! You Are Here:

Home Regional News EastIn a latest report released by the Chamber, illegal fuel trade cost the country some $403m (1.9 billion cedis) in 2017.

According to the report there are three main factors that accounted for the losses to the country.

For instance, transfer pricing cost the country some 148 million cedis, alongside unreported ESLA receipts amounted to 915 million cedis between 2016 and 2017.

Smuggling and dumping of fuel products are no exceptions as it cost Ghana about 1.4 billion cedis.

CEO of the Ghana Chamber of Bulk Oil Distributors, Senyo Hosi is displeased with the losses.

Reports that we get suggest that there are officials in national security, in the GRA customs as well as persons at the presidency and other government agencies who are involved. It is not just in this regime, it also had to do with the previous regime. So the perpetrators of this crime are very well bedded across the political divide. They are never out of government, he lamented.

The Chambers report blamed the lack of commitment from the security agencies for the rise in illegal trade in the petroleum sector.

Across the political divide, NPP, NDC none of them have really shown the political will. You will find the NPA, Ministry trying but to deal with this is not just a regulators matter. This borders on criminality. So it has to be addressed from that perspective.Madam Amina Ibrahim, in an interview on Adom TV on Monday, April 9,2018, said she could barely have money to feed herself and her 9-year-old son.

Narrating her ordeal, she disclosed that she was leaving at a friend's house in New Town, a suburb in Accra.

The tema-based rapper, Criss Waddle and veteran music producer, Owusu Sekyere Adu who were moved by her stories donated GH 5,000 and GH 10,000 respectively to her.

According to Mike 2, the lady has been able to rent an apartment in a popular suburb of Accra.Pono expressed his conviction that if Anas goes ahead to release his video on June 6, he (Yaa Pono) will be unable to finish his video promotion.

Let me release my video before your premiere  Pono begs Anas

According to the artiste, the popularity of Anas latest piece makes it difficult for him to market his music.

He shared on Twitter saying :

Dear @Anasglobal, I beg cool down small let me promo my video and release it before you hype your show  yours faithfully (Ponobiom),

READ MORE: Stephanie Benson is seriously giving age 50 goals with this workout session

He, therefore, asked if Anas could consider a change of date for his event so that he (Yaa Pono) could effectively market his work.Why the warning? According to a recent BMJ case study, a 26-year-old man in India was hospitalized for having a shower head stuck six inches inside his rectum.

After some "gentle anal stretching," the Daily Mail reports that doctors were able to remove the object, and the patient went home after 48 hours of observation.

Although the man said the shower head had gotten lodged there because he fell on it, doctors strongly suspected he'd inserted it for sexual reasons. In fact, "autoerotic purposes" are one of the main reasons guys get objects stuck in their rectums, according to the case study - though stigma prevents many patients from being honest with their doctors.

The 26-year-old man in the BMJ Case Study isn't alone. In 2013, a man in China went to the hospital complaining of stomach pain. Though the man reportedly said he had no idea what was causing the discomfort, x-rays revealed a bottle lodged in his abdomen, plus a curved metal wire that he'd apparently used in an attempt to get it out.

Listen, guys: It's great if you want to stimulate your prostate - but it's not great to be the guy who finally heads to the emergency room after spending two days with a broken drinking glass in his rectum.

So how can you

Here's everything you need to know about locating your prostate, which is a walnut-sized gland located between the bladder and rectum. With clean hands (and a healthy dose of lube), start by externally massaging the perineum. If that feels good - and you feel comfortable - try inserting your finger into your rectum, curving it in the direction of your belly-button. You should be able to feel your prostate about two inches in.

As MensHealth.com previously pointed out, you can always try out a prostate massager, too. Here are some of our top picks:

Rocks-Off Rude-Boy Vibrating Prostate Massager

Waterproof and hands-free, use it in the shower alone or with a partner.

Loki Wave

The only vibrating prostate massager that moves back and forth for more intense orgasms.

Aneros Eupho TridentThe country will start implementing the law on July 1, 2018.

The new Excise Duty (Amendment) Bill will also impose other taxes, including a 1% levy on the total value of mobile money transactions. However, civil society groups have warned that this move will make the poor poorer since they hardly use banking services.

READ ALSO: Here are the centres to register for your Ghana Card

The government of Uganda led by President Yoweri Museveni had pushed for the changes, arguing that social media encouraged gossip.

State Minister for Finance David Bahati said the tax increases were important to help Uganda pay off its growing national debt.

However, it is unclear how authorities will be able to identify Ugandans accessing social media sites.

But the President has indicated that they will not tax internet data because it helps in research and education.

In March this year, Mr Museveni wrote a letter to the Finance Minister Matia Kasaija pushing for the social media law.

He explained that the revenue collected by the social media tax would help the country "cope with consequences of Olugambo [gossiping]".

Many have argued that the law would curtail freedom of expression.She reportedly complained of uneasiness and decided to seek medical care at the hospital.

However, she never returned home, with doctors later confirming that she was dead.

Her mysterious death has raised suspicions among her family, who have accused the hospital of having a hand in it.

Dr. Obeng Andoh was arrested and later taken to the Accra Magistrate Court on Tuesday in the company of doctors from the Police Hospital.

Detective Chief Inspector, Simon Apiorsornu, said Stacy Offei Darko reported to the hospital on May 20, for liposuction and fat transfer surgery.

Dr Obeng Andoh who is the first accused has been formally charged with murder contrary to section 46 of the criminal offences Act.

The second accused, Edward Amponsah, who is a cleaner at the hospital, has also been charged with impersonation contrary to section 134 of the criminal offences Act 29.

Obengfo Hospital not registered

Obengfo hospital is a body sculpting and plastic surgery facility at Weija in Accra.

In December 2016, a team from the Medical and Dental Council and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service arrested Dr Obeng Andoh for his alleged illegal operations but an attempt by the team to evacuate patients at the centre was unsuccessful.Members of the community who have been commemorating one year of the passing of Major Mahama said they have really regretted what happened and ask Ghanaians for forgiveness.

Chief Linguist, Nana Kwabena Asare, and some elders proceeded to the spot where Major Mahama was killed to pour libation.

Nana Asare called on the spirits of the land to intercede on their behalf as they pleaded for forgiveness.

READ MORE: Major Mahama trial begins as first witness testifies

According to him, "The people of Obuasi are not bad people. We should be pardoned for accidentally murdering the soldier. We pray for long life and prosperity for the children, wife and the entire family.

"We ask for forgiveness from them. It's like collecting an egg that has crushed on the ground. Nothing will bring Major Mahama back to life.

"We plead with the family, wife, and children to forgive Obuasiman. Our actions have caused them many pains. We are paying dearly for our actions."

Major Maxwell Adam Mahama was lynched on Monday, May 29, by some residents of Denkyira Obuasi in the Central Region where he had been stationed.

After his death, he was promoted posthumously to the rank of Major by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.He said some nurses have sat home for three years waiting to be employed and so government is not obligated to compulsorily provide jobs for all unemployed nurses.

According to him, is difficult to understand why some nurses have decided to constantly picket the Ministry, adding that such a behaviour is unfair to him and his outfit.

In recent months, the unemployed nurses across the country have been picketing the Health Ministry over governments failure to provide them with jobs.

Others have also lamented the decision by government to enroll them onto the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO), saying it is a form of slavery.

Early this month, a group of unemployed male nurses took their protests to a whole new level when they decided to join the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) during their Unity Walk in the Upper East region.

They held placards with the inscriptions You employed bonded nurses but Nana wants to make us zoom nurses and You were honest to us but Nana deceived us and failed to pay us our allowance to drum home their plights.

However, responding to the series of picketing by the unemployed nurses, the Health Minister said the fact that some nurses have completed school does not mean government is obligated to provide them with jobs.

I dont understand what is happening. You sit home for how many years; some of them since 2012. There was a government that had put embargo on even recruiting you people. Last year we lifted it and recruited 17000 and you come picketing, forcing me to do what is not doable, Mr. Agyeman-Manu told Accra-based Starr FM.

He added: The fact that you have finished school does not mean that compulsorily government should by all means put you there. Some finished during the NDC time, sat home for three to four years, we are looking at them first.The ruling, which was made in 2005 by the Tamale High Court, came after the teacher was accused by a 13-year-old girl who was his student.

Although Mr. Asante constantly denied the allegations, the teenage girl held that she was his lover and that they had had sex many times.

The convicted teacher decided to petition the Court of Appeal in 2006, but the case was dismissed for lack of enough evidence to prove his innocence.

In 2012, the teacher again appealed to the Supreme Court to have his case reopened. A DNA test was conducted on the complainant to uncover whether Mr. Asante fathered her baby, as she had claimed.

Subsequently, the five-member Supreme Court panel presided over by Justice Anin Yeboah on the 26th of January 2017 acquitted and the discharged Mr. Asante who had already served a 15-year jail term.

The 40-year-old decided to file for GH7.3m for loss of income, psychological trauma, mental disorder among other things.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court, presided over by Justice Anin Yeboah, ordered the state to compensate him with a sum of GHc45,000, adding that his salary for the period he was in prison should be paid to him in full.

Meanwhile, counsel for the acquitted teacher, Victor Kwesi Opeku, was disappointed with the sum handed out to his client as compensation.

According to him, the amount is paltry, considering the fact that the state has destroyed the life of his client.The disciplinary committee of the school arrived at the decision after investigating claims that the two students were practicing homosexuals and were bent on initiating other students into the act.

Some students who narrated the unfortunate incident revealed that the school management announced the dismissal of the two male students during parade time.

READ MORE: Meet Madina Broni the Ghanaian man who is now a woman

The two affected male students were reportedly caught by the school authorities while practicing homosexual acts during Physical Education period.

"The school authorities called us to announce their dismissal. They said their action is against the school rules and regulation therefore they cannot be part of the school," Adom FM reports.

READ ALSO: Police arrest two students for homosexual actThe group of disgraced Police officers arrived in the country on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, according to a report by TV3 Ghana.

The Police administration has, however, not released any official information on the number of repatriated officers.

Three months ago, some Ghanaian Policemen on a peacekeeping mission in South Sudan were reported to engaged in transactional sex.

A total of 46 personnel of the Formed Police Unit of the Ghana Police Service were subsequently recalled from Wau and confined to a base in Juba after a preliminary investigation into allegations of sexual exploitation.

Information from the UN indicated that the officers breached the UN and UNMISS Code of Conduct that prohibits sexual relationships with vulnerable individuals.

Following investigations by the Ghana Police and the UN, the accused officers have been repatriated.

The team of repatriated Police officers reportedly touched down at the Kotoko International Airport at around 1:30pm.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, ACP David Eklu, has said that the accused officers will be dealt with if found to be guilty.In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, Richard Darko said: officials of the First Lady did not arrest Reginald; it was the Korle Bu police officers who picked him up.

I think they did that because they felt he had come too close to the First Lady. And he had all the chance to make his case, but he waited until the First Lady got to the middle of her speech before putting up such action.

For me, I dont understand much of security issues, but I think the police detained him because they felt it wasnt fair for him [Reginald] to come to that extent. So they wanted to question him and find out why he came there. He had all the distance to do whatever he wanted to do. He was standing at a far distance, but nobody stopped him but when he started moving straight to the First Lady that is when he was stopped.

Reginald Sekyi-Brown was detained by the police after he stood too close to the First Lady who was delivering a speech at a sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a pediatric intensive care unit at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.

He was carrying a placard which read Open UGMC Now.

This campaign has been going on for some time now.

Reginald Sekyi-Brown has also been leading a social media campaign which is calling for the immediate opening of the University of Ghana Medical Centre with the hashtag: #OpenUGMCNow.

Meanwhile, the Accra Regional Police Command PRO, Efia Tenge confirmed Reginalds arrest the Police interrogated him to find out who he was, what he was holding and whether he had any ulterior motives.She said Nana Addo is shielding the appointees from investigations into their alleged involvement in various corruption scandals.

According to her, the President has failed woefully to fight corruption.

READ MORE: NDC MP mounts pressure on Anthony Karbo to resign

She stated that former President John Mahama visibly fought corruption and did not shield his appointees from the arm of the investigative agencies.

In a Facebook post, she wrote "Well, it appears the Anas expose about corruption allegations directly involving President Akufo-Addo is dazing the NPP. And in line with their already failed attempt to drag Former President Mahama into the issue, surrogates have been deployed for the purpose.

This morning, it was the discredited Abronye, now it is Ken Agyepong.

President Mahama as already stated and circulated widely has no way of stifling Anas or stopping him from airing the outcomes of his investigations."

Meanwhile, controversial musician Kwame Asare Obeng aka A-Plus, who has been an ardent critic of the government has described members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in government as thieves."We're going to deal with it by two options," he said.

"The first one: we started now opening doors for negotiations. Because the majority of them are Syrians, supposedly they like their country, they don't like to be puppets to any foreigners," Assad said.

"We have one option, to live with each other as Syrians. If not, we're going to resort... to liberating those areas by force," he said.

"It's our land, it's our right and it's our duty to liberate it, and the Americans should leave. Somehow they're going to leave," he said.

Both the SDF and Russian-backed Syrian government troops are engaged in separate operations against IS jihadists in eastern Syria, creating a highly volatile situation where de-confliction mechanisms have already been tested several times.

Assad also said that a confrontation between Russia and US forces over Syria was narrowly avoided.

"We were close to have direct conflict between the Russian forces and the American forces," he said.

"Fortunately, it has been avoided, not by the wisdom of the American leadership, but by the wisdom of the Russian leadership."

A US-led wave of Western missile strikes on Syrian government targets across the country last month raised fears of a Russian response and full-blown internationalisation of the seven-year-old conflict.Taxify, a European ride-hailing company with operations in Nigeria, has completed an investment round of $175 million.

The company will use the investment to further develop its ride-hailing technology and continue working on best ways to move in cities, particularly in Europe and Africa.

The investment round was led by global automotive leader Daimler that counts several European mobility and technology companies amongst its portfolio. Daimler will also join the board of Taxify in a round that brings its valuation to $1 billion.

The new investors are:

1. European venture capital fund Korelya Capital

2. TransferWise co-founder Taavet Hinrikus

3. Didi Chuxing.

Uche Okafor, Nigeria country manager for Taxify said: This investment is exciting for Taxify in Nigeria as it will provide additional momentum to expand the platforms availability to drivers and riders in more cities, apart from Lagos and Abuja where it is already in use.

Taxify launched in 2013 in Estonia with the then 19-year-old Markus Villig borrowing college money from his parents to build the first version and personally recruiting first drivers to the platform. Today, Taxify is one of the fastest-growing ride-hailing companies in the world with over 10 million passengers and 500,000 drivers in more than 25 countries.

Markus Villig, CEO and co-founder, Taxify said: Were on a mission to build the future of mobility, and its great to have the support of investors like Daimler and Didi. The number of rides on Taxify grew by ten times last year, even considering that our home markets Europe and Africa are some of the most complex markets for ride-hailing in the world. Today, more than ten million people globally use Taxify. But this is just the beginning as more and more people give up on car ownership and opt for on-demand transportation.

In November 2017, Taxify launched in Abuja in its expansion move to major cities, despite the setback it encountered almost immediately after its launch in London.

Few weeks ago, riders from different parts of Nigeria complained about the multiple charges on ride fares.In this interview with Pulse, Ramsey Nouah, who started his acting career in that era with a role in the hit TV series "Fortunes," shares what he misses most about the industry in the 90s.

"I miss the passion. I miss those who truly loved the industry and gave it their all, their sweat, tears and blood to build it, to make it become what it is today. Today I only see people on the surface, they are not as deep," the actor told Pulse.

However, he doesn't blame the younger actors for this lack of passion, he blames the system which demands that they take on more than they can handle.

"They are very very talented. It's just that the system won't allow them maximize their talent. Because now, there's so many things they ought to do at the same time because they want to remain relevant."

There is also the pressure they face from their fans, who expect them to be as rich as they appear on the screen.

"They have to make ends meet to meet up to the status they are trying to build as actors and superstars. Everyone sees them on TV and think they should be rich or put up the appearance of a superstar. So they have to live up to it, and then they do and bite more than they can chew."

According to the actor, being everywhere at the same time and going on several media rounds takes away the art in an actor.

"It's not your fault. You can't do all at the same time, it's impossible," the actor said.

Nouah's acting career kicked off in the 90s with his role as Jeff Akin-Thomas in the Nigerian TV soap opera "Fortunes.

He has since featured in classic and critically acclaimed movies such as "Silent Night," "Power of Love," "Dangerous Twins," "The Figurine," "76" among others.The victims were made to visit a hospital where they received treatment for an intense anal pain and weakness.

George Chiune, one of the victims had thought the baboon had an intention to kill him on his first encounter with Somizi.

The animal was however interested in only sex according to Zimbabwe Today (ZT).

I thought it wanted to kill me but realized it was after my bum," Chiune expressed according to ZT.

ALSO READ: Wild female Chimpanzee forces itself on Cross River farmer

Somizi, reportedly accustomed to travelling alone, is believed to be an outcast.According to Punch News, Mr Michael and Mrs Roseline Oaikhena, the parents of the infant reportedly owe the health center a sum of N650,000, as payment for treatment received over a 3-month period.

Punch gathered that the baby, Ighodalo was born prematurely alongside a twin sibling who already passed away.

My wife and I have been married for about two years. When she conceived, she went through a lot of stress due to the nature of her job and at a point, a doctor advised her to go for bed rest.

She gave birth at the Ifako General Hospital when the pregnancy was about six months. We were unable to get an incubator at the hospital and our search for one in Lagos public hospitals proved abortive.

She gave birth around 1pm and when we could not find any public hospital with an incubator, we settled for Inton Hospital. We got there around 11pm; their bill was N300,000 per week.

However, after a week, we lost the female baby and we started paying N150,000 per week.

"The surviving baby has now been moved from the incubator to a nursery, where he has been for over three months," Michael Oaikhena shared in a chat with Punch News.

ALSO READ: Old woman disappears with baby abandoned by roadside

Mr Akeem Mustapha, the Chief Medical Director at Inton denied rumours reporting that the hospital planned to surrender Ighodalo to an orphanage.

The director described this as an attempt at getting pity from the press but also urged Punch correspondents to pay the outstanding balance.Currently the Food and Drugs Authority is on a campaign to crack down on both the unapproved importation of Tramadol and unprescribed use.

YEN.com.gh reported some prostitutes as having revealed that the drug helps them to forget about every pain and trauma that they are sometimes compelled to endure to have sex with their customers just because they need money badly.

READ MORE: Sex worker narrowly escapes lynching when she publicly had sex at a funeral ground

One sex worker for instance is quoted as saying: Sometimes the kind of guy you have is a not not but because of money you cant talk. I use Tramadol to help to do it without feeling bad.

Another prostitute said: For me I always take one every time before I meet my customer. It makes me wild. You cant cheat me.In order to understand how the industry got to the way it was with lots of young designers being given platforms to express their creativity and grow as artists, we need to take a look at those who came before them.

1. Deola Sagoe

Deola Sagoe is a haute couture fashion designer from Ondo State, Nigeria.

Deola has left a global footprint across the various continents. Using African hand-woven materials in which she brings to life a range of distinct cultures; contemporizing almost-lost traditional African techniques, Deola's designs present a unique vision and attitude for the well-rounded modern woman.

Deola's mother had been running a small tailoring house called Odua Creations which was known for producing meticulously embroidered traditional Nigerian menswear. In 1989, Deola joined her mother with a view of expanding the label's repertoire to encompass more contemporary designs for the ever-developing, cosmopolitan Nigerian society. The following year, Deola began designing under her name.

Deola became the first black woman to present a collection at AltaRoma, Rome's celebrated fashion week back in 2004. Her globally appealing style has earned her an enviable clientele that ranges from Africa's first ladies, to celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey.

2. Ade Bakare

Ade Bakare Couture was established in 1991. Ade Bakares designs have been described as classic with a touch of modernity.

His line of clothes have graced the backs of lots of English celebrities and aristocrats, he has also opened a boutique in Nigeria where he is equally seen in esteemed circles, designing for first ladies, senators, wives of ministers, Royalties and professional women.

To show his dedication to the motherland, has embarked on couple of ventures that are geared towards encouraging the efforts of new and young designers. In recognition of his effort for his support in empowering young fashion designers in Nigeria, he was given an award by the Ministry of Youth and Culture in Abuja.

3. Zizi Cardow

Since starting out in 2000,undefined, a lot of trendsetters and first ladies, while her works have been featured in all local and some international media.

After her first year of breaking into the Nigerian fashion scene, Zizi won the prestigious designer of the year award at the Nigerian fashion show in 2001.This award launched her designs into the African (South Africa) and European market (Italy, France and Britain).

In 2010, she celebrated ten years in the Business of fashion on May 15th, 2010 and was honoured by her hometown in 2011 in recognition of her immense contributions towards the growth of the community.

4. Duro Olowu

Born in Lagos to a Nigerian father and Jamaican mother, Duro Olowu spent his childhood travelling between Nigeria and Europe. From an early age, his enthusiasm for fashion was inspired by the unexpected mix of fabrics, textures and draping techniques of the clothing worn by the women that surrounded him.

On his return to London, Olowu pursued his true vocation, a career in fashion, starting his eponymous label at the end of 2004.

His first collection was an instant hit with fashion editors and buyers worldwide and an international sell out in its worldwide stockists at the time, including Barneys in New York and Harrods in London

Nigerian veteran designer who has got a name so big that the first lady of America , Duro Olowu can take African patterns and colours and make a unique, classy, elegant and bold fashion statement with it.

5. Tiffany Amber

Folake Folarin-Coker is the creative director of legendary label Tiffany Amber.

Tiffany Amber was launched in Lagos in 1998 and has become an iconic label in the Nigerian fashion industry.

In 2008, she made history as the first African-based fashion designer to stage a show twice at the New York Fashion Week. She was the first recipient of the 'Designer of the Year' award at the African fashion week in Johannesburg in 2009 and was also awarded 'Fashion Brand of the Year' at the ARISE Fashion week in 2011.Some even have the dishonourable distinction of doing both at the same time.

On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Gudu, Abuja, sentenced former Taraba state governor, Jolly Nyame to 14 years imprisonment without an option of fine for the misappopriation of funds during his tenure.

Before Jang starts getting distressed by the thoughts of becoming lonely behind bars, he should feel comforted by the thought that there are other former governors who are currently facing corruption trials and might join him in prison, sooner or later.

1. Jonah Jang

Jonah Jang was Plateau State governor between 2007 and 2015 after which he was elected the Senator representing Plateau North in the National Assembly. True to stereotype, the former governor is currently standing trial for alleged misappropriation of N6.3 billion during his time in office.

He is alleged to have misappropriated N2 billion released by the CBN for disbursement to small and medium enterprises in the state under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Funds (MSMEDF).

He is also accused of siphoning the sum of N4.3 billion from the state's treasury just months before the end of his tenure.

2. Orji Kalu

While Nyame was getting sent to prison on Wednesday, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was filing an amended 39-count charge before a Federal High Court in Lagos against former Abia state governor, Orji Uzor Kalu in an alleged N3.2 billion fraud case.

Kalu is accused of diverting the sum in question from the treasury of the Abia state government between 2003 and 2005, in contravention of the provisions of sections 15(6), 16, and 21 of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2005, provisions of the Money Laundering Act of 1995 as amended by the amendment Act No.9 of 2002, as well as section 477 of the Criminal Code Act, Laws of the Federation, 1990.

While this sounds serious, Kalu has remained defiant, telling the court that he has no case to answer while he continues to lead the National Movement for the Re-election of President Buhari.

3. Ibrahim Shema

Former Katsina state governor, Ibrahim Shema, has also been dragged before a Katsina High Court for misappropriating the sum of N11 billion belonging to the State/Local Government Joint Account during his tenure between 2007 and 2015.

Shema is also currently standing trial before the Federal High Court sitting in Katsina on a 26-count money laundering charge, amounting to N5.7 billion SURE-P funds during his tenure.

As he juggles two corruption cases where he's been accused of criminal beach of trust, fraud, conspiracy and forgery, it'd take something exceptional for the former governor not to land in a retirement home that's not his choice.

4. Rashidi Ladoja

Rashidi Ladoja is another former governor who has had to get used to the hobby of showing up in court as the EFCC has accused him of money laundering to the tune of N4.7 billion.

The former Oyo state governor is standing trial at a Federal High Court in Lagos alongside a former Commissioner for Finance, Waheed Akanbi, for conspiring to steal from the treasury of the state government while he was governor.

Even though he has pleaded not guilty to the charges (of course), Ladoja stands accused of converting the state's funds for personal use through fraudulent methods, in contravention of sections 17(a) and 18(1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and is liable to be punished under sections 14(1), 16(a) (b) and 18(2) of the same Act.

Ladoja was Oyo state governor between 2003 and 2007 (he was impeached in January 2016 but reinstated in December 2016) and made an unsuccessful attempt to return to the Government House in 2011.

5. Mukhtar Ramalan Yero

A day after Nyame was sentenced to prison, another former governor, Mukhtar Ramalan Yero, was dragged in front of a Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna for corruption.

The former Kaduna governor was arraigned on a 4-count charge bordering on money laundering, criminal conspiracy, misappropriation of public fund, and breach of trust. He is in court over his involvement in the disbursement of N750 million used by the People's Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2015 election campaign.

Yero was Kaduna state governor between 2012 (after elected governor, Patrick Yakowa, died in a helicopter crash) and 2015 when he lost to current governor, Nasir El-Rufai.Melaye, during plenary on Wednesday, May 30, 2018, reportedly defected to the opposition party.

Senator Murray-Bruce, in a Tweet, said Great to have @dino_melaye at the @NGRSenate today and hearty welcome to our great party, @OfficialPDPNig. We will treat you good - no trauma or intimidation whatsoever.

APC reacts

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that it has not received any formal notification from Dino Melaye following his reported defection to the PDP.

According to the APC spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party respects Melaye's right to associate with anyone.

Abdullahi said We would wish Senator Dino Melaye had stayed to allow the ongoing reconciliation efforts to progress, but we respect his right of association and wish him goodluck.

I am also aware that for it to qualify as defection he has to formally notify the Senate President, which as far as I know, he has not done.

ALSO READ:

Dino Melaye refused to sit with members of the APC during plenary on Wednesday, opting to stay on the PDP side of the Red Chambers.When Buhari received members of his campaign organisation at the presidential villa last week, he criticised his predecessors and lawmakers.

Buhari had rhetorically asked what lawmakers have been doing in the national assembly, portraying them as a lazy bunch of overpaid and over-pampered legislators.

Melaye who has been away on trial, didn't like the president's tone and said so during plenary.

'Abuse of privilege'

"As a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria who came to the national assembly in 2007, about 11 years ago, I am particularly unhappy that my privilege was abused by the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari last week", Melaye said.

Addressing Senate President Bukola Saraki, Melaye continued: "Mr president, the president at the presidential villa while addressing a delegation of the campaign organisation; and this was televised on Channels TV and AIT and I have a copy to tender before the senate.....

"The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in his address said he does not know what we are doing. He said some of us have been in the national assembly for over 10 years and we have nothing to show for it and I say this statement is not only unpresidential but is an insult on my person and the institution of the national assembly where I'm proudly a member.

"Such derogatory statements and insult on the national assembly should not be allowed to go unnoticed. I'm very proud to be a member of the national assembly that I have been for the past 11 years.

"For the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to speak in such tone about the national assembly of Nigeria...I ask myself if will address Congress in like manner".

Shunning senate summons

Melaye also said Buhari is the reason why heads of agencies and parastatals shun senate summons.

"One then begins to wonder why you will summon the IGP (Inspector General of Police) and he will refuse to come.

"We are not surprised that Director-Generals of parastatals or agencies will refuse to honour summons of the national assembly because the body language of the president is demeaning the national assembly.

"I feel I should bring this to the notice of this senate. The occasion where the president made this statement is an event of led by Comptroller-General of Customs. CG of customs is a rank in a para-military organisation, if the CG customs will be leading a Buhari campiagn delegation, it is an aberration to his oath of office".

Melaye opted to sit with PDP senators when he resumed sittingon Wednesday May 30, 2018.

The senator said he was no longer comfortable sitting beside APC lawmakers.Although no official amount was stated for the car, the luxury car was reported to have cost between N50 to N100 million.

Gbajabiamila is majority leader in the House of Reps.

Gbajabiamilas gift to his wife soon sparked reactions from Nigerians home and abroad.

Reacting in a statement on Thursday, May 31, 2018, Gbajabiamila said he saved for a couple of years to buy his wife the G-Wagon.

The House leader explained that the presentation was meant to be a family affair.

I took the decision far back to present her with a significant gift, Gbajabiamila said.

She was totally unaware of, to convey in part, the debt of my gratitude for her standing by me through thick and thin, he said.

I could never be half the man I am today without her support and unbelievable understanding.

Truly, the monetary value of any gift, real or imagined, pales in significance when I consider how much of a rock and pillar she has been to me.

As a public officer, one must be held to a higher standard.

But I would rather want it to be seen as what it is; an expression of appreciation of deep love for my wife of almost thirty years, rather than one of flamboyance, he added.

Gbajabiamila recently led a delegation of the House to access the Ajaokuta Steel Company.Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, made the disclosure at a stakeholders meeting on Thursday at Alausa, Ikeja.

Ambode said that by the directive, trespassers were now to pay N1.25 million instead of the initial N3.9 million.

The governor said the reduction followed a due process and the general state of the economy.

Besides, he said that the landlords would now be tenants to the state government instead of LASU authorities.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some 682 hectares of land belonging to LASU were encroached on by trespassers.

Ambode said the regularisation (new cost) would cover legal documents to the property.

He said that the decision was taken after series of meetings with the affected landlords through their Community Development Associations, (CDAs), Office of the Surveyor General, Lands Bureau, Lands Regularisation and other government agencies.

It was jointly concluded that each plot will now cost N1.25 million for regularisation, titles and Certificate of Occupancy, considering the general state of the economy in the country, he said.

Ambode added that his government granted the landlords demands of not wanting to be tenants to LASU anymore to put an end to the dispute and to make payment process flexible.

We assure you that the government will not demolish any single building in the area for contravention except for those that have deliberately built their houses inside LASU compound.

No government will allow private residential homes within an academic environment.

You will be informed on the new timeline for the payment of the money as we are creating a seamless payment process that will not authorise payment through any agent for transparency.

Im appealing to you not to offer bribe to any unsuspected dubious person who may pose as government official, any landlord that pays through any agent is at his own risk, he said.

Responding on behalf of the affected landlords, the Baale of Igbo Elerin, Chief Taofeek Oseni, lauded Ambode for his kindness to the poor.

Many of us had thought that we would be forced to sell our properties by the time the state government comes out with the amount to be paid.The presidential aide, in her Facebook post, said We must thank this worthy Judge who withstood all forms of pressure and inducements from corrupt Lawyers and Godfathers. Honourable Justice Adebukola Banjoko is a shining example of a Judge in the Criminal Justice system that is slowly but surely, emerging in our nation.

Justice Adebukola Banjoko of the Federal High Court in Gudu, Abuja recently sentenced Nyame to 14 years imprisonment without an option of fine.

The former Governor was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2007 for allegedly misappropriating N1.64 billion while he was governor between 1999  2007.

APC no place for criminals

Onochie also said that the former Governors conviction shows that the ruling party is not a place where corrupt people can hide.

Nyame defected to the All Progressives' Congress (APC) from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2014.

"For 7 years under the PDP led government, Ex Gov. Jolly Nyame stood at the door steps of justice.

"Then he defected to APC, and in three years, Honourable Justice Adebukola Banjoko, led him to the bowels of Justice, giving the people of Taraba, the justice they deserve. This is a clear signal that the War on corruption is in full swing.

"It's evidence that our laws can reach everywhere. This is a clear evidence that APC is not a hiding place for those who have questions, criminal questions to answer. The long arm of the law will grab all those who believe that by joining APC, they are washed clean. APC is not a harbour for those running from the law.

It's a victory for all law abiding citizens of this nation and hope for all those Wards, Local Government Areas, States, Constituencies and Senatorial Districts where their elected leaders and Representatives have betrayed their trust by going to, and staying in bed with corruption and impunity.

"The days when justice is for sale, are coming to an end.

The days when only the poor gets punished for crimes are nearly over.

"Our laws are gradually coming after only those who abuse them. Our nation is on the mend.

I don't know about you but I'm mighty glad to be alive to see these beautiful days in our nation.

"I'm also glad that I'm part of the greater Nigeria, making corruption a thing of the past," she added.

Onochie calls out OBJ on Twitter

The presidential aide also started a campaign against former PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo on social media.President Buharisigned the bill on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

He had earlier disclosed that he will assent to the bill during his Democracy Day address on Tuesday, May 29, 2018.

With the signing of the bill, Sections 65, 106, 131, and 177 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) have been altered to reduce the age of qualification for the office of the President from 40 to 35 years; House of Reps from 30 to 25 years; and the House of Assembly from 30 to 25 years.

The US mission in Nigeria, in a tweet said Congratulations to Nigerian youths as @NGRPresident @MBuhari signs #NotTooYoungToRun bill into law. The U.S. supports a free, fair, and inclusive political process in Nigeria that includes the voices of young people, women, and the disabled.

APC chieftain reports Buhari to Trump

The ex spokesman of the All Progressives congress (APC),Timi Frankrecently wrote to the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump accusing President Buhari of violating the constitution.

He also called on US President to help Nigerians because the economy has continued to worsen under the current administration.

Frank also alleged that Buharis government has been intimidating members of the opposition and the press.They sent an 8 man delegation to Abuja to present a communique to member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Tony Nwulu after a clarion call for him to run for the Imo Governorship come 2019.

The zonal coordinators led by its state chairman Comrade Chukwu Kelechi Kingsley said they could not sit and watch the wrongs of the present administration continue in Imo state as such after thorough examination of the track records and antecedents of all governorship aspirants.

They have unanimously agreed to back Nwulu who represents the new face of leadership to occupy the Douglas house in 2019.

In his words "our visit today in Abuja is a follow up of our clarion call and we appeal and beckon on the people of Isolo/Oshodi to allow our son come home and rescue Imo state, we must say we are most grateful to them"

He further stressed that the personality of Tony Nwulu has brought that federal constituency to limelight courtesy of the most popular youth friendly bill "Not Too Young to run".

Comrade Kingsley added that the Honourable has done his bit there and it is time for him to do what is called backward integration to ensure they put it right because they believe he has the capacity to bring vibrancy in the governance of Imo state.

While presenting a communique on behalf of the youths of Imo state, the state coordinator appealed to the Ezinihitte Mbaise born Federal lawmaker who broke the jinx to win the Isolo/Oshodi Federal Constituency seat in Lagos State not to reject this call from the youths, vowing to collapse all the structures of Imo Youth Renewal Movement to Mezie Imo Movement, thereby mobilising all and sundry to support his governorship ambition.

Responding to the delegation yesterday, Hon. Nwulu said he was overwhelmed at the request, though that nobody would want to be called when things are very bad to come and fix it as everyone prefers when things are very smooth.

In his address he said " If you remember the state Imo is currently, whoever is called to come and become the governor, if the person truly believes in true leadership the person should be wary unless the person is only coming out to get the state much more indebted. Imo is highly indebted, it's everything but a state that is moving forward"

Nwulu expressed dissatisfaction over the activities of past state governments as he noted that Imo state had been unfortunate with successive leaderships who are only interested in their personal development than the state welfare.

According to him Imo should be among the to top states in Nigeria with the resources at their disposal as such the state does not have any reasons to depend on federal allocations.

The Federal lawmaker lamented over the despicable ways Imo youths had been maltreated and defrauded to the extend of making unemployed youths buy scratch cards to apply for jobs even when Imo state in general have enterprising young people that believe in education.

Nwulu gave conditions to accept the offer to run for the office of the governor of Imo state which includes not been addressed as "His Excellency", a pruning ground for running governance, 70% of youth in his cabinet, youth not been used to perpetrate violence during election and to vote and protect their votes amongst many others ground rules.

With the acceptance to contest for the Imo governorship election, the Hon. Nwulu who recently added another feather to his already feathered cap with the certificate of executive leadership training from Havard, he is expected to do an official declaration in Imo state soon."In a few days I will be joined by many promising young Nigerians to sign into law the 'Not Too Young to Run' Bill," he said.

The president took to his official Twitter account (@MBuhari) early on Thursday to announce that he'll be joined by a group of young Nigerians to sign the bill at the Presidential Villa.

He posted, "Today I look forward to welcoming to the State House another group of young Nigerians, as I sign into law the #NotTooYoungToRun Bill."

The 'Not Too Young To Run' bill seeks to reduce the age limit for those seeking elective positions in the country.In few days to come, I will be joined by many promising young Nigerians to sign into law the Not Too Young to Run Bill 36, Buhari said in a nationwide broadcastto commemorate Nigerias unbroken spell of civilian rule.

Who started the not too young to run movement?

The not too young to run movement was spearheaded by a coalition of more than 40 youth-based organisations across the country.

The clamour for young Nigerians to be constitutionally allowed to be voted for, gained traction in early 2017 as civil society groups and NGOs lobbied legislators to amend the constitution to reflect a lowering of the age limit for elective positions.

The coalitions spearheading the not too young to run bill took their advocacy to social media and cajoled young Nigerians to sign up to the movement with the I Support #NotTooYoungToRun hashtag.

As the movement picked up momentum, the Office of the UN Secretary-Generals Envoy on Youth initiated a global campaign for young inclusion in politics, inspired by the Nigerian example.

The UN Secretary Generals envoy partnered with UNDP, OHCHR,IPU, YIAGA and the European Youth Forum in order to convene existing efforts into a global movement and provide young people with a central platform through which to advocate.

According to the website: nottooyoungtorun.org: Around the world, campaigns are underway to promote the rights of young people running for public office by seeking to lower the legal age of candidacy, and bring it into line with the age at which you can vote.

We believe that young people deserve the same rights to run for office and that age discrimination is a hindrance to full participation and democracy.

A few public hearings and meetings with legislators after, and it was beginning to look feasible.

When did the national assembly pass the 'Not Too Young To Run' bill?

In March of 2017, about 25 states, representing more than two-thirds of the countrys 36 states, adopted the bill.

Caving in to relentless pressure from the coalitions of mostly young Nigerians, the national assembly passed the 'Not Too Young To Run' bill in July of 2017, by amending Sections 65, 106, 131, 177 of the Nigerian Constitution.

These amendments sought to reduce the age qualification for president from 40 to 30; governor from 35 to 30; senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives membership from 30 to 25 and State House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25.

The pressure continues

After the national assembly passed the bill to lower the age barrier for seeking elective offices, the coalitions piled on more pressure on the executive and legislative arms of government.

On March 14, 2018, young people under the aegis of Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth, and Advancement (YIAGA)were led to the Aso Rock gates by Samson Itodo.

They had one mission in mind--pile the pressure on Buhari to sign the piece of legislation.

The group was received by two of President Buharis aides in Lauretta Onochie and a Special Assistant on youth; as other cabinet members were attending the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

Displeased, the youths said they would rather a cabinet member addressed them.

Minister of State for Aviation, Hadi Sirika, would later emerge to meet the youths after they had waited for three hours at the entrance to the Villa.

Sirika assured them that the president will assent to the bill, adding that "he is a democrat and will always listen to young people."

On May 14, 2018, the Not Too Young To Run movement issued President Buhari an 8-day ultimatum to assent to the bill.

In the words of the movement: the movement requested the president to bequeath to Nigerian youths a memorable democracy gift by assenting to the Not Too Young To Run bill.

Similarly, the leadership of the movement met with the President of the Senate, on May 28, 2018 to request for accelerated gazetting of the bill once presidential assent is secured, to fast track the process of its implementation.

The Senate President duly assured the movement that the bill will be gazetted as soon as the signed bill is received from the presidency.

Victory at long last

On the morning of May 29, 2018, Buhari made the announcement that will henceforth make it possible to purchase a presidential form if you are 30 years of age, a governorship form if you are 30 years of age, a House of Rep form if you are 25 years old, a senatorial form if you are 30 and State House of Assembly form if you are 25.

Essentially, 30 has become the new 50 in Nigerian politics.

Presidency sources told Pulse that Aso Rock had little choice but to sign off on the bill, coming on the heels of Buhari's comment which took a dig at young Nigerians and painted them as lazy.

"It was important to get young Nigerians on our side ahead of a crucial election contest, by agreeing to sign the bill", one Villa source who craved anonymity for this story, told Pulse.In his speech on Thursday, President Buhari expressed his surprise at this development, noting that it should be addressed.

He said, "Surprisingly, the age limits for Senators and Governors was not reduced, as originally proposed by the sponsors of this Bill. This is an issue that may need to be addressed going forward."

The omission has raised questions as it had been erroneously reported for months that all the age limits would be lowered for a more inclusive electoral system in the country.

When called for clarification on the issue, the Executive Director of Youth Initiative for the Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), Samson Itodo, told Pulse Nigeria that it happened during the bill harmonisation stage between the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Even though both legislative chambers passed the bill in its original form, he said they decided to not reduce the eligibility age for the affected elective positions.

Itodo said, "One of the chambers passed the bill in the form that it was proposed but it didn't meet the constitutional threshold of two-thirds. One house passed it as a complete bill but the other one passed them individually and those two (age limit for senate and governor) did not pass. The convention is once one house does not pass a legislation, it means it cannot pass."

Even though he was unsure which legislative chamber killed the sections of the bill, he suspected it was the Senate, especially since it affects them. The bill was initially passed by the Senate in July 2017 before a large majority of members in the House of Representatives also signed off on it.

It was the harmonised bill, which had been modified away from the public glare, that was eventually passed down to the state Houses and Assembly and assented by 33 out of 36 states.

Unsatisfied with the turn of events, Itodo called on the National Assembly to review their decision on the positions.The party, in its statement said that Nigerians are ready to vote out the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking to newsmen, PDPs spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan also warned security agencies not to toy with the will of the people.

Nigerians will resist rigging

Ologbondiyan said that Nigerians will resist any attempt to power thirsty cronies of the President to manipulate the polls.

The spokesman also called on well-meaning Nigerians to rally round the PDP so it can achieve its desire of voting Buhari out of office in 2019.

Though Nigerians, on their own, have since reached a consensus not to support President Buharis re-election bid in 2019, it is good that President Buhari, by himself, admitted this fact, hence this declaration.

President Buhari has seen the flow of our nations political tides and the PDP urges him to show statesmanship by reining-in his cronies to shed their desperation and lust for power, which will, in any case, be firmly resisted by Nigerians.

The PDP also charges the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly the blood relatives of President Buhari in INEC, as well as security agencies to note the determination of Nigerians; their desire for another President, come 2019 and as such desist from any act that will pitch them against the people.

It is imperative to note that the APC is already stuck with an unpopular candidate and PDP remains open as the only credible democratic platform for all Nigerians across board to rally and produce that truly Nigerian President of their choice.

ALSO READ: 3 times democracy has been brought to shame under Buhari

The PDP therefore urges all democrats, in all political formations and alignments across the country to come together on the repositioned PDP to actualize the wishes and aspirations of Nigerians for a president that genuinely cares and truly have the capacity and competence to restore our nation to the path of good governance, peace, national cohesion, equity and economic prosperity, the statement said.

Buharis last days

Also, the PDP chairman, Uche Secondus has said has said that the Democracy Day of May 29, 2018, is President Buharis last as Nigerias leader.

Secondus said that Nigerians are tiredand have made up their minds to do away with Buharis government.Like, really done.

He needs to press pause right away so we can focus on more germane matters of state.

On Wednesday, May 30, 2018, Melaye was at it again.

The senator who represents Kogi West in the upper legislative chamber, had been away from the senate for more than a month, after he was arrested on the tarmac of the Abuja airport on April 23.

On May 16, Melaye was granted bail on charges bordering on gun-running, criminal conspiracy, attempted suicide and damaging of government property.

Technically, Melaye is still on trial. When you still have to show up in court to defend yourself, you should at least keep a low profile in the interim. Not Melaye.

Upon his return to the national assembly, you would have expected the senator to make a quiet entry or a less colourful one. But Melaye had other ideas.

Dressed for the part, Melaye sauntered into the senate, unaided. He was walking normally; a neck brace accentuating his flowing white apparel. Hours later, as he made to switch seats from the APC section of the chamber to the PDP side of the aisle, Melaye could no longer walk.

A cast of PDP senators led by Ben Murray-Bruce surrounded Melaye and propped him to his new seat. From a senator who had only minutes ago bounced through the national assembly doors, this was quite some transformation of Idrisic (apologies, IGP Ibrahim Idris) proportions.

We have condemned the way and manner the police bundled Melaye into a truck like some common criminal. We sympathized with Melaye when he landed with a thud on the tarmac after he had jumped from a moving police truck. No one deserves to fly off a moving vehicle and have themselves injured. We didnt quite like how Melaye was arraigned on a stretcher after his arrest in April.

What we dont like is how Melaye is making all of his political battles into a national moviefrom his endless dancing, to his guttural songs, to placing a tray of groundnuts on his head in Abuja, to boarding a flight to Lagos just to take a walk in Bola Tinubus neighborhood......

To make matters even worse, PDP senators who you normally associate with some commonsense, have taken up active roles in this badly staged Melaye blockbuster. Coming from persons who pocket N13.5million monthly in allowances alone, thats really saying something about priorities of elected representatives.

Yet lawmaking and governance of a country with multifarious problems, should be serious business for every elected politicianRelations between NATO and Moscow have plunged to post-Cold War lows in recent years over Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, its suspected attempt to assassinate former spy Sergei Skripal in the British city of Salisbury and what the alliance says is a sustained campaign of destabilisation waged by the Kremlin.

"In a meeting today @NATO, Allies shared a strong, unified message to Russia: Stop interfering in Ukraine & cease malign activities that seek to divide our Alliance," Bailey Hutchison said in a tweet.

The three-hour meeting was the seventh of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) in the last two years, held for the first time at the alliance's brand-new headquarters in Brussels, which a NATO diplomat described as an "open exchange".

"During today's meeting, NATO allies addressed Russian attempts to influence both allied and partner countries, using a range of military and non-military techniques," the diplomat said.

"NATO allies expressed their deep concern over a wide range of issues, including cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns and interference in national elections."

'Dangerous pattern'

NATO also tackled the Russian delegation, led by their acting representative to the alliance Yuri Gorlach, over the March poisoning of Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok.

The Skripal poisoning prompted NATO to expel seven Russian diplomats as part of a coordinated international response to the attack, which alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said fitted a "dangerous pattern of behaviour" from Moscow.

NATO's Baltic states -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- have complained for years of sustained Russian "hybrid warfare" attacks against them -- military, financial and political manipulation backed by computer hacking and propaganda.

There have also been allegations of Russia seeking to influence political debate and even elections in Western countries through "fake news" and manipulative use of social media platforms.

"NATO allies urged Russia to desist from further attempts to interfere in our nations and destabilise our political system and social order," the NATO diplomat said.

Last week NATO and the European Union urged Moscow to take responsiblity for the 2014 downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine after international investigators concluded that a missile which destroyed the plane came from a Russian military brigade.They were responding to a blockade set up by several dozen members of a far-right group, Generation Identitaire (Identity Generation), at a nearby pass to keep them out.

The trial is the latest involving activists trying to aid migrants on the move through Europe, in protest at a tough new immigration law being pushed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

About 120 leading French education, scientific and political figures signed a tribune in French daily Le Monde this week supporting the three activists, accusing prosecutors of flouting France's constitutional promise of fraternity and equality for all.

Several dozen protesters gathered outside the courthouse in Gap, southeast France, as the proceedings opened to stage a "reverse trial" against the government.

"We're accusing the state and the government's migrant policies," said Michel Rousseau of the Tous Migrants (We're All Migrants) association.

Lawyers for the three told AFP they would seek to postpone the hearing while awaiting a ruling from France's top Constitutional Court on whether aid to illegal immigrants should be considered a criminal offence.

They also hope to ease the terms of their conditional release from jail, so they can pass end-of-term exams or return to their jobs.

The activists risk up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 750,000 euros ($880,000), as well as a ban on entering France.

Tougher laws

Their trial comes a day after a 73-year-old Amnesty International volunteer appeared in court in the southern city of Nice on charges of helping two underage Africans illegally enter the country.

French lawmakers voted last month to soften laws criminalising acts of solidarity with illegal migrants, to exempt those who provide them with free food, shelter, medical care or legal advice.

Helping migrants illegally cross the border remains a crime, however.

The government argues that tighter controls are needed to check the rise of anti-immigration populists who claim Europe has allowed in too many people seeking a better life.

The law being debated in parliament aims to both cut waiting times for asylum applications -- to six months from around a year currently -- and make it easier to deport those turned down as "economic" migrants, as opposed to those fleeing political strife.

NGOs have contrasted the treatment of the campaigners with that of "Spiderman" Mamoudou Gassama, the illegal Malian migrant who was fast-tracked for French citizenship this week after rescuing a young boy hanging from a balcony in Paris.Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu meanwhile told the Hurriyet daily that Kilic would be back at work by the time he meets his US counterpart Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday.

Turkey recalled its ambassadors to Washington and Tel Aviv early this month for consultations after dozens of Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire along the Gaza border on the same day the US celebrated the opening of its embassy in Jerusalem.

In Washington, Pompeo and Cavusoglu are expected to try and agree terms for the withdrawal of US-backed Kurdish militia from the Syrian town of Manbij, a move long sought by Turkey.

Relations between the two NATO allies Turkey have become increasingly bitter in recent months over issues including US support for the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia.

Ankara argues the YPG is a branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party which has been fighting against Turkey state since 1984 while Washington insists they are part of a legitimate opposition group called the Syrian Democratic Forces.

Manbij hosts a US military presence with American soldiers providing military support to the YPG in the fight against jihadists.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened to expand an incursion inside Syria to Manbij after clearing the western enclave of Afrin of YPG militia in January.

Cavusoglu told Hurriyet that in Washington both foreign ministers would publicise a timetable on the Manbij roadmap.

"We will make a joint statement that day," he said. "The concrete step is that YPG will be withdrawn from there," he added.

Cavusoglu said Turkey and the United States would decide together who would replace the YPG in Manbij's administration and security forces.The announcement by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross immediately drew retaliatory action by Mexico, Canada and threats of the same by the EU, while Germany warned against "spirals of escalation that hurt everyone."

"Trade wars don't have any winners," said German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.

The US action, which takes effect at midnight (0400 GMT Friday, cast a long shadow over a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of Seven top economies, which opened in Canada.

International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, warned of an erosion of trust. "It's going to distort and damage and disrupt supply chains which have been established now for decades," she said.

Ross, however, said inconclusive talks with the EU had failed to convince Washington that it should continue exempting the trading bloc from the tariffs -- 25 percent duties on steel and 10 percent on aluminum -- that it imposed in March.

Washington also is removing exemptions for Mexico and Canada because, he said, negotiations to revise the North American Free Trade Agreement are "taking longer than we had hoped" and there is no "precise date" for concluding them.

A presidential proclamation confirmed the action.

The White House maintained that since the tariffs were first imposed in March, they have had "major, positive effects on steel and aluminum workers and jobs and will continue to do so long into the future."

It said the administration's actions "underscore its commitment to good-faith negotiations with our allies to enhance our national security while supporting American workers."

But instead of dialogue, the announcement immediately set off threats of matching sanctions from Mexico, Canada and the EU.

Not a gunfight

Canada announced Can$16.6 billion in retaliatory duties on US goods.

EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker said the 28-nation bloc "will announce in the next coming hours counter-balancing measures" in response to the US action.

Brussels previously threatened to slap tariffs on US products including bourbon, motorcycles and blue jeans.

Mexico said it will impose retaliatory duties on a variety of US goods, including steel and a host of agricultural goods, including pork, apples, blueberries and various cheeses.

"World trade is not a gunfight at the O.K. Corral," French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire warned, referring to a 1957 western movie.

"It's not everyone attacking the other and we see who remains standing at the end," he said, declaring that the stiff US duties were "unjustified, unjustifiable and dangerous."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the EU would respond in a "firm and united" manner to the tariffs.

Meanwhile, South Korea negotiated a steel quota, while Argentina, Australia and Brazil have arranged for "limitations on the volume they can ship to the US in lieu of tariffs," Ross said.

Talks can continue

Despite weeks of talks with his EU counterparts, Ross said the United States was not willing to meet the EU demand to be "exempted permanently and unconditionally from these tariffs."

"We had discussions with the European Commission and while we made some progress, they also did not get to the point where it was warranted either to continue the temporary exemption or have a permanent exemption," Ross said.

Ross downplayed the threats of retaliation, and said talks can continue even amid the dispute to try to find a solution.

And he said Trump has the authority to alter the tariffs or impose quotas or "do anything he wishes at any point" -- allowing "potential flexibility" to resolve the issue.

Trump imposed the steel and aluminum tariffs using a national security justification, which Ross said encompasses a broad array of economic issues -- a premise derided by US allies.

Ross said Trump was living up to his campaign promises.

"The overwhelming objective is to level the playing field," Ross said, adding that US goals include getting rid of trade barriers, protecting intellectual property and stopping forced technology transfers.

Protecting technology is the key issue in the US trade dispute with China, which the White House said will face 25 percent tariffs on $50 billion in goods.

Ross said he plans to travel to Beijing Friday for further talks aimed at finding a solution to the trade friction.

The administration had said the China tariffs were on hold, but then reversed course this week and announced it was planning to go ahead with them after all.

Republican outcry

The US action prompted an outcry from Trump's own Republican party, although metal industry groups expressed support.

"When it comes to unfairly traded steel and aluminum, Mexico, Canada, and Europe are not the problem -- China is," said Kevin Brady, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.The draft resolution would require UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report by June 30 whether fighting has stopped and whether the sides have "come to a viable political agreement."

If not, the council "shall consider" imposing the sanctions and possibly an arms embargo within five days, according to the draft resolution.

Diplomats said it remained unclear whether the United States will win the required nine votes in the 15-member council to put in motion the move to punish South Sudan's leaders.

South Sudan won independence from Sudan in 2011, with critical backing from the United States, which remains Juba's biggest aid donor.

But the US administration has grown increasingly frustrated with President Salva Kiir's government as the brutal war grinds on, now in its fourth year.

In an op-ed on South Sudan published this week in the Washington Post, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said: "We have no more time to waste on empty promises."

"By imposing financial and travel restrictions on individuals responsible for threatening the peace, we can ensure they pay a cost for perpetuating violence," she wrote.

The United States last week proposed sanctions against the six South Sudanese officials but amended its proposal following negotiations to add the June 30 deadline.

Six face sanctions

The proposed sanctions blacklist would target Defense Minister Kuol Manyang Juk for leading attacks on the northeastern town of Pagak that was captured from rebel forces in 2017.

Also listed is cabinet minister Martin Elia Lomuro for threatening the press, obstructing humanitarian aid and impeding the work of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan.

Information Minister Michael Makuei is cited for his role in planning an attack in 2014 on a United Nations compound in Bor and overseeing a campaign to suppress the media.

Former military chief Paul Malong faces possible sanctions for ordering government forces to attack civilians, schools and hospitals and deputy army chief of staff Malek Reuben for overseeing an offensive in 2015.

Also included is Koang Rambang Chol for leading attacks in northern Bieh state and ordering his forces to impede the work of aid workers.

The six would face a global travel ban and assets freeze if the draft resolution is adopted at the meeting scheduled for 3:00 pm (1900 GMT).

Since the start of the war in December 2013, nearly 1.8 million people have been forced to flee their homes and tens of thousands have been killed.

In 2016, Washington failed to win enough votes at the Security Council for the arms embargo and targeted sanctions.Speaking after the meeting, Governor Joho invited President Uhuru Kenyatta to visit Mombasa after the famous handshake with Raila Odinga.

DP Ruto's challengers

Moi and Joho have both declared their political ambitions for the highest seat in the land and are seen by many to be among Deputy President William Ruto's likely challengers in 2022 when President Uhuru Kenyatta completes his second and final term in office.

An IPSOS Poll conducted in March showed a majority of Kenyans at 30 per cent believed DP Ruto was likely to become president after Kenyatta.

Senator Moi and Governor Joho tied at second with 14 per cent.

In April, KANU Secretary General and Moi's close ally Nick Salat revealed an elaborate countrywide tour aimed at helping the independence party chairman build a national profile and sell him as the best successor to President Kenyatta.

National tour

He disclosed plans of a national tour by the Baringo Senator which would commence with an extensive visit of the Coast region to be hosted by Governor Joho.

After Mombasa, we will attend a church service in Nyeri or Muranga at a date to be announced next month. We believe our party leader is the best man to succeed Uhuru, Salat said.Ne puteti urmari si pe pagina noastra de Facebook sau pe Google NewsQUIZ: Guess the Road Songs

We can't wait to get back on the road again! Play this quiz and see if how many you can get right!EUROPE: Transport ministers have issued a Declaration calling for rapid implementation of measures to mitigate the effects of a major incident such as the seven-week closure last August of the Rhein Valley main line between Basel and Karlsruhe in Germany following a tunnel collapse beneath the alignment at Rastatt. The ...Ex-Russian judge to stand trial in bribery case

 RIA Novosti, Mikhail Kutuzov

10:59 31/05/2018

MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI)  A criminal case against a judge emeritus charged with mediation in bribery has been sent to the Rostov Regional Court for hearing, the Prosecutor Generals Office reports Thursday.

According to prosecutors, the former peace justice has mediated in bribery using official position. The defendant could face up to 7 years in prison if convicted.

Investigators claim that the defendant received 100,000 rubles ($1,600) for funneling the money to an investigation branch chief of the Novoshakhtinsk Department of Russian Interior Ministry in March 2017. The bribe was intended for closing one of criminal cases, the statement reads.Ex-tourism top officials appeal against 7-year sentence for embezzlement dismissed

 RIA Novosti

14:59 31/05/2018

MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court has refused to transfer an appeal filed by the former deputy head of the Federal Tourism Agency (Rosturizm) Dmitry Amunts, who had been sentenced to seven years in a penal colony for implication in embezzlement of 29 billion rubles ($467 million) from now-defunct Mezhprombank, to the court's Presidium, the press-service of the court has told RAPSI.

According to a lawyer of Amunts, the embezzled funds did not belong to the bank but rather to its clients. Moreover, there were no violations related to operations with the banks own assets that were held on its own deposit accounts, the attorney added.

However, a judge overseeing this case noted that there were no violations of criminal procedure laws during investigation of this case or subsequent trial.

In April 2017, Moscows Tverskoy District Court passed the sentence upon Amunts. In addition to the prison term, the former official was deprived of the right to perform financial and operational activities in the banking sector for 3 years. The court also granted a lawsuit of victims demanding 28.5 billion rubles ($459 million) from the defendant.

Earlier, prosecutors demanded a 7-year prison term for Amunts.

Investigators claim that Amunts along with ex-Mezhprombank executive Alexander Didenko and several other accomplices were members of a criminal group that embezzled the funds from the bank in 2008-2009.

Didenko pleaded guilty and received a 3-year suspended sentence in July 2015. However, in September 2015, the Moscow City Court changed Didenkos suspended sentence to real jail term.

Amunts has pleaded not guilty.

Mezhprombanks operating license was revoked in October 2010 by the Central Bank over failure to comply with the regulators requirements or to satisfy creditors claims. In November, Mezhprombank was declared bankrupt. At that time, the bank owed 31.8 billion rubles ($501 million) to the Central Bank while the creditors claims totaled 85 billion rubles ($1.3 billion).

Businessman Sergey Pugachev, who owned the bank, was arrested in absentia by a Moscow court and put on the international wanted list in December 2013.Ex-Komi government official gets 7 years in prison for bribery, money laundering

 RIA Novosti, Vitaly Belousov

15:40 31/05/2018

MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI) - Ex-Deputy Chairman of the Komi government Konstantin Romadanov has been sentenced to 7 years in prison and fined 170 million rubles ($2.7 million), the press service of Russias Investigative Committee reports Thursday.

Romadanov has been found guilty of participation in a criminal gang, taking a bribe and money laundering, the statement reads.

On May 17, a prosecutor demanded a 9-year prison term and a 180-million-ruble fine for the defendant.

The case against Romadanov was separated from embezzlement case involving Vyacheslav Gaizer, the former Komi Republics head.

Investigators believe that a criminal gang involving Gaizer, another republics ex-head Vladimir Torlopov, ex-deputy head Alexander Chernov, ex-Chairman of the Republican State Council Igor Kovzel and 10 other people, was organized in 2006. Depending of their involvement and role in crimes, they are charged with taking bribes, embezzlement and money laundering.

According to investigation, the gang leaders and members committed crimes aimed at occupation of the regions highly profitable enterprises or instituting control over them for the purposes of unlawful enrichment. They allegedly caused a 4.5-billion-ruble (over $70 million) damage to the republic.

Investigators also accuse the gang members of taking bribes totaling to 160 million rubles in 2013. Moreover, Gaizer himself received 37.5 million rubles in bribes for assignment of a person identified by investigators to the post of the Syktyvkar liquor producers director.Russian government favors bill to fast track commutation of criminal penalties

 RAPSI

16:22 31/05/2018

MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI)  Russias government has supported a legislative initiative to amend the national Criminal Code in a way subjecting mitigation of criminal penalties to fast track procedures, according to the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.

The bill drafted by the Justice Ministry is to be submitted to the State Duma in accordance with the applicable procedure, the statement reads.

The draft law envisages a shorter prison term to be served before imprisonment could be substituted with compulsory community service. According to the authors of the proposed amendments, the new regulation is to aid in correction of offenders and prevention of repeated violations.

The bill is aimed to enhance the efficiency of social adaptation system for convicts.

In mid-May, Tatiana Moskalkova, Russias Human Rights Commissioner, backed the bill. The new initiative of the Justice Ministry is timely and is worth of every kind of assistance, Moskalkova said. Any measure aimed at faster socialization of former prisoners inspires respect and sympathy for the cause, the ombudsman noted.Former CEO of Russian fish factory receives 2-year suspended sentence

 flickr.com / bloomsberries

11:59 31/05/2018

MOSCOW, May 31 (RAPSI)  Former CEO of Ostrovnoy fish factory Natalya Kashkarova has been sentenced to a 2-year suspended term for unlawful actions during the companys bankruptcy, the press-service of the Investigative Committee has stated.

Kashkarova was also found guilty of evading payment of taxes and fined 280,000 rubles ($4,500).

The court found that Kashkarova was aware of tax payment debt and the companys bankruptcy proceedings, yet, acting along with the factorys single shareholder, she made a deal on alienation of property evaluated at 84 million rubles ($1.3 million). She also hid 113 million rubles ($1.8 million) from forced being recovered by tax authorities, although this sum was enough to pay a 20 million-ruble ($322,500) debt.Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale

Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada.

Search Real EstateHe says that while 30 per cent of parts must be locally sourced, the supply doesn't yet exist in India to support that

After four days and innumerable questions on why India was missing from Silicon Valley-based Tesla Motors global plans, founder and CEO Elon Musk broke his silence on social network Twitter saying that the regulations existing in the country were not conducive for the electric carmaker to do business here.

On May 26, Musk had Tweeted a map of the world showing every location where the company either already has or will install its superchargers (charging stations) signifying where it was selling its cars.

As not a single location in India got a mention in the list shared by Musk, it caught the attention of several Twitterati who questioned Musk on it.

Would love to be in India. Some challenging government regulations, unfortunately. Deepak Ahuja, our CFO, is from India. Tesla will be there as soon as he believes we should, Musk tweeted on Wednesday, in response to a question.

Musk, who is a voracious user of Twitter, has on several occasions in the past made hints at the companys willingness to come to India. He even suggested that it would be more beneficial to build a Gigafactory (giant lithium-ion battery factory) in the country than setting up a plant to build Tesla cars here.

However, after heightening interest and even opening orders of the companys most affordable Model 3 sedan in India in April 2016, Musk last year said that the companys local sourcing norms for single brand retail were keeping the company out.

Maybe I'm misinformed, but I was told that 30 per cent of parts must be locally sourced and the supply doesn't yet exist in India to support that, Musk tweeted in May last year.

Tesla as a company does not just manufacture cars and the batteries that go in them, but also controls the retail and after-sales part of the business.

Even outside its home market the US, it has owned and maintained dealerships by itself, which in India will make it a single brand retailer.

Current norms in the country state that brands have to source at least 30 per cent of their goods (or components) locally in order to open their own stores.

This is seen as a way to protect the interests of local brands and promote local manufacturing as well.

It isnt clear how Tesla will service the customers from India from whom it collected the $1,000 booking amount for its Model 3 sedan.

Users from India are no longer being allowed to book Tesla cars, pointing to the company going back on its plan to launch in India, which Musk in the past had said could happen sometime in mid-2017.

Who is Deepak Ahuja?

Deepak Ahuja is a seasoned automobile industry executive, currently chief financial officer (CFO) of Tesla Motors.

He has held the position since March 2017 but had served in the same position between 2008 and 2015, leading the charge to take Tesla public in 2010.

A graduate of Banaras Hindu Universitys technology wing (now Indian Institute of TechnologyVaranasi) in 1985, he went on to get a management degree from Carnegie Mellon in the US.

He worked with the Ford Motor Company for a little over 15 years in several roles, including CFO of Ford South Africa.

Elon Musk got Ahuja to join Tesla in 2006, after promising to be building something that would shake up the automotive industry.

At Tesla, one of his jobs is to oversee its expansion beyond the US and Europe, especially into Asia.

Photograph: ReutersIn the next 25 years, the Mumbai port will need five terminals because the current passenger traffic of 200,000 is expected to climb to 4 million.

An unchartered territory of sorts, cruise tourism, is expected to gain some traction as the Union government plans to develop terminals at major ports to facilitate tourism activity.

A single entity will be entrusted with the job of executing the operation and maintenance contracts for the cruise terminals.

Essentially, cruise terminals at 4-5 ports would be operated and maintained by one player.

The Ministry of Shipping in consultation with the state maritime boards and major port authorities will execute the contracts.

"The first tender is expected to be executed by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore and the O&M tender would include JNPT, Kochi, Kandla and Mangalore Port," a top shipping ministry official told Business Standard.

A team of Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore was in the capital earlier this month to meet Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari.

The minister said these terminals would be built by the government and tendered on O&M contracts to mainly international players who have the expertise to maintain them for certain duration of time.

One terminal at the Mumbai port is being built by the government at an investment of Rs 197 crore.

This will be tendered for an O&M contract upon completion.

The old terminal, spread across 10,000 sq m and built in 1970, will be demolished and the new terminal will be 10 times as big.

The old terminal also houses two 3,000 sq m warehouses used for cargo.

The upgradation of the cruise terminal will be done in the next two years.

Mumbai port will be established as the turnaround or home port, and ports in Goa, New Mangalore and Chennai will be ports of call where ships will come in the morning and leave by evening.

Vessels cannot stay at a port of call for more than 12 hours.

According to a shipping ministry report, India's total cruise passenger traffic, 80 per cent would be handled by the Mumbai port.

In the next 25 years, the Mumbai port will need five terminals because the current passenger traffic of 200,000 is expected to climb to 4 million.

Mumbai port will handle 3.2 million cruise passengers.

The decision to award such contracts was preceded by a slew of reforms announced by the government in July last year, to bring changes in the industry which has a high employment generation potential, by simplifying the rules and procedures for cruise port operations.

The reforms are based on the recommendations of a global consultant engaged by the Ministry of Shipping to draw up an action plan for providing a customer-friendly and hassle-free logistics process for the cruise tourism industry, besides developing an enabling ecosystem necessary to promote and sustain cruise shipping in India.

Some of the recommendations given by the consultant include a single-window system for all pre-cruise requirements of operators like the entry of vehicles, personnel and guides.

The consultant has also suggested shifting to a digital system for checking of registration and license papers of vehicles at each time.

Photograph: ReutersOf the 170 million rural households in the country, a government website claims to have connected 82 per cent of them. The metered households are 50 per cent of the total.

As on February, 2018, of the 780,000 villages to be intensively electrified or provide connection to all in households, 493,000 have been covered.

However, the amount and quality of the power supply cannot be ascertained from this data. No clause in any of the rural electrification programmes promises 24 hours power supply.

IMAGE: The speed of reforms and the quality of power supplied will now depend on the state and its functionaries. Photograph: Ajay Verma/Reuters

On the back of LPG connections and promise of electrifying every village household, the Narendra Modi-led BJP government is trying to make inroads into states which are going to the polls.

But these states are a real challenge when it comes to the success of these flagship energy schemes.

Last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that his government has achieved 100 per cent electrification of all villages in India.

The work of bringing electricity to some 18,000 villages that were yet to have access to power had begun in 2015. The target was to get them electrified within 1,000 days.

And Modi and his ministers patted themselves on the back for having completed the task ahead of the deadline.

What however is left to be achieved is 100 per cent electrification in all rural households and metering them for reliable and steady electricity supply.

Of the 170 million rural households in the country, a government website claims to have connected 82 per cent of them.

The metered households are 50 per cent of the total.

As on February, 2018, of the 780,000 villages to be intensively electrified or provide connection to all in households, 493,000 have been covered.

However, the amount and quality of the power supply cannot be ascertained from this data.

No clause in any of the rural electrification programmes promises 24 hours power supply.

While 100 per cent rural electrification in the true sense of the term is still some distance away, urban power reforms have been hamstrung by lack of funds and slow execution.

For instance, though the Centre sanctioned Rs 27,146 crore for the Integrated Power Development Scheme projects across the country, only Rs 5,128 crore has been approved so far.

Last year the Union government announced a new scheme called Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojna (Saubhagya) to speed up electrification.

The total outlay of the Saubhagya project is Rs 16,320 crore while the gross budgetary support is Rs 12,320 crore.

The plan is to provide the funds to the states for them to subsidise electricity connections to rural and urban households.

In other words, the government is looking to the states to provide electricity to every household connected to the national electricity grid.

The speed of reforms and the quality of power supplied will now depend on the state and its functionaries.

The ambitious scheme to turn around the sick state-owned power distribution companies is behind target as the average aggregate technical and commercial loss stands at 21.35 per cent.

For large states such as UP it is 30.94 per cent, Bihar 36.75 per cent, Rajasthan 24 per cent, Punjab 29 per cent, etc.

But expectations are high since the BJP, which is also the ruling party at the Centre, is now heading the government in 21 states.

The Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana is one such scheme which many believe was instrumental in the BJP getting a thumping majority in the recent state elections.

Both the Saubhagya and the PMUY schemes have worked well for the government politically. However, there is scope for improvement in the power sector.

"More investment is required in distribution to make electrification truly 100 per cent.

"Similarly, rather than thinking about a phase-out, the current subsidy on LPG should be extended to a few more years to get more families to start using clean fuel," says ICRAs senior vice-president K Ravichandran.

IMAGE: The refilling rate among PMUY consumers is comparatively low -- 3.8 cylinders per year versus 7.76 in the case of a non-PMUY consumer. Photograph: Shailesh Andrade/Reuters

PMUY aims to provide LPG cooking gas connection to 5 crore below poverty line families by 2019.

"After achieving 3 crore connections in record time, the reach of the scheme was extended to 8 crore, says a government source, adding that impressed by the model, countries like Nepal and Bhutan have shown interest.

Thanks to PMUY, LPG consumption has seen an annual increase of 10 per cent in the last two years.

Moreover, with the aggressive growth of the scheme, the capacity utilisation of bottling plants too rose to as high as 120 per cent some days during the period.



Each family brought into the PMUY fold gets a one-time budgetary support of Rs 1,600.

However,the refilling rate among PMUY consumers is comparatively low -- 3.8 cylinders per year versus 7.76 in the case of a non-PMUY consumer.

The increase in demand on LPG has even led the government allowing night shifts at bottling plants, keeping safety at stake.

While the consumption has increased manifold with increasing number of families being given LPG connection, awareness among the targeted consumers is still a cause of concern, despite measures like LPG Panchayat.'For the Congress, it has become necessary to make alliances, but this is not easy to deliver at the local level,' says Aakar Patel.

IMAGE: Sonia and Rahul Gandhi with Opposition leaders at H D Kumaraswamy's swearing in as Karnataka chief minister, May 23, 2018. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo

What does the gathering of Opposition leaders in Bengaluru to celebrate the alliance of the Janata Dal-S with the Congress signify?

What is driving them to this unity and will this last for another 12 months when India goes to elections?

Let's examine this and first let us look at the leaders who decided not to come to Bengaluru.

Naveen Patnaik has his own faction of the Janata Dal in Orissa. In the 2014 assembly elections, his party won 43% of the vote. The BJP won 18% and the Congress won 25%.

This explains why Naveen was not present. For him the Congress is a bigger threat, or at least it is an equal threat as the BJP.

The future may well change this equation and it is easy to see why, by next year, it will be the BJP that will be at Patnaik's heels.

But there is no need for him to close his options at the moment and he's doing the smart thing in waiting.

He has allied with the BJP before. It makes no sense for him to link up with Rahul Gandhi now before the issue of 2019 is decided.

In Telangana also, the Leader of the Opposition is a Congressman. It is likely that this will continue into the general election.

The BJP is not the force in the state that the Congress is and to some extent continues to be. Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao did come to Bengaluru to meet the Gowdas, but he did not join the unity rally for this reason.

Now take a look at those people who did come.

The electorate of Bihar is quite fragmented. In their defeat of the BJP in 2015, the former Mahagathbandhan of Lalu Yadav, Nitish Kumar and the Congress secured over 40% of the votes.

The two Janata Dals, the main components of the alliance, got about the same share of the vote. Nitish's Janata Dal-U later went with the BJP while Lalu's Janata Dal stayed with the Congress.

No party can dominate Bihar on its own and so it makes sense for the two Janata Dals to stay inside alliances.

The Nitish-BJP alliance is stronger on paper and there is no option for the Lalu Yadav family but to look for help elsewhere. This explains their enthusiasm for nationwide unity against the BJP.

In Uttar Pradesh, in the last assembly elections, the votes were split in the following way. BJP: 41%, SP: 28%, BSP: 22%.

Mulayam Singh's SP won a majority in 2012 with 29% and so it has held onto its voteshare. It's just that after Narendra D Modi moving to the Centre, the BJP has become much bigger in the state.

Mayawati and the Yadavs compete mainly for power in the state. In that sense it is fortunate for them that in 2019 there is no assembly election. That will make it easier for them to attempt unity against the BJP.

This unity will likely collapse when it comes to sharing power in the state. For now their OBC + Muslim + Dalit alliance looks powerful.

Vote transfers, of course, do not work in such simple fashion. The psephologist Dorab Sopariwala has long said that coalitions in India work because coalitions are also coalitions of caste. But many of these parties have become desperate and do not want to spend decades in the Opposition.

In Bengal, which has 42 Lok Sabha seats, the Left has collapsed and the Congress has been made irrelevant. The BJP has become the Opposition and Mamata has no problem joining an alliance that opposes Modi.

In Maharashtra, like in Bengal, the Congress split, but Pawar was not able to dominate the party entirely as Mamata was.

The coming together of the NCP and the Congress could be problematic for the BJP. The BJP votebank is not as solid in Maharashtra as it is in northern India.

The party got only 27% of the total vote in the last assembly election (it did not contest all seats), but came close to a majority.

The other three parties, including the Shiv Sena, all got about 18% each.

After two decades of uneasy partnerships, produced mainly because ideologically they are almost identical, the NCP and Congress are likely to fight 2019 together without a problem.

In Andhra Pradesh, the principal Opposition is Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. Like in Bengal, the Congress has been taken over by a charismatic local leader and its infrastructure and leadership has been captured.

For Chandrababu Naidu it makes sense to keep his options open because his local threat is not only from the BJP.

The BJP strategy will be to make sure it does not antagonise those parties that are not a part of this alliance, like the Tamilian parties especially, who will be open to a post-poll alliance.

For the Congress, it has become necessary to make alliances, but this is not easy to deliver at the local level.

A recent poll showed that the Congress was ahead of BJP in Rajasthan and, more surprisingly, Madhya Pradesh, a state the BJP has governed for 15 straight years.

In MP, the BSP won only four seats in 2013 (down 3) but it held on to over 6% of the votes.

An alliance with that party will not be easy to drive for the Congress central leadership because the state leaders will be reluctant to concede too much in a time when they sense victory.

But an alliance with the BSP in MP could stop the BJP's unbeaten run before it touches two full decades.

It will take great maturity from the Gandhis to be able to pull such alliances off.

But if they do it, 2019 will be a very interesting election for all of us to observe, no matter which party we support.

Aakar Patel is Executive Director, Amnesty International India. The views expressed here are his own.'This is obvious to everyone except those in denial; it is a national shame.'

'To that extent, blaming any particular government is an insufficient response,' argues Mihir S Sharma.

IMAGE: Protesters in New Delhi demand the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Ajay Singh Bisht, also known as Yogi Adityanath, April 15, 2018. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo

A silent prime minister; a horrific rape; protests at India Gate; arrogant press conferences; outraged social media -- you'd think we were back in UPA-II. You're tempted to throw your hands up in the air and say: The more things change, the more they stay the same.

But look a little deeper at the causes and the reaction to these two incidents of rape, in Unnao and in Kathua, and some similarities and differences to what happened in Delhi in 2012 emerge.

First, one basic point: Violence against women in India, and particularly in north India, is a systemic and socio-cultural crisis.

It isn't just a question of a bad policy that can be switched on and off. North India has a problem with toxic masculinity.

This is obvious to everyone except those in denial; it is a national shame. To that extent, blaming any particular government is an insufficient response.

But behind any particular incident of sexual violence there can be, in addition, other causal influences that might be more or less in a government's control.

With the 2012 Delhi gang-rape, there were two such. The first was that the perpetrators were part of an urban underclass that had been largely ignored by the UPA's farms-first welfare policies.

The second, more immediate policy failure: The culprits picked up the girl and her friend from a well-trafficked public space in a 'private bus'. This reflected poorly on the Congress-led Delhi government's vision for urban spaces and liveability.

Thus to the extent that there could have been a rational anti-government argument underlying the 2012 protests, it would be a demand for more and better public transport; more policemen; more acceptance of women out late in cities. (Instead, the 2012 protests were soon hijacked by the most lumpen aspects of the Opposition.)

But in the Unnao and Kathua rapes, the additional causal influences are substantively different.

In Unnao, the accused rapist, a Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, obviously and arrogantly displays a sense of his own impunity.

The systemic problem, besides violent misogyny: The complete subversion in rural North India of local administration by gangster-politicians or bahubalis across various parties.

The specific political failure: A failure to arrest the accused, collapsing the 'law and order' myth carefully built up by propagandists for Adityanath.

His administration is revealed for what it is: An alliance of local upper-caste toughs who revel in their impunity, and against whom ordinary people have no recourse.

Those who complain are murdered; the accused walk around smiling and free; and cases are not registered even though the Union home minister admits that the law requires it.

What of Kathua?

There, if possible, the causal narrative is even more disturbing.

The little child who was drugged, repeatedly raped in a temple, and then murdered, was chosen -- according to the chargesheet filed by the J&K police -- deliberately to intimidate her Muslim nomadic community and force them to leave the area.

If so, this was not a crime of opportunity but a planned atrocity, a deeply political act of barbarism.

The systemic problem, in addition to violent misogyny: The build-up, especially by the BJP, of a sense of division between communities and of the notion that a Muslim population is necessarily a cultural and security threat as well as a demographic time-bomb.

Hate-mongering about the Rohingyas, the cynicism of the PDP-BJP alliance, and the past impunity of 'counter-terror' special police officers such as the one arrested in this case, have all contributed in one way or another.

The specific political failures: The enabling of lawyers who prevented the filing of the chargesheet against the accused; and the presence of locally powerful leaders, particularly from the BJP, in a 'Hindu Ekta Manch' march that carried the national flag and protested the arrest of those accused.

Objectively, therefore, the proximate political failures in both these cases are greater than in 2012, and require a more robust political response.

Here the BJP governments at the state and Centre have failed.

Leaders such as Meenakshi Lekhi, who were particularly vocal about the 2012 rape, have instead minimised the importance of these more recent incidents.

A chorus of indignation was arranged to mock the 'silent' Manmohan Singh then; this prime minister, a far more loquacious and communicative politician, has been as silent.

Thus while the atmosphere may feel similar, the differences between 2012 and 2018 should not be ignored.

The BJP has more to answer for, especially given its stand in 2012 and its billboards in the 2014 election campaign that made a political issue of violence against women.

This is another nail in the coffin of the BJP's 'good governance' narrative.

In Unnao, it is clear that it is not a party with a difference; instead, it is as much a party of thugs as its predecessor in power in UP, and perhaps worse because of the explicit upper caste bias in its administrative set-up.

In Kathua, it is clear that unleashing the basest sort of divisiveness, and the identification of violence against minorities with nationalism, is more central to its political mobilisation than any other element.

Outrage in 2012, carefully amplified and channelled, discredited the UPA's socially liberal credentials.

If 2018's outrage pans out differently, we should all wonder why.'I know most of the politicians in this country and I know how fair-weather friends they can be.'

'If they get defeated in elections, they will blame it upon something that cannot respond to their allegations like the EVMs.'



Photograph: Rupak De Chowdhuri/Reuters

"I personally have full faith that the general election 2019 will go without any hitch provided we satisfy ourselves and the people of India that the EVMs are credible," former Chief Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy tells Rediff.com/Prasanna D Zore.

Has the failure/malfunctioning of EVMs and VVPATs (voter-verified paper audit trail) during the Gondia and Kairana Lok Sabha bypolls proved the critics right that there are problems with them?

First of all, you are using words like failure/malfunctioning. Whether it was a man-made failure or machine failure has to be thoroughly examined first.

I am sure the Election Commission will conduct an enquiry into how it happened and then they will come to a conclusion. But it does not, in any way, affect the credibility (of the EC).

It may be a human error, or (a problem) of improper storage or any other thing. Let an independent enquiry (report) come.

I am more than convinced, as far as the EVMs are concerned, they are the most credible (system).

At least EVMs are more credible than the ballot paper system because there have been frauds and manipulations (by politicians) with conventional paper ballots.

To say that the latter is better than EVMs is not acceptable.

I know many cases in some of the states where they (the politicians and their henchmen) stuffed bogus ballot papers and that is not an alternative.

If you have found something lacking (with the EVMs), correct it. For that the Election Commmission must hold an independent enquiry.

Whatever I understand from TV (reports), the machine and VVPATs were a problem. But that again has to be established.

Do you expect the EC to order a probe into this malfunctioning? What should be the terms of reference for such probe?

I am very certain that they will do it. Whether they will do it internally or bring some outsider, I can't say.

In order to improve the credibility of the system they can get a technical person to have a look at it.

The things that must be probed and looked into include whether the machine was itself at fault or was there any maintenance problem or whether it is training or a transportation problem.

It is difficult for us to prejudge the cause of the faults.

If necessary somebody from the IITs (Indian Institutes of Technology) could also have a look at it.

It is in the interest of the country, our democracy, and the EC, to go into the entire range of complaints and verify them.

Do you accept the EC's explanation of a 'heat wave' being responsible for malfunctioning?

It will be premature for me to comment on that and that is why I said let an independent enquiry look into these complaints.

It will be very unfair for me to comment upon it because I don't know if any junior EC official or the commissioner has said so.

Let a credible, independent, enquiry look into all these issues.

This (the EVMs) is the best system we have and the whole world admires how we announce the results within a few hours.

If there is a small deficiency, accept it and correct it. There is no harm in doing so.

I do not feel there is any deliberate manipulation in this matter, but then this is my personal opinion and it is better to have an independent enquiry establish that.

The big question now is what if such a situation were to arise during the 2019 general election.

What measures should the EC adopt to put the doubts of critics at rest?

I don't think that can happen. Apart from this, there are a few procedural things that must be looked into.

The voting population is increasing, the numbers of polling booths are increasing and the system of centralised counting should all be looked into with greater vigour.

I personally have full faith that the general election 2019 will go without any hitch, provided we satisfy ourselves and the people of India that the EVMs are credible.

How can one convince the defeated political parties that the machines are credible?

I know most of the politicians in this country and I know how fair-weather friends they can be.

If they get defeated in elections, they will blame it upon something that cannot respond to their allegations like blaming it on EVMs. The machines can't answer because they have no voice.

It is very easy to find fault with that.

The winners will vouch for the quality of the EVMs.

When two people went to the Supreme Court, the EC challenged some politicians to come and prove the inadequacies of the EVMs, nobody accepted it.

In the Karnataka elections, where nobody got a majority, nobody talked about the machines (being faulty).

I am quite used to the frustration of the defeated parties complaining about faulty EVMs.

Our democracy needs a robust election system.

Given the political discourse in the country, how can the EC be made more transparent and accountable?

Why must one doubt the transparency and credibility of the EC?

We have already made suggestions that the appointment of the election commissioner can be done by a collective body, comprising representatives of the judiciary, Opposition parties, etc so that there is some faith in the system.

And let the CEC such appointed be removed only by an impeachment motion. We will have to amend the Constitution for doing this.

In my letter of July 2004 -- available on the EC Web site -- to the prime minister, I had listed 24 recommendations to make the EC more transparent and accountable.

I had recommended the formation of a National Election Fund.

No company should give donations to any party and instead give it to the NEF.

Let these donations be 100 per cent exempt from tax. But do not provide an opportunity for a nexus between corporates and political parties. There are many areas where we can improve.

In this context, how transparent and fair are the electoral bonds introduced by this government for funding of elections and political parties?

I do not approve of electoral bonds as an improvement in the funding of elections and political parties.

The very fact that it is a bearer bond and it does not contain any detail or information (about the donor or the donee) is the problem.

My objection is corporates give money to political parties with some expectation of a quid pro quo.

How does that solve the issues of transparency in election funding?

Money is given for some policy decision to be made in their favour; that is how it happens all over the world.

Electoral bonds are neither transparent nor are they going to reduce the influence of money power in contesting elections because there is no limit for buying these electoral bonds.

All this can be got rid of if you have an NEF and a ban on individual spending. Only then will the NEF concept work.

This will also make the EC independent of budgetary allocations for conducting elections in India.

Your views on one nation, one poll: How feasible is this idea for a federal republic like India?

Theoretically, this idea is very attractive and useful in the sense that you can save a lot of taxpayers' time, money and energy if elections (to the state legislative assemblies as well as the Lok Sabha) are held simultaneously.

But the Constitution does not permit such a possibility, so again the Constitution will have to be amended.

Secondly, there is a view that periodic elections are a sign of a vibrant democracy.

Generally, I would have accepted it, but for Indian politicians who are the weakest link in our democracy.

When it comes to policy matters, they have not shown much maturity.

Our politicians should be regulated and monitored properly and transparently.

I have suggested a separate law for the formation, functioning, accountability, financial reporting, resolution of disputes, of political parties like in many other countries.

For example, there are some people who continue to head their party for years and years.

They give an impression that they have been elected, but they are nominated.

There is a need for our political parties to be legislatively regulated.Last updated on: May 31, 2018 16:34 IST

'Farmers' issues will rule the narrative in the 2019 elections.'

IMAGE: 'If Modiji is credited for small clerical decisions, then he must bear the brunt for losses,' says Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chaudhary. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Tabassum Hasan, the Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate, has defeated her Bharatiya Janata Party rival Mriganka Singh in the Kairana Lok Sabha by-election.

The by-election was necessitated by the death of BJP MP Hukum Singh, whose daughter Mriganka Singh was the BJP candidate.

Mriganka Singh had also lost the 2017 assembly election to the Samajwadi Party's Nahid Hasan.

Tabassum Hasan is Nahid Hasan's mother.

The Kairana loss is the third defeat in a Lok Sabha by-election for the BJP in UP this year.

The Samajwadi Party wrested the Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats from the BJP, seats previously held by Ajay Singh Bisht, now UP's chief minister, and Keshav Prasad Maurya, now the state's deputy chief minister.

Rediff.com/Firdaus Ashraf spoke to RLD Vice President Jayant Chaudhary -- the late Uttar Pradesh political legend Chaudhary Charan Singh's grandson -- who is being credited for the party's victory.

Your reactions on the victory in Kairana.

I would like to thank all parties -- the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party, the Communist Party of India, the Peace Party, the Nishad Party and all the other parties who supported us.

What were the issues that made you win?

We are winning the election on the farmers issue. Issues faced by farmers are the only thing that matters in Kairana.

There were many attempts to polarise society by spreading communal poison during the election, but people have rejected that agenda.

It is said you concentrated on 'Ganna' (sugarcane) and the BJP concentrated on Jinnah in the election campaign after the Aligarh Muslim University controversy.

Ganna triumphed. Ganna trumped Jinnah (in Kairana).

Was development the only issue you focused on?

That was our line. That was the thrust of our campaign and that was effective.

Will things change for the Opposition parties after the Kairana election?

Things will get better for us after the Kairana election.

Lots of people who were against the BJP and their communal agenda will come out openly and speak out now. This will create an atmosphere in favour of the Opposition.

Have Jat voters come back to your party?

I won't comment on Jat voters, but the farmers' identity in politics is very important.

We have realised that. Farmers' issues will rule the narrative in the 2019 elections.

You were fighting against the huge BJP machinery in the election. What was the vibe you were getting during campaigning?

Our campaigning was on a micro level. We had no money power and didn't have the high voltage, high decibel that the BJP has for its campaign. Our campaign was a stark contrast to them.

We did not do any big meetings. We reached out to our voters.

We were able to connect emotionally to the voters. We only spoke about real issues. That is why our campaign was better received.

Will the Kairana election result be a referendum on Narendra D Modi's performance for the 2019 electios?

If Modiji takes credit for even small clerical decisions taken by the government, then he must bear the brunt for losses.

You cannot say a win owed to the Modi wave and if it is a loss then it is some local issue.

To a certain degree, there is dissatisfaction in the way the economy is being run; the way the farmers are (being treated).

Farmers are very angry with the state government of Uttar Pradesh which is ruled by the BJP and also the central government.

Modiji put a personal effort too (in this election). On May 27, the prime minister inaugurated a highway project of which only 9 kilometres was completed!

He tried to divert the attention from Kairana to a larger canvas, but that attempt also failed.

It is obvious that people will now say the Modi wave is no longer that effective.Last updated on: May 31, 2018 18:46 IST

'More people will come out of the BJP. You just wait and watch.'

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi with party president Amit Shah and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during a meeting at party headquarters in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Nanabhau Patole defeated the Nationalist Congress Party's Praful Patel from the Bhandara-Gondia constituency in the 2014 Lok Sabha election by 149,254 votes.

Expressing displeasure over the BJP's stand on the agrarian crisis in Maharashtra, Patole resigned from the Lok Sabha and the BJP last year. He joined the Congress in January.

On Thursday, May 31, 2018, the NCP won the Bhandara-Gondia seat back from the BJP, in a by-election necessitated by Patole's resignation.

"Anyone cursed by farmers will never be able to rule the country," Patole tells Rediff.com/Syed Firdaus Ashraf.

Your reaction on the NCP victory in Bhandara-Gondia.

We should have got more votes. Our objection to EVMs still exists.

This vote is against the BJP policies towards farmers, small businessmen and poor people.

You resigned as a BJP MP, citing the Modi government's anti-farmer policies. Do you feel vindicated by the result?

The result is proof of that.

This election was Nana Patole versus the BJP and the people gave their verdict.

What issues bother farmers?

Every day farmers commit suicide.

When you plan to slaughter a goat, the animal fears death.

But in our country farmers do not fear death and commit suicide.

Modi had given assurances to farmers, but he went back on his promises.

Farmers are not getting their rightful dues from the government and instead have to pay from their pockets to buy farm goods.

Therefore, farmers' suicides have increased across India.

Why did you not advise the PM to implement the M S Swaminathan Committee report for farmers when you were in the BJP?

Before (the 2014 Lok Sabha) election, the BJP promised it would implement the Swaminathan Committee report, but after it came to power it filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court stating it would not implement the Swaminathan Committee report.

The BJP betrayed farmers.

Did you see an anti-Modi wave among farmers before you quit the BJP?

I am myself a farmer.

I see the pain of farmers every day. The BJP has done nothing to ease that pain.

The Modi government has been cursed by farmers.

Anyone cursed by farmers will never be able to rule the country. You don't need to go to a jyotish (astrologer) to know that.

I sat in Parliament to serve the people. If I am unable to do that, what is the point of that chair for me?

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari called you a turncoat.

If my leader (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi tells me to contest against Nitin Gadkari from Nagpur, I will contest against him and defeat him.

If Gadkari has guts, then let him stand against me in the election.

The Congress did not give you a ticket to contest from your own seat. How will it give you a ticket to contest from Nagpur against Gadkari?

I don't want power. I work for the people.

This decision was taken by Rahul Gandhi and (Nationalist Congress Party supremo) Sharad Pawarji and I have no problems with that.

What effect will this by-election result have on the 2019 Lok Sabha election?

Modi has been cursed by farmers.

The same is the case with the (Devendra) Fadnavis government. It too will suffer.

What is the situation in your village as far as farmers are concerned?

There are tankers everywhere.

There is no water for farmers.

The situation for farmers is very scary.

What is happening with Fadnavis' pet irrigation project -- the Jalyukt Shivar scheme under which ponds and aquifers in villages are deepened to improve their retention capacities?

That scheme was created by then chief minister Sudhakarrao Naik. Fadnavis did not change anything from that policy.

The same thing happened with the scholarship programmes for OBCs (Other Backward Classes).

The Fadnavis government opened a department in Mantralaya for that, but they have not given a single scholarship to OBCs.

The BJP only shows off.

I pointed out all these problems to Fadnavis, but he did not do anything.

He only managed the media.

Modi announced 100 schemes after he became PM. Not a single scheme is working on the ground today.

On the other hand, demonetisation and GST (the goods and services tax) have destroyed people's lives forever.

Let Modi tell us which of his schemes has worked well for the people of India.

Did you raise these issues within party fora before quitting the BJP?

It was covered in the newspapers that I had an open fight with Prime Minister Narendra D Modi on all these issues.

I was the first man to warn Modi about the farmers' anger in the country.

I waited for six months to change his policies, but he did not change. Then I had to resign because I am not in politics for power.

I am in politics to serve the people of my country.

You were not a RSS member before you joined the BJP.

Agreed. I did not wear shorts before joining the BJP, but who is Rajendra Gavit (who joined the BJP just before the Palghar by-election) then?

Did he wear shorts?

He won from Palghar on a BJP ticket. He is a former Congressman.

Did any BJP MP stand by you when you spoke out against Modi?

Behind Modi's back they agree with me, but no one in the BJP dares to speak against Modi.

After this defeat, do you feel there will be protests in the BJP against Modi?

The BJP will split in the future.

Yashwant Sinha was the first person to move out.

More people will come out of the BJP. You just wait and watch.

You see what the BJP did to leaders like L K Advani.

In Maharashtra you see what the BJP did to Gopinath Munde and Eknath Khadse.

The BJP does not want people from the Bahujan Samaj.

They have got Peshwai (brahminical rule of the Peshwas) in Maharashtra.IMAGE: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh addresses a press conference on completion of four years of BJP government at the centre in Bhopal. Photograph: PTI Photo

With the Bharatiya Janata Party facing reverses in bypolls to Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap.

Asked about the BJP's performance in the by-elections to 11 assembly and four Lok Sabha seats in various states ahead of next year's general polls, Singh, in a lighter vein, said, "For a massive leap, one always has to go two steps backward."

"We are going to take a massive leap," the senior BJP leader said.

The former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh was addressing a press conference in Bhopal to highlight the National Democratic Alliance government's achievements in the last four years.

Dealing a body blow to the ruling BJP, opposition parties emerged victorious in 11 out of 14 bypolls while limiting the saffron party and its allies at just three and snatching the high-profile Kairana Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh with a united force.Dealing a body blow to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, opposition parties on Thursday emerged victorious in 12 out of 15 bypolls while limiting the saffron party and its allies at just three and snatching the high-profile Kairana Lok Sabha seat in Uttar Pradesh with a united force.

Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo

With prestige at stake in every single bypoll in run-up to the 2019 general elections, the opposition leaders latched onto Thursday's results across 11 states to claim sliding popularity of the Narendra Modi-led government, even as the BJP asserted that the PM -- which it described as 'P' for performance and 'M' for mehnat (hard work) -- would decide the Lok Sabha polls next year.

However, opposition leaders saw a big boost for strengthening non-BJP unity with the ruling party losing Kairana Lok Sabha seat in the politically important UP to a united Opposition after a communally-charged election campaign, while similar appeared the result for Bhandara-Gondiya LS constituency in Maharashtra.

Lok Sabha bypolls

Seat State Winner Previous Winner Kairana Uttar Pradesh RLD BJP Palghar Maharashtra BJP BJP Bhandara-Gondiya Maharashtra NCP BJP Nagaland Nagaland NDPP NPF

The BJP retained another LS seat from Maharashtra, Palghar, where it had faced its own ally Shiv Sena but the Opposition could not put a united fight. BJP's Rajendra Gavit won the seat, defeating Shiv Sena's Shrinivas Wanaga.

In Nagaland, the fourth LS seat for which bypoll was held on Monday, went to BJP's ally Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party.

IMAGE: RLD candidate Tabassum Hasan outside the counting centre after winning the Kairana Lok Sabha by-election on Thursday. She was also supported by the Congress, SP and BSP. Hasan became the first Muslim MP from UP in the 16th Lok Sabha. She defeated BJPs Mriganka Singh by a huge margin of 44,600 votes. 'Had there be no EVM problem, my victory margin would have been more,' she said. Photograph: PTI Photo

While the LS bypoll results were equally divided at 2-2 between the BJP-led alliance and the opposition parties, figures for the 11 assembly bypolls came as a big setback for the ruling party which could win just one (in Uttarakhand).

The Congress bagged four (in Meghalaya, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Punjab) and others got six -- the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha two in Jharkhand; the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Trinamool Congress one each in Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, respectively.

The Congress also won one assembly seat in Maharashtra without contest after all other parties withdrew their candidates.

The party, which retained Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly in Karnataka and another in Meghalaya, termed the bypoll results as the people's mandate against four years of the Modi rule and the beginning of the end of the BJP empire.

Assembly bypolls

Seat State Winnner Previous

Winner Noorpur Uttar Pradesh SP BJP Palus Kadegaon Maharashtra Congress Congress Jokihat Bihar RJD JD-U Chengannur Kerala CPI-M CPI-M Shahkot Punjab Congress SAD Silli Jharkhand JMM JMM Gomia Jharkhand JMM JMM Rajarajeshwari nagar Karnataka Congress Congress Maheshtala West Bengal TMC TMC Ampati Meghalaya Congress Congress Tharali Uttarakhand BJP BJP

"The writing on the wall is clear. The BJP's exit and success of the Congress and its allies are guaranteed," Congress leader Pramod Tiwari told reporters.

The results appeared more marked against the BJP after taking into account the parties that had held these seats earlier.

While the BJP alliance retained two LS seats -- one in Maharashtra and another in Nagaland -- it lost two others -- UP's Kairana and Maharashtra's Bhandara-Gondiya.

The BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the party will analyse the cause of defeat in the two LS seats.

IMAGE: NCP workers celebrate their party's success in BhandaraGondiya Lok Sabha by-elections, outside their party office, in Bhandara district of Maharashtra on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo

In assembly seats, the BJP and its allies failed to retain Noorpur in UP and Shahkot in Punjab, while the Congress, the CPI-M, the JMM and the TMC retained their respective seats.

The BJP retained Tharali in Uttarakhand, but lost Noorpur in UP. SP's Naeemul Hasan trounced BJP's Avni Singh in Noorpur.

In Bihar, RJD won minority-dominated Jokihat by defeating BJP ally Janata Dal-United by a huge margin.

A buoyed Tejashwi Yadav of RJD said Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who dumped the RJD and Congress last year to join hands with the BJP to form a new coalition government in the state, should resign if he has some conscience left.

Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said one has to take two steps backward before a big leap and the BJP is 'going to take a massive leap'.

BJP's Subramanian Swamy, however, had a word of caution for the party and said the 'this huge setback in by polls is due to hubris'.

"But the trend is easily reversible if party stops rewarding sycophancy and has more participatory decision making ethos amongst those leaders whom the public find credible. BJP has infrastructure to bounce back but needs a new ethos," he said.

IMAGE: JMM candidate Seema Mahato with her supporters flashes a victory sign during the victory procession after winning the Silli constituency seat, in Ranchi on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo

Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said the results reflect the anger against the Modi government.

The UP results came as the biggest upset for the BJP with the joint opposition candidate, Rashtriya Lok Dal's Tabassum Hasan, wining in Kairana. The seat had fallen vacant after death of the BJP candidate Mriganka Singh's father, Hukum Singh.

Former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav called the results 'a defeat of divisive politics' and congratulated all opposition parties for the results.

RLD's Jayant Chaudhary said the opposition unity will continue and the results showed that 'Jinnah hara, ganna jeeta' -- referring to the recent controversy over the Pakistan founder's portrait and the problems being faced by sugarcane farmers.

CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechuri said BJP's loss at its 'laboratory of communal and hate politics', Kairana, clearly showed that people did not accept the ruling party's politics but warned that the loss could push the Rashtraiy Swayamsevak Sangh-BJP to spread communal tensions to consolidate the 'Hindutva votebank'.

In Punjab, Congress' Hardev Singh Ladi wrested Shahkot from the Shiromani Akali Dal.

Trinamool's Dulal Das won Maheshtala bypoll in West Bengal, defeating BJP's Sujit Kumar Ghosh. The Left came third.

In Kerala, Left's Saji Cheriyan won Chengannur bypoll. The Congress came second and the BJP third.

JMM retained Silli and Gomia seats in Jharkhand. In Gomia, JMM's Babita Devi defeated All Jharkhand Students Union nominee Lambodar Mahto, while the BJP came third.

In Silli, JMM's Seema Mahto defeated AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto.Amid speculation whether United States President Donald Trump will meet North Koreas leader Kim Jong-un, the US president met Kim on Thursday, but its not what you think.

IMAGE: US President Donald Trump tweeted this image during the meet with reality star Kim Kardashian. He captioned it saying, "Great meeting with @KimKardashian today, talked about prison reform and sentencing." Photograph: @realDonaldTrump/Twitter

The US president met reality star Kim Kardashian West and other officials, including senior adviser Jared Kushner, at the White House on Wednesday to discuss prison reform.

The reality star spent an hour at the White House in a meeting with the US presidents son-in-law Jared Kushner that also included a conversation with Trump about a first-time drug offender and great-grandmother serving a life sentence in prison.

Kardashian West, who wore a black suit with bright yellow stilettos, was spotted leaving the White House with a small entourage about an hour after she arrived.

IMAGE: Kim Kardashian met with Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner and discussed prison reform. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

The entrepreneur and reality television star has advocated for a pardon for a low-level drug offender named Alice Marie Johnson, who has served more than 20 years in prison. Earlier Wednesday, Kardashian West tweeted, Happy Birthday Alice Marie Johnson. Today is for you, adding the prayer hands emoji.

I would like to thank President Trump for his time this afternoon. It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms. Alice Marie Johnson who is serving a life sentence for a first-time, non-violent drug offense, Kardashian West said in a statement. We are optimistic about Ms Johnsons future and hopeful that she -- and so many like her -- will get a second chance at life.

Kardashian West said she supported Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, but her husband, rapper Kanye West, has signalled his support for Trump.Finally, to end the dispute Sharma threatened to show her shoes.

Pasbola declared regally that he would like to forgo that particular honour.

Sharma ignored him.

Instead, she bent down, took off her shoe and triumphantly held her prize aloft, and said delightedly, "Yeh dekhiye! (Have a look!)"

Vaihayasi Pande Daniel reports from the Sheena Bora murder trial.

Illustration: Rediff.com/Dominic Xavier

Guess who stole the show Wednesday, May 30, at the morning hearing of the Sheena Bora murder trial?

A strange pair of pointed black, flat shoes, with straps.

Unbelievable.

It yet again confirmed that no day in court is, often, even remotely like the next.

The shoes, none too pretty, belonged to Kajal Sharma, Indrani Mukerjea's former secretary. She was wearing them and had been wearing them daily to the trial.

They made an appearance when Sharma decided to angrily take one of them off, to show the sole of it to Indrani's lawyer Sudeep Ratnamberdutt Pasbola, much to the surprise of CBI Special Courtroom 51, at the Mumbai city civil and sessions court, Kala Ghoda, south Mumbai. Whatever next?!

The topic wandered inexplicably to shoes, during the cross-examination of Sharma, when for some reason Pasbola was curious to know Sharma's shoe size.

At first, she would not reveal her size. "Mera? (Mine?)" she asked in shock, looking down at her feet in the witness box.

Sharma questioned, her voice going up a few octaves: "Size?"

Pasbola: "Size."

Sharma again: "Size?!"

An exceedingly strange comedy of errors then started to unfold.

She modestly told CBI Special Judge Jayendra Chandrasen Jagdale that that was a personal question, as if Pasbola had been asking about her lingerie instead of her feet: "Personal question ka jawab nahin dena ka right hai? (I have the right not to give the answer to a personal question?)"

The judge, perhaps misunderstanding her, agreed cheerfully: "You have every right to give an answer."

Pasbola immediately grumpily rubbished her statement declaring disgustedly there was nothing personal about a shoe size.

Sharma delicately ventured she had a size of "7 or 37" depending on the brand and type.

Pasbola heard instead "5 or 37."

Sharma corrected him.

At that point Pasbola insisted, over and over again, that she had said 5 and how could she change her shoe size in the space of a few minutes, attempting to show, in that instance, before the court, her total unreliability.

Sharma stuck to her guns.

She announced she had said 7 all along. She complained, "He wants me to say what he wants me to say."

Pasbola disbelieving: "Size 7 or 8 is what I wear."

Special CBI Prosecutor Bharat Badami chimed in sagaciously: "Bahut saare log pehnte hai (Many people wear that size)."

Pasbola, the ambassador of small tootsies, declared: "Ladies log nahin pehnte hai (Ladies don't wear that size)."

My own sweaty size 9 feet began to tingle in the courtroom, lest Pasbola spied them.

Sharma, looking at her shoes, owned up: "Today I am wearing size 39."

Pasbola dismissed: "But no one has seen it."

The discussion on shoes then went to how there could be a huge difference in size if a pair was purchased in the UK or the US.

Sharma, who was wearing a peach kurta with white embroidery and a white churidar, stoutly declared she only bought her shoes "locally", not in the US or the UK and that her shoe size might vary minimally, but she had said size 7.

Finally, to summarily end the dispute she threatened to show her shoes.

Pasbola declared regally that he would like to forgo that particular honour.

Sharma ignored him.

Instead, she bent down, took off her shoe and triumphantly held her prize aloft, the sole facing Pasbola, waving it, and said delightedly, "Yeh dekhiye! (Have a look!) Number 39!"

The court grinned, including Sharma's husband, who was sitting in the front row.

Indrani wearing a pale orange chikan kurta beamed from the accused enclosure in the back.

Never had, probably, such an odd shoe got so much attention.

Pasbola didn't react. Instead, he asked her if she ever wore Bata shoes.

Sharma very definitely and disdainfully said no.

The Shoe Rumpus ended there with the lawyer moving abruptly on to another topic.

Pasbola gave no further clue as to why the shoe hullabaloo had erupted in the first place.

Perhaps it was an attempt to link Sharma up with the three pairs of Bata shoes that figured in the case earlier as those worn the day Sheena Bora's body was disposed of.

Though the shoe discussion hogged a good portion of the hearing, Pasbola took his final day cross-examination to other contentious areas too.

A notable to-and-fro occurred on Sharma's visit to the Mukerjea residence, No 19, Marlow, Worli, south central Mumbai, on the day of the murder in 2012.

It began with the time of her visit to Indrani's home.

Sharma had told the magistrate, before whom she first deposed in 2015, that she had gone at 11.30 on April 24, 2012, and had been there for 1.5 hours.

She told the court last month it had been later in the afternoon and her duration was different.

Pasbola wanted to know why her time and duration differed.

But first he wanted her to simply answer, with a yes or a no, that she had given the time of 11.30 and a duration of 1.5 hours.

Sharma simply would not give a yes or a no.

She dug in her heels, in those strange black now familiar shoes, and persisted in offering an explanation first.

Sharma prattling off a long, once-upon-a-time tale: "Sir woh aise ho gaya, mein aap ko batatee (It happened like this. I will explain)."

Pasbola cut her off brusquely. "Kahani nahin sun na hai! (I don't want to hear a story!)"

She kept contending she had given an approximate duration. Pasbola wanted her to admit the discrepancy and that she answer his question.

Sharma in an angry voice said she didn't want to answer the way he wanted her to answer.

She offered stubbornly and heatedly: "Answer half right hai, half wrong hai (The answer is half right and half wrong). I said 1-1 hours."

A ring of laughter sounded from the back. From Indrani, of course.

You can never forget Indrani is in the room. She always makes her presence known in little ways, that attract attention.

Badami counselled Sharma kindly: "Shanti se jawab do (Give your answers calmly)."

Each Q and A session between Pasbola and Sharma is much closer to a skirmish on a battlefield than a simple cross-examination.

The spirited Sharma, unusually, refuses to be brow-beaten by Pasbola and frequently renders the lawyer's customary hectoring tactics ineffective.

So authentic is Sharma's portrayal of her helpless inability to understand a standard Pasbola question, that often Judge Jagdale kindly and gently intervenes and rephrases many a question for her.

Or, like he did on Wednesday, he suggests a question might be too difficult for her to understand.

After the time and duration of her visit to Marlow, Pasbola enquired if she had spoken to Mukerjea's then driver Shyamvar Pinturam Rai from the Mukerjea residence, possibly from a landline.

Sharma, as expected, didn't remember. And if Rai had been in the home. She said she was not aware.

Pasbola: "Us din sham ko Rai ne aapko call kiya 6.06 and 27 seconds (That evening Rai called you at 6.06 and 27 seconds). You spoke to him for a long time. 71 seconds. What was it about?"

Sharma corrected him: "One minute 11 seconds. Mujhe yaad nahin hai. Mein bahut baat karti thi (I don't remember. I used to talk a lot)."

Pasbola admonished her with a smile: "Court mein baat toh nahi karti hai (You don't talk in court)." She smiled back broadly.

Pasbola: "Kis silsile mein baat ki thi? (In what connection did you speak to him?)"

Sharma: "Office related work."

Pasbola: "But what office related work?!"

Sharma didn't remember. Pasbola pushed for a better answer.

Judge Jagdale, dismissive: "She cannot remember," wondering why the lawyer was stuck on that answer.

Pasbola: "That was the time of the murder."

The judge smiled in understanding.

Sharma said it could be about booking a ticket, but she could not recall exactly.

Other than the Marlow visit on the day of the murder, Pasbola verified with Sharma if she was aware that instead of flying to Kolkata on the 25th from Mumbai, Indrani initially had plans to fly directly from London to Kolkata and had kept Sharma in the loop.

She didn't remember. But Pasbola confirmed that Sharma was usually aware of the movements of the Mukerjea family because they usually sent her copies of their tickets so she could make onward bookings for cars or hotels or whatever.

Pasbola checked too with Sharma about the arrangements that existed between the Mukerjeas and Pradeep Waghmare, the office peon who doubled up as a cleaner at the Mukerjea home.

The name Waghmare always brings a round of smiles in this courtroom, because the energetic, cheerful-faced, peon at Courtroom 51 is also a Waghmare.

The lawyer closed his cross-examination of Sharma, which must be a situation of mutual relief, stating: "It is my case to you that you are deposing falsely under pressure from the CBI to save yourself."

He went on to add: "By way of a grand design you are falsely implicating Indrani Mukerjea."

Sharma: "Hindi mein boliye (Say it in Hindi)."

Pasbola said, though Hindi was his mother tongue, he was not sure how he could translate the word grand design into Hindi.

The judge chipped in offering an explanation and that this was what Pasbola was suggesting -- "Aise yeh bol rahein hai (That is what he is contending)."

Sharma firmly and loudly: "Aisa completely galat hai (That is completely wrong)."

Niranjan Mundargi then took over.

Always the Topography Man, this tall lawyer, who customarily uses very lucid, straightforward language and represents Sanjeev Khanna, Indrani's former husband, seems to believe that geography is the easiest way to show up the reliability of a witness.

He proved it on Wednesday when he had a go at Sharma.

Mundragi started off by asking her about her visit to the Hiltop Hotel, Worli, south central Mumbai, on the day of the murder, with Indrani, to make a hotel booking for Sanjeev.

His questions focussed on what she remembered about the hotel, the location of its lobby, its glass door entrance and the distance between the reception desk and the seating area.

Sharma couldn't give a legitimate answer to even a single of his questions and made a hash of it, giving the most vague of responses.

The young lawyer then called her out. He told her bluntly that she hadn't even been to the hotel. "Mera aisa kahna hai ki Hiltop Hotel nahin gayi. Mera aisa kahna hai ki aap ke saamne koi room book nahin hua (It is my contention you have never been to the Hiltop Hotel and it is also my contention that no room was ever booked in front of you)."

Mundargi tried getting to the bottom of the ticklish forgery issue when he addressed a chain of questions to Sharma about who could operate her personal salary bank account, if she was the sole signatory on it.

Sharma, who always, oddly, has a bugaboo about her "personal rights", asked the judge why she had to answer questions about her bank account if it was a personal matter.

Judge Jagdale emphatically told her she did.

Mundargi kept inching closer. Through the same question, asked in ten different ways, he attempted to show Sharma how signatures were crucial to operating a bank account and that if someone withdrew money from her account, using her signature it would a "zulm (crime)."

The lawyer was going about his task with such thoroughness that the judge muttered to him to finish asking the question quickly, if he didn't want the answer to change.

Sharma abruptly shut the whole exercise down, saying flatly, "Mein pahele bhi bola tha ki forgery word baad mein patta chala (I have already said it earlier that I learned about the word forgery only later)."

Mundargi, whose entire cross examination lasted about half an hour, then moved in for the kill, with a sequence of very neatly-worded, hit-home questions of Sharma about her forgery of Sheena Bora's signature, on Indrani's instructions, on her resignation letter to Mumbai Metro One and on the cancellation of her leave and license for the rental of her flat.

"Did you take anyone's help when you had to practise Sheena Bora's signatures?"

"Did you discuss having to practise the writing of Sheena Bora's signature with anyone? Your husband? Or a close relative? That the practising was taking too much time aur ki ho nahin raha tha? (And that it was not happening properly?)"

"Did you practise in front of your husband or gharwale (people at home)?"

"Did you tell your husband that you had to do this? Aapne pattidev ko pucha ki aise karein ya nahin? (Did you ask your husband if you should do such a task?)"

Sharma squirmed a bit on the witness stand. She said she had not.

Her husband, as he heard Mundargi's questions, offered a faraway smile.

That she had not told her husband didn't seem particularly plausible to the room, given that the man had been in the court for every hearing and had reassuringly sat in the front row, quietly supporting her all through.

Finishing up his cross-examination, Mundargi handed the baton over to Peter Mukerjea's battery of lawyers.

Shrikant Shivade, who heads the team and always does his own cross examinations, wasn't in court. His colleague Amit Ghag said he would be available on Thursday, May 31, and that was the date set for the next hearing.

Before the hearing ended, CBI Investigating Officer K K Singh got up to tell the judge and Pasbola that he had received an e-mail from Indrani's Guwahati-based son Mekhail Bora.

Mekhail had written: 'I, Mekhail Bora, have to inform you that I feel danger to my life. As informed to you sir, I have filed a case to grant probate for the will made by my grandmother (Indrani's mother Durga Rani Bora) but since 2016 the case is still in progress.'

'The executor of the will informed me that he is being in touch with Indrani Mukerjea's lawyer. I really feel very suspicious and scared. Since then, he (the executor of the will) has been mentally harassing me and as he stays near me as my neighbour, I am scared for my life.'

'Sir, I stay all alone in this house and no one to help, I really fear for my life and find this person suspicious and associated to Indrani Mukerjea.'

The e-mail produced, as expected, a ripple of agitated reaction in Courtroom 51.

Pasbola was a bit taken aback that he could possibly be after Mekhail. It was then ascertained that it was not clear if Mekhail was actually referring to Pasbola.

Indrani, her eyes like saucers, asked to read the e-mail. She shrugged unable to make sense of her son's allegations.<

The judge said he granted protection and suggested putting him in ex-politician Chhagan Bhujbal's former cell when he came to Mumbai. He was told there was no space there.

Is Mekhail's arrival imminent? Could he be the next witness? And what a witness he was going to be.

After the hearing, the accused sat about in the back of the courtroom. The prosecution and defence team was also still in the room.

A friendly banter started up.

Ayaz Khan, Indrani's lawyer, was challenging Badami to a plate of sheekh kabab over some wager. Badami said he didn't touch anything non-vegetarian, not even eggs. Indrani declared she was vegetarian too.

K K Singh asked Peter, who was tucking, with quite some concentration, into some fries, why he didn't share his lunch with him or Indrani.

Peter shook his head, and said he was not allowed to. "I am already in jail!" and joked that he didn't want it to get any worse than that.

Wednesday too, the Mumbai civil and sessions court, much of it enjoying a summer break, was a silent ghost of its usual self.

A little excitement was happening one floor up: The judgment in the Farid Tanasha case, an aide of gangster Chhota Rajan, who had been murdered, had been delivered. Eleven men had been convicted.

Hope was on a roll, two floors down: On its landing two little boys, scruffily dressed, stood looking expectantly and elatedly out of the window at the prison buses arriving in the courtyard.

"Baba ko lekar aaye hai! (They have brought father!)"

They then raced down the stairs.Comments

violations of Article 3: failure to effectively investigate allegations and because of its complicity in the CIAs actions that had led to ill-treatment; violations of Article 5 (right to liberty and security), Article 8 (right to respect for private life), and Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) in conjunction with Articles 3, 5 and 8, violations of Article 6  1 (right to a fair trial within a reasonable time), and Articles 2 (right to life) and 3 taken together with Article 1 of Protocol No. 6 (abolition of the death penalty) because Romania had assisted in Mr Al Nashiris transfer from its territory in spite of a real risk that he could face a flagrant denial of justice and the death penalty.Comments

violations of Article 3 (prohibition of torture) of the European Convention on Human Rights, because of the Governments failure to effectively investigate Mr Husayns allegations and because of its complicity in the CIAs actions that had led to ill-treatment; and violations of Article 5 (right to liberty and security), Article 8 (right to respect for private life), and Article 13 (right to an effective remedy), in conjunction with Article 3.Disclaimer

This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States.Charles DeWitt (17271787) was an American miller and statesman from Kingston, New York. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress.

Charles was the only son of Johannes and Mary Brodhead DeWitt. He was born on April 27, 1727. The DeWitt family lived in Kingston, and he was raised there, along with his three sisters. Johannes, and later Charles, operated the flour mill at Greenkill (in what is now Rosendale, New York). The first mill at the site had been built by Mattys Mattysen Van Keuren in 1677. Since he had no children, when he died it passed to his nephew who was a DeWitt.

DeWitt married Blandina DuBois (17311765) on December 20, 1754 in Hurley (town), New York. The couple would have five children. Their grandson Charles G. DeWitt would later serve in the U.S. Congress.

==Political career==

DeWitt was first elected to New Yorks Colonial Assembly to represent Ulster County in 1768. He was returned to that seat in every election until the Assembly was replaced in the American Revolution by a Provisional Congress for the colony in 1775. That year he was one of the members who voted to approve the work of the Continental Congress. As the revolution drew near, and the Ulster militia was expanded, he was named Colonel of the 2nd Ulster Militia regiment.

Charles served in the New York Provincial Congress from 1775 to 1777, as well as continuing his militia duties. In that congress he served on the committee that drafted the states first constitution. He served on the Committee of Safety, and after active warfare slowed, under the new government he was elected to the New York Assembly for 17811785 and 1787. The assembly in turn sent him as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1781 and 1784.

Throughout these years DeWitt also published a newspaper (The Ulster Sentinel), and supplied a great deal of flour to the Continental Army. He died on August 27, 1787 and is buried in the Dutch Reformed Cemetery at Hurley (town), New York. He had written his will on July 7, 1776 as he prepared to set out for the defense of New York City. He left the mill to his son Gerrit, who expanded it in 1806, and the water-powered mill would continue in operation until 1922.

Source(s): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_DeWittA Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind.ABC/Randy Holmes

He's been known as the Prince of Darkness and the Godfather of Heavy Metal, and now, Ozzy Osbourne is set to become a Golden God.

The Black Sabbath frontman will be honored with the eponymous award at the 2018 Metal Hammer Golden Gods. He'll receive the prize during a ceremony hosted by the British magazine in London on June 11.

Previous Golden God recipients include Lemmy, Rob Zombie and Megadeth's Dave Mustaine. Black Sabbath also earned the Golden God distinction at last year's ceremony.

"What an immense honor it is to be getting a second Golden God Award after Sabbath picked one up last year," Ozzy says. "The fans who have supported me and this music mean everything to me, which is why getting this award is so special."

Ozzy is currently in the middle of his final world tour, which will return to the U.S. in August.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Image credit: JCK

National stand Made in Russia, organized with the support of the Russian Export Center, will participate for the first time in the leading international jewellery exhibition JCK Las Vegas Show, which will be held 1-4 June, in Mandalay Bay Convention Centre, Las Vegas.15 Russian companies will take part in the show  Karavaev Jewellery Factory, Galereya Exclusiva, New-Art (Taturin), Bogarta, KU&KU, Zolotie traditzii, Raduga, Leo Totti, Art Jeweller, Sever Almaz Technologii. The works of the jewellery deigner Galina Konyaeva will be showcased at the exhibition, and Kristall Smolensk and Brilliant 24 will be exhibited at the Diamond Plaza pavilion.The finalists of the international contest Russian diamond line will get the spots at the most prestigious zones of the exhibition. Thus, the owner of Grand prix, Sasonko, will work at Design Center, and Moiseikin from Ekaterinburg and Kabarovskih from Kostroma will be showcased at exquisite JCK Luxury.During the show, Russia will hold a campaign to promote Russian jewellery brands to the worlds largest American jewellery market.A state study is planned on the potential cost of extending passenger rail service into Southwest Virginia.

The study by the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation is expected to begin during fiscal 2018-19 on other potential destinations west of Roanoke, including the growing New River Valley.

A total of $350,000 is budgeted for a six-year plan for the study of intercity services in concert with Amtrak and Norfolk Southern, said DRPT Director Jennifer Mitchell, following a Commonwealth Transportation Board public hearing in Abingdon.

The New River Valley/Bristol intercity passenger rail and operating capital funding application will conduct modeling analysis of passenger rail between Roanoke and Bristol.

The DRPT said it still needs to evaluate two years of ridership data from Amtraks Roanoke extension, which began in October 2017, before further expansion can commence.

The state agency, Mitchell said, is also working closely with New River Valley 2020, a partnership of business, municipal, legislative and university leaders from Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Pulaski, Radford and Montgomery County. The alliance has marshaled business support for passenger rail, and reviewed potential station sites.

New River Valley commuters currently travel by bus to the Amtrak station in Roanoke.

Since Norfolk Southern owns the track on the projected route, the impact on its freight operations must also be assessed. Mitchell said that NS made improvements on parallel routes to add capacity as part of the Roanoke passenger extension.James Schwichtenberg has joined CSX as vice president and chief safety officer, effective immediately.

The railroad said Schwichtenberg is a recognized leader in rail safety and will lead the companys intensified focus on safety to re-establish CSX as the safety leader among North American railroads.

He will report to Ed Harris, executive vice president of operations, and joins CSX with 20 years of railroad experience, including 15 directly leading rail safety and regulatory initiatives.

We firmly believe that the predictability of CSXs scheduled railroad operating model will result in a safer and more efficient railroad, said Harris. Jim is a proven leader that will help drive safety performance and operational improvements as CSX advances on our goal of becoming the best railroad in North America. This goal cannot be attained unless we have the best safety record, which we are relentlessly pursuing.

Schwichtenberg will also be responsible for overseeing coordination efforts with CSXs safety consulting firm, DEKRA, which was selected to perform a comprehensive safety assessment of the companys operations. DEKRAs safety assessment of CSX will begin in June and is expected to be complete this fall.

Schwichtenberg most recently served as senior director of regulatory and operating practices at Canadian National Railway, where he worked for six years. In 2003, Schwichtenberg joined the Federal Railroad Administration, rising to the level of deputy administrator for Region 4 in Chicago before his departure in 2012. Schwichtenberg began his career with the Union Pacific in 1998, where he held various engineering positions, including track inspector and section foreman. He holds a bachelors degree in business administration from Strayer University.(Agencia CMA Latam) - The Brazilian government will face a hard time in 2018 and in the next few years to comply with the so-called "golden rule" of public expenditures, which forbids debt issuance to finance current expenses, according to a report from the Treasury Department.

The document points that the federal government would have to raise R$ 181.9 billion this year to comply with the golden rule. A large part of that money - R$ 100 billion - would come from early repayments of the Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDES) to the Treasury.

Other resources would come from ending the Brazilian Sovereign Fund (R$ 27 billion), closing a national development fund (R$ 16 billion) and canceling some public expenditures from previous years that have not yet been implemented (R$ 20 billion). The Treasury also pointed to R$ 18.9 billion that would come from unrevealed sources.

In 2019, however, the problem would continue, with a R$ 260.2 billion gap. In 2020, that shortage rises to R$ 307.3 billion, while in 2020 it reaches R$ 228.4 billion, according to the Treasury estimates.

The document, however, does not explain how would the government cope with the lack of resources in those years.

"It is evident that, to comply with the golden rule this year and in the next years, a series of measures to reduce budget rigidity is needed, together with a fiscal restructuring that cuts current expenses and/or increases revenues," the government said.

The other option would be for the government to request Congressional approval to borrow money in excess of the golden rule limits.

by Agencia CMA Latam

For comments and feedback: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.Indian shares opened higher on Thursday amid easing of Italian political concerns and ahead of May derivative contracts expiry and GDP data due out later in the day.

Meanwhile, the counting of votes for four Lok Sabha and 10 assembly constituencies is taking place today.

The benchmark BSE Sensex was up 130 points or 0.38 percent at 35,037 in early trade after two days of losses while the broader Nifty index was up 35 points or 0.33 percent at 10,649.

Tata Steel, ONGC, Bharti Airtel, HDFC Bank and Coal India climbed 1-4 percent in the Nifty pack, while BPCL, IOC, HPCL and Hero MotoCorp all lost about 1 percent.

ICICI Bank dropped 1 percent after the private sector lender said it would conduct an independent enquiry into charges against CEO Chanda Kochhar:

SBI fell slightly after hiking fixed deposit rates.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Market AnalysisAustrian crypto-miner INVIA has been prohibited from operating under its current model by Austria's Financial Market Authority (FMA) for violating banking laws by allegedly offering financial services apart from its mining operations.

Though INVIA is neither licensed by nor supervised by the FMA, the regulatory authority has taken up the investigations after having received a large number of enquiries from consumers.

The FMA has urged INVIA to cease the unauthorized business operations, while the full investigation into the company is still pending.



The FMA has issued a "procedural instruction" for prohibiting INVIA's current business model which offers financial services in conjunction with the mining of cryptocurrencies.

FMA has imposed a ban on the company's business activities on the suspicion that it is offering unauthorized management of an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) without the license or supervision by the regulator.

The company's website currently says "Temporarily Offline" in connection with an investigation.

INVIA calls itself the world's leading cloud crypto mining service suitable for small and large-scale investors. It offers the mining of profitable coins such as Bitcoin and Ethereum through an intelligent mining system.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsThe Hong Kong Government has made it clear that it has no plan to issue official Digital Currency at present but will continue to explore the possibilities.

This was stated by Joseph Chan, Acting Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, in the parliament of the Chinese autonomous territory.

He gave a detailed reply to multiple questions by lawmaker Dennis Kwok in the Legislative Council Wednesday.

Kwok wanted to know if the government will consider enacting legislation to regulate the issuance, trading and storage of cryptocurrencies, and whether the Central Bank will issue a digital currency.

Chan told the Council that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), which is the region's de facto central bank, concluded after a research on the topic that a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) would be less useful in Hong Kong compared to other jurisdictions.

"In the context of Hong Kong, the already efficient payment infrastructure and services make CBDC a less attractive proposition. The HKMA has no plan to issue CBDC at this stage but will continue to monitor the international development", he told the lawmakers.

Chan pointed to the potential money laundering or terrorist financing risks that cryptocurrencies pose due to their anonymous nature. He reminded financial institutions and related persons to comply with the statutory customer due diligence and record keeping requirements while doing with operators of any cryptocurrency schemes or businesses.

The high-level government official said financial regulators are closely monitoring the development of ICOs and cryptocurrencies in Hong Kong. "They are also taking appropriate measures to safeguard the interest of the investing public".

Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures (CPMI) and the Markets Committee (MC) of the Bank for International Settlements have formed a working group comprising all major central banks to conduct an in-depth study on the Central Bank Digital Currency.

In February, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) had taken regulatory actions against a number of cryptocurrency exchanges and issuers of ICOs in Hong Kong for operating without a license.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.Reality Television star and cosmetics mogul Kim Kardashian West met with President Donald Trump at the White House on Wednesday to seek potential pardon for a 63-year-old great-grandmother who is serving life in prison.

The meeting with Trump was the latest episode of months of behind-the-scenes efforts by the glamorous celebrity to free Alice Marie Johnson. Alice has been in prison for 21 years for a first-time, non-violent drug offense.

In 1996, she was convicted of charges related to cocaine possession and money laundering, and sentenced to life in prison without parole. According to the American Civil Liberty Uniton, Johnson is one of 3,278 people serving life without parole for a non-violent offense.

The majority of these sentences were mandatory, meaning judges had no discretion over the length or severity of the sentence. For life without parole sentences like Johnson's, clemency is almost the only hope.

Attorney Brittany K. Barnett, a member of Johnson's legal team, said "it seems like the meeting was positive, and it is in President Trump's hands now as to what he decides to do."

Trump described it as a "great meeting," and said that they had discussed "prison reform and sentencing." He posted on Twitter a photo of him and Kardashian West posing in front of the West Wing before the meeting.

In a tweet thanking Trump for allotting his time, West said "It is our hope that the President will grant clemency to Ms. Alice Marie Johnson...We are optimistic about Ms. Johnson's future and hopeful that she and so many like her will get a second chance at life,"

West also met with a group of White House officials - including the President's son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner, who has been pushing for federal prison reform. West was accompanied by her lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, in the meetings.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business NewsWhite House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced Thursday that President Donald Trump has pardoned conservative commentator, author, and filmmaker Dinesh D'Souza, who was convicted of making illegal campaign contributions.

Sanders said in a statement that Trump believes D'Souza was a "victim of selective prosecution for violations of campaign finance laws."

"Mr. D'Souza accepted responsibility for his actions, and also completed community service by teaching English to citizens and immigrants seeking citizenship," Sanders said.

She added, "In light of these facts, the President has determined that Mr. D'Souza is fully worthy of this pardon."

D'Souza pleaded guilty to a felony in 2014 for using straw donors to make illegal contributions to Republican Senate candidate Wendy Long in 2012.

Trump signaled his intent to issue the pardon in a post on Twitter earlier in the day, claiming D'Souza was "treated very unfairly by our government!"

The president has also said he is considering pardoning Martha Stewart and former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich.

(Photo: Gage Skidmore)

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Political NewsToday is a day of celebration.

Throughout the country  and especially noticeable in front of the Government building this morning  our people will take a moment to pause and reflect on the importance of our political independence, 56 years after that historical day when the late Malietoa Tanumafili II and the late Tupua Tamasese Meaole hoisted Samoas flag of freedom for the first time, in 1962.

It was indeed a proud moment. And what Samoan would not have been?

Keep in mind that when the leaders of this nation started the fight for freedom in the years leading up to 1962, they were charting a new course, not just for Samoa but for many countries in this region that would follow.

Their wisdom, courage and vision for the future were unquestionable. They saw this day and they risked their lives so that we can have this celebration in 2018 in peace and harmony. We owe them a debt of gratitude.

Last night, it was fitting that during the opening Church service for Independence that the Chairman of the National Council of Churches, Leaupepe Kasiano Leaupepe, paid tribute to their vision. During the sermon, Leaupepe reflected on the hardship Samoas forebears faced in their attempt to regain political independence.

Our forefathers depended on one thing, the heart to do the impossible, he said. Each one of them had a heart of gold, heart of bravery

Today, we want to ensure we honour that sacrifice. We want to acknowledge with deep gratitude their commitment to ensure the generations of today are able to enjoy living in their country freely, without fear or bondage.

Looking back at our journey as a nation, knowing the lack of resources and the absence of technology they had to work with, the quality, vision and the great scholarship we can learn from our original Constitution tells us that our forebears were indeed ahead of their time.

We say this with the knowledge that our Constitution holds the wisdom and dreams of both our forebears not just for their time but for the generations of Samoans to follow  including all of us.

And as we grapple with many of the challenges staring us in the face, daring us to come up with answers that are relevant and legitimate, we should always seek and find comfort, refuge, understanding and solace in that wisdom. Without such wisdom, it is safe to say we would not be where we are.

There would be no celebration today.

Alas, that is not the case.

Today, we celebrate everything there is to be proud of about Samoa. We celebrate our land, language, culture, dances, beliefs and most importantly our people. Indeed it is the people that is our most precious and valuable resource.

As a country, are we problem-free? Absolutely not.

We have arrived at a critical junction in our journey where there are tough decisions that need to be made. While we have a long way in terms of development, it has not come without cost. There are tensions bubbling just beneath the surface that could easily explode and get out of control if they are not handled with care.

In terms of governance, the ruling party, H.R.P.P., has controlled political power for close to 40 years now and there are generations of Samoans who have not heard anything different other than the H.R.P.P. spin on things. This is partly responsible for some of the tensions we have today. When one group feels like it is invincible, problems surface and people start to rise up.

Thats what we foresee in the immediate future. But today is not about those problems. On this day, let us be reminded about what matters. Let us pay tribute to our forebears and the path they carved out for Samoa with their blood, tears and sweat. We must never forget their struggles.

Today let us both celebrate the achievements of the past 56 years and remember all the efforts and sacrifices made to ensure peace and good governance in our nation.

On that note, we want to congratulate the Head of State, His Highness Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi, the Government and all Samoans for this milestone. Happy 56th Independence Day Samoa, God bless!Dear Editor

Re: We are ready to face the consequences

Thank you Leutogitupaitea Seiuli for your letter.

While I disagree with you on whether the pastors should pay income tax, I agree that you should take the time to respond to Hollywood Joe as he is arguably a dangerous person.

Dangerous people should be responded to when they exercise their right to free speech exposing their horrific inner thoughts as this person does on a regular basis, so thanks for taking the time.

All people in a society should be contributing to the greater good of society with the means they have. If they have more means, they should be contributing more. I am just disappointed the government has not seen it right to also tax their own envelopes they receive from people.

This is hypocritical from a hypocritical government.

I also think the problems you mention that are festering away in Samoan society are caused by a growing gap between the rich and the poor in Samoan society and taxing the haves will start to address those inequalities by having more money for common goods like education and health.

These are expensive and it is these taxes that will pay for these common goods if you have a government that is accountable to the people, that is another topic of debate in Samoa though.

So I agree with the taxing of pastors but I would like to see it go further and that church organizations also pay tax as well as government M.P. on their envelopes. It is important that there is a separation of church and state and to persist in the idea that some people affiliated with the church should be excused from their obligation to the earthly state in which they materially live in is just a recipe for the continued social problems that we are seeing happen in Samoa because of the growing gap between the rich and the poor in Samoa.

This gap is very well documented by outside organizations who have been studying what is really going on in Samoa. This is the natural consequence of a capitalist society, which is the model that is being adopted for Samoa.

The most stable countries who accept this model also have a highest tax base and it is the countries with the highest tax base who use these tax dollars to address the economic equalities capitalism and development produce to help the people who lose under this system.

It is these countries who use these tax dollars to bring more equality of opportunity to the most people in their society that have the happiest measures on the happy index of their people.

The U.S. does not place very high on closing the wealth gap very high on the happiness scale for developed countries. The pastors benefit if the society they live in is made up of happy people who are not creating chaos which affect them too. Anyway, in the meantime, please dont stop responding to this dangerous person Hollywood Joe.

Wendy WonderThe refusal of the Congregational Christian Church in Samoa (C.C.C.S.) Ministers to pay taxes will have an impact on the Governments finances.

This is according to Minister of Finance, Sili Epa Tuioti.

How much of an impact, Sili did not say during an interview with the Samoa Observer.

I have to go through the numbers with the Ministry of Revenue to determine how big of an impact, but the fact remains there is an impact, he said.

It is quite clear there is an impact and that is apart from the equity issue. However, the Church Ministers need to heed the law as indicated by the Prime Minister.

He also made it clear there are many Church Ministers who have already registered to pay for their taxes.

The law really targets the Church Ministers, but not the Church, he said.

He noted what needs to be strengthened is the domestic resource mobilization and particularly with the objective of promoting greater equity in the tax system.

During his budget address, he referred to a number of measures introduced to improve the overall revenue collections and ensure that the community was treated equitably and fairly.

The results of the first year have been disappointing. While there has been some progress in some areas of revenue collection, the overall outcome has fallen short of our expectations.

The immediate consequence of this is that we are not able to do as much in this budget as we hoped we could, said Sili.

He told the Samoa Observer another aspect in the loss of revenue is the lack of a scanner at the boarders to identify every taxable item in the containers.

There are compliance issues we need to address, such as undeclared items that is needed and that is going to help with enforcement.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi in Parliament this week reminded the Church that Parliament is the supreme law making body of the land and no one can derail their decisions.

Tuilaepa said he is looking forward to meeting the Church leaders. He said he waited for them on Monday and even yesterday, hoping that they would come.

But in a Ministerial statement he delivered, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said the law has been passed and there is nothing that can be done about it anymore.

He reiterated that Parliament is the supreme law making body of Samoa and its decisions are final. If Parliament gives in to the wishes of the E.F.K.S. Church, Tuilaepa said he fears what would happen to integrity and finality of laws passed by Parliament.

The Prime Minister also dismissed claims that taxing Church ministers is a new and sudden event in Samoas history. He told Parliament that he has archives from Savali editions of the past, which proves that Church Ministers of the L.M.S. (London Missionary Society) paid taxes.

Tuilaepa went on to claim that the C.C.C.S. Church is divided over the issue and that some Ministers have already registered to pay their taxes.The life of Seumanutafa Aeau Tiavolo Seumanutafa was celebrated at the Congregational Church of Jesus in Samoa (C.C.J.S) yesterday morning.

The Head of State, His Highness Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, Member of the Council of Deputies, Le Mamea Ropati Mualia, the Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu, families and friends and all those who knew the lovable father and grandfather gathered to pay tribute to his life and work during his final service.

Reverend Toeaina Fiti Aloalii conducted the service with assistance from Rev. Elder Utufua Naseri of the Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (C.C.C.S.).

Born on 4 May 1936, Seumanutafa passed away on Friday, 18 May 2018. He was 82.

Seumanutafas youngest son, Tuivaisigano Moepogai Lokeni Seumanutafa, paid tribute to a hardworking man who loved his family.

Its a sad time for us, we are heartbroken with the passing of our father, he told the Samoa Observer. Our father was a loving and humble person and as we have heard today (yesterday) during the eulogies, he is a person who is filled with love. Even his decision making shows he loves his family very.

We miss him so much but we know he is in a better place now.

Tuivaisiganos elder sister, Eleitino Vinepa Seumanutafa Faasau, echoed her brothers thoughts about their father.

Dad was a humble person, she said. When someone wants something, whether a matai or a relative in our extended family or someone in the village, he would give it because he is full of love. When it comes to his decision making, he would wait and think very hard before he makes his decision.

He is a very patient person not only in the village but in our own family towards his own children. He is also committed to his church that is dear to his heart and he had never missed attending church on Sundays.

Eleitino says their family misses their father very much but they know that he is now resting in the arms of the Lord.

Our mother passed away eight years ago and he has managed to live longer because we know some people say when the mother is gone, the father will surely go not long after but not our father, he has lived so many years with us.

He never got married again and that tells us he was still faithful to our mother even though death had separated them. He had lived with us and we all looked after him so its been a blessing knowing that he had lived a happy life and we really miss him.

Seumanutafa is the son of the late Seumanutafa Moepogai II Seumanutafa and the late Taimane Leavai Seumanutafa. He had one sister, the late Leleaga Luci Asiata Seumanutafa.

He married the late Leufisa Asiata Seumanutafa and they have five children and nine grandchildren. Seumanutafa attended Marist Brothers and went to Samoa College.

He worked at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.) under the Lands, Survey and Environment department. In 1957, he was a drafting cadet, in 1959, he was a draughtsman and in 1965 he was a Senior Draughtsman.

Then in 1966 to 1976 he was a Chief Survey Draughtsman. He was a Deputy Director in 1980 and became a Director in 1997 to 1999. He was a Board Member at the Public Trust and a Land Commission Member.

In his church, he was a Tiakono Toeaina. He was also the General Secretary of the congregation not only in Samoa but also overseas. He was Secretary and Treasurer of the C.C.J.S. in Apia, a member of the working committee at Vailima and the Director of Music at the C.C.J.S. in Apia.An Independence Day gift came early for the Eye Clinic Unit at Motootua Hospital.

Worth US$80,000 (T$203,145), the Church of the Latter Day Saints (L.D.S.) donated an Ocular Coherence Tomography (O.C.T) also known as a retina scanner that scans the back of the eye.

The machine is used to detect diabetes, macular degeneration and other problems of the macular(the center of the retina).

According to Dr. Doug Mehr, who represents the L.D.S., their partnership with the Eye Clinic Unit for their 2018 project has come through once again.

We are so grateful to be back. We were able to complete the 2017 project last time which was a very successful project and with much happiness and gratitude, it was well received and here we are back for 2018.

Usually it takes a lot longer, but for some reason the heavens smiled on us and here we are two months later for the 2018 project.

The piece of equipment that was donated that is called an O.C.T. machine is used specifically for the back of the eye, he said.

Mr. Mehr explained: So we are very grateful to use the donations from the members of the Latter Day Saints, children, adults and people throughout the world.

I am specifically from the visions project and so it makes me very happy to be part of this and to be able to offer this needed and expensive piece of equipment to this clinic.

Dr. Lucilla Ah Ching-Sefo, who is the first ophthalmologist in Samoa and also heads the eye unit, said theres been great progress in the work they are doing with the equipment thats been donated before and to have the O.C.T delivered early is a bonus for the National Health Service.

We are so grateful, so far with the O.C.T., with the slit lamps that you donated before and the portable retinal fundus cameras, it has lifted the standard.

And now with the O.C.T. and our diabetic population and A.M.D. that we thought it was uncommon in our population is not so uncommon anymore, I see it now. It has been such a huge help in the diagnosis and the management and these patients.

Speaking during the handover of the machine was the acting Clinical Manager for the National Health Services, Dr. Monalisa.

This week is the current time of the scientific meeting and the medical association and theyre looking at universal health coverage. So this donation is very significant, Dr. Monalisa said.

I may not be an eye specialist, but I could see that this equipment could help improve and upgrade our services here for the people. And N.H.S. is here to serve.

Doctor Lucilla and her nursing colleagues are also taking out the services to the community and that is where we are going to be heading and focusing on.Nine restaurants will be using the $1.1 million Food Court premises that was officially opened at Fugalei yesterday.

Located next to the Fugalei market, the premises will provide the people of Samoa the opportunity to set up businesses, which the Government encourages to build and sustain the private sector.

Most importantly is providing a place of quality and high standard where people of Samoa and visitors can have and enjoy a wide variety of food.

Minister of Public Enterprises Lautafi Fio Purcell in his keynote address said the project was undertaken by the Accident Compensation Corporation (A.C.C.) long in the pipeline following the completion of the main Fugalei Market building in 2014.

Food stalls were an integral part of the old market service, which had lot of problems that A.C.C. face, especially the quality of food produced for the consumption of the public, he said.

In addition, the spots allocated for the production of food required improvement and the sewage system needed overhaul which the Ministry of Health had found wanting.

Furthermore, he said the project was brought to the attention of Cabinet for its endorsement on 30 May 2017 with the contract awarded to Schwalger Designs and Build Ltd and Tinai Gordon and Associates as Project Manager.

The contract was signed on 10 July, 2017 and construction commenced on 18 September 2017, he said.

The cost of the project is $988,584.95 and consultancy as Project Manager by Tinai Gordon and Associates at $172,500.

The cost of the whole project is $1, 161, 84.95.

As predicted, this new food court premises will become part of the development strategy growth of our country and mainly a place where food is most appropriately cooked to health standards requirement and also taking into account the drive to lessen non-communicable diseases.

Lautafi explained: Its now a challenge for the A.C.C. Board of Directors, management and staff to keep these facilities in running order and the various food operators using these resources to be resolute and resourceful, he said.

To the people of our country using the food court, may you find the service to your satisfaction.

The nine restaurants that will be using the new premises are Taro King  Taumafa Samoa, Fias BBQ House, Lupes Catering, Fryers Delicacy, Scanlans Restaurant, Jayos Noodle House, Willies on Wheel Takeaway, Faps Food and Le Aiga Fast Food.HOUSTON (AP)  President Donald Trump spent more than an hour Thursday offering private condolences to some of the families affected by this month's deadly Texas school shooting, the latest spasm of mass violence in a year marred by assaults on the nation's schools.

While Trump was in Texas, his newly formed school safety commission met outside Washington, part of the president's chosen solution to combat the rising tide of bloodshed after his brief flirtation with tougher gun laws went nowhere.

A White House spokesman said Trump was "moved" by the May 18 shooting at Santa Fe High School, which left eight students and two substitute teachers dead. A student faces capital murder charges in the attack.

"These events are very tragic, whenever they happen. And you know, the president wants to extend his condolences and talk about the issue of school safety," spokesman Raj Shah told Fox News Channel.

Trump, who at times has awkwardly embraced his role as the national comforter-in-chief, did not publicly share what he told the grieving families and local leaders during a meeting at a Coast Guard base outside Houston. Reporters were not permitted to witness the meeting, and the White House did not immediately identify the people with whom Trump met or what they discussed.

"He's the president of the United States, but he's also a father. He's also a husband, and he obviously understands what it's like, you know, to love someone and then lose someone," Shah said in the interview, adding that Trump approaches situations like these as a human being and a parent, not necessarily as a politician.

"I think he just, you know, he talks to families, he listens and he wants to learn," Shah said.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, both Republicans, greeted Trump on the tarmac after he stepped off of Air Force One at a Houston military base. Abbott joined Trump for the short ride in the presidential limousine to a Coast Guard hangar where the meeting took place.

Trump then headed to a fundraiser at a luxury hotel in downtown Houston, the first of his two big-dollar events across Texas on Thursday. A White House official did not immediately respond to requests for details about how much money was to be raised, and who was benefiting, from the fundraising events.

After 17 teachers and students were killed during a February shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, Trump said he would work to improve school safety, but has not called for new gun control legislation. He created a commission to review ways to make schools safer and named Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to chair it. The panel on Thursday was making its first field trip, to a Baltimore-area elementary school.

Trump briefly strayed from gun-rights dogma after the Parkland shooting, but quickly backpedaled. Abbott, a Republican and a staunch gun-rights supporter, has called for schools to have more armed personnel and said they should put greater focus on spotting student mental health problems. He's proposed a few small restrictions on guns since the shooting.

Classes at Santa Fe High School resumed Tuesday for the first time since the shooting. Investigators say student Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, carried out the attack with a shotgun and pistol that belonged to his father.

As the Parkland students became vocal advocates for gun control, embracing their public positions as few school survivors had before, Trump quickly became a rallying cry for their anger. In Trump's visit to Florida in the wake of the shooting, aides kept him clear of the school, which could have been the site of protests, and he instead met with a few victims at a local hospital and paid tribute to first responders at the nearby sheriff's office.

To this point, there has not been a similar outcry for restrictions on firearms from the students and survivors in deep-red Texas.

Displaying empathy does not often come naturally to Trump, who has been criticized for appearing unfeeling in times of tragedy, including when he attacked a mayor in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of a deadly hurricane and fought with a Gold Star military family.

But there have been moments when Trump has displayed a softer side. On Wednesday, he reciprocated a hug from a 8-year-old boy with muscular dystrophy and attended a White House event marking legislation to give patients the right to try experimental treatments

That same day, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders grew emotional when, during the daily press briefing, she was asked by a young student journalist about what steps the administration was taking to safeguard schools.

Before Thursday, Trump was most recently in the Lone Star State on May 4, when he attended the annual NRA convention and pledged that the attendees' Second Amendment rights "will never ever be under siege as long as I am your president."

He also touted the administration's "aggressive strategy on community safety" and mentioned armed guards, armed teachers, mental health and metal detectors, but did not mention assault rifles likes the one used in Parkland.Samoa took a step forward to improve the delivery of nursing services on Tuesday, thanks to a partnership between the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.) and Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.

The Growing Our Own programme was launched by Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi, who hailed the development as a milestone and acknowledged New Zealands key role.

I am pleased that the New Zealand government recognized the importance of this program for the National University of Samoa to build the capacity within the School of Nursing and support the broader nursing and midwifery sector, he said.

On 7 November this year, it will be 100 years since Samoa was devastated by the 1918 influenza pandemic which wiped our 22% of our population. We should reflect and learn from such a devastating episodes in our history and look towards a better way forward with remembrance.

It is also the 100-year anniversary of the nursing profession in Samoa and from this initiative, N.U.S. will provide a sustainable supply of Samoan education nurses and midwives and research to deliver the primary healthcare needs of the Samoan people. Through the strength of our women and village institutions and our nurses, we will grow our primary healthcare and ensure a strong, sustainable future for Samoa.

Tuilaepa also acknowledged the foresight by Victoria University.

We welcome your teachers to share their knowledge with our teachers and in turn we will grow our researchers who will share their research with yours. I thank the Government of New Zealand for their willingness to finance this initiative and others which will go a long way in addressing our focus on primary health care.

Today we still struggle with a response to non-communicable diseases and the emergence of communicable diseases. This programme will grow and see our PhD and Masters students researching and teaching these issues most fundamental to Samoas prosperity, health and well-being.

Through a refocus on primary healthcare and through the empowerment of our institution, our womens health communities and our nurses and midwives together, will ensure that our people, villages and Samoa will thrive.

Approximately NZ$1.7 million has been provided by New Zealand for the project.

The primary focus of the programme is to develop the capability of the Faculty of Science staff of the N.U.S, to offer postgraduate pathways for nurses, midwives and potentially other health professional with the intent of contributing to health system of Samoa through research and health practice development.

This was according to the Dean of the Faculty of Health Victoria University of Wellington, Professor Gregor Coster. The programme is offered over six years to initially support PhD, Masters and other postgraduate qualifications for registered nurses and midwives.

This partnership between Victoria and the National University of Samoa to develop the Samoan nursing and midwifery education and leadership workforce through the Growing Our Own programme is a strong example of Victorias commitment to making significant contributions to the resolutions of global challenges in Asia-Pacific region, he said.

With this newly launched programme Mr. Coster is certain that there will be improvements with the nurses and midwives in Samoa.

The programme outcomes will directly build capacity and capability within the nursing and midwifery workforce to support integration of local community-based applied research and evaluation with the development and delivery of health services.

This is a critical step towards making significant a long-term improvement in meeting Samoas growing health needs and challenges signaled by the Prime Minister and as detailed in the current Health Sector Plan and the Strategy for the Development of Samoa.His polling numbers are impressive and with little more than just one month to go before the July 1 national election, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is the clear-cut favorite to become the next president of Mexico.

So what would that mean for the sweeping energy reform measures Mexico recently put into place?

Its hardly a trivial question, considering the reforms aimed at giving the sclerotic energy sector in Mexico a dose of free-market dynamism has attracted international and domestic companies bringing in projects totaling as much as $200 billion (U.S.) in the coming years.

Among those companies is Sempra Energy, the San Diego-based Fortune 500 company who through its subsidiary based in Mexico  IEnova  has invested billions in natural gas, renewable, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquid fuels projects.

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Lopez Obrador, a leftist populist often referred to by his initials  AMLO, is no fan of the energy reform measures put into place in 2013 and codified in 2014.

He has vowed to review all energy contracts, even from a massive auction earlier this year of offshore oil and gas rights expected to generate $93 billion from investors including Royal Dutch Shell. The former mayor of Mexico City has also promised to freeze fuel prices in the first three years of his six-year term.

Energy reform: Si or no?

Most energy and economic analysts agree energy reform in Mexico was needed and has been a step forward in a country where only 7 percent of households have access to natural gas. In less than three years, 107 bids for oil exploration and production have been awarded to 73 companies from 20 different countries.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the U.S. energy exports twice as much energy product to Mexico than it imports  including 4.6 billion cubic feet of natural gas each day.

But energy reform is not popular among many voters, who have not yet seen its promised benefits. In January 2017, riots broke out after gasoline prices soared.

Lopez Obrador has tapped into that frustration, said Jeremy Martin, vice president of energy and sustainability at the Institute of the Americas, a think tank at UC San Diego that hosted a conference last week in La Jolla that featured prominent names in Mexicos energy sector.

For many Mexican voters, the current government told us to do this reform, Martin said. They said our prices would go down, they said employment would increase (but) our prices havent gone down, we dont see any more employment opportunities  And I think thats really where people say, Lets give AMLO a chance. 

Mexicos oil production has dropped 26 percent since 2013, largely due to lower international crude prices during that time frame, and Pemex, the national oil company now stripped of its monopoly status, has been floundering. Its debt increased more than 60 percent between 2013 and 2017, putting more strain on the national economy.

A private company facing similar financial challenges would be declared bankrupt, said a report issued in April by IPD Latin America and the Mexico Institute at the Washington D.C.-based Wilson Center.

What the investors say

Few of the companies with major energy investments in Mexico seem to be willing to express concerns in public.

In an interview with the Union-Tribune last month, Sempras new CEO, Jeff Martin, said, Independent of who the presidential candidate turns out to be, I think the energy reforms have worked. Youre seeing a lot of new infrastructure, whether its pipelines or wind farms or solar facilities like the ones we build.

A natural gas pipeline project in Mexico by IEnova, a subsidiary of Sempra Energy. (Photo by Ienova )

In 2016 alone, Sempras IEnova subsidiary partnered with TransCanada to construct and operate a $2.1 billion underwater natural gas pipeline and bought 100 percent of the Ventika wind farm in northeastern Mexico for $852 million.

In April IEnova announced a $130 million venture in a marine terminal that will receive, store and deliver gasoline and diesel fuel near Ensenada.

At the end of the day, if the value youre creating is reaching consumers and improving the quality of life, were quite confident that it doesnt really matter who wins the presidential election, Martin said. I think were on the right side of it.

An executive with Sierra Oil and Gas, Mexicos first independent oil and gas company echoed Martins sentiments.

I think if (Lopez Obrador) actually analyzes (energy reform), hell see that actually the investment is good for Mexico, its good for Pemex and overall (he) shouldnt change things much, I hope, said Gabriel Heller Green, who also spoke at the La Jolla conference.

Political upheaval is hardly a rarity in Latin America and Martin of the Institute of the Americas said energy companies take the long view.

Political calendars are much shorter than energy calendars, Martin said. (Energy) investments to a large degree are long-term investments. Im sure theres concern (in) many quarters about what this may mean in the near term, but these are long-term projects predicated on 10, 15, 20-year horizons.

Political polls can be tricky but its looking increasingly likely that Lopez Obrador will win on July 1.

One survey released Wednesday showed him leading by 16.5 points over his closest challenger, Ricardo Anaya. A poll released by the Dallas Morning News and the University of North Texas had Lopez Obrador up by 26 points.

Not an easy thing to do

Making major changes to Mexicos energy reform would be difficult.

The reform was placed into the countrys constitution, so rescinding it would require a two-thirds vote from both houses of Mexicos congress. In addition, a majority of the legislatures from Mexicos 32 states would have to approve the change.

So its a big move that needs a lot of support from many, many actors, said Guillermo Garcia Alcocer, chairman of Mexicos Energy Regulatory Commission.

A number of other Mexican energy officials attended the conference in La Jolla and expressed their support for the reform  often in blunt terms.

Energy reform in Mexico is here to stay, said Aldo Flores Quiroga, Mexicos deputy secretary of energy for hydrocarbons. Companies have already made a long-term assessment of the opportunity in Mexico. They have set up shop. We have companies from 20 countries already that have joined in creating this new reality. So its not only words, its a legal reality, its an institutional reality and its an investment reality.

Carlos de Regules Ruiz-Funes, executive director of the National Agency for Safety, Energy and Environment of Mexico, which is in charge of the industrial safety and environmental protection of the hydrocarbon sector, said: There is a new energy reality in Mexico. There are $200 billion that are going to be invested in over 100 contracts that have already been awarded. That market is real and that market has long-standing rules for the future.

But should he become president and desire to make changes to energy reform, Lopez Obrador would have other tools at the ready, including simply slowing down the process of granting new contracts and reviewing the deals agreed to under the outgoing administration of Enrique Pena Nieto.

Just by default, it could grind things down, said John Padilla, managing director of IPD Latin America, an energy consulting firm.

Polls have also shown the party that Lopez Obrador belongs to, Morena, picking up steam. If that pattern becomes a political reality, the high legislative hurdles to undo energy reform could become less daunting.

The 2019, 2020 state elections will be important, said Duncan Wood, director of the Mexico Institute at the Wilson Center. If he is going to do anything, it would probably have to be in the second half of his administration, lets say around 2022, 2023.

So what happens to energy reform if AMLO wins?

Wood said a significant rollback could tempt financial fate at a time when Mexicos economy is on shaky footing and with NAFTA negotiations stalled.

There are 107 contracts out there with something like 220 billion barrels of oil, Wood said. If you were to mess with those investors and force them to pull out, that oil stays in the ground. Pemex cant get it out. Pemex doesnt have the capacity to do that. So you are forgoing oil production, tax revenue, royalties, employment.

Wood said it could also have impacts beyond the energy sector.

You start messing around with the investors there, youre going to freak out investors in other areas, Wood said. If you see that happening in the energy sector, why would an automobile manufacturer make the decision to come in? Because it sets a worrying precedent.

Having said all that, theres also the possibility that Lopez Obrador would not take on energy reform at all  or, at least approach it with a light touch.

We have an experience with AMLO running things in the past, said Raul Gallegos, a senior analyst for Control Risks, an international strategic consulting firm. He was mayor (of Mexico City) and he worked quite well with the private sector during that time. He was arguably somewhat responsible fiscally.

In Mexico, the president holds one, six-year term. The new president takes office Dec. 1.

Business

rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski

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Problems in the pipeline for Sempras subsidiary in Mexico

Why theyre protesting the price of gasoline in MexicoNo matter what you think about San Diegos newest high-rise apartment building, it will be hard to miss.

The 21-story Shift complex in East Village has an orange 240-foot tower protruding from the building with jagged shapes and dark black windows, making it visible from much of downtown and surrounding freeways.

If the color looks familiar, its because it is the same orange paint as the Golden Gate Bridge. The architect said the intention was not to connect the building to San Francisco but to use the rust-colored paint to invoke the neighborhoods industrial past.

Developer Lennar said it wanted a unique design that would stand out and serve as a landmark.

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The internationally inspired modern design pulls no punches with its use of building materials, bold colors and angles said Dan Ferguson, director of development at Lennar Multifamily Communities.

Shift has 368 apartments and joins a neighborhood of rising residential towers, all with high rents and plenty of amenities.

San Diego-based Carrier Johnson + Culture designed the building and said it was inspired by Bob Sinclair, a coffee pioneer and East Village businessman who championed refurbishing old buildings and celebrating their industrial past.

The design boldly celebrates the legacy of the East Village as a community that welcomes and supports the arts and artists, wrote David Gonzalez, senior associate design leader, in an email, especially those who found the beauty in the neighborhoods rich history of industry.

Reaction to Shift will probably be in the eye of the beholder.

The complex received high praise in 2015 from Civic San Diego, downtowns planning agency, with one commissioner commenting on its mind blowing design. Construction began in March 2016, taking just over two years to complete.

Daniela Deutsch, a professor at San Diegos NewSchool of Architecture and Design, said she appreciated how the building adds personality to San Diegos skyline but its design may be a bit too intense. Deutsch, who worked at Carrier Johnson + Culture from 2002 to 2007, said good buildings can stand out, but should also seem inviting to people  something she said Shift may have missed the mark on.

Think of the skyline of Seattle, it is very modern and efficient, but the buildings have a melody together, she said. They are not kind of hitting you in the head.

The amenity rush

While the outside of the building might be the most-attention grabbing, the inside of the building is packed with amenities.

Tenants are greeted with a proprietary Lennar scent in the lobby that smells like a really expensive scented candle, a concierge seated behind a white desk and an original psychedelic painting by Chor Boogie, a spray paint artist based in San Francisco.

All units come with a washer and dryer, parking spot, stainless steel appliances, designer features in kitchens and bathrooms, and expansive views in many of the units. Roughly 80 percent of the apartments have a balcony.

All residents have access to a sky lounge on the 21st floor that has an outdoor and indoor section complete with fireplaces, free wireless Internet, pool with a capacity for 12 people, a hot tub with capacity for eight people, outdoor furniture, several barbecues and water-proof TVs.

Shift was designed by Carrier Johnson + Culture (Phillip Molnar/San Diego Union-Tribune )

Paul Ogler, senior vice president of development for Lennar in California, said the competition to attract tenants in downtown San Diego is pushing developers to add more amenities.

In our industry, its an arms race, he said earlier this week during a tour of Shift.

Other amenities at Shift include a gym on the 21st floor with views of the entire city and as far as Tijuana, as well as a motivation wall with nine TVs that play GoPro videos of extreme sports. Shift also has a terrace on the seventh floor for all residents, a dog park on the sixth floor and co-working space on the first floor.

There are 501 parking spots at Shift, which works out to one spot for each apartment and up to two for a two-bedroom.

Rent at Shift varies greatly because there are 45 different floor plans. Real estate tracker CoStar put the average asking rent at the complex at $2,803 a month. The cheapest is a studio, with an average asking rent of $2,082 a month; one-bedroom for $2,599; and two-bedroom for $3,942.

Lennar is offering one-month free rent, or two months free, in some units to entice renters. Shift does not officially finish construction until later in June, but it is now around 15 percent leased with limited amenities. The gym, for example, is not opened yet.

A rising East Village

There are 1,541 apartments opening in East Village this year, outpacing the other new downtown residential hub Little Italy where 559 are set to open. Nearly half of East Villages new apartments are at Park 12, downtowns biggest ever residential tower with 718 units.

A walk through East Village shows a neighborhood in transition with older industrial buildings, homeless people, several luxury high-rises already built and more planned or proposed.

Next to Shift, the second Pinnacle on the Park building is being built with plans for 472 apartments. Down the street, construction is ongoing at Nook East Village, a 91-unit complex. Another amenity-rich project nearby, Alexan ALX, opened earlier this year.

The number of housing units in East Village has more than tripled since 2000. Looking at multifamily buildings, CoStar data says there were around 1,059 apartments with an average monthly asking rent of $877 in 2000. As of this year, there were 3,840 units in East Village with an average monthly asking rent of $2,336.

Real estate consultant Gary London said its possible that the submarket of southern East Village  with Alexan ALX, Shift, Pinnacle on the Park and Park 12  could become a sought-after place for affluent renters.

But, he said the long-term success for the neighborhoods rental market depends on a continued strong economy and adding more jobs downtown, making living in an urban center worth it.

We have virtually added no significant employment downtown in the last 18 years, and thats a big problem, he said. Its one thing to build these apartments, but its another thing to fill them with people that have to commute somewhere to work.

* * *

New East Village complexes rent comparison

Pinnacle on the Park (483 units)

424 15th St.

Average asking rent: $2,597

Alexan ALX (313 units)

300 14th St.

Average asking rent: $2,828

Shift (368 units)

1501 Island Ave.

Average asking rent: $2,803

IDEA1 (295 units)

895 Park Blvd

Average asking rent: $2,562

EV Lofts (208 units)

688 13th St.

Average asking rent: $2,055

Source: CoStar

Business

phillip.molnar@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1891 Twitter: @phillipmolnar

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Last years housing market broke recordsAndrew Gazdecki, the 29-year-old founder behind San Diego-based Bizness Apps, is selling his 8-year-old technology company to a private equity buyer that is also gifting him with a no-strings-attached $500,000 check for his next venture.

Im ready to take a swing at a new company, said Gazdecki, who lives in Pacific Beach with his wife and plans to remain in town after the sale.

Started in 2010, Bizness Apps makes build-it-yourself mobile app software for small businesses. The company initially raised $100,000 in seed funding, but has since bootstrapped operations.

In the atypical sale, announced Wednesday, Think3, a relatively new Austin-based private equity fund, will take over Gazdeckis mobile app business, which claims to be profitable and have more than 100,000 paying customers. After a 100-day transition period, Gazdecki will leave his 50-person company in the hands of Think3 CEO Andy Tryba.

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Terms of the deal were not disclosed  save for the cash gift, which Gazdecki will use to fund his next, yet-to-be-determined tech idea.

Think3 views its half-a-million-dollar proposition, offered to all of the companies it acquires, as a deal sweetener for young founders looking to break away from their aging companies and start up all over again.

Created earlier this year, Think3s mission is to buy middle-of-the-road, business-to-business software companies and run them indefinitely, presumably at a profit. The fund also combines resources across all of its portfolio companies  usually from engineering, finance and operations departments  in order to cut costs.

We take over the company, staff it with our people and run the company from there, Tryba said.

The strategy also means eventual layoffs for Bizness Apps team, though Tryba said he was unsure of how many staffers would be cut.

Currently, Bizness Apps employs around 35 people at its La Jolla headquarters. The startups local office opened two years ago after Gazdecki relocated the business from the Bay Area. At the time, Gazdecki cited the regions talent pool and lower cost of living as reasons for the relocation. He also promised to create 100 new jobs in town.

Business

jennifer.vangrove@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1840 Twitter: @jbruinCaregiving has given me glimpses of history through the real-life experiences of people who lived through them. When they share vivid memories, I get to experience their stories. It has always seemed like their gift to me.

I hope you enjoy these two that I share often with my groups when Im speaking.

A client was a POW in Vietnam and I was honored to have cared for him for many years. I read the original onion skin paper from DaNang Air Force Base that told his wife to accept this bronzed, strapping man coming home as a broken man.

She was the love of his life. She died before I met him, and he always would light up when he talked about her. She and the Air Force helped him finish his 20 years, and he then went on to become a letter carrier for the US Postal Service for another 20 years.

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We would talk about his military service and Bronze Star which he was comfortable discussing. But if someone became upset for him, he would ease the moment with a joke about how the letter carrier job was more difficult than being a POW because dogs chased you down the street.

He was such a wonderful man. Funny how in life when you are entrusted to help someone, they end up helping and teaching you. He was a military man to the end. We helped him get to regular barbershop appointments, do his banking, go to the post office and all other errands. He ran a tight ship but was always so pleasant. He possessed such humanity  to go through what he did and, when on the other side of it, be so gracious to others.

Next was a gentleman who lived to be almost 100. Another military man. He and his wife met right before WWII. They got married while they were training in San Antonio and were both in Special Ops. What a women she must have been! She also passed away before I met her husband.

He still had his journals from his entire life and we would read through them. He had a sharp mind and quick wit. We would go to dinner in the main dining room of his residential home and share a table with a few other residents. A gal at his table was becoming friends with me and we would talk quite a bit. She was telling me about how the stockings were painted on the legs of women because of nylon rationing during the war.

I leaned over to my client, then in his mid-90s, and said I had never heard about the faux stockings. Without missing a beat, he smiled and said, Who do you think was painting the line up the back of the leg? We all just laughed and had a great time eating our ice cream and telling stories.

During those dinners, my companions had no idea they were building the confidence of this writer. They were providing wonderful insight into aging and growing older that I could pass along to my readers.

All of us have stories that can enrich the lives of others, if only we would share them.

Please send me your thoughts, ideas and stories. I would love to hear them.

Mitchell writes Ask Veronica  Lets make caregiving better, together for caregiverSD.com; email her at veronica@veronicamitchell.comCARLSBAD

Monthly gathering focuses on literacy

The Shoppes at Carlsbad invites the community to Connect at The Shoppes, a free monthly community gathering. Each session has an educational slant and offers a forum for local residents to mingle. The June Connect  from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuesday  will explore literacy, with a focus on preschool and elementary school-aged children. Locally based speech-language pathologist Melanie Siegel will discuss the importance of reading aloud to jump-start language and literacy skills, the developmental milestones of reading skills; and show caregivers tools to enhance skills and foster the pleasure of reading. Carlsbad City Librarian Missy Shaw will read Rocking in My School Shoes and discuss the Summer Reading Adventure program kicking off June 18. Participants will be entered into a raffle to win a $25 H&M gift card. The Shoppes at Carlsbad is at 2525 El Camino Real, and Connect meets in the Macys Court on the second floor. Visit https://www.facebook.com/events/2045628222324814.

Free contracting workshop offered

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The North San Diego Small Business Development Center offers a free class, Government Contracting in a Day, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday at 2075 Las Palmas Drive. This workshop gives you what you need to get started with government contracting, and then some! The instructor will cover how to find your buyer, creating a capabilities statement, what certifications are available, and how to write a proposal all in one day. Sign up at https://sdsbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/signup/11630. Call (760) 795-8740.

DEL MAR

Networking mixer set for county fair

The San Diego Coastal Chamber of Commerce hosts its June Networking Mixer from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the San Diego County Fair, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd. Hosted appetizers in the speakeasy room while supplies last. Visit the Del Mar Hilton between 3 and 5 p.m. for a cocktail and you can park free at the hotel and take the shuttle to the fairgrounds. Self parking will be validated with a purchase in the bar or restaurant. Your networking mixer ticket includes a free ticket to the fair. Tickets are $25 at https://bit.ly/2L5gym5. Email to info@sandiegocoastalchamber.com or call (858) 764-2565.

FALLBROOK

LinkedIn marketing seminar offered

The Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce offers LinkedIn for Your Business Wednesday as part of its Modern Marketing educational seminar series. Check in at 11:30 a.m. at the Fallbrook Masonic Center, 203 Rocky Crest Road, and pick up lunch. Presentation is at noon. Q&A session follows. Sign up for one or all seminars offered. Free for members; $10 for nonmembers. Reservations required to jackie.toppin@fallbrookchamberofcommerce.org. Other seminars: July 11, First Impressions & Effective Networking; Aug. 1, Effective Advertising for Print/Web.

VISTA

Tips on how to spot a fake ID

The North San Diego County Association of Realtors, a 5,000-member real estate trade group for San Diego-area Realtors, presents Can You Spot a Fake ID? from noon to 2 p.m. Friday at its Vista Service Center, 906 Sycamore Ave. Real estate professionals throughout the county are invited. Admission is $15 for members and $25 for nonmembers. Association officials said Realtors and others in real estate, including escrow and title professionals, may encounter forged IDs when processing paperwork or photocopying a prospective clients ID before a house showing. Topics will include common security features used with all state IDs, and counterfeit bills, Social Security cards and passports. Instructor is Glen Garrity, retired police detective, identity theft expert and founder of G2 Safeguards, a Fountain Valley firm that teaches business defense and protection seminars. Call (760) 734-3971 or visit www.nsdcar.com/education.

Please send items to laura.groch@sduniontribune.com at least 10 days before events.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.comScott Chadwick, hired as Carlsbads chief operating officer in January, will take over as city manager when Kevin Crawford retires from the job in August, city officials announced Thursday.

The City Council voted unanimously in favor of the succession plan worked out with the help of Crawford, who returned to the city in February 2016 to become city manager after previous retiring in 2014 as the citys long-time fire chief.

One of the things when Kevin came back to us  it was with the understanding that he would help us in searching for the next city manager, Mayor Matt Hall said after the closed-session vote Thursday afternoon.

Getting Scott on board was a great move, Hall said. Hes well regarded. Hes made a name for himself.

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Carlsbad created the chief operations officer position for Chadwick, 46, who previously had served as the chief operations officer for the San Diego since 2013. He began his civic career as a labor relations officer in San Diego, and worked his way up to human resources director in 2009. Before that, he served in the U.S. Army and earned a bachelors degree from Purdue University.

Crawford, 59, who had not previously announced his second retirement, said the appointment of his successor realizes one of his goals as city manager.

I wanted to help the city transition to a model that would be sustainable long into the future, including setting up the next generation of leaders, at all levels of the organization, Crawford said in a city news release. Scotts appointment is the final piece of that plan.

Before Crawford took the helm, Carlsbad went through three city managers in as many years.

The council appointed Steve Sarkozy, 61, on March 11, 2014, from a national field of 42 applicants. He was formerly city manager for 13 years in Bellevue, a city of 122,000 in Washington. He resigned the Carlsbad job after a year, saying he was not in complete alignment with the council and staff.

Sarkozy had replaced John Coates, who also served about one year in the job. Coates resigned in November 2013 six days after he was placed on paid leave because of an undisclosed personnel matter.

Coates had been Carlsbads assistant city manager for several years and was interim city manager when he was appointed to replace City Manager Lisa Hildabrand, who abruptly announced her retirement on Nov. 6, 2012, after a series of closed meetings to discuss her performance.

The Crawford-Chadwick transition marks a period of relative tranquility.

I feel very honored and humbled by this appointment, Chadwick said in the news release.

Now that Ive had a chance to see Carlsbad from the inside, its very easy to understand why the city is considered one of the best managed in the region, if not the state. The opportunities in Carlsbad are huge, and its exciting to be a part of this citys future.

Chadwicks new contract, with his salary and other employment details, is expected to be approved at the City Councils June 12 meeting.

Crawfords base annual salary is $303,160 and Chadwicks base salary as COO is $242,528, according to the citys website.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehlThe first new location of the Prep Kitchen restaurant company, which changed ownership in January, will open next week in the Block C development in San Marcos.

Owners Deborah and David Krause purchased the three existing Prep Kitchen restaurants in La Jolla, Del Mar and Little Italy from the Whisknladle hospitality company.

The Krauses plan is to reinvigorate the Prep Kitchen brand and expand into new markets. Their first new location is at 250 N. City Drive in San Marcos. Its slated to open on Tuesday, June 5. A fifth location in downtown Los Angeles, though not officially announced, is now listed as coming soon on the companys website.

Customers at a pre-opening event this week sample the Wagyu beef sliders at soon-to-open Prep Kitchen in San Marcos. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune )

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Whisknladle launched the Prep Kitchen brand in La Jolla in 2009. It has long been known for its artisan, farm-to-table menu and indoor-outdoor venues.

The Krauses are the owners of IAM Hospitality Group in Las Vegas. Since 2010, they have worked in acquisitions, management and marketing for hospitality and culinary brands. Before that, Deborah Krause managed hotels, restaurants and nightlife venues with Starwood Corp., Kimpton Group, Starbucks and more.

Krause said she and her husband were longtime fans of Prep Kitchen, having visited the restaurants frequently with their 11-year-old son during vacations in San Diego from their home in Las Vegas. Once their son finishes school this summer, the family is planning a permanent move to San Diego.

Our motivation is family motivated, she said last week. I always like to be in places where my family and friends can connect together and we can be inspired by the landscape of San Diego.

A pair of Belgian linen couches connect the indoor and outdoor sections of the new Prep Kitchen restaurant in San Marcos. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune )

Krause said purchasing Prep Kitchen was an easy decision because the restuaurants have such a positive perception with the public. But she also sees room for change.

It has a future and it has more growth and we have the opportunity to take it to new locations, she said.

The new San Marcos location takes over the space briefly occupied in 2017 by the woodfired pizzeria Stella Public House. The Krauses have dramatically remodeled the venue with more upscale, homey decor that includes plush Belgian linen sofas, hand-carved wooden tables and stools, luxurious pillows and new lighting and decorations.

Its chic, relaxed, swanky and cool, Krause said. You can come in your jeans and sneakers and be totally cool or you can do a date night, too, and get dressed up.

Hand-carved wooden tables and stools are among the designer features at the new Prep Kitchen restaurant in San Marcos. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune )

Because of their hospitality background in Las Vegas, Krause said she and her husband have introduced vibe dining to all Prep Kitchen locations.

Vibe dining relates to the energy you feel when you come into a place, she said. It starts with the music, then you sit down and theres a convivial atmosphere and then the food starts to flow. We like people to share things and theres just a vibe about it. Its an energy about the whole place.

Since acquiring the Prep Kitchen company, the Krauses have hired a new chief culinary director, chef Joseph Elevado, whose past credits include executive chef positions at Nobu, Social House and Andreas Restaurant in Las Vegas.

Elevados new menu features specialties like the Nobu-inspired squid ink pasta, pan-roasted yellowtail, pasta Bolognese, Wagyu sliders, Vietnamese fried chicken cucumber salad, pizzas and more. The restaurant will have lunch, dinner and brunch menus.

For more information, visit the companys website at prepkitchensanmarcos.com.

Wagyu beef sliders at the new Prep Kitchen restaurant in San Marcos. (Pam Kragen/San Diego Union-Tribune )

pam.kragen@sduniontribune.comChula Vista wants to stop being a bedroom community.

San Diego Countys second-largest city is a net exporter of jobs and that is a problem because every day tens of thousands of residents leave Chula Vista and spend their money elsewhere. Therefor, the citys tax revenues dont keep up with population growth.

Were a bedroom community and thats what we need to change, said Councilman Mike Diaz.

Chula Vistas city council, city manager, and finance director talked about the citys need to bring more jobs last week as the council reviewed the citys 2018-19 proposed budget.

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One of the critical pieces that weve discussed internally often is that were a net exporter of jobs, said finance director David Bilby. A lot of our citizens go to San Diego and Mission Valley to work during the day and theyre filling up their gas tanks, buying lunch, and possibly even going to shopping centers and malls outside the city.

One solution to increase sales tax revenues is to build more commercial space. Chula Vistas biggest sales tax producers are Costco and Walmart and the city would do well to attract similar, large-scale retailers to the area.

But first the city needs to increase the amount of available space.

Chula Vista has an extremely low vacancy rate in the retail space, Bilby said. Were about three percent vacancy, so build it and I think theres some opportunity there.

Councilman Stephen Padilla said transitioning from a bedroom community to a destination is very important to Chula Vistas fiscal health going forward.

Being a net exporter of jobs perpetuates the perception that there isnt anything to do in Chula Vista so people spend their money in other parts of the region, he added.

However, Chula Vista is only one or two key projects away from changing that, Padilla said.

The citys Millenia development includes 2 million square feet of office space and 1.5 million square feet of retail, parks and hotels.

Hotels are another key opportunity that the council hopes will help Chula Vista shed its bedroom community status.

Hotels are important because cities keep 100 percent of Transient Occupancy Tax revenues, unlike sales taxes, which go to Sacramento and are then redistributed to cities.

Transient Occupancy Taxes only make up 2.3 percent of general fund revenues in Chula Vista. That isnt good enough, said Councilman John McCann.

If you look at any of the other cities, especially cities that are receiving much more revenues than us, the majority of their revenue is from TOT tax, he said.

Chula Vista is already making progress on the hotel front.

The first hotel east of State Route 125 recently opened, a Marriott Residence Inn, and a Marriott Courtyard is slated to open nearby. Additionally, Hampton Inn is looking into opening a hotel in Eastlake.

That progress, coupled with other development projects slated for Chula Vista, leaves McCann with a strong sense of optimism.

When you look at the initiatives happening in the city from Millenia to the university to the Bayfront, there really is a bright future, he said.

Contact Gustavo Solis via Email or TwitterArt of the Brew

San Diego artist Nan Coffey says her work is heavily influenced by beer and music. So it makes sense that the venue for her latest exhibit, Lets Go!, is Fall Brewing, 4542 30 St., San Diego.

The show will open Friday at 5 p.m., with the festivities doubling as a coming-out party for Goo Goo Muck, a new Fall canned beer with a label created by Coffey. For the artist, this is a return to her ale-soaked roots.

I worked in a brewery when I was younger, for about eight years, she said, while putting some finishing touches on canvases meant for the show. I have a long history with beer, including a brother whos been a brewer for 30 years.

Her whimsical, comic book-like canvases will cover Falls walls. I couldnt even tell you how many pieces there will be  50? she said.

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Other questions yielded more definite answers. Yes, she expects Fall to play the punk and ska recordings Coffey relishes: They always have music playing there, and we have similar tastes.

No, she has not yet sampled the current batch of Goo Goo Muck.

Yes, shes thrilled that her art will adorn the Mucky four-packs. This is the first time theyve ever canned it, she said, which is rad.

Coffeys art will be on display at Fall through the month. The beer will be available until supplies run dry.

Kombucha: Do You Kare?

Forrest Dein and Greg Serrao will host a soft opening party Friday of their hard kombucha tasting room, JuneShine. While it occupies San Diego Brewings abandoned North Park tasting room, 3052 El Cajon Blvd., this place has no other link to beer.

OK, so why should beer fans kare about kombucha?

I gave Dein and Serrao 60 seconds to answer. Go!

SERRAO: We see our product as a gluten-free, organic, healthy drink for those who want an alternative to beer.

ME: What?

DEIN: Kombucha is essentially a super tea. You have all the benefits of the normal tea. When you ferment the tea, additional vitamin offsets and probiotic offsets are created.

ME: Alternative?

DEIN: The brewery will have 10 flavors on tap at any one time. Hard kombucha, 6 percent alcohol by volume

ME: To beer?

SERRAO: Well have 16-ounce cans in Seaside Market in Encinitas by June 11. We plan to be widespread throughout San Diego County. Well start distributing two flavors, blood orange mint and the second is a honey ginger lemon.

ME: Were outta time. Thanks for calling!

Kings of Beer (Not)

Theres an appealing simplicity to Strand Brewing Co.s cans, all of which feature a sketch of a lifeguard tower. Its a pleasing, nostalgic image for someone who grew up in a beach town, as I did.

On cans of Orange Wheat Harvest Ball (4.8 percent alcohol by content), a large orange round floats over the shoreline scene, which seems out of place. I should have taken heed  this beer is not this weeks King, as the ingredients are muddled and flavors muted. Malted wheat softens the body, while this-side-of-prosecco carbonation supplies a welcome lift. Hints of bitter orange peel emerge at the finish, as does a curdled milk lactic sourness.

Worse, the beer tasted stale. With so many superior orange wheat beers available  Hangar 24 Orange Wheat, for instance, and Coronados Orange Avenue Wit  I cant imagine ordering this again. Turns out, you cant drink nostalgia.

Best of the Week, Local

Im a fan of Council Brewing and anniversaries, so lets note the Miramar outfit is celebrating its fourth  thats the California ale yeast anniversary  Saturday at the tasting room, 7705 Convoy Court, San Diego.

The VIP session, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., features vintage barrel-aged sours, a souvenir tasting glass, a 750-ml bottle of the anniversary beer (an imperial sour brown ale aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with Balaton cherries) and as many as 12 four-ounce pours of draft beers. VIP tickets, $75, are sold at the tasting room and councilbrew.com.

The rest of the day, 12:30 to 10 p.m., visitors are welcome to wander in free of charge and buy a beer or two.

Words to Drink By

 the natives of north-eastern Africa catch the wild baboons by exposing vessels with strong beer, by which they are made drunk On the following morning, they were very cross and dismal; they held their aching heads with both hands and wore a most pitiable expression; when beer or wine was offered them, they turned away with disgust, but relished the juice of lemons.  Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man (1871).

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Twitter: @peterroweut

peter.rowe@sduniontribune.comGreen Flash today named its new CEO, Michael Taylor, a beer industry veteran with 14 years experience with Anheuser-Busch.

His talent, experience and leadership are the perfect fit, said Mike Hinkley, the Mira Mesa brewerys founder, and I look forward to working with him.

Yet the new CEOs experience has rattled San Diegos fiercely independent craft beer community. As Anheuser-Buschs vice president for mergers and acquisitions, Taylor oversaw the purchases of Golden Road, Goose Island, 10 Barrel and a half dozen other craft breweries.

If you have a skill set that youve honed over the years, said Gustavo Quintero, an advisory board member for San Diego State Universitys Business of Craft Beer program, youre not going to abandon that for no reason.

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Selling Green Flash to an outside party is not his mission in San Diego, Taylor said  at least not now.

I cant speak for A-B and what A-B wants, he said I have not had any M and A discussions with the current ownership team. My role is really organic growth within the organization itself. And weve got a lot to do for quite awhile.

San Diegos beer industry was built by local, independent players who had to fight international brewing corporations like Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors and others for shelf space, tap handles and  some argue  their very existence.

To see a homegrown San Diego brewery led by an Anheuser-Busch alum, especially one who helped convert numerous independent breweries into links in A-Bs chain, makes Quintero question Green Flashs direction.

Still, he agreed that this embattled Mira Mesa brewery needs a reboot.

Right now, they are probably bordering on irrelevance, Quintero said. During all this turmoil they havent done a good job of damage control, of getting the message out about who they are and who they want to be.

Founded in 2002 by Mike and Lisa Hinkley, Green Flash won fans with West Coast IPA, Le Freak and other award-winning beers. Its lineup grew even stronger in 2015, when it bought Alpine Beer, whose hop-forward beers have an international following.

By 2016, this was San Diego Countys third largest brewery, trailing only Ballast Point and Stone, with sales in all 50 states.

This spring, though, Hinkleys dreams of a national craft beer empire collapsed under mounting debt.

Within a week, Hinkley shuttered his East Coast brewery in Virginia; closed a barrel-aging operation in Poway; and then, unable to make payments on a $20 million loan, saw his companys assets seized and sold to a new band of investors, led by venture capitalist Richard Lobo.

Two days after Lobos group took control, Well Fargo sued Green Flash for $279,494.77 plus interest and court costs, alleging the company had failed to make payments on a line of credit it opened in 2013.

The steady drumbeat of bad news cast a pall over the brewery.

The biggest issue we have is consumer perception and, to some degree, retailer perception, Taylor said. The single biggest thing is people think that this means the beer is going away  and thats just not the case.

Taylor acknowledged that the brewery recently lost some retail accounts, but chalked that up to business as usual.

The beer industry in general has lost some placements, he said. The best breweries in the country struggle every day to maintain that value, maintain that position.

Green Flashs challenge is to increase its visibility in San Diego you have to win in your backyard  and produce innovative beers, Taylor said. Early this year, the brewery cut back its distribution network to eight states, but the CEO pledged that Green Flash will hold that line.

Were not going to pull back in any other states, he said.

Taylor is the second new face at Green Flash with ties to Anheuser-Buschs mergers and acquisitions department. Joshua Yelsey, one of the five principals on Lobos team, also served as head of finance for A-Bs Goose Island, Blue Point and other properties.

Lobo insists there is no plan to sell the brewery. During a recent tour of the Mira Mesa headquarters, he noted that Green Flash is investing a new canning line and other capital improvements.

I want to be clear that the new ownership has absolutely no plans and zero intention to sell the business to anyone at any point in the near future, he wrote in an e-mail. We invested in the business because we believe that Green Flash and Alpine are iconic brands here on the West Coast and that the business has tremendous opportunity to grow within its core markets.

Instead, Taylor said, local beer fans should look for a stronger Green Flash, with a marketing campaign led by a familiar face: Hinkley.

His title will always be founder, Taylor said. Hes going to report to me and be working sales, marketing, all the commercial end of the business.Ifechukwu Okeke thought shed be a shoo-in for in-state tuition when she was admitted to UC Berkeley for fall 2016.

She had moved to the United States from Nigeria in 2012 to go to Chaffey College in Rancho Cucamonga. By the time she got her acceptance to transfer to UC to study molecular and cell biology, she had lived in California four years. She had a California drivers license, bank account and rental records as proof.

UC Berkeley, however, ruled she was a nonresident  which meant she would have to pay nearly $27,000 more.

The university said Okeke failed to meet its requirement to show she had been financially independent from her out-of-state parents for at least two years. She had only filed a tax return one year, but UC Berkeley required to see two years.

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Okeke was stunned. Without enough money for nonresident tuition, she was forced to withdraw her acceptance. But she began showing up at University of California regents meetings to plead her case over and over again.

The effort may have seemed quixotic, but the regents heard her story. Last week, they unanimously approved a key change that will help people in her situation, starting in the 2019-20 academic year.

Im in disbelief, said Okeke, now 21. I have mixed feelings about how long it took, but also a huge sense of jubilation that student advocacy does make a difference.

UC regents did not change two core state requirements for residency. Students must live in California for more than one year. They also must prove they intend to make the state their primary and permanent home, through such documents as California tax returns and drivers licenses.

But UC now will conform with state law and require students under 24 to show one year of independence from their parents, not two.

UC officials said they were unsure how many students would be helped. Christopher Carter, UC director of student financial support, said about a quarter of students who accept UC admission offers  roughly 17,500 freshmen and transfer students last year  dont have completely clear residency status.

About 300 students appeal their residency decisions each year. With the changes, Carter has told regents, successful appeals could go up from 5% to 10% to as many as one-third.

Students who qualify for California residency are able to access state and UC financial aid in addition to in-state tuition. The financial impact of the policy remains to be seen.

Okekes parents, both educators, supported her for about the first 18 months she attended Chaffey College. But after Nigerias economy began to crash in 2014, she said, her mother lost her job and the government suspended her fathers paycheck. She was forced to fend for herself, she said, by taking on several jobs, including tutoring biology, chemistry and math.

Okeke said she gave UC her bank records and W-2 forms to demonstrate her financial independence, but the university required the tax returns.

I was heartbroken, Okeke said.

Still, she volunteered with a UC Berkeley research project while working three jobs.

She also spoke out at four of the regents bimonthly meetings  starting in November 2016. She asked the regents not just to change the policy  which might take years  but to provide a temporary fix for students like herself who were in need of immediate aid.

Her persistence impressed Regent John A. Perez, who met with her and then asked UC officials to brief regents about the residency issue at their May 2017 meeting.

My sense, and I may be wrong on this, is if somebodys motivated enough to come back over and over and over to raise an issue, its because theres not a sense that its actually being dealt with, Perez said at that meeting.

Perez and members of a UC task force proposed the revisions approved last week. The new policy also makes it easier for certain students, including those on active military duty or runaways who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, to qualify for residency, regardless of their parents situations. The changes bring UCs residency policies in line with federal financial aid rules.

At last weeks meeting, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, an ex-officio regent who is running for governor, asked how often families try to game the residency policy for the major financial savings. UC officials said they have caught some parents who moved to California long enough to appear to be residents but then moved home once their students were enrolled.

To guard against such abuse, UC regents did not change the universitys stricter-than-state-law policy that assumes most students under age 24 still are financially dependent on their parents and reside in the same state unless they can prove otherwise. California law ties student and parent residencies together only until age 18.

Okeke was not present for the regents vote last week, but she was overjoyed by the news. Although she was able to gain her residency status and re-enroll at Berkeley last year after filing a second year of tax returns, she said she hoped the changes would help  and inspire  future students.

This tells me that no one is insignificant in causing change, she said. Theres nothing too big to take on.

teresa.watanabe@latimes.com

Twitter: @teresawatanabeAt a Pearl Harbor ceremony Wednesday, Defense secretary James Mattis welcomed an admiral who took charge of a command with a new name and growing mission.

The morning event installed Adm. Phil Davidson as leader of Indo-Pacific Command, formerly known as Pacific Command.

He replaces Adm. Harry B. Harris, who retires after four decades in the Navy to become the new American ambassador to South Korea during turbulent talks over a potential powwow with the dictatorship in neighboring North Korea.

Davidson commanded the Sixth Fleet in Europe and Africa and helmed Fleet Forces Command before he was appointed to replace Harris.

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Davidsons latest appointment arrived in the wake of a string of surface warship collisions in the Pacific Ocean last year that claimed the lives of 17 sailors.

In his brief speech, Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, signaled his guidance to Davidson by urging him to begin reforming any command practices that detract from performance and lethality.

During your confirmation hearing you expressed your commitment to devote the whole of your energy to ensuring (this) command is the most lethal and combat-ready force in our history, Mattis said. America and countries across the broad Indo-Pacific region are counting on you to do just that.

I have every confidence in your ability to carry out your duties with the grit, wisdom and skill you have shown throughout your career.

The Navy meted out justice to Scott Swift, the four-star commander of the Pacific Fleet who was in line to take the Indo-Pacific Command post but had to retire early. So did Naval Surface Forces boss Vice Adm. Tom Rowden. But Davidson emerged unscathed.

A key function of Davidsons Fleet Forces Command was making sure fleets were ready and properly staffed for operating at sea, predominately in the Atlantic Ocean but with a global reach.

Relieved as commander of the Japan-based Seventh Fleet, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin took aim at Davidsons command in an April essay in the U.S. Naval Institutes Proceedings, charging it with failing to address both staffing levels aboard ships and excessive tasking of the fleets on exercises and other high-demand missions.

Davidson led a Fleet Comprehensive Review into the causes of the collisions, focusing mostly on sailors and their commanders stationed in forward-deployed Asian waters, where the accidents occurred.

In his change of command address, Davidson didnt touch on those controversies and instead turned to strategic challenges in the Indo-Pacific theater  China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and violent extremists such as the Islamic State.

To our allies here in the Indo-Pacific, you will have no better ally, Davidson said. To our partners, I look forward to advancing our partnership in a way that serves our mutual interests. To our friends, our friendship is rock solid. We must continue to work together. Peace and prosperity in the Indo Pacific relies directly on these bonds.

Saying that the era of great power competition had begun again, 27 years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Harris warned that the United States was approaching an inflection point in history, in which freedom and justice hang in the balance.

At his back was the memorial to the USS Arizona, the battleship sunk by Japanese aircraft on Dec. 7, 1941, triggering a global war that changed the balance of power in the Pacific to America.

Davidsons comments came after the Pentagon booted China from joining a major international training exercise involving American forces and President Donald J. Trump continues to wrangle with Beijing over a threatened $60 billion in economic sanctions, part of a broader effort to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement.

Twenty-six nations, 47 surface ships, five submarines, 18 national land forces and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific exercise slated to begin on June 27 in the waters off Hawaii and Southern California, according to Point Loma-based Third Fleet commanders.

The worlds largest international maritime war games, Rim of the Pacific is designed to foster relationships between small and large powers, especially those in the Pacific Rim.

As signs of Americas growing interest in the Indian Ocean and enduring concerns about the rise of Beijing, both Sri Lanka and Chinas neighbor, Vietnam, are attending the event for the first time.

Also underscoring the emphasis on the new Indo-Pacific direction, Mattis left the ceremony to immediately jet to Singapore, a day after closed-door talks with the defense ministers of Japan and Indonesia.

Hes slated to conduct similar discussions with top leaders from India and Singapore in the coming days before and during the Shangri-La Dialogue, a major security summit of Pacific powers, that runs through the week.

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cprine@sduniontribune.comDefense Secretary James Mattis touched down in Singapore on Thursday, prepared to begin a bustling three days of bilateral talks with key Asian powers.

Were unwavering in our focus out here, Mattis said on his jetliner hours before landing at Paya Lebar Air Base, home to a pair of Singapores strike fighter squadrons.

Were unapologetic about standing with our allies and our partners and ensuring freedoms  freedom of navigation, use of international airspace and to countries making their own sovereign decisions.

The Pentagon is expected to roll out a new Indo-Pacific strategy over the next two months, a blueprint for retaining military power over a vast stretch of water from the Indian Ocean to the polar regions and Americas west coast.

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It promises to contain menacing states such as a nuclear-armed North Korea and address rising rivals like China and Russia.

Mattis has set a quick pace this week, jetting on Tuesday to Hawaii for closed-door talks with defense ministers from Japan and Indonesia before presiding over the installment of Adm. Phil Davidson as the new Indo-Pacific commander, replacing retiring Adm. Harry Harris.

Hes expected to hold similar security discussions in the coming days with Singapore defense minister Ng Eng Hen and the republics prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong.

There are more Singapore military officers attached to commands in the United States than from any other nation on earth. Many are pilots assigned to Luke Air Force Base in Arizona and Idahos Mountain Home Air Force Base.

Also on the agenda: A key session with India prime minister Shri Narendra Modi  a sign of deepening ties between Washington and New Delhi  and defense leaders from Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Mattis also will attend trilateral talks with Japan and Australia, plus a similar session with South Korea and Japan.

That meeting is expected to dwell heavily on North Korea. Pyongyangs ex-intelligence chief, Kim Yong Chol, is in Washington to try an salvage a proposed summit between North Korean despot Kim Jong-un and American President Donald J. Trump.

As for Indo-Pacific Command  the new name for Pacific Command  Mattis said it was suggested by Asian powers, not Pentagon planners.

Its been very warmly received, and embraced even, by the countries, the former four-star Marine general said.

Mattis will outline more of the evolving strategy in an address before delegates to the Shangri-La Dialogue on Saturday morning.

Although most of the leaders represent Pacific Rim nations, the summit has drawn other top security officials, including defense ministers Ursula von der Leyen from Germany, Florence Parly of France, the United Kingdoms Gavin Williamson and Qatars Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah.

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cprine@sduniontribune.comDefense Secretary James Mattis gathered the top brass of the various military branches to greet visiting Poway WWII Navy veteran Ray Chavez at his Pentagon office last Friday.

That was unusual in itself, but then something more extraordinary happened that adds a new note in the annals of U.S. Navy history.

When the military leaders learned that Chavez, now 106, had said he would enlist again today if he thought he could make a difference, they jumped on the suggestion, even though he needed an age waiver.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan wasted no time in swearing in Chavez, announcing that hes sure theres never been an older U.S. military recruit. He later tweeted a video of the ceremony with the comment: It was my honor and privilege to re-enlist WWII veteran and Pearl Harbor survivor Ray Chavez at the Pentagon earlier today.

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Chavez received a copy of his official re-enlistment papers but says he doesnt plan to report for active duty any time soon.

On Monday, Chavez attended the Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Day ceremony, where he and his daughter, Kathleen, were seated near former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole. Joining them were their San Diego chaperones, Jeri and Richard Rovsek, who heads the patriotic Spirit of Liberty Foundation.

President Donald Trump introduced Chavez as an American hero in his Memorial Day address. At 106 years of age, and he was in the Oval Office two days ago, and he doesnt look a day over 60...what a guy, Trump said.

Chavez had an action-packed week. After meeting Trump last Thursday in the White House, he joined Mattis on Friday for a formal tea at the Pentagon. The San Diegans returned to the Pentagon on Sunday to unveil five 6-foot-by-4-foot paintings of five U.S. war memorials: Vietnam, Korea, World War II, the USS Arizona in Pearl Harbor and Arlington National Cemetery.

The paintings, commissioned by the nonprofit Spirit of Liberty Foundation, will go on tour each November to honor veterans, Rovsek said. Mattis asked if he could obtain copies to hang in the Pentagon. The answer? Absolutely.

This mermaid mannequin mysteriously appeared early this week on a rock rising from the ocean across from Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in Point Loma. (K.C. Alfred / San Diego Union-Tribune )

Whimsical art: Could the mysterious appearance of a mermaid atop an offshore rock along Sunset Cliffs Boulevard in Point Loma have a connection to Arizona?

The turquoise-haired mermaid materialized sometime Sunday night on the monolithic rock with sheer cliff sides rising about five stories high. It appears on maps as Ross Rock but locals often refer to it as The Rock, Peace Rock or something a bit more colorful.

Just as the Encinitas surfer statue, nicknamed the Cardiff Kook, has been decorated with seasonal outfits, this rock has hosted numerous adornments over the years, stealthily mounted under cover of darkness.

This stained glass peace sign remained atop Ross Rock in Point Loma for about 19 months before it disappeared in early January, 2008. (San Diego Union-Tribune file photo )

Nine years ago, Ross Rock was crowned with 3-foot-high red wooden numbers announcing 2010, reportedly a Point Loma High School student prank  class of 2010, no doubt. In 2006, an artistic stained glass peace symbol debuted, courtesy of a group of artists with a Peace Rocks! website, who made similar peace symbols for Santa Cruz and the East Coast.

In 2005, a green pterodactyl made of nylon, plastic pipes and papier mache, with a 15-foot wing-span, mysteriously appeared next to the real birds taking refuge on the rock. A year earlier, a Tiki head reminiscent of Easter Island made a surreptitious debut. In 2003, a giant reddish-orange crab was king of the rock. It also has been topped by a Raiders fan stuffed down a toilet, a flamingo and Christmas trees during the holiday season.

Passersby on the 1000 block of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard were greeted by a giant smiling Tiki head that suddenly appeared on the top of Ross Rock, known to many locals as Birdsh*# Rock, sometime between sunset and sunrise on Aug. 11, 2004. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune )

The lifeguards are aware of the items that have been installed on the rock over the years, but they do not remove the items, said city lifeguard spokeswoman Monica Munoz. Its a mystery as to how they get the surprise artwork on the rock, she added. We have not witnessed anyone installing the items, but based on lifeguards knowledge of the area, it wouldnt be an easy climb to get to the spot where the mermaid sits.

Tim Graham, of the city Parks and Rec Department, said: There will be no effort by the department to remove (the mermaid). He explained that, not only do they lack the equipment necessary to do so, but the rock isnt considered park property since its offshore.

After the mermaid appeared this week, I contacted Danielle Stratton, who co-founded the OB Merpods, whose members masquerade as mermaids and pirates to keep the magic alive while working to protect our beaches. Her group had nothing to do with the mermaids arrival, she said, and referred to comments posted on the Facebook page of Ocean Beach Social, with more than 12,000 members. One person claimed to have talked to the mermaid pranksters who said they were from Arizona.

Another posted a photo shortly after the mermaid materialized showing a man sitting high on the rock next to her. Another jokingly posted a Photoshopped picture of a fish with a mans legs  a merman  spotted on Newport Avenue.

Its so bizarre, Stratton said. I cant imagine people from another state coming and installing that at Sunset Cliffs. The question remains: How long will the mermaid stay?

diane.bell@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1518

Twitter: @dianebellSD

Facebook: dianebell.newsThree women who accuse a sheriffs deputy of groping them took the stand Wednesday in a Vista courtroom, describing their interactions with him while he was on the job.

First on the stand was a 64-year-old San Marcos woman who testified about her encounter with Fischer, who was sent to her home after she called 911 to report threatening texts from her boyfriend.



For the record: This story has been changed to correct the age of the defendant, who is 32.

She said Fischer hugged her three times as she spoke to him in her home. After the third hug, she said, he put her hand on his pants, on his erect penis, then moved his hand up and down.

I pulled away, she said, later saying, It just didnt seem  I didnt know what to do.

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On cross examination, the woman acknowledged that she did not say anything to her adult son when he came home while the deputy was still in there. She also said it was possible she may have told someone later that she was flattered by the attention.

The three women were the first to take the stand in a preliminary hearing for Fischer, who has pleaded not guilty to 15 counts  nine felonies and six misdemeanors. One charge is for sexual battery. Many of the others are related to assault and battery under the color of authority.

1 / 13 San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, shown here, is charged of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 13 Deputy District Attorney Annette Irving, right, and San Diego Sheriff Detective Luis Pena, left, were in court in Vista in the case against San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, who is accused of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority, for a preliminary hearing. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 13 L-r, San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, attorney Chris Kowalski and attorney Richard Pinckard were in court in Vista for a preliminary hearing for Fischer who is accused of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 13 Richard Pinckard, one of the attorneys for San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, who is accused of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority, was in court in Vista with Fischer for a preliminary hearing. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 13 Deputy District Attorney Annette Irving questions one of the alleged victims of San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, who is accused of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority, in court in Vista during Fishers preliminary hearing on Wednesday. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 13 Judge Daniel Goldstein, rear, who is presiding over the preliminary hearing of San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, who is accused of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority, asked a question of one of the alleged victims who was on the stand Wednesday. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 13 L-r, San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, center, and attorney Chris Kowalski, right, were in court in Vista for a preliminary hearing for Fischer who is accused of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 13 Judge Daniel Goldstein, who is presiding over the preliminary hearing of San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, who is accused of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 13 Richard Pinckard, one of the attorneys for San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, who is accused of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority, was in court in Vista with Fischer for a preliminary hearing. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 13 Richard Pinckard, one of the attorneys for San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, who is accused of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority, was in court in Vista with Fischer for a preliminary hearing. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 13 One of the alleged victims of sexual harassment by San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, held a stress ball while on the witness stand in the case against the deputy. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 13 San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, shown here, is charged of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority. One of his attorneys, Chris Kowalski is at right. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 13 San Diego County Sheriff deputy Richard Fischer, shown here, is charged of 15 counts related to harassing women under color of authority. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Each woman who testified was identified in court by her first name and the first initial of her last name. The San Diego Union-Tribune is not identifying the women because they are alleged victims of sex crimes in a criminal case.

Fischer faces a maximum of 14 years, eight months in custody if convicted on all counts.

Aside from the accusations from 13 women in the criminal case, a total of 15 women have filed claims against the county over the deputys alleged behavior.

Earlier this month, Union-Tribune reported that the county has settled claims with four accusers for a total of $906,000. The money comes from county general purpose revenues. The other 11 claims are unresolved.

Fischer, 32, remains on unpaid leave from his job.

The criminal complaint is the focus of the preliminary hearing that started Wednesday in Vista. At the end of the hearing  likely to wrap up next week  Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein will determine if there is enough evidence to order Fischer to stand trial.

The second accuser to testify was a 52-year-old woman who said she had two encounters with Fischer in which he touched her.

In the first instance, he stopped her as she rode her bike in El Cajon in July 2015. After learning she was on probation, the deputy searched her belongings and found a prescription bottle with two types of pills. The woman had a prescription for both, but carried them together in one bottle for convenience.

He agreed to escort her to her nearby storage unit so she could show him the other prescription bottle.

After seeing it, the woman said, Fischer told her she was off the hook  and immediately asked for a hug.

The woman, who has a felony record, said it was an unusual request but decided to do what he was asking because I didnt want to get into trouble.

She said he hugged her and put his hands on her buttocks with a very firm squeeze.

Months later in September 2015, he found her standing in front of a Lakeside convenience store, she said, and eventually cited her for possession of drug paraphernalia. He then drove her home. As he buckled her into the back seat, she said, he leaned in close and dragged the belt across my crotch area.

His actions were all, like, sensual, the 52-year-old said. It wasnt an accident.

On cross examination, she said her habitual use of drugs  methamphetamine in particular  has not affected her ability to recall the incidents clearly.

A third woman said Fischer had pulled her over in East County in November 2015, and searched her car, then arrested her for drug possession. She said he searched her three times during their encounter, and at one point asked her if shed ever been felt up by an officer. She said he ran his hand across her breasts as he buckled her into his car and later when he unbuckled it.

It was clearly intentional, she said.

She said he also asked if shed ever been felt up by an officer. And during the drive to jail, she said, he stopped on a dark service road and asked her if she was scared.

In the time that followed, the woman made statements to friends and family about portions of the encounter. She also wrote a letter of complaint to the Sheriffs Department in May 2016, in which she said he is a predator, not an officer.

She said she did not hear back from the department at that time.

On cross examination by Fischers attorney, Richard Pinckard, she acknowledged that she was upset about being pulled over, as well as being searched, going to jail and getting her car towed, which cost about $700 to get out of impound.

Testimony is slated to continue Thursday.

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUTMisdemeanor charges of illegal border entry against more than 30 people were dismissed in San Diego federal court Wednesday after a nationwide computer crash that affected the downtown prison delayed them from seeing a judge.

Late Tuesday, Federal Defenders of San Diego filed 37 writs of habeas corpus on behalf of clients who were scheduled for arraignment earlier that day but were not produced by authorities.

The Bureau of Prisons has experienced a nationwide computer shutdown which began early Tuesday morning and is ongoing, said Kelly Thornton, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorneys Office in San Diego. This has affected the Metropolitan Correctional Centers ability to process new inmates.

As a result, the United States filed motions to dismiss a number of cases against defendants who were not brought to court in a timely manner, she said. The MCCs computer system is improving and we expect this issue to be resolved in the near future.

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At a hearing on the issue Wednesday morning, U.S. District Chief Judge Barry Moskowitz granted the governments offer to dismiss all of the misdemeanor cases  32 in all  and ordered authorities to produce the remaining five defendants with felony charges for arraignment. They were eventually arraigned Wednesday morning.

Defense lawyers say the inability to get detainees to court in a timely manner goes beyond a technology hiccup and is part of the ongoing chaos being caused by the new policy under U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions to criminally prosecute every single person who crosses the border illegally. Previously, prosecutors targeted unauthorized immigrants with criminal histories or numerous prior illegal entries. Most others would typically be processed on civil immigration violations.

A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesdays problems were confined to the prisons computer shutdown and had nothing to do with the zero-tolerance policy. The crackdown on illegal immigration is the cornerstone of President Donald Trumps campaign promises.

We must promote and enforce the rule of law in order to protect our nation and its citizens, DOJ spokesman Devin OMalley said. The Department of Justice, through multiple avenues, has been in touch with administrators of the federal judiciary in order to find practical solutions to an expected increase in prosecutions along the Southwest border. We look forward to continued coordination with the courts and their Chief Judges in order to properly adjudicate cases and respect due process rights.

Defense attorneys argue the system is not built to handle this many defendants right now. And with the influx, it becomes even harder to deal with what would otherwise be small glitches in the infrastructure.

Our court system cant handle it. We dont have the infrastructure and cant provide appropriate due process and representation, said Reuben Cahn, executive director of Federal Defenders of San Diego, the agency who handles the bulk of public criminal defense work in the Southern District of California.

People are falling through the cracks, he said. The ability to move that number of cases isnt there.

The agency has filed handfuls of similar requests to produce detainees over the past few weeks as the zero-tolerance policy gains speed, but this weeks batch was the biggest yet, due to the computer breakdown.

Typically, someone arrested on suspicion of illegally crossing the border would get processed at a Border Patrol station, then be transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Facility in downtown San Diego, where he or she would be screened for tuberculosis and booked.

If the person was arrested before 6 a.m., the detainee might be transported to court for arraignment that same day, but more likely it would be the following day  adhering to a one-day rule of thumb.

An arraignment is the first step in a criminal court case after charges are filed. It informs the defendant of the charges against him and of his rights, provides the chance to consult with his attorney and is the first opportunity to discuss the potential for bail.

Federal defender Ryan Stitt, who represented the 37 detainees in front of Moskowitz Wednesday, said many of the delays this week could have been avoided if the detainees had been transported to MCC gradually over the long Memorial Day weekend rather than in one wave Tuesday morning. Of the five felony cases that are going forward, four arrests were made Saturday and one made Sunday, he said.

Instead, many detainees languished in Border Patrol stations, which are not set up for long-term confinement, he said.

They are sitting in really horrible conditions, with inadequate food, inadequate clothing, inadequate bedding, Cahn said.

Border Patrol referred comment to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

This is not the first time the issue has come up in San Diego.

Around 2011, the U.S. Attorneys Office ramped up illegal border crossing prosecutions, an influx that resulted in a logjam of detainees not being produced timely for arraignments.

Lawsuits were filed on detainees behalf, and both Moskowitz and the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeal established some guidelines about what was and was not reasonable in terms of delay.

Reasonable: issues surrounding transportation, distance and the availability of a magistrate judge, as well as delays for medical reasons, delays due to the unavailability of government personnel to hold an arraignment, and delays necessary to determine if criminal charges should be filed.

Unreasonable: Jail booking delays or X-ray medical screening delays.

The wrinkles in procedures were smoothed out to account for the increased caseload, and the situation improved, Cahn said.

Now (the current caseload) has outstripped even those capabilities, he said.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavisA 20-year-old Escondido man was sentenced Wednesday to 25 years to life in prison for first-degree murder for beating his friend to death in an Escondido park last year and posting audio of the victim crying on a social media site.

Authorities say Salvador Sanchez intentionally dressed in all white  as a symbol of purity, he would tell police  then lured Maithem Alfuraiji to Mountain View Park on April 27, 2017, where he beat him and then locked him into a chokehold until he stopped breathing.

During and after the attack, Sanchez made cryptic postings on his Snapchat account, and later showed his bloody clothes to two of his friends. The friends, already unable to find Alfuraiji, were so alarmed that they went to police. Eventually, Sanchez led them to the body, which had been dumped in Valley Center.

Sanchez, who was a competitive wrestler in high school, stood 3 inches taller than Alfuraiji, and outweighed him by 40 pounds.

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After the killing, Sanchez called an unsuspecting acquaintance and asked for help. His friend drove up to the darkened park and Sanchez opened the back door, hefted Alfuraijis body into the back of a SUV, and ordered his shocked friend to help ditch the body.

Alfuraijis family members spoke during Wednesdays sentencing hearing, Deputy District Attorney Claudia Plascencia said.

His mother told the judge that she lays in bed crying every night, because she is never going to see her son again, Placencia said.

The prosecutor said the attack was so brutal and so totally unprovoked, and said the defendant showed no remorse and has continued to show no remorse.

Sanchez had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. His defense lawyer suggested in his opening statement to the jury that the defendant believed he needed to kill because God told him to.

Last month, a North County jury found him guilty of murder, and days later found that he had been sane at the time of the killing.

After the killing, Sanchez called an unsuspecting acquaintance and asked for help. Right after the friend drove up to the darkened park, Sanchez opened the back door, hefted Alfuraijis body into the back of a SUV, and ordered the shocked friend to help ditch the body.

Prosecutor Plascencia said Sanchez, an aspiring rapper, posted videos of himself covered in the victims blood on Snapchat. He also put up original lyrics, including in the arms of a friend is where u die.

His defense attorney told the jury that Sanchez  whose mother was 13 when she became pregnant with him  spent years bouncing around with family from California to Mexico, New Mexico and eventually Alabama. There, the attorney said, Sanchezs Christian faith grew, and he started speaking in tongues.

In one of the videos Sanchez posted, he said, I believe everyone is saved. But I believe if you die, you go straight to Heaven  so I dont feel guilty.

Authorities said Maithem Alfuraiji, seen here in this selfie posted to his Facebook page, was killed by friend Salvador Sanchez, who later led police to his body. (Maithem Alfuraiji selfie photo )

teri.figueroa@sduniontribune.com

(760) 529-4945

Twitter: @TeriFigueroaUTA trans woman from Honduras who asked for asylum as part of the recent migrant caravan died Friday while in federal custody after being hospitalized with symptoms of pneumonia, dehydration and complications associated with HIV.

Known to people in the caravan as Roxana, or Roxy, Hernandez, and in ICEs records as Jeffry Hernandez, the 33-year-old asked for asylum on May 9 after traveling through Mexico with the migrant caravan that the Trump administration frequently criticized.

Immigration officials kept her in temporary holding cells for about a week before sending her to the transgender unit at Cibola County Correctional Center in Milan, New Mexico, a private facility run by CoreCivic that houses immigrant detainees for ICE.

The day after Hernandez arrived at the detention facility, she was admitted to Cibola General Hospital, according to a news release from ICE. Later that day, she was airlifted to Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque. Early on May 25, she was pronounced dead with cardiac arrest cited as the preliminary cause.

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An autopsy to determine cause of death is pending, ICE said.

ICEs Health Service Corps (IHSC) ensures the provision of necessary medical care services as required by ICE Performance-Based National Detention Standards and based on the medical needs of the detainee, the agency said. Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment detainees arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay.

Pueblo Sin Fronteras, the group that organized the caravan, along with Al Otro Lado and Diversidad Sin Fronteras, groups that also helped Hernandez on her journey, issued a statement blaming ICE for her death.

Roxy died due to medical negligence by U.S. immigration authorities, the organizations said. In other words, she was murdered, much like Claudia Gomez Gonzalez was murdered by a Border Patrol agents bullet less than a week ago. Roxy died in the country she had sought to start a new life in, she died for being a transgender woman, a migrant who was treated neither with respect nor with dignity.

They called for humane treatment for asylum seekers and for an end to immigration detention. They believed that holding Hernandez in custody, as is the policy for most asylum-seeking adults who arrive alone at the border under the current administration, caused her death.

Why incarcerate and torture her like this? they said. She had a home waiting for her in the United States. They could have let her go there. If they had, she would still be with us.

The Justice Department used to have a contract to house federal prisoners at Cibola County Correctional Center, but that ended in 2016 after a series of questionable deaths and reports of inadequate medical care. Soon after those inmates left, ICE made its own contract with the facility and began holding immigrants there.

But it was the time in holding cells, known as the icebox to many migrants, that the three advocacy organizations particularly blamed, saying that while there, Roxys body and spirit quickly deteriorated.

In its statement about her death, ICE noted that Hernandez had entered the U.S. illegally three times, most recently in 2014. She was convicted of illegal entry, a federal misdemeanor, after the third crossing.

During her earlier time in the U.S., shed been convicted of theft in 2006 and prostitution-related charges in 2009, ICE said.

The advocacy groups criticized the tone of ICEs statement as well, calling it the most convenient way possible for the agency to explain her death.

Hernandez is the sixth detainee to die in ICE custody in fiscal 2018, according to ICE.

Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence

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kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on TwitterIn the final days of the primary election push, gubernatorial candidate Antonio Villaraigosa visited San Diego on Wednesday to reinforce his stance on immigration and the border.

Flanked by Border Angels executive director and founder Enrique Morones and two busloads of 8th graders from San Jose on a field trip to the border, Villaraigosa called on California to continue down its path of difference with the Trump administrations immigration policies. He met with the group at the entrance to Border Field State Park in the southwest corner of San Diego.

Were going to march to the drum of diversity, the drum of hope, the drum of dreams realized, Villaraigosa said. The path to a better life is to work hard, play by the rules and you can make it. Thats the California dream I believe in.

He celebrated the founding idea of the U.S. that everyone is equal and acknowledged that in practice, it has taken work to try to make that true.

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Over decades and over centuries, weve struggled to become a more perfect union, Villaraigosa said. Weve got to ask ourselves who are we.

He criticized the Trump administrations recent policy decision to prosecute all illegal border crossings that has led to many asylum-seeking families getting separated at the border.

We are not a nation that divides mother from daughter, father from son, Villaraigosa said. We are better than that.

He said while some see the border as a dividing line," he sees it as a united meeting point, a place of cultural exchange and economic trade.

Before his speech, Villaraigosa took time to address students from KIPP: Prize Preparatory Academy, a San Jose charter school who were ushered to the press conference by Morones. Villaraigosa spoke softly so that those interested in hearing him leaned in. Other students, appearing less comfortable with being in the center of a press conference, wandered down the path toward Friendship Park or moved to stand behind the cameras.

Recent polls have Democrat Gavin Newsom leading the pack of candidates with Republican John Cox in second and Democrat Villaraigosa in third. Travis Allen, a Republican candidate who advocated for a border wall during his own visit to San Diego on Sunday, is fourth in the polls.

I love Mexico. Its a great place, Allen said on Sunday. But its a sovereign nation, and we are a sovereign nation.

Villaraigosa is no stranger to Border Angels, an organization known for leaving water in the desert to help dehydrated migrants and for educating day laborers about their rights.

Last year, Villaraigosa went with the groups volunteers on a water drop in the desert, appeared as a guest speaker at a fundraiser for Border Angels and participated in a community breakfast dialogue put on by the organization.

Morones called the former mayor of Los Angeles a dear friend, and said that while, as a nonprofit, Border Angels does not endorse anyone, he anticipated and hoped for a runoff between Villaraigosa and Newsom in the fall.

Hes the real deal, Morones said of Villaraigosa.

Morones encouraged people, particularly those in the Mexican American community, to vote in the June 5 primary.

Theres never been a more important election, Morones said.

He criticized President Donald Trumps use of words like animals, rapists and criminals to describe certain immigrants.

Weve got to treat people with dignity and respect, something Antonio Villaraigosa has always done, Morones said.

A press release for Villaraigosas visit sent out Tuesday afternoon said that the speech would take place at Chicano Park. On Wednesday morning, the campaign decided to move the event to the border.

A Barrio Logan-based group criticized Morones and Villaraigosa for having the event at Chicano Park and planned to protest.

OPPORTUNIST Enrique Morones plans on welcoming HISPANIC SELL-OUT Antonio Villaraigosa at Chicano Park, tweeted Union del Barrio, a political organization that advocates on behalf of Latino and indigenous communities. They are disrespecting the Park and the [Chicano Park Steering Committee].

Morones said that the event was moved because the students wanted to go to Friendship Park and he felt it was important for them to learn about the democratic process. He welcomed input from all perspectives in a peaceful manner, he said.

KIPP: Prize Preparatory Academy did not respond to a request for the field trips itinerary. Union del Barrio did not respond to a request for comment.

Villaraigosa was scheduled to appear in Irvine and the city of Commerce in the afternoon.

Immigration Videos On Now New developments in family separation case 9:53 On Now A San Diego woman volunteered as a medic in Texas helping migrant families 2:35 On Now Immigration policy protests in Carlsbad nearly cancelled after permit issue 1:38 On Now When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next On Now Prospects of a deal for 'Dreamers' may hinge on separating Trump from hard-liners on his staff On Now What is DACA? On Now Border wall prototype contractors selected On Now Video: Ukrainian boxer wins asylum in U.S. On Now 30 apprehended after Border Patrol agents discover tunnel On Now Video: Kurdish diaspora prepare to vote on independence

Follow me on Facebook for live updates about immigration news

kate.morrissey@sduniontribune.com, @bgirledukate on TwitterOne of North Koreas most powerful figures will meet President Trump at the White House on Friday as high-level talks in New York wrapped up with growing signs that the stalled nuclear disarmament summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could take place in less than two weeks.

Kim Yong Chol, a North Korean spy chief and four-star general who is under U.S. sanctions, will deliver a personal letter to Trump from Kim Jong Un, the president told reporters in the latest whirlwind of high-stakes diplomacy aimed at reviving the proposed summit.

I look forward to seeing whats in the letter, Trump said. Asked if an arms control deal was coming together, he said: I think it will be very positive. The meetings have been very positive.

Trump said he still hoped to sit down with Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12, as originally scheduled, but he suggested follow-up meetings may be necessary to hammer out a disarmament deal.

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I want it to be meaningful, Trump said of a possible summit. It doesnt mean it gets all done at one meeting. Maybe you have to have a second or a third. And maybe well have none.

The cliffhanger approach further highlights how Trump has tossed out the conventional playbook for his nuclear summitry. Aides say Trump believes his personal commitment and negotiating skills can help break the cycle of failure that have marked U.S. attempts to curb North Koreas nuclear program since the 1990s.

Adding to the suspense, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Kim Yong Chol for about 4 hours in a U.S. diplomats home in a New York skyscraper, and later said the logistics, security and an agenda for a summit could be completed in days.

Weve made real progress in the last 72 hours toward setting the conditions, Pompeo told reporters. The flurry of logistical meetings have taken place in New York, Singapore and in the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas, each with different agendas.

Our two countries face a pivotal moment in our relationship in which it could be nothing short of tragic to let this opportunity go to waste, Pompeo added.

Pompeo outlined what he called a brighter path for North Korea if it agrees to nuclear disarmament. We envision a strong, connected and secure, prosperous North Korea that maintains its cultural heritage but is integrated into the community of nations.

He conceded the two sides still had not determined what steps they must take to satisfy the U.S. demand for what it calls complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, and North Koreas demand for ironclad security guarantees and easing of sanctions.

On Wednesday night, Pompeo hosted Kim Yong Chol, a 72-year-old North Korean usually described as leader Kim Jong Uns right-hand man, for a dinner of filet mignon, Burrata buffalo milk cheese and corn puree in New York.

They held formal talks Thursday morning at the residence of the U.S. deputy representative to the United Nations, an apartment with a spectacular view of the East River. A second round of talks in the afternoon was scrubbed, though Pompeo denied a problem. We didnt end the talks early, he said.

Pompeo sounded optimistic though not forthcoming about details.

He urged Kim Jong Un to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, adding that he thought the North Korean leader could prove his commitment in coming weeks and months  a remarkably short time for what would be an unprecedented nuclear disarmament effort.

I believe they are contemplating a path forward where they can make a strategic shift, one that their country has not been prepared to make before, Pompeo said. They will have to chose a path that is fundamentally different.

He also acknowledged the obstacles of trying to wring a major disarmament deal with one of the worlds most reclusive states.

There will be tough moments, there will be difficult times, he said. Were decades into this challenge, and so one ought not to be either surprised or frightened or deterred  by challenges and difficulties, things that cant be bridged. Our mission is to bridge them so that we can achieve this historic outcome.

Still, Pompeo would not say the June 12 summit is definitively back on, nor when the world would know for sure.

Prospects for the Singapore summit have careened up and down as both sides threatened each another and engaged in diplomatic brinkmanship. After several days of escalating rhetoric, Trump announced on May 24 that he was pulling out  and then jumped back in less than a day later.

With his travels to New York and Washington, Kim Yong Chol is the highest-ranking North Korean to visit the United States since 2000. Vice Marshal Jo Myong-rok went to the White House then in another period of hope and invited President Clinton to Pyongyang to seal an accord to curb its ballistic missiles. Neither the visit, nor the deal, occurred.

Kim Yong Chol marks an unusual visitor to the White House, however. In 2010, the Obama administration placed him on a blacklist as chief of North Koreas premier intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, and its role in the illegal export of arms and military equipment.

In 2015, the Obama administration blamed Gen. Kim for the cyberattack on Sony Pictures. South Korea has sanctioned him as well, accusing Gen. Kim of orchestrating several attacks on South Korean targets, including the torpedoing of a warship in 2010 that killed 46 sailors. The European Union also has sanctioned him.

Because of the sanctions, he needed a waiver from the State Department to visit New York, and another to travel to Washington to deliver the letter to Trump.

Despite the intense diplomacy, veteran Korea watchers cautioned against becoming overly optimistic given the complexity of the challenge, North Koreas record of breaking agreements, and Trumps evident lack of preparation or expertise.

I liken [this] to a kid who has been in a class all term and hasnt been preparing, and now is cramming for the exam, said Jonathan Pollack, an Asia scholar at the nonpartisan Brookings Institution think tank in Washington. We have to suspend cumulative judgments of history to believe this will work.

Pollack said Kim wanted to buy time, stave off any military attack and revel in the international spotlight focusing on him now. Trump wants something fast, a flashy victory that he can tout in the midterm election, he added.

Going into the talks, the Trump administration wants Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arsenal  an estimated 20 to 60 bombs  as well as its weapons building infrastructure and development programs. It wants Pyongyang to submit to intrusive international inspections and monitoring to ensure the shift is permanent.

Privately, there is increasing acknowledgment in the administration that any disarmament could take years, perhaps even a decade or more, and would require U.S. concessions along the way  a step-by-step process that some senior White House aides have previously rejected.

For its part, North Korea wants ironclad security guarantees and the easing of punitive economic sanctions that the United States and the U.N. Security Council have imposed to isolate it diplomatically and strangle its economy.

Pompeo, who was confirmed as secretary of State last month after 15 months as CIA director, had dangled the possibility of economic aid if North Korea cooperates, although Trump has suggested hes not interested in U.S. payments.

In the past, North Korea has also demanded that the Pentagon reduce its military presence in South Korea, where about 30,000 U.S. troops are based, but the Pentagon and South Korea are likely to resist any major drawdown.

Both governments also have an interest in enacting a final peace treaty for the Korean War, which halted with an armistice in 1953 but never formally ended. Technically North and South Korea still are at war.

Although it shares a short border with North Korea, Russia has appeared on the fringe of the diplomacy so far. Trump has chiefly reached out to Chinese President Xi Jinping, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in for support and coordination.

White House officials thus watched warily when Kim Jong Un welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Pyongyang on Thursday in the first meeting between a senior Russian official and Kim as head of state.

During the meeting, Lavrov invited Kim to visit Russia. Come  we will be very happy, Lavrov said, according to the Russian news agency Interfax.

You are very outspoken and we are always ready to negotiate with the Russian side on this matter, Kim told Lavrov, adding that North Korea was interested in improving relations with Moscow, the Russian news agency reported.

Special correspondent Sabra Ayres in Moscow contributed to this report.

barbara.demick@latimes.com

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

UPDATES:

4:05 p.m.: The article was updated with additional details of the diplomatic meetings.

12 p.m.: The article was updated with additional details from Pompeo.

10:15 a.m.: The article was updated after the meeting concluded early.

8:20 a.m.: The article was updated with details from the Russian foreign ministers visit to North Korea.

7:55 a.m.: The article was updated with President Trumps comments.

The article was originally published at 5:55 a.m.San Diego officials are proposing the citys first housing incentive program aimed at middle-income workers such as nurses, teachers and firefighters.

The goal is spurring developers to build housing for a group of residents that make too much to qualify for subsidized housing, but not enough to afford the highend housing projects developers prefer because of wider profit margins.

The program, which the City Council is scheduled to approve on June 26, continues a series of new policies proposed by Mayor Kevin Faulconer to address a shortage of affordable housing in San Diego.

Previous legislation has loosened regulations on granny flat add-on unit construction, streamlined environmental reviews for some projects and expedited approval of projects that include homes that are subsidized for low-income residents.

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Supporters say the middle-income incentives would boost social integration by encouraging more market-rate projects in low-income areas, while also easing traffic congestion by allowing more middle-income workers to live near their jobs.

Critics have raised concerns the program would discourage developers from continuing to build subsidized units for low-income residents. Some are also worried existing low-income projects would be torn down to make way for new middle-income projects.

The program would give developers density bonuses and other incentives, such as reduced parking requirements, if at least 10 percent of the units in a project are reserved for middle-income residents.

A new classification not previously defined by the city, middle income would be two-person families earning less than 150 percent of the citys median income, which is now $73,500 for a two-person household.

So a family of two making less than $110,250 would qualify for a middle-income unit, which could be either rental apartments or for-sale condos or townhomes.

The density bonus for such projects, which would also have to be built near existing or planned transit routes, would be 25 percent. Density bonuses allow developers to build more units than the existing zoning allows.

To avoid discouraging developers from including units for low-income residents in their projects, the density bonus of 10 percent for doing so could be combined with the middle-income density bonus.

So a developer who includes both units for low-income and middle-income residents in a project could be allowed to construct 35 percent more units than the zoning for the area allows.

Supporters predicted the program would make a big difference during a public hearing held last week by the councils Smart Growth and Land Use Committee.

Its an essential component to the overall goal of increasing housing stock, said Matt Adams, vice president of the local chapter of the Building Industry Association.

Mary Lydon, spokeswoman for a nonpartisan coalition called Housing You Matters, said the lack of workforce housing is a threat to the region.

Building homes for our essential workers like police, firefighters, nurses and teachers will help make sure we have a well-functioning economy, she said.

Critics, however, said they are concerned the incentive could have the unintended consequence of decreasing production of low-income housing and eliminating some low-income housing to make way for middle-income projects.

We shouldnt begin to dig a deeper hole as we begin to produce more housing here in San Diego, said Stephen Russell, executive director of the nonprofit San Diego Housing Federation.

Councilwoman Georgette Gomez of City Heights said she wont support the program until city officials add language discouraging displacement of low-income housing.

Mike Hansen, the citys planning director, told Gomez such language would be added by the June 25 hearing before the full council. Hansen also agreed to eliminate a low end to the definition of middle income.

Initially, officials had wanted to define middle income as anywhere between 120 percent and 150 percent of the citys median income. But they will instead define it as any income level below 150 percent of the median. The difference is expected to matter in low-income neighborhoods such as San Ysidro and southeastern San Diego.

david.garrick@sduniontribune.com (619) 269-8906 Twitter:@UTDavidGarrickIn a late push before polls open for Tuesdays primary, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom stopped in San Diego to tour a senior center and meet with one of the most reliable voting blocs as he runs for governor.

Leading in nearly every poll by double digits, Newsom, a Democrat, spent a part of Thursday morning touring a dental clinic and a dining hall at Serving Seniors Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center downtown, a facility that serves the areas low-income aging residents.

What has lacked in the past on the issue of our aging population is intentionality, meaning this state hasnt organized itself in a deliberative manner to address your needs, Newsom said as he addressed the crowd.

We frankly havent been focused on objective goals, timelines, in terms of addressing our housing needs, your healthcare needs, addressing the issue that I think is one of the most significant issues for our senior population which is social isolation, he added.

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While he was there to talk with seniors about housing, healthcare, and other quality-of-life issues, he was also under pressure to commit to creating a long-term plan to address the needs of the states growing 65-plus population. The Public Policy Institute of California predicts that this demographic by 2030 will grow by four million, placing new demands on safety net programs.

For the next governor aging is going to be one of the most critical issues he or she will be facing said Paul Downey, the president and CEO of Serving Seniors, the nonprofit that administers the wellness center.

1 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, left, is greeted in the dental office at the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego by Rich Gulioni, center, and John Dunlop, right, during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 2 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 3 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, left, shakes hands with Trinidad Companero, center, as Stephen Johnson, and Terry Church, and others look on during a campaign stop at the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 4 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, along with his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 5 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 6 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, talks to seniors while visiting the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 7 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, talks to seniors while visiting the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 8 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, gets back on his campaign bus after visiting the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 9 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, along with his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego, talk with Rich Gulioni, left, and John Dunlop during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 10 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 11 / 19 Donna Jones, left, and her sister, Mary Ann Davis, center, talk with California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor during a campaign stop at the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego. They were telling him that they had not seen each other for 10 years until Wednesday, when by chance, each went to the senior center. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 12 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, talks with Paul Downey, President and CEO of Serving Seniors, Bill Earley, Chief Operating Officer of West Health, during a visit to the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 13 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 14 / 19 Viviann Choate, listens as California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, talks to senior citizens during a visit to the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 15 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 16 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 17 / 19 Jennifer Siebel Newsom listens as her husband, California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor talks to senior citizens during a visit to the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 18 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 19 / 19 California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat running for governor, visits the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center, the Serving Seniors location in downtown San Diego during a campaign stop. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune)

Program managers are trying to make sure that as the states population ages, seniors needs are met.

We must have elected officials who advance a master plan for aging, said Bill Earley, the chief administrative officer and general counsel for West Health, a senior healthcare policy organization that supports the wellness center.

Newsom and at least four other candidates for governor, including former Superintendent for Public Instruction Delaine Eastin, businessman John Cox, Assemblyman Travis Allen and Amanda Renteria, a former California Attorney Generals Office official, have all signed pledges to make sure that seniors have housing, health and dental care and social services. Eastin and Renteria are Democrats. Cox and Allen are Republicans.

Newsoms appearance in San Diego came a day after Treasurer John Chiang, another Democratic candidate for governor, toured a shelter for homeless veterans. On Wednesday former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, also a Democrat, visited the border and met with an organization that advocates on behalf of the rights of undocumented immigrants. Allen held a rally at the border last weekend to protest sanctuary policies that protect some undocumented immigrants.

Newsom has consistently led in the polls. One survey by UC Berkeleys Institute of Governmental Studies released Thursday morning shows that 33 percent of voters plan to support or have already supported Newsom, while Cox, with 20 percent, is in second place. Villaraigosa and Allen are behind with 13 and 12 percent of the vote respectively.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841A political action committee funded by billionaire George Soros that has pumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into the campaign of Genevieve Jones-Wright for district attorney canceled all of its planned television advertising Wednesday for the candidate, just six days before voters go to the polls.

The move by the California Justice & Public Safety PAC, confirmed by two local television station managers, is a blow to the Jones-Wright campaign in the run-up to election day. The PAC had been running saturation-level television advertisements for the past several weeks over county airwaves.

The commercials were polished, biographical ads designed to introduce Jones-Wright to voters in the county and crucially raise her name recognition as she competes against the current officeholder, District Attorney Summer Stephan.

Jones-Wright, a deputy public defender who is running on a platform calling for reforms in the criminal justice system, was one of four DA races that the PAC had thrown its support behind in California. On May 3, Soros contributed $1.5 million to the PAC, which is backing candidates in Sacramento, Alameda and Contra Costa counties as well.

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The PAC immediately spent more than $400,000 on advertising and mailers supporting Jones-Wright, and more has been deployed for her campaign in the succeeding weeks. The most recent campaign disclosure report filed with the secretary of state showed the PAC had spent $848,853.50 in support of her campaign through May 19  the largest sum of any of the four candidates the PAC was backing.

On Wednesday a spokesman for California Justice & Public Safety PAC declined several requests to comment on the ad cancellations. On Thursday the PAC issued this statement:

We booked TV spots in advance and booked more than we needed. Our field campaign continues. Our decision to cancel the excess spots does not reflect on the candidate or the value in supporting her. Our goal was to introduce the candidate to the voters and we have done that. Its now up to the voters to decide who they will support.

Its unclear what caused the PAC to cancel its ad buys. A spokesman for the group  which under campaign finance laws has to act independently and cant coordinate with the campaign it is supporting  declined repeated requests to comment Wednesday.

But political insiders say the move could show the PAC concluded the massive campaign has failed to boost Jones-Wright enough, and has decided to deploy its money elsewhere.

Joel Davis, vice president and general manager of 10News television, said a representative of the PAC told the station Tuesday it was canceling the remainder of its advertising buys, totaling $106,000 with the station, and across the city.

They did not give us a reason for it, Davis said. They told us it was a market-wide decision to pull the advertising dollars.

Christopher Dolan, vice president of sales at NBC 7, also said in an email that the campaign had canceled its advertising with his station on Tuesday.

The large infusion of money from Soros had stirred up the race, with Stephans campaign attacking the support and characterizing Soros as a dangerous out-of state billionaire willing to use his considerable wealth to buy the DA seat and advance what she called an anti-prosecutor criminal justice reform agenda.

Jones-Wright initially welcomed the support, saying on May 7 the PAC money would help level the playing field in a race that was rigged by my opponent from the beginning. On Wednesday her campaign spokeswoman Eva Posner downplayed the impact of the advertising pullout.

The existence of PACs and IEs (Independent Expenditure committees) in this race has never and will never change the fabric of our campaign, she wrote in a text message. We have been consistent in message and strategy from day one. This is a People Powered campaign focused on voter communication fueled by volunteers and small dollar donations, and we could not be more proud of all the support we have gotten.

Stephans campaign consultant Jason Roe said he had also confirmed that the ads were pulled. I have to assume Soros has realized that San Diego has no interest in an unqualified candidate holding the top law enforcement job in the county, he said in an email.

Stephan was appointed by the county Board of Supervisors in June to fill out the remainder of Dumanis term after she announced she was stepping down to run for a seat on the board. She has raised more money than Jones-Wright and, while not matching Soros bankroll, has also enjoyed substantial support from PACs representing law enforcement labor unions, the Chamber of Commerce and Lincoln Club, which combined have assembled a war chest of approximately $700,000, records show.

A poll conducted May 9 to May 14 for The San Diego Union-Tribune and 10News showed Jones-Wright trailing her opponent, appointed District Attorney Summer Stephan, by 13 points, 35 percent to 22 percent. The poll showed that 43 percent of voters were undecided.

San Diego political consultant John Dadian said with no statement from the PAC it was impossible to know precisely why they pulled down the ads. But he said its not an encouraging sign for Jones-Wright.

The only thing I can possibly think of is they had some indicator or polling showing that their candidate they are supporting doesnt stand a chance, so why waste the money, he said.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

1:13 p.m.: This article was updated with a statement from California Justice & Public Safety PAC.

This article was originally published May 30 at 5:00 p.m.San Diego police are investigating a shooting along a street in Paradise Hills Wednesday afternoon that left bullet holes in a homes window and may have struck a second house, a San Diego police lieutenant said.

Police responded to a report of a shooting in front of a house on Cumberland Street near Seabreeze Drive around 3:45 p.m.

Officers were told a pedestrian had shot at a car on the street, said police Officer Robert Heims. Nobody is hit as far as we know, he said.

Police found bullet holes in a window of a house on the street and had reports that a second house was hit, police Lt. Jerry McManus told OnScene TV.

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No one was arrested but police were talking to two persons of interest, McManus said. Witnesses told police a gray sedan was seen leaving the area, he said.

Twitter: @karenkucher

(619) 293-1350

karen.kucher@sduniontribune.comA former Torrey Pines High School student was arrested Thursday on suspicion of posting a threat about the campus on social media, leading school officials to cancel classes and school activities for the day, authorities said.

The 21-year-old was taken into custody without incident at a Point Loma home on Fenelon Street near Willow Street about 1:05 p.m., police said. He was identified as Kevin Gregory Matlak and booked into jail later on suspicion of making criminal threats.

The threat was the third to be made against the school this year, but the first to result in canceled classes. School will resume Friday, district officials said.

Other former Torrey Pines High students spotted the alleged threat on Instagram Wednesday and informed San Diego police about 9:40 p.m., said acting Capt. Darryl Hoover.

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Acting San Diego Police captain Darryl Hoover at press conference regarding credible threats that forced closure of Torrey Pines High School.

Investigators informed school officials early Thursday, and classes were canceled soon after.

Police said Matlak made threats that included the image of a firearm, an expressed desire to end his own life and the lives of others.

San Dieguito Union High School District Superintendent Eric Dill said since the threat appeared to have been made by a former student, officials didnt believe it was meant to get students out of tests or other activities.

With information still unfolding, and not knowing where the potential suspect is, we thought it was in the best interest to close the school for today, Dill said. He added later, We didnt have enough information to dismiss this as not a credible threat, which is why we had to make this decision.

School and district officials worked closely with police as the investigation continued, Principal Rob Coppo wrote in a letter posted to the schools website. About 2,500 students attend the campus.

According to the school website, the Torrey Pines High School Awards Night, a banquet for seniors, was scheduled for Thursday night.

News of the threat distressed parents and students.

Barrie Shaler said her daughter, who will attend Torrey Pines next year, texted her about the threat.

Its terrifying. Your heart just races, Shaler said. As a parent, you really feel kind of helpless. What can you do? You drop your most precious gift and life off at school and you just hope. It scares me to death.

The 47-year-old La Costa resident said she feels the community needs to get more involved to help identify and support students who might be inclined to make school threats or be perpetrators in school violence.

We need to come together to fix this, she said. We all have to do our part.

Torrey Pines High has been the subject of two other threats this year, with one allegedly made by a former student.

On Feb. 22, a 14-year-old freshman was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats about the school.

Police at the time did not specify what the teen had threatened to do, and declined to say if he had been in a position to carry out any threatened action.

A day later, on Feb. 23, police arrested a 16-year-old boy for allegedly threatening over social media to shoot up the campus. He was identified as a former student, police said.

Officers did not find firearms when they searched that teens house.

Police said the two threats were not believed to be related.

Earlier this month, the Board of Trustees that oversees the San Dieguito Union High School District, which includes Torrey Pines, passed a resolution to support school safety and reduce school violence.

Soon after, Dill announced that the district would be moving forward with a partnership with Sandy Hook Promise, a nationwide organization that works to prevent school violence by building connections between students, teaching them the signs of potential harm, and empowering them to take action when they have a concern for one of their peers, the superintendent said in a letter to families.

He also said the district will soon be implementing a new visitor identification system and is in the process of reviewing all school safety plans.

A parent and student advisory group was also developed to help the district come up with other ways to address social and emotional wellness at campuses throughout the district. It will meet several times a year, Dill said.

The San Dieguito school district isnt the only one to have grappled with school threats this year.

Campuses across the county received a rash of them after a mass shooting at a Florida high school in February left 19 dead. Some of the threats were left on campus walls, with others written on social media. San Diego Unified School District police officers alone investigated nearly 50 school threats between Feb. 14 and March 19.

Twitter: @LAWinkley

(619) 293-1546

lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com

UPDATES:

This article was originally published at 7:45 a.m.On the same day the preliminary hearing opened in the sexual misconduct case against San Diego sheriffs Deputy Richard Fischer, the state Senate passed a bill that would allow public access to records of law enforcement officers suspected of abusing their authority.

Introduced by Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, the legislation allows for the release of investigative findings and other documents in cases in which police officers or sheriffs deputies use improper force, commit sexual crimes or otherwise break the law.

The bill, which passed 25-11 and now heads to the state Assembly, is supported by more than 100 community groups and organizations across California. It is opposed by police unions and other law enforcement associations.

Supporters say California is one of the most secretive states when it comes to withholding information about police officers and sheriffs deputies who engage in misconduct.

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We have many in the community who feel the investigations of use of force are a sham, that no one was really interviewed, Skinner said on the Senate floor moments before the vote. Keeping everything secret does nothing to build trust.

Other lawmakers said they worried that eroding the protections enjoyed by peace officers in California would make law enforcement jobs more dangerous and open sheriffs deputies and police officers up to unfounded allegations of misconduct.

I believe we need to protect our law enforcement to the best extent we can, Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, said before voting against the bill. If they do things wrong, they are caught.

Senators representing San Diego County also were divided on the bill. Democrats Ben Hueso and Toni Atkins supported the legislation and Republicans Joel Anderson and Patricia Bates voted no.

In San Diego, Fischer was accused of groping women while on duty as early as 2015, although officials say they did not receive the initial letter of complaint. He remained on the job and eventually was accused by 14 women. Fischer was not charged with any crimes until February, when he pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Senate Bill 1421, like the Fischer case, also divided the two candidates running for San Diego County sheriff on the June 5 ballot. Sheriff Bill Gore declined to take a position on the legislation.

I understand the publics concerns regarding transparency as it relates to the misconduct of peace officers, Gore said in a statement. This legislation is ever-evolving  I will consider taking a position when SB 1421 is in the final version before the legislature.

Cmdr. David Myers, who was disciplined after discussing the accusations with several of Fischers alleged victims before the deputy was charged, said he is running for sheriff to restore accountability across the department, but he stopped short of embracing the legislation.

I support the idea of the bill, he said by email. But as its written now, it would need additional safeguards due to the current standard for sustained internal investigations being low. I fully support releasing sustained findings where excessive force, corruption and or sexual assault has occurred.

Specifically, the bill would require law enforcement agencies to release records related to use-of-force investigations reviews, including police shootings.

It also would require agencies to release documents regarding sustained complaints against officers accused of sexual assault or other serious job-related dishonesty, including perjury, falsifying reports or planting or destroying evidence.

For years, California law has shrouded police misconduct and use of force in unnecessary secrecy, leaving communities desperate for answers about what really happened, said Peter Bibring of the American Civil Liberties Union, which supported the legislation. SB 1421 is a long overdue step toward making police more transparent and accountable.

The California State Sheriffs Association said the bill could erode officer privacy and create significant expenses for local agencies.

Mandating that records be released no later than 18 months from the date of the use of force could jeopardize the integrity of a pending investigation or criminal proceeding, the association said in a floor alert to all California senators.

Bishop Cornelius Bowser, a volunteer with a community activist group called the San Diego Organizing Project, said the legislation would help promote trust and respect for police and sheriffs deputies across the community.

Its very important that when a police officer kills someone or sexually assaults someone, the public needs to know about that, said Bowser, a former gang member who now works to stop community violence.

Right now, all the power is in the hands of law enforcement and the public is on the outside looking in, he said. We dont even know what the conclusion of Citizens Review Board or internal investigations, and that can hurt the trust the community has in police.

The preliminary hearing for Fischer, whose first accuser complained to sheriffs officials as early as 2015, continues Thursday.

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonaldWelcome to the Great Chula Vista Hocus-Pocus Show, starring the Chula Vista City Council and its great money disappearing act. Now you see the money and now you dont.

Related: Yes on Chula Vista Measure A: More public safety staffing needed

The council pulls out of its bag of tricks Measure A, saying it will give it lots of money to hire more public safety personnel.

All of the taxpayer money seems to have disappeared for police and fire services. Yet the money magically appears every year for the last 10 years to pay for copious amounts of specialty pays and overtime well in excess of $70 million.

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When asked why the city couldnt have used some of that money to gradually ramp up hiring, magically, the money disappears! The council magicians say, Oh, no, its too expensive to hire anyone.

Of course its too expensive when one looks at the overabundant salary, benefits and retirement packages public safety has enjoyed in Chula Vista for many years now. Then the council makes the money magically appear again and provides more than $300 million in taxpayer subsidies to a $5 billion Texas corporation (RIDA) for a hotel and convention center.

Hocus pocus just like that.

The San Diego Union-Tribune, in a 2014 report on Chula Vista firefighter overtime expenses, cited the case of then-Capt. Jim Geering, who is now the chief. That year Geering pulled down $130,000 in overtime alone and ended up surpassing the city manager in salary and benefits.

Darrell Roberts, president of the firefighters union and a Chula Vista firefighter, now has a salary and benefit package well more than $325,000.

The top 50 salaries in Chula Vista are generally populated by public safety personnel  all with generous six-figure salaries and benefits.

The average police and fire pay and benefits costs are well more than $120,000 per year. The median income for entire Chula Vista families is $65,000.

More than 33,000 Chula Vistans live at or below the poverty level and another 19,000 are seniors on low fixed incomes.

Clearly you can see public safety personnel and the city government elites can well afford to pay higher taxes  the rest of Chula Vista, not so much.

Its clear to all that the public safety unions could care less about the taxpayers. Their members have an elite lifestyle that they do not want modified.

They will do and say whatever it takes to protect the largess they enjoy. Hence, we see the constant scare tactics they are now using to win over Chula Vista voters.

All of a sudden, the citys elite politicians and union members want you to believe crime is out of control and houses are burning down because they are so short-staffed. They have all but forgotten that Chula Vista was listed as being in the top 10 safest cities in the United States in 2015. CVPD had nearly full staffing in 2015 as well.

So how do things change so drastically since 2015 in such a short amount of time?

Costa Mesa had the same problem with its public safety forces. That city took action and displayed courage unseen in Chula Vista by renegotiating its public safety contracts.

Since taking that action in 2012, Costa Mesa now saves more than $12 million a year on public safety and has no problem affording new hires with no new taxes! Imagine that.

Measure A fails to protect the taxpayer and fails to solve the problem, which is the entire failed business model of public safety.

Chula Vista staff admitted to the Union-Tribune in March that pensions will triple and that Measure A was nothing more than a short-term solution.

If Measure A is approved, there will be zero incentive to fix the broken business model. It will be just a matter of time before the city politicians will come back again, again and again as they hire more personnel under the same lucrative pay packages.

Please follow the money. Mayor Mary Salas is so desperate to pass Measure A she has amassed more than $120,000 in campaign donations mostly coming from big corporations outside of Chula Vista. Money from these special interests always comes with strings attached.

Its time for voters in Chula Vista to rise up! Tell the mayor and City Council that enough is enough. Tell them to stop being the pawn and dupes of the unions and finally represent the taxpayers who pay the bills. Send an undeniable message. Reject Measure A!

Hall, a longtime Chula Vista resident and civic volunteer, is chair of the Just Say No ... on A group and a former chair of the Chula Vista Planning Commission and Economic Development.Chula Vista is a growing city with a bright future full of tremendous opportunities. But it suffers from systemic revenue challenges that impact its ability to meet the demands of a growing public  especially when it comes to maintaining a safe and secure community.

Related: No on Chula Vista Measure A: Citys money claims cant be trusted

Chula Vistas growth has strained its resources. Chula Vistas Police and Fire Departments share responsibility to provide public safety services to its 268,000 residents over its sprawling 52 square miles. The departments deliver services with astonishingly few firefighters and police officers. They are by far the lowest staffed police and fire departments in San Diego County, and are some of the lowest staffed in the state.

Since 2007, the Police Department has made deep cuts in several key areas including school resource officers, traffic safety and detectives. Today the Police Department serves a 25 percent larger population with 12 percent fewer officers. Eight school resource officers share responsibility for more than 60 schools. It employs about 0.86 officers per 1,000 residents; the lowest ratio in the county and one of the lowest of similarly sized cities in the state.

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The department would need to add more than 110 officers to meet the countywide average, or 40 officers, just to tie for last place in countywide staffing comparisons.

This has impacted the departments ability to provide quality service and respond to emergency calls. The Police Department has failed to meet goals for Priority 1 calls (life-and-death emergencies) for four years and hasnt met goals for Priority 2 calls (other emergencies) for 19 years.

Additionally, officers are so busy responding to crimes that they have little time to proactively prevent them.

Minutes and seconds count in emergencies. The Fire Department is the lowest-staffed in California with 0.44 firefighters per 1,000 residents  half the national average. The Fire Department has never met its threshold to arrive at emergency calls within seven minutes. In parts of the city, the threshold is being met less than 60 percent of the time.

Regional fire history and an increasing threat of wildfire suggests great urgency to increase fire resources. Vast parts of Chula Vista have vulnerable canyon interfaces and steep hills forested with dense and dry vegetation situated next to tract housing.

Simply put, the Fire Department does not have adequate resources to suppress a major fire event.

New funding would provide 36 additional firefighters to form medical response squads in areas where resources are scarce. Funding will also add an additional firefighter to several fire engines across the city, further reducing response times and enhancing our ability to suppress fires quickly.

Over the past decade, the city has taken bold steps to reduce the cost of public safety. It has made significant cuts to staffing in public works and other departments, renegotiated with unions to reduce salaries and benefits, worked with labor groups and legislators to curb current and future pension costs, cut services at libraries and parks, and leveraged a wealth of modern technologies to improve efficiency.

But a lack of revenue continues to hamper the citys ability to meet the public safety needs of a growing community.

While we can be proud that Chula Vista is one of the safest cities, as police and fire chiefs, we are concerned that we cant serve Chula Vista as it deserves.

We have heard some suggest that the city is mismanaging resources, or should seek economic development to resolve these systemic challenges, or should cut elsewhere to fund public safety. But we know the truth to be different.

Even by slashing all staffing and services for libraries, parks and recreation programs, we would not meet the gap we face. And who wants a city without those vital resources?

Public safety salaries are at or below other agencies in the region and throughout the state. And, while the city is advancing economic development programs and projects, our community cant wait years or decades for development to come to fruition. The problem is critical today, and will only grow worse in the future.

Our City Council declared public safety staffing to be a crisis and unanimously approved placing Measure A on the June 5 ballot to immediately address the crisis. The City Council also approved a funding plan that directs all new dollars for public safety.

It would take four votes to overturn that resolution to use funding for a different purpose.

We ask our residents to educate themselves, read the facts and reports available at ChulaVistaCa.gov/PublicSafety.com, and continue to support their local police officers and firefighters.

Kennedy is Chula Vista police chief and Geering is Chula Vista fire chief.Fairness and equality have always been the measuring stick that we have strived for when making decisions in National City.

Measure B is a simple initiative that would close a huge loophole in our term limit law that allows the City Council members and other electeds, but not the mayor, to run for unlimited terms.

Related: Yes on National City C: Preserve term limits

Measure B limits the mayor, City Council and other electeds to the same number of terms. Local government in San Diego County was much different in 2004 than it is today in 2018 when it comes to term limits.

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Term limits should not be just for one person or one office, but should be applied to all of our elected positions; mayor, City Council, city clerk and city treasurer equally.

Measure B would establish strict two consecutive terms limits for all elected officials (not eliminating term limits, as the opponents have misrepresented to the community) and not punish any existing elected officials for prior service by allowing them to possibly run for two more terms no matter how many terms they have served.

As the Yes on B Campaign has walked door to door throughout our community, we have received widespread support for the direction and improvements that our city has made under Mayor Ron Morrisons leadership and we have heard a strong voice that the voters would like the opportunity to decide for themselves in November if we will continue on what I have referred to as our upward trajectory.

Our community is at the crossroads of many outstanding opportunities that have been more than a decade in the making, and we certainly do not want to miss out when were this close to accomplishing great things that we can all be proud of.

Four years ago, 70 percent of the National City voters voted for Mayor Morrison and we have heard from the thousands of voters who put Measure B on the ballot that, as we establish equal term limits, we should be fair in who could run so that they, the voters, can have the most opportunity and flexibility in deciding the future direction of our community.

This is exactly what Measure B will accomplish.

Up to this point, the opponents campaign has put out three mailers and a handout. Not even one mentions their counter-measure, which goes to show that their measure was only put on the ballot to cost the taxpayers more money and to confuse the voters.

I have been disappointed at all of the misquotes and made-up facts that the opponents of Measure B have put out in print, messages and social media.

The decisions we make at the ballot box should not be based on smear and mudslinging campaigns but what is in the best interest of the long-term future of our entire community.

Our community has always ignored those that would use our city for personal motives or some kind of leverage for regional power plays, and this time should be no different.

We are a very proud community and we have always strived to keep all our decisions in context of what is best for National City, and not special agendas.

When I was elected, I started out with an open mind and was very neutral politically. I began to observe and listen carefully.

Based on my observations, I believe the voters of National City should have a choice for mayor that includes Ron Morrison on the ballot this November and then let the voters decide!

Measure B is simple and straightforward  two consecutive terms for all elected offices with no punishment for time served by those currently in office (which is in line with the vast majority of cities and governmental organizations that have term limits).

This measure does not single out any individual or office, but treats all equally and fairly. Measure B has been supported by thousands of community members who want to see our city working together for our greater good.

In setting term limits, two terms is good enough for the president, the governor and the vast majority of cities with term limits.

I strongly believe we need to pass Measure B and defeat Measure C to continue the progress weve made together to make National City one of the finest communities in California!

Measure B is for better government and Measure C is for confusion. Thats why I urge a yes vote on Measure B and a no vote on Measure C.

Mendivil is the vice mayor of National City.A 13-year-old from California is keeping the pressure on the Trump administration to address recent shootings and the fear that young people feel at American schools in 2018.

Benje Choucroun, a student at Marin Country Day School in the Bay Area town of Corte Madera, attended a White House press briefing with Press Secretary Sarah Sanders on Wednesday on behalf of Time for Kids magazine. The publication holds an annual kid reporter contest with the winning students reporting and editing, often at major national news events. Choucroun made the most of his opportunity.

Less than two weeks after 10 people were killed in a shooting at Santa Fe High School in Texas, Choucroun asked the press secretary what President Donald Trumps administration is doing to prevent school shootings.

Sanders got emotional when responding to the student, as youll hear in her voice in the clip below.

Heres the transcript.

CHOUCROUN: At my school we recently had a lockdown drill. One thing that affects my and other students mental health is the worry about the fact that we, or our friends, could get shot at school. Specifically, can you tell me what the administration has done, and will do, to prevent these senseless tragedies?

SANDERS: I think that as a kid, and certainly as a parent, there is nothing that could be more terrifying for a kid to go to school and not feel safe. So Im sorry that you feel that way. This administration takes it seriously, and the school safety commission that the president convened is meeting this week again, an official meeting, to discuss the best ways forward and how we can do every single thing within our power to protect kids in our schools and to make them feel safe and to make parents feel good about dropping them off.

Watch the full exchange below.

Sanders is referring to the federal commission on school safety that was established in March. That group, led by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, is tasked with recommending policy and funding proposals for school violence prevention.

Choucrouns question, as well as the response from the Sanders, was widely shared and viewed on social media, and even captured the attention of California Sen. Kamala Harris.

The teenager was also praised for his boldness by other journalists.

What did you think of his question for the administration? What did you think of its answer?

Comment below.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblinThe 4S Ranch-Del Sur Community Foundation has recently awarded $25,000 in grants to support health and well-being.

The 11th annual grants presentation ceremony was held on May 20 at Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District Fire Station No. 2. This years presentation brings the total amount awarded by the foundation for community endeavors to $299,000.

The foundation also has an endowment of more than $120,000 to continue its efforts in the two communities, foundation officials said.

Five recipients were selected for their projects designed to enrich 4S Ranch and Del Sur by addressing the health and/or well-being of individuals, families and neighborhoods, officials said. This included strengthening the health of families, providing more opportunities for children to excel and creating more civically-engaged neighborhoods.

The recipients and their grants were:

 Meals on Wheels Greater San Diego, Inc. received $8,000 for its Senior Care in the Home program. It provides healthy meals, well-being checks and touchpoints for seniors in the community, officials said.

The organizations stated mission is to support the independence and well-being of seniors who choose to age in their home or must due to the inability to afford quality institutional care in an assisted living or nursing home setting.

 The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater San Diego received $7,200 for its Planet Health program offered at the 4S Ranch Boys & Girls Club.

Planet Health is designed to help youths achieve a long term of healthy habits with nutrition classes, physical activities and family engagement, officials said. The program also supports academic success, building good character, responsible citizenship and making healthy lifestyle choices.

 The Stepping Out into Leadership (SOLE) Effects program at Del Norte High School received $5,500 for its SWITCH Leadership Expedition. The program is for 200 freshmen who are led by 12 trained college leaders and four adult advisers.

The purpose of SWITCH is to equip all of Del Nortes freshmen with skills and tools to address the challenges of our teens today, including anxiety, bullying, substance abuse and depression, officials said.

 Write Out Loud received $2,800 for its 4S Ranch/Del Sur Literature Initiative, which brings cultural artistic experiences through the joy of literature to children and the elderly in the communities, officials said.

 Poway Unified School District received $1,500 to support the running clubs at elementary campuses in 4S Ranch and Del Sur.

4S Ranch-Del Sur Community Foundation Grants Chairwoman Theresa Burke with Heidi Klone from Meals on Wheels, foundation Chairwoman Deanne Hormovitis and CBS News 8 Anchor Carlo Cecchetto. (Courtesy photo )

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.comVoters will be heading to the polls on Tuesday to cast votes in what is a long ballot due to the high number of candidates.

Polls will be open on June 5 between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Those who want to cast their ballot in advance have a few options if they received a mail ballot since they can return it via mail  must be postmarked by election day  or in the days leading up to the election they can bring it to a drop-off site at 41 county and city library branches. The latter includes the 4S Ranch Library at 10433 Reserve Drive and the Poway Library at 13137 Poway Road.

Drop off is possible during each librarys regular operating hours. The I voted stickers will also be given.

Those who did not receive a mail ballot can still vote in advance, but they need to do it at the Registrar of Voters office at 5600 Overland Ave. in Kearny Mesa. It is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays before Election Day plus this Saturday and Sunday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. For questions, call 858-565-5800 or go to sdvote.com.

According to Registrar of Voters Michael Vu, when ballots are turned in prior to Election Day, it saves taxpayers time and money.

More than 1 million San Diego County voters use mail ballots, and that number continues to rise, Vu said. The early drop-off sites are convenient for the voter, they help with the timely return of mail ballots and decrease the high volume of voters dropping off mail ballots at polling places on Election Day.

Voters are being faced by a long list of candidates. For example, there are 27 running for governor, 32 for U.S. senator and, depending on their congressional district, could be selecting between seven (52nd District) and 16 (49th District) candidates. There will also be five statewide propositions referred by the California State Legislature.

This newspaper wrote candidate profiles for several local races. They were the 49th and 52nd Congressional districts, sheriff, County Board of Education 5th District and both contested Superior Court races (Offices No. 28 and 37). For the articles, go to PomeradoNews.com.

County News Center contributed to this article.

email: rbnews@pomeradonews.comFour candidates are running to replace San Diego County Supervisor Bill Horn, who will be termed-out this year after having spent 23 years representing District 5, which covers much of the North County from Carlsbad and Oceanside to Borrego Springs.

The top two vote-getters in the June 5 primary will advance to the November election unless one of the candidates wins the seat outright by earning more than 50 percent of the votes.

JIM DESMOND

Jim Desmond, 62, is considered the frontrunner in the race. His campaign has far more money than his opponents and he has the endorsement of the local Republican party, which is important in a district that leans heavily to the right.

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Desmond is employed as a captain for Delta Air Lines and has been married for 32 years to his wife, Kerri. The couple have two grown children.

I think Ive got the most experience as a leader of a city, as the mayor of the City of San Marcos, Desmond said.

Ive also got the most experience in building relationships throughout the county, serving on several boards.

Desmond said he wants to make sure the county stays fiscally responsible and that its residents stay safe. He also wants to increase and enhance the countys infrastructure.

Under his leadership in San Marcos, he said, the city inventoried all of its infrastructure and determined how much it costs to maintain it all.

Then we put that money aside every year and take that money off the top first to make sure our streets, roads and infrastructure are maintained, Desmond said. A similiar approach should be taken countywide, he said.

Along with the Republican party endorsement, Desmond is also supported by Supervisor Horn and the Deputy Sheriffs Association.

Desmond believes there is a serious housing shortage in the county. The trick, he said, will be to balance the need for housing with the desire of many to keep much of the unincorporated parts of the county free of large housing projects.

I think we can still keep the rural areas rural and add housing, he said. We should put housing where the infrastructure already exists, which is the Interstate 15 corridor.

Theres potential for housing there, but you have to make sure that any General Plan Amendment that comes through, that the developer provides an extra benefit to the community thats already there, be it more emergency access roads, more infrastructure, a school, a fire house.

He said its easy for people to reject new housing near where they live.

Its easy to say no, no, no to everything, he said. But we have a problem we have to deal with. We dont have enough housing and we need to put it in somewhere. I think we can provide a balance that keeps as much open space as possible and still build some housing.

Some political observers think there is a chance Desmond could win the supervisors seat outright in the June 5 primary by getting more than 50 percent of the vote.

Desmond said hes keeping his fingers crosssed.

MICHELLE GOMEZ

Michelle Gomez, 47, is a government affairs legislative analyst.

I am running because I think we need a fresh face and a fresh perspective, Gomez said. I think our current county Board of Supervisors has been there too long. And I think that they are just going through the motions rather than affecting real change.

Endorsed by the local Democratic party, as well as a number of labor unions and groups, Gomez said she wants to help working families.

I think we need to make sure that our county employees are earning a livable wage, she said. I also think its important that we focus on affordable housing and our homeless crises, as well as building a robust mass transportation system.

She said the county is sitting on a large pot of reserve money on the theory that the cash will be available in case of a major emergency, such as a wildfire or earthquake. She said most counties in the state have a 15 percent to 20 percent reserve budget, but San Diegos is closer to 50 percent.

I think were unnecessarily hoarding money for emergencies and I think those dollars would be better used in our communities helping out working families and our residents, she said.

Regarding controversial large housing developments proposed for the unincorporated parts of North County, such as Lilac Hills Ranch, Newland Sierra and Warner Ranch, Gomez said the need for housing in the county must be balanced with good planning.

Its imperative that we develop affordable housing, but I also think its imperative were developing housing where it makes sense, she said. Projects shouldnt be built in high-risk fire zones and in places where infrastructure is already in place, she said.

As for Valley Centers Lilac Hills project, a version of which was rejected by voters in 2016, she said she doesnt believe the supervisors should even consider approving it since the people have already spoken.

It is likely the supervisors will be deciding on a new Lilac Hills application, which includes some changes but still calls for the same number of units, later this year.

Gomez also says she is a cannabis supportive candidate.

I support lifting the countys ban on cannabis dispensaries and distribution systems in unincorporated areas, she says on her website. I also support regulating delivery services separately from storefronts.

Gomez lives in Oceanside with her husband, Don, a Marine Corps veteran.

JERRY KERN

Jerry Kern has been a member of the Oceanside City Council for the past 12 years.

The 65-year-old Kern says he thinks he is the best choice because he has helped guide North Countys largest city for more than a decade.

I feel I am the most qualified, coming from a full-service city on the coast, Kern said. Ive dealt with Coastal Commission issues. We have an airport. We have a harbor. We have our own water department and police department. A lot of things the county deals with Ive dealt with. I can hit the ground running.

Kern, an Oceanside resident for more than 40 years where he lives with his wife, Blake, appears to be facing an uphill battle against fellow Republican candidate Jim Desmond, the mayor of San Marcos.

Kern thinks he and Desmond will gather the most votes in the June 5 primary and will then fight it out in the months leading to the November general election.

The big issues are taxation, the idea of repairing our roads, he said. And public safety is always at the top of our lists.

Kern is endorsed by, among others, state Sen. Pat Bates and Assemblymen Rocky Chavez and Randy Voepel.

Attainable housing is also a top priority for Kern. He said he favors large projects proposed for parts of unincorporated North County. He said most agree there is a housing crisis, but nobody wants projects built near where they live.

Unless you want your kids to live with you the rest of their lives, or you want your kids to move to some other location, we have to figure out how were going to house these people, he said.

Kern recently told the Union-Tribunes editorial board he thinks the Republican party endorsed Desmond and not him because of the cannabis issue.

Fifty-seven percent of the people of California voted for cannabis. Fifty-seven percent of the people in Oceanside voted for it. I voted against it, but its my job as a public official to carry out the will of the people...My opponent in San Marcos wants to outright ban it.

JACQUELINE ARSIVAUD

Jacqueline Arsivaud, 59, is a longtime resident of Elfin Forest.

Arsivauds primary reason for running is to stem what she maintains is the excessive influence developers and the building industry have with the current board of supervisors. She said she will not accept any contributions from the industry and is supported by most environmental groups.

Im running for supervisor because I love this county, she said. Im concerned about the future of the county and the direction of the Board of Supervisors.

We need to elect people to the board who are committed to preserving San Diegans quality of life and that starts with limiting urban sprawl, which I see as an existentialist threat for us as a county.

A native of France who grew up on a small farm and didnt see a motion picture until she was 16 or 17, Arsivaud moved to San Diego 37 years ago and fell in love with the place, she said.

For the past 13 years, she has been a member of the San Dieguito Planning Group, where she said shes had a front-row seat observing the board.

Time and time again, I have seen that the interest of the taxpayers and the residents are not always front and center, she said. The main reason for that is the influence of developer money in supervisor elections.

Arsivaud is one of the main drivers of an initiative that, should it qualify for the November ballot, would require countywide voter approval for most large housing projects that propose to build far more homes than are currently allowed under current zoning in the unincorporated parts of the county.

Some of the projects that are currently in the pipeline that are proposed would literally entrap a number of our residents, thousands of potential residents, in place where they wouldnt get out in the next wildfire, she said. I think thats an issue thats worth putting out there and having a conversation about. And that is why Im running.

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You Be the Judge is a feature in The Saturday Evening Post that looks at the details of a legal case where the solution is not always clear-cut. Whos right? You be the judge!

In 2011, Karen and George Stuck bought a home on a corner lot in Rochester, New York. After moving in, the couple made plans to build a privacy fence around their backyard. They learned that the city of Rochester permitted zero lot line fences, which meant they could put the fence directly on their property line, and they planned to take advantage of it.

Checking their property survey, they discovered that a narrow triangular strip of their neighbors driveway  about one-thousandth of an acre  was encroaching on their land. The Stucks informed their neighbor, Tracy Hickmott, about the encroachment and their plans to build a fence and asked her to remove the sliver of asphalt from their property. Hickmott was shocked and determined to hold her ground. She had purchased her home in 1999, and the existing driveway had been in place since the house was built in 1950.

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When Hickmott refused to cooperate, George Stuck took matters into his own hands, driving spikes into the blacktop driveway to delineate the property line and make way for a six-foot-tall wooden stockade fence. In response, Hickmott parked her car at the base of her driveway to block the fences completion. After a three-day standoff, Stuck called the police, and Hickmott was arrested and charged with second-degree harassment. Stuck also got a restraining order against Hickmott, which allowed him ample time to erect the fence along the driveway.

In November 2012, Hickmott filed a lawsuit against the Stucks, claiming that the driveway had been in place and used by her and previous owners for so long that the disputed land had become hers under the doctrine of adverse possession. Hickmott also complained that she barely had enough room between her house and the fence to pull her car into the driveway. She asked the court for compensation for the damage to her driveway during the installation of the fence and damages for the arrest and legal fees. In addition, she requested that the Stucks move the fence far enough away from her driveway that she could open her car doors when parking next to her house.

The Stucks countersued, asking the court to dismiss Hickmotts action, to order her to remove the encroaching portion of the driveway, to affirm their ownership of the disputed land, and to grant legal fees and damages.

The Decision

In November 2015, the New York Supreme Court granted Stucks motion to dismiss but ordered that Hickmott be allowed a right of continued use of the driveway as situated and that neither party impair the quiet enjoyment nor obstruct the use of the driveway or the fence. In 2016, a further court order permitted the Stucks to enter Hickmotts property for three hours every two years for the purpose of painting their fence. Hickmott appealed. In February 2018, the court upheld the decision, ruling that common-law property rights allow property owners to access abutting properties in order to make improvements or repairs.

Stuck v. Hickmott (2018)

This article is featured in the May/June 2018 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2018 -- Global Dental Consumables Market: Snapshot



The growing number of dental issues across the world are fuelling the demand for dental consumables. These consumables are predominantly used for tooth restoration, treating dental impairments, and related gingival tissues. The global dental consumables market has been thriving in recent years due to the increasing dental tourism in developing countries. Citing these reasons, analysts predict that global dental consumables market will be worth US$33.4 bn by the end of 2024 from US$19.6 bn in 2015. The overall market between 2016 and 2024 is expected to rise at a CAGR of 6.1%.



Several emerging economies such as Turkey, Hungary, and India are expected to offer lucrative opportunities to the global market in the coming years. The low cost of labor, less government intervention, effective dental treatments, and improving services are expected to draw in a large number of patients for dental treatments. The market is also thriving due to the remarkable improvements in the quality of dental implants, which has assured several patients to opt for dental treatments. Rising disposable incomes, improving lifestyles, and growing awareness about oral healthcare are also expected to drive the global dental consumables market in the next few years.



Resemblance of Crowns and Bridges to Natural Teeth Make them Most Preferred Choice of Dental Consumables



In terms of products, the global market is segmented into retail dental care essentials, crowns and bridges, dental biomaterials, orthodontics, dental implants, dental consumables, endodontics, and periodontics. Of these, the crowns and bridges segment has been leading the global market and is expected to remain dominant all throughout the forecast period. These devices are used for creating a protective layer over damaged part of the tooth. The segment is receiving a significant boost due to introduction of advanced technologies such as CAM and CAD.



Analysts anticipate that the market could also benefit from the rising awareness about cosmetic dentistry, improving life expectancy, and a huge pool of geriatrics across the globe. The report also suggest that stability of crowns and bridges and their resemblance to natural-looking tooth are also expected to drive the demand for this segment. Furthermore, the rising cost of metals has negatively impacted the metal-based crowns and bridges, tilting the demand toward newer ones.



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Improvements in Oral Healthcare across Europe keeps Region in the Lead



In terms of geography, the global dental consumables market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Europe is the frontrunner in the global market due to the ever-increasing pool of geriatrics. The growing concerns for oral health care are expected to keep Europe growing at a steady CAGR in the global dental consumables market during the forecast period. The growing funding for improving and expanding oral health care facilities across Europe is also expected to benefit this regional market.



On the other hand, Asia Pacific is also expected to show a steady growth rate in the coming years. The emergence of the middle class is the primary growth driver for this regional market. The booming dental tourism in Asia Pacific is estimated to keep up the demand for dental consumables in the coming years. Furthermore, improving disposable incomes, access of oral health care, and growing awareness will also boost the growth of the regional market.



The key players operating in the global dental consumables market are 3M Health Care, Danaher Corporation, DENTSPLY International, Inc., Henry Schein, Inc., Institut Straumann AG, Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Patterson Companies, and Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.



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About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.



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Website: www.transparencymarketresearch.comAlbany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2018 -- Malaysia Medical Tourism Market: Snapshot



The medical tourism market in Malaysia is forecast to grow at a robust pace between 2016 and 2024. Persistent government activities synergizing the medical tourism industry and lower cost of medical services compared to their counterparts in developed nations are boosting the medical tourism market in Malaysia. Over the course of the forecast period from 2016 to 2024, the market is poised to exhibit an impressive 30.05% CAGR. At this pace, its valuation is expected to increase from US$424.96 mn in 2016 to US$3.5 bn before 2024 ends.



Accelerated pace of gains is on cards due to the increasing influx of medical tourists from MENA and neighboring countries. Besides this, the market will gain from various macro-economic factors such as tax exemptions by government on revenue generated from foreign patients and excellent transport and recuperation facilities. While the regional players will continue exhibiting promising growth, the established players might emerge as major gainers rendering the vendor landscape of Malaysia medical tourism market consolidated.



Other factors such as low language barrier and the presence of sophisticated healthcare infrastructure will continue fuelling opportunities in the medical tourism market of Malaysia.



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Medical Travelers from Indonesia Highest in Number



Country-wise, the influx of medical tourists from the neighboring country Indonesia is recorded at the highest. In addition, the nation welcomes an increasing number of medical travelers from India, China, Nepal, Iran, Libya, Australia, the U.S., and the U.K. The healthcare industry in Malaysia has been identified as one of the 12 national key economic areas hence, the nation's government keep no stone unturned to attract an increasing number of foreign patients every year. For instance, it offers lucrative incentives and tax exemptions on revenue generated from medical travelers. Besides this, the government of Malaysia has developed the Malaysia healthcare travel council (MHTC) within its healthcare ministry to support foreign patients and their families visiting Malaysia in every way possible.



In order to woo patients from the Middle-east the country maintains favorable stance on the Halal medical tourism. Hence several hospitals in the nation offer halal medical services to patients from the Middle East country. Under these services, the hospitals provide a full range of Muslim friendly services to their patients. Medical tourism assistance centers are also set up in places to help patients and their families traveling from the Middle East or other nations with Islam dominance.



Demand for Dental Treatment Recorded the Highest



Among the segments based on procedure type, the Malaysia medial tourism market was dominated by dental treatment in 2016. The aesthetics/cosmetic surgery segment trailed closely emerging as the second-leading market segment in the same year. According to TMR, approximately 36.6% of the medical tourists visiting Malaysia opt for dental treatment. Factors such as the low cost of services compared to those offered in the U.S. and favorable government activities are expected to aid growth witnessed in the aforementioned categories. Besides this, the market is forecast to witness rising demand for orthopedic treatment, cosmetic surgeries, and regular health screening. These segments, coupled with the field of dental treatment, occupied over 70% of the overall medical tourism market in Malaysia.



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Some of the key enterprises operating in the Malaysia medical tourism market are Pantai Holdings Berhad, KPJ Healthcare Berhad, Dentalpro Group, Prince Court Medical Centre, Island Hospital, IJN Health Institute, Mahkota Medical Centre, Sunway Medical Centre, LohGuanLye Specialists Centre, and Tropicana Medical Centre.



About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The company's exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.



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Website: www.transparencymarketresearch.comLee's Summit, MO -- (SBWIRE) -- 05/31/2018 -- Missouri Table and Chair is an online commercial furniture vendor with a strong focus on quality, variety, and durability. It features a vast furniture line  tables, bases, chairs, bar stools, outdoor furniture, and booths  with each piece blending innovative design, durable materials and attention to detail. The furniture store also brings concierge-style customer service, which is a rarity in a world of online shopping. Each call is received by the client's own personal customer service concierge who advises on purchases and resolves issues before and after the sale. This leads to informed, hassle-free purchases, and a true concierge-style experience.



Missouri Table and Chair is attuned to the customer needs, as its vast product range will testify. The online furniture store maintains a vast inventory of tables, including butcher block, granite, outdoor, laminate, wood, natural materials, table sets, padded, quartz, resin, folding and metal table sets. The tables are ergonomically designed, available in custom sizes, with options for indoor and outdoor spaces. The inventory also carries chairs in a range of options, such as a metal frame, wood frame, stackable, folding, assisted living, banquet/conference, outdoor, children high chairs, plastic/resin, aluminum, and reception.



Thanks to its vast collection, Missouri Table and Chair is the go-to source for all outdoor furniture needs. Whether one seeks outdoor chairs, bar stools, bases, sofa sets, tables, table sets or patio heaters, the online furniture store caters to it all. Bases in popular options, such as standard, designer and outdoor are also available. Moreover, Missouri Table and Chair has quality options that meet all budget ranges. The client can rest easy with the commercial warranty included and fast deliveries with each purchase. Quick ship products are also available that can be shipped within 2 to 3 business days.



A thoughtful combination of outdoor tables allows restaurants to rev up their outdoor spaces. With this in mind, Missouri Table and Chair brings forth a complete range of outdoor tables that match all settings, tastes, decors, and budgets. The collection features all material types, such as, but not limited to, granite, resin, laminate, wood, and aluminum, along with popular styles and different colors. The online furniture store is aware that outdoor furniture has to endure extreme weather conditions. Accordingly, it uses durable materials that can last long, work well and look good.



Missouri Table and Chair is currently carrying outdoor tables in a variety of options, including Square Granite Tables, Elements Table, Round Granite Tables, Resin Table, WC-PT Weave Edge Tables, and Faux Teak Tables. The other popular options are Teak Inlay Tables, TK-TP Teak Table, TA-LC Table Top and Diamondback Tables. Given the extensiveness of the collection, anyone wanting to buy outdoor restaurant tables may feel overwhelmed. However, Missouri Table and Chair has him/her covered with dedicated customer support.



About Missouri Table and Chair

Missouri Table and Chair is an online commercial furniture store with US-wide customer base. For the past 35 years, it has been serving the US clientele with commercial tables, bases, chairs, bar stools, outdoor furniture, and booths. Whether one wants to buy restaurant tables and chairs or the best restaurant table tops, Missouri Table and Chair is the ideal destination.



Contact Information:

Company Name: Missouri Table and Chair

Address: P.O. Box 6827 Lee's Summit, MO 64064, USA

Phone: 816-246-4040

Fax: 816-246-7910

Email: sales@gotable.com

Website: http://www.gotable.comA tiny fossil of an early juvenile Spinosaurus has been discovered by a duo of Italian paleontologists.

Spinosaurus (meaning spine lizard) was the longest, and among the largest of all known predatory dinosaurs, and possessed many adaptations for a semiaquatic lifestyle.

It lived in what is now North Africa during the Cretaceous period, between 112 and 93.5 million years ago.

The new specimen  the 21 mm-long pedal ungual phalanx (a phalanx supporting a claw of the foot)  is from the smallest known individual of this giant, sail-backed dinosaur.

It was discovered in 1999 in the Kem Kem Beds of Tafilalt region, south-eastern Morocco.

This specimen remained unnoticed until the recent discovery of a partial skeleton of Spinosaurus aegyptiacus that preserves an almost complete right foot with peculiar morphology in the phalanges, said Milan Natural History Museum paleontologists Simone Maganuco and Cristiano Dal Sasso.

The striking similarities with the claw phalanges of the Spinosaurus foot allowed us to identify the tiny bone to a very small and young specimen of this dinosaur, the smallest individual reported up to today.

The small specimen retains the same locomotor adaptations as the large version  such as traversing soft substrates or paddling  during the entire lifespan, they added.

This find indicates that in Spinosaurus, the foot of early juveniles had the same locomotor adaptations observed in large individuals, that were probably achieved early in ontogeny and retained for the entire lifespan, Dr. Dal Sasso said.

Besides the rarity of the fossils belonging to juvenile theropod dinosaurs, and the rarity of Spinosaurus bones, this finding is even more remarkable if we consider the dramatic size attained by some large specimens of Spinosaurus, Dr. Maganuco added.

Assuming the juveniles looked like smaller versions of the adults, the 21 mm-long claw phalanx from this small specimen would pertain to an early juvenile individual, 1.78 m-long, only just a little bit longer than the estimated length of the sole head of the largest adult Spinosaurus known to date, the plaeontologists said.

The study was published online this week in the journal PeerJ.

_____

S. Maganuco & C. Dal Sasso. 2018. The smallest biggest theropod dinosaur: a tiny pedal ungual of a juvenile Spinosaurus from the Cretaceous of Morocco. PeerJ 6: e4785; doi: 10.7717/peerj.4785Located in the heart of the city of Kritsiansand, the high voltage (up to 16 MT) shore connection is based on IEC8005-1 standard and delivered by Danish company Power Con, Granfeldt told Seatrade Cruise News.

'The facility is set to be ready by mid-August and as a special introductory offer for the 2018 cruise season we will offer greatly reduced prices,' commented Granfeldt.

He noted, financing came through the EU's Project Horizon 2020 providing around 80bn of innovation funding between 2014 to 2020.

Situated between Oslo and Bergen, Kristiansand has experienced strong growth in the cruise market in recent years, welcoming 50 calls last year and is expecting 62 this year bringing around 110,000 passengers.

New cruise berth accommodating any size ship

Last year, a new cruise berth opened at Lagmannsholmen quay allowing the port to welcome ships up to Oasis class. It also has grey water reception facilities - one of three cruise ports in Norway, according to the coo.

The shore power facility will be a mobile unit which could be switched to one of the port's other two berths, if required.

'We are excited to be able to offer clean shore power and know this has huge interest in northern Europe,' said Granfeldt, who is also the new chairman of Cruise Norway.

Located in southern Norway and opposite Denmark's northern shores, Kristiansand promotes itself as a port of call to, 'add another country to the Baltic'.We need to hit back.



And we can do it by imposing retrictions of unrefined oil exports. But to do that we have to start building refineries rather before we build pipelines for unrefined crude oil exports. We need to start demanding Canadian content for vehicles sold in Canada. We need a comprehensive system of tariffs with the intent of promoting an integrated industrial economy and full, fairly payed employment.



We have thrived in the nationalist economic principles that existed from Confederation to the 1970s. Our economy has fallen apart since we became part of the Global Free Market Leviathan. Incomes have stagnated, wealth has become polarized, few opportunities exist for young people, our economy is increasingly owned and controlled by foreign interests, we have steadily deindustrialized and disintegrated our manufacturing. We have steadily returned to the status of an impoverished colonial economy based on exports of unprocessed raw material and service provision.



It's been a disaster. Trump is right; but Trump acts in the interests of the American People. We need someone to act boldly and resolutely in the interests of the Canadian People and not some discredited and disingenuous ideology (Free Trade and Monetarism).



But we have this grovelling incompetent weakling as PM, who worships before the idol of the Invisible Hand of the Free Market (and a lot of other New Age gimmicks), which has led to a corporate and fianancial world tyranny. And Justin just isn't smart enough to see it.. or brave enough to do anything about it.High Growth Happy Hour: Pontiacs Tech Economy will take place on June 6, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Paissa Building in downtown Pontiac. Here, participants will get an inside look at the growing tech industry in Pontiac, learn its challenges and opportunities, and discover what the future holds, as panelists Matt Russell, Elaina Farnsworth, Eric Kirk, and Mark Hillman talk tech with moderator Glen Konopaskie , consultant in the connected vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure sectors. Konopaskie is the former director of Main Street Pontiac, and a seasoned Pontiac tech entrepreneur.This panel discussion is open to the public, and is part of Comcasts High Growth Happy Hour series, which brings together local talent to talk challenges and opportunities of growing a tech business in Pontiac.We talked with each panelist about Pontiac, tech, and scaling a tech businesses. Heres what we learned. These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.is at the helm of several tech startups in Pontiac. As president of Cynerge Consulting , he leads a team in enterprise-grade application development, cloud migration, and data center support, predominantly for the civilian public sector. As managing partner of Autostructure , Russell helps clients automate the management of applications and data. But Russell says he best known as majority owner and managing partner of LocalHop , the things-to-do platform for grassroots organizations, schools, and businesses. His businesses also own the cool downtown Paissa Building that houses the Alley Cat Cafe, and is the venue for the event.The best thing is the location. We have people scattered around Oakland County and other counties, so for our team, even in Oakland County, its much more central and easy to get in and out of. Theres a great buzz in Detroit, but we dont necessarily want to deal with the traffic, the parking, and the rent. This is the urban environment I can get to easily. I was talking with Dan Izydorek at breakfast this morning and we agreed there is a cool community here. People have a get in and get your hands dirty attitude, and we all help each other, and bounce ideas off each other. Its a tight-knit feel that helps us with recruiting and business development. Birmingham didnt have that feel, and certainly not Detroit. We use Pontiac as a recruiting tool. Heres an example: one guy we were recruiting was from Michigan originally, and wanted to move home. We sent him a picture of the surroundings, and he said Im in. Pontiac had a better feel for him than what the other company could offer. The grit part of a turnaround can be fun. You have a chance to do something, and test things out, try things you could never do anywhere else.A good, qualified lead never hurts. Networking is key; its about getting in front of the right people. Also we need a good queue of candidates, because we want to hire two to three people this summer, and would love to hire someone who lives in Pontiac. In IT its hard to find positions in the first place, and we have done national searches for well-paid positions. But having a good way of finding talent helps, because if something comes through, I need to scale quickly. Maybe this would be through the universities, or through good tech community groups, like Tech248 Automation Alley , or Women in Tech . A mentorship program would be awesome. For me, Im on the threshold of the low 20s in terms of staff. When you get to 40 or 50, there is another layer of process and rigor you need to have to manage that size. Is there someone who has been there and done that and wants to give back that can help talk me through it? Also, so much is changing in the marketing space these days. How to get your name out there in a world where marketing changes so quickly? I cant buy a billboard at Comerica.is CEO of The NEXT Education , a Pontiac- and Sterling Heights-based company focused on preparing talent for the new mobility economy. Thinking way beyond the traditional engineer, The NEXT Education fills the skills gaps for technicians, installers, and those who will work hands-on in our rapidly changing transportation and intelligent infrastructure. Courses in cybersecurity, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), and mobility team leadership, in instructor-led and blended learning environments focus training, cross-training, and certifying a strong, credentialed talent pool for the connected and autonomous vehicle sector.Pontiac is a hidden gem. There are a lot of very innovative people here who are willing to get together and share ideas. You see this a lot in Silicon Valley, and in very progressive, innovative places, and in downtown Detroit. Pontiac is an extension of that vibe. People here want to invest in each other and to help this area grow. Pontiacs proximity to everything is one of the reasons we elected to open our second office here. Pontiac is at the end of Woodward, which is historically profound. Also, Oakland County has a vast number of suppliers and OEMs, and its very close to Macomb County. For an education company, this is a very natural fit for us. We can send instructors out, even as far as Ann Arbor, and companies can bring their communities to our location. Pontiac is a cool little town; I love the vibe and the area.We want to work with other companies that want to be part of this industry. Its better if we all work together to get a much more expansive reach. We are looking for collaborative partnerships to let us have more educational content and value. We want to partner with larger organizations in the southeast region to align the right type of worker in Michigan to support the vast amount of business that will come from the new innovative economy. One of the unique parts about NEXT is we employ people who are working in the field to teach classes. If you are working in the industry, you can share more of the hands-on knowledge, and we need a vast number of adjunct professors who work in the field. Wed love to have small and large companies working on specific topics, whether its cybersecurity, or V2V or V2I technologies, who know their area of expertise to join us in professorship at The NEXT Education.is an embedded firmware developer and cryptographic designer who started out by launching Kirk Engineering from his basement workspace in 2001. Kirk has engaged in several tech endeavors since then, and is currently focused on providing high-tech training for motion control automation, robot programming, robot electrical repair, mechanical building, and automation integration. Kirk grew up in Pontiac, and is committed to giving back to Pontiacs youth through skills training for the tech economy.There are so many high-tech industries embedded in Pontiac. Within a four-mile radius sit some of the most advanced corporations in the world, all within walking distance from the hood. And some of the best universities, too, like Lawrence Tech, Oakland University, and U-M. There is also a skill set here. There are young people who are highly motivated and can do it. Its like a black Silicon Valley, right here. Whatever I can do to make it happen, Im going to do it.What we are offering is a whole different program. Its more about what I can offer the kids here. I want everyone on the same page to help these kids. Lets sti and talk about that $100 million contract and then work together to knock it out. Its all about collaboration and dong the real deals. We need to start thinking bigger and outside the box. Even approach the churches and offer programming, communications, and robotics training. We have the capability to build military-grade satellites, and I am going to do something about it.is CEO of Lenderful , which is just one of the Pontiac-based high-tech software startups under the umbrella of MadDog Technology , the enterprise Hillman co-founded. Other early stage solutions include online automobile sales, energy management, and water management.Location, location, location! The tech economy in our area, in the last five years, has generally driven the economy, as well as the connected and autonomous car sector. Technology has gobbled up thousands of engineers, all around software and data. Simplistically, how do you compete as a startup? You bring the jobs to the people instead of making the people go to the jobs. Pontiac, from a location standpoint, is a 10 min drive from you name it. Troy, Rochester Hills, Birmingham, then Royal Oak is another 10 minutes. And they are all the opposite direction of traffic. M-59 goes right through town, then its another three minute drive to I-75. Its crazy convenient. That makes it easy to attract people who dont want to work in a place that is not all congested. Rent is cheap. And that's a bonus.For us it's about our individual business and each individual situation may require something unique. This is not a Pontiac thing, per se, but there is lots of talent in these suburbs. With that solved, it really is business by business, and how we grow it. The other thing, though, if you look at the unemployment rate, it is 3.7% that's nuts. Michigan's may be below the national average. According to the UBS Chief Economist, the rate could go as low as 3.2%, and that is insane. Imagine the competition for top talent. Things are changing. The pace of change, and having people with enough experience is far more than a training issue, so it's hard to manufacture talent with the level of experience that is needed for this level of technology.Photo by Nick HagenASIA

Afghanistan

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council will hold its quarterly debate on Afghanistan and will consider the latest Secretary-Generals report on the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA Tadamichi Yamamoto is expected to brief. A representative from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime might also brief.

The mandate of UNAMA expires on 17 March 2019.

Key Recent Developments

The second meeting of the Kabul Process for Peace and Security Cooperation in Afghanistan took place on 28 February. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered a wide-ranging proposal to the Taliban that included talks about a ceasefire, prisoner exchange, review of the constitution, and the removal of sanctions against insurgents. A trend of increased attacks by the Taliban and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) since the beginning of 2018 has continued, however. On 21 March, the Iranian New Year (Nowruz), ISIL claimed responsibility for an attack in Kabul that killed at least 33 people and injured 65. During another attack by ISIL at a voter registration centre in Kabul, at least 50 people were killed and 100 injured. On 30 April two attacks by ISIL in Kabul and Kandahar resulted in at least 41 killed and 45 injured. The Council issued press statements condemning all of these attacks. Additionally, the Taliban launched attacks against several other voter registration centres across the country.

On 10 May, UNAMA released a special report detailing a pattern of election-related attacks and abuses during the initial voter registration period ahead of elections in October. The report identified 23 election-related security incidents since voter registration began on 14 April, resulting in 271 civilians killed or injured.

At press time, a formal response by the Taliban to Ghanis offer was still outstanding; meanwhile, on 25 April, the Taliban announced their annual spring offensive and the beginning of the fighting season.

Following the recommendations made by the Secretary-General in his strategic review of UNAMA, the Council adopted resolution 2405 on 8 March to renew UNAMAs mandate for another year. The core of the mandate (good offices, human rights monitoring, protection of civilians, and the promotion of good governance and regional cooperation) remains unchanged. The resolution incorporates new language in several areas, including with regard to finding a political solution to the conflict; womens social, economic and political engagement in Afghanistan; counter-terrorism; and elections.

During his last Council briefing on 8 March, Yamamoto reported accelerated progress on preparations for voter registration for the upcoming parliamentary elections. The Independent Election Commission (IEC) announced that elections would be held on 20 October. Much of the ability of Afghanistan to conduct inclusive elections will depend on the security situation, which has continued to worsen over the past several months.

In other developments, following a request by ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on 3 November 2017 to open an investigation into the situation in Afghanistan, the victims representation process at the ICC concluded on 31 January. During this process, victims of the alleged crimes were able to submit their views. In conjunction with the facts presented by Bensouda, the judges will decide whether or not to comply with the prosecutors request to authorise an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan since May 2003.

Sanctions-Related Developments

On 15 May, the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee received a briefing from the Monitoring Team, which presented its ninth report, reiterating that it remains underutilised because of a lack of new listings during the reporting period.

Human Rights-Related Developments

Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour visited Afghanistan from 8 to 11 May, where he met with President Ghani, government officials, womens organisations, and civil society. In an 11 May press release, he expressed concern over continued attacks on civilians, mainly by extremists and stressed that the UN Human Rights team in Afghanistan continues to document high levels of civilian casualties, particularly as a result of suicide attacks in densely populated areas. He also expressed concern over discrimination against Afghan women at all levels of society and urged the authorities to investigate and prosecute military and civilian perpetrators of the sexual abuse of boys.

Key Issues and Options

The Council faces many issues that have continued to grow in complexity. Afghan civilians bear the heaviest burden of the worsening security situation, exacerbated most recently by an increase in attacks following the start of the voter registration in April. The security situation is further complicated by the increased presence of ISIL and other terrorist groups. Insurgency in Afghanistan continues to be closely interlinked with illicit drug production and trafficking, activities that reached record levels during 2017. In that context, the 1988 Committee could hold an informal briefing open to all UN member states in order to draw attention to the possibility of proposing individuals involved in the narcotics trade with the Taliban.

Awaiting the next steps in the framework of the Kabul process and holding credible and inclusive parliamentary elections in 2018 and presidential elections in 2019 continue to be the main concerns for the Council. The Council could issue a presidential or press statement, reiterating its call upon the Taliban to engage in direct peace talks with the government ahead of the elections along the lines of President Ghanis offer.

Council Dynamics

Council members are generally concerned about the progressively volatile security environment and its implications for the civilian population. In addition to the recent surge of hostilities by the Taliban, the presence of ISIL and its violent tactics have added another layer of complexity to the conflict with the potential to deepen ethnic and sectarian tensions. Among permanent members, Russia has continued to emphasise the threat posed by ISIL in Afghanistan, given that the group has now been defeated in its former strongholds in the Middle East. At the last debate, Russia described Afghanistan as a springboard for further expansion by ISIL into the region. That debate took place on 8 March, International Womens Day, and saw members commenting on the necessity for womens participation, especially in connection with the upcoming elections. Following that debate, Council members were able to unite behind a press statement welcoming the convening of the second meeting of the Kabul Process. Russia regularly emphasises the importance of the regional context and the valuable role played by regional organisations, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Russia continues to question the utility of the US and NATO presence in the country, which it maintains does not help the situation and even increases casualties.

The Netherlands is the penholder on Afghanistan, and Kazakhstan chairs the 1988 Afghanistan Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON AFGHANISTANAFRICA

Central African Republic

In June, Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita is expected to brief on the latest developments in the country and the most recent UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) report, due on 14 June.

MINUSCAs mandate expires on 15 November 2018.

Key Recent Developments

The security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR) is dire. Self-proclaimed self-defence groups, loosely connected to some members of the anti-Balaka movement, have continued to operate in south-eastern CAR, targeting Muslims. Ex-Seleka, largely Muslim factions, continue to establish illegal parallel administration and taxation structures in areas under their control, preying on the population.

Bangui has also seen more violence in recent months, increasingly along sectarian and inter-communal lines. On 10 April, 28 people died after MINUSCA and local security forces launched an operation to clear PK5, a Muslim neighbourhood, of armed groups, leading to deadly clashes. Blaming the UN for the events, demonstrators laid 17 bodies of those killed in front of MINUSCAs headquarters. On 1 May, deadly violence erupted when the authorities attempted to arrest a member of an armed group in the PK5 neighbourhood. In the ensuing violence, a nearby church was stormed in the middle of a service, and 24 worshippers and a priest were killed. In response, a mob burned a mosque and lynched two people believed to be Muslim. In total, 26 people were killed and more than 170 injured from the violence that day.

The security situation in Bambari, located in the centre of the country, where MINUSCA has a significant presence, has also deteriorated. On 15 May it was reported that members of the Union for Peace (UPC), one of the groups forming the ex-Seleka coalition, attacked the mayors office, police and radio stations, and a MINUSCA base. MINUSCA launched an operation in response the following day, and eight people were killed during the fighting.

Armed groups continue to target humanitarian workers and MINUSCA peacekeepers. On 3 April, a Mauritanian peacekeeper was killed and 11 injured in an attack on a MINUSCA base in Tagbara, northeast of Bambari, by suspected anti-Balaka elements. Another Mauritanian peacekeeper was killed and eight were injured in an attack on a convoy they were escorting in the town of Alindao, southeast of Bambari, on 17 May. The Council issued press statements condemning both attacks.

Council members were briefed on the latest violence in the country on 23 May under any other business via video teleconference by the Special Representative and head of MINUSCA, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga.

In accordance with resolution 2387, the Secretary-General submitted to the Council on 16 May recommendations regarding possible support for the redeployment of the CAR security forces. The report recognised that such support should only be given on specific conditions, including that the security forces are inclusive and ethnically representative, have been vetted, and uphold the principles of accountability and the rule of law. It recommended that the Council authorise MINUSCA to provide limited operational and logistical support to the CAR security forces trained by the ongoing EU Military Training Mission for a period of 12 months. It stressed that without this support, the ability of the CAR to restore peace and establish state authority would be undermined.

The country also continues to face an acute humanitarian crisis. According to a report released by OCHA on 10 May, there were 687,398 internally displaced persons and 568,572 refugees in neighbouring countries at the end of March.

On the political front, peace and reconciliation initiatives have failed to gain momentum, and the government, led by President Faustin-Archange Touadera, has minimal control outside Bangui. The African Initiative for Peace and Reconciliation in the CAR has advanced the implementation road map for Peace and Reconciliation endorsed by the AU in July 2017, launching the second round of consultations with 14 armed groups in late February. In a 27 February press statement, Council members reaffirmed their support for the initiative as the main framework for a political solution in the CAR.

Sanctions-Related Developments

On 23 February, the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee met to discuss the Panel of Experts progress report. The coordinator of the panel said that armed groups continue to strengthen their grip over large parts of the CAR with a view to increasing their leverage in the political process. On 16 March, the panel briefed the committee on its work programme. The committee met to discuss the Panel of Experts latest progress report on 25 May.

Human-Rights Related Developments

During its 37th session, the Human Rights Council held an interactive dialogue on 21 March with the independent expert on human rights in the CAR, Marie-Therese Keita Bocoum, who visited the country from 6 to 16 February to assess the impact of the AUs peace initiative on human rights. In a press release following her trip, Bocoum called for an urgent need to reinstate the criminal justice system, saying that mob justice is in effect replacing state justice in some areas, and urged national authorities and civil society to explore options for a road map on transitional justice and to consider national consultations and collective reparations.

In a 9 May statement, High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein expressed deep alarm at the volatile situation in the CAR, particularly given the worrying hate speech and incitement to violence on the basis of religion, as well as the recent killings and attacks in Bangui, referring to the 1 May attack in Bangui. The statement stressed that the recent violence must not be allowed to undermine the peace process facilitated by the AU.

Issues and Options

The need to respond to the increased fighting between rebels, attacks against civilians along sectarian lines, and the targeting of MINUSCA personnel and other UN and humanitarian personnel is of serious concern to the Council. As part of its efforts, the Council may amend MINUSCAs mandate to provide operational and logistical support to the CAR security forces, as requested by the Secretary-General.

In an effort to curb violence, the Council could consider acting through the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee, listing those with links to recent attacks on civilians, including individuals who have incited ethnic or religious violence. Sanctions may also be effective in incentivising armed groups to commit to reconciliation.

Council and Wider Dynamics

The deteriorating security situation and the governments inability to project law outside of Bangui and Bambari have been a continuing matter of concern for the Council. After a period of relative calm, these issues have resurfaced in Bangui and Bambari, despite the presence of MINUSCA. Moreover, part of the population sees MINUSCA as a culprit, blaming the mission for the violence and for inability to prevent it.

The issue of support for the CAR security forces has been a sticking point for Council members, as security sector reform, including the vetting of personnel, has gone slowly. In light of this, during negotiations over resolution 2387, Council members disagreed over whether MINUSCA should be assisting the authorities with personnel who have been linked to human rights violations, while faced with the reality that MINUSCA is unable to be present in large parts of the CAR without the deployment of these forces. Regularly monitored, and limited support may prove to be an acceptable middle ground. Additionally, some Council members will want to receive more precise information on the resources that will be required to fulfil the request, along with its merits.

France is the penholder on the CAR, and Cote dIvoire chairs the 2127 CAR Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON THE CARAFRICA

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Expected Council Action

In June, the Security Council is due to renew the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) sanctions regime and the mandate of the Group of Experts assisting the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee. The Council will continue to monitor the security and political situation in the DRC and may meet on this, depending on how events in the country unfold.

The mandate of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) expires on 31 March 2019.

Key Recent Developments

The deplorable security situation in the east persists. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) Islamist rebel groupresponsible for the deadly attack on Tanzanian peacekeepers on 7 December 2017 in which 15 peacekeepers were killed, 53 wounded and one remains missingcontinues to wreak havoc in North Kivu. On 21 May, the group reportedly killed ten people and wounded two others in an attack on the town of Mbau, in the Beni region.

In Ituri, notably in the Djugu area, more than 260 people have died and more than 200,000 have fled their homes since December 2017 amid conflict between the Hema and Lendu ethnic groups. The situation in the Kasai region remains a concern as well. Intercommunal conflict and clashes between militias and government forces in the region began in August 2016 when the leader of the Kamwina Nsapu militia was killed in fighting with the DRC police. Despite a lull in the fighting, some 3.8 million people, including 2.3 million children, are in need of humanitarian assistance, and 400,000 children are severely malnourished and at risk of death, according to an 11 May statement by UNICEF.

The dire humanitarian situation was the focus of a briefing on 19 March, during which Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock; Secretary-General of the Episcopal National Conference of Congo Donatien Nshole; and Coordinator for the Goma-based NGO Encadrement des Femmes Indigenes et des Menages Vulnerables Jeanine Bandu Bahati briefed the Council. Council members issued a press statement on 22 March, expressing their concern over the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

There continue to be serious concerns on the political front in the DRC. President Joseph Kabila, whose second and final term (under the countrys constitution) ended in December 2016, remains in office. According to an agreement reached between Kabila and the opposition on 31 December 2016, elections were to be held by the end of 2017, and Kabila was not to run for a third term nor initiate amendments to the constitution. He has refrained from declaring his intentions over the last year, although in the past month, members of his government have said that he would not run for re-election. Citing logistical difficulties that prevented the elections from being held on 5 November 2017, the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) published a new electoral calendar for combined presidential, legislative and provincial elections to take place on 23 December 2018.

On 27 March, the Council adopted resolution 2409, renewing MONUSCOs mandate and keeping its current troop levels. The resolution called on all stakeholders in the DRC, including Kabila, to swiftly implement the 31 December 2016 agreement in order to proceed without further delay to the preparation of the 23 December elections. It also called on the DRC to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, especially those of peaceful assembly; to release all political prisoners; lift the blanket ban on demonstrations; and exercise maximum restraint in responding to protests.

Special Representative and head of MONUSCO Leila Zerrougui briefed the Council on 21 May under any other business via video teleconference, particularly on the latest report of the Secretary-General on political and technical progress towards the holding of elections in the DRC. The report noted that, on the one hand, substantial progress has been made in preparation for elections and several important benchmarks have been met. On the other hand, significant challenges remain on the political front, where little has been done to address the lack of political space, posing a threat to the holding of credible and inclusive elections. For example, the ban on peaceful demonstrations imposed in September 2016 whose lifting the Council urged in resolution 2409 remains in place. In elements to the press released after the meeting, Council members encouraged the DRC to lift the ban and underscored the need to do everything possible to hold transparent, credible and inclusive elections.

An issue of increasing concern that may amplify the security and political difficulties is the recent outbreak of Ebola, with 54 suspected cases of infection and 25 deaths reported by 27 May. Some of the cases confirmed occurred in Mbandaka, a city of over one million people. At press time, the WHO has refrained from declaring an international public health emergency, saying that the situation can be contained if addressed promptly.

Sanctions-Related Developments

On 23 March, Zerrougui and a representative of the Joint Mission Analysis Centre of MONUSCO, which is responsible for monitoring the arms embargo, briefed the sanctions committee on the security situation via video teleconference. A representative of the UN Mine Action Service also briefed the committee.

On 30 April the committee held a formal meeting to discuss the DRCs efforts in the fight against sexual violence and child recruitment. Following the formal meeting, which was attended by the DRC, the committee met in informal consultations with Pramila Patten, Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, and a representative of the office of the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict.

The committee met on 18 May to discuss the final report of its Group of Experts. The report noted that armed groups and criminal networks continue to use natural resources and levy illicit taxation. It also reported that violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law have taken place in Beni and Djugu. It signalled that some states have not notified the committee regarding delivery of arms and related materiel to the DRC, as required by resolution 2360.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 19 March, the UN Joint Human Rights Office in the DRC released a report documenting killings and other serious human rights violations due to the use of excessive force by security services and defence forces in response to mass protests between 1 January 2017 and 31 January 2018, resulting in the deaths of at least 47 people, including women and children. According to the report, there were indications that Congolese security services attempted to cover up these serious human rights violations by removing the bodies of victims and obstructing the work of national and international observers.

During the 37th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC), the HRC held an enhanced interactive dialogue on 20 March on the human rights situation in the DRC with Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour. He said that an increase in human rights violations in the country was largely due to the widespread violations of political rights and fundamental freedoms in relation to the electoral process, combined with intensified inter-ethnic and inter-communal violence, as well as a proliferation of armed groups in several provinces. Gilmour stressed the need for the HRC to retain a sharp focus on the ever-deteriorating human rights situation in the country, especially in the context of the electoral process.

Key Issues and Options

The primary political issue for the Council in the upcoming period is the importance of elections taking place as scheduled and that they are free and fair. The Council may choose to issue a presidential or press statement calling on the DRC to take action to guarantee that elections are held in a safe environment conducive to full participation in the political process.

Additionally, the Council may, in coordination with regional actors, reiterate its call on all stakeholders to remain committed to the electoral calendar as the only way forward and to refrain from violence.

The immediate issue for the Council in June is renewing the sanctions regime. The Council can use the sanctions resolution to reiterate its main messages about the electoral process. It can also threaten to impose sanctions or move to sanction actors who undermine the process.

The Council could choose to visit the DRC to reinforce the importance of free, fair and timely elections and to assess the security situation and MONUSCOs response to it.

Council and Wider Dynamics

All Council members remain concerned about the ongoing political crisis and the dire security situation. There is consensus about the imperative of holding the elections on 23 December without further delays, in alignment with the position of regional actors. There is also general agreement that the Council should remain focused on the DRC throughout the year, including through a possible Council mission, which may take place this summer. Differences between Council members persist, however, regarding the nature of the political crisis, with some seeing it as a constitutional issue and others as one with wider national and regional implications. Some Council members are concerned that while logistical preparations for the elections are meeting their benchmarks on the whole, little has been done by the DRC to guarantee that elections will be free, fair and inclusive.

France is the penholder on the DRC, and Kuwait chairs the 1533 DRC Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON THE DRCSECURITY COUNCIL AND WIDER UN STRUCTURE

International Criminal Tribunals

Expected Council Action

In June, the Security Council expects to hold the semi-annual debate on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals (IRMCT), which was established in 2010 to carry out the remaining essential functions of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) after their respective closures. The IRMCTs president, Judge Theodor Meron, and the IRMCTs prosecutor, Serge Brammertz, are expected to brief and to meet with the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals prior to the debate. A resolution is expected extending the term of the prosecutor, which expires on 30 June.

Key Recent Developments

Following the 31 December 2017 closure of the ICTY, the President of the Security Council issued a note on 2 February, saying that Council consideration of issues in connection with the ICTY and ICTR will be subsumed under the new agenda item International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals. (The ICTR closed on 31 December 2015.)

The IRMCT, with branches in Arusha, Tanzania and The Hague, focuses on the completion of trials and appeals from the ICTY and ICTR, locating and arresting the eight remaining fugitives indicted by the ICTR, and assisting national jurisdictions with requests related to prosecuting international crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. It was established in 2010 by resolution 1966, which says the Mechanism shall continue the jurisdiction, rights and obligations and essential functions of the ICTY and the ICTR and should be a small, temporary and efficient structure, whose functions and size will diminish over time, with a small number of staff commensurate with its reduced functions. According to the resolution, the IRMCT was mandated to operate for an initial period of four years and for subsequent periods of two years, subject to reviews of its progress, unless the Security Council decides otherwise. On 19 March, the Council adopted a presidential statement requesting the IRMCT to submit a progress report by 15 April. It also requested the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals to review this report and a report by the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) on the evaluation of the methods and work of the IRMCT by 15 May, and required the reviews outcome to be reflected by the Security Council in an appropriate form.

The OIOS report found that overall the IRMCT made progress towards realizing its mandate to be small and efficient and is mindful of the mandate to be temporary; nevertheless, some of its continuous functions are long-term in nature. The progress report of the IRMCT, requested in the 19 March presidential statement, said that although the IRMCT continued to make progress in the fulfilment of its mandate, it faced significant challenges following the December 2017 decision of the General Assembly to approve a reduced budget, from the budget initially proposed by the IRMCT for 2018-2019. These reductions will leave or already have left the [IRMCT] with skeletal staffing levels in many areas, opening the institution up to considerable operational risks that may have a negative impact on its ability to conduct and complete its functions in a timely and effective manner, the progress report said.

On 17 May, Meron briefed the Council in an open debate on upholding international law within the context of the maintenance of international peace and security. Meron proposed a number of steps that the Council could consider to advance efforts to ensure accountability for international crimes, including revisions in the Councils decision-making approach in addressing alleged violations of international law, such as through the development of objective criteria to be applied by the Council in assessing allegations of international crimes and related measures.

Key Issues and Options

An immediate issue is for members to adopt a resolution appointing a prosecutor of the IRMCT. The term of the current prosecutor expires on 30 June, as set out in resolution 2269.

A key issue is for members to continue monitoring the work of the IRMCT and the implementation of its mandate, and to evaluate these in light of the recent OIOS report, the IRMCT progress report, and the reduced 2018-2019 budget approved by the General Assembly. A related issue is for the Council to reflect the outcome of the review by the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals in an appropriate form as requested in the presidential statement adopted on 19 March. An option is for the Council to adopt a resolution or presidential statement reflecting the outcome of this process and to make any changes that are deemed necessary to the IRMCTs mandate.

Council Dynamics

Council members have so far generally assessed the IRMCT positivelyincluding Russia, which had been consistently critical of the ICTYwith the caveat that it must continue to fulfil its mandate expeditiously and cost-effectively. This position was emphasised by China, the UK and Russia at the 6 December 2017 debate. In its statement, Russia said the Councils review of the IRMCT is extremely important, and the extension of the Mechanisms work for the next two years will depend on it, adding it is also time that the Council thought about approaches to ending its activities. Ethiopia, France, Sweden, the UK and the US stressed the need to locate the eight remaining fugitives to be tried by the IRMCT.

Peru is the chair of the Informal Working Group on International Tribunals.

UN Documents on International Criminal TribunalsMIDDLE EAST

Iran

Expected Council Action

In June, the Secretary-General will report on the implementation of resolution 2231, which endorsed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Irans nuclear programme. The Council is also expected to receive reports from the Joint Commission, established by the parties to the JCPOA to oversee its implementation, and from the Councils 2231 facilitator, Ambassador Karel van Oosterom (the Netherlands). Briefings are expected from Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, van Oosterom , and a representative of the EU in its capacity as coordinator of the Joint Commission.

Key Recent Developments

In a widely expected move, US President Donald Trump announced on 8 May his decision to withdraw the US from the JCPOA, saying among other reasons that Iran had violated the spirit of the agreement by its involvement in various conflicts in the Middle East. Trump signed a memorandum to start the process of restoring US sanctions on Iran, and on the same day US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin issued a statement declaring that full US sanctions on Iran would come into effect after 90 days in some cases and after 180 days in others. In addition to US entities, the sanctions imposed by the US could also affect entities in the EU and other member states that engage in economic activity with Iran.

Trumps announcement drew immediate reactions from across the world. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a statement expressing concern over the US withdrawal from the agreement and called on parties to the JCPOA and all other members to continue to support it. Federica Mogherini, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, said that the EU would abide by the JCPOA as long as Iran continued to uphold its commitments under the agreement. In a joint statement, France, Germany and the UK stressed their continued support for the JCPOA and called for full implementation of resolution 2231. They also called on Iran to exercise restraint and for the US to avoid taking action which obstructs its full implementation by all other parties to the deal. Israel and Saudi Arabia, who have been critical of the JCPOA since its inception, were among the countries that welcomed Trumps decision.

In the flurry of diplomatic activity that ensued, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif met with his counterparts in China, Russia and the EU to discuss the future of the JCPOA. During these encounters, Zarif received assurances from the remaining JCPOA signatories that they would continue to adhere to the agreement. At the 15 May meeting of Zarif, Mogherini and the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK, all parties agreed that they would try to salvage the JCPOA. Mogherini also announced that expert-level meetings would take place in the coming weeks to explore options for circumventing the US sanctions.

On 21 May, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo outlined a new US strategy towards Iran that will be implemented outside the JCPOA framework. Pompeo asserted that the US would exert robust financial pressure on Iran by employing unprecedented sanctions unless Iran changes its behaviour. Some of the 12 demands for Iran laid out by Pompeo include abandoning the pursuit of nuclear weapons, allowing weapons inspections, and ending its destabilising activities in the Middle East. Should Iran comply with all US demands, Pompeo said that the US would end sanctions, re-establish diplomatic relations, and support Irans integration into the international economic system.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 12 March, during its 37th session, the Human Rights Council (HRC) held an interactive dialogue to consider the report of its special rapporteur on Iran on the situation of human rights in the country (A/HRC/37/68). The report states that demonstrations during December 2017 led to the deaths of at least 22 people and the arrest of at least 1,000 people. It expresses concern over the conditions under which those arrested were being held and over the fate of detainees, following reports of the death of a number of persons in custody, some of whom had been arrested during the protests. On 21 March, the HRC also considered the Secretary-Generals report on the human rights situation in Iran (A/HRC/37/24), which focused on the high use of the death penalty; restrictions on and oppression of journalists and human rights defenders; and the continued discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, as well as women and girls. On 23 March, the HRC voted 21 to seven (with 19 abstentions) to extend the mandate of the special rapporteur for one year and requested a report at its 40th session in March 2019 (A/HRC/RES/37/30). (Security Council and HRC members Ethiopia abstained and China voted against the resolution.)

Key Issues and Options

The Council is primarily concerned with whether a party to the JCPOA or any other member state has failed to comply with resolution 2231 and, in such a case, what the appropriate response should be.

Looking ahead, the Council will have to assess the consequences of the US decision to withdraw from the JCPOA and its implications in light of resolution 2231, which endorsed the agreement, and could consider the possibility of holding an informal meeting or meeting in consultations with 2231 facilitator van Oosterom to discuss this. Such a meeting could also afford members an opportunity to respond to the US administrations criticisms of the agreement and express concern about any intentions to undermine it.

A further option is to encourage Iran to participate in the discussion, as it has not to date taken part in the semi-annual briefings on the implementation of resolution 2231.

Council Dynamics

The current US administration has been critical of the JCPOA from the onset. Now that the US has formally withdrawn from the agreement, the Council dynamics have not changed drastically, given that most Council members anticipated such a move by the US. Most Council membersamong them, China, France, the UK and Russia, which are parties to the agreementmaintain their position that the JCPOA remains valid and that they will continue to adhere to its provisions. Iran has also affirmed its commitment to the implementation of the JCPOA and resolution 2231. The E3 JCPOA parties (France, Germany and the UK) expressed regret and concern over the US withdrawal from the agreement, while Iran was highly critical of the USs unilateral action. During the 17 May open debate on upholding international law, Iran noted that the US withdrawal from the JCPOA disregarded international law and the UN Charter.

Looking ahead, there are several factors that could affect Council dynamics. The US could pursue action on Iran in the Council by initiating the process of reinstating sanctions via a new resolution. This could exacerbate the divide between the US and other permanent members, most notably France and the UK, which contend that Iran has been in compliance with JCPOA. The Council dynamics could be further complicated should Iran decide to withdraw from the agreement or leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

UN DOCUMENTS ON IRANAFRICA

Libya

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council is expected to renew the authorisation for member states, acting nationally or through regional organisations, to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya bound to or from the country that they have reasonable grounds to believe are violating the arms embargo. The current authorisation expires on 15 June.

The mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) expires on 15 September, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the sanctions committee expires on 12 November.

Key Recent Developments

The inspection authorisation, initially issued through resolution 2292 in 2016, was renewed last year through resolution 2357 with an added request to the Secretary-General to report to the Council within 11 months on its implementation.

Deep divisions remain between the parties in Libya. Despite the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) on 17 December 2015, little progress has been achieved in establishing unified and legitimate institutions that are able to deliver basic services to the Libyan population again.

Special Representative and head of UNSMIL Ghassan Salame has been focusing on implementing a UN action plan that the Council endorsed in October 2017. This plan involves working in parallel to amend the LPA, organise a national conference, finalise a new constitution, and prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections. Briefing the Council on 21 May, Salame shared his continued assessment that the parties are unwilling to make the necessary concessions in order to agree on the necessary amendments to the LPA.

Despite the emphasis of Libyan stakeholders on the importance of holding elections, Salame has continued to warn that before credible elections can be conducted, adequate conditions must be in place. These include further voter registration, prior commitment by the parties to accept the results, proper funding, strong security arrangements, and legislation to regulate the holding of elections.

Salame has mentioned the need to bring Libyans together around a common national narrative. To that end, 42 inclusive public consultations have taken place in 27 locations since April. These consultations are part of a National Conference process leading up to a special event to be held later this year, where the results of the consultations with the Libyan people will be presented.

The situation in the south remains precarious as inter-tribal tensions reinforce existing rivalries among supporters of the Libyan National Army (LNA) and those nominally affiliated with the Presidency Council of the Government of National Accord. In recent weeks, fighting has increased in the south of Libya, notably in the city of Sabha. In Derna in north-eastern Libya, General Khalifa Haftars forces have continued to fight for control of the city. Haftar, head of the LNA, was hospitalised in Paris on 8 April. He returned to Libya on 26 April, looking healthy, according to some accounts, despite rumours of his ill-health or demise.

To address the multiplicity of armed actors in Libya, UNSMIL has started a broad dialogue to explore the means and conditions for their reintegration into civilian life or into state military and security institutions. Salame said during his latest briefing to the Council that the strategy was in the final stages of consultation with the Libyan authorities.

Migrants and refugees in Libya continue to suffer from human rights violations and abuse, including arbitrary detention and forced labour, reportedly inflicted by state officials, armed groups, smugglers, traffickers and criminal gangs. On 19 March, Italy impounded a migrant rescue boat operated by an NGO and detained its crew on human trafficking charges. The ship was released on 16 April; the criminal charges were subsequently dropped.

Sanctions-Related Developments

In his briefing to the Council on 21 May, the chair of the 1970 Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Olof Skoog (Sweden), reported on the expiration of the listing of two vessels on 18 and 29 April, respectively. In addition, he noted that proposals to designate six individuals under the assets freeze and travel ban measures were being considered in the context of migrant exploitation and abuse. At press time, no decision had been made by the committee.

ICC-Related Developments

In March, for the first time in five years, an investigative team from the ICC Office of the Prosecutor was able to travel to Libya. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, whose extradition the ICC has sought, has been at large since he was freed by the Abu-Bakr al-Siddiq Brigade, a Zintan-based militia, in June 2017. In late March, a spokesman for Saif al-Islam Gaddafi declared that he was planning to run in the upcoming presidential elections. Former internal security chief Mohamed Khaled al-Tuhamy, allegedly responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in 2011 in Libya, remains at large as well.

Mahmoud Mustafa Busayf Al-Werfalli, a commander participating in General Khalifa Haftars Operation Dignity in Benghazi, appears to be directly responsible for the death of 33 persons in Benghazi or surrounding areas between June 2016 and July 2017, either by personally killing them or by ordering their execution, according to the ICC arrest warrant. Additional extrajudicial executions became public in January. Video footage showing his announcement that, on the instructions of the LNA General Command, he would turn himself in to the military police in eastern Libya was posted on social media on 6 February. To date, Al-Werfalli has not been surrendered to the ICC and his whereabouts are unclear.

Human Rights-Related Developments

On 10 April, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNSMIL published a joint report on human rights concerns regarding detention in Libya, covering 17 December 2015 to 1 January. According to the report, armed groups in Libya, including those affiliated with the state, hold thousands of people in prolonged arbitrary and unlawful detention and submit them to torture and other human rights violations and abuses. In October 2017, roughly 6,500 people were thought to be held in official prisons overseen by the Judicial Police of the Ministry of Justice, while thousands more were held in a multitude of other facilities nominally under the Ministries of Interior or Defence or run directly by armed groups, the report said.

Key Issues and Options

The immediate issue for the Council in June is whether to renew the high-seas ship inspections authorisation granted to member states under resolution 2292.

The Council could again hold an informal interactive dialogue with the Commander of the EU Mission EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia and a representative of the European External Action Service, as they did before last years authorisation renewal. In addition to the information provided by the Secretary-Generals report on the implementation of resolution 2357, this exchange might help address the concerns of delegations about the effectiveness of the authorisation in deterring violations of the arms embargo.

Council and Wider Dynamics

When the resolution was first adopted, China and Russia had put forward concerns related to the flag states rights. Considering that the authorisation has not resulted in the detection of arms smuggling in the past year, members could argue that a re-authorisation has little added value at this point. Making a statement after last years authorisation, Russia emphasised its expectation for more effective inspections. At press time it was not clear whether these concerns would be addressed.

The UK is the penholder on Libya, and Sweden chairs the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON LIBYAI hope somebody buys a map before they leaveANOTHER Tesla in autopilot mode crashes... into a parked police cruiser.Why is this being tested on public roads?A Tesla sedan set to autopilot mode crashed into a parked Laguna Beach Police Department vehicle in Laguna Beach, Calif., authorities said.The driver of the Tesla sustained minor injuries after the Tuesday morning crash, according to public information officer Sgt. Jim Cota. The police officer was not in the SUV at the time of the crash.Sgt. Cota said the crash occurred in the same area where a Tesla rammed into a semi last year, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.Why do these vehicles keep doing that? Were just lucky that people arent getting injured, Sgt. Cota said.Also on Tuesday, Greek police said the driver of a Tesla Model 3 blamed a malfunction in the cars autopilot feature for a crash in a highway in northern Greece last week. No one was injured in the accident, and the driver didnt bPEACEMAKING, PEACEKEEPING AND PEACEBUILDING

Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council expects briefings by Ambassadors Ion Jinga (Romania) and Cho Tae-yul (Republic of Korea), the current and former chair, respectively, of the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC), presenting the PBCs annual report.

On the same day, Council members are expected to convene an informal interactive dialogue with representatives of the PBC.

Key Recent Developments

On 24 and 25 April, the General Assembly held a high-level event on peacebuilding and sustaining peace as envisioned by the April 2016 resolutions of the General Assembly and the Security Council on the review of the UN peacebuilding architecture. To coincide with the General Assembly event, the Council organised a high-level briefing on 25 April to consider the implications for the Security Council of the Secretary-Generals 18 January implementation report on the 2016 resolutions, which laid out options to increase peacebuilding financing, among other points.

The following day, the Council adopted resolution 2413, taking note of the General Assemblys decision to invite relevant UN bodies and organs, including the PBC, to further advance, explore and consider the recommendations and options in the Secretary-Generals January report.

The PBC has made significant strides as part of efforts to follow up on the April 2016 resolutions on the review of the UNs peacebuilding architecture. During 2017, it became engaged with new country and regional situations, notably The Gambia and the Sahel, after years of having a narrow focus on five or six countries. Its involvement in the volatile Sahel region followed a 20 January 2017 presidential statement that emphasised the importance of the convening role of the PBC and asked it to assist the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) in implementing the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS). Meanwhile, the PBC sought to maintain international attention and support for The Gambia following the crisis in December 2016-January 2017 that led to President Yahya Jammehs ceding power to a newly elected government. The PBC further diversified the countries under consideration, which have been Africa-focused, by holding meetings on the Solomon Islands, Colombia and Sri Lanka. It also met for the first time on the Great Lakes region as part of its efforts to promote integrated regional peacebuilding approaches.

Historically, there has been an overlap between the Council and the PBC in terms of their engagement with several African countries. The PBC was active during 2017 in supporting Liberias transition in advance of the closure of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in March of this year. The PBCs Liberia country configuration, in particular, committed itself to addressing funding and expertise gaps facing the UN Country Team for carrying forward a peacebuilding plan for Liberia, which the Council had endorsed. Ambassador Olof Skoog (Sweden), the chair of the configuration, participated in a series of events in Liberia from 21 to 25 March for the closure of UNMIL and met with the new government and others to consider future PBC support.

The Burundi configuration has continued to draw attention to socio-economic challenges; Ambassador Jurg Lauber (Switzerland), chair of the configuration, visited the country from 27 to 30 March. The PBC held a high-level meeting on the Central African Republic, another of its country configurations, on 24 April. Its Sierra Leone configuration actively supported and monitored Sierra Leones presidential, legislative and local elections held in March, while the Guinea-Bissau configuration has similarly focused on supporting upcoming legislative elections in November amidst that countrys political crisis.

During 2017, the PBC also made changes to its working methods. Efforts continued to invigorate the primacy of the PBCs Organizational Committee, on which all 31 members of the PBC are represented, and to move away from a reliance on country configurations, where, historically, most of the PBCs work had been focused. The Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO) also began to brief the PBC regularly during meetings about projects of the Peacebuilding Fund. Among other developments, the PBC continued working to enhance its partnerships with regional and subregional organisations and international financial institutions, notably the AU and the World Bank.

The PBC has sought to build on this work in 2018. Jinga attended the sixth meeting of the Ministerial Coordination Platform for Sahel Strategies in NDjamena on 15 March. A high-level meeting on The Gambia on 23 April, which Gambian President Adama Barrow attended, considered the governments peacebuilding and sustainable development priorities and sought to raise awareness for a 22 May donor conference on The Gambia.

Key Issues and Options

A key issue in the Council-PBC relationship continues to be improving the specific, strategic and targeted advice that the PBC provides the Council, as stipulated in the resolutions on the UNs peacebuilding architecture. The PBCs convening roleits ability to bring together diverse actors, including the UN system, regional organisations, international financial institutions and civil societygives it a widely recognised advantage compared to the Council. More broadly, the need for the PBC to deliver tangible benefits for countries, such as helping fill resource and capacity gaps of countries, remains important in improving its perceived relevance. In this regard, Liberia has been seen as an important test for the PBC.

One option is for the Council to summarise in a note or letter the main ideas raised during the informal interactive dialogue, the focus of which at press time had not yet been proposed. Last years informal interactive dialogue on the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin was the first time a specific country or regional situation was considered, unlike previous thematic discussions focused on the Council-PBC relationship.

Council Dynamics

Following years of scepticism, including from the P5, about its added value, the past 18 months have seen greater Council openness towards working with the PBC, especially in transitions and the drawdown of peace operations. Some doubts remain about the concrete benefits that the PBC can deliver to the Council or countries that it seeks to support, a view strongly held by Russia. Elected members also continue to take the lead in referencing the PBC in Council resolutions and presidential statements, with Sweden and Peru playing this role among current members. Overall there has been satisfaction among Council and PBC members with many of the changes in the PBC, which are seen as having made its activities more relevant and promising.

UN DOCUMENTS ON PEACEBUILDINGTHE SECURITY COUNCIL

Security Council Elections 2018

The 72nd session of the UN General Assembly is expected to hold elections on 8 June for five non-permanent members of the Security Council for the term 2019-2020. (For more detailed information please see our 21 May Research Report: Security Council Elections 2018.)

Background

The five seats available for election in 2018 according to the regular distribution among regions will be as follows:

one seat for the African Group (currently held by Ethiopia);

one seat for the Group of Asia and the Pacific Small Island Developing States (the Asia-Pacific Group, currently held by Kazakhstan);

one seat for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC, currently held by Bolivia); and

two seats for the Western Europe and Others Group (WEOG, currently held by the Netherlands and Sweden).

The East European Group is not contesting any seat this year as its seat, held by Poland through 2019, comes up for election every other year.

Six member statesBelgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, the Maldives and South Africaare running for the five available seats. Indonesia and the Maldives are contesting the Asia-Pacific Group seat, while the other four candidates will run unopposed.

Among the current six candidates, four have previous Council experience. Belgium and Germany have served five times, Indonesia three times, and South Africa twice. The Dominican Republic and the Maldives have never served on the Council.

Voting Procedures

A country must obtain the votes of two-thirds of the member states present and voting at the General Assembly session in order to secure a seat on the Council, regardless of whether the election is contested. This means that a minimum of 129 positive votes are required to win a seat if all 193 UN member states are present and voting.

Election to the Council, as with other principal organs of the UN, requires formal balloting even if candidates have been endorsed by their regional group and are running unopposed. In theory, it is possible, although unlikely, that a member state running unopposed might not garner the requisite votes in the General Assembly in the first round. Such a country could then be challenged in subsequent rounds by a new candidate and ultimately not obtain a seat.

Historically, there have been several instances in which extended rounds of voting were required to fill a contested seat. This was more common before the Councils enlargement from 11 to 15 members starting in 1966 and resulted in a number of agreements to split terms. Despite the enlargement, extended voting has still occurred, although such situations have usually been solved by the withdrawal of one of the contenders or the election of a compromise candidate, rather than by agreeing on a split term. The sole exception to this practice since 1966 was the 2016 agreement between Italy and the Netherlands to split the 2017-2018 term.

Potential Council Dynamics in 2018

This will be the third Council election since the timing was brought forward from October to June. As a result, the incoming members enjoy a longer preparatory period, including three months of participation as observers in Council consultations of the whole, Council subsidiary bodies, and some informal Council meetings.

Some of the candidates appear to have a strong national interest in particular regional issues and county-specific situations on the Councils agenda. South Africa can be expected to emphasise African issues, which make up a significant portion of the Councils workload. In its previous two terms on the Council, in 2007-2008 and 2011-2012, South Africa advocated closer cooperation between the UN Security Council and the AU Peace and Security Council, on the basis that this would enhance the effectiveness of the UN Security Council in addressing challenges to peace and security in Africa.

The Dominican Republic is also likely to take a keen interest in its own region, in particular the situation in Haiti, given its proximity. With the possibility that the UN Mission for Justice Support in Haiti may draw down or even close in the coming years, it is likely that the Dominican Republic will seek to influence this process so as to promote stability.

Germany has expressed interest in engaging closely on several issues on the Councils agenda. High on its list of priorities are the Syrian conflict, Libya, Yemen, and what it has described as the migration crisis. Given its engagement in the Normandy format (along with France, Russia and Ukraine) which played an instrumental role in negotiating the Minsk agreement in February 2015, Germany could be expected to play a role in the Councils discussions on Ukraine as well.

On thematic issues, this years candidates seem to have a shared interest in thematic issues concerning the protection of civilians, including children in armed conflict; women, peace and security; and youth, peace and security.

The conflict prevention and sustaining peace agenda is another common priority among this years candidates, which is also in line with the Secretary-Generals renewed emphasis on these issues. Several candidates, most notably Germany and Indonesia, have played an active role in the Peacebuilding Commission and could be expected to further advance this work if elected to the Council.

The role of the Council in designing and overseeing the mandates of peacekeeping operations is likely to be an important issue for several of the candidates, as most of them contribute personnel to UN peace missions. It is likely that these member states will continue to build upon ongoing efforts by the Council and the Secretariat to conduct strategic assessments of peacekeeping operations with the aim of increasing their effectiveness and efficiency. As troop- and police-contributing countries, Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia and South Africa, if elected, are likely to be interested in fine-tuning the Councils approach to mandating and will encourage constructive engagement with other troop- and police-contributors regarding the mandates of peace operations.

Over the past several years, a growing number of the Councils elected members have emphasised the interlinkages between development and international peace and security. This trend is likely to continue next year since several candidates have stressed the importance of this issue and have supported the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Similarly, the Council has increasingly acknowledged climate change as a root cause of conflict in several areas on the Councils agenda. Belgium, the Dominican Republic, Germany and the Maldives have all stressed that the Council must address climate change and security, and will likely advocate for this if elected. Some members, however, are resistant to integrating this issue into the Councils work.

There appears to be a strong desire among most candidates to enhance the transparency and inclusiveness of the Councils work. This has been a prominent trend in candidates campaigns during recent election cycles. Although there have been some positive developments regarding the working methods of the Council, most elected members have continued to draw attention to aspects of the Councils work that need further improvement. These include inadequate time to negotiate Council outcomes and the limited interactivity of Council meetings. In their campaigns, most members have pledged to listen to stakeholders not on the Council and to take their perspectives into account.AFRICA

South Sudan

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council is expecting a briefing, followed by consultations, on the Secretary-Generals 90-day report on the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), together with his monthly report on violations of the Status of Forces Agreement or obstructions to UNMISS, as requested in resolution 2406.

The mandate of UNMISS expires on 15 March 2019.

Key Recent Developments

The situation in South Sudan remains a cause for grave concern. The country is on the brink of famine, and the humanitarian crisis continues to intensify amidst widespread insecurity and violence despite the signing of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (CoHA) on 21 December 2017. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, who visited South Sudan from 15 to 16 May, said in a statement that ordinary people are suffering on an unimaginable scale, with aid agencies subject to harassment, extortion, looting, kidnappings, killings, predatory fees and levies and other blockages across the countryperpetrated by all parties to the conflict. Seven million peoplemore than half of the countrys populationwill need humanitarian assistance in 2018.

In May, intense fighting took place in the Unity region between government and opposition forces. Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict Pramila Patten, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict Virginia Gamba, and Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide Adama Dieng strongly condemned this escalation of violence in a joint statement on 11 May. Preliminary investigations by the UN have uncovered alarming patterns of serious human rights violations and abuses including killings, pillaging, abductions, rape and gang-rape committed by both parties during the fighting, leading to forced displacement of the population, violations which could constitute atrocity crimes, the joint statement said. Up to 150 UNMISS peacekeepers were rapidly redeployed to the Unity region to boost the missions efforts to protect civilians being deliberately targeted by warring parties, according to a 17 May UNMISS press release.

The third round of the South Sudan High-Level Revitalization Forum (HLRF), first convened in December 2017 by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, took place from 17 to 23 May. This followed two postponements since the second round of the Forum, which took place from 5 to 16 February, to allow for shuttle diplomacy efforts and consultations by IGAD in an attempt to bring the parties closer together. The third round continued discussions, begun in February on governance and security arrangements, but ended with the parties unable to agree on a power-sharing proposal put forward by IGAD. The parties did sign an addendum to the CoHA, requiring the full operationalisation of the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangements Monitoring Mechanism, the body mandated to monitor violations of the CoHA. At press time, next steps in the process had not yet been announced by IGAD.

On 18 May, the US announced that it would initiate a comprehensive review of its assistance programs to South Sudan, including support for the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) and other mechanisms intended to support the 2015 peace agreement, saying that the US will not continue in a partnership with leaders who are only interested in perpetuating an endless war. On 14 May, the chairperson of JMEC, Festus Mogae, called on IGAD to make good its promise to hold spoilers accountable. On 22 May, the chairperson of the IGAD Council of Ministers released a statement saying that it had received reports of repeated and serious violations of the CoHA, which calls for urgent and appropriate action against the perpetrators and announcing the decision to convene and extraordinary session of the IGAD Council of Ministers to consider the punitive measures that should be taken against violators of the CoHA. At press time, the extraordinary session had not yet taken place.

The Council was last briefed on South Sudan on 8 May by Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix; IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan Ismail Wais (via video teleconference); and a civil society representative based in Juba, Jackline Nasiwa (also via video teleconference). Ambassador Joanna Wronecka of Poland, chair of the South Sudan Sanctions Committee, briefed on the committees work. Lacroix said that there are no signs of meaningful implementation of the CoHA and reiterated that there must be a tangible cost for the continuation of violence. Ambassador Wronecka announced that the committee would hold its first open briefing on 31 May with regional and interested member states to hear views concerning the Panel of Experts final report and the overall implementation of sanctions measures concerning South Sudan. She also said that she intends to visit South Sudan in mid-June.

At press time, the Council was expected to adopt a resolution renewing the South Sudan sanctions regime and the mandate of the South Sudan Sanctions Committees Panel of Experts for one year, ahead of their expiration on 31 May. (For more details, see our Whats In Blue story of 30 May.)

Key Issues and Options

An immediate issue for the Council is what consequences it should impose on violators of the CoHA and others who undermine the peace process led by IGAD. In an effort to reduce the level of violence and exert leverage on the parties, Council members could seek to impose an arms embargo and further targeted sanctions.

Another issue is how the Council can receive detailed and more regular updates on the human rights situation in South Sudan. An option in this context would be to invite the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide an update on the human rights situation.

Council Dynamics

Council members share a concern over the continuation of violence and violations of the CoHA and have been following closely the latest round of the HLRF and IGADs efforts to revitalise the peace process. However, differences still exist over potential action the Council could take to impose consequences on those who undermine the peace process, in particular an arms embargo or further targeted sanctions, given the long-standing divide in the Council on this issue. The resolution extending UNMISSs mandate for one year, unanimously adopted on 15 March, expressed the Councils intention to consider all measures, including an arms embargo, as appropriate, to deprive the parties of the means to continue fighting and to prevent violations of the CoHA. Further Council consideration of these measures will likely be influenced by the outcome of the extraordinary session of the IGAD Council of Ministers; the assessment of the chair of the Committee on South Sudan Sanctions following her visit to the country; the actions and level of commitment of the parties directly following the most recent round of the HLRF; and any next steps in the process announced by IGAD. Assessments as to whether the threat of an arms embargo is sufficient in the present context will also be taken into consideration.

The US is the penholder on South Sudan. Poland chairs the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee.

UN Documents on South SudanStatus Update since our May Forecast

Children and Armed Conflict

On 4 May, the Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict adopted its conclusions (S/AC.51/2018/1) on the report on children and armed conflict in Mali (S/2018/136). The Secretary-Generals report on Children and Armed Conflict in Mali was presented to the Working Group on 12 March. On 7 May, Council members held an Arria-formula meeting on Ending and Preventing Grave Violations against Children through Action Plans: Best Practices from African States. The meeting was organised by Poland in partnership with Cote dIvoire, France and Sweden.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

On 8 May, the Security Council held its semi-annual debate on BiH (S/PV.8248). High Representative for BiH Valentin Inzko presented his offices latest report (S/2018/416). With general elections scheduled for 7 October, and in light of an increase in divisive nationalist rhetoric, the international community must remain united and coordinate its efforts to ensure a stable and prosperous country, Inzko said.

Peacekeeping

On 9 May, the Council was briefed on aspects of UN peacekeeping by three heads of military components of UN peace operations: Lieutenant General Leonard Ngondi, Force Commander of UNAMID in Darfur; Major General Jean-Paul Deconinck, Force Commander of MINUSMA in Mali; and Lieutenant General Frank Mushyo Kamanzi, Force Commander of UNMISS in South Sudan (S/PV.8251). Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix briefed the Council as well. On 14 May, the Council adopted a presidential statement (S/PRST/2018/10) on peacekeeping operations (S/PV.8253). The statement, which was drafted by the Netherlands, builds on the themes raised in the 28 March open debate on Collective Action to Improve UN Peacekeeping Operations, held during the Dutch presidency of the Council.

Burundi

On 10 May, Special Envoy Michel Kafando briefed Council members on Burundi via video teleconference under any other business. On 24 May, Kafando and Ambassador Jurg Lauber (Switzerland), the chair of the Burundi Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission, briefed the Security Council on Burundi (S/PV.8268). The briefing was followed by consultations, where an OHCHR representative was present to answer questions.

Council Visiting Mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar

On 14 May, the Council was briefed by Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi (Kuwait), Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez (Peru), and Ambassador Karen Pierce (UK), the three co-leads on the Councils visiting mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar from 28 April to 1 May (S/PV.8255). Following the briefing, Council members met in consultations, during which High Commissioner for Refugees Filipo Grandi briefed by video teleconference.

Kosovo

On 14 May, Special Representative and head of UNMIK Zahir Tanin briefed the Council (S/PV.8254) on the latest Secretary-Generals report (S/2018/407). Tanin noted that there have been some positive developments, including the new border demarcation agreement with Montenegro and recent talks in Brussels. He also said that the negative rhetoric between the parties has continued, however. Tanin called on parties to move forward towards common priorities and shared goals instead of mourning the past. In their statements, four Council members that are also EU members (the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, and the UK) noted that they believe that the situation in Kosovo allows for a substantial reduction of the current reporting cycle and that there is a need for a strategic review of the mission.

Somalia

On 15 May, the Council adopted resolution 2415, extending the mandate of AMISOM until 31 July (S/PV.8257). On the same day, Special Representative and head of UNSOM Michael Keating briefed the Council on the latest report of the Secretary-General on Somalia (S/2018/411). The head of AMISOM, Francisco Madeira, also briefed (S/PV.8259).

Sudan/South Sudan

On 15 May, the Council unanimously adopted resolution 2416, which renewed the mandate of UNISFA until 15 November and reduced the authorised troop ceiling of the mission from 4,791 to 4,500 (S/PV.8258).

Middle East (Israel/Palestine)

On 15 May, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov briefed the Council via video teleconference in a meeting requested by Kuwait, focusing on developments in Gaza, where over 60 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces the day before (S/PV.8256). On 23 May, Mladenov provided the scheduled monthly briefing on Israel/Palestine via video teleconference (S/PV.8265). He described plans for addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Consultations followed the briefing. On 30 May, at the request of the US, Mladenov briefed the Council on rocket and mortar fire by militants from Gaza into Israel on 29 May, to which Israel had responded by firing rockets on militant sites in Gaza (S/PV.8272). At press time, a draft resolution was being negotiated focused on protecting Palestinian civilians.

Guinea-Bissau

On 16 May, the Council held a briefing on Guinea-Bissau (S/PV.8261). Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Taye-Brook Zerihoun covered recent progress in resolving the political crisis, preparations for the November legislative elections, and steps taken to adjust the work of UNIOGBIS following the new priorities set by the Council to its mandate in February. Executive Director of UNODC Yury Fedotov, briefing via video teleconference from Vienna, described UNODC capacity-building activities in Guinea-Bissau to combat drug, money laundering and maritime crime. Ambassador Mauro Viera (Brazil), chair of the Peacebuilding Commissions Guinea-Bissau configuration, briefed as well. He noted, among other points, his plans to visit the country most likely in July.

Rule of Law

On 17 May, the Council held an open debate on Upholding international law within the context of the maintenance of international peace and security (S/PV.8262). President of Poland Andrzej Duda chaired the open debate. The briefers were Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Chef de Cabinet of the Secretary-General, on behalf of the Secretary-General; Judge Hisashi Owada of the International Court of Justice, on behalf of the president of the court; and Judge Theodor Meron, President of the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals.

Security Council meeting with EU Political and Security Committee

On 18 May, Security Council members held the sixth annual informal meeting with members of the EU Political and Security Committee, which is composed of the Brussels-based ambassadors of EU member states dealing with the EUs common foreign, security and defence policy. The meeting focused on the following issues: peacekeeping in Africa, Syria, Iraq, and cooperation on sanctions.

Counter-Terrorism

On 21 May, the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Daesh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee met with the Monitoring Team to discuss the East Africa regional meeting on intelligence and security held in February. On 24 May, the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee convened to discuss the UN guiding principles for the collection of evidence on the battlefield and in high-risk situations and to discuss the committees visits to South Africa in May 2018 and Paraguay in July 2017. On 29 May, the CTC held an open meeting on countering terrorist narratives and preventing terrorist use of the Internet. On 14 May, Council members issued a press statement condemning the terrorist attacks on Christian churches and a police station in Surabaya, Indonesia, on 13 and 14 May, which resulted in at least 18 people killed and many more injured (SC/13336).

Protection of Civilians

On 22 May, the Council held a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict (S/PV.8264), following the release of the Secretary-Generals report on the issue (S/2018/462) on 14 May. The debate was chaired by Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz of Poland. Briefers included Secretary-General Antonio Guterres; Director-General of the ICRC Yves Daccord; and Hanaa Edwar, an Iraqi human rights activist. On 24 May, the Council adopted resolution 2417 on the link between armed conflict and food insecurity (S/PV.8267). The resolution strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, as well as the unlawful denial of humanitarian access, and urges all parties to protect civilian infrastructure critical to the delivery of aid and to ensure the proper functioning of food systems. The resolution further requests the Secretary-General to report swiftly to the Council when there is a risk of conflict-induced famine and widespread food insecurity in the context of armed conflict, and to brief every 12 months on the resolutions implementation in the context of his annual briefing on the protection of civilians.

G5 Sahel

On 23 May, the Council held a briefing on the joint force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel), or FC-G5S (S/PV.8266). It was briefed by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Bintou Keita, who reiterated the importance of using assessed contributions to support the force as recommended by the Secretary-General in his 8 May report on the joint force (S/2018/432). Permanent Secretary of the G5-Sahel Maman Sidikou, Permanent Observer of the AU to the UN Fatima Kyari Mohammed, and Ambassador of the EU to the UN Joao Pedro Vale de Almeida also briefed. Later that day, Council members issued a press statement welcoming progress implementing resolution 2391 and the continued determination of G5 States to address the impact of terrorism and transnational crime in the Sahel region (SC/13353). The press statement encouraged G5 States to achieve the full operational capacity of the force as soon as possible and insisted on the critical need for generating support through the swift disbursement by donors of all pledges.

Lebanon

On 24 May, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenca briefed Council members in consultations on the implementation of resolution 1559 and the most recent Secretary-Generals report (S/2018/480). The discussions centred on several issues including presence of weapons outside government control and the existence of heavily armed militias and involvement of Hezbollah in the Syrian conflict. Council members also discussed the successful holding of 6 May elections in Lebanon.

Ukraine

On 29 May, the Council held a briefing on the situation in Ukraine chaired by Polish Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz (S/PV.8270). Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin delivered statements at the meeting. The Council was briefed by the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo; Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock; and Ertugrul Apakan, the Chief Monitor of the Organization for Security and Cooperation Special Monitoring Mission via video teleconference. All three briefers voiced their concerns about the recent surge of violence and dire humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine. These issues were also raised by the Council members. In his statement, Blok drew the Councils attention to recent findings by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on the downing of flight MH17. He said that both the Netherlands and Australia hold Russia accountable for the incident, and he called on Russia to accept its responsibility and cooperate in the process to achieve justice for the victims. Russia denied these allegations and said that evidence does not exist to support the findings of the JIT.

Iraq

On 30 May, the Council received a briefing (S/PV.8271) by Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNAMI Jan Kubis on the latest report of the Secretary-General (S/2018/359) and on recent developments in Iraq. According to Kubis, the parliamentary elections held on 12 May were conducted in a mostly peaceful and orderly manner. He added that they were also marked by a significantly decreased voter turnout of 44.5 percent in comparison to the last elections. He also briefed on the eighteenth report of the Secretary-General on the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives (S/2018/353). According to the report, the lack of tangible results in 13 years requires the adoption of new and innovative ways to take the file forward. Additionally, Under-Secretary-General of the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism (UNOCT) Vladimir Voronkov and Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) Michele Coninsx briefed on their joint visit to Iraq in March. They elaborated on their support to the Iraqi government on a more comprehensive approach to countering terrorism and violent extremism, including addressing root causes.AFRICA

Sudan (Darfur)

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council is expected to renew the mandate of the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), ahead of its expiry on 30 June. Prior to the adoption of the resolution, the Council will receive a briefing on UNAMID, followed by consultations. Ambassador Joanna Wronecka (Poland), chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, is expected to provide the quarterly briefing to Council members on the Committees work.The Council also expects to receive the semi-annual briefing of the ICC Prosecutor related to the courts work on Darfur.

Key Recent Developments

The security situation in Darfur remains relatively stable going into the end of the dry season except for sporadic clashes among the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid faction and government forces and nomads in the Jebel Marra area. OCHA estimated that 11,500 people were displaced in Jebel Marra following fighting in April between various armed groups.

The humanitarian situation remains serious. According to revised government figures, some 1.76 million displaced persons in Darfur are registered as living in approximately 66 camps, with around an additional 500,000 unregistered displaced persons. UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock, who visited Sudan from 12 to 14 May, said in a statement that millions of people face serious and growing humanitarian needs in the country and stressed the importance of unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access. Despite the improved security situation, the Darfur peace process and implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur remain largely stalled.

UNAMID continues phase two of its reconfiguration, which started on 31 January in accordance with resolution 2363 and the presidential statement adopted on 31 January. Phase two includes further reductions of UNAMIDs authorised troop and police ceilings from 11,395 to 8,735 military personnel and from 2,888 to 2,500 police personnel; it is scheduled to be completed on 30 June. According to the Secretary-Generals most recent report, the missions reconfiguration is on track, including in relation to the establishment of the State Stabilization Assistance Force, which is responsible for areas outside the jurisdiction of the missions Jebel Marra task force (established under phase one of the reconfiguration and consisting of a civilian and military component), and construction of a temporary operating base in Golo. The report said that the withdrawal of UNAMID from those areas where 11 team sites were closed under phase one had so far shown no overall adverse impact.

On 9 May, UNAMIDs Force Commander, Lieutenant General Leonard Ngondi, briefed the Council as one of three heads of military components of UN peace operations. He recommended that the Council include a transition strategy in UNAMIDs upcoming mandate renewal, with lessons learned from missions in Liberia and Cote dIvoire. He also urged the Council to persuade the government to encourage armed groups to commit to the peace process and to adhere to the provisions of the status of forces agreement, allowing UNAMID freedom of movement.

The presidential statement adopted on 31 January requested a written review report on UNAMID by the Chairperson of the AU Commission and the Secertary-Genreal to consider a new mission concept with adjusted priorities, to be submitted to the Council by 1 June. The review report was not yet available at press time but is expected to include an evaluation of progress in implementing phase two of UNAMIDs reconfiguration, in particular the impact of this phase in the areas where UNAMIDs military component has handed responsibility to UNAMID formed police units; and an update on the situation in the areas from which UNAMID withdrew during phase one, including on protection needs and human rights violations and abuses. In addition to addressing, as requested, whether a new mission concept with adjusted priorities based on the situation on the ground is required, the review is also likely to report on the government of Sudans cooperation with UNAMID, including on the establishment of the temporary operating base in Golo, and on UNAMIDs freedom of movement.

The Council received a briefing on Darfur on 10 May via video teleconference from Joint Special Representative for Darfur and head of UNAMID Jeremiah Mamabolo, who emphasised that as UNAMID continues its reconfiguration and drawdown, the transition phase will be critical in creating the foundation for durable peace. He added that, together with the UN country team, UNAMID has finalised a financing approach for sustaining peace in Darfur, which requires efforts towards the mobilisation of financial resources.

The Council was last briefed on the ICCs work with regard to Darfur by ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on 12 December 2017. She said that unless the five indicted suspects appeared before the Court, the entire judicial machinery of the Court can be frustrated and held in abeyance. Bensouda noted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashirs travels in 2017 to South Africa, Jordan, Uganda, Chad and Russia and requested that the Council take action to respond to ongoing instances of non-compliance or non-cooperation relating to outstanding arrest warrants. Jordan, a state party to the Rome Statute, appealed a decision by the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber that found it had failed to comply with its obligation to arrest Al-Bashir when he visited the country in March 2017. The ICC Appeals Chamber issued an order on 29 March inviting the UN, AU, EU, League of Arab States and the Organization of American States to submit observations on Jordans appeal by 16 July. In March of this year, Al-Bashir travelled to Rwanda, which is not a state party to the Rome Statute.

Human Rights-Related Developments

Following his visit to Sudan from 14 to 23 April, the Human Rights Councils independent expert on Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, expressed concern in a 23 April press statement about reports that security forces were using violence, intimidation and other forms of abuse to silence women across the country. He reiterated his call for the government to take effective measures, including reforming the countrys current legal framework, to address the serious institutional gaps in its security and justice system in order to promote respect for the rule of law and protection of human rights.

Key Issues and Options

The key issue for the Council is what modifications to make to the mandate, force structure and troop levels of UNAMID, to reflect the current realities facing the mission. A related key issue is the completion of phase two of UNAMIDs reconfiguration by 30 June, and the effect of further troop reductions on the security and human rights situations. An option is for such assessments to be informed by the findings and recommendations of the review, which members expect to receive by 1 June. Other options would be to invite the High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide an update on the human rights situation, or to hold an informal interactive dialogue or an Arria-formula meeting with Nononsi.

The Council may also need to tackle how to address the root causes of the conflict and to promote intercommunal reconciliation. An option would be to request Mamabolo to brief on the issue.

Another key issue is to support efforts to break the ongoing impasse in the negotiations between the government and Darfuri rebel movements over implementation of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, adopted in 2011. One option is to invite Thabo Mbeki, chair of the AU High-Level Implementation Panel, to address the Council on his efforts. Mbeki last briefed the Council in an informal interactive dialogue on 12 January 2017. Another option is for the Council to consider imposing additional targeted sanctions on those parties who continue to refuse to participate in the negotiations.

Council Dynamics

There continue to be differences amongst Council members in assessing the improvement in the overall situation in Darfur and the governments cooperation during UNAMIDs reconfiguration, which has so far progressed without major incidents. Some members seem to view more guarded recognition of progress as appropriate. Other members, including Russia, Ethiopia and Kuwait, are generally more positive in their assessment of improvements in the situation in Darfur and steps the government of Sudan has taken to date and would likely support further drawdowns of the mission and the formulation of an exit strategy.

At the 10 May briefing, Equatorial Guinea in its statement expressed support for inviting Mbeki to brief the Council on the political process and for the adoption of targeted sanctions against recalcitrant groups or individuals who are reluctant to participate in negotiations. Cote dIvoire said that the Security Council should do everything in its power to encourage the various parties to adhere to the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur and expressed hope that the recommendations of the UNAMID review will enable Council members to better define the missions priorities in the context of the renewal of its mandate. Bolivia said that the country teams capacities must continue to be strengthened to ensure that the withdrawal of the mission is successful. Kuwait similarly referred to the need for an exit strategy for the mission, calling for a clear transition plan that facilitates a withdrawal of the operation. Kazakhstan said it is essential to reconsider UNAMIDs mandate to reflect the improved situation on the ground, in particular giving priority to UNAMIDs peacebuilding responsibilities.

The UK is the penholder on Darfur; Poland chairs the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee.

UN Documents on DarfurMIDDLE EAST

Syria

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council expects to receive the monthly briefings on political and humanitarian developments in Syria and on the use of chemical weapons.

Key Recent Developments

May was marked by the Syrian governments consolidation of territory. After taking over the rebel-held area of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, the government has persisted in its military offensive and has displaced populations through so-called reconciliation agreements that provide for the evacuation of fighters and civilians to rebel-held territory, such as Idlib and the Aleppo countryside. Subsequent evacuations have taken place in the eastern Qalamoun area, southern Damascus and northern Homs.

Some of the areas targeted by the government were part of the de-escalation zones established by the Astana process. Even though delegations of the government and the opposition participated in a 14-15 May meeting in Astana convened by Iran, Russia and Turkey, violence in strategic locations continued, showing the limitations of these efforts. The situation of abductees, detainees and missing persons was discussed in Astana as a confidence-building measure, and a working group was established to address this issue, with little progress so far. Turkey is planning to hold another meeting of the working group in June.

The political process continues to fail to gain traction. Briefing Council members on 16 May, Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura updated them on his consultations exploring options for a meaningful re-launch of the UN-facilitated political process. He identified several common positions among the different stakeholders, including on the need to de-escalate; forming a constitutional committee under UN auspices; establishing a safe, calm and neutral environment; and respecting Syrias sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. The establishment of a constitutional committee was the main outcome of a January conference hosted in Sochi by Russia, along with Iran and Turkey, but the Syrian government has repeatedly questioned the committees legitimacy. At the Sochi meeting, it was agreed that the UN would help in forming a constitutional committee, including defining its mandate and terms of reference, powers, rules of procedure, and selection criteria for its composition.

In briefings to the Council, de Mistura has repeatedly raised concerns regarding the Syrian governments lack of engagement in the political process and called on those with influence on the parties to exert it in support of a political settlement.

At a 17 May bilateral meeting in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on the success of the government forces in the fight against terrorist groups. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, both leaders noted the need to create additional conditions for the resumption of a full-format political process in Syria.

Tensions between Iran and Israel, which have long been an important factor in the Syrian conflict, escalated in recent weeks. On 8 May, Israel launched an attack on a military position south of Damascus, claiming it was necessary to thwart an impending attack by Iran. On 9 May, Iran attacked Israeli outposts in the occupied Golan Heights. Israel responded the next day by attacking Iranian military installations in Syria, after which Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman claimed that almost all of Irans military infrastructure in Syria had been destroyed.

The humanitarian situation in Syria continues to be critical. The lack of safe, unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access has been an ongoing factor in the conflict. By imposing bureaucratic hurdles and removing crucial items from those convoys that are allowed to proceed, the government has been able to limit humanitarian access to those areas that are not under its control. With the end of the siege of Eastern Ghouta and other areas, the besieged population has decreased sharply, but a 22 May report of the Secretary-General highlights that this has too often [come] only after civilians have been exposed to prolonged periods of violence and deprivation, which [has] included the denial of critical humanitarian assistance. The Secretary-General underlines how access has been limited in areas recently taken over by the government, as well.

The situation of Idlib, which remains under the control of rebel groups, presents major risks. Idlib has been receiving displaced fighters and civilians throughout the conflict and the UN has repeatedly warned of the impact that a military offensive would have in this region, which is overcrowded with vulnerable people.

The humanitarian appeal for Syria continues to be less than 25 percent funded. The Secretary-General is expected to circulate to the Council in June the independent written review requested by resolution 2393. The review, originally proposed by Russia, is expected to focus on UN humanitarian cross-border operations, including recommendations about how to further strengthen the existing UN mechanism monitoring cross-border deliveries.

The Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has been investigating various instances of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria. After conducting a field visit to Douma, it has continued its work to ascertain whether chemicals were used as weapons in the alleged 7 April attack on that town. In a 15 May report, the FFM determined that chlorine, released from cylinders through mechanical impact, was likely used as a chemical weapon on 4 February 2018 in the rebel-held Al Talil neighbourhood of Saraqib. According to the report, at the time of the incident, witnesses reported hearing a helicopter flying above the city and the sound of two barrels falling and striking in close proximity to their location. This report is the second to be received by the Council since the demise of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism in November 2017. The first one concluded that sarin was more than likely used as a chemical weapon on 30 March 2017 in Lataminah. The absence of an attribution mechanism has hampered the possibility of ensuring accountability for these attacks.

On 7 May, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, Izumi Nakamitsu, briefed Council members on the good offices carried out by the Secretary-General and herself to devise an attribution mechanism that would garner the unanimous support of the Council. On 18 May, France convened a ministerial meeting of the International Partnership against Impunity for the Use of Chemical Weapons, which it established in January. The partnership comprises 34 member states, including Council members Cote dIvoire, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland and Sweden in addition to the P3. A special session of the Conference of States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention has been convoked for June in The Hague to work on supporting the Convention and its implementing body, the OPCW, and to explore options for attributing responsibility for chemical weapons attacks.

Human Rights-Related Developments

The special rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, Idriss Jazairy, visited Syria from 13 to 17 May, where he met with government representatives, civil society organisations, and representatives of the business and diplomatic communities in Damascus. In a 17 May press statement he expressed concern with the way sanctions are being implemented, saying it is not allowing humanitarian actors to access the humanitarian exemptions that are an option under the unilateral coercive measures being applied to Syria. The special rapporteur will present a report to the Human Rights Council at its 39th session in September.

Key Issues and Options

The current level of P5 divisions raises the question whether the Council will be able to work constructively on Syria in the foreseeable future. If the paralysis continues, those with even a limited capacity to actwhether elected members, the Secretary-General, or key members of the General Assemblymay seek to take initiatives. The Secretary-General could provide options for the Council to consider, or he could directly mobilise the mechanism for the investigation of alleged use of chemical and biological weapons, which was developed in the 1980s and was activated previously in the Syrian context in March 2013. Given the lack of unanimity among permanent members and the Councils failure to exercise its primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security, members of the General Assembly could consider tabling a Uniting for Peace resolution.

While divided on Syria for more than seven years, the Council has been able to unite around certain aspects during that time, such as setting the agenda for a political process and authorising cross-border deliveries. As the political climate deteriorates, there is a risk of undermining these Council decisions, just as the mandate of the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism was discontinued. Council members could hold informal, unscripted and forward-looking discussions at the ambassadorial level to seek ways to increase pressure on the parties to the conflict and strive for a compromise that is both realistic and acceptable to all.

Council and Wider Dynamics

The alleged 7 April chemical weapons attack in Douma led to one of the Councils most divisive periods in the post-Cold War era. In an effort to address the Councils polarisation, Syria was added to the agenda of the Secretary-Generals retreat with Council members that took place in Backakra, Sweden, on 21-22 April. Although Council members agreed at the retreat on press elements on the political and humanitarian situation and on the use of chemical weapons, it is unclear whether they will be able to engage constructively on this file. P5 members have started to meet regularly on Syria at the ambassadorial level, but substantive divisions persist and the meetings have yet to result in any outcome.

The recent military escalation between Iran and Israel highlights the role of external players in the Syrian conflict. As the government consolidates territory, it is unclear how it will approach the areas that are of strategic importance for external actors, particularly near Syrias borders. The regional dimension of the conflict is thus likely to feature more prominently both on the ground and in Council discussions.

Kuwait and Sweden are the penholders on humanitarian issues in Syria.

UN DOCUMENTS ON SYRIAMIDDLE EAST

UNDOF (Golan Heights)

Expected Council Action

In June, the Council is expected to extend for six months the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which expires on 30 June. A representative of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations is expected to brief Council members in consultations on the most recent UNDOF report. UNDOF was established in 1974 to monitor the ceasefire between Israel and Syria.

Key Recent Developments

Between 9 and 10 May, Israel carried out dozens of strikes against presumed Iranian and Syrian government military targets across southern Syria, claiming it was responding to Iranian forces firing rockets from Syrian territory at Israeli military targets in the Syrian Golan. According to UNDOF, 12 rounds were fired by an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) main battle tank, striking close to an UNDOF observation post on the Bravo (Syrian) side. Three other missiles struck observation post 71. UNDOF was unable to determine the origin of the missiles. In the same area, about 20 surface-to-surface missiles, 30 air-to-surface missiles, and 100 anti-aircraft gun rounds were fired. One surface-to-air missile fired from an IDF position intercepted a missile from the Bravo side. Two missiles impacted near Jabhata al Khashab, and three heavy explosions occurred near Al Baath. Seven high explosive rounds originated from the general area of Al Qunaytirah. UNDOF was unable to determine the point of impact. During the 10 May events, UNDOF was in contact with both parties urging them to respect the Disengagement of Forces Agreement of 1974. Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura reported to the Council on this escalation of incidents during his monthly briefing on political developments in Syria on 16 May, describing the regional tensions as unprecedented since 1973.

The Secretary-Generals 20 March report, covering the period from 25 November 2017 to 23 February, noted that during the reporting period the ceasefire between Israel and Syria was maintained, albeit in a volatile environment attributable to the ongoing conflict in Syria and notwithstanding a number of violations of the Disengagement of Forces Agreement of 1974. One incident of particular concern occurred on 10 February when the IDF informed UNDOF that it had intercepted an Iranian unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Syria and had taken defensive action against the unmanned aerial vehicle and Syrian targets. The IDF also reported that one of its F-16 fighter jets had been shot down, crash-landing on Israeli territory and injuring two Israeli pilots. Syria informed UNDOF on 10 February of air strikes by Israeli aircraft in Homs and east of Damascus. On the same day, UNDOF observed that three rockets had been launched from the vicinity of Harrah on the Bravo side, about 10 kilometres from UN observation post 54, had flown over observation posts 53 and 54, and had subsequently crossed the ceasefire line. UNDOF was not in a position to determine the exact point of impact.

According to the report, Syrian armed forces and non-state armed opposition groups engaged in exchanges of heavy weapons fire in the area of separation and the area of limitation on the Bravo side, while various armed groups, including Jabhat Fath al-Sham, which is listed as a terrorist group by the Security Council, and Jaysh Khalid ibn al-Walid, which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant, continued to exchange fire in the UNDOF area of operation.

During the reporting period, UNDOF made progress towards the limited return to Bravo-side operations in line with the phased UNDOF plan. Following the completion of phase one of the plan, with the re-establishment of the UNDOF presence at Camp Faouar on 14 November 2016, UNDOF continued to develop the infrastructure at the camp and steadily improved the living conditions there. Phase two will involve the resumption over a period of six to eight months of limited patrolling of the northern part of the area of separation by the Nepalese mechanised infantry company from Camp Faouar. In line with the plan, the mechanised infantry company commenced limited protected patrolling on 8 February from Camp Faouar to Jaba, Khan Arnabah, Mount Hermon and Yafur. The limited patrolling was suspended on 10 February because of the security situation and resumed on 14 February. The return of the UNDOF temporary headquarters from Yafur, Damascus, and of the Force Reserve Company from Camp Ziouani to Camp Faouar is foreseen during phase three.

Human Rights-Related Developments

During its 37th session, the Human Rights Council (HRC) voted 25 to 14 (with 7 abstentions) on 23 March to adopt resolution 37/33. The resolution expresses grave concern about Israeli practices in the occupied Syrian Golan, which it details, and requests the Secretary-General to bring the resolution to the attention of all governments, competent UN organs, and intergovernmental and humanitarian organisations. It also requests the Secretary-General to report on the matter at the HRCs 40th session in March 2019. Security Council and HRC members the UK and the US voted against the resolution.

Key Issues and Options

Considering the recently worsened security situation in the Golan, the full return of UNDOF to the Syrian side seems even less likely in the foreseeable future. This is a significant issue in as much as it constrains the missions ability to carry out its monitoring tasks. At press time, it was unclear whether the escalation of fighting might result in long-term effects on UNDOFs ability to implement its mandate. The Secretary-General is expected to make his usual recommendation for a six-month extension of the mandate in his upcoming report.

An ongoing issue for the Council is the violation of the ceasefire on numerous occasions, including the presence of Syrian heavy weapons in the area of separation monitored by UNDOF and Syrian and Israeli airstrikes. No military forces other than those of UNDOF are allowed in the area of separation.

The Council is, however, rather limited in its options for UNDOF. It was established as a Syria-based mission, and how it operates is subject to the 1974 disengagement agreement that ended the Yom Kippur war. Any changes in the mandate would require agreement by Israel and Syria, which is unlikely.

Council and Wider Dynamics

There is general agreement within the Council that UNDOF contributes to stability in the region, given the absence of a peace agreement between Israel and Syria. The missions observation role has been limited since its September 2014 relocation to the Alpha side of the ceasefire line. However, the missions liaison function continues to be regarded as important in avoiding further negative developments in the region.

Israel and Syria value UNDOFs presence and want to see the mission return to the Bravo side. However, the security situation on the Syrian side is still not conducive to full redeployment of UNDOF troops. Council members continue to support the eventual complete return of UNDOF to the Bravo side but are mindful that this would require a favourable security environment, which is crucial for maintaining the confidence of troop-contributing countries.

Since June 2012, Russia and the US have been the co-penholders on resolutions renewing UNDOF. Despite the deep divisions between the co-penholders regarding the Syria file, both countries are expected to continue to consider UNDOF as a separate issue and not to politicise it.

UN DOCUMENTS ON THE GOLAN HEIGHTSUNOCA/LRA

Expected Council Action

In June, Francois Lounceny Fall, Special Representative and head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), is expected to brief the Security Council on the Secretary-Generals semi-annual report on UNOCA and the implementation of the UN regional strategy to combat the Lords Resistance Army (LRA).

The mandate of UNOCA expires on 31 August.

Key Recent Developments

The region covered by UNOCA continues to present multiple challenges, including several security and political hotspots that are independently on the Councils agenda. The most acute current crises are the elections-related political crises in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Burundi and the deteriorating security situation in the Central African Republic (CAR).

The CAR situation is marked by lawlessness, lack of state authority, and fighting among the predominantly Muslim ex-Seleka factions, between the ex-Seleka and the Christian anti-Balaka groups, and between the ex-Seleka and other rebel groups, resulting in attacks against civilians, peacekeepers and humanitarian actors.

In the DRC, armed groups continue to wreak havoc on civilians in eastern DRC, accompanied by intercommunal violence in other regions as well. This has resulted in many casualties and a humanitarian catastrophe. The political situation is marked by preparations for the long-overdue elections scheduled for 23 December 2018 and the uncertainty regarding the intentions and future of President Joseph Kabila, who, according to the constitution, was to have ended his second and last term in December 2016.

The political situation in Burundi is also of concern to the Council. There, President Pierre Nkurunzizas decision to run for a divisive third term threw the country into a political and security crisis in April 2015. The security situation has since stabilised, yet the political situation remains fragile. Human rights violations and political oppression are rampant. Against this backdrop, constitutional amendments were approved in a controversial referendum on 17 May. The amendments change important provisions and safeguards in the constitution, which implemented the 2000 Arusha Accord that ended the ethnic civil war in Burundi in 2005, and potentially allow Nkurunziza to remain in power beyond his current term.

The year 2017 saw a decrease in LRA activities compared with 2016. The LRA, however, remains a serious threat to civilians in the DRC and the CAR, as recent events demonstrate. In the CAR, the LRA has been active in Haute-Kotto prefecture. On 25 March, OCHA reported that the majority of the 6,000 people in the town of Yalinga had reportedly taken refuge in the bush in fear of the LRA. In the DRC, the LRA was responsible for eight attacks in Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele provinces during March.

On 18 May, the AU Peace and Security Council renewed the mandate of the AU Regional Cooperation Initiative for the Elimination of the Lords Resistance Army (RCI-LRA) until 22 August. The main component of the initiative has been the AU Regional Task Force (AU-RTF), comprising forces of the CAR, DRC, South Sudan and Uganda, with US assistance. The US, however, withdrew its special forces and logistical support from the AU-RTF in May 2017. Uganda, which has been the main troop contributor to the AU-RTF, subsequently withdrew its 2,500 troops from the CAR in August 2017. South Sudan also ended its participation. In practical terms, therefore, the AU-RTF is mostly inoperative.

UNOCA also continues to pay close attention to the situation in Cameroon, a country not on the Councils agenda. Since late 2016, there has been unrest in Cameroons anglophone regions, rooted in claims of long-standing political and economic discrimination by the francophone authorities against the minority anglophone population. Widespread protests against the government, numerous clashes with security forces, several protestor deaths, general strikes, arbitrary arrests, and blocking of access to the Internet have occurred. National Day celebrations on 20 May were marred by violence in the anglophone regions, with two policemen killed, several soldiers wounded, and the kidnapping of a mayor by suspected armed separatists.

In light of the expiration of UNOCAs mandate on 31 August, the upcoming report is expected to include recommendations on its renewal. Council members are expecting a recommendation that the office be renewed for another three years.

Key Issues and Options

While UNOCAs mandate is renewed through an exchange of letters with the Secretary-General, the Council may take the opportunity of the June briefing to adopt a presidential statement or issue a press statement supporting the work of UNOCA and expressing its support for its renewal.

A central issue is the deteriorating security situations in the CAR and eastern DRC. The political crises in the DRC and Burundi, and their potential regional implications, will continue to concern the Council. The Council could express its support for the political role UNOCA may play with respect to assisting the efforts of other actors on these issues.

Another concern for the Council is how to continue to track LRA activities in the vacuum left by the withdrawal of the main troop contributors to the AU-RTF. The Council may call on member states to consider support for anti-LRA efforts and to remain focused on the issue until the threat from the LRA is eliminated.

Council Dynamics

Council members are largely in agreement on LRA-related issues. Council members have also been supportive of UNOCAs continued shift to focus its efforts on the region as a whole, rather than on the LRA as its main objective. At this point, it seems there is no appetite to add to the Councils agenda new country-specific situations from the region.

Some members are concerned about the security vacuum that has resulted from Ugandas departure from the AU-RTF and the withdrawal of US troops supporting the effort. In light of other security and political problems in the region, however, the Council is not likely to focus on exclusively LRA-related action at this point.

The UK is the penholder on this issue.

UN DOCUMENTS ON UNOCAASIA

UNRCCA (Central Asia)

Expected Council Action

In June, the Special Representative and head of the UN Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia (UNRCCA), Natalia Gherman, will brief Council members in consultations.

Key Recent Developments

UNRCCA and the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre within the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism launched the third phase of the Joint Plan of Action for Central Asia (JPoA) on 30 April, implementing the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in Central Asia.

In addition to organising workshops in line with its mandate, Gherman undertook bilateral visits and attended conferences, including one on Afghanistan entitled Peace Process, Security Cooperation and Regional Connectivity on 26 to 27 March, initiated by Uzbekistan together with Afghanistan.

Issues and Options

A key issue for the Council is what more the Council could do to support UNRCCAs work. An option for the Council would be to hear Ghermans briefing in an open meeting, followed by closed consultations. That format would allow Council members to publicly express support for the work of UNRCCA and to raise awareness of its activities.

Council Dynamics

Council members are broadly supportive of the UNRCCA. Until early 2015, Council members used to issue a press statement following a briefing in consultations by the head of UNRCCA, encouraging increased cooperation and coordination among the Central Asian countries, UNRCCA, and relevant regional organizations. In September 2015, Russia, the penholder on the UNRCCA, sought to add specific references to the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), as well as the OSCE and the EU. The P3 opposed these additions, seeing the CIS, the CSTO and the SCO as vehicles for enhancing Russian influence. No press statements could be agreed upon for more than two years. Kazakhstan sought to overcome those differences as a member of the Council and in February 2017 Council members agreed on press elements. In January, the Council found consensus on a press statement, referring to relevant regional organizations without naming them. It appears that this was acceptable to Russia with the addition of including those organizations of which the Central Asian States are members.

During its presidency in January, Kazakhstan held an open debate entitled Building regional partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia as a model to link security and development with Gherman being present in the Chamber. A presidential statement was adopted.

UN DOCUMENTS ON UNRCCA (CENTRAL ASIA)MIDDLE EAST

Yemen

Expected Council Action

In June, the Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, is expected to brief the Security Council on Yemen.

Key Recent Developments

The war in Yemen between Houthi rebels and the Yemeni government, supported by the Saudi Arabia-led coalition, entered its fourth year in March as fighting intensified. Some momentum towards resuming peace talks has been provided by the appointment of the Secretary-Generals new Yemen envoy. On 17 April, Griffiths delivered his first briefing to the Council following travels to Riyadh, Sanaa, Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). His visit to Sanaa was the first time in over a year that the UN envoy had met with the Houthis, who had banned Griffiths predecessor, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, from Sanaa.

During the briefing, Griffiths stated his intention to present within the next two months a framework for negotiations, noting that the outlines of a political solution remain an end to fighting, the withdrawal of forces and the handover of heavy weapons in key locations, and an agreement on the establishment of an inclusive government. Despite having what he described as encouraging meetings during his visit to the region, he warned that an escalation in fighting and the renewed prospect of a military offensive against the port city of Hodeidah could derail political efforts.

On 15 May, the Office of the Special Envoy said in a press release that the Special Envoy was making good progress towards the production of a framework for negotiations, which he planned to put to the Council in the first half of June.

Amidst the escalation in fighting, the Houthis announced on 23 April the death of Saleh Ali al-Sammad, president of the Houthis Supreme Political Council, who was killed in a coalition drone strike near Hodeidah. Al-Sammads death has been viewed as a serious setback for peace talks, as he was considered an advocate for negotiations and had been scheduled to meet with Griffiths in late April. The coalition bombed Sanaa heavily on the day before and the day of al-Sammads funeral, which was held in the Yemeni capital on 28 April. The Houthis said that they fired eight ballistic missiles at Saudi Arabia in retaliation later that day. Saudi Arabia claimed to intercept four missiles, with fragments killing one civilian.

April and May saw increasingly frequent Houthi missile and rocket attacks on Saudi Arabia. Saudi Aramco facilities in Jizan were repeatedly targeted, including in one case with a drone, on 4, 11 and 23 April. A Houthi missile slightly damaged a Saudi oil tanker on 3 April near Hodeidah in an attack conducted one day after an airstrike reportedly killed 12 civilians in the port city. In a 23 April statement, the Secretary-General strongly condemned airstrikes on a wedding party in Hajjah and on civilian vehicles in Taizz that killed at least 50 civilians. On 9 May, the Secretary-General expressed deep concern in another statement about the escalation in the Yemen conflict, singling out the 7 May air strikes that hit a government building in a densely populated area of Sanaa and the launching of ballistic missiles by the Houthis on 6 and 9 May towards different targets in Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh.

Yemens humanitarian crisis due to the war remains the worlds largest. More than 22 million people require humanitarian assistance, and 8.4 million are severely food insecure. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock, speaking during the 17 April Council meeting, again expressed concern over access restrictions for humanitarian and commercial supplies into and inside Yemen. Lowcock flagged the need for commercial shipping to have access to Hodeidah and Saleef ports, highlighting the importance of commercial imports for Yemen, which imported 90 percent of its food and nearly all its medicine and fuel prior to the war.

The UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM), which provides clearance for commercial shipping to Houthi-controlled territory, reported that in April food imports through the two ports declined by 22 percent and fuel imports by 12 percent from March import levels. No containerised cargo was imported for the fifth consecutive month. Only half as many vessels (19) have been berthing at Hodeidah and Saleef on average per month, compared to an average of 35 prior to the November 2017 blockade imposed by the coalition. Overall, UNVIM reported that food imports in April were only half of Yemens monthly requirements, while fuel imports were 27 percent of monthly needs.

OCHA reported in early May that fighting from an offensive by forces supported by the coalition along the Red Sea coast had displaced 100,000 people from areas south of Hodeidah into southern Yemen over recent months. On 28 May, the coalition announced that these forces had advanced to within 20 kilometres of Hodeidah.

Tensions continued between the Yemeni government and the UAE, focusing recently on Socotra, an island where there have been protests over the Emirati presence. The situation worsened starting in late April when the UAE deployed two tanks, armoured vehicles and at least 100 soldiers without informing the government. Local authorities at the port and airport were ordered to leave. In a letter to the Security Council, the government described the deployments as an unjustified military action. On 14 May, following mediation by Saudi Arabia, Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr announced that the dispute had been resolved, with Saudi troops reportedly replacing some of the Emirati forces. A letter from the UAE to the Council on 21 May noted, with regret, that there had been a misunderstanding with the government, and that its presence on Socotra is strictly to assist the people of Socotra, adding that the situation had been fully resolved.

Human Rights-Related Developments

In a 24 April press briefing, a spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights called for the coalition to investigate fully the most recent deadly attacks against civilians, and said that those found to be responsible should be held accountable with reparations or remedy provided to the victims. In an 11 May press briefing, a spokesperson for the High Commissioner for Human Rights noted that April was the deadliest month for civilians in Yemen so far this year, with at least 236 civilians killed and 238 injured, well over double the civilian casualties documented the previous month. The heavy toll continued during the first week of May, with 63 civilian casualtiessix killed and 57 injureddocumented by the UN Human Rights office in Yemen, the spokesperson said.

Key Issues and Options

Learning about Griffiths strategy to resume peace negotiations and considering how the Council can best support his mediation efforts are key issues. The intensification of fighting and the potential for a coalition offensive against Hodeidah, which the UN warned last year would be catastrophic, remain further key concerns that risk undermining the UN envoys work.

Another important issue is monitoring implementation of the Councils 15 March presidential statement, which focused on the humanitarian situation, including progress towards increasing access, the parties compliance with international humanitarian law, and the protection of civilians from hostilities and also from the humanitarian consequences of the war, such as famine and disease.

A related issue is a new UN plan that is being developed to increase UNVIM inspections while addressing the problem of double inspections of ships by UNVIM and the coalition.

One option is for the Council to adopt a presidential statement expressing support for Griffiths framework for resuming peace negotiations. This could reiterate the message of its 15 March presidential statement that called upon all parties to the conflict to abandon pre-conditions and engage in good faith with the UN-led process, with the meaningful participation of women and other underrepresented groups at all levels. Such a statement could reiterate the Councils call for the full and sustained opening of Hodeidah and Saleef ports.

Council and Wider Dynamics

Most Council members have strategic relations with Saudi Arabia, making them cautious about the positions they take on Yemen. For this reason, members have been reluctant to seek a new resolution on Yemen, despite their recognition of the problems with resolution 2216, which was adopted in April 2015 at the onset of the coalition intervention. Still, there was interest in a resolution to support the new envoy, which it seems Saudi Arabia opposed as it has hitherto objected to any new resolution on Yemen. The idea of a new resolution appears to have been dropped, and in the meantime, Griffiths has found useful the paragraph from the Councils March presidential statement that called for the parties to abandon pre-conditions and to have meaningful participation of underrepresented groups.

Since the end of last year a group of elected memberscurrently Bolivia, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland and Sweden, joined sometimes by Francehave coordinated their positions when they perceive Council products as lacking balance or failing to address sufficiently the humanitarian situation in Yemen. France recently announced that it will co-host with Saudi Arabia a humanitarian conference on Yemen at the end of June. The US has increasingly sought to call out Iranian support of the Houthis. Not all members are in agreement about Irans role and the support it provides. Kuwait, as a member of the coalition, champions the positions of the coalition.

The UK is the penholder on Yemen. Peru chairs the Yemen 2140 Sanctions Committee.

UN DOCUMENTS ON YEMENPress Release

May 31, 2018 STATEMENT OF SEN ANGARA ON THE 3RD READING SENATE APPROVAL OF THE BBL After a long and arduous process of consultation with various stakeholders that took us to the provinces included in this proposal, we are glad that the bill creating the Bangsamoro Basic Law has been approved for final reading in the Senate. We are optimistic that the listening tours and consultations conducted by the Sub-Committee on Local Government with those in favor as well as those against the measure, have positively contributed to strengthening and improving the proposed BBL that will grant self-rule to many areas in Mindanao. Due credit must be given to Sen. Migz Zubiri, the local gov't sub-committee chair, for vigorously pushing for the approval of the bill and successfully steering the plenary debate. Many thanks to our fellow senators who have contributed in the fine-tuning of the bill. And of course how can we forget not to laud the man who made all this possible, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Without him, the passage and enactment of this law would not have been doable. This is the product of collaborative efforts among lawmakers and stakeholders not only from Mindanao, but from all across the country. The BBL is no ordinary bill. The challenge is to make this work so that the long overdue peace and progress that Mindanao and our Muslim brothers and sisters truly deserve can be finally achieved. A new journey begins and we must not fail.Press Release

May 31, 2018 Legarda Vows to Still Pass Supplemental Budget for Dengvaxia Vaccine Senator Loren Legarda, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, has assured the public of the passage of the proposed P 1.16 Billion supplemental budget to fund the health assistance of individuals administered with the Dengvaxia vaccine. The Senator issued the statement after the Senate adjourned its session at midnight without taking up the measure. The Senate Finance Committee filed Committee Report No. 395, after the House of Representatives transmitted House Bill No. 7449, covering the supplemental budget for fiscal year 2018 for this specific purpose. The Committee Report took into consideration the Senate Bills filed by Senators Legarda, Gordon, and Ejercito on the same matter. "I was ready to sponsor the Committee Report last night, and had repeatedly asked my colleagues to allow me to take up the measure, particularly during the short breaks while we were taking up the Bangsamoro Basic Law, but I was told that BBL must be finished first. I respected that and waited," said Legarda. In her remarks in Plenary, Legarda said that "the Committee on Finance is ready. We conducted a hearing. We received the appropriations measure from the Lower House. There was a certification that it's urgent from Malacanang. The Bureau of Treasury has certified the funds are available. I leave it to the Body to decide -- do we want to allocate it now or to make them wait for another two months for the medical assistance to be given?" However, when Proposed Senate Resolution No. 738, expressing the sense of the Senate on the matter of the removal of a Chief Justice, was being debated on after the BBL was passed, the issue of lack of quorum was called. "It was most unfortunate that because there was no more quorum, we had to adjourn," Legarda explained. Following the outbreak of deaths linked to the exposure of victims to the Dengvaxia vaccine, the Department of Health (DOH) issued a demand letter to the manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur for the refund of unused vials of the anti-dengue vaccine, which was subsequently complied with by Sanofi Pasteur on 19 January 2018, paying off P1.16 billion to Philippine Children Medical Center. The refund was then transferred by PCMC to DOH which, in turn, remitted the fund to the Bureau of the Treasury on 26 January 2018. Legarda also pointed out that "the problem also was Congress was being rushed to pass this measure, when the funds have been there all along. Just the same, I guarantee that we will take this up as the first agenda when we resume our session after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July. Congress stands adjourned sine die until July 23, but I assure the public, all the victims and their families that this bill will be immediately approved to provide much-needed aid to the affected families and ensure that the medical assistance program is not yet too late in terms of making sure that we keep our children safe and healthy," Legarda said. The Senate Committee on Finance held a hearing on 28 May 2018 to hear the proposed bills on the supplemental budget to fund assistance such as provision of medical-kits, laboratory tests, hospitalization, and out-patient care services.Press Release

May 31, 2018 Landmark Bangsamoro Basic Law gets Senate nod The Senate approved early morning Thursday on third and final reading its version of the landmark Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). Senate Bill No. 1717 was sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, chair of the Senate Subcommittee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law. "This is our road to a just and dignified peace not only in Mindanao, but in the whole Philippines. No one loses in this final peace agreement. We all win in the signing of this agreement," Zubiri said. Certified as an urgent measure by President Rodrigo Duterte last May 29, the bill was approved on second reading and third and final reading at the end of the gruelling 10- hour session held by the senators on the proposed bill from the Wednesday afternoon, May 30 to the wee hours of May 31. The bill was eventually passed by the Senate with 21 affirmative votes, zero negative vote and no abstention. Along with Zubiri, those who voted for the passage of the proposed peace measure were Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, and Senators Aquilino Pimentel III, Richard Gordon, Panfilo Lacson, Gregorio Honasan II, Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villar, Joel Villanueva, Juan Edgardo Angara, Nancy Binay, Joseph Victor Ejercito, Francis Escudero, Sherwin Gatchalian, Grace Poe, Francis Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes IV. The bill was co-authored by Senators Leila de Lima, Pimentel, Hontiveros, Aquino, Angara, Legarda, and Pangilinan, with Angara, Aquino and Hontiveros serving as the bill's co-sponsors. According to Zubiri, the Senate version of the BBL gives great latitude to the Bangsamoro people "to assert their political and economic self-determination and pursue development programs for their people according to their peculiar historical, cultural, religious and national identities." "With the new features in the Senate version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, we would have improved governance and accountability, increased developmental funding and strengthened fiscal autonomy, institutionalized the Bangsamoro justice system, and many others," he said. Many amendments were introduced by the senators to the Senate version of the BBL, which was prepared by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission. Zubiri said the amendments were made "to craft not just better language, but to even enhance it." "Coming from all failed attempts of past administrations to build lasting peace in Mindanao, I am very hopeful we can have a BBL that satisfies the concerns of Muslim Mindanao and most of all our Constitution," Zubiri said. A clean copy of the SBN 1717 inclusive of the numerous amendments introduced by senators is set to be released soon. According to Zubiri, the bicameral conference committee, which would tackle the disagreeing provisions between the Senate and House versions of the BBL, would be likely held in July. The Senate panel which would take part in the bicameral deliberations include Zubiri, Pimentel, Drilon, Angara, Gatchalian, Villanueva, Escudero, Hontiveros and Legarda. Congressional leaders have earlier said that the BBL is expected to be signed into law by President Duterte in time for his 3rd State of the Nation Address in July 23, 2018.Restaurant Brands New Zealand lifted first-quarter sales 12 percent after the fast-food operator acquired a further 13 KFC stores in Australia.

The Auckland-based company said sales increased to $180 million in the 12 weeks ended May 21, from $161.2 million in the equivalent period a year earlier. New Zealand operations lifted sales 2.8 percent to $97.4 million, while Australian sales surged 44 percent to $42.8 million and Hawaiian sales rose 8.4 percent to $39.8 million.

On a same-store basis, total sales rose a more modest 2.9 percent. The company's shares slipped 1.9 percent to $7.72 in early trading today, having gained 7.8 percent so far this year.

New Zealand's largest fast-food operator is expanding into new overseas markets to drive future earnings growth. The company operates the KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks Coffee and Carl's Jr brands in New Zealand and has expanded its business to KFC in Australia and Taco Bell and Pizza Hut in Hawaii, with almost half its sales generated overseas last year. It had a total of 309 stores at the end of the quarter, boosted by the acquisition of a further 13 KFC stores in Australia.

In New Zealand, its largest market, total store numbers across its brands reduced by two to 167 from the year-earlier period.

It added two KFC stores taking the total to 94 with sales up 5.8 percent to $75 million, but in its local Pizza Hut business, sales slipped 5.4 percent to $9.2 million as store numbers reduced by one to 33. It sold three stores to independent franchisees during the quarter, taking the total number of independent stores to 65. Total network sales across the 98 stores advanced 1.2 percent to $23.4 million.

Meanwhile, Starbucks Coffee sales slipped 6.1 percent to $5.7 million as store numbers dropped by two to 22, while the 19 Carl's Jr sales fell 6.9 percent to $7.5 million as store numbers fell by one to 18.

In Australia, first-quarter sales jumped 44 percent to $42.8 million as total store numbers increased by 14 to 61 following the acquisition of 13 stores and one new store opening.

Its Hawaiian-based business increased sales by 8.4 percent to $39.8 million, helped by an extra week's trading. The Taco Bell chain lifted sales 8 percent to $22.6 million as store numbers reduced by one to 36 due to a lease expiry. The 45 Pizza Hut stores in that market lifted sales 8.8 percent to $17.2 million.

(BusinessDesk)

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John and Michael Chow will delist their listed property investment vehicle, Chow Group, saying NZX's plans to ditch the small-cap markets and impose one set of rules and costs aren't attractive to them.

The brothers, who run a property empire worth more than $250 million and are known for operating strip clubs and brothels, bought a small parcel of shares yesterday, taking their collective holding above the 90 percent threshold needed to trigger compulsory mop-up provisions under the Takeovers Code. The brothers will send a notice to shareholders with a price later this month and will delist the entity once they've completed the takeover, folding it back into their privately held group of companies.

"We listed on the NZAX as it was an appropriate platform for the operations of CGL but now that NZX is moving to a single equity market and doing away with the NZAX, its one set of rules and costs for all," chair John Chow said in a statement. "It doesnt make sense for CGL to remain listed."

Stock market operator NZX decided to drop the small-cap NZ Alternative Market and NXT bourse in a wide-ranging review of its operations aimed at reinvigorating confidence in the market and spur activity. NZX is offering a transition period for firms on the small-cap bourses to meet the requirements of the larger main board and has received a mixed response with some planning to stay and others clearing the decks for an exit.

Chow Group joined the NZAX in 2016 through a reverse listing of shell company RIS Group as a means to tap investors willing to fund aspirations to expand their empire, saying at the time they had "grand plans for further expansion into the accommodation and hotel markets in New Zealand". However, the Chows today said their group doesn't need to be publicly listed because it has ready access to private funding.

"Our investment team is currently targeting both local and international private equity and is well on its way to meet our $2 billion target by 2023," they said.

The shares last traded at 60 cents, valuing the company at $9.9 million, and the Chows said they will complete their takeover "at a price that is certified as fair and reasonable by an independent adviser who will be appointed in accordance with the Takeovers Code".

The entity held two properties valued at $16.6 million as at Sept. 30, and generated a first-half profit of $285,000 on revenue of $1.1 million.

(BusinessDesk)

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The New Zealand dollar rose to its highest level in almost a month as fears about Italy's political crisis eased, helping lift the euro, and the US stoked concerns about a trade war with steel tariffs for Canada, Mexico and the European Union.

The kiwi dollar traded at 69.98 US cents as at 8am in Wellington and earlier reached 70.23 cents, the highest since May 8, from 69.84 cents late yesterday. The trade-weighted index gained to 73.45 from 73.26.

The leader of Italy's Five Star Movement, Luigi Di Maio, and League leader Matteo Salvini said on Thursday that they had reached an agreement on terms for forming a new government, while nominating Giuseppe Conte as prime minister, even though Italian president Sergio Mattarella has already nominated Carlo Cottarelli, a former IMF official, to that role. Meanwhile, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said NAFTA talks haven't made enough progress for Mexico and Canada to avoid tariffs on steel and aluminium, which will be imposed at rates of 25 percent and 10 percent respectively. The tariffs also apply to the EU and quota limits will be imposed on other nations.

"The will they or wont they on US tariffs has flipped backed to will," said Sharon Zollner, chief economist at ANZ Bank New Zealand, in a note. "However, there have been only modest currency impacts so far, perhaps as Italy looks as though it has managed to form a more euro-friendly government. The kiwi is proving resilient and looks biased higher near-term."

In New Zealand today, traders will watch for the ANZ consumer confidence index for May and terms of trade for the first quarter.

In the US on Friday, non-farm payrolls is expected to show the world's biggest economy added 190,000 jobs in May, up from 164,000 in the previous month, while the unemployment rate held at 3.9 percent and average hourly earnings rose 2.6 percent year-on-year, unchanged from the rate in the previous month.

The kiwi rose to 92.51 Australian cents from 92.38 cents late yesterday. It traded at 59.87 euro cents from 59.85 cents. The kiwi rose to 76.14 yen from 75.85 yen and gained to 4.4854 yuan from 4.4722 yuan. It rose to 52.64 British pence from 52.50 pence.

(BusinessDesk)

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The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court issued an interim stay order against Lakshmy Ramakrishnans famous reality show. A petitioner named Kalyana Sundaram from Virudhunagar district filed a plea as he felt that people from the poor economic background are affected by the show.

According to the petitioner, the reality show talks about the private lives of such people and mostly about illegal relationships. Kalyana Sundaram has mentioned in his plea that the host (Lakshmy Ramakrishnan) plays with the emotion of the participants to increase the TRP of her show and the TV channel (Zee Tamil) but it affects the privacy of the participants.Page Content

Minister of Public Health, Emil Lee reported on the progress of the St. Maarten Hospital Resilience and Preparedness Project during Wednesdays press Council of Ministers press briefing. World Bank representatives are currently working on the Project Appraisal Document (PAD), which is mandatory for the funding grant of twenty five million dollars for the project. The project includes the funds for strengthening of the new hospital building design to meet post-Irma specifications, to ensure continuity of care during the worst of disasters and the transition of the current building and staff from now through commissioning of the new building.





The World Bank project leaders, Carolyn Shelton (Sr Operations Officer and Task Team Leader for this project) and Marcelo Bortman (Lead Health Specialist and Task Team Leader for this project) are in charge of drafting the PAD. The Tripartite commission for the new General Hospital consisting of SZV, Government and the SMMC recently gave the World Bank project leaders a presentation of the new hospital plans and a tour of the current facility. The PAD is expected to be completed by the end of June.





I certainly think they see the need for a new hospital and the resilience plan for the current hospital. We are happy that they are here to get a first-hand impression and to work on the document. - Emil Lee, Minister of Public Health





The requested funding of twenty five million dollars will allow for the reinstatement of the additional wing to the new General Hospital plans, reinforce the current SMMC facility to meet category four hurricane wind speeds and other upgrades to the facility. The construction of the new hospital is delayed due to the post-Irma status of the country. Because of this, all parties are ensuring that the necessary upgrades to the SMMC will be possible, to ensure that the SMMC can continue to service the community with proper quality and patient safety measures in place, during the extended period of time. The engineers are currently working on the redesign of the building itself and it is projected to be able to submit the new designs to the Ministry of VROMI by the end of July.





We see that the World Bank shares our philosophy of incorporating quality standards and making sure that we are working towards international standards. This is an important part of building back better. It is an important part of resilience. If we want the project to be sustainable, it needs to be economically sustainable, in order for that to happen. The hospital has to be built with international quality standards both physically as well as the services that we provide. - Emil Lee, Minister of Public Health





Photo caption: World Bank project leaders together with Hospital Tripartite members



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The World Bank project leaders, Carolyn Shelton (Sr Operations Officer and Task Team Leader for this project) and Marcelo Bortman (Lead Health Specialist and Task Team Leader for this project) are in charge of drafting the PAD. The Tripartite commission for the new General Hospital consisting of SZV, Government and the SMMC recently gave the World Bank project leaders a presentation of the new hospital plans and a tour of the current facility. The PAD is expected to be completed by the end of June.

I certainly think they see the need for a new hospital and the resilience plan for the current hospital. We are happy that they are here to get a first-hand impression and to work on the document. - Emil Lee, Minister of Public Health

The requested funding of twenty five million dollars will allow for the reinstatement of the additional wing to the new General Hospital plans, reinforce the current SMMC facility to meet category four hurricane wind speeds and other upgrades to the facility. The construction of the new hospital is delayed due to the post-Irma status of the country. Because of this, all parties are ensuring that the necessary upgrades to the SMMC will be possible, to ensure that the SMMC can continue to service the community with proper quality and patient safety measures in place, during the extended period of time. The engineers are currently working on the redesign of the building itself and it is projected to be able to submit the new designs to the Ministry of VROMI by the end of July.

We see that the World Bank shares our philosophy of incorporating quality standards and making sure that we are working towards international standards. This is an important part of building back better. It is an important part of resilience. If we want the project to be sustainable, it needs to be economically sustainable, in order for that to happen. The hospital has to be built with international quality standards both physically as well as the services that we provide. - Emil Lee, Minister of Public Health.PHILIPSBURG:--- On Friday June 1st, the Ministry of VSA and the VNG International will be hosting the first Mediation Congress on Sint Maarten made possible by with financial support of BZK. The congress aims at increasing awareness for mediation post-Irma as a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties with concrete effects. The congress will be held at the Belair Community Center from 9am  3pm on Friday, June 1, 2018.

Clearly, after hurricane Irma, with increase competition for less resources, there is clearly a lot of tension in the economy, in all different levels of our society. One way of conflict resolution is through dialogue, through mediation. And the skills that it takes to properly mediate are also skills that are very valuable to the Ministry. Many of the staff members here that are doing intakes for financial aid, medical aid and whatever type of assistance that persons can receive via the Ministry. The staff is obviously sometimes dealing with very tense situations, very frustrated people. And so, learning skills on how to resolve conflicts, how to mediate those, are important skills for the Ministry and for the community to have. - Emil Lee, Minister of Public Health

The congress will be interactive, with a professional lineup of speakers and presentations, offering the opportunity for participants to ask questions. Speakers and presenters include: Minister of Public Health Emil Lee, Mr. Hans Leijtens- Director General Recovery Windward Islands, Ministry of Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands, Ms. Gwendolien Mossel  Legal advisor Bureau Ombudsman.

The Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) will be supporting Government with various recovery programs, as a result of post-Irma. The programs are designed to strengthen the countrys disaster preparedness plans and promote harmony in the labor market. One of the supported projects of the Ministry of VSA is focused on mediation. This week 20-30 civil servants are taking part in Mediation week, which will end with the congress on Friday June 1st. Persons interested in attending the congress can contact the Ministry of VSA to inquire on availability of spaces. At email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

As we look at our community, we are resourced challenged and there is conflict in the market place. We simply hope that, rather than going to court, rather than entering protracted legal battles persons can find amicable solutions that is in the interest of all of players. Again, we thank the VNG for their support in this program and supporting our Government. - Emil Lee, Minister of Public HealthPHILIPSBURG:---The Ministry of VSA recently welcomed a meeting with representatives of Philip Morris and some local distributors on the topic of Tobacco safety labels and taxation legislation. Wholesalers are understanding and supportive provided there are also measures to combat parallel import of products, which also pose a health risk due to the uncontrolled market. Minister of Public Health, Emil Lee welcomed the dialogue, as it is in line with discussions held earlier in 2017 regarding possible funding mechanisms for NHI, and the local health care system. Taxation would include controls, which would better secure the safety of products being sold on the market to consumers. The Ministry of VSA intends to continue to explore the possibilities of taxation legislation, as is customary, in consultation with the respective tobacco industry representatives and stakeholders within the community.

Prior to Irma we had discussions of the NHI and were looking for ways on how we can fund the health care system with the introduction of some sort of a tax on alcohol and tobacco, and actually we would like to include sugar drinks in that. The thinking is that an over consumption of these products increases your exposure to health risks, it is unhealthy for you. Therefore, it means it costs the health care system more money. Having a fee paid for the high consumption of these products through taxation, with the funds being put towards the costs of the health care systems... we believe that this is a good forward thinking option. Its something that many countries have looked at already. For the private sector, we want to ensure that thats being done in a reasonable manner. We understand that Sint Maarten is a duty free destination and we want to make sure that we maintain our competitive position in the market place. - Emil Lee, Minister of Public Health

Taxation would entail adding a layer of Health Tax. The wholesaler would pay the Health Tax for the product when sold to the retailer and the consumer would pay TOT for the product when purchased from the retailer.

Despite distribution agreements for tobacco products on the island, wholesalers are faced with a problem of parallel imports. Due to the lack of regulations, others can important similar products from other locations, not via the distributor, which is legal, but undermines the distribution organization that has been set up between the manufacturer and the distributor. This also poses a threat to health and safety concerns.

Although some brands may have similar packaging, not all cigarette brands are manufactured the same. Different countries offer different blends, the mix of tobacco is different and here pricing of the product can be influenced as well. The final product is different per market. Smokers can often tell the difference. This also means that the safety regulations differ. From a tourism perspective this could have implications as well, quality expectations of the consumer will be influenced. Tourists may think they are getting the same product at a cheaper price due to duty-free shopping, where this may not be the case.

Distributors and wholesalers alike have expressed that by registering the products with a label, will help ensure that these are the only products sold on the market here. Products without a label would be identified as products that did not go through the preferred distribution channel, and would then be confiscated. These non-labeled products would then also be identified as non-compliant with the payment of the required level of taxes.

The industry is thrilled about this to be honest. They think that it is a win-win solution. That means that our health care system can receive more money and that we can protect their distribution channels to ensure that we are getting the revenues that we need. And it also means that because the distribution channels are actually functioning then as they are supposed to, that the distributors actually would have more value. The paying of additional taxes for the distributors would then also secure that they are seeing more share of the business, as there would be more controls. The consumer also benefits because right now you have all different qualities in the market place and this would ensure that we have one harmonious level of quality in our market. - Emil Lee, Minister of Public Health.PORT ST. MAARTEN:--- The Port St. Maarten Group of Companies (the Port) has taken notice of the local and Dutch media reports in relation to the inquiry proceedings pending before the Court of Appeal. Although it is the policy of the Port not to comment on pending legal proceedings before the Court has issued a ruling, the Port wishes to rectify or clarify certain incorrect statements made, Port St. Maarten Management said on Wednesday.

The request for an inquiry into the Ports management originated from a complaint letter that was sent to the Public Prosecutor by the lawyers of Zebec Development N.V. At that time the Port was involved in a legal dispute with that company concerning the failed Dutch Village Project.

Eventually that case was settled, however, the allegations raised by Zebec Developments lawyers led the Public Prosecutor to investigate the Port. During a period of two years, the Port provided the Public Prosecutor with answers to an array of questions and provided large quantities of documents that were requested, despite the fact that no specific allegations or complaints were made by the Public Prosecutor during this time.

In response to the allegations raised by the Public Prosecutor against the Port that form the basis for the request for an inquiry into the Ports management, the Port submitted a written response to the Court. In that response and during the court hearing on 24 May 2018, the Port has agreed with the Public Prosecutor that certain matters raised by it were valid. For example, for several years the Ports supervisory board operated with fewer members than required under its articles of association.

As of August 2017 the Port again complies with this requirement. Another valid matter raised by the Public Prosecutor is that the shareholder of the Port did not timely approve the Ports annual accounts. The shareholder, as represented by the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transportation and Telecommunication, has indicated that this will be resolved on short notice. In respect of the Emerald case the Port has indicated to the Public Prosecutor that if the alleged fraud is proven in court, measures will be taken by the Port against those that can be held accountable.

Should the Public Prosecutors pending criminal investigation into the 2010 Causeway tender procedure also result in convictions, the Port is committed to take any appropriate action available.

During the past few months while the Port was faced with challenging post-Irma conditions, significant steps have been taken by the Ports acting management board and its supervisory board to strengthen its performance in terms of corporate governance, integrity and compliance. Internal procedures were reviewed and, where necessary, amended or supplemented.

In accordance with the request of the Public Prosecutor, the Port has now implemented a whistleblower and non-retaliation policy. The Port has also created the positions of a confidential counselor and a compliance officer which are expected to be filled after the selected candidates pass an internal screening. Given that the Government has also decided to institute the Integrity Chamber where interested parties can report problems within state-owned companies, the Port feels that there are now sufficient opportunities for persons to report any perceived integrity related issues.

Based on all measures taken by the Port during the past few months, the Public Prosecutor withdrew several injunctive measures against the Port. For example, the demands to suspend the entire supervisory board and to have the Court appoint an interim Chief Executive Officer and new supervisory board were all dropped by the Public Prosecutor. For the Port, this action by the Public Prosecutor confirms that it has faith in the current acting management and the supervisory board and all actions that have been taken in relation to governance, compliance and integrity.

The Court of Appeal is expected to render its decision on whether it will order an investigation into the Port on June 26, 2018. The Port has full confidence in a positive outcome of the case and is committed to continue to fully cooperate with the Public Prosecutor in the pending investigations, Port St. Maarten Management concludes.Pond Island:--- On February 26, 2018 the people of St. Maarten went to the polls to elect fifteen members to the Parliament of St. Maarten. Most people fell that this election was not necessary and in the beginning indicated that they were not going to vote. However, they realized that throughout the world there are people who cant vote and some are fighting to be able to cast their first vote. Therefore, 62% of the voters went out and cast their vote in the last election.

But here we are some three months and three days since the election on February 26, 2018 and to date we dont have a new government in office. Those of us who were on the campaign trail for the last election have heard how disappointed the voters were to have to go back to the polls not even two years after the 2016 election. Most voters have indicated that this election will make no difference in the governing of this country. Low and behold, the UD and SMCP are proving them right.

Our elections have become a mockery to our people and in the eyes of our brothers and sisters in the region. Most countries in the region, the winners of the election take office the same day. As a matter of fact just last week the people of Barbados voted and their new Prime Minister has already taking the oath of office. Today I would like to congratulate all the people of Barbados living in St. Maarten and the new government of that country. They do have a gigantic task ahead of them but they have received a clear mandate from the people and they must work in their interest.

After the February 26, 2018 election Mr. Theo Heyliger, the largest vote getter and leader of the largest faction in Parliament was appointed, the formateur. In one of his first statement he mentioned that he was not going to rush to form a government. But now that the UD and SMCP have formed a government all indications are that they are having a difficult time finding qualified people to fill the various ministries. Besides that those that they have presented for screening are not able to pass the screening, it is rumored. In my opinion this is a crying shame that persons who made themselves available on a list and cant pass the screening. People are constantly asking when will we have a government that the people voted for and not an interim government. It is time that the formateur, Mr. Heyliger comes out and let the people know why after all this time he cant present his government. Who are those persons who are being presented and cant pass the screening? What are some of the reasons why they cant pass the screening? He has been screened before and therefore he knows what to expect and should have informed those who they selected. Or was it a matter of letting them go through the same thing that he went through so that it can be said it is not only him that cant pass the screening but others fall into that same category. But let the public know if it is their taxes, criminal or some other area? Or is the screening too rigid that most many people will not pass it. There are some people who know that having an interim government is not good for our investment climate and our economy but they try to defend it by stating that it took Holland many months to form a coalition government after their last election. To that I say there were differences in policy vision and ideology of those parties in the Netherlands. But there are no differences in policies between the UD and the SMCP, they are cut from the same cloth.

A bleak of hope would be given to the people if and when a new government is sworn in. Barbados is a good example, the people are now living in hope, something that our people are falling short of.Great Bay:--- Global Day of Parents is a United Nations (UN) observance that is celebrated on June 1 each year to honor parents and their commitment to children worldwide.

People all over the world have the opportunity show their appreciation for parents and parental figures for the vital role they play in the development of families. Its a day when community leaders, parents, children, teachers, and family organizations can get together and promote effective parenting.

This UN observance recognizes parents as vital in providing protection and positive development for their children. Since the 1980s, the important role of the family has increasingly come to the attention of the international community. Some experts say that for the full and harmonious development of their personality, children should grow up in a family environment and in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.

The central goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by world leaders focus on ending poverty, promoting shared economic prosperity, social development and peoples well-being while protecting the environment. Families remain at the center of social life. Parents are to ensure the well-being of their family members, educating and socializing their children and youth and caring for their younger and older generations.

Family-oriented policies, in particular, can contribute to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1 to 5 relating to eradicate poverty and hunger; ensuring healthy lives and promoting of well-being for all ages. They promote also ensuring educational opportunities throughout the lifespan and achieving gender equality.

Parents and children's rights

The principles outlined in the international human rights framework apply to children and adults. Children are mentioned explicitly in many of the human rights instruments. Standards are specifically modified, or adapted, where the needs and concerns are surrounding children right.

The Convention on the Rights of the Child makes clear that all children have the same rights and that all rights are interconnected and of equal importance. The Convention stresses these principles and refers also to the responsibility of children to respect the rights of others, especially their parents.

The Convention furthermore, recognizes that parents have the most important role in the bringing up children. The text encourages parents to deal with rights issues with their children "in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child" (article 5).

In St. Maarten, caring individuals have established foundations, such as the I Can Foundation and Christal Home, which specifically seek to assist children, who have become vulnerable because of their family situations. There are cases, where such a foundation even serves as a foster home.

Fathers

Traditionally in many societies, fathers have been moral teachers, disciplinarians and breadwinners. In many countries, there is now an increased emphasis on the fathers role as a co-parent, fully engaged in the emotional and practical day-to-day aspects of raising children. Recent research has affirmed the positive impact of active involvement by fathers in the development of their children.

Yet challenges persist for fathers, for society and social policy. One can think of the many households where fathers are non-existent, with St. Maarten not being any different.

The European Court of Human Rights (het Europees Hof voor de Rechten van de Mens) has determined that a fatherless child has the right to have his/her biological father acknowledged. A child on Sint Maarten may petition the Court in First Instance of Sint Maarten to have the biological father acknowledged. Furthermore, the biological mother may petition the Court if the child is under the age of 12.

As understanding of fatherhood grows, there is an opportunity for men to re-envision what it means to be a father and to see opportunities to make a difference in their families and therefore in their communities.

Mothers

Mothers play a critical role in the family, which is a powerful force for social cohesion and integration. The mother-child relationship is vital for the healthy development of children.

The most pervasive human rights violations of our time are violence against women, many of whom are mothers. On St. Maarten, several entities offer a shelter that provides support and assistance for women that have experienced abuse from their partners. They not only provide a safe space for women to heal and overcome abusive situations. They also provide education about domestic and intimate partner violence.

The benefits of educating women and girls happens not only to individual families, but to whole countries, unlocking the potential of women to contribute to broader development efforts. Statistics also show that educated mothers are much more likely to keep their children in school, meaning that the benefits of education transcend generations. Altogether, it is no wonder that we now have a day to put our parents on a pedestal.Solar Novus Today Has Been Integrated

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TORONTO, May 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kuuhubb Inc. (Kuuhubb or the Company) (TSX-V:KUU) is pleased to announce its unaudited financial results for the three and nine month periods ended March 31, 2018. The Companys unaudited interim consolidated financial statements as at and for the three and nine months ended March 31, 2018 and related managements discussion and analysis can be found on the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. References to "US$" are to United States dollars. The Companys financial year end is June 30.



Highlights for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2018:

Revenue increased to US$6,671,448 during the three months ended March 31, 2018, which represents an increase of 5% from the US$6,344,947 of revenue earned during the previous quarter ended December 31, 2017. This revenue was generated from sales of the Recolor app, the in-application sale of virtual goods from the My Hospital game and in-application ad revenue.



Net operating loss was US$3,450,060 for the three month period ended March 31, 2018, compared to the net operating loss of US$1,117,089 incurred during the previous quarter ended December 31, 2017. The net loss during the quarter ended March 31, 2018 includes impairment of goodwill of US$2,456,075, share-based compensation expense of US$835,682, depreciation and amortization of US$203,128 and foreign exchange gain of US$117,985. The non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA during the three month period ended March 31, 2018 was negative US$73,160, making this periods adjusted EBITDA a near break-even quarter.



The development and launch of the Drone Wars mobile game has been delayed since its acquisition and Kemojo Kuuhubb Studios Inc. (the Company subsidiary holding the Drone Wars game) has ceased operations. During the three month period ended March 31, 2018, the Company decided to redevelop the game into a multiplayer player versus player (PvP) game and plans to launch the game upon successful redevelopment. Due to the delay and uncertainty of the ultimate outcome of the Drone Wars mobile game, the Company determined to write down US$2,456,075 of goodwill, being the preliminary estimate by management of the amount of goodwill related to the game.



The Company had shareholders equity of US$23,092,110 as at March 31, 2018, compared to shareholders equity of US$12,421,346 as at June 30, 2017.



In January 2018, the Company announced that it had signed an agreement with Receptiv, a leading mobile video advertising company, on collaborating to bring new brands to the Recolor digital coloring app.



In January 2018, the Company announced that it had signed a term sheet to acquire mobile esports platform developer Valiance UG (the acquisition is subject to the execution of the definitive documentation and receipt of TSX Venture Exchange acceptance). The Germany-based, Valiance esports platform is designed to support both mobile esports competitors and content creators and provides them with opportunities to monetise their involvement playing their favourite esports titles. In addition to the esports, Valiance has a development center in Zagreb (Croatia) with 20+ experienced and agile software developers.



In March 2018, the Company incorporated Recolor India Private Limited. This new subsidiary will carry on the business activities of the Incolour App, the Indian version of the Companys Recolor App, with a local dedicated team of 4 people. Incolour is a stand-alone coloring community with global access which, through Kwan Entertainments contacts, is planned to utilize and work together with various Indian influencers and celebrities. In comparison to Recolor, it has a new user interface, and culturally relevant content and design. User experience is built around daily themes geared to stimulate daily engagement. In May 2018 Google Play India (Android) was launched and is planned to be followed by iOS version. The global roll-out of Android and iOS is expected to follow during summer 2018.



In April 2018, the Company announced that it will be commencing a creative cross-marketing collaboration with a global content leader Lionsgate. Under the agreement, Kuuhubb will create and market suites of digital coloring tasks around Lionsgate properties through Kuuhubbs Recolor App, a leader in bringing brands and media properties to the art app universe. In addition, Lionsgate will support these campaigns by driving traffic through its marketing channels to Recolor.



In May 2018, the Company completed the acquisition of the full global rights and revenue to the My Hospital game. The purchase price of 2.6 million is to be paid in monthly instalments between May 2019 and June 2021. Additionally, after Kuuhubb has recouped the entire purchase price, Cherrypick Games (the vendor) is entitled to 25% net profit share. Cherrypick Games will continue the current game development and update efforts until June 2021.

Jouni Keranen, CEO of the Company, stated: Kuuhubb experienced rapid growth and expansion during calendar year 2017, growing from 5 people to 70 (including Valiance acquisition in pipeline) and from zero revenue to over US$2 million in monthly revenue. During the first half of calendar year 2018, we are focusing on consolidating the past acquisitions and developing the current product portfolio. We have 3 commercially launched products (Recolor, Incolour and MyHospital) with an additional 3 products under development and expected to be launched within calendar year 2018. Recolor continues to be our flagship product and at the center of efforts with geographical expansion, brand partnerships and Android version together with new core product improvements as key success drivers. Recolor product development was transferred to Zagreb during January to March 2018 to enable tripling the size of the development team and supporting a global suite of coloring products. This transfer caused a short-term delay in implementation of our growth drivers but the investments are expected to produce results already in the second half of calendar year 2018. I would like to thank all our employees and partners for outstanding work and our shareholders for patience during the first half of 2018 when we will create the foundation for future growth.

About Kuuhubb

Kuuhubb is a company active in the digital space that focuses mainly on lifestyle and mobile video game applications. Its strategy is to create sustainable shareholder value through acquisitions of proven, yet underappreciated, assets with robust long-term growth potential. Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, Kuuhubb has a global presence with a strong focus on developing U.S. brand collaborations and Asian partnerships.

Cautionary Note Concerning Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking information. All statements, other than statements 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 relating to future revenue, products and development and growth of the Companys business) are forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, risks related to the growth strategy of the Company, the possibility that results from the Companys growth and development plans will not be consistent with the Company's expectations, the early stage of the Company's development, competition from companies in a number of industries, the ability of the Company to manage expansion and integrate acquisitions into its business, future business development of the Company and the other risks disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's annual information form dated October 30, 2017 filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is provided and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information, please contact:

Kuuhubb Inc.

Jouni Keranen - CEO

jouni@kuuhubb.com

Office: +358 40 590 0919

Bill Mitoulas

Investor Relations

bill@kuuhubb.com

Office: +1 (416) 479-9547December 5, 1925  April 20, 2018

Budh Singh Dhahan provided outstanding community leadership that has contributed to education, social and economic development, and health care in both Canada and India during a lifetime of dedicated service.

He was known for his vision, persistence, sense of social responsibility, and for his exemplary skills as an entrepreneur, peacemaker and bridge builder among many diverse groups.

Born and raised in rural India in a Punjabi Sikh family, Dhahan's early years were characterized by a strong sense of community ideals that led to a growing desire to improve the lives of people around him.

Although his formal education did not extend beyond Grade 8, his entire adult life was committed to education in the broadest sense.

As a young man in the aftermath of the 1947 partition between India and Pakistan, he helped to provide safe passage to people forced to leave for Pakistan while assisting the dislocated refugees from Pakistan to settle and receive proper land allotments in the Indian Punjab.

He mobilized people and resources to build shelters, schools, Sikh temples and worked actively on social and political causes to ensure a better community life. He fought for greater autonomy for Punjab within India and for equal language rights for Punjabi.

During the 1950s he served as Akali Dal's (political party) 'Jathedar' (head organizer) for the Jalandhar District, vice-president of the Punjab Peace Council and executive member of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. In these years he was jailed six times for brief periods as a political prisoner.

Dhahan came to Canada in 1960 and settled in the lumber town of Port Alberni, British Columbia. In the summer of 1967 his wife and four of his five children also arrived from India.

In 1973, the family moved to Vancouver where Dhahan established a successful construction enterprise building single family homes in Richmond and Vancouver.

Dhahan played an active leadership role in the growing Indo-Canadian community. In 1975 he was elected as the general secretary of Khalsa Diwan Society in Vancouver, the oldest and largest Sikh organization in Canada. Under his leadership new initiatives such as ESL classes for new immigrants, Punjabi language classes for children and programs to help strengthen the relationships between the Indo-Canadian community and the larger community were launched.

In addition, he facilitated the transfer of the historic Abbotsford Sikh temple property from Khalsa Diwan Society (Vancouver) to the Khalsa Diwan Society (Abbotsford) as the growing Punjabi Sikh community in the Fraser Valley wished to have autonomy over its own affairs.

While living in Canada, Dhahan was inspired by Canada's publicly funded education and healthcare, and the work of Canadian charities and volunteers.

Education for girls and gender equality issues remained close to Dhahan's heart and he continued to dream of returning to his homeland to help the poor and less educated. In 1979, he returned to Punjab with the dream of bringing health care and education (especially education for girls).

Over the next three decades (despite the political unrest that engulfed Punjab from 1982-1993), Dhahan, as the founder-president of the Guru Nanak Mission Medical and Educational Trust, helped build an unprecedented rural medical and educational complex at Dhahan-Kaleran through his inspirational vision, his tireless fundraising from in Punjab, Canada, Britain, United States and other countries, and his ability to collaborate with local and international partners. These partners included the Canada-India Education Society and the School of Nursing, University of British Columbia. This complex is one of the signature Sikh diaspora and Canadian philanthropy projects in Punjab, with its 200 bed multi- specialty hospital, a trauma centre, a drug treatment program, a nursing school and college, an elementary and a senior secondary school, various hostels and administrative buildings, a bank, a Sikh temple, and a guest house called "UBC Canada House."

The Guru Nanak College of Nursing was among the first nursing degree programs in Punjab and is noteworthy as the first such college to be established in a rural area. Through mutual student exchanges and faculty visits with UBC School of Nursing, Dhahan has helped young women broaden their horizons to see themselves as global citizens. There are over 2,000 graduates of the Guru Nanak nursing programs who serve in hospitals, community clinics, and nursing schools in many parts of India and abroad with at least 200 graduates living and working in the health sector in Canada. Through the services provided by the organization, many people have gained secure and meaningful employment in the hospital, school, nursing college, drug treatment centre, and related support services. Economic activity generated by the Guru Nanak Mission Trust has benefited local retailers and service providers as well as the construction sector in the region for close to 35 years

In 2010 Dhahan founded Guru Nanak Mission International Charitable Trust and opened a much needed hospital near Nawangran Kulpur area on the main highway connecting Banga and Anandpur Sahib with an ambitious plan to create a health and education centre.

Among the many accolades he received during his life he was especially grateful for receiving the Honorary Doctor of Law from Kwantlen University College (now Kwantlen Polytechnic University) recognizing his exemplary contributions to Canada and India.

Budh Singh Dhahan passed away peacefully on April 20, 2018 in Nawanshahar, Punjab, India but his vision lives on in Canada and India.

A visionary bridge builder among diverse cultural and religious groups, he demonstrated his skills as an international collaborator in education and healthcare, and a prosperity and peace maker. He turned his idealism and vision into reality by mobilizing groups and communities to cooperate on initiatives that brought about lasting change.

Budh Singh Dhahan is survived by his wife Kashmir Kaur Dhahan, his children; Harinder Kaur, Raghbir Kaur (Bachittar Singh Jawanda), Manjit Kaur (Ajit Singh Thandi), Barjinder (Barj) Singh (Rita Janet Dhahan), and Kuljinder Kaur (Gurtek Singh Shoker), his fourteen grandchildren and seven great- grandchildren.

A Celebration of Life (Bhog and Kirtan) will be held on Sunday, June 3, 2018 at 10:30 a.m. at Khalsa Diwan Society  Sikh Temple, 8000 Ross Street, Vancouver, BC.MONTERREY, Mexico, May 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Deutsche Bank Mexico, S.A., Banking institution, Trust Division F/1616 or Fibra Inn (BMV:FINN13) (ADR OTC:DFBRY) (Fibra Inn or the Company), a Mexican real estate investment trust internally managed specializing in the hotel industry serving the traveler with global brands, informs regarding each of the discussion items for the Extraordinary Shareholders Meeting for CBFI holders that will take place on June 14, 2018. These items, as well as all the information that will be presented at the Meeting may be found at: https://www.fibrainn.mx/site/en/cbfi-holder-information/



Herein, Fibra Inn shares its views on the discussion items for the Shareholders Meeting, in order to ensure that shareholders receive timely and transparent information prior to the Meeting.

MEETING AGENDA

I. Presentation, discussion and submission for approval to modify the Trust Agreement, in order to modify the current structure of the Technical Committee, so that it may be comprised in its majority by Independent Members, that is; only two members designated by the Founders Trust and their respective alternates; Fibra Inns Chief Executive Officer and his respective alternate; as well as by other members that are designated by the Holders that own 10% of the CBFIs outstanding and that wish to exercise their right to designate one member of this Technical Committee and the respective alternate.

Fibra Inn has been working to better align its interests with that of its shareholders. In 2016, under the advisory of a professional firm specializing in REITs and with a favorable vote at its Shareholders Meeting, the Companys Advisory function was internalized, and since then we have obtained significant improvements in the Trusts corporate governance.

In this sense, the proposed changes are highly significant because it would give Fibra Inn a corporate governance structure comprised by a majority of independent board members and representation of the Founders Trust, regardless of the percentage of CBFIs outstanding that they hold. The participation of these members is considered strategic due to their vast experience in the hotel and real estate sector. Finally, all rights and obligations conferred to the Founders Trust in virtue of their 11% (eleven percent) ownership of CBFIs outstanding will be eliminated, including: (i) control of the Technical Committee (clause 9.1.9), right of preference to acquire the Trusts Assets (clause 9.1.24), obligation related to exclusivity (clause 11.3) and the need to change the Trust (clause 32.1).

The Company is certain that the proposed changes are in line with good corporate governance practices that will undoubtedly be necessary throughout all of the existing Fibras that have any intention of growing via the financial markets or that hope to someday access them for the first time.

If these items are approved by the Shareholders Meeting, Fibra Inn would be undisputedly positioned as the Mexican Fibra with the best corporate governance practices and as the Fibra that is best aligned with the interests of its shareholders and the market.

On this point, the Company seeks the approval to modify the Trust agreement with regards to the current Technical Committee structure so that it may be comprised as follows:

The majority of the members will be independent; the five individuals who are currently in these positions will continue with their duties. These are: Messrs. Marcelo Zambrano Lozano, Hector Medina Aguiar, Adrian Enrique Garza de la Garza, Alberto Rafael Gomez Eng and Everardo Elizondo Almaguer.





Mr. Victor Zorrilla Vargas and Mr. Joel Zorrilla Vargas will be the two members that are designated by the Founders Trust. Both of these members will be represented by their respective alternates: Jaime Robert Dotson Castrejon and Jose Gerardo Clariond Reyes-Retana, these two are pending confirmation.





Fibra Inns Chief Executive Officer and his alternate will be the Chief Financial Officer. In this case, that would be Mr. Oscar Eduardo Calvillo Amaya and Mr. Miguel Aliaga Gargollo, respectively.





The individuals that are designated by the Holders who hold 10% of the CBFIs outstanding that wish to exercise their right to designate one Technical Committee member and a respective alternate.

Accordingly, the Technical Committee will be comprised as follows:

No. Member Alternate Classification 1 Victor Zorrilla Vargas (President) Robert Jaime Dotson Castrejon* Non independent 2 Joel Zorrilla Vargas Jose Gerardo Clariond Reyes Retana* Non independent 3 Oscar Eduardo Calvillo Amaya Miguel Aliaga Gargollo Non independent 4 Santiago Pinson Correa Antonio de Jesus Sibaja Luna Independent, representing and Institutional Holder 5 Hector Medina Aguiar N/A Independent 6 Everardo Elizondo Almaguer N/A Independent 7 Alberto Rafael Gomez Eng N/A Independent 8 Adrian Enrique Garza de la Garza N/A Independent 9 Marcelo Zambrano Lozano N/A Independent

*To be confirmed

The Company recommends voting FOR this item.

II. Appointment of Mr. Victor Zorrilla Vargas and Mr. Joel Zorrilla Vargas as members of the Trusts Technical Committee, designated by the Founders Trust, as well as their respective Alternates.

On this point, Mr. Victor Zorrilla Vargas and Mr. Joel Zorrilla Vargas will be designated by the Founders Trust as Technical Committee members of Trust F/1616, due to the fact that as key Holders and as founders of Fibra Inn, these individuals have vast and proven experience in the hotel and real estate business. Two individuals will be designated by the Founders Trust, as their respective alternates: Mr. Jaime Robert Dotson Castrejon and Mr. Jose Gerardo Clariond Reyes-Retana, pending confirmation. Additionally, Mr. Victor Zorrilla Vargas will be ratified as President of the Technical Committee.

The Company recommends voting FOR this item.

III. Appointment of Special Delegates to fulfill the resolutions approved during the Meeting.

In this point, the Common Representatives assistance will be proposed as a Special Delegate to formalize the resolutions approved at the Shareholders Meeting.

The Company recommends voting FOR this item.

IV. Transcription, drafting and submission for approval of the Meeting Minutes.

In this point, all of the approvals of the Meeting must be presented in the minutes of the Meeting.



The Company recommends voting FOR this item.

The Company is committed to providing investors with sufficient and transparent information before the next Shareholders Meeting, thereby promoting a voting process in accordance with the best corporate practices. Fibra Inn is convinced that, by sharing this information in a timely manner, each CBFIs Holder will be able to make its decision based on the best information available for the individual and collective benefit of the Fibra Inn investors.



About the Company

Fibra Inn is a Mexican trust formed primarily to acquire, develop and rent a broad range of hotel properties in Mexico aimed at the business traveler. The Company has signed franchise, license and brand usage agreements with international hotel brands for the operation of global brands as well as the operation of national brands. Additionally, the Company has development agreements. These hotels enjoy some of the industrys top loyalty programs. Fibra Inn trades its Real Estate Certificates (Certificados Bursatiles Fiduciarios Inmobiliarios or CBFIs) on the Mexican Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FINN13; its ADRs trade on the OTC market in the U.S. under the ticker symbol DFBRY.

www.fibrainn.mx

Note on Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts, and are based on managements current view and estimates of future economic circumstances, industry conditions, Company performance and financial results. Also, certain reclassifications have been made to make figures comparable for the periods. The words anticipates, believes, estimates, expects, plans and similar expressions, as they relate to the Company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will actually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

In Mexico: In New York: Lizette Chang, IRO Maria Barona / Melanie Carpenter Fibra Inn i-advize Corporate Communications Tel. 52-1-81-1778-5926 Tel. (212)406-3691 lchang@fibrainn.mx mbarona@i-advize.com



San Diego, CA, May 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brain Corp, an AI company specializing in the development of self-driving technology for robots, announced today it will participate in a panel at the upcoming San Diego Robotics Ecosystem Event, discussing the latest robotics trends and innovations, whats here to stay, what is expected to fade out, and the realities and complexities of operating a robotics company in San Diego.



Taking place on Tuesday, June 5 at Qualcomm Auditorium Building AZ, the San Diego Robotics Ecosystem event is being organized by Hansol Hong of the San Diego Robotics Club and is additionally co-hosted by San Diego IEEE and UC San Diego RoboGrads. This gathering of business and academic leaders from San Diegos booming robotics industry provides an exceptional networking opportunity for robotics and AI professionals and students. Attendees will hear opening remarks from Henrik Christensen, Director of UCSDs Contextual Robotics Institute, and are invited to attend informative panel discussions and breakout sessions. The intention of this event is to jumpstart a conversation about how best to formally brand San Diego as a leading robotics cluster, ranking it among the Bay Area, Pittsburg, and Boston.



San Diego is globally recognized as a biotech and telecom cluster and we want to do the same for robotics, said Hansol Hong, CEO of Robolink, a K-12 robotics education platform. Many technology companies that are innovating AI, robotics, hardware, and a variety of drone applications are based or have a strong presence in the San Diego area. Given that Brain Corp is the most recognizable robotics start-up in the world and they are bringing a great deal of attention to whats happening in robotics in San Diego, it is important they are a part of this conversation.



Participating in the events second panel discussion is Brain Corps Vice President of Software and AI, Jean-Baptiste Passot. Passot is responsible for leading Brains software research, development, engineering team. Im looking forward to sharing my insights on the robotics industrywhere it is today and where I see it headingwith the San Diego robotics community, said Passot. Im equally excited to help ignite a movement to put San Diego on the map as a thriving and exciting robotics hub. Its long overdue and will inspire greater collaboration among the robotics business and academic communities and help draw much-needed engineering talent to Southern California.



The event is open to the public, and those interested in attending can learn more and register here: https://www.meetup.com/roboticsclub/events/gnqqlnyxjbhb/



About Brain Corporation



Brain Corporation (Brain Corp) is a San Diego-based AI company that partners with manufacturers of commercial equipment and consumer electronics to convert their manually-operated products into autonomous robots. Brain Corps technology represents the next generation of artificial brains for robots. Brain Corporation is funded by the SoftBank Vision Fund and Qualcomm Ventures. For more information or to access videos of its robots, please visit http://www.braincorp.com. ###

AttachmentFaith leaders, Pygmies join forces in fight for Congo forest



Kinshasa, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



Religious groups and delegates of the Pygmy people indigenous to the Democratic Republic of Congo have met to push forward with a campaign to protect the Congo Basin rainforest, participants said.

Wednesday's talks in Kinshasa sought to raise awareness among "various religious denominations" about the Congo Basin forest, a biodiversity hotspot and climate shield, said Henri Muhiya from the Catholic Church's commission for natural resources.

Catholic, Protestant and Muslim delegates attended the meeting, as well as representatives from the Pygmy community, he said.

It was the first meeting since the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative was launched in Oslo a year ago, which sought to harness the moral firepower of the faithful in a campaign against illegal logging, which destroys the habitat and means of sustenance for forest people.

Pygmies are an ethnic group with communities across the Congo Basin and in Rwanda, Burundi and parts of southern Africa. Some live in hunter-gatherer communities.

They were present to contribute their knowledge about the rainforest habitat and the impact of logging.



- The world's 'second lung' -



Participants at the Kinshasa talks agreed on the need to raise public awareness about the forest as a sacred area and how it is used within different spiritual rituals.

The interfaith platform is aimed at "influencing politicians positively, but also influencing the behaviour of the multinationals" about sustainable use of resources, Muhiya said.

"What use will it be to the multinationals to watch the planet disappear?" he asked.

Spread over 220 million hectares (544 million acres), the Congo Basin forest is frequently described as the world's "second lung" after Amazonia in South America.

It straddles the DRC, the Republic of Congo and Gabon.

As well as being a jewel for biodiversity, the Congo Basin also plays a key role in the climate-change equation.

Its peaty soil holds a massive stock of carbon -- the result of billions of years of vegetal growth and decay.

According to scientists at Leeds University in northern England, the Basin holds the equivalent of three years' worth of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Turning this land to agriculture would release huge amounts of greenhouse gases, worsening global warming almost at a stroke, they say.Facebook sinking fast among US teens: survey



Washington, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



Facebook is rapidly losing ground against rival internet platforms in attracting and keeping US teenagers, a survey showed Thursday.

The Pew Research Center report confirms a trend seen in other surveys, showing a sharp drop in Facebook's share of what had long been a core age segment for the huge social network.

The survey found 51 percent of US teens ages 13 to 17 use Facebook, compared with 85 percent for YouTube, 72 percent for Instagram and 69 percent who are on Snapchat.

The landscape has shifted since a 2014-15 Pew survey which found Facebook leading other social networks with 71 percent of the teen segment.

According to the survey, 95 percent of the teens survey said they used a smartphone and 45 percent were online "almost constantly," with both figures showing increases from prior surveys.

"The social media environment among teens is quite different from what it was just three years ago," said Pew researcher Monica Anderson, the lead author of the report.

"Back then, teens' social media use mostly revolved around Facebook. Today, their habits revolve less around a single platform. At the same time we've seen this shift, teens are more digitally connected than ever."

The survey showed a split over the impact of social media on the lives of the teens.

Pew found 31 percent said social media has had a mostly positive impact, with 24 percent describing its effect as mostly negative. The remaining 45 percent said it was neither.

Those who reported a positive impact cited the ability to stay connected, find news and people with similar interests.

Others who found social media harmful cited the potential for online bullying, spreading of false information and addiction.

Facebook is the world's biggest social network with some two billion regular users.

But some surveys and analysts suggest it is losing appeal to younger users amid a rise in services like Snapchat and Facebook-owned Instagram.

A report earlier this year by the research firm eMarketer said Snapchat is drawing youths away from Facebook at a quicker clip than Facebook-owned Instagram.

According to eMarketer, Facebook will lose two million US users under the age 24 this year, offsetting those losses with gains among older users.

A report last year by investment firm Piper Jaffray showed Snapchat is the preferred social network for US teens, with 47 percent using the platform.SAN FRANCISCO, May 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SocialChorus, a global workforce communications platform, today announced that it has secured $12.5 million in growth financing co-led by B2B software specialist Arrowroot Capital and Kohlberg Ventures, with participation from Western Technology Investment. SocialChorus has consistently achieved strong growth and has built a capital-efficient business, fueled by demand from the largest enterprises worldwide and global communicators need for a modern solution to deliver critical news and information to every employee  from office workers to deskless and front-line workers.



SocialChorus has developed a mission-critical platform that has modernized the way a global C-suite reaches its mobile and dispersed workforce, said Kareem El Sawy, partner at Arrowroot Capital and SocialChorus board member. With a proven track record of success and growth, the company has a massive market opportunity to help communicators deliver on the promise of employee alignment and connectedness. Were excited to invest in a company defining the next generation of workplace communications.

SocialChorus has grown its workforce communications platform business by over 120 percent in the last year, adding many global enterprise customers including USAA, Phillips 66, Cargill, Sound Physicians, American Cancer Society, Kohler Co., Lendlease, Lloyds Bank, TD Bank, PG&E and Lincoln Financial Group. Employees using the SocialChorus platform come from more than 20 different industries in 180 countries, all 50 U.S. states and 6,400 U.S. cities.

Improving employee experience is one of the foundational aspects driving digital transformation. Modernizing communications is a critical, and increasingly urgent initiative as companies are faced with mounting challenges, from brand reputation to employee retention, due to a lack of synchronized communications. Several trends are driving these challenges:

Increasing diversity of the workforce : Today organizations employ a mix of knowledge workers and deskless, distributed employees. According to the Deloitte 2018 Global Human Capital Trends report of 11,000 HR and business leaders, companies are forecasting around one-third of their employees will be freelancers or gig workers in the next few years. Organizations need solutions to align and engage these employees to meet business objectives.

: Today organizations employ a mix of knowledge workers and deskless, distributed employees. According to the Deloitte 2018 Global Human Capital Trends report of 11,000 HR and business leaders, companies are forecasting around one-third of their employees will be freelancers or gig workers in the next few years. Organizations need solutions to align and engage these employees to meet business objectives. Changing expectations around employee communications: As demographics of the workforce shift, so have employee expectations. According to a 2017 study, Gen Z and millennials expect and want greater company transparency and prefer personalized messaging, video and highly engaging content.

As demographics of the workforce shift, so have employee expectations. According to a 2017 study, Gen Z and millennials expect and want greater company transparency and prefer personalized messaging, video and highly engaging content. Transparency is key: According to the Deloitte study, transparency is a major topic affecting corporate and brand reputation in 2018: Engagement with other stakeholders on topics such as diversity, gender pay equity, income inequality, immigration, and climate change can lift financial performance and brand value, while failure to engage can destroy reputation and alienate key audiences.

A plethora of technology tools exist to power enterprise communications and collaboration, but none of these tools serves the needs of the communicator, who is tasked with deploying and delivering a communications strategy that enriches every employee's experience irrespective of their role or location. According to a SocialChorus survey of 331 communications and HR professionals, 97 percent of respondents said they faced challenges with legacy communications tools; 25 percent said they had no a role in selecting a platform to serve their needs; and just 4 percent drove platform selection entirely.

Digital transformation needs to be built on top of modern employee communications, said Gary Nakamura, CEO of SocialChorus. Employee communications is a central part of digital transformation. When enterprise leaders want to be heard, communicating solely via email and decades-old intranets wont work. And when companies add more communications tools, like enterprise social networks or collaboration tools, they get more silos, not fewer. SocialChorus brings the silos together to give leaders and communicators a way to unify and nurture a more aligned workforce.

SocialChorus operates the only purpose-built platform for HR and communicators. In less than two minutes a day, employees stay connected and get the news and information they need to feel informed. Additionally, SocialChorus Program Studio gives communicators the ability to aggregate both internal and external sources of news and information such as video, articles, links, notes and images, and systematically plan and program distribution across an enterprises multiple channels including SharePoint, Slack and Workplace by Facebook.

To support company growth, SocialChorus has also opened a London office and made several significant hires, including Cyrus Gilbert-Rolfe as managing director, EMEA; Dave Lutz as vice president of client strategy and success; and Alison Murdock as chief marketing officer.

For more information about SocialChorus, please visit https://www.socialchorus.com/

About SocialChorus

SocialChorus is the leading workforce communications platform transforming how workers and organizations connect every day. We empower communicators to reach every workerfrom the head office to the front line. Companies thrive and win when all their workers feel informed, valued, and engaged. The SocialChorus platform allows communicators to publish once and distribute everywhereefficiently delivering critical information to the right employee at the right time. SocialChorus customers include some of the worlds largest global brands including AB InBev, The Dow Chemical Company, Aptiv, Delphi Technologies, Caterpillar, 7-Eleven, Estee Lauder Companies, Hilton, Whirlpool Corporation, and PVH Corp. Learn more at https://www.socialchorus.com/.

About Arrowroot Capital

Arrowroot Capital is a global growth equity firm based in Santa Monica, CA focused on minority, majority, and buyout investments in B2B software companies. The firm serves as a catalyst for growth-related initiatives by partnering with management and leveraging its deep enterprise software expertise to deliver meaningful, tangible value. Arrowroot targets initial equity investments in the range of $5 million to $25 million, and has the flexibility to pursue larger opportunities as well as a broad range of transaction types. Arrowroot also targets add-on acquisitions for its portfolio companies with a wider range of size and general criteria. Learn more at www.arrowrootcapital.com.

Media Contacts

Sheridan Smalley

socialchorus@teamlewis.com

415-432-2477



Pompeo plans summit over steak dinner with top North Korean official



New York, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a top North Korean official met in New York on Wednesday over a steak dinner to try to salvage next month's summit between the North Korean and US leaders.

Kim Yong Chol, considered the right-hand man of leader Kim Jong Un, was the most senior North Korean official to visit the United States in 18 years.

Pyongyang's envoy joined Pompeo at the apartment of a US diplomat on Manhattan's East side for the evening meal that lasted about an hour and a half. Two more meetings are scheduled for Thursday.

Asked about the working dinner, Pompeo told reporters afterwards: "It was great". "Good working dinner with Kim Yong Chol in New York tonight," he later tweeted. "Steak, corn, and cheese on the menu."

It was the third meeting between the two officials who are working to finalize planning for a June 12 summit designed to end a nuclear standoff that once threatened to plunge Korea back into war.

"They are meeting to see what needs to be done in the two weeks that remain," a senior US official said.

The United States wants North Korea to agree to "complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula.

US and North Korean envoys have also been meeting in Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, and an American team is in Singapore to make logistical arrangements for the rapidly planned meeting.

- Trump to decide on summit -



Earlier this month, President Donald Trump suddenly announced a cancellation of the summit after North Korea issued a sharp rebuke of what it saw as threatening language from the US side, and Washington has warned talks could be postponed if Kim is not serious about disarmament.

"Between now and if we're going to have a summit, they're going to have to make clear what they're willing to do," said the official.

The decision to hold the summit "is 100 percent in the hands of the president," he added.

The State Department released photos of a smiling Pompeo shaking hands with Kim Yong Chol, pointing out New York landmarks to him by a window and toasting his guests.

The menu featured burrata salad, filet mignon with corn puree, blanched celeriac and pan-wilted spinach. There was homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Pompeo has scheduled a news conference on Thursday, at the end of his meetings with Kim.

Also on Thursday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to travel to North Korea to discuss Pyongyang's nuclear program. Pompeo and Lavrov spoke by telephone for the first time Wednesday.

Pompeo called his South Korean and Singaporean counterparts over the weekend and Japan is also keenly watching summit preparations. Trump will meet its Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Washington on June 7.

On Sunday, US negotiators, headed by Washington's ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, began meeting North Korean counterparts in the truce village of Panmunjom that divides the two Koreas.

- First US visit -



Kim Yong Chol, who is making his first US visit, is the most senior North Korean on US soil since Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok met then-president Bill Clinton in 2000.

The general has played a front-seat role during recent rounds of diplomacy aimed at ending the nuclear stalemate on the Korean peninsula.

He sat next to Trump's daughter Ivanka, who is also a White House aide, during February's closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics in South Korea, an event that was seen as a turning point in the nuclear crisis.

He also accompanied Kim Jong Un on both of his recent trips to China to meet President Xi Jinping, and held talks with Pompeo when he travelled to Pyongyang.

Kim's journey to the US caps a frenetic few days of meetings between North Korean and American officials.

An AFP photographer saw Kim Chang Son, Kim Jong Un's de facto chief of staff, in Singapore Tuesday for preparatory discussions there.

The key task is to settle the agenda. The main stumbling block is likely to be the concept of "denuclearization" -- both sides are in favor of it, but there is a yawning gap between their definitions.

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.

But analysts say North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US will not try to topple the regime.

bur-fff-cml/skaCALGARY, Alberta, May 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Trakopolis IoT Corp. ("Trakopolis" or the "Company") (TSXV:TRAK) is pleased to report its financial and operating results for the period ended March 31, 2018.



First quarter financial highlights include:

Subscription sales of $1.2 million, which represents a 36% increase compared to the prior year period.



Revenue of $1.6 million for the quarter, which represents 9% growth compared to the prior year period.



Total subscribers of 16,022, representing a 29% increase compared to the prior year period.



Average revenue per unit of $25.30, representing 7% growth compared to the prior year period.



An increase in our enterprise subscriber base from 29% in the prior year period to 40% of our subscriber base in the current quarter.



Hardware sales revenue of $0.4 million, which represents 30% decrease compared to the prior year period.



A net loss of $1.3 million compared to $0.7 million in the prior period quarter, representing an increased loss of $0.59 million compared to the prior year period. The increase in net loss is primarily due to $0.4 million of R&D related rebates in the prior period. Excluding these rebates, the net loss represented a 17% increase in net loss compared to the prior period

First quarter operating highlights include:

Expansion in channel partnerships by participating in the Microsoft One Commercial Partner Co-Sell Ready Program. Through this program, the Company works with Microsoft field sales teams in North America on targeted customer opportunities and related account planning activities.



Partnered with a North American market leading electronic logging device (ELD) company, as a reseller of their ELD solution in combination with Trakopolis.



The Company completed development, integration and initial field trials of the Honeywell mesh guard solution, as well as integration of the mobile tank monitoring solution, both representing expansion of the Companys product offerings.

"The first quarter of 2018 focused on channel expansion, business development as well significant expansion of our solution offering. This is aligned with our strategy for continued revenue growth across all verticals and positions the Company well for the remainder of 2018," stated Brent Moore, CEO of Trakopolis.

Trakopolis first quarter financial statements and MD&A have been posted to the Companys website and can be accessed at http://trakopoliscorp.com/investors/. The MD&A and Financial Statements have also been filed with SEDAR and will be accessible at www.sedar.com.

About Trakopolis



Trakopolis is a Software as a Service (SaaS) company with proprietary, cloud-based solutions for real-time tracking, data analysis and management of corporate assets such as equipment, devices, vehicles and workers. The Company's asset management platform works across a variety of networks and devices. Trakopolis has a diversified revenue stream from many verticals including oil and gas, forestry, transportation, construction, rentals, urban services, mining, government and others.

For further information, please contact:

Brent Moore, President and Chief Executive Officer,

Trakopolis IoT Corp.,

Telephone: (403) 450-7854,

Email: bmoore@trakopolis.com;

Forward-Looking Information

This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: continued revenue growth across all verticals. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: activation of units by end users; commercial success of our products and services; general business, economic and social uncertainties; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; those additional risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com; and other matters discussed in this news release. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Non-GAAP Measures

This news release contains references to certain financial measures that do not have any standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other entities. These non-GAAP financial performance measures should be viewed as a supplement to, and not a substitute for, the Companys results of operations reported under IFRS. These financial measures are identified and defined below:

Subscription sales includes monthly software subscriptions, and resale of cellular and satellite data. Subscription sales is recognized monthly as services are delivered and is derived from the subscription revenue category within the Company's financial statements. We believe that subscription sales provides useful information to our investors because it shows the long-term nature of recurring service revenue.

A Subscriber is defined as a customer's individual asset which is monitored by a telematics device. A Subscriber is an important metric for our investors because it provides an indication of our ability to generate recurring revenue from providing recurring service to our customers. Please refer to the Companys March 31, 2018 MD&A dated May 31, 2018 for additional information regarding these non-GAAP measures.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Moscow invites N.Korea's Kim to visit



Moscow, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Pyongyang on Thursday invited North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to visit Russia, Moscow said, during the first meeting between the head of the reclusive state and a Russian official.

"Come to Russia, we'll be very happy to see you," Lavrov told Kim in remarks released by the Russian foreign ministry.

Lavrov passed greetings from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kim, saying he wished him success in the "major undertakings that have been initiated on the Korean peninsula", the ministry said in a statement.

Lavrov was the first Russian official to be received by Kim, Russian news agencies said. "It was the first official meeting with him face to face," TASS quoted a source in the minister's delegation as saying.

The Russian foreign ministry also released pictures of the two men shaking hands and smiling.

Russia's top diplomat arrived in Pyongyang earlier Thursday, ahead of a landmark summit between Kim and US President Donald Trump.

His visit comes amid a flurry of diplomatic activity to organise next month's summit, with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also meeting Kim's right-hand man Kim Yong Chol in New York late Wednesday.

Last month North Korea's foreign minister Ri Yong Ho held rare talks with Lavrov in Moscow as Pyongyang moves to improve strained ties with global powers.

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.

Pyongyang has a different view of denuclearisation and remains deeply worried that abandoning its deterrent would leave it vulnerable, especially while the United States maintains a robust military presence in South Korea.Pompeo, top N. Korean official plan summit as Lavrov meets Kim



New York, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a top North Korean official were set to continue talks in New York on Thursday to try to salvage next month's nuclear summit, as Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov flew into Pyongyang for discussions with Kim Jong Un.

Kim Yong Chol, considered the North Korean leader's right-hand man, is the most senior official from Pyongyang to visit the United States in 18 years.

Pyongyang's envoy joined Pompeo at the apartment of a US diplomat on Manhattan's East side on Wednesday for talks over an evening meal that lasted about an hour and a half. Two more meetings are scheduled for Thursday.

"Good working dinner with Kim Yong Chol in New York tonight," Pompeo tweeted. "Steak, corn, and cheese on the menu."

It was the third meeting between the two officials who are working to finalize planning for a June 12 summit designed to end a nuclear standoff that has threatened to plunge Korea back into war.

"They are meeting to see what needs to be done in the two weeks that remain," a senior US official said.

"Between now and if we're going to have a summit, they're going to have to make clear what they're willing to do."

US and North Korean envoys have also been meeting in Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea, and an American team is in Singapore to make logistical arrangements for the meeting.

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.

But analysts say North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US will not try to topple the regime.



- Russia urges caution -



Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister, who arrived in Pyongyang on Thursday for talks with Kim Jong Un, warned against setting expectations too high and urged all sides to "avoid the temptation to demand 'everything and now.'"

"We believe it is very important to treat these contacts in a very delicate manner, not to make any abrupt movements, to artificially speed up the process that requires a significant amount of time," Lavrov said, according to a transcript released by the Russian foreign ministry.

"We call on all involved sides to fully appreciate their responsibility for not allowing this very important but still fragile process to break down," he said, adding that Russia was ready to contribute to ongoing diplomatic efforts.

Photos and video released by Russian state media showed Kim and Lavrov, who was making his first visit to the North since 2009, shaking hands.

Lavrov passed on greetings from President Vladimir Putin to Kim and invited him to visit Russia, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Russia is the latest major nation to reach out to North Korea since Trump accepted Kim's proposal for a summit to defuse tensions. Kim has already had two meetings each with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and Pompeo -- once as CIA director and then as secretary of state.

Lavrov spoke with Pompeo by telephone for the first time Wednesday, ahead of his Pyongyang trip.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump suddenly announced a cancellation of the summit, before reversing course 24 hours later.



- Frenetic meetings -



Pompeo has scheduled a news conference on Thursday, at the end of his meetings with Kim.

The recently-appointed secretary of state called his South Korean and Singaporean counterparts over the weekend, and Japan is also keenly watching summit preparations.

Kim Yong Chol, who is making his first US visit, is the most senior North Korean on US soil since Vice Marshal Jo Myong Rok met then-president Bill Clinton in 2000.

The general has played a key role during recent rounds of diplomacy aimed at ending the nuclear stalemate on the Korean peninsula.

He sat near to Trump's daughter Ivanka during February's closing ceremony for the Winter Olympics in South Korea, an event that was seen as a turning point in the nuclear crisis.

He also accompanied Kim Jong Un on both of his recent trips to China to meet President Xi Jinping, and held talks with Pompeo in Pyongyang.

The key task ahead of the June 12 summit is to settle the agenda. The main stumbling block is likely to be the concept of "denuclearization" -- both sides say they are in favor of it, but there is a yawning gap between their definitions.

bur-fff-cml/amu/qanChina rejects US accusations it seeks hegemony in Asia



Beijing, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



China on Thursday rejected accusations from top US officials that it seeks hegemony in Asia and is pushing militarisation in the South China Sea.

Outgoing US Navy Admiral Harry Harris, set to become Washington's ambassador in South Korea, had said Wednesday that while North Korea posed the most imminent threat to the United States, China's "dream of hegemony in Asia" was his country's biggest long-term challenge.

The comments were not surprising, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a regular press briefing on Thursday, given that "those who seek and indulge in hegemony will always think that others are coveting their own hegemony".

But "no matter how developed China may become, it will never seek hegemony or engage in expansion," she added.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had vowed Tuesday that the US would keep confronting China over its territorial claims in the South China Sea -- where Beijing has established a significant military presence on contested islands.

US diplomats and foreign nations alike were "very concerned about this continued militarisation" in the region, he told reporters.

But Hua termed Mattis' comments "rather ridiculous".

"China was not the first country to deploy weapons in the South China Sea, nor is it the country with the most weapons there, and neither is it the country with the most frequent military activities" there, she said.

"As for exactly who is pushing militarisation, everyone can drop the scales from their eyes to see that the answer is self-evident."

Mattis in February unveiled the US National Defense Strategy which made clear Washington will focus on Asia in the context of China's growing military might.

Meanwhile, Chinese Ministry of Defence spokesman Ren Guoqiang told a regular press briefing in Beijing on Thursday that the country's sole operational aircraft carrier -- the "Liaoning" -- has reached initial combat readiness.

The carrier group has conducted multiple exercises which have "effectively tested (its) comprehensive attack and defence system" and prepared it for combat operations on the open seas, he said.

rld/qan

AdmiralTurkey says 3 soldiers killed in Iraq clashes with Kurdish rebels



Ankara, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



Three Turkish soldiers were killed Thursday in clashes with fighters from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq, the army said.

"Three of our heroic comrades fell as martyrs as a result of clashes with members of the separatist terrorist organisation in northern Iraq," the army said, referring to the PKK which is designated as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.

Turkish warplanes have often bombed PKK hideouts in the mountainous northern Iraq while the security forces have sporadically launched cross-border incursions in pursuit of rebel fighters.

The army statement did not say where the latest clashes took place.

On Tuesday, the army said another soldier was killed in an attack blamed on the PKK, and responded with airstrikes against the group.

The PKK has been waging an insurgency in the southeast of Turkey since 1984 which has claimed tens of thousands of lives.

Fighting in the region intensified between Turkish security forces and the PKK after the collapse of a two-year ceasefire in 2015.

The PKK's leadership and rear bases are located in the remote mountainous Qandil region and other areas of northern Iraq.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened a major cross-border operation to dislodge the group from its strongholds there.NATO tells Russia to stop meddling, in first talks since Skripal case



Brussels, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



NATO told Russia to put a stop to its "malign activities" against the alliance as the two sides met Thursday for their first political talks since the nerve agent attack on a former Kremlin double agent in Britain.

The 29 members of the US-led alliance delivered a "strong, unified message" to Russia, US Ambassador to NATO Kay Bailey Hutchison said, to end its interference in Ukraine and drop its campaign of disinformation and cyber attacks.

Relations between NATO and Moscow have plunged to post-Cold War lows in recent years over Russia's involvement in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine, its suspected attempt to assassinate former spy Sergei Skripal in the British city of Salisbury and what the alliance says is a sustained campaign of destabilisation waged by the Kremlin.

"In a meeting today @NATO, Allies shared a strong, unified message to Russia: Stop interfering in Ukraine & cease malign activities that seek to divide our Alliance," Bailey Hutchison said in a tweet.

The three-hour meeting was the seventh of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC) in the last two years, held for the first time at the alliance's brand-new headquarters in Brussels, which a NATO diplomat described as an "open exchange".

"During today's meeting, NATO allies addressed Russian attempts to influence both allied and partner countries, using a range of military and non-military techniques," the diplomat said.

"NATO allies expressed their deep concern over a wide range of issues, including cyber-attacks, disinformation campaigns and interference in national elections."



- 'Dangerous pattern' -



NATO also tackled the Russian delegation, led by their acting representative to the alliance Yuri Gorlach, over the March poisoning of Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Soviet-developed nerve agent Novichok.

The Skripal poisoning prompted NATO to expel seven Russian diplomats as part of a coordinated international response to the attack, which alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said fitted a "dangerous pattern of behaviour" from Moscow.

NATO's Baltic states -- Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania -- have complained for years of sustained Russian "hybrid warfare" attacks against them -- military, financial and political manipulation backed by computer hacking and propaganda.

There have also been allegations of Russia seeking to influence political debate and even elections in Western countries through "fake news" and manipulative use of social media platforms.

"NATO allies urged Russia to desist from further attempts to interfere in our nations and destabilise our political system and social order," the NATO diplomat said.

Last week NATO and the European Union urged Moscow to take responsiblity for the 2014 downing of flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine after international investigators concluded that a missile which destroyed the plane came from a Russian military brigade.

The NRC met regularly until the Ukraine crisis plunged relations between the West and Moscow into a deep freeze in 2014, but the meetings resumed in 2016 after months of debate within the alliance over whether it would send the wrong signal to Moscow.Trump awaits Kim letter as nuclear talks make progress



New York, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



The United States and North Korea took another step closer to organizing an historic summit on Thursday, as President Donald Trump awaited delivery of a key letter from Kim Jong Un.

After a morning of talks with Kim's right-hand man in New York, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said it was not yet clear whether Pyongyang would accept nuclear disarmament.

But he claimed "real progress" had been made towards agreement on holding the summit, originally planned for June 12 in Singapore, and said Washington believes Kim is bold enough to take this step.

"It will take bold leadership from Chairman Kim Jong Un if we were able to seize this once in a lifetime opportunity to change the course for the world," Pompeo said, after his talks with Kim's number two Kim Yong Chol.

"President Trump and I believe Chairman Kim is the kind of leader who can make those kind of decisions, and in the coming weeks and months, we will have the opportunity to test whether or not this is the case."

Kim Yong Chol -- the most senior official from Pyongyang to visit the United States in 18 years -- is now expected to head to Washington to present an eagerly expectant Trump with a letter from his young leader.

But Pompeo warned that this message in itself may not be conclusive.

"This is a difficult, difficult challenge. Make no mistake about it. There remains a great deal of work to do," Pompeo said, citing ongoing talks in Singapore and in the demilitarized zone on the Korean border.

But he said that, after what has now been two meetings with Kim Jong Un and three with Kim Yong Chol, he believes the North is at least ready to consider meeting US demands for denuclearization.

US officials now expect the summit to go ahead, but they want North Korea to accept that nuclear disarmament be at the heart of the discussion -- and warn that there can be no end to trade sanctions without it.

"I believe they are contemplating a path forward. They can make a strategic shift. One that their country has not been prepared to make before. This will obviously be their decision," he said.



- Planning team -



Asked whether the answer would come on Friday, when Trump receives Kim's letter, Pompeo admitted he did not know, but added "we have made real progress in the last 72 hours toward setting the conditions."

"The conditions are putting President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un in a place where we think there could be real progress made by the two of them meeting," he said.

Earlier, in Washington, Trump had said he was "looking forward" to reading the letter.

Washington has demanded that the North agree to a "complete, verifiable and irreversible" end to its nuclear program, which is close to the point where it could threaten US cities with missile strikes.

Pyongyang is seeking international recognition and security guarantees and it is far from clear whether its own vision of the "denuclearization" of the Korean peninsula can be brought in line with Washington's.

Nevertheless -- after a wobble earlier this month when Trump briefly cancelled the planned summit, talks are ongoing in New York, Singapore and the DMZ.



- Russia urges caution -



Meanwhile, Russia's foreign minister visited Pyongyang on Thursday for talks with Kim Jong Un and warned against setting expectations too high, urging all sides to "avoid the temptation to demand everything and now."

Lavrov passed on greetings from President Vladimir Putin to Kim and invited him to visit Russia, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Russia is the latest major nation to reach out to North Korea since Trump accepted Kim's proposal for a summit. Kim has already had two meetings each with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.Pentagon warns Syria's Assad against attacking Kurdish forces



Washington, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



The Pentagon on Thursday warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad not to carry out an offensive against US-backed Kurdish forces that control the country's north-east.

"Any interested party in Syria should understand that attacking US Forces or our coalition partners will be a bad policy," Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie, director of the joint staff, said during a press conference.

His remarks came after Assad told Russian broadcaster RT he would not hesitate to use force to retake the third of the country held by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

"The only problem left in Syria is the SDF," he told the channel, adding he saw "two options."

"The first one: we started now opening doors for negotiations. Because the majority of them are Syrians, supposedly they like their country, they don't like to be puppets to any foreigners," Assad said in English.

"We have one option, to live with each other as Syrians. If not, we're going to resort... to liberating those areas by force."

The SDF, dominated by the militia of a self-proclaimed Kurdish autonomous administration, has air support from the US-led coalition against IS and backing from US and French special forces on the ground.

Both the SDF and Russian-backed Syrian troops are engaged in separate operations against IS in east Syria, creating a highly volatile situation, where de-confliction mechanisms have already been tested several times.

The SDF has clashed with Syrian regime fighters on the ground, and the coalition has bombed government forces and their allies on multiple occasions.Kim says committed to denuclearisation of Korean peninsula: KCNA



Seoul, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



North Korean leader Kim Jong Un told Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov he was committed to denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula, the official KCNA news agency reported Friday.

"Kim Jong Un said that the DPRK's will for denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula still remains unchanged and consistent and fixed," KCNA reported after their meeting in Pyongyang on Thursday.

Kim hoped US-North Korean relations and denuclearisation of the peninsula "will be solved on a stage-by-stage basis" and "he hoped that the solution of the issues will progress through effective and constructive dialogue and negotiation," the report by the North Korean news agency said.

Lavrov's visit came as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a top North Korean official held talks on planning a historic summit between Kim and President Donald Trump in Singapore.

The key task ahead of the June 12 summit is to settle the agenda. The main stumbling block is likely to be the concept of "denuclearisation" -- both sides say they are in favour of it, but there is a yawning gap between their definitions.

Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief.

But analysts say North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US will not try to topple the regime.

Kim's comments seem to indicate he is hoping for a phased approach to solve the problem.

Lavrov warned against setting expectations too high, urging all sides to "avoid the temptation to demand everything and now," according to a transcript released by the Russian foreign ministry.Pentagon warns Syria's Assad against attacking Kurdish-led forces



Washington, May 31 (AFP) May 31, 2018



The Pentagon on Thursday warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad not to carry out an offensive agains Kurdish-led forces backed by the United States that control the country's north-east.

"Any interested party in Syria should understand that attacking US Forces or our coalition partners will be a bad policy," Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie, director of the joint staff, said during a press conference.

His remarks came after Assad told Russian broadcaster RT he would not hesitate to use force to retake the third of the country held by the Syrian Democratic Forces.

"The only problem left in Syria is the SDF," he told the channel, adding he saw "two options."

"The first one: we started now opening doors for negotiations. Because the majority of them are Syrians, supposedly they like their country, they don't like to be puppets to any foreigners," Assad said in English.

"We have one option, to live with each other as Syrians. If not, we're going to resort... to liberating those areas by force."

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White later clarified the US did not want to get involved in Syria's civil war, and would offer protection only in areas where the SDF are fighting the Islamic State group.

The SDF, dominated by the militia of a self-proclaimed Kurdish autonomous administration, has air support from the US-led coalition against IS and backing from US and French special forces on the ground.

Both the SDF and Russian-backed Syrian troops are engaged in separate operations against IS in east Syria, creating a highly volatile situation, where de-confliction mechanisms have already been tested several times.

The SDF has clashed with Syrian regime fighters on the ground, and the coalition has bombed government forces and their allies on multiple occasions.Russia not into American regional games







Washington (UPI) May 29, 2018





From increasing sanctions pressure to energy leverage, the Kremlin has the impression Washington is up to political games in the region, an aide said. Speaking at the start of the year, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Baszczak said he was expecting more U.S. troops in a country on the edge of the Russian sphere of influence. "I guarantee that this presence could be a success not only for Poland, but also for Central and Eastern Europe," he said. U.S. interests in Poland extend b ... read moreCALGARY, Alberta, May 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Relentless Resources Ltd. (TSX-V:RRL) (Relentless) announces that it has issued and filed on SEDAR its March 31, 2018 condensed interim financial statements and related managements discussion and analysis. Additional information about Relentless is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com or on the Company's website at www.relentless-resources.com.



Corporate update

In the first quarter of 2018, Relentless announced a recapitalization financing and the addition of Stanley J. Swiatek to its Board of Directors. Gross proceeds of $8.25 million were realized and subsequent to the close of the financing, a new management team was appointed. Relentless appointed Stanley J. Swiatek as Chief Executive Officer, Craig Kolochuk as President, Jeff Swainson as Chief Financial Officer and Tara Johnson-Ouellette as Vice President, Compliance and Regulatory Affairs.

Mr. Swiatek is the former Chief Executive Officer and a current member of the board of directors of Sundial Growers. Mr. Swiatek was an early Applicant (78th) under Health Canadas Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR). Mr. Swiatek is a founder of Sundial Growers and was instrumental in building it into the second largest Licensed Producer in Alberta, with operations also in British Columbia. Mr. Swiatek is a stakeholder that worked with the Alberta Provincial Government Cannabis Roundtable, as well as the Health Canada Cannabis Roundtable and he successfully applied for and received three cultivation licenses. He has over 40 years experience in construction, development and commercial greenhouse agricultural operations. In December 2017, Mr. Swiatek joined the board of directors of Grunewahl Organics, a Pre-licensed Health Canada Applicant. In March 2018, Mr. Swaitek joined the board of directors of Relentless.

Mr. Kolochuk has 20 years of experience in the Canadian oil and gas industry, holding roles in land, business development, acquisitions and divestitures, and management. He was a co-founder of Cardinal Energy Ltd. and played a significant role in acquiring over $800 million of high quality oil and gas assets, ultimately building a publicly traded, dividend paying entity with a market capitalization of nearly $1 billion at its peak.

Mr. Swainson has 10 years of public company accounting, finance, business development and capital markets experience. He began his career with an international accounting firm and, after receiving his Chartered Accountant designation, transitioned into the oil and gas industry. Mr. Swainson was most recently the Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary of a high growth Montney focused exploration and production company, which grew to a market capitalization of approximately $400 million at its peak.

Mrs. Johnson-Ouellette has 20 years of experience in regulatory and compliance, project execution, and business process management. She has spent most of her career in the oil and gas industry, predominantly with start-up companies. She transitioned into the cannabis space in late 2015, working as Manager of Operations for Sundial Growers.

The Company is well positioned to build and maintain a diversified portfolio of cannabis sector businesses. The Companys growth strategy will initially include the production, distribution and sale of cannabis in all acceptable forms, through the acquisition of, or an investment in, a licensed producer or a late stage applicant to become a licensed producer under ACMPR. The Company will also work towards retail distribution, the investment and development of ancillary products and services for the fast-growing cannabis market, and the acquisition of complementary production and manufacturing facilities.

Oil and Gas

In Q1 of 2018, total production decreased 41% to 161 boe/d when compared to 272 boe/d for the same period a year ago. Oil and NGLs production averaged 107 bbl/d in Q1 2018 as compared to 159 bb/d in Q1 2017. Natural gas production averaged 325 mcf/d in the first quarter of 2018 compared to 675 mcf/d in the same period a year ago.

Due to continued low natural gas prices, the Company shut in about 120 boe/day of production during the quarter.

Due to a 5% increase in average commodity prices and a 41% decrease in production volumes, production revenues decreased by 38% to $578,539 in the first quarter of 2018 compared to $925,887 in the same period in 2017. Oil and NGL revenues decreased by 30% and natural gas revenues decreased by 65%.

For the three months ended March 31, 2018, production, operating and transportation expenses decreased 45% to $188,067 as compared to $344,679 for the same period a year ago due to 41% decrease in production volumes. On a per boe basis, production and operating expenses decreased by 8% to $12.96 per boe, down from $14.10 per boe for the same period in 2017.

At March 31, 2018 net surplus was $5,429,296 compared to net debt of $2,502,798 at December 31, 2017. The improved net surplus achieved during Q1 of 2018 was mainly the result of the March, 2018 private placement discussed above. Relentless line of credit remains undrawn and has a limit of $3 million.

Relentless is well positioned with a strong balance sheet, a strong team and an improving commodity price environment.

About Relentless Resources Ltd.

Relentless is a Calgary based emerging oil and natural gas company engaged in the development, acquisition and production of natural gas and crude oil reserves in Alberta. Relentless common shares trade on the TSXV under the symbol RRL.

For further information regarding this news release, please contact:

Stan Swiatek, CEO

Relentless Resources Ltd.

Phone: (403) 651-7590

Fax: (587) 955-9668

E-mail: info@relentless-resources.com Craig Kolochuk, President

Relentless Resources Ltd.

Phone: (403) 875-5665

Fax: (587) 955-9668

E-mail: info@relentless-resources.com Jeff Swainson, CFO

Relentless Resources Ltd.

Phone: (403) 796-3640

Fax: (587) 955-9668

E-mail: info@relentless-resources.com

Website: www.relentless-resources.com





Abbreviations bbl barrel bbl/d barrel per day boe barrel of oil equivalent boe/d barrel of oil equivalent per day mcf thousand cubic feet mcf/d thousand cubic feet per day NGLs natural gas liquids G&A general and administrative expenses IFRS International Financial Reporting Standards

Forward-Looking Statements: All statements, other than statements of historical fact, set forth in this news release, including without limitation, assumptions and statements regarding: the volumes and estimated value of the Companys proved and probable reserves; future production rates; exploration and development results; financial results; and future plans, operations and objectives of the Company, including, without limitation, plans with respect to the Companys growth strategy, are forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Some of these risks and uncertainties are beyond managements control, including but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, fluctuation of commodity prices, fluctuation of foreign exchange rates, environmental risks, industry competition, availability of qualified personnel and management, availability of materials, equipment and third party services, stock market volatility, timely and cost effective access to sufficient capital from internal and external sources. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable by the Company at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.

These assumptions and statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties inherent in the oil and gas industry such as geological, technical, drilling and processing problems and other risks and uncertainties, as well as the business risks discussed in the MD&A under the heading "Business Risks". The Company does not undertake any obligation, except as required by applicable securities legislation, to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Boe is calculated using the conversion factor of 6 mcf of natural gas being equivalent to one barrel of oil. Boe may be misleading, particularly if used in isolation. A boe conversion ratio of 6 mcf:1 bbl is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given that the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6:1, utilizing a conversion on a 6:1 basis may be misleading as an indication of value.

This news release provides certain financial measures that do not have a standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. These non-IFRS financial measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Cash flow from operations and net debt are not recognized measures under IFRS. Management believes that in addition to net income (loss), cash flow from operations and net debt are useful supplemental measures that demonstrate the Companys ability to generate the cash necessary to repay debt or fund future capital investment. Investors are cautioned, however, that these measures should not be construed as an alternative to net income (loss) determined in accordance with IFRS as an indication of the Companys performance. The Companys method of calculating these measures may differ from other companies and accordingly, they may not be comparable to measures used by other companies. Cash flow from operations is calculated by adjusting net income (loss) for other income, unrealized gains or losses on financial derivative instruments, transaction costs, accretion, share based compensation, impairment and depletion and depreciation. Net debt is the total of accounts receivable plus prepaids and deposits, less accounts payable plus bank debt.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Optimization

Are you frustrated with a slow pc or a hard disk not performing as it should?

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SRPSKA AND SERBIA UNITED IN THIS CENTURY

BELGRADE, May 30 /SRNA/ - President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik stated Wednesday in Belgrade that Republika Srpska and Serbia should become one territorial unit in this century.



Dodik told students of the Belgrade Faculty of Political Sciences that he knew there would be many sharp reactions from Sarajevo due to this stance which he has presented many times.



"In the course of this century, we should end up like Republika Srpska and Serbia, united in a single territorial unit," said Dodik and his statement was welcomed with a standing ovation.



He pointed out he saw Republika Srpska as a state with all known elements and definitions.



Dodik noted that Srpska had its own government, parliament and its finances with which it was able to finance itself.



He gave a graphic example for Bosnia and Herzegovinas dysfunction that if lights went out in BiH, only Republika Srpska could turn them back on.



The president of Republika Srpska pointed out that Srpska had its friends Serbia and Russia and excellent relations with China.



Dodik previously met with the Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences Dragan Simic. /end/dsBOSTON, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The digital revolution in aerospace and defense (A&D) has reached an inflection point, according to a recent study by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). As A&D companies accelerate their investments in digital technologies, their leaders are questioning whether their investments are paying off. In many cases, they are not getting satisfactory answers. The studys findings are detailed in a BCG report titled Is the Digital Revolution in Aerospace and Defense in Crisis?



The study drew on BCGs second annual global survey of digital adoption in A&D. Participants included more than 200 senior A&D executives and managers. The survey results point to a looming digital crisis, says Greg Mallory, a BCG senior partner and a coauthor of the report. Executives have invested a lot in digital and now want to see returns for that money. Yet, in terms of digital adoption, the industry is still immature compared with automotive and industrial manufacturers.

The uncertainty surrounding returns may lead some A&D companies to pull back on their technology investments, while others may double down. The results of our study indicate that a third approach is a more effective way to unlock value, says Lacy Ketzner, a BCG principal and another coauthor of the report. Companies should complement their direct investments in digital applications with simultaneous supporting investments in digital enablers. These enablers include talent, leadership and culture, agile at scale, data strategy, data infrastructure, and digital ecosystems.

The imperative to avert a digital crisis is supported by several key findings:

A&D companies continue to prioritize investments in digital technologies. For many, digital is at the top of the CEOs agenda. Investment levels are increasing to support both core operations and new growth areas.



Rising investments are accompanied by heightened concern about returns. Respondents cited demonstrating value as their most important digital challenge, a finding that was validated in our discussions with company leaders.



In comparisons with automotive and industrial manufacturers, A&D companies stand out for defining a digital vision but lag behind in terms of investments in digital enablers.

Taken together, the survey results suggest that being really smart about early proof points and targeted investments is the best way to capture more value sooner from digital investments, says Mallory.

A copy of the report can be downloaded here.

To arrange an interview with one of the authors, please contact Eric Gregoire at +1 617 850 3783 or gregoire.eric@bcg.com.

About The Boston Consulting Group

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm and the worlds leading advisor on business strategy. We partner with clients from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors in all regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their enterprises. Our customized approach combines deep insight into the dynamics of companies and markets with close collaboration at all levels of the client organization. This ensures that our clients achieve sustainable competitive advantage, build more capable organizations, and secure lasting results. Founded in 1963, BCG is a private company with offices in more than 90 cities in 50 countries. For more information, please visit bcg.com.

The Boston Consulting Group

Eric Gregoire

Global Media Relations Manager

Tel +1 617 850 3783

Fax +1 617 850 3701

gregoire.eric@bcg.com



Kerry Gibson PD report released, offers more details into controversial probe

OGDEN  It took three-plus years of wrangling in the courts. But the 2017 Ogden Police Department report into Kerry Gibson, the former Weber County commissioner, has been released. Tuesdays move by the City of Ogden comes in the wake of a Utah Supreme Court ruling in August that Gibson had no standing to challenge its release, the focus of a court battle dating to May 2018. The 50-page document, redacted in parts to black out the names and identifying details of witnesses who spoke to police, contains the direct testimony of Weber County workers involved in the 2013-2014 Weber ...VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Veritas Pharma Inc. (CSE:VRT) (OTC:VRTHF) (Frankfurt:2VP), (Veritas or the Company) is pleased to provide a corporate update on its achievements, related scientific activities and growth strategies for the second quarter of fiscal 2018.



Status of Human Trials

Earlier this year, Veritas Pharmas subsidiary Cannevert Therapeutics (CTL) signed an agreement with Puerto Ricos Fundacion de Investigacion (FDI) Clinical Research to perform trials of its lead cannabis strain, CTL-X, to target pain. The anticipated approvals were expected to come at the end of Q1 2018 with a potential start this Q2 2018. Challenges arose with the importation of placebo cannabis from a non-US supplier. The designated placebo is a cannabis plant material which resembles CTL-X both in appearance and scent but does not contain the active constituents that can potentially produce the therapeutic effects Cannevert scientists are currently sourcing a similar placebo, preferably locally within Puerto Rico. Once this task has been completed, the details of this material will be incorporated into the documentation for local regulatory review. The start of human trials is now anticipated in early Q3 2018.

Health Canada Dealer Licence

In late 2017, Health Canada issued CTL a dealer licence (no. 2018/6970) under its Section 9.2 of the Narcotic Control Regulations (NCR). This license enables CTL to possess, produce, analyze, sale, send, transport, and deliver cannabis, hemp and related products and enables CTL to be a commercial service provider of chemistry and biological testing services for licensed producers. Since then, Veritas and CTL have been searching for potential therapeutic cannabis strains in various parts of the World to import for further testing. CTL has been also preparing to update its license to enable it to package its propriety cannabis products.

Cancer Research Project

CTLs cancer research project with Dr. Dmitri Petchkovski of Fibroblast Consulting has been investigating the effects of several human lung, prostate, colon, breast, and melanoma cancer cell lines against select cannabis strains, along with standard clinical chemotherapeutic drugs for comparison. There has been sufficient screening of strains since the last update. Current evidence suggests there is anticancer activity in certain cell lines; however, further investigation will be required over the coming months to establish more conclusive evidence.

3 Carbon Extraction Acquisition

Veritas recently entered into a Share Purchase Agreement with 3 Carbon Extractions Inc. (3 Carbon) to acquire 50% of their issued and outstanding shares. 3 Carbon will provide Veritas with extraction and product development expertise to further the Companys goals in creating proprietary products and formulas for select therapeutic indications. 3 Carbon has been leveraging its relationship with ExtractionTek Solutions Ltd. (ETS), a hydrocarbon extraction equipment manufacturer from Colorado, to assist Veritas in gaining further access to licensed producers in Canada and around the World for cannabis supply and co-development opportunities.

Sechelt Organic ACMPR Application

In 2014, Veritas other subsidiary, Sechelt Organic Marijuana Corp. (SOM) submitted an Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) application to be a Health Canada approved licensed producer. SOM is still at the fifth Application Review of the seven stages of the application process and is awaiting permission from Health Canada to build on its land located in Sechelt, British Columbia, Canada. Although acquiring an ACMPR license would enable CTL to eventually design and grow its own propriety strains, there are now more licensed producers in Canada and other parts of the World willing to enter into cannabis production and/or co-development agreements with other companies. Veritas has been looking at this approach to have select cannabis strains grown by Canadian or non-Canadian licensed producers. This in interim enables the Company to further its research, product development and commercialization activities.

Cannevert Therapeutics Ltd. Acquisition

On March 22, 2018, Veritas Pharma completed the 100% takeover of its research arm, Cannevert Therapeutics (CTL). Since then, the Company has been working with Canneverts scientists to finalize their operational research plan, including re-organization and role refinement of personnel for the next two years. The focus of their research efforts will be the discovery and development of medical cannabis products for the pain and seniors/palliative care markets.

Research Facility

The Company continues to explore other prospective research offices and laboratory space on the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC) as well as in other municipalities of the Lower Mainland that permit cannabis research, product development and commercialization. Veritas is still committed to expand its operations by Q3 of this year.

Private Placement

On May 21, 2018, UKs first medicinal cannabis investment fund, Sativa Investments PLC (NEX:SATI) subscribed on a non-brokered private placement basis to 500,000 Common shares of Veritas at a price C$ 0.40 per share for gross proceeds to the Company of $200,000. No warrants were issued with this placement. The Private Placement was approved by all of the independent directors of the Company.

About Veritas Pharma Inc.

Veritas Pharma Inc. is an emerging pharmaceutical and IP development company, who, through its 100% owned subsidiary Cannevert Therapeutics Ltd. (CTL), is advancing the science behind medical cannabis. It is the Companys aim, through its investment in CTL, to develop the most effective cannabis strains (cultivars) specific to pain, nausea, epilepsy and PTSD, solving the critical need for clinical data to support medical marijuana claims. CTLs unique value proposition uses a low-cost research and development model to help drive shareholder value, and speed-to-market. Veritas investment in CTL is led by a strong management team, bringing together veteran academic pharmacologists, anesthetists & chemists. The companys commercial mission is to patent protect IP (cultivars & strains) and sell or license to cancer clinics, insurance industry and pharma, targeting multi-billion-dollar global markets.

Veritas Pharma Inc. is a publicly traded company in Canada, on the Canadian Stock Exchange under the ticker VRT; in the United States, on the OTC under the ticker VRTHF; and in Germany, on the Frankfurt exchange under the ticker 2VP. For more information, please visit our website: veritaspharmainc.com

On behalf of the Board of Directors

" Dr. Lui Franciosi"

Dr. Lui Franciosi

President and Chief Executive Officer

Further information about the Company is available on our website at www.veritaspharmainc.com or under our profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the CSE website at www.thecse.com.

Investor and Public Relations Contact

Veritas Pharma Inc.

Sam Eskandari

Telephone: +1.416.918.6785

Email: ir@veritaspharmainc.com

Website: www.veritaspharmainc.com

The CSE has not reviewed, nor approved or disapproved the content of this press release.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Environmental assessment has always been arbitrary and political and the federal governments proposed changes (contained in Bill C-69) do nothing to change that, argues a new report released today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian policy think-tank.



If anything, the reforms will increase uncertainty in the project approval process.

Environmental assessment has always been an empty shell devoid of substantive rules or standards. At a time when major pipeline projects remain in limbo, the last thing Canada needs is a more arbitrary and politically-driven impact assessment process, said Bruce Pardy, a law professor at Queens University and author of Federal Reforms and the Empty Shell of Environmental Assessment.

In February 2018, the federal government introduced Bill C-69, which will replace the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012 with the Impact Assessment Act.

Under the new statute, which is now back in the House of Commons for third and final reading, the federal cabinet and the environment minister still retain the power to approve or reject projects regardless of an assessments findings, meaning the process will remain highly political.

And if passed, Bill C-69 will broaden the factors to be considered in environmental impact assessments of proposed natural resource development projects within federal jurisdiction, such as dams and oil and gas pipelines.

For example, environmental assessments will also take climate change, traditional Indigenous knowledge and gender impacts into account.

The study argues that the more factors included in impact assessments, the more discretionary the decisions will be.

Historically, environmental assessment regimes have permitted federal governments of every stripe to make project decisions based on the political winds of the day, Pardy said.

The proposed reforms may make a bad process worse.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Bruce Pardy, Professor of Law

Queens University

Kenneth Green, Senior Director, Natural Resource Studies

Fraser Institute

To arrange media interviews or for more information, please contact:

Bryn Weese, Media Relations Specialist, Fraser Institute

Tel: (604) 688-0221 ext. 589

E-mail: bryn.weese@fraserinstitute.org

Follow the Fraser Institute on Twitter | Become a fan on Facebook

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, and Montreal and ties to a global network of think-tanks in 87 countries. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for Canadians, their families and future generations by studying, measuring and broadly communicating the effects of government policies, entrepreneurship and choice on their well-being. To protect the Institutes independence, it does not accept grants from governments or contracts for research. Visit www.fraserinstitute.orgSAN DIEGO, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Envision Solar International, Inc., (OTCQB:EVSI) (Envision Solar, or the Company), the leading renewably energized EV charging, outdoor media and energy security products company, announced the successful delivery of the EV ARC product to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.



EV ARC products are ideally suited for secure locations because they require no construction which means that, except for Envisions delivery driver, no other personnel require access to the location to facilitate the installation. This reduces background checks and other administrative processes needed for secure facilities. Choosing EV ARC products also reduces risk and the associated costs, when compared to typical grid-tied EV chargers, which are the result of construction/electrical projects at secure facilities.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is yet another great California agency to recognize the benefits of ease of installation with our EV ARCs, said Envision Solar CEO, Desmond Wheatley. We are delighted to be working with them and look forward to enabling more secure deployments of electric vehicle charging infrastructure for them in the future.

With 85 facilities, the California Corrections and Rehabilitation System provides secure incarceration for offenders, effective parole supervision, and rehabilitative strategies to successfully reintegrate offenders into our communities. As the State of California continues its drive to electrify fleet vehicles, there will be an increasing requirement for the unique benefits offered by the EV ARC because of its easy and fast deployment in all locations especially those with security issues. Envision Solar considers Corrections and Rehabilitation agencies in California and across the U.S. as likely areas of continued future growth.

Invented and manufactured in California, the EV ARC fits inside a parking space and generates enough clean solar electricity to power up to 225 miles of EV driving in a day. The systems solar electrical generation is enhanced by EnvisionTrak which causes the array to follow the sun, generating up to 25% more electricity than a fixed array. The energy is stored in the EV ARC products energy storage for charging day or night, and to provide emergency power during grid failure. Because the EV ARC product requires no trenching, foundations or installation work of any kind, it is deployed in minutes and can be moved to a new location with ease. EV ARC products are manufactured in the companys San Diego facility by combat veterans, individuals with disabilities, and other minority demographics and highly talented, mission-driven team members.

About Envision Solar International, Inc.

Envision Solar, www.envisionsolar.com, is a sustainable technology innovation company whose unique and patented products include the EV ARC and the Solar Tree with EnvisionTrak patented solar tracking, SunCharge solar Electric Vehicle Charging, ARC technology energy storage, and EnvisionMedia solar advertising displays.

Based in San Diego, the company produces Made in America products. Envision Solar is listed on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol [EVSI]. For more information visit www.envisionsolar.com or call (858) 799-4583.

Forward-Looking Statements

This Press Release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events or our expected future results that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements in this report other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as estimate, project, predict, believe, expect, anticipate, target, plan, intend, seek, goal, will, should, may, or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or results. Statements contemplating or making assumptions regarding actual or potential sales, market size, and demand, prospective business contracts, customer orders, trends or operating results also constitute forward-looking statements. Our actual results may differ substantially from those indicated in forwarding-looking statements because our business is subject to significant economic, competitive, regulatory, business and industry risks which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control. Our operating results, financial condition, and business performance may be adversely affected by a general decline in the economy, unavailability of capital or financing for our prospective customers to purchase products and services from us, competition, changes in regulations, a decline in the demand for solar energy, a lack of profitability, a decline in our stock price, and other risks. We may not have adequate capital, financing or cash flow to sustain our business or implement our business plans. Current results and trends are not necessarily indicative of future results that we may achieve.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e86e0f92-b7c5-4aad-b387-1013eadfeaa8Blog Archive Apr 2010 (22) May 2010 (25) Jun 2010 (8) Jul 2010 (12) Aug 2010 (18) Sep 2010 (19) Oct 2010 (29) Nov 2010 (30) Dec 2010 (18) Jan 2011 (13) Feb 2011 (21) Mar 2011 (23) Apr 2011 (19) May 2011 (31) Jun 2011 (36) Jul 2011 (46) Aug 2011 (26) Sep 2011 (12) Oct 2011 (15) Nov 2011 (17) Dec 2011 (7) Jan 2012 (18) Feb 2012 (4) Mar 2012 (12) Apr 2012 (18) May 2012 (10) Jun 2012 (21) Jul 2012 (8) Aug 2012 (15) Sep 2012 (7) Oct 2012 (17) Nov 2012 (20) Dec 2012 (10) Jan 2013 (58) Feb 2013 (59) Mar 2013 (60) Apr 2013 (98) May 2013 (135) Jun 2013 (204) Jul 2013 (293) Aug 2013 (351) Sep 2013 (363) Oct 2013 (348) Nov 2013 (374) Dec 2013 (442) Jan 2014 (547) Feb 2014 (476) Mar 2014 (526) Apr 2014 (527) May 2014 (469) Jun 2014 (408) Jul 2014 (472) Aug 2014 (522) Sep 2014 (443) Oct 2014 (472) Nov 2014 (497) Dec 2014 (536) Jan 2015 (539) Feb 2015 (520) Mar 2015 (582) Apr 2015 (658) May 2015 (679) Jun 2015 (673) Jul 2015 (728) Aug 2015 (803) Sep 2015 (923) Oct 2015 (924) Nov 2015 (802) Dec 2015 (791) Jan 2016 (782) Feb 2016 (835) Mar 2016 (929) Apr 2016 (866) May 2016 (947) Jun 2016 (1044) Jul 2016 (882) Aug 2016 (1035) Sep 2016 (967) Oct 2016 (918) Nov 2016 (854) Dec 2016 (885) Jan 2017 (879) Feb 2017 (777) Mar 2017 (896) Apr 2017 (872) May 2017 (850) Jun 2017 (851) Jul 2017 (971) Aug 2017 (1040) Sep 2017 (998) Oct 2017 (1144) Nov 2017 (1046) Dec 2017 (838) Jan 2018 (873) Feb 2018 (769) Mar 2018 (885) Apr 2018 (809) May 2018 (827) Jun 2018 (820) Jul 2018 (840) Aug 2018 (854) Sep 2018 (844) Oct 2018 (851) Nov 2018 (870) Dec 2018 (912) Jan 2019 (919) Feb 2019 (827) Mar 2019 (957) Apr 2019 (913) May 2019 (1007) Jun 2019 (935) Jul 2019 (950) Aug 2019 (936) Sep 2019 (910) Oct 2019 (920) Nov 2019 (874) Dec 2019 (908) Jan 2020 (941) Feb 2020 (849) Mar 2020 (898) Apr 2020 (848) May 2020 (822) Jun 2020 (789) Jul 2020 (819) Aug 2020 (858) Sep 2020 (841) Oct 2020 (873) Nov 2020 (812) Dec 2020 (780) Jan 2021 (765) Feb 2021 (716) Mar 2021 (819) Apr 2021 (805) May 2021 (815) Jun 2021 (824) Jul 2021 (830) Aug 2021 (832) Sep 2021 (791) Oct 2021 (333)The Annual General Meeting in Saga Tankers ASA was held today at the premises of the Company in Oslo, Norway.

All items on the agenda were approved.

Please find the attached minutes from the meeting in Norwegian, accompanied by an English office translation.

Oslo, 31 May 2018

For further information please contact: CEO Espen Lundaas, +47 92 43 14 17Kansas Citys Metcalf South Mall in 2011 was a virtual ghost town of gated entrances, empty parking lots and closed storefronts. But one last establishment owned by the bubbly, big-hearted Sonia Warshawski remained open: her colorful tailor shop.

Sonias granddaughter, filmmaker Leah Warshawski, thought the story of Sonia and her shop would make a great subject for a short film. What Warshawski didnt expect however was how big of an impact Sonia, now 92 years old, had on others through her story as a Holocaust survivor. Warshawski realized the story she wanted to tell was much bigger than just a shop, and the short film evolved into the feature-length, award-winning documentary Big Sonia.

Warshawski, who graduated from Clayton High School in 1996, started working in the film industry in college in Hawaii and has worked on various TV, commercial and documentary projects. For her project in 2011, she traveled to Kansas City with co-director and then-boyfriend, now-husband Todd Soliday to make a fun 20 to 30 minute film about Sonia and her late husbands tailor shop, which Sonia kept open after his death.

We thought her shop would be a great reality show, Warshawski said. Every day that youre in that shop, something else happens. You meet people from different walks of life, backgrounds, races, cultures and ethnicities.

ADVERTISEMENT

Warshawski said she knew there was a reason patrons visited Sonias shop, even when there was nothing else in the mall.

[People] come into the shop all day long, not because they need tailoring but because they need therapy or theyre looking for something. I think often theyre looking for their own redemption, Warshawski said.

While working on the short film, Warshawski and Soliday followed Sonia and her daughter Regina to a school assembly about their family history.

Sonia grew up in Miedzyrzec, Poland, and was taken by Nazi forces in September 1939, when she was 13. She spent her teenage years in three concentration camps: Majdanek, Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen. During that time, she had to see her mom marched to her death. Sonia was liberated from Bergen-Belsen in 1945.

Warshawski said Sonia has always openly shared her Holocaust memories to her family, but she did not begin sharing her story publicly until 10 years ago.

After the assembly, students tearfully approached Sonia and told her how much her story affected them. It was then that Warshawski realized Sonias effect on people reached beyond just her customers.

We knew the film was bigger than us. It was bigger than the family and it was bigger than a typical Jewish film or a typical Holocaust film, Warshawski said.

Warshawski said Sonia affects so many people because of her resilience.

When you look at her, shes a tiny bright-colored woman with big hair and a big car and a big personality, Warshawski said. You learn about all the tragedy  and the two dont really match  The fact that she gets up six days a week and drives herself to work despite everything that she went through is unique and people aspire to do that themselves.

Warshawski said a major theme of the film, with its juxtaposition of Sonias history and personality, is empathy.

The whole theme of the film has become this message of love over hate, Warshawski said. We hope it inspires people to think about their own lives and own families differently and to maybe give your parents a break because you dont know what your parents have dealt with and just to have more compassion for people.







However, in order to make the film a success, Warshawski knew she needed the rest of her family to participate. She said many people dont think of how the Holocaust affected the children of survivors. This intersection of empathy and intergenerational trauma is important to the film, according to Warshawski.

Its given some validation to Sonias children as second-generation survivors, she said. A lot of people dont ask them or didnt ask them before about what its like to grow up in a family with parents who are survivors.

But Warshawski said it was not easy convincing her family to take part in the film.

No one in my family wanted to be in the movie and theyd tell you the same thing, she said. They didnt understand why we needed to talk to them. They thought the film was only about Sonia.

Warshawski described working with her family as one of the hardest things shes had to do professionally because her family had to be very vulnerable on camera.

Working on a film about your family adds a lot of layers of obligation and anxiety but it also has a layer of access that we would never have otherwise, so its a blessing and a curse, she said. As a filmmaker, people warn you all the time not to make a film about your family  It just makes it really tough because you want them to be proud of what youre doing.

Warshawski said her husband and the rest of the films crew helped her make difficult decisions about emotional scenes involving her family.

Theres no way in hell I would have made this film without [my husband], Warshawski said. Theres no way. Its too much. Its too difficult.

Ultimately though, Warshawski said she is proud of her family for being so open because it has helped others like them.

A lot of second and third generation come up to us afterward and say, Thank you so much for talking about the stuff that we didnt know we could talk about, the things that we couldnt say. she said. Were proud of that element, that were opening up these conversations and families.

Big Sonia premiered at film festivals in November 2016 and theatrically in November 2017. It has played in over 70 film festivals and won 18 awards, including the Grand Jury Prize in Barcelona and Cleveland.

Warshawski said one of the biggest blessings of the film has been traveling to film festivals with her family.

Its given my family an opportunity to experience what our life is like, experience what our industry is like and be the stars. Sonia just eats it up, she said.

Today, Sonia still lives in Kansas City and runs Johns Tailor Shop, now located in a dead office building rather than a dead mall, according to Warshawski. The documentary describes Sonia as thriving.Oslo, 31 May 2018 - DNO ASA, the Norwegian oil and gas operator, today held its 2018 Annual General Meeting at 10:00 am in Oslo. All resolutions received near unanimous approval from shareholders. The minutes from the meeting are attached.

--

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.Ship Finance International Limited (NYSE: SFL) ("Ship Finance" or the "Company") announces that it has agreed to acquire four large container vessels in combination with long-term time-charters to a leading container line.

The vessels are modern eco-design built in 2014 with approximately 14,000 TEU carrying capacity. The Company expects to take delivery of the vessels in the near term, and the purchase price is confidential.

The time-charters to a leading Asia-based container line run until 2024, with options to extend the charters by 18 additional months. Our fixed-rate charter backlog will increase by nearly $450 million and the EBITDA contribution from these new vessels is estimated to approximately $60 million per year.

The consideration to the sellers will be cash plus approximately 4 million newly issued shares in Ship Finance. The cash consideration is financed with cash on the balance sheet and a $320 million unsecured loan facility provided by an affiliate of Hemen Holding Ltd., the Company's largest shareholder. This loan facility is non-amortizing and with a term of more than one year. The Company is exploring long-term financing alternatives for these vessels in the Asian capital market.

Ole B. Hjertaker, CEO of Ship Finance Management AS, said in a comment: "This acquisition highlights Ship Finance's strength and ability to achieve sustained growth and continued diversification. We are deploying a part of the recently raised capital, but still have capacity for new accretive opportunities. Over the last two months we have added nearly $600 million to our charter backlog and expect to continue increasing our fleet of vessels and charter backlog in 2018".

May 31, 2018

The Board of Directors

Ship Finance International Limited

Hamilton, Bermuda

Questions can be directed to Ship Finance Management AS:

Investor and Analyst Contacts:

Harald Gurvin, Chief Financial Officer, Ship Finance Management AS

+47 23 11 40 09

Andre Reppen, Senior Vice President, Ship Finance Management AS

+47 23 11 40 55



Media Contact:

Ole B. Hjertaker, Chief Executive Officer, Ship Finance Management AS

+47 23 11 40 11

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. More information can be found on the Company's website: www.shipfinance.bm

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.Dublin, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global and China Lithium Carbonate Industry Report, 2017-2021" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



In 2017, global lithium mineral reserves reached 16 million tons, of which Chile boasted roughly 7.5 million tons, occupying 46.88% of the global total; China followed with 3.2 million tons, taking a 20% share. That meant a combined 66.88% of the total was held by the two countries.



Mature oligopolies are major contributors to supply increase of lithium resources in the short run. In 2017, the world's output of lithium carbonate amounted to 235.4kt, a year-on-year upsurge of 21.5%, and with increments largely from Mt Marion and Mt. Cattlin mines in Australia. In 2018, global lithium supply will outstrip 250kt (lithium carbonate) because of the continuous production of the two Australian mines and the expected release of 20kt/a Phase II (lithium carbonate) of Albemarle's La Negra. There are more than 20 lithium capacity expansion and new construction projects around the globe, which are built to meet the soaring lithium demand. Rocskill predicts the global lithium capacity of nearly 447kt/a (lithium carbonate) in 2025.



At the end of 2017, China saw the basic lithium salt capacity surge by 47% from 170kt/a in 2016 to roughly 250kt/a, including 178kt lithium carbonate, 54kt lithium hydroxide and 18kt lithium chloride, which covered battery grade and industry grade capacity as well as processing capacity of foreign companies in China. In 2018, the degree of matching between releasing time and progress of new lithium salt capacity, and production and expansion of cathode material production lines in China, will affect the supply and demand of lithium salt at home and abroad.



Despite capacity expansions by Chinese lithium carbonate producers in recent years, the enterprises concerned run actual capacity far lower than designed one, and exacerbated a slower capacity release, resulting in supply shortage of lithium carbonate in the Chinese market. Additionally, as Chinese enterprises mostly import Australian ores as raw materials, production capacity may be limited by rising costs of raw materials in the long term. In 2017, China reported the lithium carbonate output of 123.4kt while apparent consumption of 127kt, leaving a supply gap of 33kt. There will be still an expected tight balance between supply and demand of lithium carbonate in China during 2018-2020.



Global and China Lithium Carbonate Industry Report, 2017-2021 highlights the followings:

Global and China's lithium carbonate supply and demand, supply gap, the demand for lithium carbonate from downstream sectors, especially new energy vehicles, energy storage, and consumer electronics.

Global and China's competitive landscape, including market share of foreign and domestic companies, capacity planning, market pattern, etc.

China's lithium carbonate imports and exports, covering import/export value, prices, sources, destinations, etc.

China's production costs of lithium carbonate with lithium extracted from ores and from salt lake brine, price trends, etc.

China's lithium battery industry, including shipment, technology roadmap, market pattern, etc.

Operation, technology, development planning, and output & sales of 8 lithium carbonate suppliers in the United States, Chile, Australia, etc.

Operation, technology, development planning, and output & sales of 14 Chinese lithium carbonate producers.

Key Topics Covered:



1. Overview of Lithium Carbonate

1.1 Definition of Lithium

1.1.1 Distribution of Lithium Resources Worldwide

1.1.2 Distribution of Lithium Resources in China

1.2 Application and Product Type

1.3 Industry Chain

1.4 Production Technology



2. Development of Global Lithium Carbonate Industry

2.1 Supply

2.2 Demand

2.2.1 New Energy Vehicle's Demand for Lithium Carbonate

2.2.2 3C Consumer Electronics' Demand for Lithium Carbonate

2.2.3 Energy Storage Equipment's Demand for Lithium Carbonate

2.2.4 Industry's Demand for Lithium Carbonate

2.3 Competitive Landscape



3. Development of China Lithium Carbonate Industry

3.1 Supply

3.2 Demand

3.2.1 Total Demand

3.2.2 New Energy Vehicle's Demand for Lithium Carbonate

3.2.3 Industrial Energy Storage's Demand for Lithium Carbonate

3.3 Status Quo of Industrial Development

3.4 Competitive Landscape

3.5 Technology Trend- High-purity Lithium Carbonate



4. Import & Export of Lithium Salt in China

4.1 Import

4.1.1 Lithium Carbonate

4.1.2 Lithium Hydroxide

4.1.3 Lithium Chloride

4.1.4 Lithium-ion Batteries

4.1.5 Lithium Primary Cells and Primary Batteries

4.1.6 Lithium Iron Phosphate

4.1.7 Lithium Manganese Oxide

4.1.8 Lithium Nickel Cobalt Manganese Oxide

4.2 Export

4.2.1 Lithium Carbonate

4.2.2 Lithium Hydroxide

4.2.3 Lithium Chloride

4.2.4 Lithium-ion Batteries

4.2.5 Lithium Primary Cells and Primary Batteries

4.2.6 Lithium Iron Phosphate

4.2.7 Lithium Manganese Oxide

4.2.8 Lithium Nickel Cobalt Manganese Oxide



5. Production Costs and Prices

5.1 Costs of Lithium Carbonate

5.1.1 Lithium Extracted from Ores

5.1.2 Lithium Extracted from Salt Lake Brine

5.2 Prices and Trend



6. Chinese Lithium Battery Market

6.1 Overview

6.2 Industry Chain

6.3 Output

6.4 Technology Route

6.5 Market Pattern

6.6 Electric Vehicle's Demand for Lithium Battery

6.6.1 Chinese EV Market

6.6.2 EV Development Trend in China



7. Global Lithium Carbonate Producers

7.1 SQM

7.2 Albemarle

7.3 FMC

7.4 Orocobre

7.5 Galaxy Resources Ltd

7.6 Simbol Materials

7.7 Sentient

7.8 Nordic Mining



8. Chinese Lithium Carbonate Producers

8.1 Tianqi Lithium Corporation

8.2 Qinghai Salt Lake Industry Co., Ltd.

8.3 Youngy Co., Ltd.

8.4 Tibet Mineral Development Co., Ltd.

8.5 Sichuan Western Resources Holding Co., Ltd.

8.6 Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd.

8.7 Western Mining Co., Ltd.

8.8 Tibet Urban Development and Investment Co., Ltd.

8.9 Jiangxi Special Electric Motor Co., Ltd.

8.10 Xinjiang Lithium Salt Plant

8.11 Sichuan Ni & Co Guorun New Materials Co., Ltd.

8.12 Sichuan Jixiang Lithium Technology Co., Ltd.

8.13 ABA Guangsheng Lithium Co., Ltd.

8.14 Shanghai China Lithium Industrial Co., Ltd.



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/j955nc/global_and_china?w=12



English Finnish

Nokia Corporation

Stock Exchange Release

May 31, 2018 at 13:15 (CET +1)

Nokia announces a change in the composition of the Nokia Group Leadership Team

Nokia appoints Maria Varsellona as president of Nokia Technologies in addition to her current role as Chief Legal Officer

Gregory Lee, the current Nokia Technologies president, to leave the company

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced that the president of Nokia Technologies, Gregory Lee, will leave the company following the closure of the Digital Health business sale. Lee will be replaced by Maria Varsellona, who remains Chief Legal Officer and continues to report to Nokia President and Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Suri as a member of Nokia's Group Leadership Team.

Lee steps down from the Group Leadership Team effective immediately, and will leave Nokia after a transition period.

"Gregory came to Nokia, made a clear-eyed assessment of our consumer business and incubation activities, and took the bold decision to refocus Nokia Technologies on licensing," said Rajeev Suri. "As part of that effort, he assessed strategic options for Digital Health, which led to the sale of that business. Given that, we have agreed that his work at Nokia is done. He leaves the company with my great appreciation and thanks."

"I look forward to working together with Maria as we continue to further build Nokia's licensing business," Suri added. "I am also pleased that Barry French, Nokia's Chief Marketing Officer, has agreed to replace Gregory on the Board of HMD Global, our partner for Nokia branded mobile phones."

Gregory Lee said: "I am proud of the fact that I leave Nokia Technologies as a stronger and more focused organization, strategically aligned to make a meaningful impact on Nokia's business performance. I am thankful for my time at Nokia and wish the team continued success."

Following the departure of Lee, Nokia's Group Leadership Team consists of the following members: Rajeev Suri, Basil Alwan, Hans-Juergen Bill, Kathrin Buvac, Ashish Chowdhary, Joerg Erlemeier, Barry French, Sanjay Goel, Bhaskar Gorti, Federico Guillen, Kristian Pullola, Sri Reddy, Marc Rouanne, Maria Varsellona and Marcus Weldon.

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. Powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we serve communications service providers, governments, large enterprises and consumers, with the industry's most complete, end-to-end portfolio of products, services and licensing.

We adhere to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality and integrity. Nokia is enabling the infrastructure for 5G and the Internet of Things to transform the human experience www.nokia.com

Media Enquiries:

Nokia

Communications

Tel. +358 (0) 10 448 4900

Email: press.services@nokia.com

Jon Peet, Vice President, Corporate Communications

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

It should be noted that Nokia and its businesses are exposed to various risks and uncertainties and certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those regarding: A) our ability to integrate acquired businesses into our operations and achieve the targeted business plans and benefits, including targeted benefits, synergies, cost savings and efficiencies; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to our strategies and growth management; C) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses; D) expectations, plans or benefits related to changes in organizational and operational structure; E) expectations regarding market developments, general economic conditions and structural changes; F) expectations and targets regarding financial performance, results, operating expenses, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, cost savings and competitiveness, as well as results of operations including targeted synergies and those related to market share, prices, net sales, income and margins; G) expectations, plans or benefits related to any future collaboration or to business collaboration agreements or patent license agreements or arbitration awards, including income to be received under any collaboration or partnership, agreement or award; H) timing of the deliveries of our products and services; I) expectations and targets regarding collaboration and partnering arrangements, joint ventures or the creation of joint ventures, and the related administrative, legal, regulatory and other conditions, as well as our expected customer reach; J) outcome of pending and threatened litigation, arbitration, disputes, regulatory proceedings or investigations by authorities; K) expectations regarding restructurings, investments, capital structure optimization efforts, uses of proceeds from transactions, acquisitions and divestments and our ability to achieve the financial and operational targets set in connection with any such restructurings, investments, capital structure optimization efforts, divestments and acquisitions; and L) statements preceded by or including "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "foresee", "sees", "target", "estimate", "designed", "aim", "plans", "intends", "focus", "continue", "project", "should", "is to", "will" or similar expressions. These statements are based on management's best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Because they involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from the results that we currently expect. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: 1) our strategy is subject to various risks and uncertainties and we may be unable to successfully implement our strategic plans, sustain or improve the operational and financial performance of our business groups, correctly identify or successfully pursue business opportunities or otherwise grow our business; 2) general economic and market conditions and other developments in the economies where we operate; 3) our ability to maintain our existing sources of intellectual property-related revenue, establish new sources of revenue and protect our intellectual property from infringement, 4) our ability to retain, motivate, develop and recruit appropriately skilled personnel, as well as the risk factors specified on pages 71 to 89 of our 2017 annual report on Form 20-F published on March 22, 2018 under "Operating and financial review and prospects-Risk factors" and in our other filings or documents furnished with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proven to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required.Nokia announces a change in the composition of the Nokia Group Leadership Team

Nokia Corporation

Stock Exchange Release

May 31, 2018 at 13:15 (CET +1)

Nokia announces a change in the composition of the Nokia Group Leadership Team

Nokia appoints Maria Varsellona as president of Nokia Technologies in addition to her current role as Chief Legal Officer

Gregory Lee, the current Nokia Technologies president, to leave the company

Espoo, Finland - Nokia today announced that the president of Nokia Technologies, Gregory Lee, will leave the company following the closure of the Digital Health business sale. Lee will be replaced by Maria Varsellona, who remains Chief Legal Officer and continues to report to Nokia President and Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Suri as a member of Nokia's Group Leadership Team.

Lee steps down from the Group Leadership Team effective immediately, and will leave Nokia after a transition period.

"Gregory came to Nokia, made a clear-eyed assessment of our consumer business and incubation activities, and took the bold decision to refocus Nokia Technologies on licensing," said Rajeev Suri. "As part of that effort, he assessed strategic options for Digital Health, which led to the sale of that business. Given that, we have agreed that his work at Nokia is done. He leaves the company with my great appreciation and thanks."

"I look forward to working together with Maria as we continue to further build Nokia's licensing business," Suri added. "I am also pleased that Barry French, Nokia's Chief Marketing Officer, has agreed to replace Gregory on the Board of HMD Global, our partner for Nokia branded mobile phones."

Gregory Lee said: "I am proud of the fact that I leave Nokia Technologies as a stronger and more focused organization, strategically aligned to make a meaningful impact on Nokia's business performance. I am thankful for my time at Nokia and wish the team continued success."

Following the departure of Lee, Nokia's Group Leadership Team consists of the following members: Rajeev Suri, Basil Alwan, Hans-Juergen Bill, Kathrin Buvac, Ashish Chowdhary, Joerg Erlemeier, Barry French, Sanjay Goel, Bhaskar Gorti, Federico Guillen, Kristian Pullola, Sri Reddy, Marc Rouanne, Maria Varsellona and Marcus Weldon.

About Nokia

We create the technology to connect the world. Powered by the research and innovation of Nokia Bell Labs, we serve communications service providers, governments, large enterprises and consumers, with the industry's most complete, end-to-end portfolio of products, services and licensing.

We adhere to the highest ethical business standards as we create technology with social purpose, quality and integrity. Nokia is enabling the infrastructure for 5G and the Internet of Things to transform the human experience www.nokia.com

Media Enquiries:

Nokia

Communications

Tel. +358 (0) 10 448 4900

Email: press.services@nokia.com

Jon Peet, Vice President, Corporate Communications

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

It should be noted that Nokia and its businesses are exposed to various risks and uncertainties and certain statements herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, those regarding: A) our ability to integrate acquired businesses into our operations and achieve the targeted business plans and benefits, including targeted benefits, synergies, cost savings and efficiencies; B) expectations, plans or benefits related to our strategies and growth management; C) expectations, plans or benefits related to future performance of our businesses; D) expectations, plans or benefits related to changes in organizational and operational structure; E) expectations regarding market developments, general economic conditions and structural changes; F) expectations and targets regarding financial performance, results, opeRating expenses, taxes, currency exchange rates, hedging, cost savings and competitiveness, as well as results of operations including targeted synergies and those related to market share, prices, net sales, income and margins; G) expectations, plans or benefits related to any future collaboration or to business collaboration agreements or patent license agreements or arbitration awards, including income to be received under any collaboration or partnership, agreement or award; H) timing of the deliveries of our products and services; I) expectations and targets regarding collaboration and partnering arrangements, joint ventures or the creation of joint ventures, and the related administrative, legal, regulatory and other conditions, as well as our expected customer reach; J) outcome of pending and threatened litigation, arbitration, disputes, regulatory proceedings or investigations by authorities; K) expectations regarding restructurings, investments, capital structure optimization efforts, uses of proceeds from transactions, acquisitions and divestments and our ability to achieve the financial and operational targets set in connection with any such restructurings, investments, capital structure optimization efforts, divestments and acquisitions; and L) statements preceded by or including "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "foresee", "sees", "target", "estimate", "designed", "aim", "plans", "intends", "focus", "continue", "project", "should", "is to", "will" or similar expressions. These statements are based on management's best assumptions and beliefs in light of the information currently available to it. Because they involve risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from the results that we currently expect. Factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause these differences include, but are not limited to: 1) our strategy is subject to various risks and uncertainties and we may be unable to successfully implement our strategic plans, sustain or improve the operational and financial performance of our business groups, correctly identify or successfully pursue business opportunities or otherwise grow our business; 2) general economic and market conditions and other developments in the economies where we operate; 3) our ability to maintain our existing sources of intellectual property-related revenue, establish new sources of revenue and protect our intellectual property from infringement, 4) our ability to retain, motivate, develop and recruit appropriately skilled personnel, as well as the risk factors specified on pages 71 to 89 of our 2017 annual report on Form 20-F published on March 22, 2018 under "Operating and financial review and prospects-Risk factors" and in our other filings or documents furnished with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Other unknown or unpredictable factors or underlying assumptions subsequently proven to be incorrect could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. We do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent legally required.

This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: NOKIA via Globenewswire

XPO Logistics Plans to Invest Up to $90 Million in Road Fleet in North America

XPO Logistics Plans to Invest Up to $90 Million in Road Fleet

in North America

GREENWICH, Conn. - May 31, 2018 - XPO Logistics (NYSE: XPO), a leading global provider of transportation and logistics solutions, today announced plans to invest approximately $90 million in 770 new tractors for its less-than-truckload (LTL) network in 2018. The company, which is the second largest LTL provider in North America, expects to integrate the new units into its fleet throughout the year.

Troy Cooper, president of XPO Logistics, said, "We're committed to giving our LTL drivers the latest technologies for comfort and safety. These new tractors also reflect our commitment to the environment by providing improved fuel efficiency and reducing emissions."

The new tractors will have 15-liter engines and 12-speed transmissions, replacing models with 13-liter engines. The larger engine is expected to offer a more optimal blend of performance, fuel economy, emissions characteristics and engine life, given the load profile of the company's LTL network. The units will also feature the latest safety technologies, including lane departure warning systems, adaptive cruise control and collision mitigation systems to assist drivers.



About XPO Logistics

XPO Logistics, Inc. (NYSE: XPO) is a top ten global logistics provider of cutting-edge supply chain solutions to the most successful companies in the world. The company operates as a highly integrated network of people, technology and physical assets in 32 countries, with 1,466 locations and more than 95,000 employees. XPO uses its network to help more than 50,000 customers manage their goods more efficiently throughout their supply chains. The company has two reporting segments, transportation and logistics, and within these segments its business is well diversified by geographies, verticals and types of service. XPO's corporate headquarters is in Greenwich, Conn., USA, and its European headquarters is in Lyon, France. www.xpo.com

Forward-looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of United States federal securities law. All statements other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements set forth in this press release are qualified by factors that might cause or contribute to a material difference in actual results, as discussed in XPO's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and linked to the investor relations section of the company's website, www.xpo.com, including: economic conditions generally; competition; XPO's ability to match its investments in equipment, service centers and warehouses with customer demand; XPO's ability to attract and retain key employees; and XPO's ability to develop and implement a suitable information technology system. Forward-looking statements set forth in this press release speak only as of the date hereof, and XPO undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances, changes in expectations or the occurrence of unanticipated events, except to the extent required by law.

Media Contact

XPO Logistics, Inc.

Erin Kurtz

+1-203-489-1586

erin.kurtz@xpo.com





This announcement is distributed by Nasdaq Corporate Solutions on behalf of Nasdaq Corporate Solutions clients.

The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.

Source: XPO Logistics, Inc. via Globenewswire

Shares is the leading weekly publication for retail investors. It is packed with investment ideas, news and educational material to help build and run portfolios and get more from your money.

Shares puts on free Investor Events throughout the year across the country. They provide an opportunity for investors to learn more about companies on the stock market and hear from a range of investment experts including fund managers and Shares journalists.In early May 2018 two carrier based U.S. Navy F-18E fighters made an emergency landing in Turkey after pilots complained of air supply problems and showed symptoms of hypoxia (insufficient oxygen) All models of the F-18 have been suffering intermittent (and persistent) air supply problems and no single cause (or cure) has been found. Installing new air supply monitoring equipment and improved maintenance procedures seems to have helped but nothing has eliminated the problems. Worse, it is unclear what is causing the persistent hypoxia incidents. And it isnt just naval aviation.

In May 2017 there were similar hypoxia problems with U.S. Air Force F-35A fighters at an Arizona air base. It all began in early May and by June 8th five F-35 pilots had reported signs of hypoxia and F-35As at the base were grounded for two weeks as the aircraft were checked out. Nothing definitive could be found and training flights were resumed, with altitude restrictions (stay under 11,300 meters) in late June. Still, nothing conclusive but a new set of safety checks was developed that could catch the problem before it occurred again. At the end of August, all restrictions on F-35A operations at the Arizona airbase were lifted.

There has been a lot of this sort of thing since 2002 with several different types of aircraft developing mysterious problems with hypoxia. For example, earlier in 2017 there were hypoxia problems with U.S. Navy trainers and on April 5th the navy grounded all its T-45C jet trainers for three days to interview pilots and instructors about air supply problems. It turned out the problem was real and the trainers remained grounded until April 17th. But the aircraft resumed flying only after some changes were made to the pilot oxygen system to bypass the OBOG (OnBoard Oxygen Generating). This limited how high the aircraft could fly. The T-45s will fly at lower altitudes until the Navy can determine what was wrong with the OBOG or something else in the pilot air supply system. This restriction will prevent the T-45s from performing about a quarter of the training they normally provide but it averted a threatened pilot strike over the issue. The T-45 problems have yet to be diagnosed, understood and fixed. In late 2017 and early 2018, there was a similar outbreak of air supply problems with T-6 trainers and flight restrictions were imposed in January. There have been some air supply issues with A-10s but not enough to limit operations.

While the F-35 is the most recent jet fighter in American service the T-45 is a nine ton, single engine two seat aircraft that has been used since the early 1990s to train pilots who will eventually fly jet fighters. The T-45 can also be armed and used for ground attack. In this mode, they can carry up to three tons of weapons, including a pod with a 30mm autocannon. In comparison, the F-35A is a 31 ton single-engine stealth fighter-bomber that entered service in mid-August 2016.

OBOG problems are not new, nor are problems in general with oxygen systems. The U.S. Navy has had numerous such problems with its F-18s. There were 64 incidents in 2002-9, resulting in two dead pilots. The Navy found that the main problem was carbon monoxide getting sucked into the aircraft air system. The Navy modified the oxygen system, eliminating most of the problems. Similar failures continued with the major difficulty finding out exactly what was going on so it could be fixed.

After 2009 the air force looked into the Navy experience, to see if there was anything similar going on with the newly introduced F-22 stealth fighters. The air force looked into a lot of potential causes, without a lot of success. In 2012 the air force admitted that its rate of "pilot air supply" incidents for its 187 F-22 fighters has reached the rate of 26 per 100,000 flight hours. For most other aircraft, the rate is closer to 2-3 incidents per 100,000 hours.

All aircraft have occasional problems with their air supply but nothing like what the F-22 was going through. The air force woes began when it appeared that the F-22 might be having a problem with its OBOG system. OBOGs have been around since the 1950s but its only since the 1980s that OBOGs have become compact, cheap, and reliable enough to replace the older compressed gases or LOX (liquid oxygen) as a source of breathable air for high flying aircrew. Each aircraft, especially the F-22 and F-35, gets an OBOG tweaked for space, weight, or other conditions specific to that warplane design. It's this custom design that was also closely studied, to find out how the toxins got in. One recent solution is to constantly monitor the air quality and enable the OBOG to adjust its operation to cope or, failing that, alert the pilot. Another common feature of modern aircraft (and many other vehicles) is a performance monitor that notes and records certain performance data. Sort of a black box, but with a longer memory. These devices have been useful in diagnosing and fixing the hypoxia problems.

One problem is that aircraft have been staying in the air longer (because of in-flight refueling) and carrying enough compressed oxygen became untenable, often making OBOGs mandatory to deal with the problem. Since the 1990s, most American military aircraft have replaced older oxygen systems with OBOGs. Most Western nations and Russia have followed, at least with their latest model aircraft. Most OBOG systems work by using a chemical reaction to remove carbon dioxide from the air taken into the OBOG and then sending out air with the proper amount of oxygen to the aircrew. The F-22, F-35. F-15E and many other modern aircraft were designed to fly long distances and spend long periods of time in the air. Thus an OBOG is mandatory. But OBOGs proved to be the culprit only part of the time and it has become quite a puzzle to unscramble these air supply problems that keep showing up. It seems to be an American thing because there have been far fewer hypoxia incidents in foreign (European, Russian, Chinese) made fighters.FORM 8.3

PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser: Jupiter Asset Management Ltd (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):

The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/ offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:

Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree CME Group Inc (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held /dealing undertaken:

For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 30th May 2018 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?

If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A" YES

NEX Group PLC

2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:



USD 0.01 Class A common stock



Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: 211,132 0.062 (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



(3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL: 211,132 0.062

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: None Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages: None

3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security Purchase/sale



Number of securities Price per unit USD 0.01 Class A common stock Purchase 16,516 163.7271

(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. CFD Nature of dealing

e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit NONE





(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type

e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit NONE

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit NONE





(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security Nature of dealing

e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable) NONE





4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:

Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



NONE





(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:

(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or

(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:

If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



NONE





(c) Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO

Date of disclosure: 31st May 2018 Contact name: Nabeel Ashraf Telephone number: 0203 817 1407

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.A border dispute in northern Somalia got violent again in mid-May and fighting went on for about a week leaving at least fifty dead. Since the 1990s the two statelets that comprise northern Somalia; Puntland and Somaliland, have been squabbling, and sometimes shooting, over possession of the Sool region that lies astride their border. Both sides claim it, and both are willing to fight for it. The dispute has been going on since Puntland was formed in 1998. Back then Puntland declared they controlled the Sool because the inhabitants belonged to a Puntland tribe. Somaliland based their claim on borders drawn by the colonial governments of Italy and Britain a century ago. Years of negotiations did not achieve anything. Both statelets sent additional troops to the border in anticipation of a fight for Sool. The current Sool violence got started in January, but there were no casualties then. There has been no threats of Sool violence since mid-2014. Before that there was brief fighting in early 2012. There was some Sool tension in 2009 and fighting in early 2008. This was a continuation of a confrontation that started in late 2007. The first real threats of violence were in 2003 and ever since the best the two statelets could do was keep things quiet. A resolution of the Sool dispute continues to be out of reach.

Both statelets have been suffering from other internal disputes, but nothing as widespread and destructive as the rest of Somalia. Northern Somalia has been better governed since breaking away from Somalia in the 1990s to form Puntland (2.5 million people) and Somaliland (3.5 million).

The other two-thirds of the Somali population to the south has, until the last few year, been in perpetual chaos since 1990. But the two northern statelets have noticed that the security and economic conditions have greatly improved down south. While there are still some rural areas where al Shabaab is still active (more as bandits than a threat to national security) the rest of Somalia is, for many in Somaliland and Puntland a source of envy. In Somaliland there have been demonstrations with people demanding reunification with the rest of Somalia. The local government did not agree and shut down two TV stations that supported reunifications. Three reporters were also arrested as well.

After 2012, as al Shabaab gunmen fled the growing number of soldiers, peacekeepers and local militias in Somalia many Islamic terrorists fled to Puntland and Somaliland, where they continue to be a problem. Many more fled to northeast Kenya where the local population is often majority Moslem (while Kenya is overall 80 percent Christian). One of the nasty side effects of this is that many Christians will flee the northeastern areas, leaving the areas short of essential skills. For example in Aajir county (just west of Mandera country) hundreds of schools have closed because their Christian teachers have fled the area. Local leaders are trying to encourage more Moslems to go to university and become teachers. But that takes time and even with the government offering subsidies for tuition there are few takers. So the schools remain empty and fewer Moslem children get any education. Al Shabaab counts that as a victory.

May 24, 2018: In the southeast (across the border in Mandera country Kenya) al Shabaab took over a major mosque at 10 PM and held the worshippers their (because of Ramadan) and lectured them for five hours, trying to convince the locals the Kenya was their enemy and Al Shabaab was there to help. The gunmen left without hurting anyone but they were apparently looking for a local Moslem leader who was somewhere else.

May 23, 2018: About 40 kilometers southwest of Mogadishu an American UAV missile attacks killed ten al Shabaab gunmen. This is the 14th such airstrike so far this year.

In Mogadishu police arrested two ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) members. One of the arrested men is believed involved with a recent attack on police (shooting a traffic cop in the daytime). ISIL favors assassinations against intelligence and counterterrorist officers and have carried out more than twenty such attacks in the last two years. About half of these murders take place in Mogadishu. Most of the local ISIL members are former al Shabaab men who felt al Shabaab was not radical enough. These ISIL members were a minority compared to al Shabaab membership and have had to hide from al Shabaab as well as the security forces. The only ISIL base in the area is in Puntland and all this ISIL group can do is individual murders. Attempts at larger scale attacks have been rare because of a shortage of personnel and other resources.

May 22, 2018: Outside Mogadishu an al Shabaab suicide car bomber attacked an army convoy and killed several soldiers. Inside Mogadishu a landmine planted in a dirt road went off and killed three civilians and wounded two soldiers.

May 15, 2018: In the north fighting between Puntland and Somaliland over a border dispute started up again. Puntland troops sought to take possession of disputed village in the Sool region, which both countries claim.

May 12, 2018: In Hiran (a region 200 kilometers north of Mogadishu) Al Shabaab lost 13 men when a rural village they were trying to impose taxes on called in the army and with those reinforcement was able to defeat the al Shabaab attack. Two villagers were wounded during a five hour battle. The army then sent detachments of troops to nearby villages in case al Shabaab attempted to seize the cattle taxes they wanted from another community in the area.

May 9, 2018: In the southeast (Lower Shabelle region) American and Somali commandos raided a rural village used by al Shabaab as a hideout. Three al Shabaab leaders were captured and at least five people were killed. The commandos suffered no casualties. The five people killed were apparently civilians and the Americans are being blamed for the deaths. In operations like this the Americans are there as back up and rarely use their weapons.

Elsewhere in the area al Shabaab stoned a woman to death for bigamy (marrying 11 men). Bigamy by women, done in secret, is not unusual in Somalis and usually done for economic reasons. Al Shabaab also took credit for bombing a market in the area that left five dead and ten wounded. A bomb was apparently planted, rather than use a suicide bomber.

May 6, 2018: In the south (Jubba) nine Kenyan peacekeepers were killed when their vehicle encountered a landmine.

Al Shabaab put the last of a series of three videos on the Internet in which al Shabaab leaders continued to affirm their allegiance to al Qaeda and al Qaeda affiliates in West Africa, Arabia and Afghanistan, where the Afghan Taliban is now considered part of the al Qaeda network.

May 4, 2018: In northern Kenya (Mandera) al Shabaab attacked a quarry near the Somali border and killed four Christians who were working there. This is the latest of many attacks in Kenya where over 80 percent of the population is Christian and only twelve percent are Moslem (most of them ethnic Somalis). The area around Mandera has long been the scene between the Kenyan Murule tribesmen and the Marhan from Somalia. The Marhan have long been accused of supporting al Shabaab.India has been fighting leftist (Maoist) rebels since the 1970s. In the last decade, the Maoists have been losing ground but remain a threat in rural areas of eastern India. The Maoist rebels are a radical wing of the Indian Communist Party which opposes the Maoist violence although not some of the Maoist goals (like reducing corruption). The anti-Maoist campaign is largely a police operation, with little military involvement. The air force has, after years of cajoling, finally provided some helicopters. The military prefers to stay out of any war on internal rebels. This meant that the police were often fighting without the benefit of much aerial reconnaissance or surveillance. India has finally solved this intelligence problem by using commercial satellite photos and commercial UAVs. In experiments with UAVs, it was found that the police could regularly find Maoist bases in rural areas with the satellite photos and have their tactical reconnaissance and surveillance with their UAVs to avoid being ambushed and to guide ground units into position to trap and destroy Maoist units. While the satellite photos can be bought from commercial firms and this has become common worldwide. Getting UAVs was more difficult even though the ones the Indian police wanted were easily available on the international market. Just buying some larger UAVs from the Americans or Israel and the smaller ones from retail stores, that was not possible. That was because it has long been Indian policy to buy locally, even if what you wanted did not exist locally and would take years, or decades, for a government run development program to produce the needed gear.

India has long had problems developing its own military weapons and equipment using government run organizations. The chief culprit here is the DRDO (India's Defense Research and Development Organization) and its latest failure is the Nishant UAV developed (since 1988) for the army and police fighting Maoist rebels. Four were eventually delivered to the army in 2011 and by late 2015 them last of them had crashed. DRDO blames army personnel for losing two of them but the army says all four were lost because Nishant was unreliable and difficult to operate. The soldiers have precedent on their side. After several attempts, Nishant was finally certified as ready for service in 2011. Nishant made its first flight in 2005. Over a dozen were produced, most for development and most of those were lost to accidents as well. In 2013 the government promised the paramilitary police fighting Maoists that they could have sixteen Nishant UAVs as soon as DRDO had completed development and for the Nishant into production. The police are still waiting.

Nishant is a 375 kg (825 pound) aircraft with a cruising speed of 140 kilometers an hour, max range of 160 kilometers and payload of 45 kg (99 pounds). Endurance is 4.5 hours and it is launched via a truck mounted catapult and landed via a parachute. Max altitude is 3,600 meters (11,800 feet). The Indian army paid about $4.5 million for each of the Nishants they bought. They dont want any more of them. The police are desperate and still willing to buy Nishant.

In contrast, the American RQ-7B Shadow 200 UAVs have flown about a million hours since they were introduced in 2002, mostly in Afghanistan and Iraq. Development of the Shadow 200 began in 1991. Each 159 kg (350 pound) RQ-7B costs $500,000 and the current version can stay in the air six hours per sortie. A day camera and night vision camera is carried on each aircraft. Able to fly as high as 4,800 meters (15,000 feet) or more, the Shadow can thus go into hostile territory and stay high enough (over 3,200 meters/10,000 feet) to be safe from hostile rifle and machine-gun fire. The Shadow UAV can carry 25.5 kg (56 pounds) of equipment, is 3.6 meters (eleven feet) long and has a wingspan of 4.1 meters (12.75 feet). The Shadow has a range of about 50 kilometers. The army has had great success with the RQ-7B. The army still operates about 400 RQ-7s and about 500 were built and there are many foreign users.

Nishant was not the first failed UAV program for DRDO. In 2008 Indian Air Force received three PTA (Pilotless Target Aircraft) UAVs. PTA had been in development for 27 years, and consumed over $36 million. The air force quickly found PTA unable to perform as promised. Some of the major deficiencies were the inability to operate at the promised 8,600 meter (28,000 foot) altitude. The PTA was barely able to reach 7,200 meters (20,000 feet.) Worse, the PTA could only survive about five landings, not the ten they are supposed to be able to handle. The PTA's usually tow targets for anti-aircraft gunners but also are used (once, of course) as targets for air-to-air or surface-to-air missiles. The biggest problem appears to be with the engine, which has not been able to deliver the promised power and reliability. The Indian Air Force is refusing to accept any more PTAs until the problems are fixed. DRDO made improvements had delivered PTAs to the navy and army and now plans to export it.

DRDO is a network of 51 weapons and technology laboratories, employing over 30,000 people (20 percent scientists and engineers.) DRDO has been screwing up weapons development programs for half a century. Efforts to shape up DRDO have consistently failed. It's all about politics (DRDO provides jobs for well-connected people) and nationalism (India wants to produce its own high tech weapons.) DRDO has failed in almost all areas (small arms, tanks, missiles and warplanes). The failures have grown over the years and created louder calls for reforms.

DRDO has had some successes, which it publicizes as energetically as it can. It tries to play down the failures, or simply tout them as partial successes. But compared to defense industries in other nations, DRDO is an underperformer, and highly resistant to reform.

Meanwhile, the Indian military has been importing affordable and reliable UAVs from Israel. In 2006 India formed its first UAV maritime reconnaissance squadron (the 342nd). The unit has eight Israeli Searcher II UAVs and four Israeli Herons. The Searcher II can stay aloft for 16 hours at a time and is built to operate for 2,000 hours before a major system failure. The Heron is similar to the U.S. Predator and can stay up for fifty hours at a time. The radar and vidcam sensors enable the UAVs to provide unprecedented coverage on short notice. Israel is also using a version of the Heron for maritime reconnaissance. Israel has been the leader in UAV technology since the 1980s and began supplying India with UAVs in 2003. For a few years, the paramilitary police fighting the Maoists had access to one Israeli made UAV (belonging to a government research organization). That was helpful but that one UAV was insufficient to cover the vast rural areas of eastern India the Maoists operated in. That one UAV did demonstrate how useful more UAVs could be but the military was not willing to provide UAVs for the police.

The limited access to UAVs did make it clear to the Indian police that they could have avoided hundreds of police casualties if they had UAVs back in 2010 when they began their major operations against the Maoists. But it was career suicide for police commanders to make a lot of noise in the media about that.

Meanwhile, the UAV shortage problem became more obvious after 2015 when India responded to the slow progress of the police against the Maoists, and especially growing police casualties (mainly from ambushes) by increasing (with 17 new battalions) its para-military CRPF for operations in Kashmir and eastern India. The CRPF is the principal national police organization dealing with terrorists and rebels. Founded in 1939, and retained when India became independent in 1947 by 2010 the CRPF had nearly 200,000 personnel. It deployed over 70 battalions of para-military police back then, including seven rapid action battalions that can be quickly sent to any part of the country to deal with outbreaks of violence.

The CRPF has been heavily involved in fighting Maoists since 2010. The 2015 CRPF expansion had 12 if the 17 new battalions (of about 1,100 men each) going to eastern India for use against Maoist rebels. But the new CRPF units in Kashmir (often containing veterans of anti-Maoist operations) noted that the forces in Kashmir had access to a lot more UAVs. This was because of the war their involved foreign troops (from Pakistan). The military had been able to obtain foreign made UAVs and the CRPF units benefitted from that. CRPF commanders and NCOs in Kashmir told their fellow CRPF in eastern India what a marvelous thing UAVs were and how regular access to them reduced CRPF casualties and made life much more difficult for the enemy.

Meanwhile just having regular access to satellite photos made it possible to go after Maoist groups in thinly populated rural areas. But the Maoists had long taken advantage bases in rural areas, where the forests provided lots of cover, except in the dry season when most of the trees shed their leaves. With the wide availability of commercial satellite photos, the CRPF were able to find the Maoist bases. When police commercial UAVs they could advance into these rural areas and avoid ambushes while keeping track of Maoist movements.

There remained a problem with the government research and procurement bureaucracies inability to provide enough of these UAVs and refusal to permit the use of commercial UAVs that can be bought for under a thousand dollars each. These are often used by terrorist and criminal organizations but the Maoists have not been able to afford many, if any, of them. Thus the Maoists continue to inflict heavy (and embarrassing) casualties on the CRPF via ambushes that would be less likely if the CRPF had cheap (under a thousand dollars each) quad-copter UAVs.IGAD (the East African Inter-Governmental Authority on Development) South Sudan ceasefire monitors made public more of their monitoring reports. These reports cover incidents since February. The December 2017 ceasefire, which IGAD helped arrange, included monitoring teams that were supposed to release their reports within a month of incidents being investigated. Protests from the government and rebels about the accuracy of these reports led to public release being suspended in February. The monitors continued to work, despite growing interference from soldiers and, to a lesser extent, rebels. IGAD examined the monitoring effort and found nothing wrong and this led to more reports being released. The newly released reports show that ceasefire violations continue to occur, mainly by the army. Attacks against civilians also continue, mainly by soldiers but also by rebels. This includes firing at civilians as well as using fists, edged weapons and fire. There is also a lot of rape and looting plus recruiting teenagers to fight. Both sides proclaim their innocence and blame the monitors for being partisan or simply unfair. What the monitor reports describe is confirmed by eyewitness accounts of civilians and foreign aid workers.

May 28, 2018: In central South Sudan (Western Lakes State) an army colonel was killed during a gun battle with cattle thieves. This sort of violence is common in this area because of long-standing animosity between two Dinka clans (Rup and Pakam). The violence picked up in late 2017 and despite the civil war. The Dinka tribesmen were mainly fighting over cattle and land rights. These disputes are common with the tribes in Sudan and South Sudan and regularly occur in Sudan as well. Western Lakes State is about 250 kilometers northwest of Juba, South Sudan's capital. These tribal clashes also occur in refugee camps outside South Sudan and sometimes result in deaths.

In South Sudan leaders of another rebel faction (SSUF/A) came to the capital to accept government jobs. This was the result of SSUF/A signing a peace deal on the 21st. The rebels insist that those who signed the peace deal were not really members of SSUF/A.

May 27, 2018: The UN Security Council imposed political and financial sanctions on South Sudans defense minister, Kuol Manyang Juk. The Security Council determined Juk was responsible for ceasefire violations, failure to protect civilians and for denying humanitarian organizations adequate access to people in need. The UN also said that Juk had conspired to have Sudanese SPLM-N rebels enter South Sudan and attack a South Sudanese rebel base in the town of Pagak. The SPLM-N is fighting the Sudan government in Sudans Blue Nile and South Kordofan states. The UN also imposed sanctions on South Sudan cabinet member Elia Lomoro for obstructing humanitarian assistance operations and physically threatening journalists operating in the country who are critical of the South Sudanese civil war. The Security Council also accused Lomoro of attempting to obstruct UN peacekeeping operations. The UN also sanctioned rebel leader General Koang Rambang Cho for conducting an attack in Bieh state with the goal of stopping a humanitarian aid mission.

May 26, 2018: Ethiopian security personnel intercepted a weapons smuggling attempt from Sudan. They seized thousands of rounds of ammunition and 116 weapons.

May 24, 2018: In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, IGAD negotiators have suspended their latest attempt to revive South Sudans August 2015 peace deal. The government and rebels remain very far apart.

The Sudan government announced that its military forces will continue to participate in the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Iran backed Shia rebels in Yemen. Sudan has about 3,000 soldiers in Yemen as well as several jet fighters.

May 23, 2018: Sudan denied Eritrean accusations that it is supporting armed anti-Eritrean rebels. Eritrea recently claimed that Sudan was coordinating its support for Eritrean rebels with Eritreas greatest enemy, Ethiopia. Sudan also denies that accusation.

May 22, 2018: The South Sudan rebels rejected a power-sharing proposal with the South Sudan government. Mediators from IGAD had backed the proposal. However, the rebels contended the proposal gave the government too much power. Sporadic fighting continues throughout South Sudan. Was this lose-lose? Maybe not. In the last week, it appears the government has suffered more political setbacks than the rebels. The UN has imposed new individual sanctions on key government officials. Yes, a rebel official was also sanctioned. However, the U.S. is publicly mulling imposing new sanctions on the government. The UN sanctions on senior government officials and the U.S. threats mean the South Sudan government is under more pressure than the rebels. In the last six weeks, several African media sources have begun referring to the government as the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement In Government (SPLM-IG) which portrays the situation as more of a civil war than a rebellion. That looks like an information warfare win for the rebels. (Austin Bay)

May 21, 2018: In Sudan, foreign aid groups claim that the governments Rapid Support Force (RSF) militia launched an attack on a displaced persons camp in western Sudan (Central Darfur state). The RSF fighters attacked the camp supported by five technical vehicles (trucks armed with machine guns).

May 19, 2018: UN and East African diplomats reported that fractionalization is increasing among South Sudan rebel groups in the former Upper Nile state and the Equatoria states (Amadi, Gbudwe, Imatong, Jubek, Maridi, Namorunyang, Terekeka and Yei River states). There are also reports of forced conscription in South Sudan, by both the government and the rebels.

May 17, 2018: The UN ordered an additional 150 peacekeepers to northern South Sudan (Unity state) with the mission of protecting civilians trapped between government and rebel forces.

In southern South Sudan (Yei River state) foreign aid workers report that gunmen attacked Emmanuel Christian College and killed ten people, including five students. The attackers plundered the school and raped a young woman.

May 16, 2018: Sudan accepted delivery of six Chinese FTC2000 jet trainer/light attack aircraft. FTC2000 is the export version of the JL-9 trainer used by Chinese forces.

Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia agreed to create a scientific committee to study the potential effects on the Nile River or Ethiopias $4-billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

May 14, 2018: The UN now classifies 7.1 million people in Sudan as vulnerable. That classification means these people are no longer completely dependent on humanitarian assistance, but their situation remains marginal. If conditions deteriorate even slightly they will once again become dependent on international food and medical assistance. The UN attributes the slight improvement to better security conditions in Sudans Blue Nile and South Kordofan states and in the Darfur region.

May 13, 2018: Kenya said that it is still hesitant to impose new sanctions on South Sudan. Kenyan leaders want IGAD to have every opportunity to negotiate a new peace deal in South Sudan and they fear new sanctions will hinder IGAD.

May 9, 2018: Sudan rejected Egyptian accusations that it had undermined recent negotiations regarding Nile River water rights and Ethiopias GERD.

May 7, 2018: South Sudans first vice-president, Taban Deng Gai, announced that his political faction would formally join the government. Gai had been a senior figure in the main rebel coalition (SPLM-IO).

May 6, 2018: In Sudan widespread dissent continues with the jump in fuel prices a major issue. The fuel crisis began to bite in early March as fuel supplies plummeted. The cause is complex. A lack of refinery capacity is one reason. The government also lowered fuel subsidies. The government is reportedly negotiating a deal with Saudi Arabia to sell Sudan oil at discounted prices for five years. Sudan has soldiers fighting with the Saudi coalition in Yemen.

May 4, 2018: Sudan accused South Sudan rebels of attacking a town in eastern Sudan (Latjoor state) and violating the cessation of hostilities agreement negotiated to keep the oil producing areas safe.

May 1, 2018: There are reports that the Russian Wagner Group of military contractors will establish a training facility in Sudan. The company will provide training for presidential security personnel.

April 30, 2018: Ten aid workers abducted in southern South Sudan (Yei River state) last week have been released. They were kidnapped in the town of Yei on April 25.

April 25, 2018: President Salva Kiir of South Sudan rejected political opposition demands that he resign. The opposition contends Kiir himself is an obstacle to peace.SAN FRANCISCO AND DUBLIN, Ireland, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Segment, the customer data infrastructure, today announced the opening of its Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) headquarters in Dublin, Ireland. The expansion demonstrates the companys continued momentum as it looks to meet the growing demand for its services in the EMEA market and globally. Segment plans to create 100 jobs over the next three years and is supported by the Irish Government through IDA Ireland, which promotes direct investment in the region.



More than 15,000 customers, including European businesses like Trivago, Trustpilot and LogMeIn, rely on Segment as their customer data infrastructure. Named to Forbes annual list of Top 100 Cloud Companies two years in a row, Segment has experienced rapid growth. The company now has over 250 employees, and has an extensive presence throughout North America, with offices in San Francisco, New York and Vancouver, Canada.

Segment selected Dublin as its EMEA headquarters because of its large, highly-skilled, multilingual workforce and its role as a world-class technology hub within the region. Segment will hire for positions at all levels across the business, including leadership, pre-sales, post-sales, support, customer success, technical roles, marketing and partnerships. The company was recently named by Glassdoor and Battery Ventures as one of the Top 50 Private Cloud Computing Companies to work for, and Business Insider named Segment as one of the Top Enterprise Startups to Bet Your Career On.

Grace ORourke Veitch, head of EMEA at Segment, said: Segment is experiencing a tremendous amount of growth right now, and Ireland will serve as a great stepping stone for us as we further grow into the European market. Segments culture is built around impact, and Dublins highly-educated, multilingual workforce will play a key role in our expansion strategy.

Segments unique company culture fosters an inclusive and transparent work environment. In addition to its competitive benefits package, which includes a flexible work schedule, catered lunches, commuter benefits and more, Segment also offers extremely generous family and lifestyle benefits in Ireland, including 12-week paternity leave and full health and dental coverage for employees, their partners and their dependants.

Segments EMEA headquarters, located at Iconic Offices in Dublins City Center and overlooking St. Stephens Green, were formally announced today with a ribbon cutting ceremony hosted with IDA Ireland.

Pat Breen T.D., Minister of State for Trade, Employment, Business, EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, said: I would like to congratulate Segment on the establishment of their EMEA headquarters in Dublin and I'm delighted that this investment will bring a further 100 jobs to the country. We have a highly-educated, energetic and flexible workforce that will contribute positively to Segments operations here. Their decision to locate here is a great expression of confidence in our ability to foster the conditions that attract investment of this kind and increases the ever-growing footprint of high-end information and communication technology (ICT) companies in Ireland.

Martin Shanahan, CEO of IDA Ireland, said: I am delighted to welcome Segments new EMEA headquarters to Dublin. Irelands strong position on data protection is becoming a key factor in attracting data-focused companies. Companies like Segment are also locating to Ireland to access our incredibly strong ICT sector, which is underpinned by our young, English-speaking, highly-educated, tech savvy and flexible workforce.

Peter Reinhardt, CEO and co-founder of Segment, said: Segment has been growing at a rapid pace in the EMEA market, and some of our most innovative customers come from the region. Weve found that European companies are often at the forefront of providing a customer-first experience, and were committed to expanding rapidly to deliver the customer data infrastructure they need to do this. Dublins talented workforce, its strong relationship with the U.S. and the rest of Europe, and Irelands full embrace of user privacy rights makes our decision to be headquartered in Ireland an easy one.

About Segment

Segment is the infrastructure for your customer data. Use one API to unlock 200+ tools for every team in your company. With Segment, developers can stop building tedious and expensive one-off data integrations while business users can compute important traits about each customer and push this data to their favorite apps for analytics and personalisation. Segment is trusted by thousands of companies including Gap Inc., New Relic, Instacart, Intuit, and Time. For more information visit https://segment.com.

Danielle Stickler

segment@bateman-group.comDublin, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Global and China Machine Vision System Industry Report, 2018-2022" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



A machine vision system replaces human eyes to make judges and measurements, and it falls into the PC type and the embedded type, among which the former is the most widely used.



Under the backdrop of Industry 4.0, the machine vision industry has been growing steadily over the recent years. In 2017, the global market size of machine vision systems approximated USD8.1 billion and showed an average annual growth rate of over 15.0%, of which German market size reported EUR2.71 billion or USD3.1 billion (the average exchange rate of EUR to USD at 1:1.1297 in 2017), sweeping more than one-third of global total and being naturally the biggest machine vision market in the world. It is expected that the global machine vision market will show a growth rate of 5% to 10% between 2018 and 2022.



Chinese machine vision industry started late and has a small market size. In 2017, the Chinese market of machine vision systems was worth RMB3.2 billion (about USD470 million based on the average exchange rate of USD to RMB at 1:6.7547 in 2017), accounting for 5.8% of global total and presenting a year-on-year surge of 23.1%. As estimated, the Chinese market size will keep a growth rate of about 20.0% from 2018 to 2022, largely boosted by the three as follows:



Firstly, the State has issued favorable policies successively for the development of intelligent manufacturing, intelligent robotic vision system, intelligent detection and other sectors. For instance, China released in November 2017 the Action Plan for High-end Intelligent Remanufacturing during 2018-2020 which put it forward that China's intelligent detection technology should be up to the international advanced level in 2020.



Thus far, the world's key suppliers of machine vision system consist mainly of Keyence, Omron and Panasonic from Japan, Cognex from the United States, Dalsa from Canada, Daheng New Epoch Technology, Shenzhen JT Automation Equipment, etc. from China. Among them, Japanese and American companies take a lead in the competition. In 2017, Keyence ranked first with a 9.5% market share, while Daheng New Epoch Technology as the largest provider of machine vision systems in China only enjoyed a global market share of 1.4%.



To perfect industrial chain and be more competitive in the promising machine vision market, some players tapped into the machine vision field also by means of acquisitions, for example, Baidu purchased xPerception, a provider of machine vision technologies in April 2017; Google acquired AIMatter, an image processing company in August 2017.



Global and China Machine Vision System Industry Report, 2018-2022 highlights the followings:

Industrial laser (definition, classification, functions, industrial chain, etc.);

Global market of machine vision systems (development environment, market size, patents, competitive landscape, etc.);

Chinese market of machine vision systems (development environment, status quo, patents, market structure, competitive landscape, cost structure, development tendency, etc.);

Status quo and market size of machine vision system components (light source, lens, industrial camera, image capture card, image processing software, etc.);

Status quo and market size of machine vision systems applied in semiconductor & electronic manufacturing, automobile, pharmaceuticals, food and packaging machinery;

9 foreign and 12 Chinese suppliers of machine vision systems and components



Key Topics Covered:



1 Overview of Machine Vision Industry

1.1 Definition and Classification

1.2 Main Functions and Features

1.3 Industry Chain

1.4 Problems



2 Global Machine Vision Market

2.1 Development Environment

2.2 Market Situation

2.2.1 Market Size and Structure

2.2.2 North America

2.2.3 Japan

2.2.4 Germany

2.2.5 UK

2.3 Patents and Distribution

2.4 Competitive Landscape



3 Chinese Machine Vision Market

3.1 Development Environment

3.2 Market Situation

3.2.1 Market Size

3.2.2 Market Structure

3.3 Patents

3.4 Cost Structure

3.5 Competitive Landscape

3.5.1 Regional

3.5.2 Enterprise

3.6 Driving Factors

3.7 Hindering Factors

3.8 Development Trends



4 Machine Vision Component Market

4.1 Light Source

4.1.1 Overview

4.1.2 LED Light Source

4.2 Lens

4.3 Industrial Camera

4.3.1 Market Overview

4.3.2 COMS Image Sensor

4.3.3 COMS Camera Module

4.4 Frame Grabber

4.5 Image Processing Software

4.6 System Integration



5 Machine Vision Application Market

5.1 Semiconductor and Electronic Manufacturing

5.1.1 Application of Machine Vision

5.1.2 Semiconductor

5.1.3 PCB

5.1.4 Panel Display Detection

5.2 Automobile

5.2.1 Application of Machine Vision

5.2.2 Status Quo of Automobile Industry

5.3 Pharmaceutical

5.3.1 Application of Machine Vision

5.3.2 Pharmaceutical Industry

5.4 Food & Packaging Machinery

5.4.1 Application of Machine Vision

5.4.2 Status Quo of Food and Packaging Machinery Industry

5.5 Others

5.5.1 Robotic Vacuum Cleaner

5.5.2 Customized Consumption and Intelligent Security

5.5.3 Intelligent Plant

5.5.4 Medical Imaging



6 Major Foreign Machine Vision System Providers

6.1 Keyence

6.2 Cognex

6.3 Omron

6.4 Panasonic

6.5 NI

6.6 Others

6.6.1 Banner

6.6.2 DALSA

6.6.3 Baumer

6.6.4 BitFlow



7 Major Chinese Machine Vision Producers

7.1 Daheng New Epoch Technology

7.2 Shanghai Hi-Tech Control System

7.3 Hunan Chinasun Pharmaceutical Machinery

7.4 Shenzhen JT Automation Equipment

7.5 Shenzhen Maxonic Automation Control

7.6 Shenzhen Inovance Technology

7.7 Ningbo Cixing

7.8 Sking Intelligent Equipment

7.9 OPT Machine Vision

7.10 Others

7.10.1 Shanghai BMT Automation

7.10.2 Changchun UpOptotech

7.10.3 Shanghai Ximing Vision Technology



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/ptnblg/global_and_china?w=12



BIRMINGHAM, Ala. and MINNEAPOLIS, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Shipt, a leading online delivery marketplace, and Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT), today announced they will begin same-day delivery of more than 55,000 groceries, essentials, home, electronics, toys and other products to select Ohio metro areas. Throughout June, nine metros will gain access to Shipt delivery from Target:



Beginning June 14: Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Mansfield, Sandusky and Toledo, Ohio

Beginning June 19: Akron and Canton, Ohio

Beginning June 21: Cleveland, Ohio

Shipt delivery originally launched in Ohio with select retailers in January 2016, and this expansion gives more than 2.7 million households across the state access to same-day delivery of products from their local Target store. This expansion is part of the companys growth throughout six Midwest states including: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin. To celebrate the expansion, new Shipt members who sign up prior to the launch in their market will receive an annual membership for $49 (regularly $99) and a $15 credit to spend on a Target order of $100 or more.

Families across the Midwest have already embraced the convenience of Shipt delivery. This regional expansion underscores our continued mission to evolve the shopping experience through personalization, increased product offerings and varied retailer options, said Harley Butler, chief marketing officer, Shipt. Through our app, our members have access to everything they need, when they need it, right at their fingertips. Looking ahead, Shipt will continue to expand and bring same-day delivery to a growing number of households across the country.

Founded in 2014 in Birmingham, Alabama, Shipt is committed to simplifying its members lives by offering a new, convenient same-day shopping experience. Shipts marketplace gives members the ability to browse, search and shop the in-store assortment of products online. Members can note preferences, choose a one-hour delivery window and pay for their order, all within the app. Shipt's expert team of shoppers takes care of selecting, bagging and delivering the items. The annual membership grants access to free, unlimited delivery on orders of more than $35.

Same-day delivery was at the top of our list when we were thinking about ways to make shopping at Target even easier, said John Mulligan, executive vice president and chief operating officer, Target. Shipts personalized, customer-focused approach fits perfectly with our commitment to deliver a convenient, exceptional experience and were excited to begin offering same-day service across Ohio.

Leading up to the launch, Shipt will add more than 300 new Shipt Shoppers across the state of Ohio. These shoppers will be part of the team responsible for ensuring complete, accurate fulfillment of each order. To apply to be a Shipt Shopper, visit Shipt.com and click on Get Paid to Shop.

Through this partnership, Target plans to offer convenient, same-day delivery of the in-store assortment of groceries, essentials, home, electronics, toys and other products from the majority of its stores by the 2018 holiday season. By the end of the year, the service will be available to 65 percent of U.S. households across 180 markets, reaching a total of 80 million households, and in 2019, same-day delivery will expand to include all major product categories at Target.

About Shipt

Shipt is a membership-based online grocery marketplace delivering fresh foods and household essentials through a community of shoppers and a convenient app. Shipt offers quality, personalized grocery delivery to members for $99 per year, and is available to nearly 50 million in more than 100 markets across the country. Throughout 2018, Shipt will continue to expand by adding both Target stores and additional retailer partners to its online marketplace, offering members more options to shop. Shipt was founded in The Magic City, Birmingham, Alabama, and maintains offices in Birmingham and San Francisco. For more information, visit Shipt.com.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation (NYSE:TGT) serves guests at 1,829 stores and at Target.com. Since 1946, Target has given 5 percent of its profit to communities, which today equals millions of dollars a week. For more information, visit Target.com/Pressroom. For a behind-the-scenes look at Target, visit Target.com/abullseyeview or follow @TargetNews on Twitter

MEDIA CONTACT: press@shipt.com | (415) 625-8555Denver, CO, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

FutureLand Corp. (OTCPinks: FUTL), a leading provider of strategic real estate investment, grow facilities and material solutions to the medical and recreational global cannabis industry, contracting and installation of Electrical, Solar and Bi-Directional Antenna, announced today that it has re-worked the Amps Electric, Inc., a Massachusetts company, deal to provide a viable business opportunity amongst the parties involved. Amps Electric Holdings, Inc., a Florida company, has been formed whereas FutureLand Corp is 51% owner and John Bianchi of Amps Electric, Inc. is 49% owner. This deal replaces the old JV with Greenleaf Holdings, LLC and Amps Electric, Inc. and FutureLand Corp. on Sept. 6th, 2017. An additional, 20,000,000 shares will be issued to John Bianchi for this new business venture. Amps Electric, LLC is being formed in partnership with Amps Electric Holdings, Inc.



Cameron Cox, CEO of FutureLand Corp. said, "John Bianchi is a visionary who sees things before they get here. BDA, or Bi-Directional Antenna work is becoming big business and we are poised to gobble up much of the market share.

Amps has partnered with BearCom to be one of its primary contractors to do BDA work throughout the United States. This work has been long in the making since 9/11/2001. During that time, first responders were unable to hear the messages from inside the second tower that the first tower had dropped. Had they been able to receive communication they could have vacated the 2nd tower before it fell. Legislation has been put in place to ensure this kind of thing would never happen again. Now, buildings will be required to install BDAs to any structure over 75ft in height including garage floors. Most owners of large commercial structures need to at least apply to have the work done by sometime in 2019 to be in compliance. Many are starting to get the work done now.

Amps Electric Holdings, Inc. along with BearCom is gearing up to supply this work to everyone that needs it. First, however, is a heart for our first responders here in the United States and it is this sentiment that drives the opportunity; second is customer service and expertise to supply companies with the ability to meet compliance mandates in time and for the greater good.

I am proud to be a part of something as noble as making sure the first responders can be communicated with. Amps Electric Holdings, Inc. along with BearCom will make a difference!, said John Bianchi, President of Amps Electric Holdings, Inc.

About FutureLand Corp.

FutureLand Corp., a Colorado company, is a cannabis and hemp specialty zoned land leasing company formed to capitalize upon the emerging global cannabis market. FutureLand, focuses on target acquisition, zoning, license fulfillment, site plan preparation and financing of cannabis or hemp grow facilities throughout the United States. We give growers the opportunity to grow. We monetize through leasing the land, leasing the structures on the land, financing interest revenue and management fees associated with cultivation centers. FutureLand retains ownership of all the land and the structures. FutureLand leases to both medical marijuana, retail marijuana as well as industrial hemp growers. FutureLand does not currently grow, distribute or sell marijuana. To request further information about FutureLand, please email us at info@futurelandcorp.com, log onto our website at http://www.futurelandcorp.com, or visit us on FB @ futurelandcorp and Twitter @futurelandcorp.

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

This press release may contain forward-looking statements covered within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, plans and timing for the introduction or enhancement of our services and products, statements about future market conditions, supply and demand conditions, and other expectations, intentions and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact and involve risks and uncertainties. Our expectations regarding future revenues depend upon our ability to develop and supply products and services that we may not produce today and that meet defined specifications. When used in this press release, the words "plan," "expect," "believe," and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and changes in pervasive markets. This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approval for anticipated actions.RENO, Nev., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ormat Technologies Inc. (NYSE:ORA) provides an update that on May 30, 2018, due to the approaching lava, the substation of the Puna complex and an adjacent warehouse that stored a drilling rig were burned. Both items are expected to be covered by the Companys insurance policies. Due to the long lead time of constructing a new substation and the extent of the damage to HELCOs transmission lines, the Company cannot asses when the Puna complex will be able to resume operation and deliver power to the grid.

The approaching lava also covered and blocked the main access road to the power plant. Alternative access road is currently open.

As announced on May 28, the approaching lava covered the wellheads of two geothermal wells. The Company cannot assess at this stage the extent of the damage to the future functionality of these wells. As of today, the lava did not cover any additional wells. The lava continues to flow and may reach other wells and areas of the Puna facility.

The 38 MW Puna power plant, which is operated by Puna Geothermal Venture GP (PGV), reflects approximately 4.5% of Ormats total generating capacity. In 2017, PGV accounted for an aggregate of approximately $11 million of net income and approximately $20 million of Adjusted EBITDA annually. Ormat holds a 63.25% interest in PGV and the balance is held by its partner, an affiliate of Northleaf Capital Partners.

Ormat has property and business interruption insurance policies that include insurance coverage in a combined amount of up to $100 million in the event of volcanic eruptions and earthquake. The Company is working with its insurance broker and has provided notice to its insurance carriers regarding the situation at Puna. As of March 31, 2018, the Puna complex represented approximately $90 million of net assets on the Companys balance sheet based on a total asset value of approximately $109 million plus approximately $30 million of prepaid expenses less deferred lease income of approximately $49 million. In addition, PGV is required to pay an aggregate of approximately $22 million of future lease payments until 2027.

Any significant physical damage to, or extended shut-down of, the Puna facilities could have a material adverse impact on the power plant's electricity generation and availability, which in turn could have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations.

ABOUT ORMAT TECHNOLOGIES

With over five decades of experience, Ormat Technologies, Inc. is a leading geothermal Company and the only vertically integrated Company engaged in geothermal and recovered energy generation (REG), with the objective of becoming a leading global provider of renewable energy. The Company owns, operates, designs, manufactures and sells geothermal and REG power plants primarily based on the Ormat Energy Converter  a power generation unit that converts low-, medium- and high-temperature heat into electricity. With 77 U.S. patents, Ormats power solutions have been refined and perfected under the most grueling environmental conditions. Ormat has 530 employees in the United States and 770 overseas. Ormats flexible, modular solutions for geothermal power and REG are ideal for the vast range of resource characteristics. The Company has engineered, manufactured and constructed power plants, which it currently owns or has installed to utilities and developers worldwide, totaling over 2,600 MW of gross capacity. Ormats current 851 MW generating portfolio is spread globally in the U.S., Guatemala, Guadeloupe, Honduras, Indonesia and Kenya. In March 2017, Ormat expanded its operations to provide energy storage and energy management solutions, by leveraging its core capabilities and global presence as well as through its Viridity Energy Solutions Inc. subsidiary, a Philadelphia-based Company with nearly a decade of expertise and leadership in energy storage, demand response and energy management.

ORMATS SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT

Information provided in this press release may contain statements relating to current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections about future events that are "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements generally relate to Ormat's plans, objectives and expectations for future operations and are based upon its management's current estimates and projections of future results or trends. Actual future results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, see "Risk Factors" as described in Ormat Technologies, Inc.'s Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 16, 2018.

These forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.Company announcement no. 6/2018



European Energy A/S' financial statement release for Q1 2018 is now available.



It is attached to this message and available on www.europeanenergy.dk under Investors --> Financial Reports



For further information please contact:



Knud Erik Andersen, CEO



kea@europeanenergy.dk



ph. + 45 4030 8463



or



Jonny Thorsted Jonasson, CFO



jtj@europeanenergy.dk



ph. + 45 5180 0000







AttachmentPHOENIX, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jeffrey Binder, Co-Founder, Chairman, and CEO of CLS Holdings USA, Inc (OTCQB:CLSH) (CLS, the Company) was recently interviewed about the companys upcoming acquisition and other corporate matters on Uptick Newswires Stock Day podcast.



CLS Holdings USA, Inc. has entered into an agreement to purchase 100% of a vertically integrated cannabis company by the name of Oasis Cannabis. The transaction is scheduled to close on or before June 21st. Oasis is a relatively busy operation, serving an average of 400 people per day whose average purchase price is between $55 and $60. CLS is excited by the growth prospects of the LV cannabis market and will apply for additional dispensary licenses in July.

CLS has a defined acquisition strategy they plan to carry out over the next three to five years. Their hope is to make a series of accretive acquisitions along with exploiting the companys patented proprietary conversion and extraction process.

According to Binder, vertical integration is key for success in this field. Since recreational cannabis use has been legalized in Canada, the company has applied for a dual listing on the CSE market to expand their reach to a broader investor base. CLS expects this to be finalized in the third quarter of this year.

Binder believes an important aspect that has a lot of potential is in the use of cannabis to combat our current opioid epidemic and utilize the natural healing benefits of the plant. I dont want to lose sight of that fact as we move forward.

Stock Day host Everett Jolly believes that the stock is greatly undervalued, trading at 65 cents per share. The companys market cap is currently sitting at a little over 32 million dollars.

For more information on the companys funding plans, international expansion plans and their patented process, listen to the full Uptick Newswire interview at the link below.

https://upticknewswire.com/featured-interview-ceo-jeffrey-binder-of-cls-holdings-usa-inc-otcqb-clsh-2/

About Oasis Cannabis

http://oasiscannabis.com

Oasis Cannabis has operated a cannabis dispensary in the Las Vegas market since dispensaries first opened in Nevada in 2015 and has been recognized as one of the top marijuana retailers in the state. Its location within walking distance to the Las Vegas Strip and Downtown Las Vegas in combination with its delivery service to residents allows it to efficiently serve both locals and tourists in the Las Vegas area. The company recently commenced wholesale offerings of cannabis in Nevada with the launch of its City Trees brand of cannabis concentrates and cannabis-infused products in August 2017. An expansion of its cultivation and production facility is currently underway and is expected to be completed during the second half of 2018.

About CLS Holdings USA, Inc.

www.clsholdingsinc.com

CLS Holdings USA, Inc. (CLSH) plans to become a diversified cannabis company and is shifting its corporate strategy to becoming a fully licensed integrated cannabis producer and retailer in Nevada and other states.

CLS stands for "Cannabis Life Sciences," in recognition of the Company's patent pending proprietary method of extracting various cannabinoids from the marijuana plant and converting them into products with a higher level of quality and consistency. The Company's business model includes licensing operations, processing operations, processing facilities, sale of products, brand creation and consulting services.

For additional information, please visit: http://www.clsholdingsinc.com

Disclaimer

CLS has executed a definitive agreement to acquire the Oasis Cannabis companies from Alternative Solutions, LLC. The closing of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of a number of conditions including our ability to raise cash, and as a result, there can be no assurance that we will be able to close the Oasis Acquisition. See CLS Holdings USA's filings with the SEC for additional details.

Twitter: @CLSHusa

Forward Looking Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to anticipated future events, future results of operations or future financial performance. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements relating to whether certain transactions will be completed, the terms of such transactions, the descriptions of the companies and the business that any potential target companies could bring to CLS Holdings. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "might," "will," "should," "intends," "expects," "plans," "goals," "projects," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These forward-looking statements are only predictions, are uncertain and involve substantial known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, levels of activity or performance to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity or performance expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. We cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity or performance and we cannot guaranty that the proposed transactions described in this press release will occur. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date that they were made. These cautionary statements should be considered together with any written or oral forward-looking statements that we may issue in the future. Except as required by applicable law, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements to conform these statements to reflect actual results, later events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. CLS Holdings USA has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Oasis Cannabis, which is expected to close in the second quarter of 2018. See CLS Holdings USA filing with the SEC for additional details.

Safe Harbor Act

This press release includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may differ from expectations, estimates and projections and, consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Words such as "expect," "estimate," "project," "budget," "forecast," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "may," "will," "could," "should," "believes," "predicts," "potential," "continue," and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the expected results.

Contact:

Cannabis Life Sciences Holdings USA, Inc.

Jeffrey Binder, President & CEO

(888) 438-9132

jeff@clslabs.com

About Uptick Newswire and the Stock Day Podcast

Uptick Newswire is a private company reaching out to the masses keeping investors and shareholders up to date on company news and bringing transparency to the under-valued, undersold, micro-cap stocks of the market and is the sole producer of the Uptick Network Stock Day Podcast. The Uptick Network Stock Day Podcast is an extension of Uptick Newswire and has recently launched the Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona.

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of Stock Day, and Uptick Newswire encourages listeners to visit the companys message board at https://investorshangout.com/



THIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES.



TORONTO, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Timbercreek Financial (TSX:TF) (Timbercreek Financial or the Company) announced today that it has issued a notice of redemption to holders of the 6.35% convertible unsecured subordinated debentures due March 31, 2019 (the Debentures), representing a redemption in full of all of the currently outstanding Debentures.

The Debentures will be redeemed on July 3, 2018 (the Redemption Date) in accordance with their terms. The Debentures will be redeemed at a redemption price of $1,000 plus accrued and unpaid interest of $16.3534 up to but excluding the Redemption Date, both per $1,000 principal amount of Debentures. As of the close of trading on May 30, 2018, the aggregate principal amount of the Debentures outstanding was $34,500,000. The Company intends to draw from its existing revolving credit facility to fund the redemption price plus accrued and unpaid interest.

The Debentures are currently listed for trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TF.DB and may be converted in accordance with their terms into common shares of the Company until the close of business on June 29, 2018.

About Timbercreek Financial

Timbercreek Financial is a leading non-bank, commercial real estate lender providing shorter-duration, structured financing solutions to commercial real estate investors. Our sophisticated, service-oriented approach allows us to meet the needs of borrowers, including faster execution and more flexible terms that are not typically provided by Canadian financial institutions. By employing thorough underwriting, active management and strong governance, we are able to meet these needs while targeting strong risk-adjusted returns for investors.

Disclaimers

This news release contains forward-looking statements about Timbercreek Financial. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "expect", "anticipate", "believe", "foresee", "could", "intend", "plan", "seek", "strive", "will", "may", "potential" and "should" and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. By their nature, forward looking statements reflect Timbercreek Asset Management Inc.'s and the Company's current views, beliefs, assumptions and intentions, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, known and unknown, including, without limitation, risks disclosed in the Company's public filings. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend to nor assumes any obligation to update these forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, plans, events or otherwise, unless required by law.

No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither the Toronto Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Toronto Stock Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information:

Timbercreek Financial

Cam Goodnough

President & Chief Executive Officer

cgoodnough@timbercreek.comCLEVELAND, Ohio, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Covelli Enterprises, the Ohio-based largest franchisee of Panera Bread, is proud to announce a newly-formed partnership with the LeBron James Family Foundation (LJFF) that will begin in June. The partnership will raise funds for the LJFF I PROMISE School opening this fall.

The partnership will encompass a month-long promotion through which Panera will match dollar for dollar any donation made at any one of its nearly 50 bakery-cafes in the Cleveland, Akron, and Canton areas. The LJFF will appear on the Community Breadbox donation collection canisters at each of these locations during the month of June as part of the Covelli Cares community support program.

The funds will support the LJFFs I PROMISE School designed in partnership with Akron Public Schools (APS) for at-risk public school students in Akron. The school will expand on the work of the LJFFs I PROMISE program, which targets students in need and provides them with resources including mentoring, hands-on experiences and after-school help. The school plans to take APSs rigorous curriculum and infuse it with a STEM, hands-on, problem-based learning focus along with LJFFs We Are Family philosophy to educate the whole child and provide complete wraparound supports for its students and their families.

We are a Northeast Ohio company, so it means the world to us to do what we can do make a difference for our communities right here at home, said Sam Covelli, Owner/Operator of Covelli Enterprises. We are incredibly proud to be able to support the work of the LeBron James Family Foundation, and we cant wait to see the I PROMISE School come to fruition for the kids who need it most. In Northeast Ohio, we take care of each other. LeBron gets that, and so do we. We Are Family.

LeBron knows it takes a complete community effort to create the real, generational change he envisions with the I PROMISE School, so it means everything to our Foundation to have the support of incredible partners like Panera Bread, said Michele Campbell, executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation. We believe this groundbreaking school will be life-changing for families in Akron, and our work would not be possible without this critical support from the Northeast Ohio community. We are extremely grateful for Paneras willingness to open its arms and its local locations for the benefit of LeBrons kids in Akron.

The I Promise School will open fall of 2018 starting with third and fourth grade classes and adding first and second grades the following year. By 2022, the school will be complete with first through eighth grades.

About Covelli Enterprises

Covelli Enterprises operates more than 300 Panera Bread bakery-cafes in eight states. Headquartered in Warren, Ohio, Covelli Enterprises is the single largest franchisee of Panera Bread, LLC. In 2017, Covelli Enterprises donated more than $32 million to hunger relief agencies and non-profit organizations through Covelli Cares. www.covelli.com

About Covelli Cares

Covelli Cares is Covelli Enterprises' promise to strengthen and improve lives in the communities it serves through community donations, corporate giving, fundraising promotions, partnerships with local non-profit organizations, and local volunteer activities. 100% of all donations to Covelli Cares will benefit non-profit partners in the communities Covelli Enterprises serves.

About LeBron James Family Foundation

Recognizing the life-changing importance of education, The LeBron James Family Foundation invests its time, resources and attention in the kids of James hometown in Akron, Ohio. Through its I PROMISE program, the foundation serves more than 1,300 Akron-area students by providing them with the programs, support and mentors they need for success in school and beyond. In 2015, James partnered with The University of Akron to guarantee four-year college scholarships to all eligible students who graduate from high school and complete the criteria in the classroom and in the community. In 2018, all of the Foundations interventions and research-based incentives  along with its We Are Family philosophy  will be implemented into a brand new Akron Public School, the I PROMISE School, dedicated to giving Akrons most challenged students and their families the resources and wraparound supports needed on the path to a better future.SEATTLE, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CFN Media Group (CFN Media), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, today announced publication of an article covering CannTab Therapeutics Inc. (CSE:PILL) (CNSX:PILL) (PILL.CN) and its plan to make medical cannabis more reliable with its proprietary, patent-pending, extended-release tablets that offer a reliable and uniform dosage over several hours. By making medical cannabis more like traditional pharmaceuticals, these products should be more readily prescribed by doctors than the smoking of cannabis flower. Dr. Andrew Weil, director of integrative medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine states, As a physician, I am frustrated that I cannot prescribe marijuana for patients who might benefit from it. At the very least I would like to be able to refer them to a safe, reliable, quality-controlled source.



According to Arcview Market Research the North American cannabis industry is expected to grow more than three-fold from $6.57 billion in 2016 to $20.2 billion by 2021. The legalization of adult-use cannabis by the government of Canada will open the door to a much wider market in Canada, where legalization is currently anticipated for the summer of 2018. There are signs that U.S. lawmakers are ready to further legitimize medical cannabis by potentially removing marijuana from the list of Schedule I Controlled Substances.

As with any rapidly expanding market, there have been many growing pains along the way. Canadian licensed producers have been plagued with recalls for contaminated products due to the lack of testing standards, while inaccurate labeling has hurt consumers trust in the regulated medical cannabis space. Many medical cannabis companies and doctors also struggle with dosing issues given the unique nature of cannabis and the lack of robust clinical trial data.

A Lack of Standards

Cannabis bioavailability is a significant issue facing the medical community. In a 2009 study, researchers found that cannabinoid bioavailability ranged from two to 56 percent for inhaled cannabis smoke and from four to 20 percent for orally consumed cannabis products. These wide ranges make it difficult for physicians to anticipate how cannabis will affect a patient, which makes them less likely to prescribe cannabis-based medications.

The reality is that cannabis affects different people in different ways due to its nature. For one, cannabis contains hundreds of cannabinoids that interact in ways that scientists are only starting to understand. The metabolism of cannabinoids also depends on an individuals body type since its a fat-soluble and subject to first-pass liver metabolism. And finally, regular users may build up a tolerance and require higher dosing than casual or new users.

Many companies have started to develop cannabinoid delivery mechanisms designed to improve bioavailability, but its a challenging task that requires extensive research and development. In addition, many of these delivery mechanisms may be unfamiliar to patients that are accustomed to taking pharmaceutical drugs in pill form. The most promising companies are those that are closely adhering to pharmaceutical standards.

Canntabs Unique Solutions

Canntab Therapeutics aims to develop advanced pharmaceutical-grade cannabis formulations. Using its in-house technology, the company delivers standardized medical cannabis extract from selective strains in a variety of extended-release/sustained release pharmaceutical dosages for therapeutic use. As the company likes to say, it puts the medical into medical cannabis by bringing pharmaceutical standards to the industry.

The companys proprietary, patent-pending Canntab XR Tablets provide an extended release and uniform dosing of cannabis over an extended number of hours. Doctors or patients can access a wide range of THC/CBD variations to effectively manage any ailment, while taking advantage of the discreet tablet format that easily fits into any patients lifestyle. These tablets are also highly reliable and made to pharmaceutical-grade standards.

In late-2017, the company signed a licensing deal with Emblem Corp. (CSE:EMC), a Canadian licensed producer of medical cannabis, to market and develop five products in Canada, and closed a joint venture deal with Queensland Bauxite to make its products available in Australia and Asia. Recently, Health Canada approved R&D activities for Canntabs oral sustained release formulations of cannabinoids, which paves the way for these new products.

We are thrilled that Health Canada has approved the research and development phase of our partnership with Canntab, said Emblem President and CEO Nick Dean in the press release announcing the approval. The introduction of Canntabs sustained release formulation presents a significant growth opportunity for Emblem that is expected to begin in 2019.

In addition to that licensing deal, the company announced a joint venture with Queensland Bauxite (ASX:QBL) to develop and market its patented tablets. The new venture will compete with MMJ Phytotech, which is the only company thats currently importing a cannabis-containing pill in partnership with the Swiss drugmaker, Satipharm. Queensland Bauxite is confident that the standardized dosing will convince doctors and regulators to support the product as a way to prescribe measurable doses of cannabis.

Management is also working to close a deal to co-locate with FV Pharma to produce and distribute its products in Canada and around the world.

Looking Ahead

CannTab Therapeutics Inc. (CSE:PILL) represents a compelling investment opportunity within the burgeoning cannabis industry. By addressing key issues with bioavailability and dosing, the companys products should appeal to traditional doctors and patients looking for reliable solutions to meet their medical needs. Recreational users will be able to benefit from a consistent experience as well.

For more information, visit the Companys Website at: Canntab Therapeutics Inc.

Please follow the link to read the full article: http://www.cannabisfn.com/canntab-brings-pharma-standards-medical-cannabis/

About CFN Media

CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the global cannabis industry, helps companies operating in the space attract investors, capital, and publicity. Since 2013, private and public cannabis companies in the US and Canada have relied on CFN Media to grow and succeed.

Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany

Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8

Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com

Disclaimer

CannabisFN.com is not an independent financial investment advisor or broker-dealer. You should always consult with your own independent legal, tax, and/or investment professionals before making any investment decisions. The information provided on http://www.cannabisfn.com (the Site) is either original financial news or paid advertisements drafted by our in-house team or provided by an affiliate. CannabisFN.com, a financial news media and marketing firm enters into media buys or service agreements with the companies that are the subject of the articles posted on the Site or other editorials for advertising such companies. We are not an independent news media provider. We make no warranty or representation about the information including its completeness, accuracy, truthfulness or reliability and we disclaim, expressly and implicitly, all warranties of any kind, including whether the Information is complete, accurate, truthful, or reliable. As such, your use of the information is at your own risk. Nor do we undertake any obligation to update the items posted. CannabisFN.com received compensation for producing and presenting high quality and sophisticated content on CannabisFN.com along with financial and corporate news.

The above article is sponsored content. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, has been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

Contact:

Frank Lane

206-369-7050

Flane@cannabisfn.com



SEATTLE, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CFN Media Group (CFN Media), the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the North American cannabis industry, today announced publication of an article covering Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE:LXX) (LXX.CN) (CNSX:LXX) (OTCQX:LXRP). The company is paving the road in terms of cannabinoid delivery research and development. Their patented DehydraTECH technology allows for the oral consumption of cannabinoids without the typical scent and flavor, while also avoiding first-pass liver metabolism. Nuka Enterprises LLC, one of the largest edible manufacturers in the world, recently signed a 10-year agreement with Lexaria in order to continue bringing delicious and effective 1906 chocolates to consumers across the globe.



CFN Media spoke with Lexaria CEO Chris Bunka at the recent MJBizNEXT Conference in New Orleans to learn more about the firms innovation and their plans to dramatically change the way people think about cannabis.

CFN: How does your DehydraTECH delivery method work?

Chris Bunka: We believe that infused foods should taste more like food and less like marijuana. Our consumers find their coffee tastes a bit more like coffee and less like cannabis, and additionally notice that the cannabinoids take effect faster, and they feel a different type of effect than the typical edible. For medical patients who medicate often, that difference means a lot.

Our tech allows cannabinoids to avoid first pass liver metabolism, and that's why we have some dramatic biochemical differences. We take a cannabinoid and we kind of glue it to oleic acid, which is a sub-component of sunflower oil or olive oil; both long chain fatty acids.

That gluing is really important, and sunflower oil is a really good choice because it has a neutral taste. If you tried olive oil, you'll taste plant, it tastes different. So, when we glue the THC or the CBD or the terpenes to the oleic acid, you get that neutral flavor, and it's pretty dramatic in most things. We put it in coffee, tea, water, white wine, beer, protein bars, cookies, chocolates, candies, gummies; we put it into so many things. Basically, about 99 percent of the strong flavor is gone, and you don't have to add any sugar, and you don't have to add any chemicals.

When you swallow food, it goes into your stomach. Whatever doesn't get absorbed obviously gets excreted as waste, but as it passes through the intestine, there's all these opportunities to get absorbed across the intestinal wall. Well, the intestinal wall is not just a filter. It's not just this physical barrier. It's actually a very highly communicative, two way, sensing organ. There's sensing apparatus all over it, and those sensory cells are looking for what is it that's here. Is it a fat? What kind of fat? Is it a protein? Is it sugar? What kind of sugar?

Depending on all sorts of different stuff, which one of those receptors are being triggered, different signals get sent to your pancreas and different biomes are created to help pull those nutrients across the intestinal wall. Your body is actually actively trying to pull those nutrients in. Well, oleic acid is like the wonder molecule as far as your intestine is concerned. It's one of the only things you can swallow that does not get passed through the intestinal wall and then delivered to the hepatic vein that goes to the liver for first pass liver absorption.

CFN: Tell us about your intellectual property?

CB: Our patent portfolio is super strong. Last December, we received our first patent from the U.S. Patent Office on nicotine and the ibuprofen and aspirin delivery as well as the cannabinoids. We're in the active investigation phase in the EU, Canada, China, Japan, and India right now, so we'll probably have additional progress there soon. Our IP lawyer has joined our advisory board because he's really fascinated with what we're doing, and he has a PhD in neuroscience, as well as being a patent attorney.

We're filing new patent applications all the time. So, in the industry, I know that GW certainly has more patents and patent applications than we do, and I know that Canopy up in Canada is pretty much neck and neck with us. They're in the 30-40 patent application range, and so are we. Maybe we're a little ahead by numbers, but I'm almost certain that Canopy, for example, has no granted patents, and I know that GW only has a few, and we are kind of neck and neck with them also. We are right at the leading edge in the world for patent applications and patent granting, and IP in the cannabis sector.

CFN: What types of exciting discoveries have you been making in your research?

CB: We conducted a study recently on rats, using nicotine as an active ingredient. Blood tests showed we are getting an average of 50 percent more nicotine into the rats' blood compared to rats in the control group. We said okay, well, that's good. So, if I had 10 milligrams of THC, it'll have the effect of 15 compared to not using our tech. We also took kidney, liver and brain tissue samples, and found in the brain we had 560 percent more nicotine with our tech than without. That is a profound discovery because frankly, we don't know exactly how we did it. There was 50 percent more level in the blood plasma and so you would naturally think, Okay, there's 50 percent more available to penetrate to receptors anywhere, but instead it increased 11-fold: 50 percent to 550.

We already knew that our tech crosses the intestinal wall way more effectively but based on these results, we're wondering if affects blood-brain barrier transmission as well. If it does, this has the potential to have profound ramifications for pharmaceuticals and biotech, and not just cannabis. Here is research that is being done, all originating out of the cannabis industry, for the cannabis industry, that could have profound public health consequences for applications from cancer, brain tumors, the ability to be able to deliver to the brain substances that right now can't get across that barrier.

That's massive potential but it is early, early, early days, and we've done one study, and it's on rats, it's not humans; so there's a lot of area we still need to grow our knowledge. Still, it's a profoundly unusual and unexpected result, and we've talked to a number of leading PhD researchers around the world in the three weeks since we've published that, and none of them can explain it. We're going to repeat the study and do a larger population of animals. We only had 12 rats in that study. In the next one, we were thinking of doing 30, or 40, or 50. That would give you more robust data and additional opportunities. If it repeats, I can't tell you how big this is to us.

CFN: Why should potential investors consider Lexaria?

CB: Unlike some companies, we really do actually respect our shareholders. I don't go for this new modern idea of issuing hundreds and hundreds of millions of shares because there is a big cost to issue 100 million shares which will raise a lot of money in the process: and yes it can help you build your business and yes it can help you to preserve your jobs - it can do all those things. That's all really, really good: but you've completely skewered your investors because you've issued so many shares. How much additional value are you going to have to create to justify that market cap? If you look at us, our share count has probably grown among the least on the continent in the last three to four years compared to other companies in our sector. We're at about 71 million shares outstanding today. That's still really low compared to most of the others.

Unlike some of these other companies that need tens of millions of dollars to operate and grow before they hit cash-flow positive or profitability, our burn rate is super, super low - so a couple million dollars goes a long way with us, and our cash-flows are increasing, because we're a licensing and R&D company. One of the biggest considerations of all the companies that you can think of that are public in the cannabis space - I don't think there's another one that comes remotely close to us in this way - is to be able to match the applicability of our business model outside of cannabis. Our valuation has gone up by close to 2000 percent in the last couple of years because our tech applies to several different sectors.

One of the main things I want people to realize is: this is for real. This is not a game to the management of Lexaria. None of us are interested in some quick market appreciation in order to dump a million bucks worth of stock. I started buying stock in this company in 2005, and I have never sold a share. In 2014-15, I bought about another 6 million shares out of the market, just like anyone else can, and I've never sold one of those shares, either. They're all sitting in my accounts. I know it's so corny, but we are actually interested in changing the world. We think we can slow down disease, we think we can save lives, we think we can make cannabis more acceptable for the general population and take the stink factor out, and that's all positive stuff.

We ARE going to make the world a better place and our accomplishments so far are nothing compared to what we have planned.

Please visit the company website: https://www.lexariabioscience.com

Please follow the link to read the full article:

http://www.cannabisfn.com/cfn-medias-exclusive-interview-lexaria-bioscience-ceo-chris-bunka/

About CFN Media

CFN Media (CannabisFN) is the leading agency and financial media network dedicated to the global cannabis industry, helps companies operating in the space attract investors, capital, and publicity. Since 2013, private and public cannabis companies in the US and Canada have relied on CFN Media to grow and succeed.

Learn how to become a CFN Media client company, brand or entrepreneur: http://www.cannabisfn.com/featuredcompany

Download the CFN Media iOS mobile app to access the world of cannabis from the palm of your hand: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/cannabisfn/id988009247?ls=1&mt=8

Or visit our homepage and enter your mobile number under the Apple App Store logo to receive a download link text on your iPhone: http://www.cannabisfn.com

Disclaimer

CannabisFN.com is not an independent financial investment advisor or broker-dealer. You should always consult with your own independent legal, tax, and/or investment professionals before making any investment decisions. The information provided on http://www.cannabisfn.com (the Site) is either original financial news or paid advertisements drafted by our in-house team or provided by an affiliate. CannabisFN.com, a financial news media and marketing firm enters into media buys or service agreements with the companies that are the subject of the articles posted on the Site or other editorials for advertising such companies. We are not an independent news media provider. We make no warranty or representation about the information including its completeness, accuracy, truthfulness or reliability and we disclaim, expressly and implicitly, all warranties of any kind, including whether the Information is complete, accurate, truthful, or reliable. As such, your use of the information is at your own risk. Nor do we undertake any obligation to update the items posted. CannabisFN.com received compensation for producing and presenting high quality and sophisticated content on CannabisFN.com along with financial and corporate news.

The above article is sponsored content. Emerging Growth LLC, which owns CannabisFN.com and CFN Media, has been hired to create awareness. Please follow the link below to view our full disclosure outlining our compensation: http://www.cannabisfn.com/legal-disclaimer/

Contact:

Frank Lane

206-369-7050

Flane@cannabisfn.comWilmington, N.C., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Its well-known that the battle against head lice has gotten far more difficult in recent years as head lice have become immune to the chemical pesticides in the most popular lice products. The most recent study found that so-called Super Lice comprise 98 percent of head lice in most states.



You dont have to tell that to Dena Black and Gil Ferrell, who are opening their second Lice Clinics of America treatment center in Wilmington. She saw super lice infestations increase by 70 percent in South Charlotte, home of her first clinic.

With traditional treatments no longer working people are desperate for a solution, Dena said. One family drove four hours to our clinic, and they had been dealing with head lice for more than a year. Were trying to make this fast, safe, effective solution available and convenient for more people.

Lice Clinics of America  Wilmington, provides screening, diagnosis and treatment options for people infested with head lice. The clinic is staffed by certified operators of the AirAlle device, the only FDA-cleared medical device that kills head lice and lice eggs (nits) using just heated air.

Were excited to bring this one and done solution to families in the Wilmington area, Dena said. We have the only FDA-cleared medical device for head lice in North Carolina.

The AirAlle device dehydrates lice and eggs in about an hour. It is a Class I medical device that has been clinically proven to kill live lice and more than 99 percent of eggs. Because no chemicals are used to kill lice, it is effective against pesticide-resistant lice.

Through her work with families and schools Dena has become aware of the growing problem of human trafficking in North Carolina. When I realized we were treating boys and girls that are the same age that are targeted by human traffickers, it sickened me, Dena said. I knew that we needed to get involved and so we are proud supporters of Justice Ministries and $5 of every treatment goes to support this organization in the fight against human trafficking and sexual exploitation in our community.

The Wilmington clinic is located at 5725 Oleander Drive and is open seven days per week by appointment. AirAlle treatments come with a 30-day guarantee when all family members are treated or screened for head lice.

The new clinic is one of more than 350 clinics in the Lice Clinics of America network worldwide. With clinics in more than 33 countries, Lice Clinics of America (www.LiceClinicsOfAmerica.com) is the largest network of professional head-lice-treatment centers in the world. Lice Clinics of America and AirAlle (www.airalle.com) are brands owned by Larada Sciences, Inc.LOS ANGELES, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Verifi announced that for the sixth consecutive year they have been awarded Best Chargeback Management Program at the 2018 Card Not Present Expo, held this year in Orlando, Florida. This award highlights the exemplary quality and performance of Verifis chargeback suite of services. Verifi is the only six-time consecutive recipient of the award.



Rapid growth of e-commerce and mobile payments place an ongoing demand for the development of new technologies to meet the challenges of accepting card-not-present transactions, which seek to serve a wide and growing array of retailers, said DJ Murphy, Editor-in-Chief, Card Not Present. As the established industry standard for recognizing the excellence in achievement toward that end, the CNP Awards is keen to acknowledge these businesses, organizations, services and potential partners for their outstanding efforts.

Verifis Comprehensive Chargeback Management solution suite was recognized for excellence in delivering end-to-end protection against significant losses caused by disputes and chargebacks.

Through Order insight, consumers and issuers can access robust transaction details and merchant information at the onset of a transaction inquiry, helping to reduce consumer billing confusion and deflect disputes and unnecessary chargebacks. Issuers can also quickly validate the transaction and identify friendly fraud to stop fraudulent chargebacks from occurring and save the sale for the merchant.

For disputes that cannot be deflected up front, Verifis Cardholder Dispute Resolution Network (CDRN) provides prompt notification to the merchant of customer-initiated disputes directly from the issuer. CDRN pauses the dispute process so the merchant can resolve the dispute before escalating to become a chargeback. The CDRN patented, closed loop process facilitates collaboration between merchants and top issuers to accurately identify a chargeback risk and help avoid false positives, which increase expenses and lower profits due to over-refunding.

For unwarranted chargebacks that do occur, Verifis Chargeback Revenue Recovery specialists manage all aspects of the dispute process on behalf of merchants, and help represent and recover lost profits with a win rate up to 2X the industry standard.

Being recognized for the sixth straight year by our peers and respected leaders in the payments industry is a very special honor, said Matthew Katz, CEO of Verifi. We continually strive to improve the value our services for our clients and partners alike, and deliver the strongest solutions to help them combat the problems in their business caused by disputes and chargebacks.

About Verifi

Founded in 2005, Verifi is an award-winning provider of end-to-end payment protection and risk management solutions. Verifis patented collaboration platform enables the sharing of near real-time data between cardholders, merchants, and issuers to resolve disputes, save sales, prevent fraud and stop chargebacks. Verifis services also help merchants fight and recover profits lost from unwarranted chargebacks, process payments securely, and optimize billings . Trusted by a wide range of businesses, from emerging companies to the Fortune 500, Verifi is headquartered in Los Angeles and serves thousands of accounts globally. For more information, visit: verifi.com.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BlockchainK2 Corp. (formerly Africa Hydrocarbons Inc.) (TSX.V:BITK) (the Company) is pleased to announce that it will today begin trading on the TSX Venture Exchange under the stock symbol BITK.



As per the Companys May 25, 2018 press release, it has recently completed a Change of Business transaction (the COB Transaction) and now operates as a blockchain technology company, with its initial business being cryptocurrency mining. The Company will continue to update the market as it orders additional cryptocurrency mining equipment and develops its cryptocurrency mining facility.

Additional Information

Additional information about the Company and the COB Transaction is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com under the Companys profile. The summary of the COB Transaction set out above is qualified in its entirety by reference to the description of the COB Transaction in the Filing Statement. At this time there are 15,901,625 common shares of the Company issued and outstanding.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF

BLOCKCHAINK2 CORP.

Douglas Wu

CEO and Director

For further information, please telephone: (604) 283-1722.

The Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the COB Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking StatementsWAYNE, Pa., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vistage, the worlds leading CEO peer-advisory organization, has bestowed its Impact Award on Unilog CEO Suchit Bachalli. The Vistage Impact Award recognizes remarkable development and achievements in CEOs with between one and three years tenure at Vistage. These members have become invaluable assets to their group, opening themselves to feedback and reaching significant turning points. There are approximately 450 CEOs in the Philadelphia Vistage.



Bachalli is CEO of Unilog, a company that offers powerful, affordable eCommerce solutions to midmarket B2B companies. One of Philadelphia Business Journals 2015 40 Under 40 honorees, Bachalli was selected because his intelligence and open personality made a big impact on the group right away. While running a global company with more than 700 employees, he asks for guidance and gives it freely. In his first year as Unilogs CEO, the company increased overall revenue by 22%.

Vistage is an unparalleled CEO peer-advisory organization, said Suchit Bachalli. Even before this award, Vistage has given me far more than I have given to it. Im honored, of course, but most importantly inspired to continue my entrepreneurial journey knowing that my peers have faith in my abilities.

Suchit is an ideal choice, said Philadelphia Vistage Chair Carol Steinberg. Coming into a well-established group, he just opened himself up. The group loves it when Suchit says, I need to talk with you guys about an opportunity. Hes a thinker, and has already made a big impact.

About Unilog

Unilog is a global technology company that delivers powerful, affordable eCommerce solutions for the B2B marketplace. Our cloud-based eCommerce platform and product data enrichment services help distributors, manufacturers, and wholesalers increase online sales, reduce cost to serve, and enhance their digital channel. For more information, visit www.unilogcorp.com.

About Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

Vistage Worldwide is an organization designed exclusively for high-integrity CEOs and executive leaders who are looking to drive better decisions and better results for their companies. Our members  22,000 strong in more than 20 countries  gather in trusted, confidential peer advisory groups where they tackle their toughest challenges and biggest opportunities. Leveraging the Vistage platform, our members have demonstrated the ability to refine their instincts, improve their judgment, expand their perspectives and optimize decision-making. CEOs who joined Vistage in the past five years grew their companies 2.2 times faster than average small and midsize U.S. companies, according to a 2017 analysis of Dun & Bradstreet data. Learn more at Vistage.com.

PRESS CONTACT

Bill Brazell

bbrazell@witstrategy.com

917-445-7316English French

OTTAWA, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- This years National Health Leadership Conference (#NHLC2018), will bring together national, provincial and community health leaders from across the country as they set their sights on developing policy solutions and spreading best practices to transform the health care system and improve health outcomes for Canadians.



Moderated by Globe and Mail health reporter and columnist, Andre Picard, the #NHLC 2018 theme is Creating the winning conditions for change. The event will celebrate success and showcase changes underway  and those to come  that will improve the health of all Canadians.

The NHLC is Canadas largest national gathering of health system leaders. This year close to 700 representatives from health regions, authorities and alliances; hospitals; long-term care organizations; public health agencies; community care; mental health and social services; government, education and research organizations; professional associations; and industry will be attending the event June 4-5 in

St. Johns, NL.

The conference is a pivotal opportunity for health leaders to come together to identify, examine, learn and debate the winning conditions for improving the health of all Canadians, said Paul-Emile Cloutier, President and CEO of HealthCareCAN and co-host of the NHLC.

Conference speakers include:

Sir Michael G. Marmot  Professor of Epidemiology at University College London, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, and Immediate Past President of the World Medical Association;

 Professor of Epidemiology at University College London, Director of the UCL Institute of Health Equity, and Immediate Past President of the World Medical Association; The Honourable John Haggie  Minister of Health and Community Services, Newfoundland and Labrador;

 Minister of Health and Community Services, Newfoundland and Labrador; Dr. Zayna Khayat  Future Strategist with Saint Elizabeth & Faculty, Singularity University, Exponential Medicine;

 Future Strategist with Saint Elizabeth & Faculty, Singularity University, Exponential Medicine; Mr. Tyler Norris  Chief Executive, Well Being Trust.

Speakers will highlight the role of leadership in driving transformational change, from addressing the social determinants of health to improving digital health. Among others, issues to be examined include:

The role of government to set the tone, direction and policy for change;

The role of technology and digital health in transformational change;

The role of industry and the private sector in enabling change;

How do health leaders address critical factors outside the healthcare system  the social determinants of health  influencing health and well-being.

The fourth Great Canadian Healthcare Debate will also be held and will focus on addressing policy gaps in three critical health issues: mental health, indigenous health and seniors health.

As a nation we have made progress toward improving mental, indigenous and seniors health, but we must maintain the momentum and develop further policy solutions to help improve outcomes on the frontlines of care, added Sue Owen, Acting President and CEO of the Canadian College of Health Leaders and co-host of the NHLC.

For more information about the National Health Leadership Conference, visit www.nhlc-cnls.ca.

Media contact:

Lucie Boileau, Communications Lead - 1-855-236-0213 ext. 205  613-462-5604 (mobile) lboileau@healthcarecan.caNORTH VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan) and the Government of Canada are pleased to announce that work will begin soon on the Joint Support Ships (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN).



These purpose-built vessels will play a vital role in meeting Canadas domestic and international obligations and will fully meet the operational needs of the RCN. By starting construction on JSS, Seaspan is able to realize continuous production and ensure further progress is made on its National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) commitments. This move demonstrates the value of the long-term, strategic partnership established between the Government of Canada and Seaspan under the NSS.

Seaspan Shipyards is a proud partner to the Government of Canada under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, said Brian Carter, President & CEO of Seaspan Shipyards. By starting construction on the Joint Support Ships, our company is supporting the operational needs of the Royal Canadian Navy and the long-term success of Canadas shipbuilding industry.

With the Seaspan-built JSS, Canadas women and men in uniform will be able to support our nations role in the world. These ships will deliver fuel and other vital supplies to vessels at sea, offer medical and dental services, and provide facilities for helicopter and equipment repair. JSS will be built to highest standard and with modern equipment, propulsion redundancy, a 30+ year life expectancy and the ability to stand in harms way if required. The JSS possess the ability to support Canadian Naval Task Groups and operations with Canadas allies for both military and humanitarian missions and will be fully staffed by the RCN.

The National Shipbuilding Strategy is helping to build a strong and sustainable shipbuilding industry in Canada, while creating jobs and generating major economic benefits from coast to coast to coast. said the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, PC, MP, Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada. With the construction of the JSS, our government is delivering on our commitment to support the men and women of the Royal Canadian Navy as they undertake humanitarian and military missions on behalf of our great country.

Canadas shipbuilding industry has been rebuilt thanks to the NSS. To date, Seaspan has $600M in committed contracts and engaged approximately 500 Canadian firms thanks to its NSS-related work alone. At its peak, work on JSS will contribute towards sustaining an estimated 1,000 jobs at Seaspan.

The JSS will be designated the Protecteur-class in recognition of the distinguished service provided by Canadas former replenishment oilers  Her Majestys Canadian Ships (HMCS) Protecteur and Preserver.

ABOUT SEASPAN SHIPYARDS

With operations in North Vancouver and Victoria, Seaspan Shipyards is a leader in Canadas shipbuilding and ship repair industry. With modern facilities and a dedicated workforce, the company has proven itself to be a reliable partner on a range of complex projects for both government and the private sector.

Seaspan Shipyards is proud to be Canadas chosen non-combat shipbuilder under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). In this capacity, the company is building state-of-the-art ships in Canada for the Canadian Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy. Through its NSS-related work, Seaspan Shipyards is creating jobs, generating economic benefits and rebuilding Canadas shipbuilding and marine industries.

Seaspan Shipyards

Nicholas Insley

Manager, Public Affairs

Office: 604-990-1824

Nicholas.Insley@Seaspan.com

QUICK FACTS ABOUT JSS AND THE NSS

NSS: For information on the NSS, National Shipbuilding Strategy.

JSS Overview:

Her Majestys Canadian Ships (HMCS) Protecteur and Preserver are multi-role vessels that will provide an important auxiliary function to the RCN. They increase the range and endurance of naval task groups by permitting the vessels to remain at sea for long periods of time without needing to return to port for replenishment. They represent crucial elements of Canadas blue-water naval capabilities and will allow the RCN to participate in operations with allies on military and humanitarian missions.

These vessels are designed and built to carry provisions like food, water, fuel and ammunition for other vessels, provide support ashore, and are a home base for helicopter maintenance and operations. With its enhanced defensive capabilities and a crew of 239 personnel, the JSS can also support the RCN in high threat environments ensuring our continued safety and security at home and abroad.

General:

Builder: Seaspan Shipyards

Owner: Royal Canadian Navy

Names of Ships: Her Majestys Canadian Ships (HMCS) Protecteur and Preserver

Dimensions:

Length Overall: 173.7 m

Breadth: 24.0 m

Design Waterline/ Draft: 7.4 m

Design Displacement: 19,648 t

Power and Performance:

Max Speed: 20 knots

Cruising Speed: 15 knots

Propulsion Power: 2 x 7200kWEnglish French

NEWS RELEASE

Annual General Shareholders' Meeting

IRVINE, CA, et HERSTAL, BELGIQUE - 16:00 CEST, May 31,2018 - MDxHealth SA (Euronext : MDXH), held today its Annual General Shareholders' Meeting in Brussels. The shareholders approved all agenda items of the Annual General Shareholders' Meeting, including the financial statements for the financial year ended December 31, 2017.

About MDxHealth

MDxHealth is a multinational healthcare company that provides actionable molecular diagnostic information to personalize the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The company's tests are based on proprietary genetic, epigenetic (methylation) and other molecular technologies and assist physicians with the diagnosis of urologic cancers, prognosis of recurrence risk, and prediction of response to a specific therapy. The Company's European headquarters are in Herstal, Belgium, with laboratory operations in Nijmegen, The Netherlands, and US headquarters and laboratory operations based in Irvine, California. For more information, visit mdxhealth.com and follow us on social media at: twitter.com/mdxhealth, facebook.com/mdxhealth and linkedin.com/company/mdxhealth.

For more information:

Jean-Marc Roelandt, CFO



Belgium : +32 4 257 70 21



ir@mdxhealth.com





This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates with respect to the anticipated future performance of MDxHealth and the market in which it operates. Such statements and estimates are based on assumptions and assessments of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which were deemed reasonable but may not prove to be correct. Actual events are difficult to predict, may depend upon factors that are beyond the company's control, and may turn out to be materially different. MDxHealth expressly disclaims any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements in this release to reflect any change in its expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based unless required by law or regulation. This press release does not constitute an offer or invitation for the sale or purchase of securities or assets of MDxHealth in any jurisdiction. No securities of MDxHealth may be offered or sold within the United States without registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or in compliance with an exemption therefrom, and in accordance with any applicable U.S. securities laws.

NOTE: The MDxHealth logo, MDxHealth, ConfirmMDx, SelectMDx, AssureMDx, PredictMDx and UrNCollect are trademarks or registered trademarks of MDxHealth SA. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novo Resources Corp. (Novo or the Company) (TSX-V:NVO) (OTCQX:NSRPF) is pleased to provide results for the first two bulk samples from Comet Well, part of Novos greater Karratha Gold Project located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Sample KX157, a 7.143 tonne bulk sample previously reported to contain numerous gold nuggets (please refer to the Companys news release dated April 25, 2018 for further details), returned an impressive grade of 10.4 grams per tonne gold (please refer to figures 1 and 2 below for sample location). Sample KX158, a 6.853 tonne bulk sample encompassing conglomerate and footwall dolerite, returned 1.5 grams per tonne gold.



Sample KX157 was collected from a 2x2 m horizontal panel from 0.3-0.8 m above the basal contact of the Lower Cannonball conglomerate unit at the Powerline showing (please refer to the Companys news releases dated February 14, 2018 and March 20, 2018 for further details). Additional bulk samples, KX151-KX162, have been collected from nearby trenches (please refer to figure 2 below and the Companys news release dated March 20, 2018 for further details) and are currently being processed through the SGS Minerals (SGS) laboratory in Perth (please refer to the Companys news release dated February 6, 2018 for further details). Data from these samples will provide a more thorough understanding of gold grades within the basal few meters of the Lower Cannonball conglomerate, a unit that has yielded numerous metal detector strikes.

Sample KX158 was collected immediately beneath KX157 from a panel approximately 0.5 m thick. Approximately half of the sample is conglomerate and half is footwall dolerite, a rock considered barren. When compared to bulk samples collected from the basal contact at Purdys Reward that yielded 10.6-87.8 grams per tonne gold (please refer to the Companys news release dated February 14, 2018 for further details), this sample is notably lower grade, an indication that the basal contact is not as enriched at Comet Well compared to that at Purdys Reward. At Comet Well, gold appears to be scattered through a thicker section of conglomerate as evidenced by results from sample KX157 and the numerous detector strikes over several vertical meters of exposure in trenches.

To date, two gold-bearing horizons have been identified at Comet Well. The lower horizon comprises the bottom of the Lower Cannonball conglomerate and displays a thickness of several meters. The upper gold-bearing horizon is approximately 1-2 m thick and comprises the base of the Upper Cannonball conglomerate. This horizon may correlate with gold-bearing conglomerates approximately 2 km northeast at Purdys Reward. Novo is currently exploring areas along strike to confirm this hypothesis.

Novo personnel recently discovered a new exposure of gold-bearing conglomerate within a drainage approximately 250 m southeast of the trench from which bulk samples KX157 and KX158 were extracted (please refer to figures 3 and 4 below). Current interpretation suggests this is the down dip extension of the gold-bearing horizon within the Upper Cannonball conglomerate. Work is currently being undertaken to further expose this conglomerate and collect bulk samples. Novo plans to provide further information about this discovery once this work is complete.

In light of the successful implementation of Novos bulk sampling and processing protocols at Comet Well, Novo is considering returning to Purdys Reward to re-sample previously sampled areas using these new protocols to ensure consistency of procedures and resulting data.

Novo Chairman and President, Dr Quinton Hennigh, commented, We are very encouraged by initial bulk sample results from Comet Well. Samples KX157 and KX158 are the first two +5 tonne samples collected and analyzed by our new protocols, a seminal step forward for the Company and project. We are particularly intrigued with the elevated concentration of gold in sample KX157 given its position above the basal contact and look forward to receipt of further results from additional bulk samples collected in nearby trenches. These results will give us a more complete picture of gold grade distribution from the bottom few meters of the Lower Cannonball conglomerate.

Since securing an agreement for the use of the sample processing facility at SGS in February, 2018, Novo technical staff and consultants have been working closely with SGS to refine flowsheets for processing and analysis of bulk samples from Comet Well. Analysis extends beyond solely assigning a grade to the material. Testing also generates important metallurgical information that will prove invaluable as the project progresses through economic studies. Novo will glean key information around gold grade, gold particle size and distribution, and gravity recoverable gold that will assist with future processing plant design options.

To ensure that the extremely nuggety Pilbara conglomerate gold mineralization is sampled and tested appropriately, considerable mineral processing, geometallurgical and geological intelligence have been applied to develop rigorous sampling and testwork flowsheets, assay and QA/QC regimes. Test work procedures are being optimised as material hardness, gold grade, gold particle size and distribution of gold reporting to various analytic streams is better understood. Capacity of the test plant is expected to be in excess of 50 tonnes per month once operating at steady state.

Novo CEO and Director, Rob Humphryson, commented, Our staffs dedication and determination helped overcome many obstacles faced during the development of these unique sampling and analytical processes. Novo is not aware of any such work having been undertaken previously in Australia, thus these processes were developed without the benefit of precedent. Our ultimate aim is to achieve integrity of data, including auditable and reliable results, in a timely and cost-effective manner with an eye to future geological modelling and economic studies. Considerable intellectual property gained through the development of these processes and Novos access to the SGS facility help ensure that Novo will remain at the forefront of conglomerate gold exploration in the Pilbara for the foreseeable future.

Quality Control and Quality Assurance:

Novo staff, under the supervision of Dr. Quinton Hennigh, Novos President and Chairman, collected bulk samples discussed in this news release. Bulk samples are being submitted to SGS Minerals in Perth, Australia where they are treated in a test plant detailed in Novos news release dated February 6, 2018. As the gold mineralization at Comet Well is extremely coarse, the entire sample is crushed and screened and passed through a metal detector to collect any nuggets in the sample. Once detected, the sample is again crushed, screened and further processed through a gravity concentrator. The concentrates and tails are analyzed, with the final grade based upon the gold recovered from each of the three sample streams (See figure 5 below). Samples are scrutineered by independent consultants from RSC Mining and Mineral Exploration, Perth, whilst each sample is collected and each sample is treated at the laboratory.

Dr. Quinton Hennigh, the Companys, President and Chairman and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical contents of this news release.

About Novo Resources Corp.

Novos focus is to explore and develop gold projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, and Novo has built up a significant land package covering approximately 12,000 sq km. For more information, please contact Leo Karabelas at (416) 543-3120 or e-mail leo@novoresources.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Novo Resources Corp.

Quinton Hennigh

Quinton Hennigh

President and Chairman

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward-looking information

Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information (within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation) including, without limitation, statements as to planned exploration activities and the expected timing of the receipt of results. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, without limitation, customary risks of the mineral resource industry as well as the performance of services by third parties.

PDFs accompanying this announcement are available at:

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/8835c18e-6e55-450a-929d-dfef9873611a

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/b1ca8862-da08-4025-afda-2fa2c21865d5

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/e92583e5-184e-48b9-b09e-e589468fd6c3

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/16319ff3-c5e8-42be-bf10-69abbea45676

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/f8d4b011-52bb-45c2-9cf8-235d301b27f3



ROUYN-NORANDA, Quebec, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GLOBEX MINING ENTERPRISES INC. (TSX:GMX) (FRANKFURT:G1MN) (STUTTGART:G1MN) (BERLIN:G1MN) (MUNICH:G1MN) (XETRA:G1MN) (OTCQX:GLBXF) is pleased to report that Chalice Gold Mines Limited (TSX:CXN) has announced the discovery of a new gold mineralized zone on Globexs Nordeau East property, located in Vauquelin Township, Quebec. The new gold horizon called the North Contact target was intersected in drill hole ECG-18-72 at a shallow depth from 180.5 to 204 m grading 1.12 g/t Au over 23.5 m. (including 6.86 g/t Au over 2.0 m and 5.71 g/t Au over 1.0 m).



The North Contact target was a conceptual target that interpreted the presence of a mineralized fault along the contact between the basement volcanics and overlying Cadillac sediments, sub-parallel to, and approximately 800 m north of the Cadillac fault. The zone is open toward surface and to depth as well as along strike to the east. Several earlier widely spaced holes to the west previously intersected gold values over a 1 km strike length including 1.77 g/t Au over 6.5 m in hole ECG-18-24. For additional details, please see Chalices press release of todays date.

In other news, on May 29th, 2018, Radisson Mining Resources Inc. (TSXV:RDS) reported an intersection of 8.9 g/t Au over 1.5 m in drill hole OB-18-71, located 3,300 m east of the Vintage Zone at a vertical depth of 338 m. This intersection falls within the area covered by Globexs recently acquired two percent (2%) Net Smelter Royalty (NSR). (See Radissons press release for details)

This press release was written by Jack Stoch, Geo., President and CEO of Globex in his capacity as a Qualified Person (Q.P.) under NI 43-101.

We Seek Safe Harbour. Foreign Private Issuer 12g3  2(b) CUSIP Number 379900 50 9

LEI 529900XYUKGG3LF9PY95 For further information, contact: Jack Stoch, P.Geo., Acc.Dir.

President & CEO

Globex Mining Enterprises Inc.

86, 14th Street

Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec Canada J9X 2J1



Tel.: 819.797.5242

Fax: 819.797.1470

info@globexmining.com

www.globexmining.com

Forward Looking Statements: Except for historical information, this news release may contain certain forward looking statements. These statements may involve a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity and performance to be materially different from the expectations and projections of Globex Mining Enterprises Inc. (Globex). No assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking information will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits Globex will derive therefrom. A more detailed discussion of the risks is available in the Annual Information Form filed by Globex on SEDAR at www.sedar.com



Toronto, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to a new poll commissioned by the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations (OCUFA), 68 per cent of Ontarians oppose universities hiring more contract faculty on short-term contracts instead of full-time professors with better pay and access to benefits. Potential voters for all political parties disagree with the current hiring approach, including 74 per cent of Liberal supporters, 73 per cent of NDP supporters, and 58 per cent of PC supporters.

This poll confirms that fairness for contract faculty has broad support, said Professor Gyllian Phillips, President of OCUFA. With the provincial election next week, it is time for all political parties to commit to fairness for contract faculty. Their supporters certainly believe in it.

The poll of 600 Ontarians over the age of 18 shows concern that a lack of job security for professors impacts the quality of student learning experiences. When asked, 60 per cent stated that forcing professors to work contract-to-contract, with no job security, has a negative impact on education quality. Contract faculty often lack dedicated office space and their working conditions make it difficult to make time for engagement with students. Of those surveyed, 63 per cent believe less one-on-one student engagement also negatively impacts education quality.

Ontarians understand how difficult it is to provide students with the high-quality education they deserve when were forced to work contract-to-contract with little or no support, said Kimberly Ellis-Hale, Chair of OCUFAs Contract Faculty Committee. Faculty working conditions are student learning conditions, and thats why its important we have job security, fair pay, and benefits.

Poll participants were also asked how they feel about the current level of government investment in Ontarios universities. The province provides the lowest per-student funding in Canada, with public funding making up less than 50 per cent of university operating revenues. When asked whether government funding should make up a higher, lower, or similar proportion of university revenues, 49 per cent said the proportion should be higher than it currently is, with only 8 per cent believing the proportion should be lower.

Its time to invest in a fair future for Ontarios universities, said Phillips. With strong public funding for our universities, more full-time faculty hiring, and a commitment to fairness for contract faculty, we can make that future a reality.

The telephone survey was conducted by Innovative Research Group from May 23rd to May 29th, 2018 and included 600 randomly-selected Ontario residents, 18 years of age or older. After weighting a sample of this size, the aggregated results are considered accurate to within 4.0 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Founded in 1964, OCUFA represents 17,000 faculty and academic librarians in 29 faculty associations across Ontario. For more information and the full poll results, please visit www.ocufa.on.ca/ontario-election-2018.SAUGAS, MA, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IonSense, Inc. today announced the Waters DART QDa System with LiveID Software for rapid, real time fingerprinting as the first product resulting from their collaboration announced in June 2017 to work on joint solutions for scientific laboratories. The system utilizes Direct Analysis in Real-Time (DART) sampling integrated with the popular compact Waters QDa detector.



Separately, IonSense has enabled a mobile DART QDa system for use in non-classical test settings such as food processing, chemical production, customs, and international mail facilities. Results from ongoing studies by the US FDA Forensics Chemistry Center will be presented June 4 at the ASMS Conference in San Diego, CA. They utilized the DART QDa for rapid ionization and confident detection of fentanyl, heroin, morphine and other opioid analogs showing the versatility of the system as a first line of defense against illegal imports. We are excited that the government is bringing our new platform to bear on the war on opioids, said Brian Musselman, President and CEO, IonSense, Inc. The rapid and simple operation of the DART source with the Waters QDa is perfectly matched to the need for screening hundreds of samples per hour for illicit materials.

The system is being offered and fully supported by Waters worldwide, allowing the companies to bring DART technology to a broader customer base.

About IonSense Corporation (www.ionsense.com)

IonSense Inc., established in 2005, is the leading provider of Open Air/Ambient Ionization sources, systems and integrated solutions for the $4B Mass Spectrometry marketplace. Headquartered in Saugus, MA the company manufactures, sells and markets the DART (Direct Analysis in Real Time) ionization source, the first open air ionization product to be patented and sold commercially.

About Waters Corporation (www.waters.com)

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT), the worlds leading specialty measurement company, has pioneered chromatography, mass spectrometry, and thermal analysis innovations serving the life, materials, and food sciences for nearly 60 years. With approximately 7,000 employees worldwide, Waters operates directly in 31 countries, including 15 manufacturing facilities, and with products available in more than 100 countries.

Waters, QDa, LiveID, and ACQUITY are trademarks of Waters Corporation. DART is a trademark of JEOL USA.English French

All resolutions approved

Evolution in the composition of the Board of Directors

0.60 dividend partially payable in the form of new shares

The annual General Meeting of shareholders held on 30 May 2018 adopted all of the resolutions put to the vote by a very large majority. Detailed results of the vote and information pertaining to the quorum are available on the Company's website, www.albioma.com.

As a consequence of the meeting, Mr Pierre Bouchut was appointed as a Director. He therefore succeeds Mr Michel Bleitrach who, after a 12-year appointment as a Director, did not wish to stand for office again. Mr Pierre Bouchut was also entrusted with the function of Chairman of the Audit, Accounts and Risks Committee, and joins the Nomination, Remuneration and Governance Committee.

Moreover, the co-option of Mrs Ulrike Steinhorst as a Director, which took place on 19 September 2017, was ratified by the shareholders. She will continue to chair the Nomination, Remuneration and Governance Committee, and is from now on a member of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.

The General Meeting has approved the distribution of a 0.60 dividend per share. This dividend will reach 0.66 for the shareholders whose shares have been held in registered form since 1 January 2016, within the limit of 0.5% of the share capital. The shareholders will have an option, from 7 to 28 June 2018 included, to receive half of their dividend in the form of new shares to be issued at a unit price of 17.78. The remainder of the divided will be paid in cash. The payment of the dividend, as well as the delivery of the new shares, will take place on 10 July 2018.





Next on the agenda: first-half 2018 results, on 26 July 2018 (after close of market).

About Albioma

An independent renewable energy producer, Albioma is committed to the energy transition thanks to biomass and photovoltaics.

The Group, which is established in Overseas France, Mauritius and Brazil, has developed a unique partnership for 20 years with the sugar industry, to produce renewable energy from bagasse, a fibrous residue from sugar cane.

Albioma is also the leading generator of photovoltaic power overseas where it constructs and operates innovative projects with integrated storage capabilities.

For further information, please visit www.albioma.com

Investor contact

Julien Gauthier+33 (0)1 47 76 67 00

Media contact

Charlotte Neuvy+33 (0)1 47 76 66 65presse@albioma.com

Albioma shares are listed on Euronext Paris (sub B) and eligible for the deferred settlement service (SRD) and PEA-PME plans.

ISIN FR0000060402 - Ticker: ABIOCLEARWATER, Fla., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday June 16th at 6:30pm, the L. Ron Hubbard East Coast Theatre will deliver an old time radio performance of the Western fiction story, The Ranch That No One Would Buy. The event will be held at the Scientology Information Center in Downtown Clearwater. There is no cost to attend and light refreshments will be served. All are welcome.



The L. Ron Hubbard East Coast Theatre is a volunteer group founded in 2011. Their shows combine actors, costumes and sound effects bringing the exciting pulp-fiction stories by L. Ron Hubbard to life.

This story reflects the character of the Old West and brings to life the old saying, Dont judge a book by its cover in more ways than one.

In summary, no one wants to buy the Rocking T Ranch and the owner has left town in the wake of threats from Smoke Lasiter, the local gun-slinging bully. So when the new prospective owner of the Rocking T comes to town, the outcome of the six-gun showdown seems sadly predictable, until his true identity is revealed.

L. Ron Hubbard was among the most prolific and popular writers through the Golden Age of Pulp Fiction. Indeed, between 1934 and 1940, some 140 L. Ron Hubbard tales appeared in the pages of legendary pulp magazines-often as many as three titles an issue and bylined under some fifteen pen names. With 19 New York Times bestsellers and more than 350 million copies of his works in circulation, Mr. Hubbard is among the most acclaimed and widely read authors of our time.

These Western stories are great, said Georgette, a regular guest. They inspire courage and imagination  something which I believe everyone can use an extra dose of in this day and age.

To reserve seats or to learn more about the event, contact Amber Skjelset, Manager of the Scientology Information Center at 727-467-6966 or amber@cos.flag.org.

The Scientology Information Center:

The Scientology Information Center, located in the Historic Clearwater Building in downtown Clearwater, opened on July 11, 2015, and currently houses a gallery of audiovisual displays with some 400 videos. The Center is open to all and provides a self-guided tour showing basic Scientology beliefs, Churches around the world, ongoing social programs and the life of L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology's founder. The Center offers tours to the broad public and civic leaders; holds concerts, theatrical performances and receptions for the community; and opens up the use of its conference room to social, civic and non-profit groups.

For more information on Scientology, visit www.scientology.org or the Scientology Network on DirecTV channel 320, or streaming at www.scientology.tv or apps at appleTV, fireTV and ROKU.

Contact Amber Skjelset

(727) 467-6966

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/630e0cb3-c75f-4078-b500-7231e13b5ceaROCK HILL, S.C., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Extended Stay America, Inc. (NYSE:STAY), the largest owner-operator extended stay hotel chain nationwide, today announced the acquisition of its newest property in Rock Hill, S.C. Located at 1835 Canterbury Glen Lane, the recently built hotel integrates elements of design, comfort and convenience to provide an enhanced guest experience at an outstanding value.



The property grows Extended Stay Americas offering in the Charlotte area, bringing the brands presence to eight hotels in its hometown market. Conveniently located, the hotel is easily accessible for business travelers commuting to the area or working in the growing I-77 business corridor that runs directly through Charlotte.

Extended Stay America Rock Hill includes fresh contemporary interior designs and a lobby concept with an open, inviting social space for guests. The bright, spacious suites feature pillow-top beds, comfortable recliners and a large, flexible workspace.

As with all Extended Stay America hotels, guests have the ability to create home-cooked meals away from home with fully equipped kitchens with full size refrigerators and cooktops. Each room also has extra personal device charging capability conveniently located near sitting and sleeping areas, enhanced free Wi-Fi speeds and 39-inch high-definition televisions with premium cable. Rooms will soon offer HBO and casting capability to enhance the stay even further.



Additional amenities at the Rock Hill property include pet-friendly rooms, free grab-and-go breakfast, an on-premise laundry facility, a fitness center and an outdoor lounge area with a grill.

Charlotte is a crucial market for Extended Stay America and were excited to continue to raise the brands profile right here in our backyard, serving as a leader in both the category and our local community, said Jim Alderman, Chief Development Officer, Extended Stay America. Extended Stay America Rock Hill offers the design style and features that guests prefer and a convenient location with close proximity to the major corporations headquartered in and around Charlotte, all for an affordable price.

The Rock Hill hotel is a continuation of Extended Stay Americas strategic growth plan. While keeping the evolving extended stay traveler in mind and staying uniquely focused on the mid-priced segment, those plans will expand and improve the Extended Stay America portfolio with new development, franchising and renovation nationwide.

For photos of Extended Stay America Rock Hill, visit: https://coynepr.sharefile.com/share/view/5b31c585a9c5458e

For information about booking at Extended Stay America Rock Hill, visit extendedstayamerica.com/crh or call (803) 620-8180.

About Extended Stay America

Extended Stay America, Inc. (ESA) is the largest integrated hotel owner/operator in North America. Its subsidiary, ESH Hospitality, Inc. (ESH), is the largest lodging REIT in North America by unit and room count, with 599 hotels and approximately 66,000 rooms in the U.S. ESA Management, LLC manages all of ESHs hotel properties and also manages 27 additional Extended Stay America hotels for third parties, providing over 8,000 jobs at Extended Stay America hotels and corporate headquarters. Extended Stay America is the leading brand in the mid-priced extended stay segment, with approximately twice as many rooms as its nearest competitor. Visit www.esa.com for more information.

CONTACTS:

Investors:

Rob Ballew

(980) 345-1546

investorrelations@esa.com

Media:

Terry Atkins

(980) 345-1648

tatkins@esa.com

Cristin Urban

(973) 588-2000

curban@coynepr.comWASHINGTON, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Virtru, a trusted provider of end-to-end data protection and data privacy solutions to more than 8,000 organizations, today announced the initial closing of a $37.5 million Series B preferred stock financing. ICONIQ Capital led the round and was joined by returning investors Bessemer Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Samsung NEXT, Blue Delta Capital, Thyra Global, and Soros Capital.



This investment comes in the wake of Virtrus extraordinary growth over the last year, including adding 3,000 new customers and tripling revenue. Proceeds from the financing will be used to expand Virtrus email and file data protection solutions, scale operations, expand internationally, and establish the Trusted Data Format as the worlds common open standard to protect data.

Virtrus data privacy solutions allow enterprises and government agencies to easily secure and share their most sensitive data while maintaining control over who can access their content. Where traditional approaches provide porous walls around company systems or checkbox solutions that are too difficult for practical use, Virtru provides an easy-to-use solution that protects any type of data, wherever its shared.

The stakes have never been higher for data privacy and Virtru has built an unmatched data protection platform, serving a multi-billion-dollar enterprise market, said Will Griffith, Partner at ICONIQ Capital. In speaking with many of their customers, its clear that Virtru addresses an urgent need where many others have failed  namely an easy-to-use way to protect corporate data wherever it is and wherever it goes. We are excited to partner with this talented team as they continue to grow the business.

Regulated content, intellectual property, personal information governed by GDPR, and other sensitive information are the lifeblood of the enterprise, and that vulnerable data must be shared inside and outside of the organization. Control of sensitive data is particularly challenging for companies moving to public clouds. Yet firewalls and other network security solutions cannot reliably protect enterprise data. The Virtru platform was built from the ground up to address the most vexing issues facing enterprises and governments  ensuring that valuable information is protected and access is controlled, while permitting easy sharing with authorized partners, customers, and suppliers.

Virtrus initial focus has been on protecting sensitive information shared by email, a historically difficult problem where legacy approaches fail in both ensuring protection and in user experience. Virtru is now moving to protect content shared using other common enterprise workflows including file stores, collaboration platforms, and structured data systems.

The endless wave of massive breaches is exhibit A that many security market vendors are selling snake oil, said John Ackerly, CEO of Virtru. Its either checkbox compliance, designed for a bygone era when all your information could be safely locked down inside your firewall, or its too difficult for practical use. Weve taken a different approach -- we protect corporate data wherever it travels. And we make it easy to use and manage.

Added Ackerly, Our partnership with ICONIQ and ongoing support from existing investors opens new horizons for Virtru, allowing us to make critical investments in innovation and scale, with the aim of helping many more customers around the world. Were grateful for our investors support.

In connection with ICONIQs investment, Mr. Griffith has joined Virtrus Board of Directors. Morrison & Foerster LLP served as legal counsel to Virtru in connection with the financing.

About Virtru

Virtru eliminates the tradeoff between data protection and ease of use. More than 8,000 organizations trust the Virtru Data Protection platform to easily protect and control sensitive information regardless of where its been created, stored or shared. Only Virtru comes with patented Secure User-First Technology, which allows users anywhere, on any device to work the way they do todaywithout requiring a separate log-in, user interface or application. Virtru is privately funded with investments from ICONIQ Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Samsung, Blue Delta Capital, Thyra, Soros Capital, and others. Learn more at www.virtru.com.

About ICONIQ Capital

ICONIQ Capital is a privately-held investment firm that serves some of the worlds most influential families and organizations. ICONIQ provides financial advisory and family office services, and manages direct investments across asset classes, with specific focus on technology growth equity, venture capital, middle market buyout and real estate.

Media Contact

Tony Keller

WALKER

tkeller@walkerlimited.comTUSTIN, Calif., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Madison Alexander PR, Inc. (www.madisonalexanderpr.com) was honored at the 2018 RSA Conference in San Francisco by Cyberdefense Magazine 2018 InfoSec Awards with an Editors Choice Award for Best PR Agency for InfoSec. Madison Alexander PR is an independent boutique technology public relations and social media agency that specializes in clients who are technology innovators from start-ups to smaller companies with a niche in B2B/B2C information security technology and in addition to enterprise technology.



Cybercrime, Hactivism, Cyberespionage, Ransomware and malware exploits are all on the rise, Madison Alexander has won the Editors Choice for PR firms for InfoSec companies from our magazine. They won after we reviewed nearly 3,000 infosec companies, globally, because they are an innovator on a mission to promote some of the most innovative cyber security companies, as a leading PR firm, to help us all stop breaches and get one step ahead of the next threat, proactively, said Gary S. Miliefsky, Publisher, Cyber Defense Magazine.

Of the awards any PR agency can receive, an Editors Choice is always the most welcome because it means the editors and journalists we interact with daily value our work, said Dan Chmielewski, principal, Madison Alexander PR, Inc. Public Relations is a relationship business and we work hard to deliver on what we promise to journalists and clients alike. Im grateful to my team of experienced professionals who have decades of experience building trustworthy relationships with journalists and influencers from business and trade media, industry analyst firms, blogs and new media outlets. This award recognizes our teamwork.

About Cyber Defense Magazine

With over 1.2 Million annual readers and growing, Cyber Defense Magazine is the premier source of IT Security information. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and limited print editions exclusively for the RSA conferences and our paid subscribers. Learn more about us at http://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com. CDM is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group.

About Madison Alexander PR

Founded in 2004, Madison Alexander PR is a boutique technology communications firm with a strong track record of success in public relations, analyst relations, marketing communications and social media. The firm works with clients from start-ups to publicly-traded firms in areas of B2B and B2C IT security, networking, enterprise software, clean/green tech, data storage, mobile technology, and Internet search technologies. The agency is headquartered in Tustin, CA with offices in Silicon Valley, Boston, and Florida.

Madison Alexander was the 2016 IT Security PR firm of the Year for the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards and was runner up for this award in 2018 and 2017. The agency was the 2013 Security PR Team of the Year and the 2011 PR Agency of the Year for Security Companies from InfoSecurity Products Guide. The agency won a Network Products Guide Award for Best IT PR Campaign in 2011. Chmielewski received the InfoSecurity Products Guide Award for Security PR Professional of the Year in 2012 and a PRSA Presidents Citation for contributions to the practice of public relations in 2003. He was a 2007 Raymond Simon Institute at Utica College Outstanding Public Relations/Journalism Alumni winner in 2007 with wife, Dawn Chmielewski, who is currently Technology Editor at Deadline.com. The Orange County Business Journal ranked the agency as the 19th largest in Orange County in 2017 but it was the top ranked pure-play technology firm.

MA PR has placed clients in every major industry trade journal and news web site in addition to major media outlets such as USA Today, BusinessWeek, Barrons, TechCrunch, Mashable, NBC News, CBS News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox Business News, CNBC, CNN FN, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe and The Washington Post. For more information, go to www.madisonalexanderpr.com or send email to info@madisonalexanderpr.com.

An image accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/afaba43f-8c57-4bf9-936b-82198626f71dDublin, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Offshore Support Vessel Market by Type (AHTS, PSV, MPSV, Standby & Rescue Vessel, Crew Vessel, Chase Vessel, Seismic Vessel), Application (Shallow and Deepwater), End-User (Oil & Gas and Offshore Wind), and Region - Global Forecast to 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.



The offshore support vessel market is projected to grow from an estimated USD 20.06 billion in 2018 to USD 25.66 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 5.04%, from 2018 to 2023.



The growth of the market is also attributed to the increase in exploration activities in ultra-deepwaters and the Arctic region, in countries such as the US, Canada, and Norway. Also, a growing focus on the European Union's (EU) renewable energy targets for 2020 would result in increasing the demand for offshore wind energy in Europe. Thus, the growth in deployment of offshore wind farms would be the opportunity for the offshore support vessel market during the forecast period. Oversupply of offshore vessels act as restrain for the growth of the market during the forecast year.



Anchor-handling tug supply (AHTS) vessels constitute the largest segment of the offshore support vessel market, by type, in terms of volume as well as value. AHTS vessels are designed to provide anchor-handling and towage services and are also used for supplying deck cargo, water, fuel, dry bulk, and mud-to-oil rigs and platforms. These vessels can also be used for emergencies and are well equipped for firefighting, rescue, and oil recovery operations.



The demand from Asia Pacific and Europe is projected to drive the market for AHTS vessels during the forecast period. Countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, and Australia increased their E&P activities in offshore areas in the recent past. Malaysia is the largest contributor to the short-term oil & gas production growth mainly due to the Kebabangan Gas Project.

Also, there is a strong support from Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), which provides approximately USD 15.6 billion a year toward capital expenditure in the oil & gas industry. Moreover, local laws have been implemented to protect the local OSV operators as PETRONAS will prioritize Malaysian-flagged vessels over foreign vessels.



The North American market is projected to be the fastest-growing market, during the forecast period, owing to the continued production and exploration activities, particularly in the US and the Gulf of Mexico. As oil prices remain stable, the North American market will grow at the highest pace, as it will witness the fastest rise in exploration and production spending in response to any future recovery in oil prices, with its well-developed offshore industry. Moreover, significant reserves and a comparatively stable political environment have further supported the growth of the offshore support vessel market in the region.



Key players in the offshore support vessel market include Bourbon (France), Seacor Marine LLC (US), Swire Group (Hong Kong), Tidewater (US), Gulfmark Offshore (US), Havila Shipping (Norway), Hornbeck Offshore Services (US), the Maersk Group (Denmark), and Siem Offshore (Norway).



Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights

4.1 Attractive Market Opportunities in the Offshore Support Vessel Market

4.2 Offshore Support Vessel Market, By Country

4.3 Offshore Support Vessel Market, By End-User

4.4 Offshore Support Vessel Market, By Type

4.5 Asia Pacific Offshore Support Vessel Market: Application vs Country

4.6 Offshore Support Vessel Market, By Application



5 Market Overview

5.1 Introduction

5.1.1 Drivers

5.1.1.1 Investments in Offshore Oil & Gas and Renewable Sectors

5.1.2 Restraints

5.1.2.1 Capital-Intensive Market

5.1.2.2 Oversupply of Offshore Vessels

5.1.3 Opportunities

5.1.3.1 Aging of Offshore Infrastructure Leading to Replacement and Decommissions

5.1.3.2 Increased Exploration Actives in Ultra-Deep Water and Artic Region

5.1.4 Challenges

5.1.4.1 High Operational Risks

5.1.4.2 Governmental Regulations for Offshore Activities in Key Regions



6 Offshore Support Vessel Market, By Type

6.1 Introduction

6.2 Volume & Value Market Analysis

6.3 Anchor Handling Tug Supply Vessel (AHTS)

6.4 Platform Supply Vessel (PSV)

6.5 Multipurpose Support Vessel (MPSV)

6.6 Standby & Rescue Vessel

6.7 Crew Vessel

6.8 Seismic Vessel

6.9 Chase Vessel

6.10 Others



7 Offshore Support Vessel Market, By Application

7.1 Introduction

7.2 Shallow Water

7.3 Deepwater



8 Offshore Support Vessel Market, By End-User

8.1 Introduction

8.2 Oil & Gas

8.3 Offshore Wind



9 Offshore Support Vessel Market, By Region



10 Competitive Landscape

10.1 Introduction

10.2 Market Ranking Analysis, 2016

10.3 Competitive Scenario

10.3.1 New Product Developments

10.3.2 Investments & Expansions

10.3.3 Mergers & Acquisitions

10.3.4 Contracts & Agreements

10.3.5 Others (Partnerships/Collaborations/Joint Ventures)



11 Company Profiles

11.1 Benchmarking

11.2 Bourbon

11.3 Maersk

11.4 Seacor Marine

11.5 Tidewater

11.6 SIEM Offshore

11.7 Grupo CBO

11.8 Gulfmark

11.9 Havila

11.10 Solstad

11.11 Swire

11.12 Tayrona Offshore

11.13 Vroon Group



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/kgrpjb/global_offshore?w=12



English French

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Canadas National Shipbuilder, Irving Shipbuilding, provided delegates at CANSEC, Canadas largest defence conference, with an update on its work building the Royal Canadian Navys future fleet and announced significant investments to support Canadian Armed Forces Veterans and the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets.



Irving Shipbuilding to hire 100 Canadian Armed Forces Veterans

Irving Shipbuilding and its affiliated companies that support shipbuilding have set a goal to hire 100 Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Veterans over the next five years to support our commitments as part of Canadas National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS).

Canadas Veterans are known around the world for their teamwork, leadership, skills, abilities and expertise. These attributes of the men and women of the CAF have served Canada well during their time of service, and it is the goal of Irving Shipbuilding that these transitioning CAF members and veterans continue to serve our country by proudly building ships for Canada.

Irving Shipbuilding currently employs 1,800 people with a forecast increase to 2,800 during the late 2020s. Irving Shipbuilding is in discussions with representatives of the Department of National Defence, Veterans Affairs Canada, and non-profit organizations to assist with the goal of hiring 100 CAF Veterans over the next five years.

Irving Shipbuilding invests $100,000 to support scholarships for Royal Canadian Sea Cadets

Irving Shipbuilding is investing $100,000 with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Education Foundation (RCSCEF) to support scholarships and encourage Canadas Sea Cadets to explore careers in marine industry.

The $100,000 National Shipbuilding Strategy Bursary from Irving Shipbuilding will significantly increase the number of scholarships awarded annually by RCSCEF to Royal Canadian Sea Cadets entering the first year of a post-secondary training program. The National Shipbuilding Strategy Bursary will focus on marine and shipbuilding programs, such as welding, pipefitting, naval architecture, and industrial engineering. The first scholarships will be awarded in the summer of 2019.

Irving Shipbuildings support to the RCSCEF is part of the Value Proposition commitment under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. To date, Irving Shipbuilding has committed more than $12 million in Value Proposition investments toward creating a sustainable marine industry across Canada. One focus of the Value Proposition is to support workforce development and the attraction of people into the marine industry in Canada.

The RCSCEF was created to provide scholarships to Sea Cadets who are pursuing post-secondary studies, and recognizes the importance of post-secondary education to the future success of the young men and women leaving the Sea Cadet program.

Canadas first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship to launch in fall 2018

As part of Canadas NSS, Halifax Shipyard is building up to six Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) and 15 Canadian Surface Combatants (CSC) over the next 25 years.

Today, the first three AOPS, the future Her Majestys Canadian Ships (HMCS) Harry DeWolf, Margaret Brooke, and Max Bernays are under construction at Irving Shipbuildings Halifax Shipyard. In fall 2018, the future HMCS Harry DeWolf will be launched.

As of March 31, 2018, Halifax Shipyard has over $2 billion in spending commitments throughout Canada as part of the NSS.

Irving Shipbuilding and the Government of Canada are evaluating bids received from the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the design of the CSC fleet. The CSC is the largest, most complex procurement undertaken by the Government of Canada. These ships will form the backbone of the Royal Canadian Navy.

Once the evaluation is complete the selection of a preferred bidder will be announced. Contract awards will follow later in 2018, and the start of ship construction remains scheduled for the early 2020s.

Quotes

Hon. Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Public Service and Procurement Canada

Our Government is making important investments through the National Shipbuilding Strategy that are providing social and economic benefits for Canada. I am pleased that Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is developing a highly capable workforce by creating opportunities for our veterans and youth in the marine industry.

Hon. Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

This is our governments National Shipbuilding Strategy at work. Irvings investment in the Sea Cadet Scholarship program is giving our next generation the skills they need to succeed in the middle class jobs of tomorrow all while strengthening Canadas marine and shipbuilding industry. Investing in Canadians today is really a down payment for our future economy. Congratulations to the team at Irving!

Kevin McCoy, President, Irving Shipbuilding

Canadas veterans are used to being part of a team serving the country. We are proud to provide Veterans with an opportunity to come back on a team that is serving the country, building and maintaining the Royal Canadian Navys future and currently fleet. Canadas Veterans are reliable, well trained, disciplined, adaptable leaders who will contribute greatly to our team.

Kevin McCoy, President, Irving Shipbuilding

As Sea Cadets, youth are exposed to a variety of marine activities and careers including naval communications, boat repair, and marine engineering. Royal Canadian Sea Cadets are a natural fit to study and work in the shipbuilding and marine industries, as they have gained experience learning about the naval and maritime environment.

Captain Harry Harsch, RCN (Retd), Chair, The Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Education Foundation

The Board of the RCSCEF sincerely appreciates the generous contribution of Irving Shipbuilding in helping us provide scholarships for young men and women leaving the sea cadet program to pursue post-secondary education opportunities. Supporting bursaries related to the National Shipbuilding Strategy makes sense, and is a win-win for students, marine industry and Canada.

About Irving Shipbuilding Inc.

Irving Shipbuilding Inc., Canadas National Shipbuilder, is the most modern shipbuilder and in-service ship support provider in North America. Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, our skilled team and innovative facilities provide efficient building, fabrication, conversion and servicing of vessels and offshore platforms. As Canadas chosen shipbuilder, Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is working with the Royal Canadian Navy on the next class of Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) and Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) vessels under the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). We are proud to continue our long history as a trusted partner in Canadian shipbuilding. Irving Shipbuilding Inc. is a member of the J.D. Irving, Limited group of companies, a diverse family owned company with operations in Canada and the United States. Learn more at www.IrvingShipbuilding.com or www.ShipsforCanada.ca.

Media Contact:

Sean Lewis

Director, Communications

Irving Shipbuilding

Office: 902-484-4595

Mobile: 902-240-6964

Email: Lewis.Sean@IrvingShipbuilding.com

Two photos accompanying this announcement are available at the following links:



http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fd490b66-79af-4a51-bb28-9435f1e21634

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1c917f71-c4ee-4cf8-9f95-fec6108cd8d2CLEARWATER, Fla., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On May 26, St. Petersburgs Second Chance Life Skills (SCLS) non-profit organization held their annual Black and White Gala at the historic Fort Harrison, the Church of Scientologys international religious retreat. SCLS provides life skills to under privileged youth through their educational programs that promote entrepreneurship, the importance of home ownership and keeping up with technology. There were 260 guests in attendance.



Second Chance Life Skills does so much for the underserved youth in this community, said Mr. Dylan Pires, Community Affairs Director for the Church of Scientology in Clearwater. Thats why we are so happy to be able to support them and their mission.

The event started when Pastor Joe Bryant blessed the food and the guests helped themselves to the buffet dinner prepared by the Fort Harrisons 5-star chefs.

Mr. Pires welcomed the guests to the Fort Harrison and likened Second Chance Life Skills work to what Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard wrote, Todays children will become tomorrows civilization. Bringing a child into the world today is a little bit like dropping one into a tigers cage. They need love and help to make it.

Motivational speaker, Mr. Pernell Mitchell, spoke about the importance of giving back to the community and how Second Chance Life Skills is doing this on a daily basis. He also spoke about every person leaving a legacy and that legacy being what they did for other people.

Mr. Al Graham and Mr. Jeff Shorter, SCLS Executive Director, then presented awards to Board Members, strong supporters and their sponsors, such as Panera Bread, KFC/Taco Bell, Home Depot, Alpha Pizzeria St. Petersburg Business League, Healthy St. Pete and more.

For more information about holding an event in the Fort Harrison for your non-profit organization, please contact Dylan at (727) 467-6860 or dylanpires@churchofscientology.net.

The Fort Harrison Religious Retreat:

Since its construction in 1927, the Fort Harrison in Downtown Clearwater has been the home for many community events and charitable organizations. The Fort Harrisons current owner, the Church of Scientology, has hosted over 500 community events there since a top-to-bottom restoration in 2009. The Scientology religion was founded by humanitarian and philosopher, L. Ron Hubbard, and incorporated in 1954. To learn more, visit www.scientology.org.

Dylan Pires

(727) 467-6860

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5360f632-c4d1-4699-bcce-fc4a464deb42CLEARWATER, Fla., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On the 29th of May, the Clearwater Community Volunteers Center hosted its first cooking lessons for members of Love Yourself to Life, a non-profit organization focused on empowering young women. Nine girls and their parents came to the Center and were taught why having life skills, such as cooking, are so important to being successful in life.



The girls learned how to prepare arepas, a Venezuelan dish, with emphasis on doing something  regardless of what career they choose  to a professional standard.

The class started with orienting the girls to their surroundings before starting to prepare the food. Each girl was given individual attention during the class to ensure their success in creating the South American pastries. All guests were then invited to enjoy the freshly made arepas, and then dessert, as tribute to their accomplishment.

Creating a nonprofit community that is thriving and improving the life of others is the goal of the Clearwater Community Volunteer Center, said Michael Soltero, the manager of the Clearwater Community Volunteers Center. To do this we help grassroots movements that touch the lives of thousands of people a year with activities just like this class. This is evident in what humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard once said, 'A community that pulls together can make a better society for all.

In an ongoing crusade to help others the Clearwater Community Volunteers Center, since its opening on March 24th, has had over 1100 people walk through its front doors  looking for help that is provided to non-profit groups. This, however, is an on going trend for the Clearwater Community Volunteers as they have helped over 150,000 families and children since their founding in 1992, over 25 years ago.

For more information about the Clearwater Community Volunteers Center or to have your non-profits event there, please call Michael Soltero at the Clearwater Community Volunteer Center at (727) 316-5309.

About the Church of Scientology:

The Scientology religion was founded by humanitarian and philosopher, L. Ron Hubbard. The first Church of Scientology was formed in the United States in 1954 and has expanded to more than 11,000 churches, missions and affiliated groups, with millions of members in 167 nations. Based on L. Ron Hubbard's words, "A community that pulls together can make a better society for all," the Church of Scientology regularly engages in many humanitarian programs and community events. To learn more, visit www.scientology-fso.org.

Michael Soltero

(727) 467-6860

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/abdbe397-fad1-458f-81b8-39402540ce23English French

GENFIT: Announces the Nomination of Pascal Prigent as Executive Vice President Marketing and Commercial Development

Lille (France), Cambridge (Massachusetts, United States), May 31, 2018 - GENFIT (Euronext: GNFT - ISIN: FR0004163111), a biopharmaceutical company at the forefront of developing therapeutic and diagnostic solutions in metabolic and inflammatory diseases, that notably affect the liver or the gastrointestinal system, today announced it has appointed M. Pascal Prigent as Executive Vice President Marketing and Commercial Development.

Pascal Prigent brings to GENFIT a rich experience of more than 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry (Eli Lilly, GSK), on 3 continents (Europe, North America, Latin America).

As Vice President Marketing for the Vaccines division of GSK US, his last assignment prior to joining GENFIT, he led the commercial strategy for a multi-billion dollar vaccine portfolio and the launch of a new meningitis vaccine.

Pascal Prigent holds a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD (1995) and is a graduate from Reims Business School (1989).

Jean-Francois Mouney, Chairman & CEO of GENFIT, commented: "We are very pleased to welcome Pascal Prigent to GENFIT. His commercial track record, especially in the United States and in Europe, as well as his experience in new product launches, nicely enrich our Company's skillset, and will further contribute to our strategic thinking in terms of commercial development. We value the opportunity to have Pascal Prigent joining us to efficiently prepare the global launch of elafibranor by GENFIT or via strategic alliances, depending on the territories."

"I am very excited to join GENFIT, as one of the most promising companies in the field of NASH, a disease which is definitely one of the most important public health challenges of the coming years." commented Pascal Prigent.

About elafibranor

Elafibranor is GENFIT's lead pipeline product. Elafibranor is an oral once-daily treatment, and a first-in-class drug acting via dual peroxisome proliferator-activated alpha/delta pathways developed to treat, in particular, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Elafibranor is believed to address multiple facets of NASH, including inflammation, insulin sensitivity, lipid/metabolic profile, and liver markers.

About NASH

"NASH", or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, is a liver disease characterized by an accumulation of fat (lipid droplets), along with inflammation and degeneration of hepatocytes. The disease is associated with long term risk of progression to cirrhosis, a state where liver function is diminished, leading to liver insufficiency, and also progression to liver cancer.

About PBC

"PBC", or Primary Biliary Cholangitis, is a chronic disease in which bile ducts in the liver are gradually destroyed. The damage to bile ducts can inhibit the liver's ability to rid the body of toxins, and can lead to scarring of liver tissue known as cirrhosis.

About GENFIT

GENFIT is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of drug candidates in areas of high unmet medical needs corresponding to a lack of suitable treatment and an increasing number of patients worldwide. GENFIT's R&D efforts are focused on bringing new medicines to market for patients with metabolic, inflammatory, autoimmune and fibrotic diseases, that affect the liver (such as NASH - Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis) and more generally the gastro-intestinal arena. GENFIT's approach combines novel treatments and biomarkers. Its lead proprietary compound, elafibranor, is currently in a Phase 3 study. With facilities in Lille and Paris, France, and Cambridge, MA (USA), the Company has approximately 130 employees. GENFIT is a public company listed in compartment B of Euronext's regulated market in Paris (Euronext: GNFT - ISIN: FR0004163111). www.genfit.com

Forward Looking Statement / Disclaimer



This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include among other things, the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including related to biomarkers, progression of, and results of clinical data from, the RESOLVE-IT trial and the trial of elafibranor in PBC, review and approvals by regulatory authorities, such as the FDA or the EMA, regarding in particular, elafibranor in NASH and PBC, as well as other drug candidates in other indications and biomarkers candidates, the success of any inlicensing strategies, the Company's continued ability to raise capital to fund its development, as well as those discussed or identified in the Company's public filings with the AMF, including those listed in Section 4 "Main Risks and Uncertainties" of the Company's 2017 Registration Document registered with the French Autorite des marches financiers on April 27, 2018 under n R.18-032, which is available on GENFIT's website (www.genfit.com) and on the website of the AMF (www.amf-france.org). Other than as required by applicable law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information or statements. This press release and the information contained herein do not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy or subscribe to shares in GENFIT in any country. This press release has been prepared in both French and English. In the event of any differences between the two texts, the French language version shall supersede.

CONTACT

GENFIT | Jean-Francois Mouney - Chairman & CEO | +333 2016 4000

PRESS RELATIONS | Bruno Arabian | +336 8788 4726TAMPA, Fla., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday the 26th of May, Mr. Christopher King, grandson of late B.B. King and founder of the Gentlemens Course, brought lessons in etiquette and the materials of United for Human Rights to 17 young ladies at Kings Forrest Recreational Center in Tampa. United for Human Rights (UHR) is sponsored by the Church of Scientology which opened a Florida center headquarters for UHR in downtown Clearwater in 2015. Mr. Kings Gentlemens Course is also taught at the UHR Florida headquarters.



As the grandson of a Blues Legend, Mr. King had a hard act to follow. But as Mr. King said, It wasnt music that I learned from my grandfather, it was his love of helping others. Mr. King imbued that love in the Gentlemens Course as a way to instill humanitarian values in the young and protect them from the all-too prevalent human trafficking in our current society. Mr. King has delivered his co-ed program, educating over 1,300 youth since he started in 2015 on manners, appearance and human rights.

In his one-hour seminar on the 26th of May, Mr. King taught the young girls why it is important to not post a picture on Instagram that could open up luring you into the traffickers lair. At the same time, Mr. King shared what qualities to look for in a man, not to settle for less, and men will treat you with respect.

He then used the materials from UHR (and its affiliate Youth for Human Rights  YHR) which cover the 30 articles of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Church of Scientology makes these materials available at no cost to millions around the world.

United for Human Rights and Youth for Human Rights

Youth for Human Rights, founded in 2001 by Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, is a non-profit, non-religious, educational program dedicated to teaching youth their human rights, specifically the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to inspire them to become advocates for peace and tolerance. The United for Human Rights Center in downtown, Clearwater is the headquarters for all of Florida to receive requests. UHR and YHR are inspired by the words of L. Ron Hubbard, Human Rights must be made a fact not an idealistic dream. To learn more, visit @UHRFlorida.

Cristian Vargas

727-467-6960WINNIPEG, Manitoba, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Western Grain Elevator Association is extending thanks to both Teamsters Canada Rail Conference and CP Rail executive management for reaching a negotiated settlement quickly in the current labour dispute and thus avoiding major economic disruption for the grain sector. The WGEA also thanks the Federal Government for its leadership in bringing the threat of a potentially devastating work stoppage to an end.



We are extremely pleased that CP Rail and its workers union have successfully reached a deal, said Wade Sobkowich, Executive Director of the WGEA. The grain sector, including western Canadian farmers, is particularly reliant on rail to get product to market, and a work stoppage at CP would have seriously compromised the grain supply chain. We are very grateful to both parties for staying at the table and negotiating a workable settlement so that Canadas rail-reliant sectors can get back to the business of getting product to our customers.

Grain shippers will be working hard to reduce the carry out of tonnage into the next crop year by moving as much grain as possible to customers between and now and the time the new crop is harvested in the fall. Concluding these negotiations quickly has removed the risk of labour related service disruptions that would have been devastating to the sector.

Grain shippers are thankful for the work that Minister Hajdu and government officials have done to bring an end to this labour dispute, concluded Sobkowich. With the possibility of a strike behind us, we look forward to continuing to work with the government to implement the new measures contained in the recently passed Bill C-49 that will ensure grain shippers and farmers have the tools they need to succeed, concluded Sobkowich.

The WGEA is an association of grain businesses operating in Canada which collectively handle in excess of 90% of western Canadas bulk grain exports. Its members account for approximately one fifth of bulk railway revenue in Canada and pay annual total freight of one and a half billion dollars. For more information on the WGEAs perspective on the rail environment visit: www.wgea.caEnglish French

Marseilles, May 31, 2018

Main decisions of the Combined General Meeting of May 30, 2018

The Combined General Shareholders' Meeting of BOURBON Corporation SA was held on May 30, 2018 at 3 pm in Palais Brongniart - Place de la Bourse - Paris, and chaired by Mr. Jacques de Chateauvieux.

All resolutions presented to the General Meeting were approved and, in particular:

the appropriation of 2017 net income in available reserve account;

the ratification of the transfer of the head office of BOURBON Corporation SA to Marseilles;

the ratification of the provisional appointment of Mr. Adrien de Chomereau;

the reappointment of Ms. Agnes Pannier-Runacher and of Mr. Mahmud B. Tukur as Directors;

the appointment of Mr. Antoine Grenier as Director;

the approval of the principles and criteria for determination, distribution, and allocation of the fixed, variable and exceptional components of total compensation and benefits of any kind payable to the Executive Directors for the 2018 fiscal year;

the approval of the compensation components paid or granted for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 to Mr. Jacques de Chateauvieux, Mr. Christian Lefevre, Mr. Gael Bodenes and Ms. Astrid de Breon;

the authorization for the Board of Directors to arrange for the Company to buy back and cancel its own shares;

the renewal of the delegation of authority enabling the Board of Directors to increase the capital through the incorporation of reserves, profits and/or premiums;

the introduction of an article 13 bis "Directors representing employees" into the bylaws.

To mark the 70 years of BOURBON, Jacques de Chateauvieux shared with the shareholders a personal view on the company's perspectives in the difficult context that she is going through.

The Board of Directors, as a result, comprises ten members including four women, three members of foreign nationality and five independent members and continues to serve the company through its gender-equal and diverse composition and a complementary range of experiences and cultures of its members.

As a consequence of the General Meeting, there will not be any dividend paid for 2017.

In the coming few days, full results of the votes on resolutions, full transcript and presentation will be available on http://www.bourbonoffshore.com/en/2018-combined-annual-shareholders-meeting

FINANCIAL CALENDAR

2018 1st Half Results press release September 6, 2018 2018 3rd Quarter Financial information press release November 8, 2018

ABOUT BOURBON

Among the market leaders in marine services for offshore oil & gas, BOURBON offers the most demanding oil & gas companies a wide range of marine services, both surface and sub - surface, for offshore oil & gas fields and wind farms. These extensive services rely on a broad range of the latest - generation vessel s and the expertise of almost 8,400 skilled employees. Through its 29 operating subsidiaries the group provides local services as close as possible to customers and their operations throughout the world, of the highest standards of service and safety.

BOURBON provides three operating activities (Marine & Logistics, Mobility and Subsea Services) and also protects the French coastline for the French Navy.

In 2017, BOURBON'S revenue came to 860.6 million and the company operated a fleet of 508 vessels.

Placed by ICB (Industry Classification Benchmark) in the "Oil Services" sector, BOURBON is listed on the Euronext Paris, Compartment B.

ContactsNEW YORK, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) President Antonio Perezwill step down after having served with 23 years of leadership at the college. Effective August 31, 2018, President Perez will be leaving BMCC to pursue other opportunities in New York City higher education.

Appointed in 1995, President Perez led BMCC to have the highest undergraduate enrollment of any college in New York City, increasing from 16,500 students when he came on board, to more than 27,000 today. BMCC has also grown to provide almost 50 Associate degree programs in the Liberal Arts and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

Under the leadership of President Perez, BMCC has become a premier institution of higher learning on the national level, leading the way in grant-funded STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) research, Open Educational Resources (OER), pipeline programs to ensure seamless transfers for graduates, and staff and faculty leadership development. He has led the development of programs at BMCC that increase the participation of women and low-income students in the STEM fields, as well as programs that prepare students to enter high-demand fields. Throughout these efforts, President Perez has demonstrated a solid commitment to the BMCC mission that values, at its core, equity and success for all students.

President Perez is also widely known for having shepherded the BMCC community through the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001. BMCC is the only college in the United States to have lost a building to a terrorist attack. Fiterman Hall was destroyed when World Trade 7 collapsed and fell against it, and the colleges main campus at 199 Chambers Street became a command center for about 2,000 rescue workers.

That was the beginning of a new chapter in the life of our college and in my presidency, says President Perez. Suddenly we were faced with new and unprecedented challenges.

President Perez approached those challenges with strategies and a vision that have helped define leadership in a crisis and impacted crisis management protocols for higher education institutions, nationwide. He also led efforts to create a public and private partnership that enabled BMCCs Fiterman Hall to be razed and rebuilt. It reopened in 2012.

After the college reopened, President Perez addressed the BMCC community. Darkness cannot be defeated by darkness, he told students, faculty and staff who were determined to resume their education. It will only be overcome by light, and education is all about light. At commencement that Spring 2002, he spoke to graduates whose achievements sent a message of hope. We at BMCC have witnessed first-hand the destructive power of terrorism, said the President. Terrorism breeds on hatred, and hatred is the child of ignorance. Hatred is overcome only by understanding, by knowledge and by human compassion, all of which are the best fruits of education.

This focus on the positive, and on student success has characterized the legacy of President Perez. After 9/11, he was determined to let BMCC students know their college was going to remain open. To get that message out, he approached one of the news trucks lined up along the West Side Highway, and offered a reporter a better vantage pointBMCCs rooftop.

All I asked in return is that as long they were reporting the news, they would have subtitles scrolling across the bottom of the screen announcing, BMCC will be reopening, he says, and it did open its doors within three weeks after the attacks, as he had predicted.

In the years that followed, the revitalization of lower Manhattan gained momentum and BMCC thrived, increasing its enrollment, degree programs, retention rates, innovative curricula and student support programs.

As the area revitalized, BMCC stayed in step with that growth, says President Perez. The resiliency of our institution reflects the types of students we attract, who are looking for a better life with the same tenacity and positive response to adversity that we hold as a college. Our faculty, staff and students show a determination that reverberates within the institution. I feel strongly that the most important thing I can leave the college is the realization that our students can start here and they can go anywhere.



BMCCs Growth from 1995-2018, Under the Leadership of President Antonio Perez

Since the appointment of President Perez in 1995, the student body of BMCC has grown to have the highest undergraduate enrollment of any college in New York Cityfrom more than 16,300 in 1995 to 27,000 in Spring 2018.

Also during that time, the number of Associate degree programs at BMCC has grown from 20 to 48.

New majors at BMCC reflect changes in the economy and student goals. They include Accounting for Forensics, Geographic Information Science, Gerontology, Gender and Womens Studies, Psychology, Financial Management, Animation and Motion Graphics, and Digital Marketing.

BMCC had the third highest mobility rate among two-year colleges in the United States, according to data from Mobility Report Cards: The Role of Colleges in Intergenerational Mobility, a report by the Equality of Opportunity Project and analyzed by The Chronicle of Higher Education in 2017. The report shows that 41 percent of BMCC students moved up two or more out of five income quintiles, or categories used to assess household income.

Based on data from the U.S. Department of Education, BMCC ranks #5 among associate-degree producing institutions nationwide for awarding degrees to All Minority Students, #3 for African American students and #11 for both Hispanic and Asian American students.

BMCC has established research opportunities for underrepresented minorities and women that level the playing field with their peers when they graduate and transfer to four-year schools. These include the BMCC Foundation Fund for Undergraduate Research, the Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), the CUNY Research Scholars Program, the Louis Stokes Minority Participation (LSAMP), the Minority Science Engineering Improvement Program: Retention and Improvements in STEM Education (MSIEP-RISE) grant.

BMCC has established dynamic high school linkages through programs such as the Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP for High School Students) and the Manhattan Early College School for Advertising (MECA). BMCC is the first CUNY institution to join a partnership with the DOE to create a pathway for graduates of more than 50 Career and Technical Education high schools to enter BMCCs Associate in Applied Science degree program in Computer Network Technology or Business Management.

President Perez is widely known for having shepherded the college community through the aftermath of September 11, 2001. Fiterman Hall was destroyed when World Trade Seven fell against it, and through the efforts of President Perez, the college reopened in just three weeks. Perez was key in creating a private and public partnership that enabled Fiterman Hall to be razed and reopened in 2012.

Perez facilitated BMCC's role in the creation of the NYSIM (CUNY/NYU Langone Medical Center), which serves as a training site for BMCC Allied Health students, NYU medical students as well as for CUNY students across New York City.

BMCC is the only CUNY college to provide a Year Up program on campus, serving about 400 students thus far who receive coaching, mentoring and real-life work experience in major corporations and companies throughout lower Manhattan.

President Perez created Out in Two, a scholarship program that encourages students to graduate within two years and serves hundreds of students a year.

BMCCs sustainability efforts are a model for colleges throughout the country, and it has the largest public solar panel roof in Manhattan.

BMCC successfully serves the largest veteran student population in CUNY.

Under President Perezs leadership, BMCC has made available to students, scholarship programs that include the following: MoneyWorks, BMCC Foundation, Out in Two, Pipeline Opportunities for Inter-Collegiate Stem Education Program (POISE), Gallatin Undergraduate Initiative for Discovery in Education (GUIDE) and TheDream.US.

Through the BMCC Single Stop office, the college provides support around issues that impact students ability to remain in college. Most recently, the Single Stop office has provided the Panther Pantry, a resource for students experiencing food insecurity.

BMCC is the first CUNY college to adopt a Co-curricula transcript, enabling students to document their participation in the numerous volunteer programs available at BMCC, including those provided by the BMCC Academy of Leadership and Service and others.

As president, I always believed that in setbacks, one must find motivation.

I also believe in never compromising the future for an easier present.

Antonio Perez

AttachmentEvaldas Budvilaitis, SVP StrongPoint Technology, has today through his fully owned company UAB NV Invest, sold 95 000 shares to an average price of NOK 9,92.





After this sale Evaldas Budvilaitis owns 238 463 shares in StrongPoint ASA through his fully owned company, UAB NV Invest. This represent 0,5 per cent of the outstanding shares.





The shares were sold through Oslo Brs.





For further information, please contact:

Anders Nilsen CFO,

StrongPoint ASA

Phone +47 932 59 410

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5 -12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.SAN FRANCISCO, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Domino Data Lab, provider of an open data science platform, today introduced a framework to help organizations become model-driven by systematically developing, validating, delivering, and monitoring predictive and machine learning models at scale. The Model Management framework, substantiated by engagements with hundreds of organizations that run their businesses on models, was revealed during the Rev summit for data science leaders this week. The framework helps organizations create a sustained competitive advantage by embedding models at their business core.



One such company is Moodys Analytics, a pioneer in financial modeling that has established a competitive advantage by creating analytics based on unique financial data sets and applying them to solve clients business challenges. Their large portfolio of models covers everything from small business to large bank credits. Domino accelerates our speed to delivery, providing a much faster and better return on our modeling investment, said Jacob Grotta, managing director at Moodys Analytics. In their first experience using Dominos framework and platform, Moodys Analytics delivered an estimated nine-month project in four months.

Models are algorithms whose instructions are induced from a set of data, and are then used to make predictions, recommendations, or generally prescribe some action based on a probabilistic assessment. According to recent studies, at least 80 percent of companies arent making extensive use of models. The companies who do have a 9.5 percent profit advantage over those that do not.

Lack of successful, widespread model adoption stems from one root problem: Organizations are trying to manage models like other business assets. They are falling for the Model Myth -- the belief that because models involve code and data, they can be managed the same way as software or data assets. Model-driven companies recognize that models are different. They are built with different materials, they are developed with a different research-based process, and they behave differently once deployed.

The use of data science in leading companies has matured beyond just building models. Organizations are struggling to capitalize on their investments in data science and this is now where they need the most help, said Stephen Smith, Research Director at Eckerson Group. Domino has shown unique focus in solving this problem. Their Model Management framework helps organizations manage models as unique assets and enables them to successfully run data science at scale.

An effective Model Management discipline is comprised of five pillars:

Model Technology: The software tooling and infrastructure stack that gives data scientists the agility they need to develop and deploy innovative models.





The software tooling and infrastructure stack that gives data scientists the agility they need to develop and deploy innovative models. Model Development: Business processes and systems that allow data scientists to rapidly develop models, experiment, and drive breakthrough research.





Business processes and systems that allow data scientists to rapidly develop models, experiment, and drive breakthrough research. Model Production: The function(s) facilitating the operationalization of data science work from research project to a live product or output thats integrated into business processes, affecting business decisions.





The function(s) facilitating the operationalization of data science work from research project to a live product or output thats integrated into business processes, affecting business decisions. Model Governance: The mechanism and ability to constantly monitor the activity, performance, and impact of models and data science initiatives across the organization. This includes transparency across projects, production models, and the underlying technology infrastructure supporting them.





The mechanism and ability to constantly monitor the activity, performance, and impact of models and data science initiatives across the organization. This includes transparency across projects, production models, and the underlying technology infrastructure supporting them. Model Context: At the heart of Model Management, Model Context encompasses all knowledge, insights, and artifacts generated while building or using models. This is often a companys most valuable IP; the ability to find, reuse, and build upon it is critical to driving rapid innovation and a model-driven culture.

These philosophies have been embedded inside the Domino platform and are driving Dominos product vision. After countless engagements with organizations at all stages of data science maturity, we are outlining this new Model Management framework to articulate the best practices of becoming a model-driven business, said Nick Elprin, co-founder and CEO at Domino. With our platform, industry-recognized customer experience, and this framework as a guide, companies are weaving models into their business fabric so they can deliver breakthrough innovations and everyday operational efficiencies alike.

Learn More

View the Model Management whitepaper from Domino.

To learn more about conversations happening at Rev and related upcoming events, visit rev.dominodatalab.com.

About Domino Data Lab

Domino Data Lab provides an open data science platform to help companies run their business on models. Model-driven companies like Allstate, Instacart, Dell, and Monsanto use Domino to accelerate breakthrough research, increase collaboration, and rapidly deliver high-impact models. Founded in 2013 and based in San Francisco, Domino is backed by Sequoia Capital, Bloomberg Beta, and Zetta Venture Partners. To learn more, visit dominodatalab.com.

Media Contact:

Karina Babcock, Director of Corporate Marketing

E: press@dominodatalab.comVANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Last year, British Columbia welcomed 5.7 million international visitors  an increase of 3.3% or 181,700 more visitors up from 2016. As tourism numbers continue to rise, so does the need to ensure visitors are receiving exemplary visitor information when and where they need it.

In 2017, Visitor Centres around the province served almost 2.9 million visitors in their communities and at their physical locations. Destination BC recognizes the valuable contribution that Visitor Services provides and is once again announcing three-years of base funding to support more than 100 communities in their provision of visitor services.

This three-year commitment will provide improved long-term business planning, increased stability and allow for innovation in communities across the province. In 2018/19, $1.825 million has been allotted for base funding. Base funding will help community Visitor Centres around BC to keep pace with the changing needs and expectations of visitors, including through the use of technology.

This announcement comes during Tourism Week, from May 27  June 2, marked to acknowledge the operators, employees, suppliers, destination marketing organizations and others who contribute to the industry. Destination BC works with the Visitor Services Network and the entire tourism industry to expand the delivery of visitor services for the future, by creating more contemporary and innovative approaches to serve guests information needs as they travel throughout the province.

Quotes:

Grant Mackay, VP, Destination Management, Destination BC

The renewal of three years of base funding will empower the Visitor Services Network and partner communities around the province to continue to improve the visitor experience and strengthen BCs reputation, contributing to our efforts to help BC become the most highly recommended destination in North America.

Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture

Providing excellent visitor services is one of the many ways we make vacationing in British Columbia fun and easy for those who choose our province as their travel destination. Im delighted to hear that Destination BC is committed to serving visitors through on-going funding of the Visitor Services Network. This gives communities the resources they need to develop and implement world-class services so that those visiting B.C. have access to the right information at the right time.

For more information about BCs Visitor Services Network, visit:

https://www.hellobc.com/plan-your-trip/visitor-information-services

About Destination BC:

Destination BC is an industry-led Crown corporation that works collaboratively with tourism partners across the province to coordinate marketing at the international, provincial, regional and local levels. For more information about Destination BCs programs and services, please visit: DestinationBC.ca

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4f957611-ae5a-4a48-aea0-47ccb17a3b78

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/60d7c610-1a7a-4a24-a16d-2eb1ade0f1f7Company wins $360,000 grand-prize from WeWorks Creator Awards in San Francisco.



Medical equipment & supplies sales veteran Robert Birt joins the company as Vice President of Sales.

SAN FRANCISCO, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chosen from a pool of 1,300 applicants across the Western United States and British Columbia, Medinas Health was one of five finalists selected by WeWork to pitch at their Creator Awards semi-final event in San Francisco.

Were incredibly thankful to WeWork for this opportunity to pitch our business to the world, build relationships with other incredible creators, and hopefully raise more awareness on the healthcare waste issue, said Chloe Alpert, CEO of Medinas Health, who pitched for the company at the event in front of a live audience.

The judges, including: Julie Rice, chief brand officer, WeWork and co-founder of SoulCycle, and Hamet Watt, co-Founder of MoviePass, awarded the top $360,000 prize in the Business Venture category to Medinas Health.

This adds even more validation to our mission of addressing the $765 billion wasted annually in healthcare and our business model to save a significant part of it, Ms. Alpert stated.

Medinas Health plans to invest the prize money in growth efforts, including expanding its customer reach and helping more medical facilities.

TEAM EXPANSION

The company has added a veteran medical equipment and supplies sales executive to the Medinas Health team in Robert Birt, who will serve as Vice President of Sales. Mr. Birt brings more than a decade of experience in clinical asset disposition, and the medical equipment secondary market across hospitals, surgery centers, and OEMs.

I am honored and thrilled to be working here at Medinas Health because of our teams laser-focused mission of enabling our customers to maximize their return on surplus equipment and supplies, Mr. Birt stated.

ABOUT WEWORK

WeWork provides more than 210,000 members around the world with space, community, and services through both physical and virtual offerings. WeWork's mission is to help create a world where people work to make a life, not just a living. Founded in New York City in 2010 by Adam Neumann and Miguel McKelvey, WeWork currently has more than 242 physical locations in over 71 cities and 21 countries around the world. Follow us @WeWork on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook or visit www.wework.com to learn more.

ABOUT MEDINAS HEALTH

Based in San Francisco, California, Medinas Health is a marketplace that helps healthcare organizations of all sizes buy and sell their surplus, used and refurbished equipment and supplies. Learn more: www.medinashealth.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1324c770-4508-47eb-9aff-3f3db8843878VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canada Coal Inc. (the Company or Canada Coal), (TSX-V:CCK) provides this update in connection with its previously announced (see press releases of November 20th, 2017 and February 21st, 2018) signing of a non-binding letter of intent (LOI) with Potash Ridge Corporation.



Despite best efforts, Canada Coal and Potash Ridge were not able to reach definitive terms in connection with a proposed transaction and accordingly both companies have allowed the LOI to expire. Canada Coal is now looking at other business opportunities and will provide further updates as and when information becomes available.

The Company currently has a cash balance of approximately $1,700,000. The Company has no debt and has no material liabilities.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

R. Bruce Duncan

President and Chief Executive Officer

Phone: 1-604-685-6375

Website: www.canadacoal.com

E-mail: info@canadacoal.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com).VANCOUVER, British Columbia, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nickel North Exploration Corp. (TSX Venture:NNX) (the Company or Nickel North) is pleased to announce that the Company has entered into an amendment agreement (the Amendment) with SinoTech (Hong Kong) Corporation Limited (the Lender) to further extend the repayment term of the loan to the Company to December 31, 2018, while also increasing the principal amount of the loan to $844,005.30 (the Principal Amount). The Principal Amount comprises the current principal amount of the loan advanced to the Company to date and accrued interest thereon, and the remaining amount that will be advanced to the Company. The Principal Amount will bear interest at a fixed rate of 10% per annum, which is an increase from the previous fixed rate of 8% per annum. All other terms and conditions of initial loan agreement between the Company and the Lender dated November 2, 2016 remain in force and are unamended except to the extent amended by the parties.



The proceeds of the Amendment are expected to be used by the Company for the daily operation and paying the current liabilities.

The Amendment is considered a related party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions (MI 61-101). The Amendment is exempt from the requirements to obtain a formal valuation pursuant to the exemption in section 5.5(b) of MI 61-101, as the Company is not listed on a specified market, and is exempt from minority shareholder approval pursuant to section 5.7(1)(f) of MI 61-101, as the Amendment does not have an equity or voting component and is on reasonable commercial terms that are not less advantageous to the Company than if the Amendment were obtained from an arm's length party.

About Nickel North Exploration Corp.

Nickel North Exploration is a Canadian based explorer focused on defining a NiCuPGE resource at our Hawk Ridge Project in Northern Quebec. The board of directors, advisor committee and management team are experienced, successful mine finders. The property consists of a 50 km long belt of magmatic NiCuPGE occurrences covering over 30,658 hectares. The project is located near tidewater. Quebec is a mining friendly jurisdiction. Nickel North Exploration is a conscientious corporate citizen, maintains good relations with Communities and Aboriginal people, and is committed to sustainable development. For more information on the company, please visit www.nickelnorthexploration.com.

About SinoTech (Hong Kong) Corporation Limited

SinoTech is a whollyowned subsidiary of Sinotech Minerals Exploration Co., Ltd.. Sinotech owns 48,071,860 common shares of the Company, representing approximately 62.8% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company.

On behalf of Nickel North Exploration Corp.

SIGNED

Andrew Lee Smith, Interim President and CEO

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Disclaimer for ForwardLooking Statements

All statements, other than statement of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as seek, anticipate, believe, plan, estimate, expect, likely and intend and statements that an event or result may, will, should, could or might occur or be achieved and other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements concerning the Lenders advance to the Company under the Amendment and the Companys use of proceeds of the Amendment. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results of operations to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Companys expectations include fluctuations in commodity prices and currency exchange rates; uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology, continuity and grade of mineral deposits; the need for cooperation of government agencies and native groups in the exploration and development of properties and the issuance of required permits; the need to obtain additional financing to develop properties and uncertainty as to the availability and terms of future financing; the possibility of delay in exploration or development programs and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones; and uncertainty as to timely availability of permits and other governmental approvals. Forward-looking statements are based on estimates and opinions of management at the date the statements are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Nickel North Exploration Corp.

604.609.6182

604.899.1240 (FAX)

info@nickelnorthexploration.com

www.nickelnorthexploration.comSTAMFORD, Conn., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Leading advanced composites manufacturer Hexcel has formed a joint venture with Chinese aerospace parts manufacturer Future Aerospace to establish a materials testing lab in China. Shanghai Future Aerospace Hexcel Commercial Composite Testing Limited will be located in Lingang and will provide a world-class laboratory for the Shanghai area, offering testing services to commercial aerospace industries in China and Asia Pacific.



This new facility will provide China with an aerospace standard material test laboratory to ease material qualification and support certification for new programs. Expected activities at the site include the testing of composite laminate specimens, material qualifications, and support for customers supply chains in China.

Thierry Merlot, Hexcel President, Aerospace  Europe, Middle East and Asia, said: I am delighted that we are joining with Future Aerospace to establish this world-class composite materials testing facility in China. This investment is in response to local customer demand and demonstrates our commitment to support the commercial aerospace industrys growing use of composite materials in China.

Han Hua, Chairman, Future Aerospace said: We are pleased to partner with Hexcel. The collaboration enables Future Aerospace and Hexcel to play a key role in supporting the development and implementation of composite material applications in commercial aerospace industries in China for both Chinese and global aerospace customers.

Operations at the new site are expected to begin in September 2018 and will include the manufacture of composite coupons for mechanical testing, building on the work that Hexcel already carries out for the aerospace industry at facilities in Europe and the U.S. with expertise in structural composite testing and qualifications.

Future Aerospace is a technology-led aircraft and aerospace engine parts and components integrated manufacturer and service provider, fully owned by Xinjiang Machinery Research Institute Co., Ltd. (MRI). Products manufactured by Future Aerospace include aircraft structure components and aerospace engine components for customers including Honeywell, AVIC, AECC, CASC and CASIC.

About Hexcel

Hexcel Corporation is a leading advanced composites company. It develops, manufactures and markets lightweight, high-performance structural materials including carbon fibers, specialty reinforcements, prepregs and other fiber-reinforced matrix materials, honeycomb, adhesives, engineered core and composite structures for use in commercial aerospace, space and defense and industrial applications.

Hexcel contact information:

Rachel Owen

Director, Marketing Communications

+44 (0)1223 838370

rachel.owen@hexcel.com

About Future Aerospace

Future Aerospace is the largest, with most comprehensive specialties, most matured private company among China aerospace and space manufacturers. Based on its aerospace and space comprehensive light-weight technologies, it has developed metallic manufacturing, composites forming, sheet metal forming, special welding, heat treatment and surface treatment, NDT, digital assembly, etc. capabilities. It is one of China top players in aerospace and space design, development, manufacturing and service.

Future Aerospace contact information:

Xiaofeng Liu

Vice President

+86 (0) 838 8521566

xiaofeng.liu@afi-pe.comMinneapolis, MN, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) made a preliminary determination of injury and said that investigations will continue on unfairly traded, low-priced imports of quartz surface products from China. All five Commissioners voted in the affirmative.

The ITC made its determination in response to April 17, 2018 petitions filed by Cambriathe leading producer of made-in-America natural quartz surfacesat the ITC and the Department of Commerce (Commerce).

Cambrias petitions allege that imports of quartz surface products from China are being unfairly dumped in the United States and that Chinese producers receive unfair subsidies from the Chinese government. These actions violate international trade rules and have caused material injury to the U.S. quartz surface products industry. The scope of the case includes quartz surface products from China in both slab form and pre-fabricated form because Cambria and its partners sell slabs and fabricated quartz surface products throughout the United States.

"Dumped and subsidized Chinese imports are harming American workers, American businesses and American manufacturing," said Marty Davis, President and CEO of Cambria. We are encouraged by the actions taken thus far by both the Department of Commerce and the ITC to stop this unfair trading and restore a level playing field where we can compete fairly in a free market economy. The unfairly traded Chinese imports have disrupted healthy competition and threaten to gravely injure the quartz surfaces product industry at all levels of trade in the U.S.

Continued Davis, This situation was made possible only due to unfair foreign government subsidies and dumping by Chinese producers. These business conditions are created by a non-market-based economy, China, exploiting the dynamics of our market-based economy in the United States through Chinese government subsidy practices and other non-market-based targeted intrusion by the Chinese government. The Chinese governments activities violate all the principles of market-based economies, and further to that, our existing U.S. and international trade laws. U.S. trade laws are designed to protect free and fair trade, to ensure an open, market-based economy. The practices of the Chinese government are rogue and extremely damaging to many in the U.S. industry and to the entire U.S. economy. Our economys viability insists upon free and fair trade in a competitive marketplace environmentvirtues assuring the proficiency and function of capitalism, the entire basis of American enterprise.

On May 7, 2018, Commerce initiated antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD) investigations of imports of quartz surface products from China. The ITCs preliminary determination is an important step toward duties being imposed to offset the unfair trading of Chinese imports. Commerce is expected to issue its preliminary CVD determinations in September 2018 and its preliminary AD determinations in November 2018.

Cambria remains committed to standing up for American workers and American manufacturing.

# # #

About Cambria:

Cambria Company LLC, headquartered in Le Sueur, MN, is the leading domestic producer of quartz surface products. It is a family-owned, American-made company that employs more than 2,000 people across North America.HOUSTON, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Contango Oil & Gas Company (NYSE American:MCF) announced today that the Company will be meeting with potential investors in New York, NY on Monday, June 4, 2018 and Tuesday, June 5, 2018. Additionally, the Company will be participating in the 2018 RBC Capital Markets Global Energy and Power Executive Conference in New York City on Wednesday, June 6, 2018 at 2:35pm Eastern Daylight Time (1:35pm Central Daylight Time). A copy of the presentation will be available in the "Investor Relations" section of the Companys website at http://www.contango.com prior to market opening on Monday, June 4, 2018.



Contango Oil & Gas Company is a Houston, Texas based, independent energy company whose business is to maximize production from its shallow offshore Gulf of Mexico properties and onshore properties in Texas and Wyoming, and to use that cash flow to explore, develop, exploit, produce and acquire crude oil and natural gas properties in the Texas and Rocky Mountain regions of the United States. Additional information is available on the Company's website at http://www.contango.com.Chicago, Illinois, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Illinois has joined many states in taking a more lenient stance on marijuana use, including decriminalizing possession of small quantities and implementing a pilot program allowing use of marijuana for medical purposes. Attorneys at the Illinois law firm of Wolfe & Stec said that lawmakers should continue down this forward-thinking path.

During an election year, youll hear a lot of rhetoric from candidates, said Natalie Stec. Theres a chance that well go even further in relaxing our marijuana laws. Most importantly, what voters and advocates need to urge is that, at the very least, we dont go backwards on this issue.

Democratic candidates in Illinois tend to favor relaxing laws, while Republicans are hesitant to consider measures like legalization.

The attorneys said that previous reforms were desperately needed in Illinois, which was one of the nations top 12 states for the number of marijuana-possession arrests, according to a 2010 report from the American Civil Liberties Union. Those arrests disproportionately affected African-Americans, who made up nearly 60 percent of marijuana-related arrests.

Strict marijuana laws create several problems, said Marc Wolfe. They draw resources from law enforcement, cost taxpayers money, create a space for illegal drug trade and cause serious injustices in our criminal justice system.

The firm said that regardless of whether voters weigh in on the issue in November, polls indicate that most Illinois voters want decriminalization and legalization. A poll from the Paul Simon Institute for Public Policy found that 74 percent favored decriminalization and 66 percent favored legalization of recreational marijuana.

Based on the narrative from candidates and public polling, its clear that the wind is at the backs of more progressive marijuana law advocates, Stec said. At bare minimum, our lawmakers and candidates should pledge not to reverse current decriminalization laws and to continue the medical marijuana program.

It might be time to take the next step in our states marijuana laws, Wolfe said. The thing we really want to avoid, however, is a reversion back to our previous policies.English French

OTTAWA, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) today expressed deep disappointment in the Trump Administrations decision to apply a Section 232 national security related 25% tariff on steel imports from Canada.



The CSPA is calling on the Government of Canada to immediately respond to these U.S. tariffs in a meaningful and significant way, which should include but not be limited to tariffs on U.S. steel products currently imported into Canada, said Joseph Galimberti, President of the CSPA.

Additionally, we believe the Government of Canada should self-initiate a safeguard action, which would include the application of provisional remedies, to provide much needed defense against the surge of import volumes and low price offers of imported offshore steel being diverted to Canada as the result of 232 tariffs applied on third countries.

Todays decision represents a baseless attack on the 23,000 Canadian households whose livelihoods are directly supported by employment in Canadian steel manufacturing, said Galimberti. Canada has a long history of fair and balanced trade in steel with the United States, to the mutual benefit of both nations. Todays announcement by the Trump Administration does not advance the national security interests of the United States, undermines our shared North American competitiveness and neither addresses the root cause of global overcapacity, nor discourages the unfair trade in steel globally. These tariffs also risk delaying U.S. projects, significantly increasing costs to U.S. companies, and hurting U.S. employment that rely on Canadian steel.

The CSPA appreciates the significant efforts that the Government of Canada has devoted to this issue since the initiation of the Section 232 investigations on steel and aluminum. However, considering the Trump Administrations announcement today, significant responsive measures are now required.

About CSPA:

The Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA) is the national voice of Canadas $15 billion primary steel production industry. Canadian steel producers are integral to the automotive, energy, construction, and other demanding industrial supply chains. CSPA seeks to work with governments and industry partners to advance public policies that enable a globally competitive business environment for its member companies and supply chain stakeholders.

Media Contact:

Joseph Galimberti

President, Canadian Steel Producers Association

613-293-6806NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



TORONTO, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Canstar Resources Inc. (Canstar or the Corporation) (TSX-V:ROX), Adventus Zinc Corporation (Adventus) (TSX-V:ADZN) and Altius Minerals Limited (Altius) (TSX:ALS) are pleased to provide an update in relation to Canstars proposed acquisition of the Newfoundland base metal exploration assets of Adventus and the Daniel's Harbour Zinc Project from Altius, as previously announced by Canstar on February 21, 2018 and April 18, 2018 (the Transaction).

The Corporation has submitted a management information circular which constitutes a filing statement under the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) to the TSXV for conditional approval and is currently addressing comments received. When conditional approval is granted by the TSXV, Canstar will send the management information circular to shareholders ahead of the its special shareholders meeting at which the Corporation will seek shareholder approval of the Transaction.

Subscription Receipt Extension

The Corporation is pleased to announce that the holders of subscription receipts of the Corporation, which were issued by the Corporation as part of the private placement the closing of which was announced on April 18, 2018, have approved the extension of the date by which the Transaction can been completed pursuant to the terms of the subscription receipts from May 31, 2018 to July 31, 2018, so as to accommodate receipt of requisite regulatory and shareholder approvals of the Transaction.

About Canstar

Canstar Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company. Canstar's objective is to discover and develop economic mineral deposits primarily in North America. Currently, Canstar's focus is on its mineral exploration properties in Newfoundland.

About Adventus

Adventus is a well-financed and unique company focused on zinc-related exploration and project development globally. Its strategic shareholders include Altius Minerals Corporation, Greenstone Resources LP, and Resource Capital Funds; as well as other highly respected investors in the mining business. Adventus owns large prospective land packages in both Ireland and Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, and is earning a 75% ownership interest in the Curipamba copper-gold-zinc project in Ecuador. In addition, Adventus has a country-wide generative exploration alliance with its partners in Ecuador, incorporating two projects to date. Adventus is based in Toronto, Canada, and is listed on the TSX-V under the symbol ADZN.

About Altius

Altius directly and indirectly holds diversified royalties and streams that generate revenue from 15 operating mines. These are located in Canada and Brazil and produce copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, iron ore, potash and thermal (electrical) and metallurgical coal. The portfolio also includes numerous predevelopment stage royalties covering a wide spectrum of mineral commodities and jurisdictions. In addition, Altius holds a large portfolio of exploration stage projects which it has generated for deal making with industry partners that results in newly created royalties and equity and minority interests.

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSX-V acceptance and shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Canstar should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Forward-looking Statement

This press release contains forward -looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as believes, anticipates, expects, is expected, scheduled, estimates, pending, intends, plans, forecasts, targets, or hopes, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, will, should might, will be taken, or occur and similar expressions) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, the closing of the Transaction, anticipated drilling at Buchans Camp, satisfaction of closing conditions, approval of the TSX-V, approval by the shareholders of Canstar and the potential for exploration.

Forward-looking information herein includes, but is not limited to, statements that address activities, events or developments that Canstar, Adventus and Altius expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future. Although Canstar, Adventus and Altius has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Canstar, Adventus and Altius do not undertake to update any forward-looking information except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

All monetary figures referenced in this press release are in Canadian dollars unless otherwise stated.

For further information from Canstar, please contact: Karen Willoughby, Director Corporate Communications, at 1-866-936-6766 or kwilloughby@canstarresources.com .



For further information from Adventus, please contact Christian Kargl-Simard, Chief Executive Officer, at 1-416-230-3440 or christian@adventuszinc.com.

For further information from Altius, please contact Chad Wells cwells@altiusminerals.com or Flora Wood at 1-877-576-2209 or flora@altiusminerals.com.ROCKVILLE, Md., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A year after the devastating 2017 hurricane season in which storms battered the southern United States and its Caribbean territories, the American Kidney Fund (AKF) is gearing up at the official start of this years hurricane season to prepare to assist dialysis patients who may be in the path of this years storms.

Forecasters from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predict a 35 percent chance of an above-normal season, a 40 percent chance of a near-normal season, and a 25 percent chance of a below-normal season for the 2018 hurricane season which extends from June 1 to Nov. 30.

We learned a lot from our disaster relief efforts in 2017, including how to overcome many of the challenges in getting funds to patients when they are displaced and their primary clinics are closed, said LaVarne A. Burton, president and chief executive officer of the American Kidney Fund. Though we all hope that we never see another hurricane year like 2017, our Patient Services team is working to apply what we learned to streamline our processes even further to reach patients in need as quickly as possible.

When a natural disaster such as a hurricane strikes a community, dialysis patientseven when faced with evacuations, property losses, power outages and other effects of the stormsmust still find a way to receive their life-sustaining dialysis treatments. Losing access to health care in the wake of a storm can be a matter of life and death: A recent report in the New England Journal of Medicine by Harvard researchers attributes one-third of Puerto Ricos more than 4,600 deaths after Hurricane Maria to delayed or interrupted health care services.

AKFs Disaster Relief Program is a rapid-response system that provides emergency assistance to dialysis patients to help replace medications, food and household items, and pay for essentials such as the cost of fuel or transportation to dialysis treatments and medical appointments. AKFs Disaster Relief Program has provided critically needed assistance to dialysis patients for many years, helping people in the aftermath of the nations most devastating disasters, including hurricanes Harvey, Maria, Katrina, Ike, Sandy, Matthew and many more.

Beginning with Hurricane Harveys landfall in Texas on Aug. 25 last year, AKF began an assistance effort unprecedented in the kidney community that provided nearly $850,000 in emergency assistance to more than 3,800 dialysis patients, primarily in Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.

Charity Navigator included AKF on its list of highly rated charities that were providing aid to survivors of the hurricanes, and AKF was cited by National Public Radio, the New York Times and USA Today as a trusted source of disaster relief for dialysis patients.

About the American Kidney Fund

As the nations leading nonprofit working on behalf of the 30 million Americans with kidney disease, the American Kidney Fund is dedicated to ensuring that every kidney patient has access to health care, and that every person at risk for kidney disease is empowered to prevent it. AKF provides a complete spectrum of programs and services: prevention outreach, top-rated health educational resources, and direct financial assistance enabling 1 in 5 U.S. dialysis patients to access lifesaving medical care, including dialysis and transplantation. AKF holds the highest ratings from the nations charity watchdog groups, including Charity Navigator, which includes AKF on its top 10 list of nonprofits with the longest track records of outstanding stewardship of the donated dollar, and GuideStar, which has awarded AKF its Platinum Seal of Transparency.

For more information, please visit KidneyFund.org, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.COLUMBUS, Ohio, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- L Brands, Inc. (the Company) (NYSE:LB) announced today the commencement of offers to eligible holders of the Companys outstanding senior notes listed in the table below (collectively, the Outstanding Notes) to exchange Outstanding Notes for up to (x) $700,000,000 aggregate principal amount (the New Issue Cap) of the Companys new notes due January 2027 (the New Notes) and (y) cash (the Offers).



The purpose of the Offers is to extend the maturity of the debt obligations associated with the Outstanding Notes.

The Offers are being conducted by the Company upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in a confidential offering memorandum, dated May 31, 2018 (the Confidential Offering Memorandum).

The following table sets forth the Outstanding Notes that are subject to the Offers:

Composition of Total Exchange

Consideration(1)(2) CUSIP Title of

Security Principal

Amount

Outstanding Acceptance

Priority

Level Series

Tender Cap Reference

U.S. Treasury

Security Bloomberg

Reference

Page Fixed

Spread

(Basis

Points) Early

Participation Premium

(New Notes)

New Notes Component Hypothetical

Cash Component

(3) Hypothetical

Total

Exchange

Consideration

(4) 532716AS6 7.000% Senior Notes

due 2020 $400,000,000 1 N/A 1.375% due

April 30, 2020 PX5 50 $50.00 $850.00 $174.30 $1,074.30 532716AT4 6.625% Senior Notes

due 2021 $1,000,000,000 2 N/A 2.250% due

March 31, 2021 PX5 80 $50.00 $850.00 $187.78 $1,087.78 532716AU1 5.625% Senior Notes

due 2022 $1,000,000,000 3 $100,000,000 2.000% due

February 15, 2022 PX5 190 $50.00 $950.00 $37.73 $1,037.73





(1) For each $1,000 principal amount of Outstanding Notes validly tendered, not validly withdrawn and accepted by us for exchange. (2) The Total Exchange Consideration will be paid in a combination of (a) a principal amount of New Notes (the New Notes Component), (b) an amount of cash equal to the cash component (the Cash Component) and (c) a principal amount of New Notes equal to the Early Participation Premium (exclusive of accrued interest). (3) The value of the hypothetical Cash Component equals the hypothetical Total Exchange Consideration minus the New Notes Component minus the Early Participation Premium. The hypothetical Cash Components shown in the table above are shown for illustrative purposes only. The actual Cash Components will be known on the price determination date when the actual Exchange Consideration and Total Exchange Consideration are determined. (4) The hypothetical Total Exchange Consideration for each note is shown for illustrative purposes only. The Total Exchange Consideration will be calculated in accordance with the formula included in the Confidential Offering Memorandum.

Upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offers set forth in the Confidential Offering Memorandum, the Company is making three separate exchange offers to eligible holders to exchange the Companys outstanding (1) 7.000% Senior Notes due 2020, (2) 6.625% Senior Notes due 2021 and (3) 5.625% Senior Notes due 2022 for up to (x) $700,000,000 aggregate principal amount of New Notes and (y) cash, provided that no more than $100,000,000 aggregate principal amount of New Notes will be issued in exchange for outstanding 5.625% Senior Notes due 2022.The Outstanding Notes will be accepted for exchange based on the acceptance priority level (in numerical priority order) as set forth in the table above and proration as described in the Confidential Offering Memorandum. In addition, all Outstanding Notes that are tendered for exchange in an Offer on or before the early participation date will have priority over Outstanding Notes that are tendered for exchange after the early participation date, regardless of their acceptance priority level. Accordingly, if accepting all Outstanding Notes validly tendered on or before the early participation date would result in us issuing New Notes in excess of the New Issue Cap, the Company will not accept any Outstanding Notes tendered after the early participation date.



L Brands reserves the right to upsize the new issue cap or the 2022 cap at its discretion.

The total exchange consideration for the Outstanding Notes will be based on a fixed-spread pricing formula using the bid-side yield applicable on the applicable Reference U.S. Treasury Security set forth in the table above and the applicable fixed spread set forth in the table above, and will be calculated at 11:00 a.m., New York City time, on June 14, 2018, unless the early participation date (as described below) is extended by more than two full business days, in which case a new date and time may be established with respect to the Offers, and will be paid in a combination of New Notes and cash in an aggregate principal amount determined as set forth in the Confidential Offering Memorandum. The Total Exchange Consideration includes an Early Participation Premium in an amount set forth in the table above payable in principal notes only to eligible holders who validly tender and who do not validly withdraw their Outstanding Notes on or prior to the early participation date of 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 13, 2018, subject to any extension by the Company.

The New Notes will mature on January 15, 2027 and will bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the sum of (i) the bid-side yield on the 10-Year Treasury on the price determination date (based on the bid-side price indicated on the Bloomberg reference page PX1 at such date and time) and (ii) 3.750% (375 basis points).

The Offers will expire at 11:59 p.m., New York City time, on June 27, 2018, unless extended by the Company. Tenders of Outstanding Notes in the Offers may be validly withdrawn at any time at or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on June 13, 2018, subject to extension by the Company, but not thereafter, except in certain limited circumstances where additional withdrawal rights are required by law.

The Offers are subject to certain conditions, including (i) the condition that, with respect to all the offers on an aggregate basis, we receive valid tenders on or prior to the early participation date that are not validly withdrawn of enough Outstanding Notes so that at least $300,000,000 aggregate principal amount of New Notes will be issued in exchange for Outstanding Notes, (ii) the condition that, on the price determination date, the combination of the yield of the New Notes and the Total Exchange Consideration or Exchange Consideration for the applicable series of Outstanding Notes would result in the New Notes and such Outstanding Notes not being treated as substantially different under ASC 470-50 and (iii) with respect to any Outstanding Notes validly tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to any offer that will be exchanged on the final settlement date, the condition that we determine that the New Notes to be issued on the final settlement date in such offer will be treated as part of the same issue as the New Notes, if any, issued on the early settlement date for U.S. federal income tax purposes pursuant to specified tests.

The New Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (as amended, the Securities Act) or any state securities laws. Therefore, the New Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any applicable state or foreign securities laws. The New Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States or to any U.S. persons except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. Accordingly, the offers are being made, and the New Notes are being offered and will be issued, only to (1) qualified institutional buyers as defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act (QIBs), and (2) outside the United States, to persons other than U.S. persons as defined in Rule 902 under the Securities Act in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act (such holders, the eligible holders). Only eligible holders who have completed and returned an eligibility certification (the eligibility certification), available from D.F. King & Co., are authorized to receive and review the offering memorandum and to participate in the offers. The Company will enter into a registration rights agreement with respect to the New Notes.

Documents relating to the Offers will only be distributed to holders of the Outstanding Notes that complete and return a letter of eligibility confirming that they are eligible holders. Holders of the Outstanding Notes that desire a copy of the eligibility letter may contact D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent for the Offers, by calling toll-free at (212) 269-5550 or toll free at (888) 548-6498 or e-mailing lb@dfking.com. Holders of the Outstanding Notes may also complete and submit a letter of eligibility online at www.dfking.com/lb.

This press release is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. The Offers are being made solely pursuant to the Confidential Offering Memorandum and only to such persons and in such jurisdictions as is permitted under applicable law.

ABOUT L BRANDS:

L Brands, through Victorias Secret, PINK, Bath & Body Works, La Senza and Henri Bendel, is an international company. The company operates approximately 3,070 company-owned specialty stores in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Greater China, and its brands are sold in more than 800 additional franchised locations worldwide. The companys products are also available online at www.VictoriasSecret.com, www.BathandBodyWorks.com, www.HenriBendel.com and www.LaSenza.com.

Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995

We caution that any forward-looking statements (as such term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) contained in this press release or made by our company or our management involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors, many of which are beyond our control. Accordingly, our future performance and financial results may differ materially from those expressed or implied in any such forward-looking statements. Words such as estimate, project, plan, believe, expect, anticipate, intend, planned, potential and any similar expressions may identify forward-looking statements. Risks associated with the following factors, among others, in some cases have affected and in the future could affect our financial performance and actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements included in this press release or otherwise made by our company or our management:

general economic conditions, consumer confidence, consumer spending patterns and market disruptions including severe weather conditions, natural disasters, health hazards, terrorist activities, financial crises, political crises or other major events, or the prospect of these events;





the seasonality of our business;





the dependence on mall traffic and the availability of suitable store locations on appropriate terms;





our ability to grow through new store openings and existing store remodels and expansions;





our ability to successfully expand internationally and related risks;





our independent franchise, license and wholesale partners;





our direct channel businesses;





our ability to protect our reputation and our brand images;





our ability to attract customers with marketing, advertising and promotional programs;





our ability to protect our trade names, trademarks and patents;





the highly competitive nature of the retail industry and the segments in which we operate;





consumer acceptance of our products and our ability to manage the life cycle of our brands, keep up with fashion trends, develop new merchandise and launch new product lines successfully;





our ability to source, distribute and sell goods and materials on a global basis, including risks related to:



 political instability, significant health hazards, environmental hazards or natural disasters;



 duties, taxes and other charges;



 legal and regulatory matters;



 volatility in currency exchange rates;



 local business practices and political issues;



 potential delays or disruptions in shipping and transportation and related pricing impacts;



 disruption due to labor disputes; and



 changing expectations regarding product safety due to new legislation;





 political instability, significant health hazards, environmental hazards or natural disasters;  duties, taxes and other charges;  legal and regulatory matters;  volatility in currency exchange rates;  local business practices and political issues;  potential delays or disruptions in shipping and transportation and related pricing impacts;  disruption due to labor disputes; and  changing expectations regarding product safety due to new legislation; our geographic concentration of vendor and distribution facilities in central Ohio;

fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates;





stock price volatility;





our ability to pay dividends and related effects;





our ability to maintain our credit rating;





our ability to service or refinance our debt;





our ability to retain key personnel;





our ability to attract, develop and retain qualified associates and manage labor-related costs;





the ability of our vendors to deliver products in a timely manner, meet quality standards and comply with applicable laws and regulations;





fluctuations in product input costs;





our ability to adequately protect our assets from loss and theft;





fluctuations in energy costs;





increases in the costs of mailing, paper and printing;





claims arising from our self-insurance;





our ability to implement and maintain information technology systems and to protect associated data;





our ability to maintain the security of customer, associate, third-party or company information;





our ability to comply with regulatory requirements;





legal and compliance matters; and tax, trade and other regulatory matters.

We are not under any obligation and do not intend to make publicly available any update or other revisions to any of the forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect circumstances existing after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of future events even if experience or future events make it clear that any expected results expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements will not be realized. In evaluating those statements, you should specifically consider various factors, including risks and uncertainties discussed in the Confidential Offering Memorandum. Additional information regarding these and other factors can be found in Item 1A. Risk Factors in our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K.MEMPHIS, Tenn., May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) today announced the company will sponsor the #14 Trey Hutchens race car in the upcoming Memphis 150 presented by AutoZone on Saturday, June 2 at Memphis International Raceway.

Trey Hutchens is a 19-year-old, fourth-generation racecar driver from Lexington, NC who is entering his tenth year of racing. Trey is becoming one of NASCARs most highly recruited talents. Hutchens' career has extended from the likes of USAC Quarter Midgets all the way to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. He earned 2015 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Rookie of the Year, and was awarded back-to-back NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Most Popular Driver honors, an award predicated on the number of votes amassed by NASCAR fans. Today, Hutchens attends North Carolina State University in pursuit of a Mechanical Engineering degree with a minor in Computer Programming and is also able to maintain a 4.0 GPA all while balancing his racing career.

We look forward to seeing Treys #14 AutoZone car in the upcoming Memphis 150 presented by AutoZone, said Bill Rhodes, Chairman, President and CEO, Customer Satisfaction, of AutoZone. Our sponsorship with Memphis International Raceway as well as our commitment to Trey and his race team, continue to show that AutoZone is committed to supporting the Memphis area as well as representing AutoZone in motorsports.

AutoZone has a long history with NASCAR. In addition to sponsorships like the Memphis 150 presented by AutoZone, Duralast, the AutoZone exclusive brand, is the official brakes and rotors brand of NASCAR.

About AutoZone:

As of May 5, 2018, AutoZone sells auto and light truck parts, chemicals and accessories through 5,540 AutoZone stores in 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico in the U.S., and 536 stores in Mexico, and 16 stores in Brazil for a total count of 6,092.

AutoZone is the leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. Each AutoZone store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products. Many stores also have a commercial sales program that provides commercial credit and prompt delivery of parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations, and public sector accounts. AutoZone also sells the ALLDATA brand diagnostic and repair software through www.alldata.com. Additionally, we sell automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products through www.autozone.com, and our Commercial customers can make purchases through www.autozonepro.com. AutoZone does not derive revenue from automotive repair or installation.

Contact Information:

Media: Ray Pohlman, 866-966-3017, ray.pohlman@autozone.com

Financial: Brian Campbell, 901 495-7005, brian.campbell@autozone.comNOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES



CALGARY, Alberta, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FluroTech Ltd.- FluroTech Ltd. (FluroTech or the Company) is pleased to announce that it intends to issue 1,558,000 stock options (Options) to certain directors, members of management, employees and consultants (collectively, the Optionholders) of the Company no earlier than June 11, 2018. The Options will granted to the following Optionholders:

Optionholder Number of Options Expiry Date of Options Impre Kovacs 25,000 June 11, 2028 John Conroy 25,000 June 11, 2028 Raimar Lobenberg 50,000 June 11, 2028 Rick Hanson 50,000 June 11, 2028 Sid Dutchak 65,000 June 11, 2028 Brendan Miles 50,000 June 11, 2028 Elmar Prenner 250,000 June 11, 2028 Danny Dalla-Longa Professional Corporation(1) 250,000 June 11, 2028 1702425 Alberta Ltd.(2) 175,000 June 11, 2028 Curtis Smith 125,000 June 11, 2028 Shawn Ripley 50,000 June 11, 2028 Kary Financial Services Ltd.(3) 175,000 June 11, 2028 Employees and Consultants 318,000 June 11, 2028

Notes:

Danny Dalla-Longa is the President and CEO of FluroTech. Gary Jones, CFO of FluroTech, is a director and shareholder of 1702425 Alberta Ltd. Rex Kary, a member of the management team of FluroTech, is a director and shareholder of Kary Financial Services Ltd.

The Options will permit each Optionholder to purchase one FluroTech common share for each Option held at an exercise price of $0.45 per FluroTech common share. Furthermore, the Options vest and become exercisable on a pro-rated basis over a two year period such that 1/24 of the Options vest and become exercisable on the last day of each calendar month over the course of this two year period.

About FluroTech Ltd.

FluroTech is a technology and marketing Company whose core business is focused on the commercialization of a new spectroscopy-based technology in the cannabis and hemp industries. FluroTech has exclusive ownership of the technology for the purpose of testing and identifying organic and inorganic compounds contained within biological samples derived from cannabis or hemp plants. Using the technology, FluroTech has developed a two-part solution comprising an instrument called CompleTest and consumable testing kits. CompleTest is a portable and customizable device that, upon the completion of its development, will assist producers in the cannabis and hemp industries in optimizing and tracking the quality and safety of their products.

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 of this release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information generally refers to information about an issuers business, capital, or operations that is prospective in nature, and includes future-oriented financial information about the issuers prospective financial performance or financial position. The forward-looking information in this news release includes disclosure about the future performance of the Company.

The Company made certain material assumptions, including but not limited to prevailing market conditions and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties to develop the forward-looking information in this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that the Transaction will be completed in its entirety or the shares of the Company listed on the TSXV. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the joint information circular dated May 23, 2018, any information released or received with respect to the Transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.

Actual results may vary from the forward-looking information in this news release due to certain material risk factors. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, adverse market conditions and regulatory and other risks associated with the medical cannabis industry in general. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material risk factors and assumptions is not exhaustive.

The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise the forward-looking information in this news release, unless it is required to do so under Canadian securities legislation.CALGARY, Alberta, May 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Norrep Capital Management Ltd. (NCM), the Manager of a strategically focused group of public mutual funds, alternative funds and limited partnerships (Norrep Investments), announced today that dividends have been declared for the following funds:

$0.066 per share* for Norrep Income Growth Class

$0.043 per share* for Norrep Global Income Growth Class

$0.040 per share* for Norrep US Dividend Plus Class

All dividends are payable on May 31, 2018 to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 30, 2018.

NCM - Norrep Capital Management Ltd. hereby advises that these dividends are designated to be "eligible dividends" pursuant to subsection 89(14) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and corresponding provincial legislation, with the exception of the T6 Series and F6 Series in the Norrep Global Income Growth Class and the T6 Series in the Norrep Income Growth Class who each allocate $nil as eligible dividends.

Shareholders with questions regarding the tax treatment of dividends should consult with their own tax advisors or contact their local office of the Canada Revenue Agency and, where applicable, the provincial taxation authorities

NCM - Norrep Capital Management Ltd. is a Canadian investment firm with offices in Calgary and Toronto. Please visit www.norrep.com for more details about Norrep Investments.

For more information, please contact:

Dealer & Client Services

NCM - Norrep Capital Management Ltd.

(877) 431-1407

* Based on the F Series; rates may differ for other series.

Certain information set forth in this press release, including a discussion of future plans and operations, contains forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond management's control, including but not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, fluctuation of commodity prices, fluctuation of foreign exchange rates, environmental risks industry competition, availability of qualified personnel and management, stock market volatility, timely and cost effective access to sufficient capital from internal and external sources. Actual results, performance or achievement could differ from those expressed in or implied by these forward-looking statements.

Iran, Russia: Whats at Stake in the Syrian Civil War



By Xander Snyder







The era of foreign intervention in Syria is coming to an end  at least thats what Russian President Vladimir Putin said when Bashar Assad, Syrias president, visited Sochi last week. Granted, Putins statement was ambiguous  in connection with the significant victories  of the Syrian army  foreign armed forces will be withdrawn from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic  but Russias Syria envoy clarified the next day that Putin was, in fact, calling on all militaries to vacate the country.



Needless to say, this didnt sit well with Iran, which has been cooperating with Russia in support of the Assad government. Iran rejected Russias announcement, insisting that it deployed its military at the behest of the Syrian government. Iran has its own reasons for being in Syria, of course, regardless of what the government in Damascus wants. It means to establish greater command of the Middle East and acquire land access to Lebanon and sea access to the Mediterranean. Even if this territory isnt under its direct authority, Iran wants to keep Israel and Turkey from encroaching on its borders . In the process, Iran, the de facto leader of Shiite Muslims, hopes to quell Sunni resistance, which, as the Islamic State showed, can be a potent threat.

Russia shares none of these goals with Iran. The two may tactically work toward the same goal  keeping Assad in power  but cooperation between Russia and Iran has always been a marriage of convenience, not a true alliance. Russia needs to prevent any one power from controlling too much of the Middle East. A state that eliminates competition in the Middle East would be able to look north, to the South Caucasus, a critical buffer region for Russia. Any power that can gain a foothold in the South Caucasus threatens the North Caucasus , which, in turn, threatens the Russian heartland. Russia must keep Middle Eastern powers competing against one another if it is to prevent any single actor from cementing a position of strength in the South Caucasus.

Russia and Irans interests also diverge on oil. The government in Moscow relies heavily on oil and natural gas revenue, so any increase in the price of oil benefits Russia. Iran has a relatively low fiscal breakeven point for producing oil  it can turn a profit when oil is roughly $55-65 per barrel  so it could afford to produce more to keep prices low. Now that the Iran nuclear deal is all but dead, uncertainty around Iranian production has driven up oil prices, giving Russia a little more breathing room. In other words, sanctions on one U.S. enemy, Iran, benefit another, Russia.

Then theres Israel, with which Russia has friendly relations. Irans expansion has begun to invite attacks from Israel, which objects to having an Iranian presence so close to its northeastern border. While Russia is content to bomb rebels in Syria who have no real way to defend against air attacks, it is far more apprehensive about getting caught up in a war against a country with a powerful military and strong motivations to intervene. Israels fight isnt with Russia, and Russias isnt with Israel. But Russia and Irans joint support of Assad nevertheless risks pitting Russia against a country it has no interest in fighting.



This explains why Russian declined to retaliate after Israel attacked Russian anti-aircraft installations controlled by the Syrian military. In fact, Moscow didnt even mention the incident. Sure, the installations in question were outdated, but the fact that Russia decided against selling Syria a more modern air-defense system, the S-300, a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus visit to Moscow illustrates Russias desire to avoid providing Syria with the capability to damage Israels air force.

But for all the geostrategic reasons behind Russias intervention in Syria, Moscow also had a far simpler reason for propping up Assad: It needed to show the Russian people that, despite ongoing hardships, Russia had re-emerged as a global power. After 25 years of losing ground to NATO and the West, it needed to prove that it could counter the United States. It needed to test the preparedness of its military, which has undergone a number of reforms since its 2008 war with Georgia. (For Russia, the war was a success, but it exposed some weaknesses in its air force and in its missile capabilities.)

In Syria, a successful show of Russian force requires a victory and an exit strategy. Claiming that the Syrian military is strong enough to fend for itself, thanks largely to Russian assistance, fits with this narrative . It enables Russia to save face despite the fact it has been in Syria months after it declared its mission accomplished .

Its unclear when, exactly, Moscow intends to withdraw its forces. When it does, Iran will be left with only a few options. It can continue to support Assad by spending more on the Syrian war, and begin to commit its air force, which, compared with Russias, is dated and dilapidated. Spending more is a difficult proposition for a country in the throes of protests over economic issues.

Otherwise, Iran could maintain its current level of support of Assad, but if Russia were to withdraw, Iran would be faced with Israel in its south and Turkey, which also has a modern air force , to its north. Without Russias backing, rebels, especially those who benefit from Turkish air support, would stand a better chance of retaking territory that they had lost to Assad.

Last, Iran could reduce its presence in Syria and instead focus on gaining greater control of Iraq, which is much closer to home anyway. That, however, presents its own set of challenges , and in any case risks opening up Syrian territory currently serving as buffer space to be taken by Turkey.Even on this bustling stretch of northern Mulberry Street, in a part of town already loaded with cute, popular restaurants, the brand-new, Middle Eastern fast casual Dez really stands out. Maybe it's the kitchy neon "desert" symbols above the appealingly wide-open entrance, or the expansive sidewalk seating (complete with personal space enforcing barricades), or the sunny decor inside, with warm colors, wicker chairs, and ample plant life contrasting neatly with the black-and-white booths.

Or maybe it's just that the passion behind the female-run project, from Cooking Channel chef Eden Grinshpan and by Chloe co-founder Samantha Wasser (the real Chloe was ousted), comes through in all the design details and, most important, in the food itself.

The restaurant hosted a preview party this week and everything we ate was straight-up delicious, from the creamy (and pink!) Beet Hummus and the bright and chunky vegetable salad Sumac Fattoush, to the lively Harissa and Honey Roasted Carrots and the pleasantly funky Moroccan Lamb Meatballs. The soft, fluffy pita was first-rate, too. Grinshpan also showed off her Shawarma Burger (the most expensive item on the menu at $13), a piece of crispy eggplant sticking out of the top and all sorts of big-flavored delights (tahini, amba, zhoug) lurking within.



(Scott Lynch / Gothamist)

So how did a Canadian TV chef and vegan restaurant creative guru come to open Dez? I spoke briefly with the duo, and Grinshpan told me, "I love Middle Eastern food. I'm half Israeli, and over the last few years it's really spoken to me as the food I want to create. And when I saw that contemporary Middle Eastern food was starting to have this big movement, I said to myself, 'if I'm not going to jump in and be a part of that I'm going to regret it completely.'"

Wasser added, "There's a lot of competition in the Middle Eastern fast casual market right now, but I think the big difference for us is Eden. It's a very chef-driven menu at Dez, not a build-your-own-bowl sort of place. For two years it's been a labor of love on our part to get all the flavors in every dish right, and it's all exactly what Eden would serve in her home to her family and friends. And it's aesthetically beautiful!"

Dez sells rose on tap (and other wine and beer), soft-serve ice cream (a rotating monthly flavor; first up is Walnut Honey Kadaifi), a few brunch-only offerings like Halva Toast, a selfie-bait mirror in the restroom, and branded merchandise, mostly items such as slap bracelets and bucket hats that the pair recall with fondness from their youth in the 1990s.

Dez is located at 227 Mulberry Street between Prince and Spring and is now open on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. (inthedez.com)This has been a historically great week for grifters, scammers and con people of all kindsfrom fake German heiress Anna Delvey (who allegedly conned tons of rich people) to former Vogue staffer Yvonne Bannigan (who allegedly stole over $50K from Grace Coddington) to Philadelphia 76ers president Bryan Colangelo (who allegedly maintained a treasure trove of burner Twitter accounts for petty purposes). And now we have Thomas J. Mace-Archer-Mills, Esq., the posh British Royals expert who appeared on countless programs as a Royal Wedding commentator. Turns out he is actually a guy named Tommy who grew up in upstate NY.

The Wall Street Journal has a delightfully strange article today about Tommy (real name: Thomas Muscatello), who joins a long list of Americans who have Gatsby'd their way into new lives and identities.

The 38-year-old Italian-American grew up in Bolton Landing, NY, and went to school at Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, SC. But his heart was always across the pond: even as a child, his toys were of a "royal nature." As a child, he told his father he wanted to move to England. "He told me, 'Dad, someday I want to move over there and be part of whats going on,'" Thomas Muscatello Sr. said.

In high school, he started using a British accent for a production of Oliver, and apparently never stopped. The WSJ writes, "Mr. Mace-Archer-Mills said he began using his accent with close friends back then and sometimes addressed them with 'God save the queen.'"

Nowadays, he is the chairman of a group called the British Monarchist Society who has built a media persona as one of Britains leading authorities on the royalty. He's defended the monarchy on BBC Radio, in The Economist, and on Comedy Centrals The Jim Jefferies Show (see the clip below). A spokesperson for that show said, "If we had any journalistic standards, we imagine wed be quite upset by this news."

Possibly the strangest detail of the piece was the fact that an elderly British man and woman agreed he can call them his grandparents.

He considers his British grandfather to be George Mills, 83, a former grenadier guard living in Canterbury. Mr. Mills said that, about two decades ago, he was explaining the guards uniforms outside Buckingham Palace to his wife when teenage Tommy, visiting from America, overheard and asked him questions. Mr. Mills said he visited South Carolina to see his new friend, who later asked if he could call Mr. Mills grandfather. Mr. Mills agreed. I could tell he wasnt very happy in the States. In 2012, he formed the British Monarchist Society, whose aim is preserving the monarchy and which holds events, enrolls members and takes donations. Mervyn Redding, 80, a former civil servant living in Essex, said she met Mr. Mace-Archer-Mills at a monarchist-society event and eventually agreed he could call her granny. He is very personable, she said, and a perfectly normal person.

Tommy said that ultimately, he realized he identified more as British than American: I found where Im supposed to be and who I am supposed to be."

never give up on your dreams! just keep talking in a bad british accent until people think youre british!! no one in your family actually british? just walk up to a random grandpa in england and say, youre my grandpa now and then he will be!!! https://t.co/xcuZxIxY9J  aleksander chan (@aleksnotalex) May 31, 2018

While Tommy's passion for Anglophilia may surpass that of even Gwyneth Paltrow, he is certainly not alone in his predilection for the British tongue.A grand jury has indicted Oscar-winning producer Harvey Weinstein on charges of rape in the first and third degrees as well as criminal sexual act in the first degree. This comes days after his May 25th arrest and a court appearance during which his lawyer insisted that Weinstein "did not invent the casting couch in Hollywood."

In October, nearly simultaneous investigative exposes from the NY Times and the New Yorker revealed that Weinstein, a long-feared and successful producer of critically acclaimed films including Pulp Fiction, The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love, Good Will Hunting and Trainspotting, had harassed, coerced, and even sexually assaulted dozens of women. His accusers ranged from assistants (who said they would have to clean up his semen and used condoms), to reporters and actresses. A number of women, including actresses Annabella Sciorra and Rose McGowan and director-actress Asia Argento, said that Weinstein raped them. Weinstein's high-powered team of lawyers and even former spies also allegedly enabled his predatory behavior over decades.

Managers and agents also allegedly ignored the allegations. Rosanna Arquette, who accuses Weinstein of trying to assault her in the 1990s, said in an interview this year, "I told people in the industry about my experience with Harvey in the hotel that day. I didnt hide it. When I told them, I would hear, Id keep my mouth shut about that if I were you  even from female agents. I heard that warning and thought, OK, no one is going to believe me. My words will get back to him. Im f-ked!'"

The criminal sex act charge stems from a 2004 incident in which Lucia Evans, an aspiring actress at the time, finally agreed to see a female casting executive at Weinstein's Tribeca offices. Evans had met Weinstein at a club, but refused his attempts to meet with her. But when she got to the meeting, Weinstein was there and allegedly forced her to perform oral sex.

The rape charges stem from a March 18th, 2013 incident, in which a woman says Weinstein kept her at a Lexington Avenue hotel and raped her. On Tuesday, Weinstein's attorney Benjamin Brafman claimed that Weinstein and the accuser had a "10-year consensual relationship." As the NY Times pointed out, "Having had a long-term consensual relationship with a woman is not a defense against rape. Husbands and domestic partners, for instance, can be charged with rape if they use force or threats to compel a partner to have sex."

Weinstein, 66, had declined to testify in front of the grand jury. Brafman said on Wednesday, "We asked the district attorney for more time so that Mr. Weinstein's attorneys could gather the material needed to properly prepare him for his grand jury testimony but that request was denied."

He continued in his statement, "We remind everyone that an indictment is merely a formal accusation. Mr. Weinstein intends to enter a plea of not guilty and vigorously defend against these unsupported allegations that he strongly denies. We will soon formally move to dismiss the indictment and if this case actually proceeds to trial, we expect Mr Weinstein to be acquitted."

Lucia Evans and Anonymous Survivor, I bow to your strength and resolve. This will be a long, hard fight. Stay strong. We are all with you. #RoseArmy  rose mcgowan (@rosemcgowan) May 30, 2018

"This indictment brings the defendant another step closer to accountability for the crimes of violence with which he is now charged. Our office will try this case not in the press, but in the courtroom where it belongs. The defendants recent assault on the integrity of the survivors and the legal process is predictable. We are confident that when the jury hears the evidence, it will reject these attacks out of hand," Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance said. "I thank the heroic survivors for their strength throughout this process. I also thank Commissioner James ONeill and members of the New York City Police Department for their dedication to this case. This investigation remains active and ongoing. We continue to urge additional survivors and others with relevant information to call us at 212-335-9373."

Vance has been criticized for not pursuing charges against Weinstein in 2015, when an Italian model filed a report with the NYPD that Weinstein had groped her. The model even worked with the NYPD in a sting operation in which Weinstein admitted to the incidentwhile trying to convince her to come into his hotel room.

The indictment came on the day that the reporters who worked on the Weinstein storiesJodie Kantor and Megan Twohey of the NY Times and Ronan Farrow of the New Yorkerreceived the Pulitzer Prize for public service journalism.

In addition to the NYPD's investigation, the Los Angeles police department and authorities in the United Kingdom are also investigating sexual assault allegations against Weinstein.Drew Anthony Smith/Getty Images(HOUSTON) -- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released a series of voluntary proposals to improve school safety in the wake of the Santa Fe High School shooting earlier this month.



The report includes proposals that promote safe gun storage practices, increasing law enforcement presence at schools, hardening school campuses, providing mental health evaluations, and preparing students and teachers to respond to active shooter emergencies.



Two of the recommendations in the report address keeping guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous people. Those proposals are a mandatory two-day waiting period and the suggestion of a protective order to keep guns out of the hands of the mentally unfit.



The report, released Wednesday, also calls for more school marshal funding, which would cover the hiring of more marshals and training, as well as a suggestion to remove the requirement that says marshals need to store their guns.



The report comes after the May 18 shooting at Santa Fe High School, which left eight students and two educators dead and 13 others wounded. A student, Dimitrios Pagourtzis, 17, was arrested and charged with the shootings.



Abbott held days of meetings to discuss ideas to address school safety in the wake of the shooting.



The recommendations themselves are voluntary, and it is up to schools if they choose to adopt them both for the end of this school year or use the summer to prepare to enforce the different suggestions in the next academic year, starting this fall.



Some of the proposals would require a change in state laws, which would come at the hands of the Texas state Senate and House.



The proposed protective order, which the report stresses would come "only after legal due process is allowed to ensure Second Amendment rights are not violated," is to "encourage" state legislators to consider the merits of such a law, rather than urging its adoption outright, according to the report.



"This plan is a starting point, not an ending place," Abbott, a Republican, said in a news release announcing the report.



"It provides strategies that can be used before the next school year begins to keep our students safe when they return to school. This plan will make our schools safer and our communities safer," he said.



Florida Gov. Rick Scott changed the state's gun laws approximately three weeks after the Parkland High School shooting, during which 17 people were killed. Scott signed a bill that included a number of gun law reforms, including a mandatory three-day waiting period to buy a gun and raising the age to buy a rifle to 21 years old.



Scott, also a Republican, was surrounded by parents of the Parkland shooting victims on March 9 when he signed the law, which also included a measure to arm some teachers and other school personnel who undergo special training sanctioned by the state. There was a provision that allows school districts that don't want to participate to opt out of the program.



Abbott, meanwhile, announced the roundtable discussions that preceded the report about six hours after the Santa Fe shooting. At the time, Abbott said the goal of the discussions would be "putting together laws that will protect Second Amendment rights but at the same time ensure that our communities, and especially our schools, are safer places."



"We need to do more than just pray for the victims and the families," he said.



Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.Armenian start-up CodeTrace allows one to evaluate developers skills within a few minutes, on the basis of the code written by them, to understand whether a developer meets the requirements of a recruiting company.

Rafayel Mkrtchyan, co-founder and director of the start-up, used to live, study and work in San Francisco. He returned to Armenia 1.5 years ago and decided to set up his own start-up, in order to help middle and large companies to easily and quickly find developers. Rafayel worked at Google, Codefights, as well as cooperated with different companies remotely. Often, he had to select new employees for interviews, based on their CVs.



Rafayel Mkrtchyan

When Rafayel returned to Armenia, he met Hayk Hovhannisyan (co-founder of the start-up), who had noted the same problem, especially on the LinkedIn pages, often filled in with exaggerated comments about the skills of a person.While doing that, Rafayel noticed two things. First, there are people who often exaggerate their skills in their CVs, which becomes clear during the interviews. Second, many people are unable to present themselves - their expertise and skills - in the CVs.



Hayk Hovhannisyan

Based on their long experience in the field of programming, Rafayel and Hayk designed CodeTrace SmartHire tool to facilitate the work of human resource managers who are looking for new developers. Thanks to this tool, new employees can be chosen by people with no programming skills, who just need to place the applicants GitHub's personal page on CodeTrace and get information about the person's experience. GitHub is one of the biggest online platforms in the world, where developers have their public pages and place their own code. The algorithm utilizes developers GitHub profile to go through their public code and analyze their skills via software development metrics. The combination of the results provides a general overview of the developers skillset, with rating and years of experience.

Data analysis standards are tailored to meet the demands of San Francisco Labor Market, being therefore strict, to satisfy employers and find specialists who do meet requirements. At the same time, the founders plan to develop CodeTrace so that they are able to analyze the skills of programmers in each region in line with the marketplace.

Now, CodeTrace has more than 60,000 users. Its used both by employers and developers, who want to have proof of their experience and knowledge to show it to potential employers.

In the near future, employers will be able to specify the requirements and criteria that the developer must meet and find the pages of all relevant candidates at once.

Now, its the employers looking for developers that pay. Depending on the size of the company, number of required programmers, target market size, the annual payment ranges between $ 1,000 and $ 15,000. Rafayel says the approach is individual, and they also take into account how much the company would spend to find a new developer, offering a more affordable and effective option. There are also packages for individuals for $ 450.

CodeTrace has won the first place in the Luys Start Armenia Fund competition and received a $20,000 prize. It was among the five finalists of the STEP 2017 Venture Conference's "Idea to Market" competition. According to Seedstars, it is considered one of the most promising start-ups in Armenia.Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, on an official visit to Georgia, met with Georgian and Armenian businessmen, as reports his official webpage. Pashinyan had a working lunch with Georgian entrepreneurs, followed by a meeting with Georgia-based Armenian entrepreneurs.



The Prime Minister briefed the entrepreneurs on Armenian governments economic priorities, including simplification of tax and customs administration, anti-corruption measures, as well as the planned steps aimed at improving the business environment in general.

Nikol Pashinyan stressed the need for continued development of Armenian-Georgian business ties, boosting the trade turnover between the two countries, implementing joint investment programs, etc.

At a press briefing today at the Armenian parliament, newly appointed Minister of Nature Protection Erik Grigoryan flatly rejected the claim made by some thats he represents the interests of Lydian Armenia, the 100% owned subsidiary of Lydian International which plans to operate the Amulsar gold mine

Grigoryan told reporters that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan offered him the job and he accepted.

What does it mean to be Lydians representative? I represent the government and do my work. Let me repeat. If I had any outside interests, I wouldnt have assumed the job, Grigoryan said.

When asked what he thought about the Amulsar mine project, the minister said his position hasnt changed since 2011.

As a specialist and an environmentalist, I think the development of mining at this scope in Armenia isnt correct because Armenia, from an ecodiversity point of view, is an important place in the world. I believe that the direction of development in Armenia should be more geared towards the IT sector. However, there are processes that started in the past and theres an issue of rights, Grigoryan said.

The minister noted that the project has received a positive environmental assessment and noted that Prime Minister Pashinyan has launched investigations into the operations of 28 mining companies.

We have our suspicions that the amounts being mined today, and the pollutant levels, exceed those parameters as specified in the original permits, the minister said, adding that all the mines now operating in Armenia would be investigated for environmental and other irregularities.Sindhupalchok is only 50 miles north of Kathmandu but its not easy to get there. You have to travel through remote villages and over difficult terrain to reach the area. The craggy hills and lack of infrastructure means vehicles have limited access, leaving its denizens to walk an entire day to reach even the closest local market.

I have been regularly visiting Sindhupalchok since 2015, when I first reported on a devastating earthquake in the region, which left nearly 9,000 people dead. But during a visit last year I stumbled across a story of how girls from the district were being trafficked to Arab nations along the Persian Gulf, recruited to work as housemaids. What I ended up unraveling took me across the country to track the disturbing rise in the trafficking of under-age girls.

Rumors

I first heard the rumors just a week after the earthquake. Residents in the area were telling me how traffickers would convince the families of under-age girls to send them to Gulf countries where they could earn them a lot of money. While I was aware of the more common form of human trafficking from Nepal  the selling of girls and women into the sex trade in India  this trend was new to me. Traffickers were helping girls fake their birth dates and assisting them with obtaining passports, which would make it easier for them to be trafficked under the veil of foreign employment. Although the passports were being issued from Nepal and used the girls real names, their faked birth dates meant they qualified to go abroad for foreign employment.

I knew I was facing a complex investigation. In order to figure out how the traffickers were operating in the region, I would have to show how they were assisting with false documentation, how they were convincing the families, how they were crossing the Indo-Nepal border, and how they were successfully sending girls from airports in India to the Gulf.

TIP: DOING YOUR RESEARCH While I had covered stories about human trafficking before, so I knew the basic legal framework, it was only after my investigation that I spent time looking into the legal aspects of foreign employment and human trafficking, as well as the evolution of trafficking in Nepal in detail. Its a better idea to do more preparation before heading out, so you can understand the legal aspects surrounding trafficking in the specific region. But while that initial background is important, once you have conducted your investigation, you are likely to find legal loopholes which also need to be addressed.

Going Undercover

I began my investigation at the district administration office in Chautara, which issues citizenship and passport documentation.

The first week I just observed, watching as young girls came to the office for their papers and passports, without revealing my identity. I tried to read their body language and figure out the socio-economic background of their parents, who often accompanied them. I casually asked them about their age and education and, during our conversations, they would tell me they about their plans to immigrate overseas for employment. Many of these girls were between 14 and 15 years old, came from humble backgrounds and were barely literate. Some told me their relatives or neighbors supported their overseas employment plans. That week I counted at least 15 girls who were applying for passports with fake birth dates. Something was obviously terribly wrong.

At the end of the week, I revealed my identity as a reporter, asking one of the officers if he often just moved ahead with documentation even if he knew these were fake dates. The official admitted that he had to provide documentation to the girls even if he knew the birth dates were inaccurate; their parents often insisted, arguing that they were the only people who knew the actual age of their children.

TIP: CONSIDERING GOING UNDERCOVER It was clear to me that I had no choice but to begin my research on this story undercover. I knew Id be received with extreme reluctance, if not outright denial, by the families were I to reveal my identity before understanding more about how the operation worked. I might also be putting the girls and their families at risk if they knowingly spoke to a journalist. Often girls would arrive at the office with their traffickers, who would stay stationed close by while the girls completed the documentation process alongside government officials who were at least negligent and, and sometimes complicit, in issuing the fake documents. Journalists need to figure out for themselves whether going undercover  which should be a last resort  is necessary in their individual situation, taking into consideration both the importance and sensitivity of these stories and considering the possible ways of investigating them.

On the Front Lines

I knew I needed to talk to girls who had been trafficked who would be willing to speak to me on the record, so I travelled to the district of Kanchanpur at the Indo-Nepal border, known as one of the gateways of human trafficking.

Once I arrived at the border, I met with police officers and people from Maiti Nepal, an NGO which fights human trafficking. The border police and the NGO were able to provide recent data related to human trafficking from that route, while police also allowed me to meet with some traffickers who were in custody.

While meeting with the Nepali police, I was told that the Indian police had just detained six girls who were being trafficked from Nepal. But when I tried to contact them, they gave a curt reply, only telling me they handed the girls over to Maiti Nepal. I rushed to the NGOs office and met the girls, all of whom had been promised caregiving jobs in Kuwait. They were between 14 and 15 years old, but their new passports listed their ages as between 21 and 22; even more troubling was that some of the traffickers were their neighbors or relatives.

Evidence was piling up, but I still didnt have enough for a story. I needed to find out where the traffickers lived, how long they had been involved and how large their network was. I approached Indian police for answers, but they simply evaded my questions.

TIP: WORKING WITH OFFICIALS AND NGOS In the end, it was Maheshwari Bhatta at Maiti Nepal who helped with additional information about the traffickers involved with the six girls. Eventually, Indian police also agreed to brief me about the people who were involved in that trafficking ring, and they confirmed the process of faking birth dates on the documents which enabled these girls to travel to Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. NGOs can be an excellent source for journalists working on human trafficking stories. Because they are working daily on the ground, they can assist in sensitive situations where access might be difficult if you were to go on your own. They can also provide relevant background and statistics. Of course, you cannot completely rely on the information provided by NGOs as there always remains a possibility of manipulation, exaggeration and bias, so information provided needs to be verified.

Collaborating

While I had the basics of my story down, I still needed to talk with a girl who had been trafficked. I returned to Sindhupalchok. This time, I asked for help with a local journalist, Kishor Budathoki. He was able to help me find my way around the area and to better understand the local culture.

We were able to meet with a couple of returnees, but they declined to speak in detail because they had been trafficked by their own relatives. Budathoki was able to arrange a meeting with some local police officers, with whom he had personal relationships. The police ended up giving us the statement of a young girl who had been trafficked to Dubai. She was barely eight years old when she was sent by her aunt to India, where she was sexually exploited for seven years, after which she was sent to Dubai to work as a domestic worker.

read morewall cloud photo by McGinty

Hail photo by Teresa Barkley

Lake Palo Duro reported .18" of rainfall while the KVII SchoolNET site showed no other Hansford County precipitation.

to read Jock's profile click

I run stormchasing tours in the Great Plains every May and June, bringing guests from all over the world.

Ive been stormchasing for 18 years now.

This year I have guests from Canada, Australia, Holland and several from America (Ohio, Arizona and Iowa).

My tour group is Severe Storm Interceptors, we also have a Facebook page, and my name is Jock McGinty, Im from Melbourne Australia. This year we have seen tornadoes in Bridgeport NE, Waynoka OK and several near Burlington CO. In my career Ive witnessed over 150 tornadoes as well as countless beautiful storms.

Im also a huge fan of western history and lore and of the geology and natural history of the mid west, and on non chase days or quiet mornings I like to help our guests experience some of the fantastic history and landscapes we encounter. Yesterday was a great chase day, we came across from Woodward OK, having chased the Waynoka storm the day before.

Storms began to fire in far east NM and CO and began to roll out into the panhandles. Wed positioned ourselves first at Bryans Corner and then south to Gruver.

Once we were certain that the storm was going to be tail end charlie (usually the best storm on the line), we raced west and picked it up as it produced a large wall cloud and stout, rotating funnel. As it began to touchdown it became rain wrapped and started to move east. Then began a lengthy game of cat and mouse with storm, running ahead of it, stopping to let the guests view the storm and take photos, and then racing off again for a few miles to get further ahead.

It was during one of these stops that we pulled up next to Sheriff Glass who was out storm spotting to keep the community safe. Introducing ourselves, Tim kindly allowed us a photo with him and we spent a few minutes chatting before we took off again with his words telling us all to be careful. We finally stopped chasing the storm after dark, near Higgins TX and being treated to a fantastic lightning show we drove north to Liberal KS for the night.

Today we are heading to Nebraska for storms tomorrow.



Storm chaser Jock McGinty landed in Texas at just the right season for some spectacular weather events.Jock is from Melbourne, Australia and operates storm chasing tours in the Plains.His group is called Severe Storm Interceptors and they happened upon a menacing wall cloud and Hansford County Sheriff Tim Glass.Please call your State Representative and State Senator and tell them to vote against legislation repealing the Parental Notice of Abortion ...For weeks now, some Democrats have been wondering if their party intends to run a coordinated campaign this year and have asked what it might look like. A coordinated campaign means all the partys candidates are working together under one umbrella group.

The partys standard-bearer J.B. Pritzker has kicked off Blue Wave Illinois and will soon make a $5 million contribution. Democratic sources say much more cash is expected to follow.

The new group wont be a separate, stand-alone entity, but will instead be an internal branch of Pritzkers campaign apparatus.

The House and Senate Democrats will each receive a million dollars. Sen. Kwame Raouls attorney general campaign will get about $50,000 and the other statewide nominees will eventually receive money as well.

To stay within campaign finance contribution limit laws, a million bucks will be transferred to the Rock Island County Democratic Party, which is run by Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association Chairman Doug House. Chairman House appears to be playing a key role in this new Blue Wave organization. House personally endorsed Pritzker ahead of his statewide groups endorsement session.

Pritzker refused to take any campaign contributions during the primary except from himself, but that will also change. Pritzkers campaign committee will raise the money to fund its Blue Wave operation from small individual donors and large contributions from others, including his wealthy friends and family. Im hearing $30 million may be the target number.

Pritzker will retain responsibility for funding his own race, Im told. His initial $5 million contribution can be seen as seed money to get the group going. And since contributions to Pritzkers big-spending campaign will have no legal caps on them, Pritzker will be able to vacuum up every possible dime that contributors can afford to give. He has told others that he doesnt want to compete with other Illinois candidates fundraising, so he will travel to other states to raise cash.

Any Statehouse-connected dollars will bring the sort of criticism that the self-funder was able to avoid until now, so well see how this works out. And, of course, giving money to Madigans operation has already prompted Gov. Bruce Rauners campaign to claim that the two men are in cahoots.

But this move also means Democrats will have a centralized funding source with no direct ties to Speaker Madigan. The benefit can work both ways. Some liberal big-money folks just dont like Madigan, and even more candidates are skittish (to say the least) about taking money from the House Speaker. It also seems clear that Pritzker wants his own, independent organization outside of Madigans Democratic Party of Illinois  which has been accused in the past of redirecting coordinated campaign money toward Madigans favored House candidates.

The Pritzker cash will be used to fund campaigns up and down the ticket, from statewide campaigns, to legislative races to county races. The money will also be used for training in messaging and the use of digital technology. The Pritzker campaign wants to concentrate on the most winnable races, but they also say they dont want to leave any stone unturned.

Local political organizations, including township and ward organizations in Chicago and county party organizations throughout the state, will also likely receive contributions in the future. Chairman House will apparently play the lead role in working with those organizations in an effort to build up a party that is sorely lacking at the local level outside Cook County.

Pritzker won kudos during the primary for opening 18 campaign offices and hiring about 100 field staffers, although there was some internal party criticism for the way at least some of those offices were run. It reminded some influential folks of the DCCC  helicoptered-in staffers who didnt know the lay of the land.

Whatever the case, the Pritzker campaign plans to continue building out those local field offices and will use them to help Pritzker and other regional and statewide candidates.

A true coordinated campaign also involves congressional candidates. At this point, Im told, Pritzkers Blue Wave group figures its field work will benefit all candidates at all levels.

One of Pritzkers slogans has been think big, and this definitely has the potential to be the biggest effort of its kind that this state has ever seen.



Rich Miller also publishes

Capitol Fax, a daily political

newsletter, and CapitolFax.com.Bipartisan legislation under consideration in the General Assembly would bypass the federal cap of $10,000 in state and local taxes that could be deducted on income tax returns.



Created as the Illinois Education Excellence Fund, the bill would offer a 90 percent credit for taxpayers who contribute towards a local government, county or school districts charitable fund. The bill states that a person or entity may donate to a charitable fund on behalf of specified property located in the local unit, as the taxpayer is entitled to a property tax credit equal to a percentage of the contribution amount, subject to certain annual caps.



Introduced in the House by Rep. Johnathan Carroll, D-Buffalo Grove, in January, the bill passed 93-15 on April 18. The measure then went through the Senate, where it passed 54-1 on May 24. Currently, the bill is back in the House going through revisions.



Sen. Julie Morrison, D- Deerfield, was the Senate chief sponsor of the bill. On her website, she lauded the Senate for fighting back against federal tax protocol, which she believes handicaps state taxpayers. Capping the SALT [state and local taxes] deduction punishes states like Illinois that have higher property tax burdens and above-average incomes, she said.



Sen. Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, was the only senator who voted no on the bill. In a press release, he explained why he came to that decision, citing the importance of the federal cap in keeping corporations in the country. This is very shortsighted legislation that was hard to vote against because everybody likes tax decreases, he said. But it is a very bad idea because the recent federal tax reduction measure was absolutely critical in keeping corporate headquarters in the United States instead of them moving to other countries.The legislation follows a May 23 statement by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), pledging to impose regulations on states who are working around the deductibility of state and local tax payments for federal income tax purposes. The statement serves as a warning to not only Illinois, but Connecticut, New York and New Jersey, states that have introduced similar tax measures in their state legislatures.



The SALT cap was included in last years $1.5 trillion tax cut plan by President Donald Trump. The cuts were criticized by states like Illinois that rely on SALT deductions. For a state like Illinois, which contributes much more in federal taxes than we receive back in programs and services, this is an unfair tax policy that must be rectified, Morrison said.

Oberweis predicts that if legislation proceeds, the IRS will react quickly. There is no way the federal government is going to allow states to pull a fast one like that, to find a tricky way around the deduction limits, he said. Trying to get around the IRS is not a good idea. This is a lose-lose situation. It is my hope that our state representatives will figure this out before voting on it.



Alex Camp is a masters degree graduate in Public Affairs Reporting from University of Illinois Springfield. He is currently a freelance journalist. Contact him at acamp4@uis.edu.

Dozens of delegates at the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) gender council conference - from Asia to the Americas and Europe to the Middle East  have issued a global call for action to address the violence, poverty and discrimination faced by women worldwide.

As reported by the National Union of Journalists: Meeting in Santander, Spain on 25 and 26 May, delegates condemned:

* The violence and harassment faced by women journalists across the world. IFJ statistics demonstrate at least 1 in every 2 journalists have suffered sexual harassment, psychological abuse, online trolling and other forms of human rights abuses

* The gender pay gap, which is a reality in every continent, and which not only affects women throughout their working lives but in retirement too

* The increasingly precarious working conditions faced by women journalists, especially those forced to work without contracts, with a lack of social protections, pensions, paid holidays and other social benefits

* The discrimination, including political, legal, cultural, racial and social factors, faced by women journalists in their careers and communities which impoverish them.

Delegates called on journalists unions and associations to build a global movement of solidarity to develop a collective response to the issues, including industrial, political and workplace campaigning and mobilisations.

They also demanded:

* Stronger laws on equal pay, pay transparency, against pay gagging clauses and for equal rights, which must be comprehensive and resources made available to enable them to be fully enforced and implemented

* Equal pay for equal work

* An end to the glass ceiling

* No more precarity  for decent working conditions for all women

* States take urgent action to enforce laws on gender-based violence in all its forms and for employers to take their responsibility for the safety of women journalists

* Introduce and/or enforce laws tackling sexual harassment.

The delegates also pledged to continue to promote gender mainstreaming in all IFJ activities, conferences and projects and to work to continue to develop the presence and participation of women in journalists unions and associations and to demand equal representation, including in leadership positions.

An action plan, including building stronger campaigns and protests against cyber-bullying, corruption and in defence of investigative journalism, was also adopted.

Other key actions include:

* Developing and improving the IFJ's internal and external communications to ensure a sharing of experience, developing solidarity networks and raising awareness of gender issues and rights

* Organising training to raise women and union activists awareness of their rights

* Developing relations with partners in the global trade union movement especially with UNI Women and within the ILO and UN system

* To enhance solidarity actions with women media freedom and trade union activists facing persecution

* To carry out further research in to the labour conditions and representation of women journalists

* To continue to work alongside the global trade union movement in the campaign for an ILO Convention against gender-based violence at work and to involve affiliates in lobbying to secure such a convention

* To take action to support an ethical journalism with a gender perspective and tackle gender stereotypes, objectification and victim-blaming.

The conference  organized by IFJ affiliate FAPE, was opened by Gema Igual, Mayor of Santander and was addressed by women journalists from Pakistan, Kuwait, Russia, Italy, UK, Spain and Peru among others.News UK & Ireland yesterday announced that Richard Bogie will take on the new and joint role of Managing Director at News Ireland and News Scotland.

Current News Ireland General Manager, Oliver Keenaghan, has decided to leave the business to explore new challenges and opportunities.

Richard has built up the commercial and corporate elements of News Scotland as General Manager, creating a well-recognised media brand with key commercial relationships, complementing the three Scottish titles, says News UK.

Commenting on his new appointment, Richard said: In a country that is widely known for its love of news, politics, sport and music, we continue to buck the trends of other media owners in Ireland and invest in our titles and talent.

News Ireland is a recognised force in the market and I want to build on that, maximise every opportunity, and pursue new partnerships that further build upon our reputation. I will be working very closely with the team and News Corp colleagues to ensure we are as robust as possible and capitalise on our many strengths.

Oliver joined the company in 2008 as General Manager and has overseen some major milestones  the launch of the Ireland Edition of The Times in print and iPad, key commercial deals across News UKs three Irish titles, and has been closely working with the Wireless Ireland teams identifying opportunities that promote the companys multiplatform offering in the Irish market.

Commenting on his departure, Oliver said: After ten great years with News Ireland the time is right for change in my career. It's been an amazing experience, never a dull moment and I would like to thank all my colleagues, in Ireland and the UK, who have been on this journey with me. I wish them continued success into the future and I have no doubt that they will continue to grow and develop the business.

David Dinsmore, Chief Operating Officer, News UK, said: Oliver gave a sterling ten years to the company and I wish him the very best of luck with his next move. Richard has already made a huge impact on our Scottish operations and I know he will have a similar one in the Irish market.

There is a lot to be excited about across our operations in Ireland. With our Wireless Ireland colleagues, we are a truly multi-platform business; across print, audio and digital  a very effective solution for advertisers. Adding the creativity of our colleagues at Storyful and video ad tech company Unruly to this mix makes for a competitive commercial package and positive future.[Provisional Translation]

On May 30, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the 94th Regular General Meeting of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils held in Tokyo.The Prime Minister said in his congratulatory address,I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations on the successful opening of the 94th Regular General Meeting of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils today.It must not be by coincidence that all the chairpersons elected in Yamaguchi Prefecture are seated before me right now. While I am feeling a bit of pressure, I vow to you that I am committed to surely respond to your requests.Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my deepest respect for all the hard work constantly being put in by the chairpersons of city councils, who are the representatives closest to the people, at the frontlines of local governments for the development of local communities and improvement of community welfare.In the past five years, the Abe Cabinet has continued to embark on challenges with the policies under the three arrows of Abenomics. As a result, the economy has achieved record high growth of more than 11%, while the tax revenues of national and local governments have increased by more than 24 trillion yen. The ratio of active job openings to applicants has exceeded 1.0 in all 47 prefectures for the first time in history, and the employment rate of high school graduates this spring reached 98.1%, the highest level in 27 years. For full-time employees, the ratio of active job openings to applicants has also exceeded 1.0 as the transition to permanent employment picks up speed.This year marks 150 years since the Meiji Restoration, and Japan is now once again confronted by a national crisis, namely the rapidly declining birthrate and ageing society. In order to overcome this national crisis and further enrich the lives of the people, I am determined to confront the issue with the revolutions in productivity and human resources development, much like the wheels of a vehicle. Japan will not have vitality unless its regions do as well. Japan will have no future unless its regions do as well. This is the fundamental attitude of the Abe Cabinet.Japan has many charms, including its rich natural environment, unique history and culture as well as agricultural, forestry, and fishery products and food products with a distinct regional character, all of which have been carefully preserved and fostered by the people of the respective regions. The attractive products of our hometowns, produced with much time and effort, have begun to make their debut in the global market. These include beef, strawberries, Japanese sake, Japanese tea, and rice. The specialties of each region are seeing a growth in exports around the world, supported by a boom in the popularity of Japanese food.Regional vitalization and the development of local economies is about fully unleashing their potential, by making the most of the unique strengths and charms of the respective areas. The people living in these regions are the ones who know their strengths and appeal the best, and the chairpersons of city councils who are gathered here today are precisely the representatives of the cities. The motivation and passion of the regions, together with your leadership, lead to the creation of highly appealing regions. The Abe Cabinet will continue to listen carefully to their voices. On that basis, by harnessing the unique elements and characteristics that can only be found in the respective regions, we will support the efforts of regional vitalization all across Japan. I would like to ask all the chairpersons of city councils to maintain close relationships with the local residents on a regular basis to listen to a diverse range of opinions, and to continue making significant contributions going forward. At the same time, I would also like to ask once again for your understanding and cooperation on the policies put forth by our government.I would like to conclude my address for the 94th Regular General Meeting of the National Association of Chairpersons of City Councils by extending my best wishes for the further development of the Association, and for the continued success of everyone in attendance today. Once again, congratulations on this successful gathering today.33 kg gold smuggling case: Court remands SSP Khatri in judicial custody

The District Court Morang has ordered SSP Shyam Khatri, one of the suspects in the 33kg gold smuggling case and the subsequent murder of alleged smuggler Sanam Shakya, to remain in remand detention.33kg gold smuggling case: Absconding SSP Khatri surrenders at Morang District Court

Absconding SSP Shyam Khatri, one of the suspects in the 33kg gold smuggling case and the subsequent murder of alleged smuggler Sanam Shakya, has surrendered himself before the Morang District Court on Thursday.Acharya Shree Niwas sent to Jhumka Prison

Hindu leader Acharya Shree Niwas, who was arrested for trying to incite communal violence by staging a fake assassination of himself, has been transported to Jhumka Prison after the Morang District Court remanded him in judicial custody.BIMSTEC Secy Gen Islam meets PM Oli

Secretary General of Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Shahidul Islam paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the latters official residence in Baluwatar on Thursday.Budget is okay but the higher taxes are not

Businessmen, traders, importers and exporters in Province 2, one of the countrys key economic hubs, described Budget 2018-19 as being balanced, but they criticized the federal government for imposing heavy taxes and putting the squeeze on a limited number of taxpayers.Car decor firms set up shop in Kuleshwor

A 2km stretch of road from Kuleshwor to Kalimati has become the go-to place for vehicle owners looking to accessorise their ride. The close proximity to major vehicle showrooms in Kuleshwor and Thapathali has seen numerous car accessory shops sprouting in the area.City to host 4th Bimstec Summit this August

Nepal is gearing up for the fourth Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (Bimstec) in Kathmandu in August. Nepal is the current chair of the regional grouping.Governance challenges in federal structure

With poverty, regional imbalance and unemployment, implementing federal system will not be easyKhatiwada dispels doubts on 8pc growth

Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada on Wednesday said the annual budget targeting a growth rate of eight percent is realistic, as several sectors would contribute to the countrys economy.Knowledge is Power

The government needs to revamp its information-sharing system to help foster better knowledge production and transparencyMinisters who cant operate laptop will be sacked

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has vowed to make the Prime Ministers Office paperless within six months.Nepal asks Bangladesh to simplify trade procedures

Nepal asked Bangladesh to address the difficulties being faced by Nepali traders while exporting certain products as the fourth commerce secretary-level trade talks kicked off in Kathmandu on Wednesday.Visit Nepal version 3.0 targets 2 million arrivals

The federal budget presented by Finance Minister Yubaraj Khatiwada on Tuesday announced the launch of Visit Nepal campaign version 3.0 in 2020 with the goal of attracting 2 million foreign tourists.iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) -- The fate of the U.S.'s top diplomat for Asia remains in limbo two weeks ahead of the expected historic summit with North Korea.



In one of his first major personnel moves as secretary of state, Mike Pompeo is expected to withdraw the nomination of Susan Thornton for Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, three sources with knowledge of the matter told ABC News.



Thornton is a career Foreign Service officer with 20 years of experience in the region who has been the acting Assistant Secretary since March 2017. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was a fierce proponent of hers, battling China hawks in the administration and on Capitol Hill to get White House approval for her nomination in December.



Despite her pending nomination and current role, Thornton has been largely sidelined from North Korea negotiations compared to other senior administration officials. She traveled to China and Japan in May to meet her counterparts, but she did not accompany Pompeo on either of his trips to North Korea to meet Kim Jong Un. She also did not join Pompeo for his Wednesday trip to New York where he was set to meet with Kim Yong Chol, a top adviser to Kim and Vice Chairman of the Central Committee.



One former administration official said Thornton has been totally cut out of talks.



State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert did not elaborate on her role, only telling ABC News Susan Thornton remains the nominee and is a respected member of the State Department team. The secretary has met with her numerous times to seek her counsel.



Before Pompeo's confirmation as secretary of state, he used CIA channels to start talks with North Korea and has since relied on a small coterie of advisers. That team includes National Security Council Director for Asia Matthew Pottinger and the State Department's Policy Planning Director Brian Hook, Executive Secretariat Lisa Kenna, and spokesperson Nauert  all of whom traveled with Pompeo in May.



Other officials, including the National Security Council's Director for Korea Allison Hooker, Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia Randall Schriver, State Department Korea Desk Director Mark Lambert, and U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim, have been involved in planning meetings with North Korea ahead of the summit.



The ambassador posting in South Korea has been vacant for 16 months. President Donald Trump nominated Navy Adm. Harry Harris for the position on Saturday but he is nowhere near being confirmed before the summit.



"I think it's going to lead to a position where we have no experts at the table, no one who has weighed in over the course of the situation," said foreign policy expert Brett Bruen, who worked as a State Department official for 12 years.



"There's no medium or long-term memory that has been built up over the last year and a half. From a national security perspective, on North Korea, Iran, any other major threat, we are flying blind," he added.



Tillerson and Thornton had a good working relationship, with Tillerson publicly praising her and privately going to the mat to secure her nomination. His aides also believed that promoting a career diplomat to the position typically allotted to political appointees would boost morale within the department.



But Thornton faced resistance from critics like former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who said he was "getting Susan Thornton out at State" in his last interview while working for the administration.



Key Republican senators like Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton say she is too soft on North Korea and China.



Her nomination process has slowed to a crawl on Capitol Hill. After a confirmation hearing in February, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has not held a vote on her nomination, and Rubio has vowed to block her approval.



"I will do all I can to defeat the current nominee for top Asia diplomat," he tweeted in March. "This position needs to be held by someone who understands we need to rebalance our relationship with China, support Taiwan & defend human rights."



Sources with knowledge of the matter say that Pompeo is considering Adm. Scott Swift and the Pottinger from the National Security Council as possible replacements, but he will not withdraw Thornton's name until after the potential summit in Singapore.



As a career diplomat, Thornton is expected to be reassigned to an ambassadorship in the region, possibly to Singapore where the Trump administration nominated and then withdrew former Deputy National Security Adviser K.T. McFarland after details emerged about her role in the Trump campaigns contacts with Russian officials.



Pompeo hinted at the shakeup at a hearing on the Hill last week saying he was "close to making a number of significant announcements about new members of the team, Assistant Secretary for East Asia Affairs and South Asia among them."



As the administration closes in on trade talks, the president appears to be taking a tougher line on China again. On Tuesday, the White House announced that the administration will go through with Trump's threat to place $50 billion worth of tariffs on Chinese goods.

Copyright  2018, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.1. Yes. The medical data shows it will be beneficial to get one. The sooner the better.

2. Yes. Theres no rush, but I plan to get one sometime in the next few months.

3. No. Im not sold on the need for a booster. Besides, the case numbers are falliing.

4. No. I havent been vaccinated for COVID-19, and I dont plan to get the booster, either.

5. Unsure. It may be smart to wait and see how beneficial the booster shots prove to be.

Vote

View ResultsBy Moses Kyeyune.

The Government Chief Whip Ruth Nakabirwa has reassured Ugandans that kidnaps and recent cases of murder will soon be contained.

Nankabirwa has told journalists that the government has taken on the matter with great concern.

She however says that it is unfortunate that most of the cases reported involve family members or relatives faking their own kidnaps.

She now says the security organs have mounted a syndicated crackdown on such incidents.By Jessica Sabano.

Leaders of People with Disabilities have slammed Kampala Capital City Authority for only closing buildings that do not meet Health standards and ignoring those that do not have ramps.

The executive director of Uganda National Action for physical disabilities Uganda Apollo Mukasa says KCCA should stop discriminating against the disabled in executing its work by only closing buildings without toilets and pavers ignoring the accessibility of PWDs a side.

He says much as KCCA is beautifying the city, those interventions should be inclusive, asking the works ministry to fast track implementation of

the Building Control Act 2013.

KCCA recently closed at least 15 buildings in the city center over non-compliance with health standards.

Peter Kaujju, the KCCA director of corporate and public affairs says

the owners of the closed buildings refused to comply despite several notices which were served to them last year.Surprise: Attack in Belgium That Had All the Hallmarks of Islamic Terrorism Was In Fact Islamic Terrorism

No one could have seen this coming except everybody.

From the AP:

The man who killed four people in the Belgian city of Liege this week carried out an act of "terrorist murder" and likely intended to cause more carnage, prosecutors said Wednesday, as authorities tried to establish whether he acted alone. Benjamin Herman, an inmate on a two-day prison furlough, attacked two female police officers from behind with a knife on Tuesday, stabbed them repeatedly, stole their handguns and shot them as they lay on the ground, officials said. Crossing the road, he shot to death a 22-year old passenger in a car. Herman then took a cleaning woman hostage at a nearby school. When police closed in, he ran out onto the sidewalk firing and police fatally shot him. Four officers were wounded. Officials confirmed that Herman had also killed a fourth person Monday.

He yelled "Allahu akbar," the Arabic phrase for God is great, several times during Tuesday's rampage, including when he ran out to face police the last time, prosecutors said.



Yes, he was on a two day prison furlough.

John Sexton has more at Hot Air.

Although this isn't explicitly stated, it seems like authorities are hedging on whether or not this is really terrorism-terrorism, despite the killer shouting "Allahu Akbar" and telling a hostage to think about the Palestinian martyrs. The pretext for casting doubt on whether or not this is terrorism-terrorism is the (apparent) lack of any larger network or overseas connections.

I repeat, once again, that this is a criterion that is only employed to say that clear Islamic terrorism is not Islamic terrorism.

Anders Behring Breivik acted alone, and yet no one questions at all that this was a "right-wing" terrorist attack.

So why, when it comes to Islamic terrorism, do the authorities always insert this nonsensical requirement that there must be an extended network of terrorist plotters and overseas connections for it to be Islamic terrorism?

The answer is obvious: So that they can keep the Islamic terrorism numbers artificially low.

This is a symbiotic conspiracy between Islamophobia, Incorporated and law enforcement: Islamophobia, Inc. is in the business of claiming there is virtually no Islamic terrorism, and law enforcement and intelligence services equally want to pretend that there's no Islamic terrorism so that they can explain away their failures to stop Islamic terrorism by saying "Oh, that wasn't Islamic terrorism, you see."

The FBI does this every single month, and no one says boo about it.In the future, young adults will not choose their specialties, and will start their career from a startup. If the business is profitable, the universities will help them to master the specialty and facilitate to the business. It was said by chairman of the Turkmen public and cultural centre of Almaty and Almaty region Gulnar Annakuliyeva in the House of Friendship at an extraordinary meeting of a citys scientific and expert group of the Assembly of People o Kazakhstan.





Within the discussion of the project "New Humanitarian Knowledge. 100 New Books in Kazakh", Gulnar Annakuliyeva told about the foreign books on economics that are already translated.





UIB (University of International Business) goes to distance education. In the summer, I will write lectures about production management. Management is a new concept let say in economics. It is an integrated science of philosophy and sociology. It seems like production management is a narrow sectoral discipline, but the Address of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a the function of production management, because it creates the measure to establish economy. Education has not only one trend. It is supposed that in the future young adults will not choose the specialty, but will run a startup, and if it is profitable then they will take a credit for the specialty, enter the university that will facilitate to their business," said the professor.





There are many changes and innovations in higher education that relate to digital economy. The new books of economics, that are available in Kazakh, are also innovative ones. They include not just a text, but everything that helps the student to study the material; accompanying references, cases, videos are included. According to the teacher of the university, it is a brand-new approach. The book is quite standard. It includes the items that the students passed during courses  the items on macro- micro-economics, banking system, small and medium business.





There must be four factors in order to develop the market: the first one is resources, Kazakhstan has educational, labour resources, the resources from the Periodic Table, the second one is investment, owing to efforts the country has a great inflow of investment, the third one is the affection of the law on private property to the land, it was adopted, but does not work, the fourth one is entrepreneurship and innovations  it is the thing that we achieve and it does not fully works," said the speaker.





Gulnar Annakuliyeva believes that in economics it is necessary to get familiarized with analysis, because any economic forecast has 99% of analysis.





In the conditions of the financial crisis, one can see that a forecast is a weakness, nobody could forecast the financial crisis, neither consulting companies nor government agencies. There are programs that make all calculation, therefore analysis is shifted to robots. In this connection, programming becomes significant," said the chairman of the Turkmen public and cultural centre of Almaty and Almaty region.





Also, the expert underlined that a manager is a specialist who runs the business with profit.





There are employees who have three diplomas, but companies do not flourish. Professionalism is not enough. Therefore, we want a student to be a communication link that will keep in touch with various agencies, have contacts, know languages, build a dialogue and make its business profitable. The modern books that will facilitate the universities to educate professional specialists build the basis for such kind of changes and innovations," said the speaker.







LAHAINA  In a world that is topsy-turvy, where pollution is rife and our carbon footprint is muddy, there is hope; and, in this part of the Pacific, hope is named Sydney McCarney.

A graduating Sacred Hearts School (SHS) eighth-grader, Sydney is headed to Lahainaluna High School next year, and she is taking with her a history of experience that is extraordinary.

This past school year has been full for the 14-year-old Lahaina resident. Instead of being overwhelmed, she has chosen to rise.

Her eighth grade teacher, Mary Anna Grimes, brought her to the attention of Lahaina News.

In November, she was selected, along with fellow SHS seventh- and eighth-graders, to participate in the third annual Blue Planet Foundation Student Energy Summit on Oahu.

The two-day 2017 seminar, according to their website, blueplanetfoundation.org, was an interactive workshop that focused on Hawaiis energy challenges and opportunities.

Mrs. Grimes was cited on the website as saying, Ive been to youth conferences in New York, India, Spain, Boston; but by far, this was the best summit Ive ever been to!

In April, Sydney joined the Blue Planet Blue Line Project team.

What it was, you got a blue piece of chalk, and you drew a line into where ocean sea level rise would be in 50 years if we kept going as we are today, she said.

Recent studies suggest, the website explained with backup information provided by the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, that Hawaii could see a one-meter rise in sea level as early as 40 years from today if we continue our unsustainable reliance on fossil fuels for our electricity and transportation needs.

The whirlwind year did stop there; the pace kept up with her entrance in the National History Day Competition in April.

My teacher selected me to go to district competition, which was on Maui; and then the judges moved me onto the state competition. I didnt make it to nationals, but one of my classmates did, Ben Lolesio, she said with a smile.

I had just actually gotten back from Oahu from the history competition that I went to when I found out I was going back to Oahu the next week for the Earth Day 2018 Energy Summit, hosted by Elemental Excelerator, led by Steve Jobs wife, Laurene Powell Jobs.

The tagline for the dynamic nonprofit is: We help startups change the world one community at a time, by awarding each year to 15 to 20 companies up to $1 million to improve systems that impact peoples lives: energy, water, agriculture and transportation.

On Earth Day, their website (elementalexcelerator.com) announced, We released new data on Hawaiis path to clean energy, called Transcending Oil. It tells the story of how Hawaii can transition to clean energy faster than we thought, 84% by 2030.

Sydney was privileged to attend that one-day gathering on Oahu of change-makers, entrepreneurs, artists, and cultural leaders, for a day of dialogue, festivities, and action, celebrating 10 years of progress since the signing of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative in 2008, galvanizing action to fulfill the promise of a clean, resilient, and inclusive future  while amplifying Hawaii as a model of whats possible when people come together.

Sydney participated as a panelist.

Sydney McCarney was selected, Grimes advised, because she had attended a Blue Planet Energy Summit in November along with nine other SHS students. So she is aware of the energy concerns we are facing as a nation and the unique concerns of our state. She is articulate, independent, resourceful and can travel well.

The outcome was phenomenal. It is the most professional gathering of purposeful beings in one place that I have attended. It was classy, specific, extremely thought-out. Every attention to detail was thought-out, Grimes added.

She knocked the panel out of the park! She was one of only four students; the three others were in high school!

She was the most articulate, her proud teacher-mentor boasted. In fact, Laurene (Powell) Jobs, Steve Jobs widow, spoke with her later and told her to keep doing what she is doing, that she is so articulate. This made Sydney giddy. Then she found out who said that to her, and she turned into a six-year-old!

Sydney came home with a new understanding

She told the Lahaina News that Hawaii is fossil fuel-dependent, and the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative has set goals to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2045.

Thats the big known goal that seems sort of impossible; but when you dig deeper into it, you find that there are baby marks that have to be set by certain years to make sure that we can get to that final goal, Sydney said.

Baby marks? The Lahaina News asked.

Baby marks, Sydney answered, are like the windmills that are going up, solar energy thats going up and the solar fields, like the one up Lahainaluna.

There were some topics Sydney hadnt anticipated learning.

Before the summit, I didnt really think about the social impact, because it was like just do it, right? Then you find out that  like these people who are praised for having all electric vehicles and solar panels and Energy Star appliances  all these wonderful things for the environment are also, at this point, so much more expensive than everything else. And, like to be aware that you want to make a difference but then not be able to, like that cant be a good feeling, because you want to help the environment, and you want to lessen your carbon footprint, but not having the ability to do that  I can only imagine how that would feel.

Sydney has goals and is optimistic about the future.

I think teenagers are smart. If they cared and they thought about it, they could make a lot of change. They have new and refreshing ideas that havent been beaten out of them by the real world. They still have their optimism, and they still have their bright new ideas, because they still think like kids, she said.

She is wise beyond her years.

Young people arent so much set in their ways, because they dont know what their ways are yet, Sydney said.

She has had the nurturing support of parents, Alex and Michael McCarney.

Alex, with a deep mothers love, was profoundly insightful.

Sydney has done well in school. She makes better than good grades, but that is not the most important thing in our family. Grades are only a reflection of what is learned in school; however, how we are respected in our family and in our community is our grade in life. What we give, how we serve, and how we make people feel is a very important value in our family and for life. Sydney is a leader among her peers, because she treats people well, shares her gifts and willingly serves with love and the spirit of aloha, she said.Posted Thursday, May 31, 2018 9:50 am

Whats a good margarita on a warm summer day without a decent meal to pair it with? Luckily for Margarita Fest, fine catering is being provided by two of Lansings best food trucks  The Smoke N Pig and Marias Cuisine.

Pitmaster Gabe Jones started The Smoke N Pig in 2016, after 15 years of working in the food industry. Since the truck got its bearings, The Smoke N Pigs finely roasted meat has earned numerous awards and accolades. Its been voted the best barbecue, or best ribs, by the patrons of several festivals, including the Michigan Rennassaince Fest and Smokin Jazz & Barbecue Blues. The Smoke N Pigs fiery red truck will be on deck at Margarita Fest whipping up all the tasty meat one can possibly eat.

Dont think barbecue meshes well with margaritas? Dont worry, Marias Cuisine is the absolute natural pairing for the wide variety of margaritas being offered. No sane person can argue that tacos and margaritas are not a match made in heaven.

Marias Cuisine is an Old Town staple and consistently delivers delicious authentic Mexican food, earning high praise from both locals and people coming in from out of town. Theyll be parked alongside the festival to provide an ever flowing stream of tacos, tostadas, enchiladas, nachos  you name it.Posted Thursday, May 31, 2018 9:50 am

Aug. 27, 1866, was to be John Taylors 18th birthday. On the cusp of that day, hed already lived a life of the times: a slave, a freedman who joined the Union Army in the Civil War hired farm hand in Ingham County. But Taylor was not meant to see the sun rise on that birthday.

He was lynched by a mob estimated to be a 100 strong on Aug. 23, 1866. He was hung and shot three times, his corpse brought down and dismembered and ultimately buried first in a shallow grave on a farm in Delhi Township, then later in a hill now known as Deadmans Hill.

Where his mortal remains rest today is unknown, but that is not stopping township residents and officials from taking action to honor the victim of Ingham Countys only known lynching.

I think that in terms of a moral conscious, we wanted to bring this up at a time when everybody in the community is maybe ready to deal with this on a more humane level, said Mark Brown, a Lansing resident who works with both the Lansing ACLU and the Lansing branch of the NAACP. Hes also been involved in meetings with Ingham county residents and Delhi leaders on finding a way to honor Taylor.

Park, on Cedar Street south of Holt Road, has been owned by Delhi Township since it was donated in 1972. Its been a popular sledding hill since before it was even named a park. Minutes from the Park Commission at the time indicate there was an attempt to rename the park but it was ultimately tabled. Brown said Delhi Parks and Recreation Director Mark Jenks is incredibly supportive of doing something to honor Taylor.

He has the power, with the Parks Commission, to just rename it, Brown said. But he wants the community involved in this. He knows that is important.

Brown said the time is right for such an effort in light of a national movement to honor those murdered in lynchings in the post Reconstruction Era. In April, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, in birmingham, Alabama, was unveiled by the Equal Justice Initiative. It was designed to address thousands of racially motivated lynchings between 1877 and 1950, according to the groups website.

But Taylors murder is not among those memorialized because it happened only a year after the end of the Civil War.

Its important to know this history, said Brown.

And hes not alone in that belief. Bill Castanier, president of the Historical Society of Greater Lansing, said acknowledging history is important.

It behooves us to remember this, to honor this man, he said.

State Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. a Democrat who represents the vast majority of Ingham County, agreed.

Those who do not remember the past are doomed to repeat it, he said. I definitely stand with people wanting to remember this incident. You cant just sweep this under the rug.

But it has been lurking under the rug for over a century. Taylor was a freed slave from Kentucky who joined Michigans Company G of the First Colored Infantry, according to research done by Jacob McCormack, founder of the Holt-Delhi Historical Society. Mustered to South Carolina, he returned to Michigan when the war ended. He was unemployed but found day labor on the farm of John Buck. Buck, according to contemporary news reports, refused to pay Taylor his earned wages of $2.50, so Taylor went to the farm in the evening in an attempt to collect. There are varying versions of what happened when Taylor was at the farm. In some he killed the whole family with an ax. In another, from the editor of the Ingham County News at the time, not one drop of blood was shed.

But it was the first that shot through Ingham County. A black man had murdered four white people, three of them women. He was tracked down and arrested in Bath Township and jailed in Mason. A mob of 100 showed up demanding he be handed over. Again, stories differ on how then Ingham County Sheriff Fredrick Moody responded. In one telling, he denied Taylor was lodged in the jail, In another, he told the crowd what cell he was in and where his keys were in what Castanier called a wink wink move. In both instances, the crowd rushed the jail, broke down the doors and dragged the teen from the jail at gunpoint. He was ordered to pray, then murdered.

A grand jury was brought together at the time, and charges against three men were lodged. But only one man, William Cook, ever faced trial. In his first trial, the jury deadlocked. In the second, Cook was found not guilty. Cook was defended by former Gov. Austin Blair.

This is part of the way we address our history, said Castanier. But first we have to know about it. We definitely need to know about this.

Jenks, the Delhi Township parks and recreation director, said he became aware of the hills notorious history in the 1980s. But the mismatched stories were more lore than fact then and township officials gave up on honoring Taylor. And while nothing has been finalized in how Taylor will be honored, Jenks said, Its time to do the education. Its time to honor this man. He served in the Civil War, and his death should not be forgotten.Posted Thursday, May 31, 2018 9:50 am

This summer, as always, the road between Petoskey and Mackinac City will be jammed with cars filled with vacationers and residents talking about the weather and the temperature of the water. However, 50 years ago, the summers topic of conversation was the murder of the Robison family, who were vacationing near Good Hart, Michigan.

The 50th anniversary opens up that ugly wound on the community and Mardi Link, a Traverse City author, has added new information to When Evil Came to Good Hart, her best-selling 2008 book on the murders.

Link said the new edition delves deeper into the officially unsolved murder  nobody has been convicted of the crime. Michigan State Police detectives put together a solid case implicating Joseph Scolaro III, the business partner of Richard Robison, but without the weapons and any fingerprints, or other evidence to tie Scolaro to the scene, the local prosecutor and later the Oakland County prosecutor did not bring charges.

Link recalls the day she was doing an interview on a Traverse City radio station when she received an on-air telephone call from the detective who had investigated the crime.

I had tried to locate him for an interview him for the book, but couldnt locate him in the pre-Google days, she said. Here he was living in my own hometown.

Link and the investigator met for coffee and he told her an incredible story from 1974 that seemed to point to Scolaro as the killer. The investigator told her that he had just come in from fishing and was putting the boat away when his son received a phone call from a man wanting to talk to the retired detective. His son offered to go get his dad, but the caller told him not to bother but to tell him it was Joe and he was right.

The phone call might not have meant anything, if it wasnt for the peculiar coincidence that Scolaro committed suicide shortly after the phone call.

Within one hour of that phone call, Joe killed himself, Link said When the family was murdered July 25, 1968, a full month passed before the bodies were discovered, and the advanced decomposition left little evidence. Scolaro soon became the primary suspect, because he at one time owned both types of guns used in the murders and failed two lie detector tests. Police suspected the murders were to cover up embezzling.

A letter Scolaro left behind for his mother to find after his suicide clearly stated, I am a liar but not a murderer.

Link said the murder investigation and prosecution might have been handled differently today, but she believes that it is not fair for anyone to stand in judgment 50 years later.

At the time of the murders, serial killer John Norman Collins came under scrutiny after it was revealed he knew one of the Robison children. Collins was convicted in 1970 of killing several young women  mostly college students in the Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor area in the late 1960s. He is serving a life sentence.

Noted author Judith Guest fictionalized that scenario in her 2004 book, The Tarnished Eye.

Following publication of the book When Evil Came to Good Hart, Link wrote two additional crime stories, Isadoras Secret, and Wicked Takes the Witness Stand. She also wrote two memoirs, Bootstrapper, about being a single mom in the north country, and Drummond Girls, about lasting friendships.

She is researching another crime topic which she hopes to turn into a book, and you can listen to her dramatic podcast about the murders on iTunes  search Up North Cold Case.

Mardi Link presents the 10th anniversary edition of When Evil Came to Good Hart Tuesday, June 5, 7 p.m.

1982 W Grand River Ave, Okemos, MI 48864 In Meridian Mall Free www.schulerbooks.com

Robison Family - 50th Year Forum

Monday, June 25, 6:30 p.m. CTAC Civic Theater Sponsored by Petoskey District Library 461 E. Mitchell St. Petoskey, MI www.mardilink.com/eventsPosted Thursday, May 31, 2018 9:50 am

More than seven years of a completely Republican-run state government and progressives are getting antsy. Petitions for at least seven left-leaning ballot proposals have been actively circulated and now theyre starting to roll into the Secretary of States Office just ahead of Thursdays deadline.

An initiative to allow workers in larger companies up to nine paid sick days a year (five paid sick days for employees of small businesses) was turned into the Bureau of Elections on Tuesday, joining petitions for recreational marijuana, a redistricting reform and a $12 minimum wage.

Another ballot attempt to establish no-reason absentee voting and other Election Day reforms is on the way, thanks to the ACLU and the League of Women Voters. Its possible an initiative to solidify the states prevailing wage law is coming, but its prospects are dicey due to a late start and the uncertainty behind the anti-prevailing wage ballot proposal.

However, these initiatives are starting to bear fruit for the political left.

Consumers Energy and DTE have already agreed to a 50 percent clean energy goal by 2030 as opposed to letting environmentalist billionaire Tom Steyers ballot proposal to create a 30 percent renewable mandate by 2030 make the November ballot.

The Michigan Senate and House are having serious discussions about voting to legalize recreational marijuana as opposed to putting it before voters. The idea is that the Legislature could later amend the voter-initiated law with a majority vote in both chambers to make it align with the states medical marijuana regulatory scheme.

If the Legislature doesnt do anything by Tuesday, it goes on the November ballot. If approved there, the Legislature could only amend the new law with three-quarters support, which proved to be a tough hurdle last time they attempted it.

The Bureau of Elections has until later the summer to finalize all of the proposals and assign numbers to everything, but as of now, heres an update on where they all stand.

 Voters Not Politicians, the effort to take the decennial legislative and congressional map drawing out of the hands of the state Legislature and put it into the hands of an independent commission that holds numerous hearing across the state.

A group led by a pair of long-time Republican supporters is trying to argue in court that the initiative didnt republish all of the constitutional provisions it changes. Meanwhile, VNP has started its door-to-door campaign drive to hit 1.9 million doors by Nov. 6. They wont know for several weeks if theyll be Proposal 1, 2 or 3, but they are taking the message to registered voters confident in their ability to make the November general election ballot.

 The last two times a group put forward a minimum wage increase, the Michigan Restaurant Association and the business community cut a deal to prevent the measure from taking the ballot. Thats not likely going to happen this time.

Its not necessarily the $12-an-hour minimum wage that has restaurants reluctant to deal. Its the change to gradually move up the salary of tipped workers  bartenders and waitstaff  to the minimum wage. Some bartenders and waitstaff dont want this, arguing they make plenty of money in tips and a higher minimum wage will increase prices, scare away business and leave their places of employment on rocky ground.

 Time to Care would allow workers at companies with 10 or more people to earn one hour of sick time for every 30 hours of paid work that can be banked to up to seven paid days off. For those companies under 10, workers could bank up to four days off by getting one hour of sick time for every 30 worked.

Organizer Danielle Atkinson said shes willing to talk to the interest groups about a possible compromise the Legislature could adopt, but no talks have occurred as of yet.

 The ACLU and LWV-driven Promote the Vote is expected to make the ballot by Thursday. It will allow voters the ability to vote straight party, automatically register citizens to vote unless the citizen declines and create no-reason absentee voting, among other elections reforms.

 The anti-fracking initiative that has been attempted for three straight election cycles is going to turn in more than the necessary signatures to make the ballot, but many of them were collected outside of the legally required 180-day window, meaning the group will need to argue in court why it should be allowed on the ballot.

This one is far from a sure bet, but one to keep an eye on, regardless.

All the while, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce is looking at creating a just say no drive designed to roll over all of the ballot proposals like bowling pins, similar to what happened in 2012 with all of those defeated ballot questions.

(Kyle Melinn, news editor of the capital newsletter MIRS, can be reached at melinnky@gmail.com.)Username: Password: or Register Thread Rating: 3 Vote(s) - 5 Average

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Israel in panic over losing their dear ISIS & Al-Nusra terrorists in Syr Assad LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 442414

05-31-2018 01:33 PM











Post: #1 Israel in panic over losing their dear ISIS & Al-Nusra terrorists in Syr Assad

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We dont have Iranian troops, Assad said. We always said that we have Iranian officers, but they work with our army, we dont have [Iranian] troops.



Some Israeli politicians have threatened to liquidate Assad and topple his government if Iran continues to operate in Syria and transfer weapons to the Lebanese Hezbollah. The Syrian president, however, has made it clear that he is not afraid of the threat.



The Israelis have been assassinating, killing, occupying for decades now, for around seven decades, in this region, but usually they do all this without threatening. Now, why do they threaten in this way? This is panic, this is a kind of hysterical feeling because they are losing the dear ones, the dear ones Al-Nusra and ISIS, thats why Israel is panicking recently, and we understand their feeling, Assad said.



https://www.rt.com/news/428305-assad-isr...s-threats/ Striking targets in Syria and threatening to assassinate the leader on the pretext of fighting Iranian influence is a sign that Israel is in panic after losing its dear terrorist assets, President Bashar Assad told RT.We dont have Iranian troops, Assad said. We always said that we have Iranian officers, but they work with our army, we dont have [Iranian] troops.Some Israeli politicians have threatened to liquidate Assad and topple his government if Iran continues to operate in Syria and transfer weapons to the Lebanese Hezbollah. The Syrian president, however, has made it clear that he is not afraid of the threat. LoP Guest

lop guest

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05-31-2018 01:35 PM











Post: #2 RE: Israel in panic over losing their dear ISIS & Al-Nusra terrorists in Syr Assad

Long live Assad ! LoP Guest

lop guest

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05-31-2018 02:21 PM











Post: #3 RE: Israel in panic over losing their dear ISIS & Al-Nusra terrorists in Syr Assad

A real leader loved by his people. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443744

05-31-2018 02:54 PM











Post: #4 RE: Israel in panic over losing their dear ISIS & Al-Nusra terrorists in Syr Assad

Funny how ALL the guys ''they'' said were the baddies, ALL turned out to be the goodies ! LoP Guest

lop guest

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05-31-2018 03:13 PM











Post: #5 RE: Israel in panic over losing their dear ISIS & Al-Nusra terrorists in Syr Assad

Good! The day of Israels destruction cannot come about soon enough. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443366

05-31-2018 04:18 PM











Post: #6 RE: Israel in panic over losing their dear ISIS & Al-Nusra terrorists in Syr Assad

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 03:13 PM) Good! The day of Israels destruction cannot come about soon enough.

Oh, they surely know it's coming. They knew it was going to be a tough fight, though, to gain the whole world. We live in two different worlds, theirs and ours. Theirs is filled with deceit, stealing, and murder, filth and corruption. Destruction is their name. Oh, they surely know it's coming. They knew it was going to be a tough fight, though, to gain the whole world. We live in two different worlds, theirs and ours. Theirs is filled with deceit, stealing, and murder, filth and corruption. Destruction is their name. LoP Guest

lop guest

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05-31-2018 04:41 PM











Post: #7 RE: Israel in panic over losing their dear ISIS & Al-Nusra terrorists in Syr Assad

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 04:18 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 03:13 PM) Good! The day of Israels destruction cannot come about soon enough.

Oh, they surely know it's coming. They knew it was going to be a tough fight, though, to gain the whole world. We live in two different worlds, theirs and ours. Theirs is filled with deceit, stealing, and murder, filth and corruption. Destruction is their name.

















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Page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... 8 U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum LoP Guest

lop guest

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05-31-2018 06:43 PM











Post: #1 U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

Advertisement





The U.S. will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union starting Friday, the White House said. Canada and Mexico had previously gotten exemptions while U.S. officials seek to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the EU also had an exemption. The tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminum were announced in March by President Trump.





https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-to-...2018-05-31 So no more North American Union? No more Amero?The U.S. will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union starting Friday, the White House said. Canada and Mexico had previously gotten exemptions while U.S. officials seek to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the EU also had an exemption. The tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminum were announced in March by President Trump. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 442598

05-31-2018 06:45 PM











Post: #2 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 06:43 PM) So no more North American Union? No more Amero?





The U.S. will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union starting Friday, the White House said. Canada and Mexico had previously gotten exemptions while U.S. officials seek to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the EU also had an exemption. The tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminum were announced in March by President Trump.





https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-to-...2018-05-31

He's going to do with the US just what he did with his casinos. Bankrupt it, walk away with bags o' cash while others try to clean up his mess. It's his business model. Bonus that he gets back-pats from Putie for undermining Putie's nemesis. He's going to do with the US just what he did with his casinos. Bankrupt it, walk away with bags o' cash while others try to clean up his mess. It's his business model. Bonus that he gets back-pats from Putie for undermining Putie's nemesis. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443824

05-31-2018 06:48 PM











Post: #3 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 06:45 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 06:43 PM) So no more North American Union? No more Amero?





The U.S. will impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from Canada, Mexico and the European Union starting Friday, the White House said. Canada and Mexico had previously gotten exemptions while U.S. officials seek to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, and the EU also had an exemption. The tariffs of 25% on steel imports and 10% on aluminum were announced in March by President Trump.





https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-to-...2018-05-31

He's going to do with the US just what he did with his casinos. Bankrupt it, walk away with bags o' cash while others try to clean up his mess. It's his business model. Bonus that he gets back-pats from Putie for undermining Putie's nemesis.

He seems to be making a lot of unnecessary enemies. He seems to be making a lot of unnecessary enemies. Into the sunset

Banned

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05-31-2018 06:51 PM



Posts: 52









Post: #4 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

LLLLLL (This post was last modified: 09-18-2018 07:40 AM by Into the sunset .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443824

05-31-2018 06:57 PM











Post: #5 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

Forgot my username Wrote: (05-31-2018 06:51 PM) This guy is going to sink China.

How so? How so? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 442598

05-31-2018 07:01 PM











Post: #6 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 06:48 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 06:45 PM) He's going to do with the US just what he did with his casinos. Bankrupt it, walk away with bags o' cash while others try to clean up his mess. It's his business model. Bonus that he gets back-pats from Putie for undermining Putie's nemesis.

He seems to be making a lot of unnecessary enemies.

He makes enemies wherever he goes because he destroys things and people wherever he goes. This country will be a smoking ruin before he's done, and we'll be lucky if it's only in a figurative sense. He makes enemies wherever he goes because he destroys things and people wherever he goes. This country will be a smoking ruin before he's done, and we'll be lucky if it's only in a figurative sense. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443802

05-31-2018 07:02 PM











Post: #7 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 06:48 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 06:45 PM) He's going to do with the US just what he did with his casinos. Bankrupt it, walk away with bags o' cash while others try to clean up his mess. It's his business model. Bonus that he gets back-pats from Putie for undermining Putie's nemesis.

He seems to be making a lot of unnecessary enemies.

There was always going to come a point when the US stops rolling over... the EU has been moving to protect it's industries and workers for some time, should it really surprise anyone if a US pres does the same... and if no one has bothered to factor in the US moving to a similar protectionist stance as others then they've failed to learn anything from history. There was always going to come a point when the US stops rolling over... the EU has been moving to protect it's industries and workers for some time, should it really surprise anyone if a US pres does the same... and if no one has bothered to factor in the US moving to a similar protectionist stance as others then they've failed to learn anything from history. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443824

05-31-2018 07:07 PM











Post: #8 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum





Dow drops more than 200 points as U.S. tariffs reignite trade-war fears



Dow 24,449.44 -218.34 -0.89%



https://www.marketwatch.com/story/us-sto...2018-05-31 And this is the result.Dow drops more than 200 points as U.S. tariffs reignite trade-war fearsDow 24,449.44 -218.34 -0.89% RiskyRob

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05-31-2018 07:08 PM



Posts: 8,137









Post: #9 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

We need to have metals industries in the US. It's a national security issue.

The President is making America great. So sorry, China.  Ascended Master Into the sunset

Banned

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05-31-2018 07:09 PM



Posts: 52









Post: #10 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

LLLLLLL (This post was last modified: 09-18-2018 07:41 AM by Into the sunset .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443802

05-31-2018 07:14 PM











Post: #11 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

RiskyRob Wrote: (05-31-2018 07:08 PM) We need to have metals industries in the US. It's a national security issue.

The President is making America great. So sorry, China.

In some ways it is quite an amusing situation, the EU places tariffs on Chinese solar to protect European industries, and then people get upset when the US does the same... it's like the Chinese can't do it, but the EU should be able to... it does not make sense to expect that to continue forever... it was always going to come to a head at some point. In some ways it is quite an amusing situation, the EU places tariffs on Chinese solar to protect European industries, and then people get upset when the US does the same... it's like the Chinese can't do it, but the EU should be able to... it does not make sense to expect that to continue forever... it was always going to come to a head at some point. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443824

05-31-2018 07:16 PM











Post: #12 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

RiskyRob Wrote: (05-31-2018 07:08 PM) We need to have metals industries in the US. It's a national security issue.

The President is making America great. So sorry, China.

But if you produce metals then you wont need to import metals from China, no need to impose tariffs of any kind. Americans will buy american brands. But if you produce metals then you wont need to import metals from China, no need to impose tariffs of any kind. Americans will buy american brands. RiskyRob

( Lop V.I.P.)

User ID: 442864

05-31-2018 07:19 PM



Posts: 8,137









Post: #13 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 07:16 PM) RiskyRob Wrote: (05-31-2018 07:08 PM) We need to have metals industries in the US. It's a national security issue.

The President is making America great. So sorry, China.

But if you produce metals then you wont need to import metals from China, no need to impose tariffs of any kind. Americans will buy american brands.

The tariffs stimulate domestic production. The tariffs stimulate domestic production.  Ascended Master LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443824

05-31-2018 07:21 PM











Post: #14 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

RiskyRob Wrote: (05-31-2018 07:19 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 07:16 PM) But if you produce metals then you wont need to import metals from China, no need to impose tariffs of any kind. Americans will buy american brands.

The tariffs stimulate domestic production.

Promoting domestic production by allowing people to get easy credits and getting all the support they need stimulates domesctic production IMHO. I think all tariffs do is bring negativity between two countries that dont really need it. Promoting domestic production by allowing people to get easy credits and getting all the support they need stimulates domesctic production IMHO. I think all tariffs do is bring negativity between two countries that dont really need it. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 443802

05-31-2018 07:24 PM











Post: #15 RE: U.S. to impose tariffs on Canada, Mexico, EU steel and aluminum

LoP Guest Wrote: (05-31-2018 07:21 PM) RiskyRob Wrote: (05-31-2018 07:19 PM) The tariffs stimulate domestic production.

Promoting domestic production by allowing people to get easy credits and getting all the support they need stimulates domesctic production IMHO. I think all tariffs do is bring negativity between two countries that dont really need it.

What about the negativity generated by trade imbalances? ie when one country is making more money off the other, say by using tools to keep it's currency low allowing it to undercut the other country.. What about the negativity generated by trade imbalances? ie when one country is making more money off the other, say by using tools to keep it's currency low allowing it to undercut the other country.. Advertisement

















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100TH ANNIVERSARY OF PITTSBURGH AGREEMENT silversides

The bare necessities of life

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05-31-2018 09:51 PM



Posts: 29,163









Post: #1 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF PITTSBURGH AGREEMENT

Advertisement



A document that established the connection between Czechs and Slovaks within one state later became a tool of fascist propaganda in Slovakia.



Brian Kenety 30-05-2018



One hundred years ago this autumn, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk stood atop the stairs of Independence Hall in Philadelphia  where both the American Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were adopted  to proclaim the creation of a new sovereign state, Czechoslovakia. But the seeds of liberty first took firm root in the spring of 1918 with the May 31st signing of the Pittsburgh Agreement, a memorandum of understanding between the Czech and Slovak immigrant communities to create an independent republic.



t was perhaps an unlikely setting for such a seminal event  the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge in Pittsburgh, a rough and tumble industrial sprawl at the confluences of three rivers, known as Steel City. But it was in that fraternal orders humble two-storey building that leaders of Czech and Slovak immigrant communities in America came together in a bid to help create an free, independent Czecho-slovak state.



Milada Polisenska, a professor of history and international relations at Anglo-American University in Prague, will be among the panellists speaking at a symposium in Steel City this week to mark the 100th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Agreement. She says the significance of that memorandum  and the crucial role of Czech and Slovak immigrants in supporting Masaryks wider diplomatic efforts  is sometimes not given its due.

...

http://www.radio.cz/en/section/curraffrs...-statehood



-------------------------------



Pittsburgh Agreement

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



The Pittsburgh Agreement was a memorandum of understanding completed on 31 May 1918 between members of Czech and Slovak expatriate communities in the United States of America. It is named for the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the agreement was made. The agreement prescribed the intent of the cosignatories to create an independent Czechoslovakia.[1] This was achieved on 18 October 1918, when the primary author of the agreement, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, declared the independence of Czechoslovakia. Masaryk was elected the first president of Czechoslovakia in November, 1918.

...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_Agreement Popurri Perez Prado

Czechs and Slovaks signed their agreement on a common state 100 years agoA document that established the connection between Czechs and Slovaks within one state later became a tool of fascist propaganda in Slovakia.Brian Kenety 30-05-2018One hundred years ago this autumn, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk stood atop the stairs of Independence Hall in Philadelphia  where both the American Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were adopted  to proclaim the creation of a new sovereign state, Czechoslovakia. But the seeds of liberty first took firm root in the spring of 1918 with the May 31st signing of the Pittsburgh Agreement, a memorandum of understanding between the Czech and Slovak immigrant communities to create an independent republic.t was perhaps an unlikely setting for such a seminal event  the Loyal Order of Moose Lodge in Pittsburgh, a rough and tumble industrial sprawl at the confluences of three rivers, known as Steel City. But it was in that fraternal orders humble two-storey building that leaders of Czech and Slovak immigrant communities in America came together in a bid to help create an free, independent Czecho-slovak state.Milada Polisenska, a professor of history and international relations at Anglo-American University in Prague, will be among the panellists speaking at a symposium in Steel City this week to mark the 100th anniversary of the Pittsburgh Agreement. She says the significance of that memorandum  and the crucial role of Czech and Slovak immigrants in supporting Masaryks wider diplomatic efforts  is sometimes not given its due....-------------------------------Pittsburgh AgreementFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopediaThe Pittsburgh Agreement was a memorandum of understanding completed on 31 May 1918 between members of Czech and Slovak expatriate communities in the United States of America. It is named for the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where the agreement was made. The agreement prescribed the intent of the cosignatories to create an independent Czechoslovakia.[1] This was achieved on 18 October 1918, when the primary author of the agreement, Tomas Garrigue Masaryk, declared the independence of Czechoslovakia. Masaryk was elected the first president of Czechoslovakia in November, 1918....















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Were here but unfortunately, there are not enough of our colleagues in the hall to constitute a quorum and therefore we could not conduct business, Drilon said. With a vote of 231-0-0, the House approved on third and final reading the proposed fund for the Dengvaxia victims The fund will use the P1.16-billion partial refund from the French drug manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur, through its local distributor Zuellig Pharma, covering the unused vials of Dengvaxia vaccines. The fund will be used to shoulder the medical expenses and monitor the health of more than 870,000 public school students who got the Dengvaxia vaccine through the governments mass immunization program. The Health department has proposed that 81 percent or P945.8 million of the amount be allocated for the medical assistance program or health assistance fund for the Dengvaxia vaccinees, which covers patients confined in hospitals and outpatients. 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Lavrov spoke to his US counterpart Pompeo by telephone for the first time on Wednesday ahead of the Secretary of States dinner meeting with Kim Yong Chol. Washington is pressing North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear weapons in a verifiable way in return for lifting sanctions and economic relief. But analysts say North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent unless it is given security guarantees that the US will not try to topple the regime.For Hong Kongs part-time girlfriends, social media provides an easy way to connect with clients looking for sex, but campaigners warn that online convenience is tempting girls as young as 13 to put themselves at risk. The label part-time girlfriend is a euphemism often used by young women in the city who may be studying or have jobs, but who also offer sex on the side. By using variations of the hashtag #ptgf as shorthand, they connect with men on networks such as Instagram then switch to direct messaging to offer services and arrange to meet. Instagram says it has made #ptgf and #hkptgf unsearchable, but a host of new alternatives that add Chinese characters or initials to the original tag circumvent the block. Loneliness, curiosity, family breakdown and financial pressures are key motivators for young women to try it out, according to support workers on the ground. High-school student Kiki, a pseudonym she chose to protect her identity, started part-time sex work aged 17, saying it was easy to search for men on Instagram by using one of the #ptgf tags. I had an argument with my sister and was not very happy, so I just wanted to find someone to listen to me, she told AFP. For the first few times I felt quite good... so I kept looking for clients for company. She admits she was nervous about meeting strangers, but the financial incentive outweighed her doubts. My family is not very wealthy. I was making money for myself and saved it, she says. Kiki says she charged from HK$300 ($38) for dinner or touching, up to HK$1,000 for other sexual services. After less than a year she gave up because she had started a new relationship. Now 19, she says she is left with a sense of regret and warns other girls to think carefully before taking the leap. A future boyfriend or husband might find it hard to accept, she says. Its like you have a needle piercing your heart and its always there.Connecting with clients online often gives young women a false sense of security, says Bowie Lam, executive director of Teens Key, a charity that offers support to Hong Kongs sex workers under the age of 25. She says the age of part-time girlfriends is getting lower and believes that social media is a factor. They think they have autonomy and control because they can screen a client online, talk with him, but it makes the boundary more blurred, Lam says. These young women often do not see themselves as sex workers because they are not based out of seedy rooms, or the bars and clubs of Hong Kongs traditional red light districts, she adds. Sometimes they meet clients without offering sex at first and are taken to theme parks, dinner or even on hikes, but as more money is offered, the path usually leads to paid sex. Some young women have their first sexual experience as a part-time girlfriend, says Lam.Believing they have become friends with a client can lead them to drop their guard. Girls have been treated violently and even raped because they trusted the man wouldnt harm them, Lam told AFP.Hong Kong police said they have taken action against websites, chat rooms and discussion forums to combat illegal prostitution activities in a statement to AFP. The act of prostitution in itself is not illegal in Hong Kong, police say, but soliciting is. Instagram told AFP it acts to swiftly remove content, accounts and hashtags that violate its community guidelines. A long-term strategy addressing taboos around talking about sex within schools and families in Hong Kongs conservative society is what is most needed to stop girls putting themselves at risk, says Lam. Teens Key offers young sex workers a range of support services, ranging from health tests to career advice and help with financial planning. Lam says they want to help the women reconnect with their dreams and aspirations. However, even when they are given support by the charity, some feel they cannot leave part-time sex work behind. As the cost of living in Hong Kong soars, financial pressure is often the main factor. Nicole, also a pseudonym, aged 24, started at the age of 18 to make money to put herself through college. She found clients on online forums then communicated directly with them via the popular messaging app WeChat. She now has a full-time office job, but still does after-hours sex work to pay off her college debts as her family cannot afford to help. Nicole sees what she is doing as a practical solution but admits it has taken an emotional toll. She describes sex work as a dark patch in her life and says she will feel guilty about it with any future boyfriend. I dont think Im a pure person, I feel like Im very dirty. If someone else wanted to do this, I wouldnt recommend it, she told AFP. But she urged people not to judge young women who have made the choices she has. Maybe they are in need, or have problems they cant solve, she said. There isnt anyone who does this job because they want to.Rocket fire this week across the border between Gaza and Israel shows how close the region is to the brink of war, a senior United Nations official warned on Wednesday, urging the international community to do more to help Israelis and Palestinians return to the negotiating table.

Briefing the Security Council, Nikolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said that the recent hostilities marked the most serious escalation since the 2014 conflict between Hamas and Israel.

Mladenov informed the Council that, according to reports from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), between 28 and 30 May, 216 different projectiles, rockets and mortar shells, were fired from Gaza towards Israel. One projectile hit a school playground and another caused damage to a house.

In response, Israeli jets carried out strikes on 65 Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza and destroyed a two-kilometer tunnel near the Kerem Shalom crossing, he added, noting that no casualties or serious injuries were reported as a result of either strikes.

Since early morning on Wednesday, the situation has quieted down, Mladenov said, stressing that the calm must be preserved at all costs.

No one in Gaza can afford another war. No one has the right to play with the lives of two million people who have lived through hell in the last decade. No one should live in fear of an indiscriminate rocket attack, he said.

Everyone has a responsibility to do their part to de-escalate and step back from the brink in the interests of their own people and the future of their own children.

In his briefing, Mladenov also told the Palestinians in Gaza that their plight and suffering has been heard, and that work will be done to ensure that they have a future beyond mere survival.

A future of freedom and development, a future focused on peace and prosperity where you are the masters of your own fate. A future for all Palestinians, under a single, democratic and legitimate Government, living in a State of Palestine side-by-side in peace and security with the State of Israel, he said. However, he said, for this to happen, we need to make sure that calm persists, that the militant build-up ends and that we deny those who want to disrupt peace any opportunity to do so.

Concluding his remarks, the UN Special Coordinator called on the international community to intensify calls on Israel and Palestine to undertake concrete steps to advance the goal of a just and sustainable peace

Such actions must encompass the overarching political objectives: the unification of Gaza and the West Bank under a single, democratic and legitimate Palestinian Authority; an end to the occupation; and a resolution of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of a two-state solution and in line with previous agreements and relevant UN resolutions, he said.French Company Selected to Rehabilitate Georgian Leuville Estate in France

(LEUVILLE, France) - The Government of Georgia has selected a French company to rehabilitate a historic Leuville Estate in France, the initial shelter of the exiled government members of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia."After the Leuville Estate was handed over to Georgia [in 2016], the state took the responsibility to create the Georgian historic-cultural hearth in Europe, the Georgian Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze stated on Sunday.On May 16, the 100th anniversary from the creation of the First Democratic Republic of Georgia will be marked at the Leuville Estate and the whole diaspora of France will attend it. We have already started working with a French company. The French company, which is preparing the concept for rehabilitation works of the Leuville Estate, has been selected. It will ensure these works to be carried out in line with high standards," Janelidze said.On May 16 the first Georgian-France memorial centre will also be arranged on the location.Georgia has spent about 25 years to return the venue to Georgian ownership from the families of the exiled Georgian government who acquired the chateau in 1927 using Georgian state finances.The arduous owner transfer process involved numerous individuals and a special committee that accelerated negotiations since its creation in 2014.Families of the exiled Georgian Government wished to see the historical status and profile of the Estate preserved after its handover to Georgia.Georgias connection with the Estate began in 1921 when then-chairman of the government Noe Zhordania, government members and a handful of Georgian representatives and their families boarded the Ernest Renan ship in Georgia to escape the Soviet invasion of the country.The News in Brief

By Mariam Chanishvili



Five Georgian Arrested in Spain for Robbery



Spanish law enforcers detained five Georgian members of an organized criminal group  four men and a woman.



The special operation was carried out in the city of Almeria and Madrid. The suspects are accused of robbing 14 apartments.



The investigation showed that the detainees were acting in accordance with the elaborated plan for each crime.



The suspects were detained while leaving the scene after the robbery.



During the search, the police found large amounts of stolen items and tools that were used by the detained Georgians during the robbery of flats.



Last week, 17 members of a criminal group were detained in Athens as a result of a joint operation between Greek and Georgian law enforcement.







New EU-Georgian Format to be Created



The Prime Minister of Georgia Giorgi Kvirikashvili stated that a new, high-level format will be created for the EU and Georgia to discuss the relations during the press conference held with the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.



Within the framework of the new format, President Jean-Claude Juncker, Georgian PM and other members of the European and Georgian governments will gather and discuss the achievements of Georgias European integration and future plans.



Juncker visited Georgia to participate in the Independence Day ceremony in central Tbilisi on May 26.



Georgia has always been a part of Europe and the European Union will protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, Juncker said at an Independence Day ceremony in central Tbilisi on Saturday.



The government of Georgia has recently initiated an elaboration of the EU integration roadmap, which will accelerate the process of European integration.



Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus E.Shestakov meets the Ambassador of Italy

31-05-2018

On May 31, 2018 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Evgeny Shestakov, met with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Italian Republic to the Republic of Belarus, Mario Baldi.

During the meeting, the sides discussed current state and prospects for development of the Belarusian-Italian relations, including political, economic and humanitarian cooperation, considered the issue of organizing joint bilateral events.

   

print versionAmbassador of Belarus S.Chepurnoy meets Mongolian Foreign Minister

30-05-2018

On May 29, 2018 the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Belarus to Mongolia, Stanislav Chepurnoy, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia, Damdin Tsogtbaatar.

The sides discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation, including the exchange of visits on high level, interaction of Belarus and Mongolia in the framework of international organizations, as well as prospects for strengthening trade and economic ties.

print versionDeputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus A.Dapkiunas participates in the event on the occasion of the International Children's Day

31-05-2018

On May 31, 2018 the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, Andrei Dapkiunas, participated in the traditional solemn event Sustainable Development Goals for Children dedicated to the International Children's Day.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus together with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the National Coordinator for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Representatives of the governmental bodies, Parliament, Heads of many diplomatic missions accredited in Belarus took part in the event together with their families and children.

The main participants of the holiday were pupils of Belarusian schools and the Republican Rehabilitation Center for disabled children, children from orphanages, and children with special needs.

In his statement at the event, A.Dapkiunas stressed that the interests of the child are a clear priority of the state policy in Belarus. The Deputy Minister urged all national and international partners to further unite their efforts to promote the interests and ensure the rights of children and adolescents. A.Dapkiunas paid special attention to the work on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, as an essential tool for ensuring a safer and brighter future for the younger generation.

   

print versionVia @JayHWeaver

Hialeahs junkyard millionaire Raul Sosa Sr. and his son, Raul Sosa Jr., pleaded guilty Wednesday to paying bribes to an Opa-locka politician and a city lobbyist to obtain a towing contract.

Both men admitted paying $10,000 in 2015 to then-City Commissioner Luis Santiago and lobbyist Dante Starks in the broadening FBI corruption investigation at Opa-locka City Hall.

The bribery arrangement was organized in a meeting between the Sosas, Santiago and Starks after the city sought bids from towing contractors that year, federal prosecutors said.

Click here to read the rest.Starting Wednesday, some Parkland families are raising money for a campaign to push the National Rifle Association out of politics and ban assault weapons, bump stocks and high-capacity magazines in the U.S.

Following the lead of their children, parents from the community where 17 died in a Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School have joined together to form Families vs Assault Rifles, a nonprofit and political action committee founded to be a counterweight to the NRA. Jeff Kasky, the father of March For Our Lives' student activist Cameron Kasky, says the group is quickly gaining support and has already received commitments from "financial backers" willing to match grassroots donations.

The NRA purchases for cash money political favors," Kasky said in an interview. "That needs to stop."

The organization, according to its website, was created to "remove the NRA from our political system" and fight for gun-control policies by amending the National Firearms Act of 1934. The Super PAC registered with the state and federal governments on May 18  the same day as a shooting that killed 10 at a high school in Santa Fe, Texas  and evokes a March For Our Lives motto that people should "either change the law or change the lawmakers."

The parents' Super PAC is soliciting $17 donations, one dollar for each life lost in the shooting.

Amy Harwood, a Boca Raton parent and friend of Kasky's, said the PAC is nonpartisan and won't be supporting candidates. She said the committee will target politicians who take NRA money and hammer them with "negative" ads during the midterm elections.

Harwood helped establish the committee when she helped introduce Kasky to Matt Gohd, a political strategist with Tipping Point Analytics. Kasky said Gohd is running point for the parents' Super PAC, but said most of the people involved in the efforts, including a number of families from Parkland, are helping out as volunteers.

"We don't have any skin in this game other than the actual skin of our kids and our families," Kasky said.Michael-in-Norfolk disclaims any and all responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, completeness, legality, reliability, operability, or availability of information or material displayed on this site and does not claim credit for any images or articles featured on this site, unless otherwise noted. All visual content is copyrighted to it's respectful owners. Information on this site may contain errors or inaccuracies, and Michael-in-Norfolk does not make warranty as to the correctness or reliability of the site's content. If you own rights to any of the images or articles, and do not wish them to appear on this site, please contact Michael-in-Norfolk via e-mail and they will be promptly removed. Michael-in-Norfolk contains links to other Internet sites. These links are provided solely as a convenience and are not endorsements of any products or services in such sites, and no information or content in such site has been endorsed or approved by this blog.A police officer is nursing a gun-shot injury after he was shot by his colleague in bizarre circumstances.

The two officers were responding to a church robbery in Madaraka Estate, Nairobi when the shooting occurred.

According to police, the shooting was friendly fire. They, however, did not clarify the circumstances that led to the shooting and whether it was as a result of the firing officer misidentifying his colleague as hostile or due to the officers error.

Police said the officers were responding to a robbery in progress at a local church in the area when one of them shot and injured his colleague on the leg.

Worse still, the suspects managed to escape after a shootout.

The injured cop was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Elsewhere, a suspected thug was on Tuesday night shot dead by police in a botched robbery in Kayole. A police report indicates that the suspect was in the company of three accomplices who were attacking and robbing area residents.

Officers on patrol were alerted and rushed to the scene, killing one suspects as the others escaped on foot.Photo: Jeremy Levine/Flickr

High home prices may have finally driven a significant number of California homeowners to search outside of the Golden State for more affordable homes.

Outbound home searches in the California are now more than double the national average as skyrocketing home prices have residents looking elsewhere for affordable housing, according to a newly released report by Realtor.com.

Home price growth was so pronounced in San Jose, CA at the start of this year, that its annual price appreciation was greater than the actual median home price in over half of the countrys 100 largest housing markets.

Affordability is pricing residents out of the California home market and many are searching for more affordable options in other areas, Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com, writes in the report.

Over the last six years, the California median home list price has increased 83 percent to $549,000 from $300,000  outpacing local income growth by three times.

In 16 of Californias hottest housing markets  including San Jose, Los Angeles and San Francisco  many residents are searching for homes either outside of their county or outside of the Golden State entirely.

Some 52 percent of residents looking outside of their current county are looking to move outside of California. On average, those searching out of state are looking at homes that are 43 percent more affordable than their current residence.

Unsurprisingly, residents looking to leave the Golden State arent ready to give up the West Coast sunshine and are eyeing areas that are dry and also have an abundance of sunny weather, as well as being relatively close to California.

The top out-of-state destinations for Californians include Phoenix, AZ, Las Vegas, NV and Prescott, AZ  three housing markets that currently offer more bang for buck compared to the Golden State. Home prices in Las Vegas are still 22 percent below pre-housing crisis peaks.

The 48 percent of residents searching in other California counties are looking at homes that are on average 17 percent more affordable than their current residence.

And while the mass exodus may cool California home prices slightly, it could negatively impact home prices in surrounding areas.

The exodus could help slow price appreciation in California, but also potentially heat up prices and reduce inventory in surrounding markets, like Las Vegas and Prescott, Hale notes.

For its analysis, Realtor.com looked at search data for 16 of Californias hottest markets on its site as well as migration estimates from American Community Survey. Search data used for the analysis included both outbound traffic and the ratio of search traffic viewing pages outside of an area versus outside traffic coming in.

Click here to read the entire release.European judges have ruled that Lithuania and Romania violated the rights of two al-Qaeda terror suspects by helping the CIA to mistreat them.



The US captured Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri after the September 2001 attacks in the US and they are now at the Guantanamo Bay prison.



The CIA operated secret prisons, including in Lithuania and Romania.



The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) said both countries had assisted US ill-treatment of the two suspects.



The existence of the so-called CIA "black sites" for interrogation - under so-called "secret rendition" - was kept secret for many years after 9/11.



Abu Zubaydah, a stateless Palestinian born in Saudi Arabia, is thought to have been al-Qaeda's chief recruiter in the 1990s, and later became a key organiser, linking Osama Bin Laden to other al-Qaeda cells.



Saudi-born Abd al-Nashiri led al-Qaeda's operations in the Gulf region, according to US intelligence.









BBC00:24

North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol, who is in New York to hold talks with United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, would deliver a special letter from his leader Kim Jong Un to President Donald Trump at the White House on Friday.





'We're doing very well with North Korea. Our Secretary of State has had very good meetings. He's meeting again today. I believe they'll be coming down to Washington on Friday,' Trump said.





'And a letter is going to be delivered to me from Kim Jong Un. So I look forward to seeing what's in the letter. But it's very important to them. So, they'll be, probably, coming down to Washington, DC on Friday for the delivery of a letter. I look forward to that,' Trump said, adding he does not know the content of the letter.





Running against time, the US and North Korean officials are having three separate meetings in New York, Singapore and at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea. Trump described the meetings as very positive.





"We'll see what happens. It's a process. It's all a process. We'll see. And hopefully we'll have a meeting on June 12th. That's going along very well, but I want it to be meaningful. It doesn't mean it gets all done at one meeting; maybe you have to have a second or a third. And maybe we'll have none," he said.





"But it's in good hands, that I can tell you," Trump said.





US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is holding talks with the North Korean envoy Kim Yong Chol.





A US advance team, led by White House Deputy Chief of Staff Joe Hagin, is also having meetings with a North Korean team in Singapore.





At the DMZ, the US delegation, led by Ambassador Sung Kim, is having meetings with North Korean officials.





'Good progress today during our meetings with Kim Yong Chol and his team. North Korea and the world would benefit greatly from the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula,' Pompeo said in a tweet from New York.





'Substantive talks with the team from North Korea. We discussed our priorities for the potential summit between our leaders,' he said in another tweet. -- PTI

23:33

Promising to review the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's defeat in Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll, Uttar Pradesh BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey said today that the 'politics of fatwa' devoid of any principles has temporarily overpowered the politics of development.





Pandey said the BJP will review its performance in the Kairana bypoll to ascertain 'what went wrong' for the party.





The Bharatiya Janata Party was defeated in the bypoll by the Rashtriya Lok Dal. The RLD was supported by the Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party and the Congress.





"Politics of fatwa, casteism and politics devoid of any principles temporarily overpowered politics of development," Pandey said in a statement issued in Lucknow.





"Though the local equations were challenging, we defeated the so-called gathbandhan candidate in two assembly segments (of the Lok Sabha constituency), but what went wrong in three other assembly segments will be grossly reviewed," he said.





He said the defeat in the Noorpur Assembly bypoll will also be reviewed and a strategy will be formed accordingly.





"The BJP indulges in positive politics pertaining to development and farmer welfare, while the opposition resortsto politics of falsehood and negativity. Lies and politics offatwa will not last long. And in 2019 Lok Sabha elections, people of the country will re-elect Prime Minister NarendraModi," Pandey said. -- PTI

The Japanese government plans to set up a new resident status as early as next April to bring in skilled workers from overseas as part of efforts to address serious labor shortages, officials said Wednesday.

At present, skilled workers from abroad need to return to their home countries after up to five years of training under Japan's foreign trainee program.

The government hopes to accept work-ready foreigners with specialties and skills to help shore up the country's productivity.

The plan for a new resident status will be included in annual economic and fiscal policy guidelines that the government aims to adopt as early as June 15, the officials said.

The guidelines will not include numerical targets for curbing social security spending for the three years starting next April.Authorities in the South Korean city of Busan removed a controversial statue from a public road near the Japanese Consulate General on Thursday.

Labor union members protested the removal, and a scuffle developed with the police.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions says the statue symbolizes the Koreans who were forced to work under harsh conditions in mines and factories in Japan in World War Two, during the period of Japanese colonial rule.

The group installed the statue less than 100 meters from the consulate on May 1st. Police had previously blocked an attempt to put it in front of the building next to another statue symbolizing those referred to as comfort women.

On Thursday, under a heavy police presence, the authorities used a forklift to remove the statue and took it away after about 20 minutes.

It will be displayed at a national museum that commemorates the wartime laborers.

The authorities had set a Tuesday deadline for the group to remove the statue. - NHKMoroccos pharmaceutical industry covers 60% of the needs of the local market, said health minister Anass Doukkali.

He underscored the potential of the pharmaceutical industry, which now represents 2% of Moroccos GDP, adding that 10% of the medicine produced in Morocco is exported to foreign markets.

Doukkali, who was speaking at a Francophonie event, said that the Moroccan law stipulates that laboratories maintain at least three-month stocks of medicine.

On the same occasion, Doukali said that Morocco aims at expanding health coverage to 90% of citizens by 2021, up from 63% currently.After Morocco, which severed ties with Iran over its support for separatists, Mauritanian authorities are complaining of the meddling of Iranian embassy which they accuse of spreading Shiism among the Sunni population.

Mauritanian media reported that the foreign ministry summoned the Iranian Ambassador in Nouakchott Mohamed Amrani against the backdrop of rising concerns on Iranian efforts to spread Shiism in the West African country.

The sources said that Mauritanian authorities expressed their rejection of any attempt at Shia proselytism in the Sunni country and informed the Iranian ambassador that they will ban any Shia events.

In this context, Mauritanian authorities decided to substitute an Imam believed to be Shia in the Imam Ali mosque, which was put under the jurisdictions of the Islamic affairs ministry. The mosque used to be a center for Shia activism in the country, sending students to Lebanon and Iran for training.

The Mauritanian crackdown on Irans interference in its internal affairs came after Morocco broke ties with Tehran over its support for the Polisario through its proxy Hezbollah and with connivance of Algeria.

Analysts see in Irans rising activism in the Sunni Sahel an attempt to set a foothold in Africa where Tehran plans to spread Shiism.A consumer boycott hit Moroccos market leader for milk, Centrale Danone, which announced laying off temporary contract workers and a 30% reduction in the amount of milk it collects.

The boycott started 40 days ago and gained large support among citizens. A survey on Leconomiste showed that 42% of Moroccans are boycotting Centrale-Danone along with Afriquia gas stations and Les Eaux Minerales dOulmes mineral water.

Centrale Danone first reacted in April through one of its marketing officials by accusing the boycotters of being traitors. But as the boycott continues, the company issued a statement apologizing for the blunder and slightly lowered prices.

However, as the boycott continues, the company tried to offset the impact by producing more cheese, butter and yogurt. But as it continues to be hurt, it announced laying off temporary contractors.

The milk it collects will also be reduced by 30%, which will impact breeders revenues.

The gas and mineral water companies have not yet announced their losses. Observers see that these two companies were not as hard hit as the milk company because their customers are usually well off.Roger Stone Photo: Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock

Roger Stone, a longtime confidante to Donald Trump, appeared on the Alex Jones show to ask listeners to fund his legal defense. Stones associates have been questioned by Robert Muellers investigators, and Stone has casually mentioned he might be indicted for what he called extraneous crimes. But, Stone promises, he will never roll on Donald Trump.

Robert Mueller intends to frame Roger Stone for some bogus offense to pressure him into testifying against @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/0yO2cpUqw2  Alex Jones (@RealAlexJones) May 30, 2018

John Dean I am not, Stone declares. Dean, a former counselor to President Nixon, eventually confessed to having been party to serious crimes by the president and his associates. Stone, who is such a Nixon buff he has the disgraced former presidents face tattooed on his back, surely knows that the analogy does not imply Trump is innocent.

Indeed, Stone has a long trail of contacts with Russian hacking cutout Guccifer 2.0 and WikiLeaks, requested access to hacked Clinton emails from Julian Assange, and displayed advance knowledge of WikiLeaks emails during the campaign (he has attempted, implausibly, to explain these comments away).

Of course, rolling on Trump would not be a choice he had to disavow if Trump and Stone had not committed any crimes.Why do I have to do all the incriminating around here? Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

If youre looking for evidence that President Trump may have obstructed justice, there are around two dozen different incidents to choose from. Even if we focus just on Trumps dismissal of FBI director James Comey, we have:

 Trump repeatedly asking Comey to say he wasnt a target in the Russia probe.

 Trumps angry, meandering four-page letter, which was never sent, in which he reportedly said Comey should be fired for failing to announce he wasnt personally targeted in the Russia investigation.

 The firing itself, which the White House said was based on the recommendation of Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein. (Prosecutors could argue that eliciting help from others in concocting a false cover story shows Trump was acting with corrupt intent.)

 Trump telling Russian officials: I just fired the head of the FBI. He was crazy, a real nut job. I faced great pressure because of Russia. Thats taken off.

 Trump saying in a televised interview that he fired Comey because he was thinking, You know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story.

Now theres another, dizzying addition to the list. The New York Times reports that former FBI deputy director Andy McCabe (who had his own issues with Trump) wrote a memo last spring in which he recalled a conversation with Rosenstein in the days after Comeys firing. Per the Times:

But in the meeting at the Justice Department, Mr. Rosenstein added a new detail: He said the president had originally asked him to reference Russia in his memo, the people familiar with the conversation said. Mr. Rosenstein did not elaborate on what Mr. Trump had wanted him to say.

To Mr. McCabe, that seemed like possible evidence that Mr. Comeys firing was actually related to the F.B.I.s investigation into the Trump campaigns ties to Russia, and that Mr. Rosenstein helped provide a cover story by writing about the Clinton investigation.

One person briefed on Rosensteins conversation with the president told the paper that Trump wanted the deputy AG to mention that he wasnt personally under investigation in the Russia probe. Instead, Rosensteins justification for Comeys firing focused exclusively on his handling of the Clinton email probe. That may explain why Trumps letter announcing the dismissal included a reference to Comey informing me, on three separate occasions, that I am not under investigation.

Like Comey, McCabe has reportedly given Special Counsel Robert Mueller several memos describing his conversations related to the president. He also turned over a copy of Trumps unsent letter, which he obtained from Rosenstein.

Trump and his allies have previously suggested that Rosenstein should have recused himself from the Russia probe due to his role in Comeys firing. However, Rosenstein has reportedly consulted with DOJ ethics advisers, who told him he doesnt need to step aside. Rosenstein also said he talked to Mueller, and if anything that I did winds up being relevant to his investigation then hell recuse himself.

Trumps spygate offensive has been losing steam in recent days, with House Oversight Chairman Trey Gowdy and even some Fox News personalities pouring cold water on the idea that the deep state embedded a spy in the Trump campaign for political purposes. Some have suggested that the Trump camp leaked the details of McCabes memos in an attempt to further discredit Rosenstein, and the FBI in general.

If true, Trump is scraping the bottom of the barrel. There are ways to justify the deputy AGs recusal from the Russia probe, or even his firing, that dont involve Trump accusing Rosenstein of covering up his own attempt to obstruct justice.President Trump meets South Korean president Moon Jae-in at the White House on May 22, 2018. Photo: SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

I admit it: I thought the Trump administration was serious about canceling its June 12 summit in Singapore with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un  or at least, that Trumps breakup-letter maneuver would have the effect of scotching the summit regardless.

But the North Koreans understood Trump better than I did. They interpreted his letter (correctly, it seems) as a ploy to put himself back at the top of the news updates  to be the man of action, any kind of action, rather than the man acted upon. Pyongyang made conciliatory statements and presented a united front with South Korean president Moon Jae-in. The two nations said that a U.S.North Korean summit was still possible and desirable, affirmed that their own meeting would continue as planned, and even added an additional mini-summit, making Moon the first South Korean leader to have met his northern counterpart twice.

It also looks as if the Koreans had allies in the State Department and CIA, as well as in the person of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis. Even as it seemed Trumps letter might spark an escalation of rhetoric or worse, various U.S. officials made summit-friendly public statements. Preparations for the June 12 summit continued, with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo joining a senior North Korean official for dinner in New York on Wednesday.

Its easy to see why so many commentators were ready to believe that the summit would be canceled. Theyre well aware that on substance, the two sides remain miles apart, and the outcomes they seek, or claim to seek, are fundamentally incompatible.

Washington says its committed to the Norths denuclearization, which administration officials have defined as the removal of nuclear weapons from North Korea (thats the so-called Libyan option; the materials and equipment Muammar Qaddafi agreed to turn over went to Tennessee for dismantling). They also want extensive investigations of North Korean facilities, with inspectors permanently able to enter even military and intelligence installations at will to verify that Pyongyang is not secretly rebuilding.

There are just a few problems with that. First, no country has ever submitted to that level of intrusive inspection. The U.S. and Russia maintain off-limits facilities under their nuclear-arms-control agreements (which each claims the other is violating). The Iran nuclear deal was the most intrusive such agreement ever negotiated, with an extensive role for inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency. The good news is that the inspection and verification procedures appear to have worked well, and no outside intelligence agency has found evidence that Iran was not complying. The bad news, of course, is that the Trump administration and key American conservatives  including Pompeo, whos now leading the preparations for the North Korea summit  rejected the terms of the Iranian deal as inadequate, and tore it up.

Second, the Iran deal took most of President Obamas eight years in office to negotiate. Any deal with North Korea would be exponentially more complicated, because the country already has functional weapons and missiles capable of reaching U.S. possessions. Sig Hecker, a Stanford professor who formerly ran the Los Alamos nuclear research complex and is one of the few outsiders to see Pyongyangs nuclear facilities, says he believes it would take 15 years to dismantle the program safely and verifiably. (That takes us through two terms of Ivanka, plus a few years.)

We know the American security bureaucracy is capable of sustaining such a complex negotiation  or at least, it was before so many career officials departed in the last 18 months. If this or any other administration were willing to let the bureaucracy do its work, experts have laid out paths by which initial confidence-building measures could build to full denuclearization over a period of years. If the North later backtracked, as has happened after prior thaws and high-level meetings, Washington would have given up little beyond the international status it has already conferred on Kim Jong-un by agreeing to a meeting and speaking so positively of him.

However, nothing in the Trump administrations negotiating history to date suggests that its political leaders are capable of letting experts manage negotiations quietly. And there is another problem. The slowness of a phased denuclearization process, and the carrots the North is likely to require along the way, are out of sync with the public positions of leading Democrats as well as Republicans.

For decades, administrations of both parties have demanded that the North surrender weapons and materials, and commit to full disarmament. Carrots of economic assistance would be offered along the way, and others  like a peace treaty and alterations of the U.S. military posture in the region  would come at the end of the process.

A few prominent voices  notably Richard Haas, the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, who served at the State Department under George W. Bush  have acknowledged that this position is not tenable now that the North has many operable weapons and the means to deliver them. Others will be tempted to stick to this strategy, and will judge a summit, whenever one takes place, to be a failure by this standard. Instead, they should ask themselves  by what criteria do they want a president in 2021, or 2025, to be judged? How many weapons do they want the North to have if and when their side has a chance to lead the negotiations?

The U.S.North Korea summits true standard of success should be twofold: First, does it return the level of hostility on the peninsula to what it was before Trump and his team jacked it up with belligerent Twitter rhetoric, giving Kims regime the attention and status it had long dreamed of? And, second, does it rebuild bonds of trust with our regional allies, who shoulder much of the burden and most of the risk of living with a nuclear-armed autocracy? By any historical perspective, thats a sorry standard for American diplomacy  but here we are.I can tell that we arent gonna be friends. Photo: Patrik Stollarz/AFP/Getty Images

Donald Trump has declared a trade war against Americas core allies  for the sake of national security.

On Thursday, the White House announced that it will be imposing a 25 percent tariff on steel imports  and a 10 percent duty on aluminum ones  from the European Union, Canada, and Mexico. The president first unveiled these trade measures in early March, but had initially provided exemptions to the E.U. and Americas northern and southern neighbors. Those exemptions will expire at midnight tonight.

European officials had assumed that Trump would follow through with duties on their exports (negotiations over the Iran deal having already convinced them that trying to dissuade the U.S. president from scoring diplomatic own-goals was a futile enterprise). But Canada and Mexico were reportedly stunned by the move. Our North American allies have been engaged in (what they had believed to be) earnest, productive discussions with the U.S. on reforming NAFTA, and had thus assumed that Washington would not unilaterally impose tariffs on them  let alone that it would so without providing any warning. But on Wednesday night, Canadian and Mexican officials learned of the impending tariffs from news reports, according to one U.S. industry official who spoke with Politico.

The E.U. has promised to meet the American tariffs with retaliatory duties on a wide range of U.S. exports from politically sensitive regions  including bourbon made in Mitch McConnells Kentucky and Harley-Davidson motorcycles manufactured in Paul Ryans Wisconsin. Mexico has also vowed tit-for-tat tariffs, although it has not publicly disclosed the items that it will target.

Trumps legal authority for imposing the tariffs rests on the claim that Americas reliance on foreign steel is a threat to its national security. In his public comments on the tariffs, however, the president rarely references this rationale, focusing instead on an economic argument for taking radical measures to reduce Americas trade deficit. Virtually no one believes that the national-security argument holds water, and Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland mocked it in remarks to reporters Wednesday.

Canada considers it frankly absurd that we would in any way be considered to be a national security threat to the United States, Freeland said. I would like to absolutely assure Canadian participants, those who work in steel and aluminum industries, that the government is absolutely prepared to and will defend Canadian industries and Canadian jobs.

Meanwhile, the president is reportedly mulling a plan to open a new front in his trade war by establishing a total ban on the imports of German luxury cars. The legality of that policy would once again rest on the presidents authority to protect national security through unilateral trade actions (ostensibly, one can never be too sure that Angela Merkel isnt about to conquer the United States with a fleet of autonomous BMWs).Photo: Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images

My fathers no different than any other powerful man, says Michael Corleone, any man whos responsible for other people. Like a senator or a president. This line in The Godfather may be meant as an arch critique of American democracy, but it also reflects the deep human temptation to excuse our failings by drawing upon, and then exaggerating, the flaws of others.

The Trump presidency has exerted a gravitational pull on the conservative intelligentsia. On one flank, the rise of Trump has set off the exit of a coterie of right-wing voices like Bill Kristol, Charlie Sykes, Bret Stephens, Michael Gerson, Peter Wehner, and other former conservatives in good standing. They have been replaced on the opposite flank by an influx of commentators previously deemed too kooky or racist: Alex Jones, Bill Mitchell, Milo Yiannopoulos, and the alt-right crowd.

But the vast bulk of conservative commentators have neither left nor entered, but find themselves in the same position. After greeting Trump with near-uniform revulsion, conservative intellectuals have mostly swallowed their doubts and reconciled to the new party leader. Their predominant tone is not worshipful (as it was, for the most part, during the Bush administration) but resigned and cynical. Trump is a flawed man, they recognize, but they insist he is no different than any other powerful man.

This form of argument occurs every day, but a few recent examples give the flavor of the new routine:

1. National Reviews Jay Cost: Regarding the assault on the rule of law, Trumps approach to Robert Muellers investigation is more or less a re-creation of Bill and Hillary Clintons strategy from the mid-1990s.

2. Former George W. Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer, describing the hostility between Trump and the mainstream news media to a Politico reporter: This is what happens when two parties are at war. But like two combatants in a war, all the civilians can do is shake their heads. The issue of who fired the first bullet doesnt really matter anymore. Its just a war.

3. Wall Street Journal columnist Holman Jenkins: You can be a nonfan of Mr. Trump; you can believe hes peddling a conspiracy theory about FBI and CIA actions during the campaign. But every president has a duty to fight to protect himself and his power. And notice that his conspiracy theory is but the mirror image of the conspiracy theory that his political, institutional, and media enemies have been prosecuting against him since Election Day 2016.

Several enduring facts of political life give these kinds of equivalences some superficial plausibility: Nobody is perfect and flaws abound on all sides; parties have spent years locked in combat developing self-justifying narratives; and new forms of political combat have at least superficial resemblance to old ones.

And so it is easy for conservatives straining to find their bearings to draw some parallel between their new leader and their old enemies. The parallels, of course, are absurd. Fleischer systematically misled the news media or evaded reporters questions, but his mendacity never approach the bald-faced, obvious fabrications of a Donald Trump, who has admitted that he considers all negative stories to be inherently fake news. The Clintons criticized Ken Starr, but their influence was aimed solely at public opinion; they did not conduct a pressure campaign to violate Department of Justice procedure and obstruct his investigation. And the Clintons certainly did not believe that the attorney general ought to, as an ethos, prosecute the law for the presidents political benefit.

And even if you are skeptical about what Mueller will turn up, Jenkinss notion that his investigation of Trumps campaign is based on a conspiracy theory ignores massive amounts of public evidence, ranging from multiple publicly known episodes of Trump campaign officials soliciting stolen Clinton emails from Russia to a growing list of indictments. Even a staunch right-winger like Trey Gowdy concedes the FBI had sound basis to launch its counterintelligence probe.

But the surrendering of any capacity to distinguish between ordinary political tactics and Trumps extraordinary breaches of political norms collapses all standards. All that remains, in the absence of any principled distinctions, is raw power. The contest between a news media that tries to convey some version of objective reality and a president who willfully creates an alternative reality for his own ends is just a war, in Fleischers revealing words. As Jenkins puts it, Every president has a duty to fight to protect himself and his power. It follows that whichever steps Trump takes to maintain his power are implicitly normal and justified. This is the moral logic of a gangster, and also of the bulk of the ruling American political party.President Trump has identified the culprit in the Russia scandal. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Trump has been making the novel argument that the real flaw in the Russia scandal lies with the FBI, which allegedly failed to warn Trump that his campaign was being targeted by Russian intelligence. Why didnt the crooked highest levels of the FBI or Justice contact me to tell me of the phony Russia problem?, he complained last weekend. Today, Trump approvingly quotes Rush Limbaugh repeating his argument:

RUSH LIMBAUGH If the FBI was so concerned, and if they werent targeting Trump, they should have told Trump. If they were really concerned about the Russians infiltrating a campaign (hoax), then why not try to stop it? Why not tell Trump? Because they were pushing this scam.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2018

In fact, the FBI did tell Trump. As NBC reported last December, in a high-level counterintelligence briefing by senior FBI officials the candidate was warned that foreign adversaries, including Russia, would probably try to spy on and infiltrate his campaign.

At the time, of course, Trump was publicly dismissing the FBIs warnings that Russia had stolen Democratic emails, insisting it might be China or a 400-pound man, while also publicly asking Russia to expand its email theft. His campaign was also swarming with secret Russia contacts, most prominently a meeting in Trump Tower with Russian spies promising dirt on his opponent.

So, to recap: Trumps campaign was holding secret meetings with Russians who wanted to help his campaign. The FBI warned Trump about Russian campaign infiltration. Trump did not tell the FBI about the secret meetings his campaign held, and publicly dismissed their conclusions about Russias intentions. And now his position is that this is the FBIs fault for failing to warn him.Bully for him. Photo: Andrtew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Most weeks, New York Magazine writer-at-large Frank Rich speaks with contributor Alex Carp about the biggest stories in politics and culture. Today, Trumps ongoing campaign against his attorney general, the question of Spygate, and the cancellation of Roseanne.

Following a New York Times report that Trump had asked Sessions to unrecuse himself from the Russia investigation, Trump tweeted that he wishes hed picked someone else as his attorney general, whom he accused of betrayal. Is his response to the story an admission of obstruction of justice?

So youd think. If Trump is innocent of all potential charges in the Russia probe, why would he want a loyal puppet in charge of the Mueller investigation except to obstruct it? His continued wail about Sessions, not just on Twitter but to anyone in earshot, is so patently self-incriminating that its laughable. Not to mention over-the-top. Look at our presidents priorities: He is now spending more time vilifying Sessions (and Rod Rosenstein and Robert Mueller) than he is on his putative summit with Kim Jong-un, in which Americas national security is at stake. He now professes a far lower opinion of Sessions, his own choice for our countrys chief law-enforcement officer, than he does of North Koreas murderous dictator.

Yet Sessions is in every substantive way the ultimate Trump loyalist. A xenophobic, anti-immigration hardliner with a racist past, he was the first GOP senator to endorse Trump during the campaign and even remained onboard after the Access Hollywood video. He is to this day pursuing the White Houses hard-right agenda more effectively than any other member of the administration. How do you parse that record with Trumps relentless, even farcical vitriol? There are only two possible answers: Trump is so anxious about his legal exposure as Mueller closes in that he just cant help betraying his guilt in public like a bargain-basement Macbeth. Or hes batshit crazy. Or both.

An ancillary question: Why doesnt Trump just go ahead and fire Sessions? Republican senators have made noises to the effect that they would not confirm a successor. Even if we believed that they would actually do as they say  they often talk a good game of rebellion only to cower in the crunch  why would Trump even care? Hes never shown any previous concern about leaving major administration jobs unfilled. He could then fire Rosenstein, too. A leaderless Department of Justice may not serve the nation, but it certainly is in Trumps best interest in terms of stalling or derailing Mueller. And theres nothing to stop Trump from doing any of this except unsubstantiated Beltway murmurs that such actions would finally drive Republicans in Congress to wake up to a Constitutional crisis. It would be a Constitutional crisis indeed, but I remain skeptical that any GOP leaders would assert the rule of law in that instance any more than they have during all of the other extralegal outrages of this White House. The only credible explanation I can see for Trump prolonging Sessionss agony is its usefulness as a plot arc in his ongoing reality show. He never wants to give us a reason to change the channel.

Republican congressman Trey Gowdy, after attending a classified Justice Department briefing, went on Fox News to defend the FBIs use of an informant to gather information on the Trump campaign in 2016. Does this take the air out of Trumps continued Spygate attacks on the Mueller investigation?

Gowdy isnt the only Trump supporter who has dismissed the president and Rudy Giulianis ostensibly exculpatory conspiracy theory of Spygate. Fox News has also expressed skepticism: Even the hard-right, Trumpist talking head Andrew Napolitano  who had endorsed a previous presidential conspiracy theory that had Obama seeking British assistance to wiretap Trump  has called Spygate baseless. But it doesnt matter. Gowdy is retiring from Congress and Napolitano is merely a cable commentator. Their talk will have zero effect on the Spygate propaganda campaign when its not matched by similarly strong words by Republicans actually in power. It says all you need to know about the backbone of supposed Trump critics in the GOP that Mitt Romney, now campaigning for the Senate in Utah, announced that he wrote in his wifes name in 2016 rather than vote for a Trump opponent.

Giuliani has said that the White Houses Spygate smokescreen is working in the sense that its denting public confidence in the Mueller investigation and further confusing low-information voters who dont really know what the whole collusion story is about anyway. Hes not wrong. The fact that Spygate is built on lies, like the (literally) thousands of other lies previously disseminated by this presidency, makes no difference to Trump voters. They either refuse to believe that he is lying, dont care that he is lying, or love that hes lying. Those of us in the fake-news business should continue to document those lies, but we should have the modesty to realize that the Trump base is either tuning out all of it or laughing it off. Its a conversation were having among ourselves.

What could change this equation are two potential developments. (1) The release of a Mueller report, presumably accompanied by further indictments of those in the presidents circle (and possibly his family), that is so solid in its evidence and vivid in its arguments that it will upstage fictions like Spygate in the public arena not necessarily because it is factual but because it simply is fresh and more dramatic than the White Houses bogus narrative. We cant count out the possibility that even in this post-fact Trumpian haze, an avalanche of gripping facts can be more exciting than Trumps crude and repetitive pulp fictions. (2) The Democrats win back either chamber of Congress in November. Whether they are called impeachment hearings or not, there will be round-the-clock congressional inquiries, no doubt televised, that will reduce Spygate to a Jeopardy question. Those fireworks will not be easily deflected by more MAGA rallies in Ohio.

Hours after Roseanne Barr sent a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, ABC canceled her shows reboot, which the network had showcased to advertisers barely two weeks ago. Even before her new shows season began, Roseanne had become notorious for racist statements on social media, with few real consequences  why was this time different?

ABC and Disney deserve full credit for pulling the plug promptly in the face of Barrs outrage. But what made this provocation different from Roseannes previous Twitter firebombs was their scale and toxicity  and the reality that this time, as opposed to her antics predating the Roseanne reboot, Disney and ABC owned Barr. They had no choice but capital punishment. ABC would have faced a wholesale revolt within its own workplace, not to mention among viewers and advertisers. Id also suggest that Barrs Twitter soliloquy, as manic as it was hateful, suggests that she was in no shape to continue meeting the demands of starring in a network television series that was just about to reconvene for its second season. Even if ABC had done nothing, this is a problem that likely would have taken care of itself fairly promptly. It was good business management to take the lead in bringing about Roseannes inevitable demise rather than respond to the inexorable events that would have led to that same denouement.

Already at least one Trump crony is talking about bringing Roseanne back in some form or another, perhaps to the same digital black hole where Bill OReilly is now holding forth. Its worth making some distinctions here. Of course televisions diversity should include programming created by Trump voters and with Trump voters as characters. Its arguable that Roseanne  which dealt with Trumpism gingerly and, as its star has noted, was largely the work of liberals (including Whitney Cummings and Wanda Sykes)  was such a show. Its demise was brought about not by an excess of political correctness on the part of ABC or anyone else; it was brought about by its titular figures public displays of racism and anti-Semitism. That Barr thought she could spew them with impunity says much about how much Trump has lowered the bar of our culture in general. In that context, both she and Roseanne are the least of our problems.Photo: 20th Century Fox

Aftershave was originally created as an alcohol-based antiseptic for disinfecting the little nicks and cuts you can get from shaving. But while alcohol does a good job of preventing infection, it tends to be very drying on skin, and splashing it on freshly shaved skin can really burn. Luckily, aftershaves have evolved a lot over the years. Depending on your skin and facial-hair type, you now have your pick of cooling gels, soothing balms, and refreshing liquids that disinfect as well as hydrate, exfoliate, and tone skin  many of which are alcohol-free and actually feel good going on. According to Dr. Anna Guanche, dermatologist and founder of Bella Skin Institute, the best aftershave for you depends on your particular skin type. Everyones skin is different and will react and respond to different types of aftershaves, she says.

With that in mind, we asked 13 dermatologists and grooming experts to weigh in on the best aftershaves for a range of skin types  whether youre prone to dryness, razor burn, acne and ingrown hairs, or just want to maintain a healthy glow.

Best aftershave for sensitive skin

Best aftershave for oily or acne-prone skin

Proraso After Shave Lotion, Refreshing and Toning $14 Though alcohol-based formulas can be overly drying for many skin types, they are helpful for oilier skin types that want to reduce shine and grease. The goal here is to avoid any potentially pore-clogging ingredients like coconut oil or cocoa butter, dermatologist David Lortscher says. Elle Medico, mens grooming expert at Paul Labrecque Salon & Spa, and dermatologist Samer Jaber also mentioned this tried-and-true liquid aftershave from Italian brand Proraso. Jaber says its gentle enough to use every day, and Medico says its easy to find in any drugstore and great for closing the pores and making the skin look tight and fresh. If the astringent effect of this is a little too intense for you, Medico recommends putting some of it on a washcloth and diluting it with a touch of water before applying to the skin. Each product is made for a specific skin type, she says, but may not be made specifically for your individual skin. So you might have to adjust the amount you use, especially with those that contain alcohol and witch hazel. $14 at Amazon Buy $14 at Macy's Buy

Best aftershave for razor burn

Best aftershaves for dry skin

LOccitane After Shave Balm $34 The added shea butter in this LOccitane shave balm is why Jaber recommends it as a moisturizing option for people with drier skin. It also has a blend of anti-inflammatory and antiseptic essential oils that will soothe and cleanse your skin. $34 at Amazon Buy $34 at Amazon Buy

Best post-shave regimen for aging skin

Fellow Barber Everyday 2-in-1 Aftershave Tonic $65 now 63% off $24 When it comes to aging skin, Dhingra says you may need to amp things up with more than one product  think layering. Your skin dries out as you get older and that dryness may set you up for inflammation after shaving, so search for ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides, says Dhingra, who recommends starting your post-shave routine with this soothing anti-inflammatory tonic from Fellow Barber with cooling eucalyptus, arnica, which decreases inflammation, and skin-brightening vitamin C. $24 at Amazon Buy $24 at Amazon Buy

EltaMD UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 $37 Though aftershave and moisturizer are important, Ilyas points out that the most important grooming step for older skin is applying sunblock on a regular basis  especially after shaving when skin is at its most vulnerable. I routinely see patients who have a spot in their beard area that they assume is an ingrown hair that wont heal but it turns out to be a basal cell skin cancer or squamous cell carcinoma, says Ilyas. When we asked dermatologists about the best sunscreens for the face recently, Patricia Wexler of Wexler Dermatology and four others pointed us to the above EltaMD UV Clear. Her patients love it because it doesnt feel greasy, plus its fragrance-free and noncomedogenic. Wexler also says its especially effective because its rich in antioxidants that help protect against skin-damaging free radicals. $37 at Amazon Buy $37 at Dermstore Buy

Best organic aftershave

Face of Danger Organic After Shave Lotion $16 Field Works Face of Danger its great for people who might have reactions to harsh or artificial ingredients, because its made with all-natural and organic ingredients. Medico recommends it because of its witch hazel to close pores and disinfect, aloe vera to soothe raw skin, plant-based oils, and bentonite clay, which is known to pull toxins out of your skin while locking moisture in. $16 at Amazon Buy $16 at Amazon Buy

To prevent and treat ingrown hairs

Tend Skin Solution $18 According to Ilyas, washing with an antibacterial soap and changing your razors routinely to avoid bacteria from building up around hair follicles, nicks, or cuts can help prevent ingrown hairs. But if you already have one (or a few) Tend Skin Solution comes recommended by two of our experts. Jaber describes it as soothing and calming for skin, and it has acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) to help exfoliate and decrease skin irritation. Green says its a tried-and-true treatment for ingrown hairs thats been around for a long time. Its the original, she says, noting that both men and women have had success using it for years. $18 at Amazon Buy $16 at Ulta Beauty Buy

Aqua Velva Sensitive 5 in 1 After Shave Balm $6 Ingrown hairs are caused by dead skin clogging up a hair follicle and trapping hair beneath the skin, so its important to exfoliate regularly. Lortscher says this Aqua Velva balm is both moisturizing (with added jojoba and mineral oil) and exfoliating. It contains salicylic acid, which provides gentle exfoliation to help prevent ingrown hairs, he says. Incidentally, the salicylic acid would also help someone whos acne-prone. $6 at Walmart Buy

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Music, dance and drama are indeed a balm that dulls many pains and pushes reconciliation, as the award-winning TV and radio drama Yat Madit proves.

No wonder, with support from the European Union, Media Focus on Africa Uganda is implementing the second season of the project dubbed Crossroad: A Soap Opera for Social Change.

This is an extension of a reconciliation project implemented between 2014 and 2017, that included the launch of Yat Madit last year.

The drama airs on Voice of Karamoja (Karamoja), Mighty Fire FM (Acholi), Kyoga Veritas FM (Teso) and Lango FM (Lango), targeting war-torn communities in those sub-regions.

Speaking at a dialogue held at Puranga in Pader district, Paddy Lawot, an opinion leader, said there is need to take action to the next level. He encouraged use of the locals to come up with content for plays and dance routines aimed at post-conflict reconciliation.

Yat Madit depicts the life of different people living together in a trading centre. It represents a community recovering from the ravages of war, with challenges such as unemployment, land wrangles, alcoholism and domestic violence, among others.

It won three accolades at the 2017 edition of the Uganda Film Festival (Best TV Drama series, Best Actor in a TV Drama series and Best Actress in a TV Drama series).

Yat Madit also won an award for the Intercultural Innovation Award hosted by United Nations Alliance of Civilisations and BMW Group, in New York.

In the first phase, a 13- episode Yat Madit aired on TV and radio, translated into various local languages for community screenings that were followed by intercultural dialogues.

Despite the return of relative peace in the sub-regions, communities still face the after-effects of war, including psychological trauma, ethnic tension and land disputes, among others.

When we were holding the first dialogues, participants always requested us to invite more people for the dialogues, or if we could take the series to other counties, clans or villages which they felt also needed to be engaged in dialogues because of the challenges they were facing. We are glad that we can now reach more people with a much-needed and timely project both in communities and on air, Jan Ajwang, the media focus programmes manager said.

barangasam@gmail.com

eupal.ff@gmail.comThere is a tough interview that old man Boniface Byanyima (RIP) gave to The Observers Herbert Oluka back in 2005.

Throughout the interview, Mzee Byanyima is explicit about the horrors President Museveni has meted out against this country as he is explicit about what needs to be done.

At one point, the young journalist asks the legendary politician about what should be done to make things right.

In unflinching terms, the old man throws the challenge at the journalist: You are a young man, why dont you go to the bush? Museveni cannot be removed by elections.

Oluka responds on the side of caution, arguing that this would cause suffering to many people like happened in northern Uganda.

Mzee Byanyima is even more candid this time. Going philosophical, he reminds the young man that freedom is not given on a silver platter: If you want Uganda to be a free country, you have got to fight for freedom. [Well, Oluka never took the challenge and is now in the UK for further studies].

I recalled this interview while I thought about todays activists and opposition politicians in their myriad groups: NGOs, community-based organisations (CBOs), civil society organisations (CSOs), and political parties.

Ironically, without realizing it, these so-called watchers-of-public-interests have been part and parcel of the decimation of the country they supposedly fight to protect. Yesterdays activist was angry, poor and daring. In a 2012 book by Fountain Publishers, Ugandas Presidents: An Illustrated Biography, there is a family photo of Yoweri Museveni and family, taken sometime in the early 1970s.

In that picture, your eyes are shocked by the sight of the skinny and emaciated brother of the president, Gen Salim Saleh, who proudly stands behind the family, with an open shirt showing his bony chest. Without reading the caption, it is difficult to tell this is the man as we know him today.

A malnourished Yoweri Museveni dons some unfashionable sandals holding one of the babies. That the picture is likely to have been taken in a local studio reveals a typical middle-class family eking out an existence hustling about.

To be fair, the other members of the family look well-fed. But these are fellows who dared the heights and joined the others in the forests to take the leadership of Uganda.

Todays activists are the opposite of the above. They love and aggressively pursue wealth. They are often writing proposals and accounting for donor funds. They have farms in the countryside and are constantly looking for ways of expanding their estates.

For them, activism is a career from which they earn a lavish existence. Since activism is often a calling for generally young people in their mid-twenties through the 40s, let me place Museveni in our time  where going to the bush is not an option  to make this point more vividly.

If Museveni had come of age in the 1990s  say finished university in 1991, married Janet three years later, got bitter with President Obotes election theft and undemocratic tendencies thereafter, he would have been a civil society activist.

He would have formed a CBO, NGO or a CSO. For its name, it would have the words democracy, justice, youth, constitutionalism or human rights, either in the name or slogan.

If he were 30 in 2000, he would grow with his organisation to the point that his name would stand for his organisation and the organisation would mean his name. If cunning enough  as certainly Museveni is  he would be rich by Ugandan standards.

He would have a good house in one of the semi-posh neighbourhoods of Kampala, and cruise in Toyota Prado V8 or Jeep, depending on his tastes. He would often hold press conferences or once in a while hold executive demonstrations in the streets of Kampala.

Organising workshops in Kampalas plush hotels would form a major part of his Year Planner. Certainly, Obote would not mind him much, since he would know this man as a corporate slay king.

Surely, the type of Museveni I describe above would be useless to this country except himself. But that is our activists today. True, the times have changed. Museveni went to the bush before the invention of terrorism, and violent struggle was accepted in the global discourse as a mode of protest. But not anymore.

My point is this: the cowardly, non-imaginative and glamorous bourgeois lifestyle of our activist is part of the problem.

The author is a PhD fellow at Makerere Institute of Social Research.Loading the player...

Air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines to get 2-5% more expensive from June

Planning to buy a new air-conditioner or a washing machine or major kitchen appliances? You'd best do it in a hurry because the appliances industry is predicting a price hike of 2-5% from June onwards. According to The Economic Times, the net increase will be in the range of Rs 400 to over Rs 1,500 for premium models, and will kick off as new products hit the market. And you can blame the increase in crude oil prices, the depreciating rupee and hardening rates of key raw materials - steel and copper - for this. Steel prices have gone up by 7-8% and the same is true for prices of copper condensers, which are imported largely from China. The industry has been able to absorb the input cost spike till now on account of a price drop in some chemicals like foaming agent. But it is no longer feasible to continue doing so.

Efforts on to bring petrol, diesel under GST, says Dharmendra Pradhan

Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, while talking to India Today, said that an uniform tax structure for petroleum products across the nation will be released soon. Efforts are being made in GST Council to develop a consensus among states to bring petrol and diesel under the GST and the success of the tax regime will lead to this outcome soon. On the question of why the centre is not slashing the excise duty on petrol and diesel to set an example for states to follow, Pradhan said, "Excise duty in not the only factor in fuel prices. Value added tax levied by states VAT is also an important factor."

ICICI Bank finally puts CEO Chanda Kochhar under lens

ICICI Bank has instituted an independent inquiry into allegations raised by an whistleblower against CEO Chanda Kochhar of having given out huge loans to certain business groups who in return extended benefits to companies run by her husband and brother-in-law.The board of directors of the bank who had earlier given the CEO a clean chit, ordered the inquiry on Tuesday, on a complaint by an anonymous whistleblower against Kochhar, ICICI Bank said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday.

Air India stake sale: Govt expects good response on last day of bidding

Challenging the odds against Air India stake sale, the government, which is yet to receive any formal bid for debt-laden national carrier, said it hoped of getting a good response on the last day of the bidding process tomorrow. Responding to the lukewarm interest in disinvestment of state-run Air India, the Civil Aviation Secretary R N Choubey said, "We expect good response before bid closes tomorrow." He added that bids are expected to "pour in at the last hour." Though the government had earlier extended the deadline for submission of Expression of Interest (EoI) from May 14 to May 31, the last date will not be moved further this time, the aviation secretary said.

Baba Ramdev launches WhatsApp's rival messaging app Kimbho

Baba Ramdev's Patanjali has entered the realm of chatting applications with its own instant messaging application called Kimbho. The new app is already up and live on Android Play Store and has already received over 10,000 downloads. The launch was confirmed by the company's spokesperson, SK Tijarawala over a tweet. This move comes right after the announcement of Patanjali-BSNL partnership to launch SIM cards with relatively low tariffs. Initially, the SIM cards will only be available to employees of Patanjali but will be launched to the general public later. The new app, Kimbho is being promoted as a "swadeshi messaging platform".Catastrophe has struck Air India yet again. After all the fanfare and brouhaha around the sale of the national carrier, the civil aviation ministry couldn't find a single bidder for the airline. Blame it on the daunting terms and conditions of the sale brochure or the lack of marketing by the government and its transaction advisor EY, the Air India sale process turned out to be disastrous.

Till about an hour before the closing of the bidding window on Thursday evening, people within and outside the government were hoping that a white knight would emerge to revive the fortunes of the flagging national carrier. Their hopes were dashed when the ministry of civil aviation put out a tweet: "As informed by the transaction adviser, no response has been received for the Expression of Interest floated for the strategic disinvestment of Air India. Further course of action will be decided appropriately."

Why did it happen and what's going to happen next are the questions that beg for answers at this moment. The run-up to the sale process was quite elaborate. The sale document was prepared after months of consultations with stakeholders. An inter-ministerial group was formed to look into the modalities of the sale and subsequently, regulations were tweaked to allow foreign carriers to own 49 per cent in the airline. It seemed that nothing could have stopped the government to end its nearly 70 years of ownership in the airline.

But what came out as EoI (expression of interest) - that offered to sell 76 per cent stake - seemed like something that wasn't well thought-through. Within days, domestic carriers started backing out citing their reservations against the sale conditions. The international road-shows that targeted airlines like Lufthansa, Air France-KLM didn't help much either.

Several reports quoting key officials in MoCA appeared later saying that the response to the sale process is decent. It was kind of puzzling because the ground realities were entirely different. But then one would not criticize the seller for exaggerating things, especially when it has to dispose of a loss-making airline, transfer Rs 33,352 crore of debt and liabilities, and put restrictions on the hiring-and-firing of a workforce that's already over-staffed.

The next few weeks are going to be crucial for Air India. If it were to operate on its own, the airline has a lot of battles to fight. It has lost track some years ago and is now dependent on taxpayers' money to stay afloat. The easy availability of taxpayers' money has led to a situation where AI has already spent over Rs 26,000 crore out of the Rs 30,000 crore that was assigned for its turnaround plan till 2022.

Sources say that the government will most likely follow the Pawan Hans disinvestment model. Last year, the government proposed to disinvest its 51 per cent stake in Pawan Hans Ltd through strategic disinvestment. Later, it withdrew the bidding document - after only two bidders showed interest - and revised the proposal. "There are enough bidders for Air India, but the government needs to address their concerns," says a source.

Given that Air India sale is a political hot potato, the government doesn't seem to have enough time on its side before the election season begins.An almost 19 hour non-stop flight from Singapore to Newark, New Jersey that is the world's longest will be launched by Singapore Airlines in October. This flight will travel for 8,277 nautical miles or 15,329 km between the two destinations with 161 business class and premium economy seats. It will surpass the current longest flight of 7,843 nautical miles between Doha and Auckland operated by Qatar Airways, according to airline data provider OAG.

This is not a new route for Singapore Airlines. In fact, the airline had flown flights between Singapore and Newark till 2013 before jet fuel prices made operating four-engine Airbus SE A340-500 jets uneconomical. Since then it has flown to JFK Airport in New York via Frankfurt.

Singapore Airlines is the only customer till now for Airbus' A350-900ULR, an ultra-long range version of the twin-engine A350 jet. It expects its first A350-900ULR in September and all the seven by end of the year.

Qantas is planning to purchase the A350-900ULR or Boeing Cos 777X for an even longer route of 9,200 nautical miles from Sydney to London.

These airlines are adding ultra-long haul flights so that they can capture an airfare premium of around 20% as opposed to flights with one of more stops.

Singapore Airlines also plans to introduce non-stop flights from Singapore to Los Angeles eventually.Banking services took a hit on the second consecutive day of the nationwide bank strike which was called by employees' unions of state-run banks. Around 10 lakh bankers are protesting a meagre 2 per cent salary hike offered by Indian Banks Association (IBA). There are about 85,000 branches of 21 public sector banks across the country having business share of about 70 per cent.

The two-day strike being observed mostly by the employees of public sector banks comes at a time when a lot of people get salaries in their accounts. The strike is likely to affect cash withdrawals, deposits and cheque clearances at state-run lenders. Operations like deposits, FD renewals, government treasury operations, money market operations are also being reportedly hit by the strike.

Thanks to digital banking, a lot urban customers were able to avoid hassles due to ongoing bank strike. Besides, private lenders, which contribute to a major chunk of business in cities were functioning normally. Operations in the new-generation private banks like ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, however, were almost normal, barring few activities including cheque clearance.

The strike was called by United Forum of Banking Unions (UFBU), an umbrella organisation consisting all nine unions of the banking sector. Banking operations are expected to become normal from Friday. UFBU has claimed that the strike is "total success" as the employees have "enthusiastically participated in the strike in all banks and in all branches".

Nearly 10 lakh employees, working in various branches of 21 public sector banks, 13 old generation private sector banks, six foreign banks and 56 regional rural banks across the country went on a two-day strike yesterday as IBA offered them a nominal wage revision, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA), affiliate of UFBU had said in a statement.

According to reports received by UFBU from various states and centres like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Patna, Nagpur, Jammu, Guwahati, Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Agra, Ambala, and Trivandrum, employees have enthusiastically participated in the strike in all banks and branches.

In its last wage negotiation meeting held earlier this month, IBA proposed a nominal salary revision to bank employees and officers, owing to huge losses incurred by them in the last few quarters, bank unions said. Wage revision in the banks has been due from November 2017.

According to official estimates, on Wednesday, just about 25 per cent of the total branches were functioning. However, about 80 per cent of ATMs were dispensing cash till the close of the banking hours.

IBA has asked the six banks including SBI, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Union Bank and Bank of Baroda to reconsider their decision and allow IBA to settle wages for bank employees up to scale seven instead of up to scale three employees.

Most of the banks, including SBI, PNB and BoB, have already informed their customers about functioning of branches and offices due to strike. Industry chamber Assocham said the two-day nationwide bank strike may affect customer transactions worth up to Rs 20,000 crore.

with PTI inputsShares of NXP Semiconductors NV fell 5 per cent on Wednesday after China's latest warning against US trade threats dulled hopes of an early approval by Beijing for Qualcomm's $44 billion acquisition of the chipmaker.

The company's shares gained about 9 percent since May 18 on media reports that the chances of the deal winning approval were looking "optimistic" as a US-China trade spat cooled.

Also helping was a deal the US government reached to put Chinese telecommunications company ZTE Corp, back in business.

Qualcomm lawyers were expected to meet this week in Beijing with China's antitrust regulators in a final push to secure clearance, three sources told Reuters on Sunday.

The meeting was expected before U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross arrived in China on Saturday, the sources briefed on Qualcomm's discussions had said.

However, the team of lawyers remained at the company's San Diego headquarters, as of late Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said.

"On hold now," another person familiar with Qualcomm's talks with the Chinese government said on Wednesday, declining to be identified as the negotiations are confidential.

The deal, announced in October 2016, has been approved by eight of the nine required global regulators, with China the only one pending.

Shares of NXP were down 1.2 per cent while Qualcomm stock was marginally up premarket.Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association

Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America.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|

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Rupee rises 15 paise to close at 75.37 (provisional) against US dollar.

Sensex surges 452.74 points to hit new closing high of 60,737.05; Nifty rallies 169.80 points to 18,161.75.



Guwahati : The troops of Assam Rifles had apprehended one elephant poacher alongwith illegal arms in Nagaland.





The Wokha battalion of Assam Rifles under the aegis of HQ IGAR(North) conducted a search operation at Meshangpen, Sanis Wokha district and during the search Assam Rifles troops apprehended one elephant poacher alongwith illegal arms and ammunition.





The nabbed poacher was identified as Nchumbemo Jami and security personnel had recovered one 303 Rifle with magazine, five live cartridge of 303 and one mobile phone.





The poacher alongwith recovered items was handed over to Sanis Police Station and an FIR lodged in Sanis Police Station.



MHA to constitute a special committee to implement Assam Accord Clause 6





Guwahati: While, protests have been continued in Assam against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 which proposed to grant citizenship to the illegal migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India upto December 31, 2014, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that, the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 would be finalized and placed before parliament after consultation with all stakeholders.





During a meeting with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in New Delhi, Rajnath Singh said that, the bill would be finalised and placed before parliament after consulting with all stakeholders.





Centre is not hurry to place the bill before parliament, the Union Home minister said.





Various political parties, non-political organisations, the indigenous people of Assam have opposed the bill and saying that it would threaten the existence of the indigenous people of the state.





Recently (May 7-10), 16-member Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) led by BJP MP Rajendra Agarwala had visited Assam and Meghalaya and took public hearing.





Over 350 organisations in Assam had submitted their written notes to the Committee.





In Brahmaputra valley, maximum organisations had registered their opinions against the bill, while most of the organisations in Barak valley had supported the bill and demanded to grant citizenship to the Hindu Bangladeshi.





Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) ally party of the BJP-led Assam coalition government, All Assam Students Union (AASU) said that, the contents of the bill seek to dilute clauses of the Assam Accord signed in 1985 after 6-year Assam agitation and the indigenous people of Assam will not agree any foreigner irrespective of their faith to be granted citizenship.





In Meghalaya, the Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government has already decided to oppose the bill as the MDA government cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma had taken decision to oppose the bill.





The meeting was held to review administrative and security arrangements related to updating of National Register of Citizens (NRC) in presence of the Union Home minister, Assam CM, Assam DGP, Chief Secretary, ADGP (SB) and other top officials of MHA.





On the other hand, the Union Home minister assured Sonowal to provide adequate measures ahead of the final NRC draft publication.





The final NRC draft will be published on June 30 this year.





On Tuesday, Assams Principal Home Secretary LS Changsan and DGP Kuladhar Saikia, ADGP (SB) Pallab Bhattacharya met officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs in New Delhi on and discussed about the security scenario ahead of final NRC draft publication.





A top source said that, 80 additional companies of central forces will be deployed in Assam ahead of the final NRC draft publication.





Rajnath Singh further said that, the Centre will be constituted a special committee to implement Clause 6 of Assam Accord.





Assam Accord was signed in 1985 after six years long Assam movement against illegal migrants from Bangladesh.





According to the Clause 6 of Assam Accord, constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards shall be provided to protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.





In Assam apprehension are being raised that granting citizenship to Hindu Bengalis from Bangladesh will adversely affect the culture, language and tradition of the state.





The section 6A in the Citizenship Act, 1955 contains the provisions with respect to citizenship of persons covered by the Assam Accord (1985).





This section was introduced through an amendment made in 1985, in the Citizenship Act, 1955.





The section 6A of the act says that all those who came to Assam on or after January 1, 1966, but before March 24, 1971 from the specified territory (it includes all territories of Bangladesh at the time of commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 1985), and since then are residents of Assam, must register themselves under section-18 for citizenship.